Aubergine and Chickpea Curry Recipe

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creamy and filling

 

2 Aubergines
Coconut oil
1 tbsp Brown or black mustard seeds
10-12 Curry leaves or bay leaves (bay leaves make a perfect substitute in this recipe)
2 Onions , finely chopped
2 Dried chillies , chopped
4 tsp Garam masala
2 tsp Ground coriander
2 tsp Ground cumin
1 tsp Ground cinnamon
2 tsp Turmeric
400ml Coconut milk
6 Tomatoes , quartered
2 tbsp Tomato puree
400g Chickpeas
half a sachet of Creamed coconut (optional)

Cut the aubergines into thick wedges. Heat some coconut oil in a large pan and brown the aubergines for 2-3 mins on each side until golden brown and crisp all over. Do this in batches until all the aubergine is done. Remove and place to one side.

Add some more oil to the pan if necessary and then throw in the mustard seeds and curry/bay leaves and fry for 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in the onions and continue cooking until they are softened and beginning to brown. Add the dried chillies and spices with a few tablespoons of coconut milk then fry for 1 more minute. Add the remaining coconut milk, tomatoes and tomato puree. Simmer for 25-30 minutes until thick. Add the creamed coconut now if you are using it.

Stir in the chickpeas and aubergines. Continue simmering for 5 minutes or so, until everything is hot and the aubergines are tender. Serve with a dollop of natural yoghurt,  you could also serve with quinoa on the side.

Kale and Bean Stew Recipe

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a light but filling and warming stew

This is tasty, filling and full of vitamins and minerals. It’s very easy to make too!

1 clove Garlic
1 Onion
2 Carrots
2 sticks of Celery
1 Leek (and any other vegetables you want to add)
500 ml Vegetable stock
150 – 300g Kale
400g cooked Cannellini beans, kidney beans or butter beans
2 tbsp tomato puree
Oregano, thyme, smoked paprika, salt & pepper to taste (you can add other herbs according to taste)

Slice and add all the fresh vegetables, except the Kale, to a large pan with 2 tablespoons of coconut oil. Saute for 5 minutes until the onions are soft. Add the stock and simmer for 15 – 20 minutes. Add the tomato puree, herbs, and beans and simmer for a further 5 minutes. Finally add the Kale, put a lid on the saucepan and allow to cook until the kale is tender. If you use 300 g of Kale you may need to add some more stock. Once the beans, veg and kale are all tender then serve! Under 150 calories per bowl!

Healthy Chocolate Pudding Recipe – Serves 2

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This is seriously delicious!

1 ripe Avocado
3 tbsp Nut butter (my favourite is hazelnut)
3 tbsp Cocao or Carob powder
Coconut, oat, rice or soya milk to thin if required
Honey / Stevia / Agave / Sweet freedom (my fav) to taste
1/4 tsp Chilli powder if you like a bit of heat :)

Mash the avocado and mix in the nut butter, keep mixing till smooth; this is best done in the food processor. Then add the other ingredients and mix till well blended. Add a little milk (soya or coconut) to thin down if required.

Pour the mixture into 2 small ramekins and refrigerate. It is delicious served with fresh berries and is a healthy treat to be enjoyed any time of the day. Not only will it help you burn fat, it will help to control cravings and supply you with a nutritious treat full of fibre, protein and healthy fats!

Carrot & Tofu Soup Recipe with a sprinkle of Dukkah

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I love this soup, it is so easy and a great way to get your veggies and protein in for the day! This recipe serves 2.

scrummy lunch!

4 medium Carrots quartered
1/4 White onion chopped
2 tbsp Silken tofu
500 ml Organic Veggie Stock

Chop the carrots and onion in a blender or by hand, transfer to a heated pan with a little olive or coconut oil and cook gently until the carrot softens.
Add the tofu and stock and heat through.
Blitz, I use a vitamix blender and pop all the ingredients together and blend until smooth, but you can use a wand blender or any liquidizer.

I then added a tbsp of dukkah! I was introduced to this by Mel & wowzer had to have more!

Dukkah Recipe

1/2 cup Hazelnuts
1/4 cup Coriander seeds
3 tbsp Sesame seeds
2 tbsp Cumin seeds
1 tbsp Black peppercorns
1 tbsp Fennel seeds
1 tbsp Dried mint leaves
1 tsp Himalayan rock salt

Heat a pan then add then dry roast the hazelnuts until they are slightly browned, remove from the heat and allow them to cool, repeating with each of the seeds and the peppercorns. Pop the nuts, seeds, and other ingredients into a mortar and grind until the mixture is crushed or pulse in a food processor to a coarse consistency; do not allow the mixture to become a paste.

This is a delicious topping for soup, salad and a real treat added to a slice of neverfail rye bread with sunflower seed butter and a sprinkle of dukkah!

Vanilla Smoothie Recipe – 1 Serving

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This is simply delicious!

1 banana
125 ml soya/oat/almond milk
2 heaped scoops of pure form vanilla protein powder
1 tbsp nut butter, my fav is hazelnut
3/4 cup ice

Blitz in blender and enjoy!!

Mel’s tip: always keep sliced banana in the freezer for smoothies – much nicer than fresh as they make the smoothie really cold & it’s a great way of avoiding throwing fruit away – freeze it as soon as it looks like it’s on the turn and you won’t need to add any ice!

Magic Protein Balls Recipe

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Whoop Whoop, finally! I hear you say

2 tbsp Honey and 2 tbsp Hazelnut butter or any other nut butter you fancy, melted together over a low heat.

Add to this mixture an assortment of nuts & seeds, I use around 150 g in total. Then I add 20 g of Pure Protein Powder to boost the protein content in them.

Add 1 tsp of peri-peri powder or cayenne pepper for an added kick, plus 1 tsp of cinnamon, then a mix of chopped dried fruit mix (apricot, pear, goji berry, blueberry, coconut flakes, banana, dates), I use around 100-150 g. Mix the ingredients really well.

You may have to adjust your quantities of dry ingredients to ensure you end up with a mixture that is sticky enough to hold together but dry enough to shape into balls, it just depends on the nut and fruit mix you choose.

Wait until the mixture has cooled down enough so you can handle it and form the mixture into balls. I usually roll the balls in ground almonds or carob powder or toasted sesame seeds or spelt flakes, depends on what I have in my cupboard and what I fancy.

This mixture makes 8 large balls.

Chickpea Chilli Recipe

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This is seriously divine!

250g Soya Mince, soaked in vegetable stock overnight

2 cups of Chickpeas, cooked in vegetable stock

2 Leeks, sliced

2 Red Chilli’s, finely chopped

4 cloves Garlic, I use black garlic, aged, mild and mellow or use pressed fresh garlic

1 tsp ground Cinnamon

1 tsp Garam masala

1 tsp Celery salt

250g chopped Tomatoes

1 cup Sweet Corn

4 tbsp Tomato Puree (add to taste)

100g Okra, sliced

Heat olive oil in a deep pot, add sliced leeks and a pinch of salt, allow to brown gently. Add chilli, garlic and spices. Simmer for a couple of minutes then add the soya mince, mix well and allow to cook until the mixture starts to brown,  3-5 minutes. Add tomatoes and tomato puree. Add sweet corn and chickpeas, gently simmer for about 15 minutes, adding more vegetable stock if required. Make sure the mixture doesn’t stick to the pot. Once the flavours have combined add the okra and gently stir, cook for a further 5 minutes and remove from heat.

Serve with fresh rocket and a dollop of Natural Live Yogurt or Hummus.

Pizza in a Pan Recipe – Gluten Free!

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This is the most delicious pizza! takes 20 minutes

For the base:

1 cup Kamut or Gram flour

2 tbsp Olive oil

1 tsp Baking powder

Pinch of Himalayan salt

1/2 cup filtered Water

Mix ingredients together until they form a soft dough. Roll out on a floured surface in pizza shape. Dust with flour & fold.

Pop frying pan on stove, brush with olive or coconut oil, heat pan. Place dough into pan & open up, press down gently. Once base has cooked, turn heat off & grill on.

Brush surface of pizza with tomato sauce, pref home-made, add mixed herbs, chopped up chilli, fresh tomatoes, olives, feta or goats cheese, plus any other veggie or protein you want on top, pop under the grill for 4 mins.

Take it out, pop onto board, slice & serve with fresh basil leaves or rocket on top.

Plus salad on side & large glass of sparkling water! Delish :)

Ps: the kamut flour does contain gluten so if you on the kick-start week use gram flour (chickpea) & green veg with feta/goats cheese, maybe pesto for base, if you are cycling it’s all good!

The Versatile Blogger Award & Nomination!

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Hello Everyone,

I am soooo excited to have been nominated for this award, thank you! I love reading your blogs and feel so pleased that you like reading mine. I love it when I get comments on my recipe ideas or get reblogged, it is so rewarding! Thank you :)

I also wanted to thank FitnessLovingMom for taking the time to nominate me (7/2/12). Blogging has become an amazing way for me to find inspiration and to share the love! Thank you fellow bloggers X

The rules for the award are:

  1. Thank the person who nominated you and link back to them in your post.
  2. Share 7 things about yourself.
  3. Pass the award on to 15 more bloggers that You enjoy.
  4. Contact the bloggers that you have chosen to let them know that they have been nominated!

So have given my thanks :) And now on to the seven things about myself, are you sitting down? – lol

1) I love being healthy and fit

2) I love my family, v supportive husband and 3 crazy dogs

3) I love the feeling of freedom I get from snowboarding

4) My favourite place in the entire world is Whistler Canada

5) I have decided to take up Bikram Yoga this year, think my body needs it

6) I was born on the same day as my granny, she will always have a special place in my heart

7) I love riding my motorbike on a sunny, dry day

The 15 bloggers that I want to nominate for this award is as following.

  1. http://letsuntangle.wordpress.com
  2. http://myfangalicious.com
  3. http://toxicvegan.wordpress.com
  4. http://pureandsimplebakes.com/
  5. http://sarahpalma.wordpress.com/
  6. http://ellesite.wordpress.com/
  7. http://ptmepersonalisedtraining.wordpress.com
  8. http://paleoworks.wordpress.com
  9. http://behappylivewell.wordpress.com
  10. http://clevercook.net.au
  11. http://clairemockridge.wordpress.com
  12. http://eyeofrawfoods.com
  13. http://jenojoon.com
  14. http://amsdaily.net/
  15. http://inspired-weightloss.com/

Thank you again, Colette at Pure Form Fitness Kitchen X

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Never Fail Bread Recipe – Video

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This is the simplest and most delicious recipe for a loaf of home-made bread I know. It works every time :) Please do give it a go and let me know how you get on.

I love this recipe it works every time!

7 cups Flour, you can use kamut, rye, spelt or stone ground whole wheat if you are ok with gluten or a combination eg: rye & kamut
10 g (1 pkt) Instant dry yeast
2 tsp Himalayan Rock Salt
2 tsp Honey / Agave
3-4 cups warm Water

Mix the flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Dissolve the honey in a cup of filtered water and add it to the dry ingredients.

Keep adding the rest of the water until you have a sticky dough.

Divide the mixture equally into either 1 large greased bread tin, cover with a cloth and allow to rise in a warm place for 20 minutes. Bake at 200 C for 1 hour.

PS: chopped olives, grated courgette, fresh herbs etc can be added to the mixture.

Herb Roasted Mushroom Recipe

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deliciously rich and filling

This is a perfect accompaniment for any meal and should serve two. Roasting the mushrooms in this way means they stay firm and meaty and don’t go slimy! It takes a little while but it’s super easy.250g – 300g Mushrooms of your choice (I used chestnut and button mushrooms)

 

1 tbsp Olive oil
1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
2 Garlic cloves
1/2 tbsp Thyme (could also use Rosemary)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 200 C. Slice the mushrooms in halves, or thick slices, and lay in a roasting pan in one layer. Place in the oven for 15 mins. Meanwhile mix the oil, vinegar, garlic and thyme. After 15 mins remove the mushrooms from the oven and drain the liquid away. Toss the mushrooms in the oil mixture and return to the oven for 10 – 15 mins until tender. Then serve!

Garden Burger Recipe

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A great mid-week dinner, perfect served with the roasted mushrooms

1/2 cup Red lentils
1/2 cup Brown lentils
1/2 cup Quinoa
3 cups Vegetable stock
2 Bay leaves
420 g Kidney beans, cooked, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup Toasted sunflower seeds
1 cups Broccoli florets
1 cup Courgette
3  cup Mushrooms (sliced – chestnut or button mushrooms)
3 Spring onions
2 cloves Garlic
2 Carrots, peeled and chopped
1 tsp Ground cumin
1 tsp Smoked paprika
1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to season
1/2 cup Breadcrumbs (I used gluten free bread and crumbed it myself in the processor)

Put both types of lentils in a pan with 2 cups of vegetable stock and 1 bay leaf. Bring to the boil then allow to simmer until the water has been absorbed and the lentils are tender (approximated 45 mins). Put the quinoa, 1 bay leaf and remaining cup of stock in another pan and cook for approximately 15 minutes until tender, drain any remaining liquid. Meanwhile put all the vegetables, sunflower seeds and spices into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.

Pulse the vegetables in the processor until finely chopped like this

In a large bowl place the kidney beans and mash roughly with a fork. Add the lentils, quinoa, vegetable mix and breadcrumbs and combine well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Divide into small balls (this should make around 10 burgers). You need to compress them quite firmly to help them stick together and I recommend chilling or freezing them before cooking if possible. Cook for 4 – 5 mins on each side (or until cooked through). They may fall apart a little so take care when turning.  These are great served with roasted mushrooms and some fresh vegetables, or in a wrap with a dollop of hummus and salad. If you’re not vegan you can add a slice of goats cheese on the top too.

Ready to wrap!

Happy Pancake Day! Buckwheat Pancake Recipe

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I love pancake day! To me it is a sign that spring is around the corner plus it would be rude not to eat pancakes for dinner! I have a proven recipe handed down from my granny to my mum and now from moi to you. I have made a few amendments that make them low gluten, high protein and seriously scrummy!  Please do let me know how you get on! Enjoy X

yumo!

Buckwheat Pancakes with Banana and Date Syrup – Serves 2

1 cup buckwheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 egg (or 3 tablespoons pureed apple or banana)
½ – 1 litre Soya milk (you could also use almond, hemp or rice milk)
1-2 bananas, sliced
Handful of pecan nuts, chopped
Date Syrup (you could also use agave or sweet freedom)

Mix flour, baking powder, egg or an egg substitute and ½ milk very well. Add the rest of the milk slowly until you reach the desired consistency.

or you can skip the banana and add maple syrup --- oooh

The recipe works well for pancakes or crepes, the only thing that needs to change is the amount of liquid you add. So go slow.

You want a mixture that will spoon onto a hot pan; I usually use an espresso cup, works well.

Heat your pan, add a little coconut oil. Spoon in the mixture, make sure the pan isn’t too hot, once bubbles start to form and burst in the pancake, it should be golden brown on the underside, flip it over.

Serve these warm with sliced banana, chopped pecans and a little drizzle of honey, agave or maple syrup.

Perfect for pancake day!

Spiced Lentils Recipe

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This is perfect for a cold winter’s evening. It’s filling and spicy and the combination of sweet, aromatic spices with the hot spices really gives this a wonderful richness. I used the spices I had in the cupboard, and yes, there are a lot, but you could use whatever you want.

A real winter warmer!

1 cup Brown Lentils
1 Onion
1 Red Chilli
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Carrot, 1 Courgette, 1 Stick of Celery (whatever veg you have can be used!)
½ Red Pepper
2 tbsp Fresh Ginger, grated
10 Plum Tomatoes
1/2 cup Tomato Puree/Passata
1 cup Vegetable Stock
2 tsp Ground Cumin
2 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Mustard Seed (fenugreek seed is better but I didn’t have that!)
1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
1/4 tsp Ground Cardamom
1/4 tsp Ground Coriander
1/4 tsp Coriander Seeds
1/8 tsp Ground Allspice
1/8 tsp Ground Cloves
1/8 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/4 tsp Turmeric
¼ tsp Chilli Powder
Salt and Black Pepper to taste

Saute the onion, red pepper, garlic and chilli in a pan with a little olive or coconut oil. Add the ginger and spices and sauté for another 5 mins. Add in the carrots, celery and courgette and sauté for another 5 mins, then add the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, stock and lentils. Simmer until the lentils are tender. Serve with baby spinach leaves and a dollop of natural live yoghurt.

Love is in the air! and in my cake tin...

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Reblogged from Pure and Simple Bakes:

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I am not a big valentine’s day person to be honest, at least not in it’s commercial form but as an excuse to make cute little heart shaped yummy things then I think it’s great! ;)

Sooo I’ve been playing again and have come up with a few simple, tasty, low gluten, dairy free valentine’s treats! These are available in limited numbers to order, just drop me a line if you’d like some.

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check these stunning little creations out! loving the heart shaped brownies X