by Siobhan | Feb 11, 2019 | Breakfast, Lunch
Keep your loved one healthy and happy this Valentine’s day with these beetroot pancakes that are good for the heart (and liver) plus they contain lots of fibre and antioxidants too. Oh and lets not forget yummy as well!
Beets are great for the heart but also provide great support to the liver thanks to the antioxidant betalain and the ability to form nitrates, it can aid blood pressure and liver health. The oats in this recipe pack a good fibre hit (including soluble fibre that forms a gel in your gut and can absorb bad cholesterol) and the cacao gives a chocolate taste alongside magnesium and antioxidants without any refined sugar. A great breakfast for anyone to wake up to.
Beet cheat
Using vac pack beets may seem like a cheat but this method actually locks in and doubles the level of antioxidants compared to most other standard cooking methods so don’t feel guilty about the lack of effort cooking it, yay!
packed with fibre
I’ve also given options below for a sugar free version for anyone who needs it. I prefer Natvia granulated and liquid stevia as they don’t cause me any digestive upset like most other options do but choose whichever options work for you.
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by Siobhan | Jan 28, 2019 | Grainfree, Lunch, snack, vegan
I threw together this dip in a rush one evening and couldn’t get over just how good it tasted!!
I promise it tastes waaaay better than it looks, the peas are mildly sweet, the avocado gives creaminess and the lemon and garlic are strong flavours which work really well together.
I love the deep green colour it has which comes from the spirulina powder and is why I called it the “Hulk” dip, this is also probably a good thing to call it for a chance that kids will eat it haha.
You can use it as a healthy dip or spread it on oatcakes or some sourdough toast, move over smashed avo!
It’s actually so delicious!
Benefits
There’s loads of benefits to this dip (aside from flavour), to begin, it’s great for immunity because of the vitamin C rich lemon juice, the raw garlic and cayenne pepper. there’s B vitamins in the peas, avocado and spirulina which are great for energy and the good fats and lemon juice are good for skin too.
As I mentioned in my recipe for banana PB spirulina flapjacks, lots of people buy ingredients like spirulina and don’t know how to use it so this is another one to help you use it up, plus the flavour is covered completely by the dominant garlic & lemon.
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by Siobhan | Jan 21, 2019 | Breakfast, vegan
Most people tend to stick with the same wholegrains in their diet (wholewheat, oats, etc) out of habit, but you can still get in that fibre content while mixing up your nutrition with other grains too using this simple recipe that is tasty and helps cover the bland flavours of most grains due to the sweet banana and creamy nut butter. It’s also a good way to use up a spare overly ripe banana.
For this recipe I’ve tried both quinoa and millet. Both are naturally gluten free and high fibre, one main difference is that quinoa is a complete protein whereas millet is not, but it still has lots of goodness, just something to bare in mind for anyone getting their protein solely from plant sources.
You can now easily get quinoa in big supermarkets and millet in health food stores.
Notes: I prefer to soak my grains over night, as this helps with digestion and nutrient absorption however it isn’t necessary, so if you forget, it’s not a big deal. I also like to thin out the nut butter into a kind of sauce as it makes it more spreadable and I think blending the banana rather than just mashing it helps the flavour distribute more evenly but it’s totally up to you. FYI Choosing ripe bananas with brown spots will give a sweeter taste.
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by Siobhan | Jan 10, 2019 | Desserts, Grainfree, snack, vegan
This stuff really is a dream to eat.
In fact, it’s so good that I rarely share it with anyone, normally I like to give my recipes to others to try and get feedback on them but when one turns out so delicious I usually just end up keeping it all to myself which is what happened with this one!
And yes, this IS healthy fudge!
Made from pure cashew butter which is rich in fibre and good fats but also provides a source of iron, when it’s combined with coconut oil and left to set it firms it up and gives a lovely, thick fudge like texture.
Add in the coarse salt for savoury contrast and some lucuma powder for a mild sugar free “caramel” like taste and you’re on to a winner.
Loco for lucuma
FYI, lucuma is a fruit that’s been slowly dried out and ground into a powder, it has a mild, sweet, almost caramel flavour which is why it works so well here, you can now get it online or in health food stores and I’ve even seen certain brands in the supermarkets!!
If you want to experiment with lower sugar recipes this is a great ingredient to have. I used Sevenhills wholefoods (find it on Amazon) organic lucuma as it was the brand lowest in overall natural sugar but other brands will work just the same.
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by Siobhan | Dec 18, 2018 | Desserts, Grainfree, vegan
It’s that festive time of year again and while I’ve had lots of ideas for recipes I wanted to make one that was easy for people to make so they wouldn’t be in the kitchen for ages (because there’s enough of that on xmas day anyway) but also one that was very accessible in terms of ingredients and is a bit of a healthier treat too. Enter, chocolate orange spiced fruit and nut slices!
These slices are tasty, have a satisfying bite, are vegan and grain free (check your choc to be sure), contain some antioxidants from the spice and dark chocolate, plus the fruit and nuts provide fibre which can be lacking in the indulgent festive food. This all means you can feel smug when tucking into them hehe.
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