Easiest paleo flatbread ever with Instant vegan savoury cashew cheese

Paleo flat bread, no fuss. And the cashew cheese… Amazing. Superfast. Nicer than any cow-based cream cheese, coming from someone who still occasionally eats dairy. Just mix it up and go… Tangy, salty, savoury, spicy, creamy, yum.

On a side note..  hello 🙂

Ingredients &  Method – serves 2-4

Super easy paleo flatbread:

Vegan pasta sauce of choice
Ground almonds
Flax seed
Generous pinch of salt

No measurements. Use mostly almonds, a tablespoon or so of flax if you like, salt (more than you think you need – bread is quite salty) , then just enough sauce to make a thick paste.

Spread the paste onto a lined baking sheet, bake at 200 degrees C for about 15 min. Allow to cool before peeling away from your liner.

Cashew cheese:

4 tbsp cashew butter
2 tbsp soy yoghurt
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp garlic oil
1/4 tsp smoked Paprika
1 tsp pomegranate molasses – do not skip, this is what makes it magic
1 tsp probiotic powder (optional)
2 tsp nutritional yeast
Salt to taste

Mix everything together
Adjust seasoning to taste

Enjoy!

Vegan kimchi

A spicy, salty fermented pickle that is the basis of many korean dishes. A couple of my past posts have used it so I thought it only right to post the recipe properly.  Adapted from maangchi’s easy kimchi recipe on her site.

Ingredients – makes about 2 litres
3lb cabbage
1/3cup salt
2 cups pureed korean pear – aka  Asian pears, but I’ve also used ripe conference pears, about 2 largish ones (peeled & cored before blending with a lil water)
1/3 cup soy sauce plus some salt
2 cloves garlic (the original calls for wayy too much imo. Wayyy too much)
1tsp minced ginger
1 cup minced onion (1 large onion)
3 green onions
1 granny smith apple
2 medium carrots, peeled
1/2 cup hot pepper flakes, or if like us y can’t get a hold of that, 46g ancho chilli powder plus 1tsp hot paprika & 2 generous pinches chilli flakes

1. Cut the chinese leaf into small pieces and remove the stalk. Wash well 2/3 times and drain (pic 1)
2. Add the salt and toss well. Allow to sit for 30 mins then toss again, repeating this 3 times. The leaves will wilt, release water and shrink considerably in size (pic 2)
3. Wash and drain the chinese leaf well. Chop the green onions, carrot and apple into matchsticks and add (pic 3)
4. Put all remaining ingredients into a food processor with 1.5 cups of water and blend until smooth (pic 4)
5. Mix your paste into the veggies, then store in a plastic tub in the fridge until needed. You can eat it immediately or let it ferment a couple of days at room temp to get a bit more sour, before storing in the fridge.
Enjoy!

oat & banana flapjacks

This recipe was adapted from the Dietician UK website.

Ingredients – makes one 9×13″ pan

400g rolled oats (I used 300g jumbo organic steel cut and 100g mornflake instant)
150g butter or spreadable butter, or margarine/ non-dairy alternative
2 tbsp honey or golden syrup
2 large, ripe bananas, mashed

1. Melt the honey or syrup and fat together in the microwave, in a large bowl.
2. Mix all the ingredients together
3. Spread into an oiled, parchment lined 9×13 ” pan and bake at 150 degrees C (fan). No need to preheat.
4. Half an hour later, or when the top is starting to turn golden, remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before slicing. Allow to cool fully then store in an airtight container.
Enjoy!

Incredible korean style crispy green pancakes – vegan, gluten free, low carb, paleo

You know when something tastes so good you can’t resist eating it while you cook, and when you finally get to the table you forget all about things like table manners and cutlery and start tearing bits off with your hands in excitement? This is one of those things. It took me a full 15 minutes of eating before I could muster enough sense to pick up the fork. I’m stuffed now but still find myself longingly staring at the uneaten half of my third helping. Oh yes. This is one to get the fat-pants out for.

Except, it isn’t… It’s almost all veggies, with gram flour, onions, vegan kimchi  (thank you miss Maangchi!) and seasonings – apart from the oil used to fry them in there aren’t that many calories in them at all, for the way they taste. It’s like an amazing, crispy, pakora-like pancake but a billion times better… No overabundance of powdery dough, just the sweet, cruncy green veggies coated in a light layer of delicious, crisp, spicy batter… If I don’t stop describing this thing soon I’ll cave in and finish my plate. Make this. Especially if you find – as we did – a beautiful bunch of beets with greens intact that it’d be a crime to waste. They’re like kale but softer, less grassy and more sweet tasting. Although I’m sure baby kale or de-veined regular kale would work just as well.

Adapted from Maangchi’s kale pancake and kimchi pancake recipe vids on YouTube.

Here it is next to some stir-fried veggies… Yummm

Ingredients – serves 3-4
1 large bunch of beet greens with stalks, maybe 150g, chopped
1.5 pak choi, washed, sliced
1 medium onion, diced
1 green onion (scallion), chopped
1 medium chilli pepper, de-seeded and chopped finely
1/4 tsp smoked Paprika
1/2 cup kimchi of choice (we used vegan homemade – to Maangchi’s easy recipe with soy sauce instead of fish sauce & pear instead of rice flour slurry)
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp toasted Sesame oil
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ginger powder
1/2 tsp salt
About 3/4 cup water
Up to 1 cup gram flour, or as much as required to make a thin batter that coats everything.
Generous amount of oil to fry in (2tbsp per pancake)
Optional – toasted Sesame seeds as garnish

1. Put everything except frying oil and gram flour in a large bowl
2. Mix well then add half the gram flour, mixing and gradually adding more until a thin batter coats everything and there are a few tablespoons more of it at the bottom of the bowl
3. Heat your pan with 2tbsp oil on high, putting ladlefuls of the mixture into it when hot, then flattening them out to make a relatively thin pancake (thinner means crispier and tastier). Fry until crispy on the bottom (around 3 min) then flip using a spatula, or just using the pan if you want to show off. Cook the other side until that’s crispy too, a few more min.
4. Transfer to a plate then start the next pancake in the same way. Stack the pancakes to keep them warm as you cook. Try not to eat too many as you fry!
5. Serve immediately, topped with toasted Sesame seeds if you like.
Enjoy!

Amazing oriental style meatballs with rice

This recipe is adapted from Monique’s slow cooker lamb recipe on the Divas Can Cook blog. One thing about Monique is she really knows her flavours, this combination blew us away. This is a stovetop version using our favourite vegetarian meatballs, absolutely delicious on a bed of buttered rice (that’s rice 3 days in a row this week lol – my new favourite thing)

See previous post for rice quantities/method

Ingredients: serves 4
600g meatballs of choice
1 tsp minced fresh ginger
1 medium red onion, diced
4 tbsp olive oil plus 3 tbsp toasted sesame oil (do not sub – important for flavour. Must be dark black brown coloured toasted sesame oil, not the light coloured version )
4 tbsp soy sauce (we used Japanese)
2 vegetable stock cubes, or 2 1/2 cups stock of choice (we used organic veg cubes)
4 tbsp honey
2 tbsp thickener of choice – cornflour, flour or arrowroot (optional)
3 large cloves garlic (you can increase this, up to one small head, it’ll be delicious but the leftovers will be lethal – garlic develops in flavour & gets stronger over time)
1 sweet pointed red pepper, diced

To serve: rice & steamed broccoli

Method:
1. Fry the onion, garlic in the oils until soft & translucent
2. Add the pepper and ginger, fry for a couple of minutes
3. Add everything else except thickener, plus 2. 5 cups water if not using stock.  Dissolve thickener of choice in 2 tbsp water & pour in.
4. Bring to the boil, simmer 15 mins or until the sauce has thickened & meatballs are done
5. Adjust seasoning, then serve.
Enjoy!

Possibly the easiest, lightest, fluffiest paleo naan flatbread in the universe (Gluten-free)

Hands down the hardest thing for me about going grain free was losing bread. I searched through so many recipes but couldn’t find a go-to I was happy with: they either contained a ton of ingredients I never have/ can’t find, they have stupidly complex methods or perhaps worst of all, they don’t taste good.  I loathe arrowroot in bread, js. Even the microwave breakfast muffin I posted here couldn’t meet my requirements for a staple, for its relative complexity and the fact it’s quite loaded with oil for its size, making it not so easy to eat all the time (although if you’re feeling it, still makes a great treat).  This week I made up my own bread which is ridiculously fluffy, great tasting, naan like, and so simple even your cat could make it (though you might want to skip that last suggestion unless you don’t mind a cat-hair seasoning).

IT’S SO FLUFFY I’M GOING TO DIE!

Ingredients: serves 2
300g ground almonds (about 1.5 cups)
2 whole, large eggs or 3 egg whites, or 7 tbsp carton egg whites
4 tbsp olive oil, or double if using egg whites without yolks
Generous pinch of salt
Seasoning to taste: we used 2 heaped tablespoons Sundried tomato & onion paste the first time, then dried thyme, sesame, onion powder, smoked paprika & Sundried tomato oil the second. Yum.

Method:
1. Put everything in a bowl and mix well
2. Spread resulting sticky paste on to oiled baking sheet (we lined it with foil for ease of removal), patting flat with oiled spatula or hands
3. Bake on high (we used 220 degrees C) for 10 mins, or until slightly browned. Serve immediately.
Enjoy!

Healthy BANANA BREAD (gluten-free, refined sugar-free, Paleo-friendly)

1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup finely ground almonds
3 medium bananas
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup coconut sugar, honey, or other sweetener (mixing sweeteners is recommended)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 eggs
1/4 teaspoon ground vanilla bean
splash almond extract (optional)
pinch of salt
100 grams dark chocolate (optional but good!)

1. In food processor or hand blender, mix almonds, flour, and butter. (If you need to grind the almonds, do so before adding the flour and butter.)
2. Add sweetener, cinnamon, vanilla bean, almond extract, baking soda, and salt, mixing after each addition.
3. Add bananas to food processor and mix until pureed. (Puree separately if necessary.)
4. In separate bowl, whisk eggs for a couple minutes until they begin to have body. Add mixture from food processor.
5. If using chocolate, run it through the food processor until it is in fine pieces, then stir into batter.
6. Bake at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) for 40 minutes or until it smells and feels done.

(All this can be done by hand too, but a food processor is easier!)

How do you know if it’s done?
Smell test: When the scent of baked goods begins to waft from the oven, it’s almost done!
Feel test: It feels solid.
Fork test: Pierce it with a fork, and if the fork comes out clean, it’s done.

Recipe adapted from Slim Palate – here is their classy and well-presented picture of the banana bread!

Fluffy 3 minute chocolate mug cake – paleo, Gluten-free, dairy free, sugar free

Just amazing. Like real, fluffy, chocolatey cake, but with no sugar or grains, and in 3 minutes. 

Like a few paleo chocolate cakes I’ve tried this isn’t overly sweet, its quite a dark chocolatey flavour that would be perfect with a lighter, slightly sweeter filling like fresh strawberries and coconut cream.  The original recipe called for 2tbsp of honey so I guess you could up the truvia a little, but I find less is more with calorie free sweeteners to avoid the taste becoming impaired.

Adapted from http://www.anediblemosaic.com/?p=16468

Fluffy big chocolatey ball of yum!

Ingredients – serves 1 – 2
3/4 tsp coconut oil, melted
2 tbsp almond meal / ground almonds
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1.5 tbsp flax meal / ground flaxseed
1 tbsp truvia
Pinch baking powder
Pinch salt
1/4 tsp espresso powder
3 tbsp egg white
2 tbsp almond milk (or milk of choice)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Mix everything together until smooth (ish)
2. Pour into a large, greased mug (we used a 0.5 litre one)
3. Microwave on high for 1.5 minutes (in our 900w oven)
4. Serve warm, & enjoy!

16-minute healthy homemade tomato ketchup – sugar free, paleo, gluten free, diabetic friendly, fast, easy, yum!

Ketchup & I go way back.  It’s one of those things I can’t run out of in the house, we buy a bottle before the current one finishes just to make sure we don’t go dry, at restaurants I request extra if they give too little, because I literally can’t eat some foods without it. I can’t imagine eating chips (fries if you’re american), sausages or burgers without a generous serving of ketchup; I’d even put it on pizza, chicken, you name it, and I use it in some recipes for a flavour boost… All of this is exactly why what I am about to say is shocking.

I AM NO LONGER FRIENDS WITH KETCHUP.

The store bought kind that is…. Not even my absolute favourite brand.  Yes Heinz original, I’m talking to you!  After all the good times we had, you were keeping a nasty little secret from me – you are almost 25% sugar! what the heck?? I wan’t sugar in my CAKES, not hidden in savoury foods like you to make me pre-diabetic!! It’s you, and secret enemies like you, YOU’RE the reason I cook healthy things but don’t seem to loose weight! Gah! I’m not talking to you anymore!!

Rather than sulk I googled some recipes (I still need my ketchup fix, and there’s really no reason for it to be unhealthy with all the sugar alternatives we have now).  A lot of them seemed to have spices I don’t have at home, like onion powder, and wanted me to slow cook everything for 2 hours to reduce it down (who has time for that?).  Well, I the one thing I always have at home which has a bunch of similar seasonings to what’s needed (and a few extra, but hey it’s all good) is vegetable stock cubes.  I also didn’t want to wait for 2 hours so I thought I’d try a microwave method to thicken it up instead… if you’ve ever overheated something in the microwave you’ll know how it can completely dehydrate your food in a matter of minutes – why not use that to our advantage?

The glorious result is this… only THE BEST KETCHUP IVE EVER TASTED! Others have said how great homemade ketchup is, I now know how true that is… that depth of flavour, a taste of real tomato in that beautifully smooth, thick puree as opposed to just sugar & salt, the sharp tang and subtle flavours of the seasoning… Move over Heinz, I have found my new BFF and it promises to be as good to me as I deserve. YAY!

Look at the comparison of nutritional information (I got this by using an online recipe calorie calculator)… just look!   see that sugar? less than 1% in my recipe – and it tastes no less good! This is why you should make your own ketchup.  Not to mention the salt and calorie count.  I made a jar full in less time than it took me to cook my sausages and sweet potato chips.  If you love ketchup like I do, this is definitely worth a try.

yup, I won’t be going back after this one.  All that remains is to make little jars to take with me when we go out 🙂

Ingredients – makes about 1 regular jam-jar full

500g passata (one pack)
2.5 vegetable stock cubes (ours are kinda small, use enough to make 1125ml stock -just less than 5 cups)
1/3 cup (80ml) cider vinegar
4.5g or 1 tsp Truvia (stevia sweetener in the UK. Use roughly 1/3 the amount of truvia to sugar)

Equipment-
large microwave safe glass bowl (plastic will stain, or might not be safe)
Cling film or plastic wrap
wooden, silicone or plastic spoon (not metal)
clean jar to store finished ketchup

1. Crumble the stock cubes. Put all the ingredients in a very large glass bowl and cover with cling film, piercing it a couple of times to let steam escape.
2. microwave on full power for 3 minutes. Remove carefully and stir with a plastic or wooden spoon (metal may affect the taste). Replace the cling-film and return it to the microwave.
3. Microwave on full power for another 3 minutes, then stir again, cover, and replace. It’ll be quite hot by now.
4. Microwave on full power for 5 minutes. You’ll need a pot-holder to take the bowl out, the sauce will be thicker, bubbling and probably splattered all over the cling-film and sides of the bowl. Carefully stir after letting it sit for about 30s to make sure it doesn’t splash at you. Cover again and replace.
5. Microwave on half power this time, for a final 5 minutes. By the end you’ll see a dried ring around the inside of the bowl, and the sauce will still seem more runny than ketchup but will coat a spoon once dipped in. It thickens up a fair bit on cooling. To check consistency you could put a small amount on a cool plate and see what it looks like after a couple of minutes, nuking more if needed. Just don’t overdo it!
6. carefully (it’s hot!) taste it. Adjust the balance between salt, sweet and sour to taste, adding very little of each and mixing well before tasting.  I found it was easier to do this by tasting the ketchup on other food, how I’m used to eating it.
7. Pour into your clean jar then allow to cool. Cover and keep in the fridge.

Enjoy!

Late night munchies – soy “chicken” omelet

This was a fast experiment at 2am that worked really well… We just threw a bunch of random ingredients we had in our cupboard and fridge together, the result I could swear tastes like chicken shish kebabs but softer, like a chicken version of the burger-omelet cross in the Arab world that is lahm w beidh (literally, minced meat and egg). Surprisingly delicious, especially given the seasoning we used… But I can’t pretend to get all sophisticated and tell you to use something seemingly of better quality because I know it just won’t work the same.  If you can get over your initial reaction to what I’m going to say, make this and you won’t regret it.

It’s 2am, I really can’t be doing better photos right now (sorry)

Ingredients – serves 1-2
3/4 cup unflavoured dry soy mince (we used neal’s yard)
1 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp dark soy sauce (we used Chinese)
3 tbsp crispy onion pieces (we used Top Taste)
1-2 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped
1 packet chicken flavoured seasoning taken from instant noodles (don’t judge me, it works … We used koka brand which is actually vegetarian)
6 tbsp egg whites (3 egg whites) or 2 whole eggs, beaten

1. Put soy mince, soy sauce, onion, thyme and seasoning in a large bowl.
2. Slowly add a stream of boiling water to the mince mix and stir gently, until it’s all fluffy and the liquid is absorbed – should puff up to be about 2 cups. Add only as much water as you need to rehydrate, stop when you see more than a tablespoon or so of liquid at the bottom of the bowl which doesn’t get soaked up on stirring.
3. Heat oil in a pan, then add mince mix. Pour egg on top then fry on medium high until set, covering the pan to help the top cook with steam, flipping once the top is just set using a spatula, to allow both sides to brown a little.
4. Serve immediately, and marvel at how something so amazing could be made using a packet of instant noodle flavouring.
Enjoy!