Breakfast – Page 5 – Nat's Ladle

Banana Flour Chocolate Chip Muffins {gf, vg, nut free}

Published on June 5, 2015 by nathaliejasmin20192 Comments

Banana Flour - a healthy replacement for wheat flour — Banana Flour – a healthy replacement for wheat flour

What do you think if someone -who is absolutely NOT into health foods- can’t stop eating something that is healthy(ish)? I think that’s pretty cool! Let’s face it, most “healthified” or “alternative” baked goods – be they gluten free, paleo, vegan, sugar free, or whatever, taste great to the health-conscious palate, but they are not always crowd-pleasers. I was all the more excited when I came up with this recipe for banana chocolate muffins – muffins that you could serve at a school fête, bribe your junk food addicted teenager or impress your in-laws with without worrying that they might taste “healthy”. All this is possible using one of the latest additions to the gluten free flour realm: banana flour!

I was intrigued by the claim that you can completely replace wheat flour with banana flour by using 25% less, which should enable you to convert pretty much any recipe using what flour without experimenting with 8+ different flours and starches as you normally do in gluten free baking, which is just too good to be true! I got my banana flour from here. Yes, it is pricey, but if you have a few dollars to spend, it is a worthwhile investment as…it really DOES replace wheat flour! I did not use any other flour or starch for these muffins, and the texture was just like normal wheat muffins! It does taste like banana though, so I would not use it for savoury baking, but rather for goodies that are enhanced by a very subtle banana flavour, such as banana bread (for obvious reasons), pancakes, carrot cakes, and, yup, these delicious muffins!

You can even use banana flour as a healthy “thickener” in your favourite smoothie! Either way, banana flour is super-rich in resistant starch, which is a “good” starch (yes, that’s right! Not all starch is created equal!) as it enhances your gut flora, which is absolutely essential for your wellbeing, keeps you full without the bloat you get from flax and fiber, and stabilises your blood sugar, so that you can enjoy banana chocolate muffins without the carb-induced delirium that might otherwise come with a muffin. So again, baking with banana flour is healthy, easy, and yummy, just as I like it.

Makes 12 muffins

1 egg replacer or “flax egg” (1 flax egg = 1 tbsp milled flaxseed dissolved in 4 tbsp water)
90g coconut sugar
100g melted organic coconut oil
200g lite BPA-free coconut cream
210g banana flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)
1 1/2 tsp aluminium-free baking soda
150g dark chocolate, chopped (or chocolate chips) – the best quality you can find

Preheat oven to 180 °C. Mix egg, sugar, cream, and oil in one bowl, and flour, cinnamon and soda in another. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour into prepared muffin tray and bake for 20 mins. Let the muffins cool down and remove from pan once cooled. Will last several days at room temperature and even longer in the fridge.

Enjoy!

Millionaire’s Shortbread aka Caramel Slice {gf, vg, soy free, paleo}

Published on May 29, 2015 by nathaliejasmin20192 Comments

Millionaire’s shortbread was my childhood heaven like brownies for other people. I fell in love the minute my mum brought a tray from a business trip to Scotland – a crunchy shortbread base + decadent caramel + chocolate = bliss! When a Marks & Spencer’s opened in Frankfurt, we travelled all the way from Berlin just to bite into one of these moreish delights (that Marks & Spencer’s did not last long in spite of their heavenly baked goods, but that is another story).

Making a gluten free version of Millionaire’s shortbread has been on my to-do-list for a couple of years now. In fact, this is a gluten, dairy and soy free blog, so creating a Millionaire’s shortbread fit for No Worries Cooking was a bit like squaring the circle. There were many failed attempts – either the shortbread was ruined (I had heated the butter a couple of times – never do that!), or the caramel was NQR, or the chocolate burned while melting. But now I can finally tick it off the list: Here is a vegan, grain free, dairy free, sugar free, soy free, and, in fact, paleo-ish version of Millionaire’s shortbread! I love ticking off items from my to-do lists, so this was a success on so many levels!

The shortbread base I have slightly adapted from a recipe for paleo all-purpose flour I found here. I am keen to try it in some other recipes as well, but it worked a treat in this shortbread. The caramel is a super quick vegan caramel sauce (of which I will post the recipe separately later), and the chocolate is my favourite, Lindt Excellence 90%. So it is really a lot easier to whip up this treat than I had antcipated, probably less than 30 minutes preparation, which should be the maximum amount of time you wait before trying this great recipe!

For a 20 cm square baking pan

For the shortbread base:
120 g coconut flour
100g almond meal
60g tapioca flour
pinch of salt
1 “flax egg” (1 tbsp milled flaxseed dissolved in 4 tbsp filtered water)
150g coconut oil or vegan butter, softened
50g rice malt syrup or other liquid sweetener

For the caramel:
1 tin full-fat coconut cream, chilled overnight
1 tbs molasses
dash of vanilla extract
generous pinch of sea salt
150g rice malt syrup or other liquid sweetener
dollop of coconut oil or vegan butter

For the chocolate topping:
200g vegan dark chocolate (at least 80% cocoa)

Preheat oven to 180 °C. Prepare one 20 cm square baking pan by lining with baking paper. Mix all ingredients for the shortbread in a large mixing bowl and mix with your hands until everything comes together and the mass resembles crumble. Note: it will take a while to come together, but you should really use your hands as the warmth of your hands will soften the butter, thus helping to combine the fat molecules of the butter with the dry ingredients. (And you get to lick your fingers, yum!) Once the dough resembles a crumbly mass, pack firmly to build a “ball” and chill for up to 30 minutes (though you can skip this step). Press firmly and evenly down the baking pan and pierce holes into the fough with a fork. Bake for approx. 20 minutes until the edges start to lightly golden.

Meanwhile, prepare the caramel. The solid part of the coconut cream should be on top of the tin. Scoop it out and into a small saucepan. The leftover coconut water can be used for smoothies. Add the remaining caramel ingredients bar the butter and slowly heat over medium heat. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer until the caramel starts to bubbly and thicken up. Stir, stir, stir! Once the caramel has the desired consistency, turn off the heat and stir in the butter. Pour into the tin on top of the baked shortbread and refrigerate for one or two hours.

Once set, melt the chocolate in a double boiler while constantly stirring until completely melted. Pour on top of the shortbread and caramel and refrigerate again for another hour or so.

Once everything is firm and set, lift out of the tin and cut into squares with a very sharp knife.

Enjoy!

Vegan Superfood Protein Shake

Published on May 12, 2015 by nathaliejasmin20192 Comments

I have mentioned here before that I like to start my days with rice protein shakes. Rice protein is a very versatile protein powder, it adds great bulk to shakes, making them super thick and luscious, and most importantly, unlike whey, casein or – heaven forbid – soy protein, rice protein is very easily digested and a great option for an allergy-friendly or vegan diet. It is also one of the more affordable protein powders out there. With its excellent amino acid profile (in fact, rice is the grain with the highest quality protein compared to all other grains), rice protein makes for a great post-workout snack and should not be considered inferior to its dairy-containing sibling powders. Just choose a good (preferably organic) brand as brown rice can be loaded with chemicals.

This shake is a real “superfood” shake (as much as I hate that word). Kale (one of the world’s most nutrient dense foods), blueberries (loaded with antioxidants), avocado (a wealth of monounsaturated fats, the healthiest dietary fats), nut butters (vitamin E), cacao (minerals) and banana (oodles of natural antidepressants) are some of the planet’s healthiest foods, while cinnamon helps stabilising your blood sugar (great in the morning or after a workout!). Most importantly, this shake really tastes great and keeps you full for hours!

I did not add any sweeteners here as the banana and the berries are quite sweet already, but you could add a little honey or stevia if you like it a tad sweeter.

300ml almond milk
handful of kale
handful of frozen blueberries
1tb cacao
1tb tahin
half avocado
1 frozen banana
40g rice protein
cinnamon

Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender and…

Enjoy!

Instant Paleo Vegan Nutella {nut free option}

Published on May 5, 2015 by nathaliejasmin20191 Comment

instant - paleo - nutella! What's not to love? — instant – paleo – nutella! What’s not to love?

Remember my healthy nutella recipe? Well, I am the frist one to unserstand that you don’t have the time nor the ambition to go through the whole rigmarole of grinding hazelnuts – and the good news is, you don’t have to! After all, healthy eating only works if you can make it work for you, and in this busy day and age, that means healthy eating needs to be quick and easy. That’s where my instant paleo nutella comes to the rescue. Whikpped up in a jiffy, this baby doesn’t only make for a delightful spread on gluten free bread, a divine topping for crêpes and pancakes or a naughty afternoon snack straight from the spoon, but also works as a great cake frosting! Nuts, cocoa and honey – what’s not to love?

This one is highly customisable, meaning you can use any nut or seed butter that takes your fancy (note that peanut butter is not paleo, but nonetheless works very well here). Choose hazelnut for the real nutella experience, but really, anything works. Allergic to nuts? Choose sunbutter. Vegan? Use maple syrup instead of honey. The suggested amounts are what woeks for me, but you can adjust the amount of sweetener you out in. This really is your nutella!

P.S.: Stay tuned for a gorgeous paleo mud cake recipe!

40g nut or seed butter of choice
20g rice malt or maple syrup
1 tsp raw organic cocoa

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl with a spoon and…

Enjoy!

Vegan Chocolate Soft Serve

Published on March 30, 2015 by nathaliejasmin2019Leave a comment

What is this? It tastes luxuriously like soft serve icecream, but doesn’t contain an ounce of dairy. It is vegan yet full of protein. It is sugar-free and will quench any sugar cravings. It is paleo and vegan at the same time. So – WHAT IS IT? Hint: A vegan chocolate soft serve.

Yes, I used to be one of those kids. While I was never much into the burgers and fries, the big M was always synonymous with – soft serve! Those were happy, oblivious days, shovelling down bucket loads of soft serve for just half a buck – sugar, processed oils, pasteurised dairy, and loads of fillers and chemicals included, not to mention that innocent-looking, glutenated cone the whole concoction was (and presumably still is!) in. I really preferred that darn soft serve to a much nicer homemade gelati (even the burgers and fries don’t look that bad compared to it). But who could blame the money-savvy, but sweet-toothed student that I was?

While intolerances and digestive distress make your life more complicated, a whole lot of good comes out of the situation as you get to actually think of what you are putting into your bod, in fact you have to. You will study the web and the literature and come across the gluten free diet, the vegan diet, the paleo diet, the I Quit Sugar diet, and they all smell suspiciously of deprivation. But you totally can have it all, and that is where my blog comes into play.

This magic potion here happened more or less by accident, but then many of the world’s greatest inventions came about that way (think of the slinky, for example). It tastes freakishly like chocolate soft serve, but will fill you up for a looong time. And you have total control over what you put in it! Fancy a cherry ripe? Whip some cherries or red fruit in? Feel hipster-ish? Get the kale out! (But make sure not to overdo it as too much raw greens can really muck up your thyroid, but that’s a different story.) You could even add some coffee if you need a little pick-me-up. Go wild.

So what is this thing? It’s a healthy, vegan, paleo, soy free, gluten free, sugar free, dairy free, high protein, yummy soft serve. I have it for breakfast. But it’s a totally valid dinner option, too.

Vegan Chocolate Soft Serve

Makes 1 very large serving.

half cup nut milk of choice (or more according to the desired thickness)
one scoop vegan protein powder (if using a plain protein powder, add stevia and vanilla)
1 frozen banana
half avocado
1 tbsp. almond meal
1 tbsp. tahin
1 tbsp. raw organic cocoa
stevia to taste

Mix all ingredients in a high powered blender or food processer and…

Enjoy!

Tropical Protein Thickshake (vegan and soy free)

Published on March 18, 2015 by nathaliejasmin2019Leave a comment

Not your usual protein shake - vegan tropical thickshake — Not your usual protein shake – vegan tropical thickshake

As a new mum who loves (and needs) a filling brekkie, but whose packed calendar often does not always allow for cooking up ham and eggs, protein shakes have become my go-to breakfast on busy days with early appointments. No, I am not talking about those junk-filled powders with pictures of muscle men that your gym may serve, but about rice protein shakes!

Granted, while commercial protein shakes based on casein and/or whey may be tastier, they are off-limits if you cannot handle cow’s milk protein. Moreover, they contain ingredients such as soy, industrial seed oils, fructose, and flavourings, which all are a big no-no for a healthy lifestyle. Unflavoured rice protein, on the other hand, is very hypoallergenic, and, for what it’s worth, also vegan!

Of course, it is always better to get your protein intake from real foods, and I’d always choose a hard-boiled egg or a can of tuna over rice protein, but if you are craving a quick post-workout boost or a no-nonsense start to the day, rice protein shakes can be a good addition to your diet, at least occasionally. A little bit of stevia, vanilla essence, and almond or other nut milk go a long way in making unflavoured rice protein more palatable. Add your fruit of choice, some ice, cocoa powder, and/or almond meal, and you end up with a delicious, sinful-tasting milkshake that isn’t even bad for you!

This thickshake combines a decadent chocolate taste with a tropical twist. Not only is it tasty, but very filling, and if you add some maca powder, it is a real pick-me-up!

Makes 1 thickshake

250 ml or one cup nut milk of choice
1 or 2 handfuls of frozen mango pieces
juice of one orange
30 g rice protein powder
1 tbs raw cocoa (organic)
maca powder (optional)
stevia
vanilla

Blend up all ingredients in a high-powered blender.

Enjoy!

Super Moist and Fudgy Chocolate Cake {vg, gf}

Published on March 8, 2015 by nathaliejasmin2019Leave a comment

An almost paleo chocolate cake – you really can have it all!If you like chocolate, you are in for a treat. Let me introduce to you a luscious chocolate cake which is not only whipped up in a jiffy, but makes for a perfect breakfast on the go, dessert or afternoon snack – and, most of all, it is absolutely moreish and -almost- paleo. Yes, this is not a misprint! You can absolutely have your cake and eat it all on a paleo diet, provided you find a high quality, sugar-free or low-sugar dark chocolate (I’d settle for nothing less but Lindt Excellence 90% – it is technically not sugar free, but with 6.7 g of sugar per 100g, is unrivalled among dark chocolates. Plus it just is the best tasting dark chocolate I have ever tasted. You can read up more on dark chocolate here).

This cake has a lovely tang to it, is never too sweet, and keeps your blood sugar nice and stable. Just the right thing to round off a great meal. It lasts a long time in the fridge and is very portable. Yes, I think you’ll really love this one. And if you are like me, you should have all the ingredients ready to go in your pantry – I really hope you always have a few bars of Lindt Excellence 90% in your cupboard! It definitely belongs on the list for essential pantry items…

Besides lovely lovely choccie, this gem packs a few other fit foods, such as raw cocoa, organic butter, cinnamon, eggs, almonds, and honey, so you can indulge a bit knowing you’ll do your body and mind something good.

Makes one loaf

150g organic coconut oil
150g very dark chocolate (at least 85% cocoa), roughly chopped
150g organic rice malt or maple syrup
juice of 2 large or 3 small oranges
2 flax eggs (1 flax egg = 1 tbsp milled flaxseed dissolved in 4 tbsp filtered water)
100g almond meal
45g tapioca starch, sifted
45g potato starch, sifted
30g raw organic cocoa powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/5 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 160 °C. Melt butter, chocolate, honey, and orange juice in a small saucepan over medium heat until well combined. Turn off the heat and let stand for about 20 minutes.
Fold in the beaten eggs, almond meal, sifted starches, cocoa powder, cinnamon and baking soda and stir batter until smooth.
Grease a loaf pan or line it with baking paper and pour in the batter. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

This beauty stores best in foil in the fridge for up to two weeks. Although it stays nice and fresh at room temperature, storing it in the fridge will not only result in a nice fudgy texture, but will make the cake also less messy and therefore more lunchbox-friendly.

Enjoy!

Vegan and Paleo Protein Shake (Dairy Free, Soy Free, Egg Free)

Published on February 15, 2015 by nathaliejasmin2019Leave a comment

Paleo and Vegan Protein Shake - the best of both worlds! — Paleo and Vegan Protein Shake – the best of both worlds!

With a primal or paleo-oriented diet, getting enough protein in shouldn’t be an issue at all – if you are, however, not the biggest fan of meat or fish, meeting your daily protein requirements can be a bit more of a challenge! It is no coincidence that “protein” dereives from the Greek word “protos”, meaning “first” or “most important”. Besides fats and moderate amounts of carbohydrates – mainly from fruit, vegetables, and potatoes -, protein should account for 20-30% of your daily calorie intake – and this does not only apply to you if you are an athlete! Protein is the main building block of every cell in our bodies and is required to make hormones and enzymes. Besides, our body has no capacity of storing protein, which means you have to constantly supply your body with protein from your diet.”Vegan” and “Paleo” is not necessarily mutually exclusive, as I have shown in countless recipes. But even if you don’t follow a vegan diet – and I would advise against a vegan diet for a variety of reasons -, you might struggle to get your share of protein as pretty much all protein supplements use either soy (stay away from that by all means!), dairy, or egg albumen, which can cause adverse reactions in many people. In fact, finding a good, tasty, and healthy protein supplement, whether to fill you up after a strenuous workout or to achieve your protein intake goals, is next to impossible. Although I have seen “paleo” beef protein powders, they are expensive and hard to get your hands on.

An easy way out are rice protein shakes, which should be tolerated by pretty much anyone and impresses with an excellent amino acid profile. Admittedly, it doesn’t boast the best taste, but with a few paleo-friendly accessories, this problem can easily be solved. I created this shake as a convenient, tasty, and healthy source of protein. There is hardly any fructose in it, just glucose from banana (nature’s powerhouse!). Raw organic cocoa means plenty of minerals and antioxidants while at the same time staving off even the most violent chocolate cravings, almond meal provides for texture and an extra dose of vitamin E, and coconut water and coconut milk mean you get in the best of one of the planet’s healthiest foods – now I am sure the shakes they serve you at your local gym can’t even get close to this! Of course, you have plenty of options to “customise” this shake. Not vegan? Add some raw egg (you won’t taste it!)! Not strictly paleo? Consider a dollop of natural peanut butter! Feel like a cherry ripe bar? Get the frozen cherries out for a delicious treat and some added vitamins. Or go all decadent and add a few drops of mint essence for a delicious “dinner mint” treat.

Makes 1 shake

dash of vanilla
1 medium banana
1 tablespoon raw organic cocoa
2 heaped tablespoons almond meal
1 tablespoon stevia
5 ice cubes
2 tablespoons rice protein powder
200 ml coconut water
50 ml coconut milk
1 tsp flax
pinch of salt

Add all ingredients in a high-powered blender and mix away!

Enjoy!

Paleo Nutella (dairy free, vegan, sugar free, soy free)

Published on January 26, 2015 by nathaliejasmin20191 Comment

Happy 2015! What are your resolutions for the new year? If living healthier is on your bucket list for this year (and there is a fair chance it is) then you will probably have banned nutella and banana sandwiches for dinner – at least for the first few days. But if you think that a chocolate hazelnut spread is inherently bad, hear me! Of course, the store bought stuff – no offence to the almighty Ferrero – is loaded with cheap vegetable oils and refined sugar – two ingredients that you should avoid at all costs or only enjoy occasionally. But both hazelnuts and cocoa possess powerful health properties and because they taste divine as well – especially in combination with each other – a chocolate hazelnut spread is just made for my blog!

In fact, although it’s advisable not to overdo it on the nuts (due to their phytic acid content on the one hand and their high level of omega 6 on the other), hazelnuts, with their relatively low omega 6 content, are among the more preferable types of nuts, and come with a healthy does of manganese for strong bones, copper for the utilisation of iron, and vitamin E for cardiovascular benefits on top. You might want to read up on nuts in the context of a paleo diet here.

I based my nutella on this recipe by the detoxinista, but instead of coconut sugar I opted for stevia. Why? Well, while I’m a big fan of the taste and texture of coconut sugar and believe it to be a high-quality type of sugar, it is still a carbohydrate. And, given that spreads are commonly used on bread which is – gluten free or not – a notorious carbohydrate bomb, I believe a spread should be as low in carbs as possible to balance this out – see my recipe for a low-carb jam here. Everyone knows that managing your carbohydrate intake is the key for long-term health and maintaining a normal weight, and that is why I like to replace all sugars, even the “healthy” ones with low-carb alternatives such as stevia, xylitol, or erythritol (no artificial sweeteners though!), especially as I don’t mind the taste of stevia. If you, however, despise it (and I know there are people that do), feel free to use coconut sugar, palm sugar, or raw sugar here (don’t think white sugar would work). Now, for a die-hard paleoist, including stevia in any recipe boasting the word “paleo” is for sure a sacrilege, but living a balanced lifestyle also means to try not to be holier than the pope. Of course, no sweet treat is strictly paleo, but I think that low-calorie, natural sweeteners such as stevia and erythritol are a godsend to enable us to enjoy the occasional sweet treat without deviating from our healthy lifestyle.

Does this nutella taste like the real thing? Well, I think it is pretty close, only better! Think of the inside of a Ferrero Rocher (am I the only one who used to scrape out the insides of a Ferrero Rocher?). Can’t argue with that one!

So without further ado, let’s take three steps to heaven!

225 g hazelnuts
10 g stevia (or 100 g sugar of choice)
15 g cocoa powder
15 g melted coconut oil
50 ml filtered water

1. Preheat oven to 150 °C and roast the hazelnuts on a flat baking sheet for 10-15 minutes or until the skins start to come off. Let cool slightly and then gently rub the nuts in a clean tea towel to remove the skins. Don’t worry about small bits remaining.

2. Pulse nuts approx. 10 minutes in a high powered food processor until you achieve the consistency of a coarse nut butter. I ~~am lazy~~ like my nut butters with a bit of crunch, so I don’t bother processing them to a smooth consistency.

3. Add remaining ingredients and quickly blend until well combined.

Enjoy!

Vegan Ginger Snap Biscuits {vg, gf, lf}

Published on December 23, 2014 by nathaliejasmin2019Leave a comment

As you might know, I am a big fan of legumes. From falafel to hummus to stews, it would be easier to list my recipes without lentils, beans, chickpeas and co. than the one with them as there are so many! And the reason for that is simple – they are delicious, filling, cheap, and prepared in a jiffy. They are full of fiber and a very good plant-based source of protein. Together with grains, any legumes form a complete protein. Take that, omnivore! But if you think, grains and legumes are only for soups and salads, you haven’t tried my vegan ginger snap biscuits yet!

You are probably wondering what on earth is going on here. A post about vegan ginger snap biscuits and then all the carry-on about legumes? Makes no sense? Not so fast! With recipes floating around for cookies and biscuits containing beans (yes, you read that right), the idea to give your afternoon snack a protein and fiber boost while lowering the fat content isn’t exactly new, but I thought I’d update my old ginger snap biscuit recipe and bring you a sparkling new, vegan, gluten free and lowfat version!

These babies are not only a cinch to make, they are also a guilt-free treat, and a very satisfying at that. Even my hubby was excited and he usually doesn’t like healthified snacks at all, so take that as one more reason to get the cannellini bean tins out!

Vegan Ginger Snap Biscuits {vg, gf, lf}

Makes 25

1.5 cups rolled oats
1.5 cups besan (chickpea) flour
1/2 tbsp glutenfree baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp (or more) ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp freshly ground sea salt
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tin cannellini beans (reserve 6 tbsp of the liquid from the can, see next row!)
6 tbsp aquafaba (cannellini bean “brine”, i.e. the liquid from the can)
3/4 cup brown sugar

Combine dry ingredients (oats, besan, baking powder, spices and sugar) in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Process the beans with the aquafaba in a high-powered blender and add the resulting mush to the dry ingredients. Heap a teaspoonfull each on a prepared baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C for 15 minutes until lightly golden at the edges. Taste best on the same day but can be kept in an airtight container for up to a week.

Enjoy!