by Siobhan | Sep 2, 2019 | Desserts, Grainfree, snack
I’m not on a keto diet but I like to create recipes here for everyone and I’m aware there are some people who can’t have sugar and therefore need to adapt their way of eating, but that doesn’t have to mean you miss out on treats, just like with my low carb blueberry donuts
Sugar free baking?
I wanted to create a brownie recipe that was sugar free (and more tooth friendly), in order to do this I’ve used granular *Natvia which is a combination of natural non GMO erythritol & plant based stevia (I know the names sound scary but don’t let this throw you). These are some of the very few sweeteners that I use due to many others either not being well digested or having negative effects. If you don’t require a sugar free recipe you could also use coconut sugar.
*You can buy this granular mix online or in large Tesco stores.
Secret veg
As with nearly all my recipes I also like to sneak in some veg/fruit to make it more nutritious, plus I just love it when you’re having a “treat” and don’t even notice that it contains some sneaky veg/fruit. I’ve used avocado in this recipe which is a great source of healthy fats including potassium which people on the keto diet can be missing sometimes and can lead to the “keto flu” symptoms so this is quite beneficial and keeps the recipe really fudgey and moist.
Tip: Use a ripe avocado, it must be ripe or else it won’t blend well and you’ll get large chunks in the end product.
I normally prefer my brownies fresh from the oven and warm, however with this one, because it’s flourless, it’s nicer when it’s firmer once it’s cooled down fully, so I actually prefer eating them the next day. Whichever floats your boat is fine though.
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by Siobhan | Aug 29, 2019 | Breakfast, Grainfree, Lunch, snack
These taste and smell like pizza when they’re baking because of the combination of flavours I used, mainly the Italian herbs with the cheese and tomatoes but you can tailor these to suit your own flavours (see my optional add ins below). They’re also made with low carb almonds and coconut flour meaning they’re low carb/keto friendly and suitable for anyone who needs to watch their carb intake.
great for a lunchbox
Courgette in this recipe might seem weird at first but trust me, it keeps these really moist and means you don’t have to go through a step of squeezing out the excess water and adds in extra nutritional goodness plus fibre. Because I use bun cases to cook these in, they also make handy lunchbox additions or quick on the go snacks.
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by Siobhan | May 28, 2019 | Breakfast, energy balls, Grainfree, snack, vegan
These chocolate orange hemp balls are super nutritious and soft but also lower in sugar than regular energy balls as they use just 1 ripe fresh banana to sweeten them rather than dried fruit, this keeps them lovely and soft but means you need to eat them fast, preferably within 2/3 days (but it won’t be a challenge, trust me!)
They require a bit of setting time to firm up so make them in advance, they make a good afternoon pick me up or prepped the night before for a breakfast snack before a morning gym workout or on your way to work.
Activate those nuts!
I’ve used Linwoods activated walnuts here as I’m trying to use more activated nuts where possible in my cooking due to the process of activating making the nuts more nutritious but also easier on digestion, plus if you just want to eat them straight it also gives the nuts a lovely crispiness. Walnuts are one of the nuts highest in phytic acid which holds onto nutrients making it harder for your body to extract which is why they’re one of the nuts that you should try to eat soaked/activated whenever possible.
Another reason why I love walnuts and hemp is because they have a good balance of healthy fats which the standard Western diet tends to be lower in and instead, higher in omega 6 fats which when too high can be pro-inflammatory, so eating a variety of omega 3 fats to balance this out is something to keep in mind.
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by Siobhan | May 15, 2019 | Breakfast, Dinner, Grainfree, Lunch, vegan
This combination of creamy coconut, hot harissa and sweet pops of pomegranate seeds on these chickpea pancakes is a dream mixture and great plant based meal full of goodness. There’s antioxidants in the pomegranate seeds, good medium chain, easily digestible fats in the coconut, spices in the harissa paste and fibre and protein in the chickpea flour (which you can get in the supermarket btw).
I really like this meal when I’m craving something different from the usual dinners and flavours you typically rely on and gives you a way to consume more pomegranate seeds which are packed full of Polyphenols which some people probably aren’t getting enough of.
Cooking with chickpea/gram flour
If you’ve never made chickpea flour pancakes/mixtures before, just note that it’s slightly different from usual flour so it won’t be as light but is great for savoury meals and provides a good thick texture to the recipe. They also need to be cooked out a bit longer than regular pancakes, they don’t brown quickly so don’t worry about them burning easily. Check out my veggie slices made with chickpea flour for another idea on how to use it.
TIP: for best digestion if you have time to soak the flour and water together for an hour/up to a few hours then this enhances digestibility and nutrition
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by Siobhan | May 9, 2019 | Breakfast, Grainfree, Lunch, snack
These are savoury tikka flavoured muffins filled with grated carrot for added goodness.
These may sound a little strange but honestly they taste divine, even my own mum who tends to be health food adverse admitted how good they smell coming out of the oven. It’s curry in muffin form, what’s not to love?
They make a great lunchbox option for work as they’re easily made the night before and can be taken with you the next day without needing prep work which can be a bit tricky for offices that don’t have great kitchens/lunch areas.
Allergen friendly
These can be adjusted to suit many different diets, such as sub coconut oil instead of butter for dairy free or use chestnut flour for grain free, both flours I’ve tested were gluten free and were still really soft and light. Plus they’re packed with healthy spices and some sneaky carrot to help you along your way to 5 a day, they may even be good enough for picky eaters, why not try it? Seriously, I’ve found them so good I find it hard to stop myself eating nearly the whole batch!
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by Siobhan | Apr 29, 2019 | Breakfast, Grainfree, Lunch, snack
For ages now I have really wanted to develop a grain free/lower carb scone especially for people with allergies/gut issues who can’t tolerate the usual flours and therefore tend to not be able to eat things like this. Going through my own issues, I know it can be really sad not enjoying the same things as others so having alternatives which you can have, really helps to keep you on track and your spirits up.
Even if you don’t have any of these issues this recipe makes a nice change from the usual style of scone both flavour wise and in terms of the ingredients used. Plus they’re a lot lower in sugar and way more nutritious than anything you could buy.
This recipe uses lovely fragrant lemon zest and rosemary for flavour, with just a touch of honey, if you’re on keto then you can omit this. When baking, the oils from the lemon get released and start smelling amazing! These are best served warm with a little bit of grass fed butter melting gently on them….I’m drooling just remembering these.
It’s optional but if you have it then you can add in collagen powder which is a great protein source that can be used by the gut to repair the lining.
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