nathaliejasmin2019

Maca Espresso Energy Balls {gf, vg, nut free}

Published on January 8, 2017 by nathaliejasmin20193 Comments

I hope you love all my recipes, but you gotta love these maca espresso energy balls. If you don’t – seriously, what’s wrong with you? Just kidding, I mean, no kidding. These energy balls are so crazy insanely delicious it is actually a sin I haven’t put them on the blog sooner. They are buttery, scrumptious, decadent…I am lost for words. And they pack a serious nutritional punch. All this requires five super-healthy ingredients and five minutes of your time. Yes, that’s right.

Want to know what’s in them? Five superfoods that will get you out of your afternoon slump before you have time to yawn:

Medjool dates – chock-full of fibre, aminoacids, potassium, zinc, magnesium, calcium, iron, B vitamins and lots of other goodies.
Oats – one of the healthiest foods on the planet, they contain a type of fiber called beta-glucan, which helps lower levels of bad cholesterol. Plus, manganese, selenium, magnesium, vitamin E and zinc to boot.
Carob or Cacao – carob contains gallic acid which has antibacterial, antiviral and antiseptic properties. Carob also contains vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, D and E. It is a lower fat and naturally sweet alternative to cacao. However, you can totally use cacao instead, which has 40 times the antioxidants of blueberries and is the highest plant-based source of iron.
Maca – rich in vitamin B vitamins, C, and E. It provides plenty of calcium, zinc, iron, magnesium, phosphorous and amino acids and is known to balance hormones and mood. It is also a caffeine-free source of energy.
Espresso coffee – loaded with antioxidants and may even protect against diabetes. Improves cognitive function, mood and fat burning

If that wasn’t a reason alone to get rollin’ – these will also be the easiest energy balls you’ll ever make. Just pulse the ingredients in a high-powered blender and after 15 seconds (!) you will have a malleable dough. No mess, no fuss. Just what you want when you need an energy kick. You can eat them straight away but they will firm up and improve texture in the fridge. They would last a while, at least a week – though I highly doubt that you’ll leave them for that long!

I have mentioned before that I am in love with Medjool dates. The feeling that you are eating something naughty and indulgent when it’s a gem of nature can only be topped by eating bananas! And it’s not only the taste, the texture is just so exquisite, it’s like a buttery caramel fudge made with butter, cream and lots of sugar! None of those nasties in these little babies, however. They are gluten free, dairy free, vegan, nut free, soy free, refined sugar free, and – unlike most recipes for energy balls or bliss balls – very low in fat.

The oats will make sure to fill you up so you don’t need to reach for the bag of Skittles on your co-worker’s desk, while the dates proved slow-releasing carbs without the sugar crash that would normally lead you to yet anouther trip to the vending machine. Carob, maca and just a little bit of coffee (that can of course be caffeine-free if you want) provide a gentle energy kick without the jitters. Maca espresso energy balls for the win!

Maca Espresso Energy Balls

Makes 12 balls

115 g Medjool dates
60 g rolled oats
2 tsp carob (or cacao)
1 tsp maca
1 tsp instant espresso powder

Just blitz all ingredients in a high-powered blender until a doughy ball forms. Shape into 12 balls and store in the fridge.

Enjoy!

Healthy Pumpkin and Chickpea Curry {vg, gf}

Published on January 4, 2017 by nathaliejasmin2019Leave a comment

There is just nothing quite like curry. It is comforting, nourishing, versatile, flavoursome, filling, easy and inexpensive. It is a great way to use up leftovers and is the perfect candidate for making in batch and then freezing. The only downside is that traditional Indian, Thai and Malaysian curry recipes with their oodles of oil and coconut cream are far from being a “diet food”. While this is not a problem if you indulge once in a while or are not concerned about your physique, there are certainly options to “healthify” a good curry without compromising on taste, and my healthy pumpkin and chickpea curry is one such example.

Curries are especially suitable for creating lower fat and lower calorie versions of. Due to their ample amounts of fragrant herbs and spices, you don’t need to add much oil at all to carry the flavours. Chili, curry powder, pepper and co. satisfy your taste buds without the need for a tin of coconut cream per portion, and also provide a healthy kick for your metabolism. Healthy curries are a reality!

This healthy pumpkin and chickpea curry is not only yummy, it is also easy as. A handfull of ingredients you likely have sitting in your pantry right now and a maximum of 20-25 minutes of your time, of which the actual hands-on time is very little. Sounds good? Go see for yourself!

Healthy Pumpkin and Chickpea Curry

Serves 4

3 garlic cloves, minced
4 large carrots, washed, peeled and chopped
1 large potato, peeled and chopped (may be parboiled to speed up cooking time)
250 g pumpkin, peeled and chopped (may be parboiled to speed up cooking time)
125 g cauliflower, washed and torn into florets
125 g green peas, fresh or frozen
1 400 ml tin of diced tomatoes
350 ml vegetable stock
2 tins of chickpeas, rinsed and drained (reserve the brine for chocolate mousse!)
1 cup almond milk or very light coconut milk
half a tbsp mild curry powder
salt and pepper to taste
dash of tomato sauce

Heat the garlic in a large saucepan until aromatic. Add the carrots, potato, pumpkin, cauliflower and peas and cook for a few minutes while stirring. Add the tomatoes, stock and spices and cook until vegetables are tender. Then stir in the chickpeas, milk and tomato sauce and heat until thoroughly warm.

Enjoy!

Carrot Cake Bliss Balls {vegan, gluten free, nut free, refined sugar free}

Published on December 29, 2016 by nathaliejasmin20193 Comments

The other day, I got upset at my hubby for buying expensive Medjool dates instead of those dry, hard, brittle dates from the drygoods section that are indefinitely cheaper. (When you have a midget and a mortgage, you tend to worry about financials.) How wrong of me! One bite and it was bliss all the way. I just could not get over that wonderful caramel taste. It reminded of the most exquisite butterscotch toffees. Then, that luxurious velvety texture…I had to admit once more that hubs had been right all along, and that he had hit the jackpot with these beauties. Bliss. Seriously. And what better way to make use of a blissful ingredient than bliss balls? Carrot cake bliss balls it was.

I am not a newbie to bliss balls (see here), but have always been reluctant to splash out on Medjool dates rather than dried dates. The latter, obviously, require some soaking before you can do something bliss ball-y with them, so not having to soak the Medjool dates was another win for lazy, I mean, busy me. It so happened that I had some carrots to use up, too, so something in my head screamed “carrot cake”. While I don’t have a particular sweet tooth, I have a bit of a weakness for carrot cake (as can be seen here, here, and here).

What I love about carrot cake is that you can fix your 3.30 snack attack without the sugar rush as the carrots and nuts in carrot cake provide for some fibre and protein to soak up the carbs that would otherwise wreak havoc in your bloodstream. Plus, the wintery spices give it a bit of a festive and mysterious touch. In short, I figured that Medjool dates+carrots+oats+a few spices and a bit of coconut might be worth a try. Yes, even the precious Medjool dates could not be precious enough for some healthy experimenting.

I have to say that this is one of my recipes I am most excited about, if I dare say so myself! I can’t believe just how good these are, with none of the guilt! And as they are low in fat and refined sugar free, they are even material for a kid’s party – none of the kids will notice they are devouring something healthy, and you don’t have to worry about the sugar crash. They are also nut free, as coconut is botanically not a nut and most people who are allergic to tree nuts can safely eat coconut. Coconut also provides vitamins and magnesium, with the carrot adding a beta carotene and fibre boost and the dates being an excellent source of iron, manganese and long-lasting energy.

These balls are so easy to make with just a few ingredients, so there is no reason not to make these today and fight the munchies!

Carrot Cake Bliss Balls {vegan, gluten free, nut free, refined sugar free}

Makes 18 (possibly more if you don’t eat as much of the batter as me! :-D)

2 large carrots, grated
10 Medjool dates, pitted
1 cup oats
3 tbsp desiccated coconut
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp molasses or coconut syrup
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Just blend all ingredients in a high powered blender until you reach a malleable consistency. Shape into walnut sized balls and enjoy straight away or store in the fridge.

Enjoy!

Lowfat Vegan Pâté

Published on December 27, 2016 by nathaliejasmin20191 Comment

Lowfat Vegan Pâté sounds a bit like a plumber (or any other tradesman for that matter) who is quick, good and cheap. It’s pretty much impossible to tick all three boxes. In fact you’d be very lucky if you can tick two of them. A pâté, this French appetiser made of butter, cream (sorry!), raw liver (more sorry!) and cognac (sorry not sorry), is generally neither low in fat nor vegan. While there are recipes for vegetarian and vegan versions of pâté, I am yet to find one that is not full of nuts and oil. I believe an appetiser should not contain all your calories for the day so I created one that is much lighter and healthier than all its colleagues, be they vegan or not, yet still filling and satisfying.

With Christmas done and dusted for another year, chances are you are in need for a bit of a reset. I always believe that tomorrow starts today and that you should not postpone your commitment to a healthier life. Whether you want to go down the vegan route or not, having a repertoire of easy and delicious plant-based recipes can help you on the way to a cleaner and greener life. The good news is, there is absolutely no need to sacrifice your old favourites in favour of a healthy and ethical lifestyle. Hello, creamy Alfredo pasta, decadent chocolate mud cake and hearty Bolognese! Yup, all vegan, gluten free and low fat. And now you are in for another treat: lowfat vegan pâté!

This one came about coincidentally. I was feeling peckish and craved some gluten free crackers with a delicious spread. Having had pretty much all hummus varieties under the sun (here, here and here), I was looking for something a little different and just threw some random things into my blender. The result looked and tasted like a French liver pâté. Eureka! I had created a lowfat vegan pâté! Consisting of pumpkin, beans, olives and oats this savoury little beauty comes with a bucket full of fibre, beta carotene, protein and a little healthy monounsaturated fat from the olives. No nasties, no processed crap, no cruelty, no worries. Just pure goodness in a cute serving bowl (one of the main reasons I love making dips is that I can make use of all my serving bowls).

That’s not where the awesomeness stops, however. This spread – provided you have the pumpkin mash ready to go, but you could also use babyfood – comes together in less than five minutes. You read that one right. You likely have all ingredients at hand and if not, it’s going to be a very short trip to the supermarket. Best thing is, both my husband and daughter cannot get enough of it, and since neither of them is into healthy eating, I take this as a big compliment! Healthy stuff that doesn’t taste healthy. How good is that?

So here is to lowfat vegan pâté – it looks and tastes like a “real” pâté, but without the fat and the cruelty!

Lowfat Vegan Pâté

One tin mixed beans (can use lentils or any brownish beans although the texture will be slightly different)
1/2 cup pumpkin puree or savoury vegan babyfood such as mashed (sweet) potato
1/2 cup oats
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
a handfull of kalamata olives
salt and pepper to taste

Just blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender and store in an airthight container in the fridge. Can be enjoyed straight away but the texture will improve after chilling for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Almost Fat Free Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Cake

Published on December 24, 2016 by nathaliejasmin2019Leave a comment

I apologise for that very lengthy title, but I just couldn’t NOT share all the attributes of this marvellous creation of mine. In fact, I should have added moist, fudgy, scrumptious, dreamy, chocolatey, rich, moreish, delightful, satisfying, luxurious, decadent, silky…

I wanted to make a cake for my daughter’s birthday, and in my research about healthy baking I repeatedly stumbled across the tip to use black beans instead of oil/butter and flour. Wut? Yes, that’s right. If you have been following me for some time, you know that I am crazy about legumes. I use them to replace meat (try my lentil bolognese and vegan pâté), cheese and dairy (hello vegan garlic sauce! Or how about some vegan cream cheese? Recipes coming soon so stay tuned!). They are cheap, satisfying, healthy, can be stored almost indefinitely and are incredibly yummy and versatile. But if you thought that the use of legumes is limited to savoury goodies, it’s time to tap into new bean realms.

Almost Fat Free Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Cake

So I conquered my pantry, kidnapped two beautiful tins of black beans and this is what I did with it. To be honest, I wasn’t so sure how this experiment would turn out. When it comes to baking, I tend to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Just gluten free like back in the day when I started my new journey of no worries baking simply doesn’t cut it anymore these days. I want vegan, oil-free and possible also refined sugar free. Speaking of which, I wish I could say that this cake was sugar free. Unfortunately it isn’t. I am going to try a version with dates soon as I think they might go well in here, but I wanted to take it two steps at a time, not three steps, so for the moment, this uses plain old cane sugar. I’d love for you to try this with alternative sugars so if you do, let me know if it works! So this is not low-sugar or low-carb, but I hope that the lack of oil, butter, gluten, dairy and eggs makes up for it. Plus, beans = fibre and protein FTW.

Oh, and have I mentioned that this is a really easy one? No separating of eggs (it’s vegan – duh!), only one bowl, no first-mix-the-wet-ingredients-then-mix-the-dry-ingredients-then-sift-the-flour-crap that ain’t nobody got time for. The baking time is a little longer than I prefer (45 minutes), but the actual active hands-on time is less than 15. So no excuses!

So what does a cake made of black beans look, smell and taste like? The answer is: nothing short of divine.

Almost Fat Free Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Cake

Makes 1 8-inch (20cm) round cake

2 cups almond milk, divided
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tins black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup apple sauce
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup+ gluten-free flour
3 tsp gluten-free baking powder
1 cup organic cane sugar
1 cup raw organic cacao

Preheat oven to 180 °C and lightly grease an 8-inch or 20-cm bake tin with coconut oil. Mix 1.5 cups of the almond milk with the vinegar in a large mixing bowl and let sit for a minute to let the two ingredients react with each other. Blitz the drained and rinsed black beans together with the remaining half cup almond milk until a paste forms. A coarse texture is okay, but there should not be any large lumps.

Add the bean paste together with the apple sauce and vanilla to the almond milk-vinegar mix and beat until combined and a bit frothy. Add the flour, baking powder, cane sugar and cocoa and beat on high until very smooth. There will probably still be some bean skins, but that will resolve during baking. The texture of the batter should be that of a very thick custard. If in doubt, add a couple more tablespoons of flour. Taste the raw batter (no risk of salmonella) and add a bit more sugar if you have a sweet tooth (some of the sweetness will go away during baking).

Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake on the middle rack for 40-45 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test. Let the cake cool completely before serving.

Enjoy!

Lowfat Lentil Carrot Hummus {vg, gf}

Published on December 19, 2016 by nathaliejasmin2019Leave a comment

Have you ever considered making hummus with lentils? If you haven’t noticed already, I love all things legumes with their only downside being a little hard on the ol’ stomach at times. Which is why lentils are great. i have mentioned before that lentils might be easier to digest for some and with their hearty, meaty flavour are a nice alternative to chick peas and other beans. With lots of garlic, carrots and red peppers and only very little fat coming from healthy tahini paste, this hummus is infinitely better for you and tastes – in my humble opinion – better than any store-bought hummus! It is also incredibly quick to make with ingredients you likely have in your pantry. I’d consider this an allround win.

This lowfat lentil carrot hummus has been tried and tested by friends and family. It never fails to hit the spot, so give it a go! Tasty with just the right amount of spice, much lower in fat than store-bought hummus and very filling. I doubt you’ll be in a hurry to buy hummus from the shop again! It is also vegan, gluten free, soy free, refined sugar free, and nut free – a great recipe to have in your repertoire for entertaining as you’ll tick most dietary requirements! Tip: Try it with my 5-minute vegan gluten free naan bread!

Lowfat Lentil Carrot Hummus

1 tin lentils, drained and rinsed
½ cup grated carrots
½ cup roasted red peppers (can be from the jar)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp dukkah (optional)
3 tsp souk spice mix or blend your own with a pinch each of black pepper, allspice, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, paprika, cardamom, cayenne, and nutmeg
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp tahin (omit if you want to make it fat free)
pinch of salt

Just blitz everything in a high-powered blender and –

Enjoy!

Cookie Dough Bliss Balls {vg, gf}

Published on December 17, 2016 by nathaliejasmin20193 Comments

Do you like polishing off raw cookie dough from a mixing bowl? I know you do. Would you like it even more without butter, sugar, white flour, eggs and salmonella? Then you’re in for a treat.

These were a bit of a lucky dip for me. As you know, I love all things legumes. They are a great meat replacement, make hummus (one of my favourite foods) and you can use the liquid from tinned chickpeas and white beans to create healthy egg-free desserts (it’s true!). Beans, chickpeas and co. are also a great replacer for eggs and oil in baked goods and sweet treats, which sounds right up my alley!

I am admittedly a bit late to jump on the bliss ball bandwagon. I like substantial meals – even in between meals! – and bliss balls always seemed a lot of effort for not much benefit! Well – my stance has changed with these little beauts!! Which is even more surprising as I just shoved everything together that I thought might or might not belong in bliss balls: cannellini beans (I know…), oats, dates, seeds, protein powder, tahini and all the other good stuff. Gave it a good blitz, rolled it in balls and stored it in the fridge – and there was bliss! Minimal effort, minimal mess, maximal bliss. Legumes for the win!

I love it how these taste like raw cookie dough, and I think you’ll love it too! And you can tell your mum that you are officially allowed to have these – no more secretly guiltily licking off spoons. These goodies are loaded with omega-3s, fibre, antioxidants, magnesium, protein, iron and much more for a happy mood, glowing skin, brain power and healthy digestion. Let’s tuck in!

Cookie Dough Bliss Balls {vegan, gluten free, refined sugar free}

Makes 25 bliss balls

1 425 ml tin of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (reserve the liquid and make mousse au chocolat!)
1/2 cup hemp seeds
1/4 cup LSA or flax seeds
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup pitted dates
3 tbsp vegan vanilla protein powder
2 tbsp coconut syrup or maple syrup
2 tbsp tahini
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt
optional: cocoa powder, coconut flakes etc. for rolling

Start by pulsing the beans together with the dry ingredients (hemp seeds, LSA, oats, protein powder, sea salt) in a high-powered blender until well blended. Add the wet ingredients (dates, coconut syrup, tahini, vanilla extract) and blitz in 15 second increments until well incorporated. You will probably need to add a bit )1-2 tbsp) of filtered water or plant milk to achieve a dough-like consistency. The dough should be easily malleable. Shape 25 little balls, roll in optional toppings if desired and store in the fridge.

Enjoy!

Healthy Vegan Iced Coffee

Published on December 16, 2016 by nathaliejasmin2019Leave a comment

Now this is a big deal! Are you guilty of spending too much money on iced coffees and frappés from a certain coffee shop with nine letters? Frozen drinks with lots of sugar, fat, artificial ingredients and other nasties? I used to when I was in my twenties. I was lucky enough that the only damage they did back then was the damage they did to my wallet. But why would you want to put crap in your body and spend top dollar? Seriously, even if you order the “light” version of these commercial frozen coffee drinks, do you know all the ingredients that are in it? Do you even want to know?

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could make yourself a healthy iced coffee that tastes better than anything you get in the shops, is good for you, ready in a minute (I dare say you queue much longer if you buy an iced coffee) and costs a fraction? This one has been a bit of a lucky find. One afternoon (yes, afternoons are when this stuff happens), I was hungry and thirsty at the same time and needed caffeine. Sounds familiar? I also craved my daily protein boost, so I quickly threw together everything I could think of to help me with this: almond milk, water, coffee, cacao, maca and protein powder. An ice cold drink was in order so I added some ice to this concoction. A quick blitz and while I expected something like a smoothie, the result was very similar to the iced coffees I binged on a good ten years ago. Success!

A drink that is surprisingly close to a store-bought iced coffee, but much, much healthier and not overly sweet! I actually did not add any sugar at all, with the sweetness coming from my vegan vanilla protein powder. If you don’t want to use a flavoured protein powder, then dates would be a great natural sweetener with an additional magnesium boost. The maca gives an additional energy boost, and you could add any other supplements or superfoods you are normally using to give you that morning or afternoon lift. If you are worried about the jitters but still love the taste of coffee you can of course use decaf coffee!

Healthy Iced Coffee {vegan, gluten free, refined sugar free}

Serves 1
½ cup plant milk
½ cup filtered water
1-2 tsp (decaf) instant coffee
2 tsp raw cacao
1 tsp maca
1 tbsp vegan vanilla protein (I use Amazonia Raw Fermented Paleo Protein)
2 handfulls of ice

Just blitz all ingredients in a high-powered blender and…

Enjoy!

10-minute Lowfat Vegan Mushroom Alfredo gf, df, soyfree, nutfree)

Published on December 11, 2016 by nathaliejasmin20191 Comment

As promised on my Instagram account, here comes the easiest, healthiest and best 10-minute lowfat vegan mushroom alfredo you’ll ever make.

I don’t say this lightly. This is serious stuff. I am aware that there is no lack of vegan Alfredo recipes, a lot of which involve tofu (which can be an issue for some) or cashew nuts and/or coconut cream, therefore being very heavy. In short, alfredos, whether vegan or not, are not exactly lowfat. I have made alfredo sauces using cauliflower which is a better option to achieve that creamy consistency that we crave but the flavour of the cauliflower (and the smell of your kitchen when cooking it) can be a bit overwhelming when all you are after is mushrooms, creams and garlic. What I wanted was an Alfredo sauce which fulfilled the following criteria:

-relatively low in fat
-takes 10 minutes to make from start to finish
-requires about 5 ingredients
-is economical
-tastes divine

I’m so excited because my mushroom Alfredo does all that! With only coconut oil, garlic, plant milk, mushrooms (duh!), cornstarch and plenty of herbs and spices, there are no obscure or hard-to-get ingredients, no nasties and you don’t need to set aside your precious weekend for meal prepping – all you need is the commercial TV break on a weeknight. Sounds good? Sure does!

You can use any plant milk you like or have on hand. If you are not worried about the soy/nut issue, then soy or nut milk is perfectly fine to use. I like oat milk as it makes the sauce really unctuous, however, it is quite a bit higher in carbs than other non.dairy mylks and also sweeter, so you might want to keep that in mind. I have tried this recipe with both almond and oat milk and love them both! So it’s completely up to you. What’s not up to you is the spice part. There is garlic, sea salt, fresh black pepper and fresh parsley, which is not a lot of spices. They are therefore not negotiable. If you don’t like or can’t have garlic, pepper and/or parsley (seriously???), then you can try to omit them, but it really won’t be the same.

Serves 2

1/2 to 1 tbsp refined coconut oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
250 g button/cup mushrooms
250-350 ml unsweetened plant milk (depending how much water is sweat out by your mushrooms)
1 tbsp cornstarch, mixed with equal amounts water to form a paste
sea salt and fresh black pepper
parsley
any other herbs of choice

Melt the coconut oil in a large saucepan and fry the garlic until aromatic. Add the mushrooms and fry until they start to wither. Add the plant milk, starting with a cup (ca. 250 ml). Whisk in the dissolved cornstarch and keep whisking until no lumps are left and the sauce starts to thicken. Add salt, pepper and spices and some more plant milk until the sauce has your desired consistency. Serve with pasta of choice.

Enjoy!

Oil-free Blueberry Muffins {vg, gf}

Published on December 8, 2016 by nathaliejasmin2019Leave a comment

Back in the days when I ate wheat and dairy and generally all things processed and sugary I had a staple recipe for blueberry muffins, which – on the rare occasions that I baked – I always fell back to. I loved it as it was lower in fat than other muffin recipes, replacing most of the fat with buttermilk. It was also dirt-easy to make, requiring just one bowl – perfect for a fast food-addicted 20-something university student without a dishwasher! The muffins were always a success and the recipe was customisable meaning you could use any fruit you wanted in place of the blueberries.

A solid muffin recipe is the first and most basic thing in a baker’s repertoire so once I got into this whole gluten free baking thing, I knew I had to tweak my old go-to. My new gluten-free version of this was just as popular but still relied on refined gluten-free flour and dairy. So after the first step – creating a gluten-free muffin recipe – I needed to come up with a way to make it wholesome and not rely on conventional gluten free flour mixes that with their less than ideal nutritional profile literally make you hungry while you eat! However, not only did I want to create a gluten free and oil free muffin, but also a vegan muffin. Yogurt and buttermilk are great in gluten-free muffins as they really provide that texture that we love and miss about conventional baked goods. The acid in the milk combines with the baking soda to yield moist and tender products. Using yoghurt or buttermilk also means you can nix most of the oil, butter and eggs! So how to replace dairy?

After a bit of research I decided to recreate the sourness from the yogurt/buttermilk with some apple cider vinegar in almond milk. Instead of conventional gluten free flour I used a mix of freshly ground oat flour, almond meal and flax meal (with the flax also replacing the need for eggs). Apple sauce and blueberries keep these muffins nice and moist, so there is no need for eggs or oil. I will probably still tweak the flour part a bit, as the flax gives a somewhat coarse texture but for the time being this is a great recipe if you want a tasty and filling muffin that is gluten free, vegan, refined sugar free, oil free, low in fat and refined grain free and is easy and quick to make with some simple ingredients you likely have in your pantry!

Oil-free Blueberry Muffins {vg, gf}

Yields 16 mini muffins

½ cup almond milk
1 tb apple cider vinegar
2 cups oat flour
1/3 cup almond meal
1/3 cup flax meal
½ cup coconut sugar
½ cup apple sauce
Pinch of salt
pinch of cinnamon
2 tsp of baking powder
dash of vanilla
1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 180 °C and lightly grease a muffin pan or use paper muffin cups. Mix the almond milk with the apple cider vinegar in a medium bowl and set aside for the two ingredients to react. Then add oat flour, almond meal, flax meal, coconut sugar, apple sauce, salt, cinnamon, vanilla and baking powder and whisk just until combined. Fold in the blueberries and pour the batter into the prepared muffin tray. Bake for 15-20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

Enjoy!