Dairy free – Page 8 – Nat's Ladle

Vegan lentil eggplant and sweet potato stew

Published on April 23, 2016 by nathaliejasmin20192 Comments

mouthful. But believe me, you will want to take many mouthfuls of this stew! Imagine you have a dinner party with one friend who is paleo, one vegan friend, one gluten-intolerant friend, one friend with a nut allergy and one friend who needs to follow a low FODMAP diet. What do you do? Scroll down!

But you should also scroll down if you just want to eat the most delicious stew evaaa…with lentils, eggplant, sweet potato, tomato and kidney beans it is health in a bowl, but that doesn’t mean compromising on flavour! Curry powder, ginger and turmeric makes this stew an explosion of flavours on your tongue – the best proof that tasty and filling dishes do NOT require meat, onions or added fats!

With its “meaty” consistency, this stew will satisfy herbivores and omnivores alike, and with its rich flavours simply from vegetables, herbs and spices, it is an indulgent treat without having to worry about fat. The “good” carbs in the legumes and spuds make you fell fuller for longer – needless to say, the lentils and beans pack a decent amount of protein and fibre. You could always add extra protein from quorn, tempeh or – if you are not vegetarian or vegan – chicken or any other meat or fish. And feel free to have it as spicy or as mild as you want! I did not add any salt; all the sodium comes from the stock, so if you use a low-salt stock or broth, this can even be a low-sodium stew.

This stew is gluten free, dairy free, soy free, paleo, vegan and vegetarian, nut free and low FODMAP. I try to avoid onions and garlic as much as possible as they are not my friends. If you can, frying garlic and onions before adding the other ingredients would add even more flavour (if that is possible!). This stew was born out of the need to make use of an eggplant and a sweet potato. Adding the legumes was kind of a lightbulb moment, and I don’t regret having thrown all these ingredients together. Eggplant naturally takes a bit longer to cook than other vegetables so it is not instant but delayed gratification. It will taste even better the next day and is the perfect candidate for dinner parties. You wouldn’t even have to ask your guests for dietary requirements as this stew covers them all!

This stew tastes so good, it is almost an insolence that it is so super healthy and allergy-friendly as well! Try for yourself!

Vegan Lentil Eggplant and Sweet Potato Stew

Makes approx. 8 serves

1 tbs coconut oil
1 large eggplant, diced in 1cm pieces
1 large sweet potato, cubed (I leave the peel on as I’m lazy but feel free to peel it beforehand!)
1 l vegetable stock
1 tin (400ml) diced tomatoes
1 tin (400ml) lentils
1 tin (400ml) kidney beans
spices (I used Madras curry powder, ginger and turmeric)

Melt the oil in a large stockpot, add the spices and cook until fragrant. Add the eggplant, sweet potato, stock, tomatoes and legumes. Cover, bring to the boil, then open the lid a crack, turn down the heat and simmer until all the eggplant and sweet potato are tender (30 minutes). Give the stew a good whiz with a stick blender until you reach a coarse consistency. Serve as is or with fragrant jasmine rice or freshly toasted gluten free bread.

Enjoy!

Healthy Homemade Granola

Published on February 19, 2016 by nathaliejasmin2019Leave a comment

Granola. Not only a pretty name, but also a pretty cool snack or breakfast. And while best left to the occasional treat, I can’t think of any fruit salad or compôte that isn’t improved by a sprinkle of crunchy sweet granola. And yogurt wthout granola is just yogurt. I even add it to my porridge sometimes if only porridge doesn’t cut it – carbs anyone?

While still a popular breakfast or snack choice, many are not aware that it is actually really easy to make granola yourself – in fact, it is so easy that I don’t understand why you would want to rely on packed granola from the supermarket that is loaded with sugar, industrial oils and a heap of other ingredients that sound like a chemical weapon.

Making your own granola has an array of health benefits, some of which include:

It is quick and easy, and as granola lasts for aaaages you get maximum results with minimum efforts.
If your house is cold – and that means ten out of twelve months if you live either in Melbourne or Europe! – you get a nice warm kitchen at least (that means if the granola makes it into your oven in the first place, see 4.).
The smell your house gets filled with is divine.
You get to lick your fingers in the process.
You can add whatever you like so it is a great way to use up those stale dried cranberries you bought for Thanksgiving last year. It also means you can make it as healthy (or unhealthy) as you like.

In fact, as granola is so incredibly easy to overeat, you really want to get the most nutrition bang for your calorie buck, and this is where this recipe comes in – which can also be customised in many ways, of course. Oats and/or quinoa or other grains provide fibre and slow carbs for a healthy digestion and stable blood sugar as well as numerous minerals and good protein, a dash of coconut oil (the heatlhiest fat around), and nuts, seeds, and dried fruits for their numerous known health benefits.

3 cups (200g) rolled oats (certified gluten free) or other rolled grain such as quinoa
1/4 cup (50g) melted coconut oil
3 oz (84g) honey, maple syrup or rice malt syrup
1 cup (150g) any combination of nuts, seeds and/or dried fruit: sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pepitas, dried cranberries, dried sour cherries, raisins, sultanas, slivered almonds etc. are all excellent choices
1 oz (28g) shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 180 °C. Spread the grains evenly on a lined baking sheets. Combine the oil and honey/maple syrup/rice malt syrup, mix into the grains and bake until lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Add the nuts, seeds, fruit, and coconut and bake for another 5 minutes. Take out of the oven and let cool completely. Store in an airtight jar in the pantry (lasts several weeks). Serve with milk of choice, fresh fruit, and/or yogurt.

Enjoy!

Easy Healthy Carrot Soup {vg, gf, lf}

Published on January 25, 2016 by nathaliejasmin2019Leave a comment

Nothing beats a good soup. And in my mind, you don’t need to wait for winter to enjoy soup! Whether as an elegant entree or healthy main meal, soup never fails to hit the spot. Soup is versatile, filling, and an easy and -yup- cheap way to fill your tummy while keeping your calorie budget low. It is great for entertaining as you can create an impressive meal with minimum effort as you can prepare it days in advance and it keeps well. It is also a fantastic way to use up leftovers. Enter my easy healthy carrot soup.

When I discovered that my organic Tasmanian carrots were losing their mojo, I decided to breathe new life into them by turning them into a delicious soup. This one is really really easy to make and you should have all the ingredients ready in your cupboard! By first steaming the carrots and then blending them with hot stock you allow the precious minerals and vitamins in carrots to be largely preserved, rather than when you cook the carrots for a long time in the stock, although you can perfectly do that too. The cooking time will be slightly longer then.

Easy Healthy Carrot Soup

Serves 4

750g carrots, washed, peeled, chopped
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1l vegetable stock
salt and pepper
Plant milk to finish (lite coconut milk is great)

Steam the carrots until tender. Cover the bottom of a large stockpot with just enough stock and heat up. Add the chopped onion, garlic and ginger and cook until they start to soften and release their aromas. Add more stock when the first batch has dried up. Add the steamed carrots and some salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes, then add the remaining stock, bring to the boil, turn down the heat and simmer for couple of minutes. Turn off heat, let cool slightly, then process with a stick blender, add a bit of plant milk for a creamier texture. Serve with roasted pepitas or pomegranate seeds.

Enjoy!

Tropical Smoothie (Breakfast) Bowl

Published on December 23, 2015 by nathaliejasmin2019Leave a comment

Healthy, Easy, Yummy - the Tropical Smoothie Bowl — Healthy, Easy, Yummy – the Tropical Smoothie Bowl

Whether you want/need to balance upcoming indulgences (yes that’s right), need to cool down in Australia’s summer heat, or are just after a delicious, filling, easy, and, yes, healthy breakfast and/or afternoon snack, a smoothie bowl always hits the right spot – and yes, they are not only for summer. This one is made with banana and mango – hence the reference to “tropical”. But a smoothie bowl wouldn*t be a smoothie bowl if you couldn’t adapt it to your needs.

I just love their versatility – hate mango but love berries? Bingo, enjoy your banana and berry smoothie! Can have dairy – use Greek yogurt. Can’t have dairy? Use avocado or tahin instead. Need a protein boost after your workout? Add a scoop of your favourite protein powder. Got some almond milk leftover? Overripe bananas? You get the picture. You can even add a bit more liquid and have it as a beautiful shake on the run.

Serves one

1 cup lite coconut milk, almond milk, or any other milk of choice
a handful of frozen chopped bananas
a handful of frozen chopped mangoes
a handful of spinach (optional)
a scoop of Greek yogurt, avocado and/or nut butter
a scoop of protein powder (optional)
a tbsp of chia seeds (optional)
any add-ons (e.g. cacao, maca, spices, fruit, seeds…)

Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender until desired consistency is achieved. Spoon or sip away!

Enjoy!

Buckwheat and Chia Bread (vegan, paleo)

Published on August 6, 2015 by nathaliejasmin2019Leave a comment

The net is swarming with recipes for “paleo bread” these days, which is great. After all, it’s good to know you can get on with your life even if – for medical or lifestyle reasons – you don’t eat “regular” bread. And let’s admit it, we all like bread, at least now and again, even the paleo police!

The thing about “paleo bread” is that it usually contains a bucke load of eggs – hey, don’t get me wrong! I loooove eggs – poached with smoked salmon and avocado smash. Not as an ingredient in bread. I’ve seen paleo bread recipes calling for as much as six eggs. Six! That’s cake. It’s not bread. I wanted bread! (Using six eggs in a recipe is darn expensive too, but that’s another story.)

The solution – chia seeds! The “chia gel” made of chia seeds with the triple amount of water is a perfect (and cost-effective) way to replace whole eggs. It also means you can meet your vegan friends and enjoy some nice bread together.

While in theory, you can always replace egg with chia gel, it works especially well in this recipe. The nutty flavours of besan flour and buckwheat flour complement the chia seeds well. This bread is perfect as an accompaniment for light savoury dishes such as soups and salads, and it is also amazingly good on its own or dipped in olive oil.

The best thing about this bread is that it is easy as, and in just a little more than an hour (the majority of which spent on waiting) you can enjoy delicious bread!

Makes one loaf

1 pint (473ml) filted water
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp organic apple cider vinegar
Chia gel, made of 3 heaped tbsp chia seeds, dissolved in nine tbsp filtered water
125g besan flour
125g arrowroot
125g potato starch
100g brown rice flour
50g buckwheat flour
3 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp raw sugar
1 tbsp dried yeast

Preheat oven to 180 °C. Mix together the wet ingredients in one bowl, and the dry ingredients in another. Mix the wet to the dry ingredients and mix for 2 minutes on low.

Pour the dough in a prepared loaf tin. Cover with a clean cloth and let stand in a warm place for half an hour, and then bake for another half hour: Place on the medium rack and place an empty baking dish with icecubes on the lower rack (this step is not necessary but helps to achieve a crust). Quickly close the oven door and bake for 30-45 minutes or until the bread sounds hollow when knocking on it (this will depend on your oven, the time of year, temperature, humidity, and even the altitude of your home!).

Enjoy!

Paleo Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes (nut free)

Published on June 27, 2015 by nathaliejasmin20192 Comments

How about sinking your teeth into a luscious, moist, fudgy, chocolatey cupcake…knowing that it’s paleo and vegan? A cupcake that is so delightful that you wouldn’t in the world believe it’s gluten free let alone grain free let alone paleo and vegan? Could that be something you are interested in? Would you like to try a scrumptious chocolate cupcake with lashings of chocolate cream on top (that is paleo and vegan)? I might have you covered!

These super easy and quick cupcakes (in fact, you can also use the dough for muffins or just regular chocolate cake) are whipped up in a jiffy, and while your non-paleo friends will love the indulgent chocolatey taste (while you know that this comes with virtually zero net carbs), it is the texture that is the real marvel here – moist, fluffy…just like the best cupcake you can imagine. And yes, at the risk that I am repeating myself, these babies are grain free – not only gluten free, but grain free! And they are entirely made of coconut flour, so no almonds or other nuts here (as coconut is not technically a nut).

Coconut flour is sky high in fibre, which means that these cupcakes are extremely satisfying. But do not go overboard, as exactly that fact can lead to bloated tummies if you are sensitive. Next to fibre, these delicacies also boast omega 3 from chia seeds, antioxidants and minerals from raw cocoa, healthy fats from coconut oil, and much more…there is really no need to wait for a special occasion!

Makes 18 cupcakes or 6 muffins

100g coconut flour
50g raw organic cacao
1 heaped tsp. aluminium-free baking soda
generous pinch of Himalayan sea salt
4 tbsp. or 10g stevia
2 tbsp. or 30g coconut sugar
3 egg replacers or “flax eggs” (1 flax egg = 1 tbsp milled flaxseed dissolved in 4 tbsp water)
3 tbsp. chia seeds, soaked in 9 tbsp. filtered water
100g full-fat coconut cream
100g melted virgin unrefined coconut oil
dash of vanilla extract
2 tsp. organic apple cider vinegar
100ml warm water

For the frosting:
tin of full-fat coconut cream, chilled overnight
raw organic cocoa to taste
stevia to taste

Preheat oven to 180°C and prepare a muffin/cupcake tray. Combine coconut flour, cacao, baking soda, sea salt, stevia, and coconut sugar in a medium bowl until combined. Mix eggs, soaked chia seeds, coconut cream, coconut oil, vanilla, vinegar, and water in another bowl and mix on medium speed until homogenous. Add dry to wet ingredients and mix until well combined. Bake for 20-30 minutes depending on size or after the toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in the tray and refrigerate. The texture improves in the fridge and they last a long time when stored in the fridge.

Mix the ingredients for the frosting according to your liking and chill until firm enough to pipe onto cupcakes. Sprinkle with hundreds and thousands (optional).

Enjoy!

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!

Paleo Mud Cake

Published on May 7, 2015 by nathaliejasmin2019Leave a comment

This. Cake. Is. The. Bomb. I mean, you would never, ever assume that this piece of bliss is actually very good for you, and, in fact, it doesn’t matter. I’d have this healthy or not, but knowing that there are a lot of goodies in this, makes it all the better, doesn’t it? Just look at it:

Are you drooling yet? You should be? And all this for 6 net carbs a piece. Yes, that’s right. And while it’s difficult enough to find goodies that are both yummy AND healthy, it is usually even more difficult to find goodies that are yummy, healthy AND a cinch to make. This one ticks all the boxes. 6 main ingredients, 16 (TOPS!) minutes to whip up (and clean up the bench), and 60 minutes in your lovely oven. That’s it. All these ingredients you should have ready sitting in your pantry (I hope for you that you do! So there isn’t really anything you need to wait for. Whether you need to get away from the dsk, have your in-laws coming over, or just want to try out, what a healthy, easy. and yummy mud cake tastes like, get baking now!

One more thing, this mud cake is very rich and veeery chocolatey, so you might want to adjust the amount of honey (or alternative sweetener) if you have a sweeter tooth.

Oh, I have mentioned that it is paleo, dairy free, sugar free, gluten free, and soy free, right?

120 g organic unrefined virgin coconut oil
120 g raw organic cocoa (use less if you like it less bitter)
120 g honey (use more if you like it sweeter)
dash of vanilla essence
1 tin coconut milk (or equivalent amount of other nut milk of choice)
6 large free-range organic eggs
200g almond meal

Preheat oven to 170 °C. Melt coconut oil together with the cocoa, honey, nut milk, and vanilla in a medium-sized pot over low heat until smooth and well combined. Turn off the heat and let cool. Stir in the almond meal and mix well. Lastly, beat the eggs with a hand mixer until pale and frothy. Carefully fold into the cocoa mixture, stir to combine and fill into a prepared round 20cm baking tin. Bake for 60 minutes. Remove to cool and place in the fridge over night. I loe making a layer cake using my instant paleo nutella recipe (see photos).

Enjoy!