Desserts – Page 8 – Nat's Ladle

Almond, Chocolate, and Chia Granola Bars

Published on July 2, 2014 by nathaliejasmin2019Leave a comment

Healthy, Easy and Yummy Granola Bars with Chocolate, Chia, and Almonds!

My man loves muesli bars. He used to get 24-packs of those hideous store-bought, highly processed, toxic, and also expensive “muesli bars”, and no, they didn’t even taste good in my opinion! Having finally used up our stock of processed junk “muesli bars”, it was high time to swing the kitchen knife again and come up with my own healthy granola bar recipe!

Given that I still had rolled oats and sultanas in my pantry which I wanted to use up (I am not a huge fan of sultanas tbh, but I cannot stand throwing things out), the opportunity seemed perfect. I was on the prowl for a good granola bar recipe online and I got my inspiration mainly from The Minimalist Baker, but I tweaked it a bit to make it “husband friendly”, i.e. I added dark chocolate chips for a bit of naughtiness, cornflakes for some added “crunch”, chia for extra goodness, and I changed the ratios a bit. I used ABC butter instead of peanut butter for its more favourable health benefits and its subtler taste. Oh, and yes, I used sultanas instead of dates, as this is what I had and I didn’t want to go shopping again. It worked just as well. Pretty cool if you can just start a recipe and everything ready, ay? The result is an almost perfect muesli bar that my hubby would choose over store-bought concoctions anytime. They are not 5-ingredient ones, but they are still surprisingly easy to make. Are they messy? Yes, but that’s part of the fun!

For one 20×20 cm baking pan

140 g rolled oats
60 g cornflakes
20 g chia seeds
150 g almonds
200 g sultanas
100 g dark chocolate chips
130 g nut butter (I used almond, brazil and cashew nut butter)
50 g honey or maple syrup
pinch of salt

Line the baking pan with parchment paper to easily remove the granola later and preheat oven to 180 °C. Line a baking sheet also with parchment paper and spread the oats, chia seeds, and almonds. Toast in the oven for 12-15 minutes, occasionally stirring, or until slightly browned. This step is actually not necessary, but it improves the taste a lot, and the chocolate chips will melt and incorporate nicely later.

While the oat mixture is toasting away, knead the sultanas with a tiny little bit of hot water so as to get a sticky, dough-like consistency. The sultanas should come together as a ball. Then, heat the nut butter, honey, and salt on very small heat while constantly stirring – don’t let it catch! – until honey is incorporated.

Take oat mixture out of the oven, add cornflakes, chocolate chips, sultanas, and warm honey-nut-mix, and incorporate. Beware, you will get your hands sticky, veeeery sticky, but you have my official permission to lick your fingers! (Just leave a little bit for the actual granola bars!) Make sure that the granola mass actually IS really sticky or else it will become messy and crumbly later!

Pour the mix into the prepared baking pan and pat it down REALLY HARD! Yes, you can use violence here; in fact, I’d advise to do so! I used another sheet of parchment and another baking pan which I pressed onto the granola mass. You could also use a book and stand on it – I have heard of people doing that! Now it’s time for 30 minutes in the freezer – do not attempt to cut the bars before you have frozen them! After 30 minutes, remove from freezer and very cautiously start to cut into how many bars you like. Store in refrigerator. Note: Collect any crumbs, toast them and enjoy with almond milk as a nutritious start to the day!

Enjoy!

Easy Dairy Free Maple Bourbon Icecream (Vegan) AKA Homemade Bailey’s!

Published on June 12, 2014 by nathaliejasmin2019Leave a comment

Who said vegan icecream can't be decadent? — Who said vegan icecream can’t be decadent?

I have mentioned before that I am an absolute icecream addict. And yes, you can be dairy intolerant and an icecream addict! See here, here, and here. And now HERE. My husband is a great whisky and bourbon lover, and on the occasion of his recent birthday, I wanted to create a dessert we could both thoroughly enjoy. Born was my vegan maple bourbon infused icecream based on coconut milk! For all you sceptics out there, the end product doesn’t taste anything like coconut, but everything like decadence and creamy deliciousness! This icecream goes extraordinarily well with my decadent flourless chocolate mud cake and actually tastes like Bailey’s, only better! Pretty cool, ay?

You could replace the maple syrup with honey, and that would work just as well, but I reckon the maple syrup in combination with the Bourbon is sublime and takes the whole thing to a new level. Put some “Tiger Rag” on, and you are right in New Orleans! I mean, seriously. I am already thinking of adding maple glazed chipotle pecans, but let’s take it easy this time and start churning this three-ingredient icecream! Okay okay, it’s six ingredients, but the vanilla, molasses, and sea salt are totally optional – albeit highly recommended! By the way, you don’t need an icecream maker for this. If you don’t have one or forgot to chill the churner, you can pour the coconut-bourbon-mass into a shallow container, freeze it, and stir every hour or so until the desired consistency is reached. Thanks to the coconut milk, the booze, and the liquid maple syrup, this icecream gets nice and creamy, just as it should be. You don’t need to cook anything here, all you need to do is to chill the tins of coconut milk in the fridge over night before you get started.

2 420 ml tins of full-cream coconut milk, chilled over night
1 tsp vanilla extrace
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 Tbsp Bourbon whisky
1 Tbsp molases
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Whisk the creamy part of the coconut milk, vanilla, maple syrup, bourbon, molasses, and salt until homogenic. ~~Pour into a glass on ice and enjoy your homemade Bailey’s!~~ Get your icecream maker going and pour the mixture in while churning. Then let your favourite kitchen device do its work according to manufacturer’s instructions. After 20 to 25 minutes, the icecream has a soft serve consistency. Pour into a container and freeze a bit more until firm. Enjoy on its own or serve alongside a rich chocolate dessert.

Enjoy!

Decadent Flourless Chocolate Mud Cake (Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Almost Paleo!)

Published on May 19, 2014 by nathaliejasmin20194 Comments

THIS. IS. THE. CHOCOLATE. CAKE.

I promised you some time ago to publish a more nutritious, starch free chocolate cake recipe. I tend to keep my promises. I wanted to create the most perfect chocolate cake recipe in the world, and here it is. Don’t even look at anything else! It happens to be not only gluten free, but entirely grain free. It is actually virtually Paleo. But that doesn’t matter. What matters is that this cake could be served in the best chocolateries and pâtisseries in Paris and would pass. This will be the richest, most luscious, most delightful, most exquisite, ambrosial, and, yup, most decadent chocolate cake you EVER devour.

Since I like to make decadence healthy you can actually afford indulging in this treasure. I promise you that this is the most guilt-free yet most guilty-tasting chocolate cake you’ll ever sink your teeth in. It is actually only a handful of ingredients, but it is of utter importance that all of these ingredients are of pristine quality. I used real Lindt 70% chocolate, so use the best dark chocolate you can lay your hands on.

Thanks to this indulgence being flourless, it is and stays gooey, melt-in-the-mouth and moist and does not dry out. The egg whites make the cake fluffy and moist without the nasty sponginess of flour-full cakes. This cake doesn’t puff up much, but I think towering cakes should be left to weddings anyway!

Serve this cake on the best plates you have, get your nicest tablecloth out, light a candle, and play some Handel – anything else wouldn’t do this lavish delicacy justice. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Makes one medium-size round cake

150 g organic coconut oil or butter or a mixture of the two
150 g high-quality dark chocolate (70%; I used Lindt Excellence)
50 g cocoa powder
6 eggs, separated
100 g honey (or coconut sugar)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)
pinch of sea salt

For the frosting

150 g high-quality dark chocolate (70%; I used Lindt Excellence)
3 tbsp coconut cream
pinch of sea salt
optional: ca. 30 g milk or white chocolate and 1 tsp coconut oil for the pattern

Preheat the oven to 130 °C. This is important. Although this seems like s low temperature, too much heat will cause the cake to burn outside and the gases to expand too rapidly, leaving a deflated cake with a pancake-y texture. Melt the fat, vanilla, (cinnamon) and chocolate in a double boiler while stirring, turn off the heat once half the chocolate is melted and keep stirring. Take the chocolate off the boiler. Meanwhile, cream the yolks with honey or sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat the egg whites with the sea salt in a very clean, separate bowl on high until stiff peaks form. Pour the melted chocolate-fat-mix into the yolk mix, stirring. Finally, fold in the whites VERY CAREFULLY. Bake for 40 minutes. There should still be a bit of chocolate on the toothpick!

Let the cake cool and prepare the frosting by melting all the frosting ingredients together and icing the cake. You might want to put a ring around the cake to help the frosting build up on top of the cake and not running down on the sides. Refrigerate. If you like you can melt a bit of white or milk chocolate with coconut oil to “paint” a pattern on top of the cake. Serve with icecream (link) or apricot coulis. The cake will last in the fridge for almost two weeks.

Enjoy!

Gluten Free Vegan Hot Cross Buns {refined sugar free}

Published on April 19, 2014 by nathaliejasmin2019Leave a comment

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Sugar Free Hot Cross Buns

Happy Easter everyone! What are family gatherings without traditions? When you have food intolerances – especially gluten intolerance – it can be hard to enjoy all the family traditions. Birthday cake, christmas pudding, and pumpkin pie are all off-limits, and so are the ultimate Good Friday traditions of fish and chips and hot cross buns – or aren’t they?

You will need to get your hands dirty, folks, but it’s definitely worth it! I created some yummy gluten free hot cross buns for you that you can safely serve your gluten-eating family and friends. Gluten free, dairy free, egg free, nasty free, but with lots of flavour and texture and full of juicy sultanas. I did not use lemon peel in this recipe, as no-one in my family is a huge fan of them, but you are of course welcome to add it. Looks like Easter is saved this time. And I have eight more months to serve you the yummiest gluten free ginger bread you’ve ever had!

These buns are fairly easy to make, but you have to calculate a bit of time – 15 minutes of kneading, 45 minutes of resting, and another 25 minutes of baking.

Makes 9 buns

90 g sorghum flour
75 g rice flour
35 g arrowroot
1 tbsp dry yeast
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp nutmeg
generous pinch of salt
3/4 cup plant milk
2 flax eggs (1 flax egg = 1 tbsp flaxseed dissolved in 4 tbsp filtered water)
2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
3 tbsp organic maple syrup
dash of lemon juice
75 g sultanas
30 g (sugar-free) citrus peel (optional)
75 g erythritol
2 tsp lemon juice

Mix the flours, arrowroot, yeast, spices, and salt in a large mixing bowl until one colour. Beat the flax, oil, maple syrup, and lemon juice in a separate, smaller bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and beat on high until well combined. Fold in sultanas and citrus peel, if using. Thoroughly wet your hands to prevent sticking, shape nine equally big buns and spread on a prepared baking sheet. As they will rise a bit, remember to leave enough space between the individual buns. Cover with cling wrap and let rest in a warm place for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200 °C. When the buns have risen, remove the cling wrap, shape a cross on every bun, and bake on the middle rack for approximately 25 minutes or until golden brown at the edges. Turn off the oven and take out the buns to cool on a wire rack. Meanwhile, prepare the icing – mix erythritol and lemon juice until of pasty consistency. Fill in a sandwich bag and cut a tiny hole in it to spread the icing in the lines of the crosses.

Serve the buns while still hot and fresh. They will get a bit solid the next day, but you can easily chuck them into microwave or oven to bring them back to life.

Enjoy!

Sugar Free Plum Jam

Published on April 7, 2014 by nathaliejasmin2019Leave a comment

Delicious Homemade Plum Jam in just 5 Minutes

It’s autumn! (For all the ones who think “WTF? It’s April!”, we are talking southern hemisphere here!) Although we still get sunny days in the low 20s, the evenings have that certain something about them that reminds me of the dusky, hazy, and utterly magical October evenings I remember from Europe. Autumn is my favourite season, featuring colourful trees, the smell of leaves and fresh chestnuts, a mellow light, cool-but-not-too-cool days, and a long dusk – and not least some of my favourite foods to eat, which all start with p – potatoes, pumpkin, pears, and -yup- plums!

Even though we started harvesting our lovely plums already a couple of months ago, these yummy purple and yellow fruits are still ubiquitous. As I am still in the phase of perfecting my gluten free bread making skills but want to go a bit more easy on nut butters (think anti-metabolic PUFAs…), I needed to come up with a good jam. Unlike my home country, the selection of jams here in Australia leaves a lot to be desired. It’s hard to find a jam with a fruit content of more than 30% (when in Germany, you can only get 50% +!), and even the ones with a supposed fruit content of 50% taste like sugary mush. Any wonder when sugar and glucose syrup are the main ingredients! I usually prefer going without any sweetener at all as fruit has a natural sweetness to it that doesn’t need tampering with. However, plums are a bit of a different animal, as they are quite sour, so I opted to use a bit of Xylitol. Xylitol (just like erythritol) is a safe natural sweetener that has actually been shown to be beneficial for teeth and even to reverse cavities! I have no issues with Xylitol in terms of digestive distress, but if you are extra sensitive, you might want to opt for eryhtritol instead, which is also an excellent sweetener. Of course, you can use “real” sugar or stevia although I don’t think that stevia gives jam the nicest taste.

I know what you think, that (white) sugar is needed to preserve the jam – and you are absolutely right. However, I am not a preserve-maker (yet), and I like my jam being ready instantly, and I like it fresh! This jam should last a couple weeks in the fridge – it’s so delicious though that you will get through it quicker! The great thing about plums is that they have enough natural pectin, meaning that unlike with other jams, you don’t need to add pectin during the jam-making process and will still get that “jamminess”. Yes, you really can make this jam spontaneously as it takes less than 5 minutes to make! It is really as easy as! Tip: By adding some wintery spices (cinnamon, ginger, cardamom etc.) you will get that perfect autumn feeling!

500 g plums, washed, cored, and roughly chopped (leave skin on)
1 tbsp apple juice
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp xylitol (or alternative sweetener)
2 tsp arrowroot starch
cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg (optional)

Combine plums, apple juice, and lemon juice in a saucepan over moderate heat and bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Whisk the arroworoot starch with 2 tsp water until a pasty consistency is achieved. Add the arrowroot paste, stirring vigorously. The plums should instantly start to thicken up. Now add the sweetener and the spices and stir until the desired consistency is reached. Let cool completely and transfer to mason jar. Lasts a couple of weeks in the fridge. This jam is great on gluten free bread, in yoghurt and quark, or straight from the spoon.

Enjoy!

Super Nutritious Power Smoothie {vg}

Published on March 27, 2014 by nathaliejasmin20191 Comment

Super Nutritious Smoothie without Nasties - not only for Breakfast! — Super Nutritious Smoothie without Nasties – not only for Breakfast!

I know, I know…I have neglected you badly during the last weeks, dear friends…I was very busy with work and other things that life throws at you, and although my workload wasn’t necessarily much higher than usual, I just didn’t have the nerve for blogging or experimenting. I was also lacking a bit of inspiration and didn’t come up with anything worth publishing. But the wait is finally over, and I promise you to not let you down and blog regularly from now on! I was also studying a lot about nutrition during my recent quiet weeks – not only about food intolerances per se, but about stress, metabolism, and how to heal your metabolism with nutritious (and plenty of) foods and lots of rest. I hope that I can incorporate my ongoing findings into my blog work in the future. Let’s just say for now that wholesome, “real”, nutrient-dense foods are the key for healing your body and mind and can potentially even reverse food intolerances. Wouldn’t it be nice?

And for those times that life is throwing a bunch of things at you and you don’t know where to start, how about a super-nutritious smoothie to boost your mind and body? No, it’s not one of your fat-free, sugar-free, chemical-laden “health smoothies”, but real food turned into a luscious milk shake! One of these for breaky really sets you up for the day, but it is not reserved for breakfast alone. Let me tell you about all the goodies you get in one glass:

tropical fruit for valuable micronutrients and a delicious taste of sun and holiday
avocado for healthy mono-unsaturated fats, needed for cell repair, hormones, satiety, texture, and taste
chia seeds for protein and omega 3’s
maca for an extra energy boost and stamina
coconut sugar, a low GI sweetening option with great taste and nutrients
rice protein powder for tummy-friendly protein
sea salt to replace electrolytes lost during sleep, boost your metabolism, facilitate the assimilation of nutrients, and make the flavour pop!

Oh yes, and it tastes great! The healthy fats from chia and avocado make sure to keep you full for a long time – did you know that your body cannot use nutrients like vitamins and minerals such as calcium without an adequate amount of fat? It’s time to reconsider whether that “healthy low-fat smoothie” they offer you at a juice bar is really that healthy…I’d like to argue that my version is far superior and really gives your body the fuel it needs!

Makes 1 large smoothie

1 large frozen banana
1 cup frozen mango
a quarter avocado
1 tbsp chia seeds, dissolved in water or milk (“chia gel”) (or try flaxseed)
3/4 cup plant milk
1 scoop protein powder of choice (I use rice protein)
generous pinch of sea salt
1 tsp coconut sugar or other sweetener
half a cup soy or coconut yoghurt (optional, to make it thicker=
maca powder (optional)
I recommend chopping the banana, mango, and avo together in a powerful food processor first. Then add all the other ingredients and blitz away! Yum!

Enjoy!

Easy Watermelon Slushie (sugar free)

Published on February 26, 2014 by nathaliejasmin2019Leave a comment

Refreshing watermelon slushie - healthy, easy and yummy! — Refreshing watermelon slushie – healthy, easy and yummy!

The blazing hot days are getting fewer and fewer in the Southern hemisphere now, but – we still get the occasional day when the mercury climbs above 30 degrees. Our latest gadget – yes, we bought an air condition – still gets to be used, yay! Don’t want to see our electricity bill later…

Anyways, I was in a dilemma the other day, as I needed to cool down, but couldn’t be bothered making icecream, and store-bought sugar laden icecream or sorbet is not an option for me, as you know. So, I got creative again, and whipped up the world’s easiest and mega delicious watermelon slushie! You know, not those chemical-laden slushies you get at the convenience store or petrol station, but a slushie that loves you back! Not only is it yummy and extreeeeemely refreshing, it’s also a great way to stay hydrated when the sun does not have mercy! And if you have a good processor, you can whip this up in a jiffy – 15 seconds, to be precise!

Makes 1 large slushie (or 2 small ones!)

3 cups watermelon, roughly diced
1 tbsp lemon juice
fresh mint to taste
5 icecubes

Blitz everything in a food processor and enjoy! Tip: Sugar or salt rim your glass before for an impressive alcohol free party cocktail!

Enjoy!

Gluten Free, Ultra Low Fat Gooey Chocolate Cake (egg-free, dairy-free option)

Published on February 1, 2014 by nathaliejasmin20193 Comments

Almost Fat Free Chocolate Cake with Chia Seeds!

Do you feel guilty after a big slab of chocolate cake? Does one bite of chocolate cake make you want to devour the whole thing? Have you tried “low-fat” chocolate cakes from the shop, finding them dry, tough and unpalatable and/or featuring a plethora of ingredients you really shouldn’t put into your body?

Yes?

Well, then I have the solution!

The solution? My ultra low fat, ultra fluffy, ultra gooey, ultra chocolatey chocolate cake! With only 2 or 3 g of healthy fat, mainly omega 3, (depending what yogurt you use and how big your slabs are ;-)), and still reasonable 17 g of carbs per slice, this moist and fluffy yummyness beats any store-bought cake by a mile – in terms of nutritional facts AND taste! And that without any processed ingredients! The secret to this wizardry? Chia seeds and (vegan) yogurt, which replace both the oil/butter and the eggs in this cake.

So don’t think that I sacrifice nutritious whole foods for the sake of going low fat – chia seeds are one of nature’s most nutrient dense food sources and, in fact, the highest plant based source of omega 3, fibre, and protein. With as much protein per 100 g as a steak, almost 20 g of omega 3, and a whopping 37,5 g of fibre (this is 150 % your RDA), chia seeds are one of those superfoods that shouldn’t be left behind in no worries cooking and baking! As they are hydrophilic, they can be ground and mixed with water before baking to replace eggs and even oil – a bit like flax seeds, albeit kinder to your tummy!

I used conventional gluten free all-purpose flour for this cake and am currently devising a “whole grain” version with healthier flours to lower the carb content. Meanwhile, bake this cake and grab a slice, as it is seriously good and seriously healthy, even with the conventional flour!

Makes one round 24 cm spring pan or twelce slices

160 g gluten free all purpose flour
50 g unsweetened natural cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup stevia
4 tbsp chia seeds, ground and mixed with 12 tbsp water to a paste
1 tbsp vanilla
500 g yogurt of choice (fat-free is okay!)

Preheat the oven to 180 ° C. In a medium bowl, sift the flour, cocoa, soda, and salt. In another medium bowl, beat the sugar, stevia, “chia eggs”, and vanilla. Fold in yogurt until well combined. Now stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix on low just until combined. Do not overbeat. Scoop into greased or silicone sringpan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test. Make sure not to overbake the cake, or else the centre will not be nice and gooey!

Enjoy!

Vegan, Sugar Free Berry and Rosewater Protein Shake

Published on January 27, 2014 by nathaliejasmin2019Leave a comment

Berry and Rosewater Smoothie - no fat, but a lot of protein! — Berry and Rosewater Smoothie – no fat, but a lot of protein!

If you like Turkish Delight and berry smoothies, you are gonna love this. If you don’t like Turkish Delight, but like berry smoothies, you can leave out the rosewater and have a berry smoothie. Not just any old berry smoothie, but one that is very low carb, very low fat and jam packed with protein! One that doesn’t only taste great, but which keeps you going for hours. And you are gonna love it.

200 g non-dairy yogurt or non-dairy milk or a combination of the two
100 g berries of choice (I used mixed)
1 cup of icecubes
1 scoop rice protein powder
stevia to taste (I used approx. 1 tbsp)
a few drops of rosewater essence (can use other essence such as peppermint or vanilla or omit)

Blitz all ingredients in a blender or mini food processor and serve.

Enjoy!

Healthy Dark Chocolate Truffles (vegan, sugar free, paleo, dairy free)

Published on January 26, 2014 by nathaliejasmin20192 Comments

Doesn’t the title make your heart jump? And look at the picture – if this doesn’t make your mouth water, I honestly don’t know what would. Everyone wants chocolate truffles! (Even those who profess they don’t want them.) Well, now, whether you are a die-hard paleoist, a convinced vegan, on a diet, or a chocolate truffle connoisseur – you can now have your truffles and eat them too!

With just four ingredients – yes, FOUR (okay, I didn’t count the vanilla and the salt)! – and not a trace of refined sugar or dairy in sight, there is simply no reason not to enjoy decadent dark chocolate truffles anymore! Save the flight to Belgium (and your feeling of guilt) for another day. These chocolate truffles are so healthy you can have them for breakfast (I do, anyway). With 3 g of net carbs and 3 g of healthy fats per truffle, you can have two truffles. Or three. Or four. You will probably be satisfied after one or two though, as they are filling and surely curb your cravings for a long time! You can probably even go on a chocolate truffle diet by replacing your usual afternoon snack with one of these beauties – you will definitely save calories, be more satisfied, and put a lot of goodness in your body on top of it all.

Still not convinced? My I quote my sweet husband saying: “They taste like proper chocolate truffles!” If you don’t know my husband, let me just tell you he is a junk food addict. He loves sugar, wheat and processed nibblies. For him, fruit is an apple pie and veggies are potato chips. I have a hard time getting healthy stuff into him. So there, if he says they “taste like proper chocolate truffles”, it is the best proof that THEY TASTE LIKE PROPER CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES.

No go forth and make chocolate truffles.

Makes 15 truffles

60 g coconut flour
60 g nut butter, peanut butter or tahini, soft
60 g agave syrup, honey (if not strictly vegan) or any other liquid sweetener, melted
30 g unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt

Mix all ingredients, preferably by hand until well combined. You will get your hands very sticky, but that’s the fun part of it. You get to lick your fingers. Mhm…chocolate fingers! With slightly moist hands, shape 15 truffles and cover with sifter cocoa.

Tip: Add some peppermint oil for a delightful chocolate peppermint truffle!

Enjoy!