by Siobhan | May 2, 2018 | Dinner, Grainfree, Lunch, vegan
Forget the Buddha bowls and power up with this plate full of plant based goodness!
This makes a great post workout meal with a good mix of healthy carbs, fibre, plant protein and lots of nutrients and antioxidants to help you recover well.
This couldn’t be simpler to make, it takes only 5mins to throw together and makes a great lunch for the next day too. Although I used carrots here you could also use some fresh/cooked peas if you only had these in your fridge/freezer, they also help to up the protein content so don’t be afraid to free style this one with whatever you have in your kitchen at the time.
Optional add ins that I like are chilli powder/flakes to give it a kick and a sprinkle of shelled hemp seeds for omega 3 & 6 fatty goodness!
Good mix of colours & nutrients
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by Siobhan | Apr 25, 2018 | Dinner, Grainfree, Lunch, vegan
So what’s so super about this soup?
Well, firstly, it’s jam packed with allll the good stuff, green good stuff to be specific, hehe hence the name.
It’s made creamy with avocado, one of the most popular green foods but also includes a hefty dose of broccoli, one of the least loved green foods but one that’s so very good for us. Even I struggle to get as much broccoli as I’d like into my diet, partly because I hate the tough texture of it that always ends up stuck in my teeth, which is one reason why I like this soup so much, because it gets blended, removing this issue.
“Soup”er nutrition!
Broccoli has so many health promoting compounds in it but some of the main ones are called glucosinolates which then become isothiocyanates (another helpful compound) via an enzyme reaction. These compounds are responsible for heart health, boosting antioxidant effects, promoting the formation of enzymes involved in the livers detox pathways and may help reduce the incidence of cancer.
To get the benefits of these compounds it’s best to consume the cruciferous veg (cabbage, rocket, kale etc) uncooked to enable the enzyme reaction to occur, but this isn’t always possible or pleasant so if you want to maximise on your cooked cruciferous veg then pair them with some raw rocket, watercress, mustard or horseradish as these foods will mimic the enzymes needed for the reaction to occur. But don’t worry you still get some benefit from consuming cooked veg so don’t use it as an excuse not to eat them!
The avocado is packed full of monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) and fibre which are helpful for the heart and vitamin E which is great for skin plus the good fats help you to absorb fat soluble vitamins.
The next super green in here is the humble pea, yes peas. They’re a great source of fibre, B vitamins and protein, finally, I included fresh basil to amp up the flavour and pair with the garlic and herbs in the veg stock.
crackers & soup
All these foods are super nourishing and super accessible as well as affordable, no excuse not to make this soup in order to squeeze in more veg at the end of your day, especially if you’re other meals haven’t been as stellar.
I also give a few optional additions in the recipe below in order to help you boost its goodness but they’re completely optional, it’ll still be one of the healthiest soups out there!
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by Siobhan | Mar 26, 2018 | Desserts, Grainfree, vegan
I’ve been loving the combination lately of cashew butter and some sweetness, it’s absolutely amazing! Plus as you’ll know if you’ve glanced at any of my recipes, I love to make my own chocolate treats so what better way or time to do it than Easter and by making a healthier version of a classic Easter treat -homemade creme egg!!
I’ve also included a sugar free option to sweeten the fillings with and you can use a very dark/diabetic friendly chocolate meaning they can be tailored for anyone who needs a low sugar option, although even with the liquid sweeteners it’s still low sugar overall per egg with a much richer taste meaning you eat less of them while still getting your chocolate creamy centred hit!
Tip: I used silicon egg moulds that I found in the pound store
Dark chocolate oozey goodness!
These are also a great thing to make with the kids to keep them occupied or for homemade Easter gifts and you could tailor them if needed, for example, add some orange oil extract for a choc orange flavour or colour the centre with something pink for a pop of colour (of course it would no longer resemble a creme egg, but would still look just as pretty).
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by Siobhan | Mar 21, 2018 | Desserts, energy balls, Grainfree, snack, vegan
When I first thought up this recipe I really hoped it would work well as I wanted to create a soft, indulgent yet healthier chocolate truffle and what better way to make that happen than by adding an entire avocado to the mix to give it a soft truffle like texture while getting all the skin and heart health benefits from both the avocado and cacao!
Soft texture, rich flavours, guilt free indulgence
Chocolate truffle benefits
-Filled with antioxidants
-More fibre than standard truffles
-Lightly sweetened and dairy free
-Great for nourishing the skin
As I’ve made these multiple times, I discovered that if you have a nice powder handy such as a dry berry powder or lucuma (fruit powder that has a caramel like flavour) to roll the balls in then you can reduce the liquid sweetener as more flavour is gained from the powders and as it’s on the outside of the truffles it’s the first thing to hit your tongue, so it kind of tricks your taste buds into thinking it’s sweeter than it is. Coconut works well too if you prefer that flavour combo over a sweeter one.
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by Siobhan | Mar 14, 2018 | Breakfast, Desserts, Grainfree, vegan
Ok, so let me start by explaining for anyone who doesn’t know what a shamrock shake is, it’s an American based minty green milkshake that a certain, highly famous burger chain created a while ago in celebration of St Patrick’s day.
If you missed it last year, check out my green St Patrick’s day omelette here.
As St Patrick’s day is approaching, I thought I’d create a healthier version using wholefoods and even better, make it sugar free!
After having to change up my diet to ease my gut issues it’s made me realise even more that not everyone can use standard ingredients or recipes which can be very frustrating and is why I’ve been wanting to create more sugar free recipes here for anyone who can’t, for whatever reason, tolerate traditional sweeteners, even the unrefined ones I tend to use such as honey or coconut sugar.
Plus, most shakes/smoothies tend to have a banana chucked in, which again, some people may need to omit or would like to change up every now and then so I’ve used liquid stevia drops in this recipe, reasons include:
-sugar free (so diabetics can use it)
-doesn’t cause digestive flare ups like other natural sweeteners may do
-doesn’t negatively alter gut bacteria like certain artificial sweeteners
-easier to measure out than uncut, green powdered stevia (which is the preferred form but as I mentioned harder to use and source)
As stevia is over 200 times sweeter than sugar you only need a little bit so measure it out carefully anytime you use it. You can find it online or in health food shops, try to find ones that aren’t diluted with other sweeteners and that are alcohol free.
creamy mint chocolate goodness
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by Siobhan | Feb 20, 2018 | Dinner, Grainfree, Lunch
This meal is one that’s highly nourishing but still manages to feel that little bit indulgent thanks to the cheese, rich egg yolk and the faux “chips”.
I normally just buy a whole squash, chop it into thick chip shapes and bake them as this is the cheaper option but on this occasion the shop I was in didn’t have whole butternut squashes but did have this shape instead, so I thought I’d try them out.
Although they’re called “fusilli” which implies they’re meant to replace pasta, I personally don’t think that works as they’re just not bendy enough, I feel they work far better as a nutritious chip option that counts as 1/5 a day.
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