grain free – Nat's Ladle

Healthy Twix Bar (grain free, sugar free, vegan, paleo, low fat)

Published on August 23, 2016 by nathaliejasmin2019Leave a comment

Who doesn’t love a Twix bar? The combination of a crumbly biscuit, gooey caramel and creamy chocolate certainly never goes astray. Shame only that the original Twix bar is so full of sugar and industrial oils – not to mention that for us gluten free folks, it is off-limits anyway. So I thought I come to your rescue and create a healthy version of this popular treat.

As part of my subscription to a monthly box with organic goodies, I was regaled with a packet of coconut flour recently. Though by no means a coconut flour newbie, I have experimented a bit with the stuff lately and just love how it is so easy to create yummy and healthy goodies with it. As it sucks up all the moisture of any other ingredients you mix it with, it is also a great staple for lowfat baking as mixing it with mashed banana or apple sauce yields terrific results. Once I had nailed my shortcrust base, it was time to think of the caramel (knowing that I would use my favourite Lindt chocolate as topping). So it came in handy that Minimalist Baker has this recipe for making a one-ingredient date caramel. A one-ingredient date caramel ticks all my boxes for healthy, easy and yummy delicacies. And I tell you, the stuff rocks. I use it in yogurt, on icecream or porridge. It tastes just as indulgent, creamy and buttery as store-bought caramel – minus the fat and the sugar slump! For this recipe, I use the caramel of about 4 dates, but I’d recommend making the original recipe and keeping any leftovers in the fridge – they won’t stay there for long!

So once you got your biscuit and your caramel sorted, it’s time for the chocolate glaze! Just use your favourite dairy free chocolate for a true vegan delight. If you tolerate dairy and are not vegan, you could also use milk chocolate. It#s a matter of taste and experimenting. The date caramel is rather sweet so I try to offset the sweetness with a bitter-ish chocolate. Using milk chocolate would obviously yield a result closer to a “real” Twix bar (whatever is real about the stuff). It’s up to you – but this recipe is sooo easy and requires just 15 minutes in total so I think you should do it again and again and see how you like it best!

Makes one double-finger “Twix” bar

For the biscuit base
40 g coconut flour
40 g “babyfood” (i.e. unsweetened apple sauce, pureed banana or any other pureed fruit)
2 tbsp of plant milk
stevia or erythritol to taste
generous pinch of Maldon sea salt
pinch of gluten free baking powder

For the caramel
1/4 of this recipe

For the chocolate glaze
40 g chocolate (dairy free preferred)

Preheat oven to 180 °C. Line a baking tray with paper. Mix all ingredients for the biscuit base until it comes together in a uniform mass. Roll a ball, then half this ball and shape two “Twix” like logs. Bake until slightly golden, about 10-15 minutes. Let cool slightly before adding the caramel.

Meanwhile, prepare the date caramel according to the recipe. Spread evenly onto the biscuit logs.

Break up the chocolate in little pieces, place in a microwave safe bowl and heat in microwave in 30 second increments. Once it is liquid and smooth, drizzle over the caramel logs.

Now, here comes the hardest part: If you can at all resist, place the Twix bars in the fridge to firm up. But there’s no harm in devouring these beauties straight away.

Enjoy!

Low Carb Low Fat High Protein Carrot Cake (grain free, dairy free, soy free)

Published on August 14, 2016 by nathaliejasmin20191 Comment

This carrot cake is almost an insolence. Yes, it is low carb AND low fat – for all of you that can’t decide between the two lifestyles (or simply want to eat a truly delicious carrot cake). Talk about having it all. There is many recipes for healthy treats out there, but this cake is gonna make them blush with envy. Not only is this cake moist, scrumptious and totally utterly delicious (tick tick tick). It is low carb and low sugar with the carbohydrates coming from carrots, banana and just a dash of honey (tick tick). It is low fat with the fat coming from eggs and flax (tick). It is high protein (tick), high fibre (tick) and on top of it all, gluten free, grain free, dairy free, nut free and soy free (tick tick tick tick tick). Another decisive advantage is that if you are ~~lazy~~ busy you can just throw all ingredients together in one big bowl in no particular order and without any laborious instructions such as “put the dry ingredients here…mix the wet ingredients there”, separating the eggs, or melting butter or coconut oil (helped by the fact that there is no fat or oil in there). It also neatly pours out of the bowl (thanks to the flax that keeps everything together)

Given the high amount of protein and fibre, this cake will fill you up for a while which is another plus, and the icing on the cake is the icing on the cake (forgive the pun). It is fat free and sugar free, made of cannellini beans – which is the reason why this cake is not paleo. If it wasn’t for the icing, this carrot cake would be perfectly paleo(ish). So for all our primal friends out there, just omit the icing or use your favourite paleo icing instead. As there is eggs and honey in it, this is not a vegan cake, but you might be able to experiment with chia eggs and rice malt/agave/maple syrup though I cannot vouch for the results.

As a word of warning, if you have IBS, follow a low FODMAP diet or otherwise have problems with fibre, this carrot cake might not be suitable for you or you might just want to go easy and enjoy a small amount. The coconut flour in this recipe is full of fibre which is great but might give certain people intestinal discomfort. Try it for yourself. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

For one cake (approx. 12 large or 24 small slices)

2 heaped tbsp vanilla flavoured pea protein powder
3/4 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup flaxmeal
pinch of salt
1.5 tsp baking soda
1.5 tsp cinnamon
0.5 tsp nutmeg
1 mashed banana
2 tbsp honey
2 tsp vanilla essence
4 eggs
300 ml plant milk
5 large carrots, grated

For the frosting
1 cup cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
4 tbsp stevia
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of sea salt

Preheat oven to 180 °C and line a round baking tin with baking paper. Mix the cake ingredients in a large bowl until a homogenic mass develops (I did this by hand). Scoop into the mould and bake for 20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting, process all ingredients in a high-powered blender until completely smooth. You can use it straight away or place in the refrigerator to firm up even more. Tip: If you find the taste of the frosting to bland, you could add spices such as nutmeg or flavouring such as almond or lemon essence.

Enjoy!

Healthy Snickers / Bounty bar (gluten free, vegan, no bake)

Published on May 10, 2016 by nathaliejasmin2019Leave a comment

Healthy Snickers Bar - gluten free, grain free, dairy free, refined sugar free — Healthy Snickers Bar – gluten free, grain free, dairy free, refined sugar free

If you asked me what would be better than a Snickers or Bounty, I’d have to say a Snickers AND a Bounty! Don’t you think? But wait – before you run to the nearest vending machine or fuel station to indulge in said lovelies, wouldn’t it be even more satisfying to make these babies yourself, knowing you’d have a healthy treat in the end?

This recipe allows you to whip up your own Snickers/Bounty bar in next to no time! Sure, it needs some chilling, but other than that, the process couldn’t be easier. And as there is no baking allowed, you save some energy, too. Good for the environment, good for your wallet. Oh, and like all my recipes, these bars are not only good for you and easy to prepare, they also taste amazing! And if you belong to the family of health nut cooks and bakers, you should have all ingredients in your pantry ready to go, which is an added bonus (if the weather in your place is like Melbourne at the moment, you surely don’t want to leave the house, not even for buying ingredients!).

Okay, but what IS this, I hear you asking? A Snickers, a Bounty, or what? Well – I think it takes the best of both worlds, i.e. peanuts and coconut. Of course, if you use any other nut butter than peanut butter, then the Snickers aspect would be lost, but it would certainly still be delicious! I could also call these superfood slices as something so yummy, satisfying and still good-ish for you must be a superfood slice, but it seems that these days, superfood slices need to involve goji berries and acai and these ones have neither (feel free to include them though – a goji Bounty bar, wouldn’t that be nice?). Coconut and peanut make a great item and the bitter chocolate topping cuts nicely through the sweetness and gives the whole creation a lift. So the only thing missing is a name!

Maybe just make them and then find a good name. If you come up with one, just let me know. 🙂

Makes 20 slices

For the base:
150g peanut butter (or other nut or seed butter)
100g desiccated coconut
80g rice malt syrup (or honey if not vegan)
25g raw cacao

For the filling:
150g peanut butter (or other nut or seed butter)
80g rice malt syrup (or honey if not vegan)
20g coconut oil, melted
dash of vanilla essence

For the topping:
20g rice malt syrup (or honey if not vegan)
20g raw cacao
20g coconut oil, melted
chopped nuts to decorate (optional)

Line a 20x20cm baking tin with baking or greaseproof paper. Mix the four base ingredients one by one in a large mixing bowl until very well combined. I’d recommend elbow grease here rather than a processor as you’ve got more control and won’t end up with a mess. It shouldn’t take long before a ball forms; adjust the wet/dry ingredients if you have issues with the consistency, but it shouldn’t be a problem. Press the coconut mass evenly into the prepared baking tin and make sure that it sits in there really firmly. If you can, use a heavy item such as a book to press it down even further. Put in the fridge to set.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling by mixing the filling ingredients until everything is mixed through and smooth. Spoon on top of the chilled base and spread evenly with a spatula. Return tin to the fridge.

Lastly, mix the topping ingredients – you might want to place this into the microwave for 20 seconds to make it nice and thin, but strictly no more than 20 seconds. Pour over the chilled slice, sprinkle with chopped nuts if you like and return to the fridge again for at least four hours or overnight before cutting in slices/squares.

This slice freezes very well and can be eaten straight out of the freezer, so it is a great option to make to have a healthy and filling snack on hand whenever you need it.

Enjoy!

Healthy Peanut Butter Biscuits (Vegan, Gluten Free, Starch Free, Grain Free, Low Carb)

Published on January 22, 2014 by nathaliejasmin20192 Comments

My husband loves biscuits. I mean, he LOVES LOVES LOVES biscuits. There used to be times when not a day went by without him buying a colourful packet full of concentrated bombs made of wheat, sugar, processed and hydrogenated oils, emulsifiers, thickeners, and preservatives. And for him, those bombs served as a perfect substitute for breakfast, not to mention that no cup of tea was complete without them. Luckily for me, my gluten intolerance has prevented me from following suit for some time, but even I admit that I DO long for a nice, crunchy bickie along the way – and I don’t even have a sweet tooth!

As probably everyone is aware, the plethora of “gluten free” biscuits lining the supermarket shelves at exorbitant prices might be gluten free – and some of them might even be quite tasty – but they are a far cry from healthy. What I wanted was tasty biscuits that even though they cannot quite replace broccoli are healthy-ish, without creepy ingredients, don’t break the bank, are quick and easy to make, and that even my junk addicted husband would eat. And that happen to be gluten free.

What I came up with was not only gluten free, but also dairy free, soy free, egg free, vegan, and almost sugar free. With just the right amount of almond flour left to produce two dozen of yummy cuties, some ideas, and a healthy dose of curiosity, I set out to create one of my most successful experiments, the result of which hubbs happily gobbles down – and asks for more. Him snooping around the biscuit tin and devouring a handful of these biscuits at work is probably the most convincing argument that these biscuits are good. Very good.

My husband never bought biscuits from the shop again.

They actually don’t taste overly peanut-buttery, so if you really fancy peanut butter, you might want to replace all the vegan spread with the peanut butter and even add some peanuts to the dough. This is a great base for an all-time favourite biscuit recipe, as it is so versatile. You can use other nut butters, giving it a different flavour each time, or you can add cocoa powder and chocolate chips for chocolate biscuits, or dried fruit and oats for muesli biscuits. The choice is yours. They are whipped up in a jiffy and take only 12 minutes to bake. So whether you fancy a morning or afternoon snack right now or need something sweet to conclude a nice meal, head to the kitchen now! These babies are so healthy you can even have them for breakfast!

As the title reveals, my biscuits are not only gluten free, but completely grain free and starch free, thanks to lovely almond flour and my favourite ingredient flax, both of which come with a healthy dose of satisfying protein and fiber, as well as healthy fats, including omega 3! I would recommend using some sort of “real” sugar for a nice texture and colour, but you can probably use stevia throughout if you follow a strictly non-sugar diet. I used half brown sugar and half stevia for the biscuits displayed in the picture, and with 7 g of carbs per large biscuits, they are still fairly low-carb even if you use some regular sugar. I used vegan spread and flax as egg replacer to make a truly vegan biscuit, but feel free to use real butter or beat an egg in the dough – both of which improve the flavour even further. Note that I used reduced-fat spread, as the almond flour already contains a lot of fat. Feel free to use full-fat margarine if fat is not your worry, or butter as mentioned above.

Chilling the dough for 30 minutes before baking improves flavour and texture slightly, but is not a must. If you don’t chill the dough, the biscuits’ appearance is a bit “rougher”, but they are yummy nonetheless!

Makes 24 biscuits
Inspired by Erin

250 g almond meal (blanched for lighter biscuits or natural as in the pictures)
7 tbsp brown sugar or other sugar
7 tbsp stevia or other sweetener
20 g ground flax seed
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
80 g peanut butter, smooth or crunchy
40 g reduced fat vegan spread
2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 180 ° C and prepare two baking sheet. Cream peanut butter, spread, sugar, vanilla and stevia until light and fluffy. Mix the almond flour with the soda and salt and carefully fold into the wet ingredients. The dough should be sticky and wet. If it appears to dry, add 2 tbsp of water. Once blended well, you can chill the dough for 30 minutes to achieve smoother looking biscuits (see picture below the cookies on the right hand side). If you are in a hurry or very hungry, just skip this step and put up with coarser looking biscuits.

right: cookies with dough being chilled before baking, left: cookies with the dough not being chilled

Take 1 tbsp, form into a round shape and place onto baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the dough until you have 24 biscuits. You will probably need two sheets as there needs to be space between the biscuits (they will spread out during the baking process).

Bake for 12 minutes – they might still appear slightly raw, but you must switch off the oven now, otherwise you risk them getting too hard as they will continue too harden. Let them rest in the hot oven for a few minutes, then take out and let cool (if you have the patience).

Store in an airtight (preferably metal) container where they will keep for up to five days.

Enjoy!

Vegan Paleo Carrot Cake 2.0 {low carb, low fat}

Published on November 25, 2013 by nathaliejasmin20193 Comments

THIS. IS. THE. CARROT CAKE.

I know I should not be so obsessed with something I thought up and made myself. But this carrot cake is – honestly – a stroke of genius.

I know.

In case you don’t, let me tell you – you can find literally TONS of recipes for “paleo carrot cake” on the net. After all, which cake should be more suitable to adapt to a grain free, sugar free diet than this carroty, nutty yummyness and goodness?

However, what is a carrot cake without frosting? It’s nothing! And what do most “paleo” carrot cake recipes offer you as a frosting? Cream cheese frosting! Dairy cream cheese frosting!!! Hello???!!!! How on earth is it paleo with a cream cheese frosting??? What’s the point making a great, healthy, grain free, paleo carrot cake when you ruin your efforts with a dairy frosting? NOT GOOD!

It’s been a while since my first carrot cake recipe, and as I am continuously trying to improve my recipes, I wanted to come up with a true paleo, grain-free version of my favourite cake – not only gluten free, which is still relatively easy, but totally grain free, gum free, starch free and, of course, refined sugar free. And it is vegan, too! And with a dairy free frosting. Yes. A carrot cake with no worries, basically.

Since I couldn’t find a recipe online which appealed to me, I experimented with my two new favourite ingredients – almond flour and coconut flour. By the way, I ended up making muffins again as they are easier to handle and to give away than a slab of cake – but the amounts stated in this recipe should be enough for a round, 9 inch layer cake. The frosting is as easy and foolproof as the whole recipe – just coconut cream with a bit of maply syrup for sweetness and vegan margarine for firmness. Easy peasy!

These beauties are so yummy you won’t even care how many calories are in them, but just in case you are interested – one of these carrot cake muffins contains 100 kcal. 100! That’s less than two apples! Only that these keep you fuller for much longer than apples do. These muffins have all you need to face the day – brimming with protein, vitamins, minerals, fibers, and with few complex carbs, few healthy fats. You can/should have one carrot cake muffin for breakfast. Have two. Have three, and even after three muffins you will still have ingested fewer calories than with your standard bowl of sugary cereals and milk. Three muffins equal the carb intake of 1 banana.

They stay fresh for a long time (you should store them in a fridge though).

The best thing is – my hubs, who is so not into healthy eating, loved them, and that’s the whole point of healthy baking – that nobody thinks it’s healthy!

P.S.: I take back my statement about frosting. These carrot cakes you can have without frosting, they are that good. But frosting doesn’t hurt anyone. 😉

Makes 18 muffins

50 g rice protein powder
75 g coconut flour
25 g almond flour
generous pinch of salt
1,5 tsp. soda
1,5 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp molasses
40 g coconut syrup or date syrup or other liquid sweetener
1 banana, mashed
2 t vanilla
4 flax eggs (1 flax egg = 1 tbsp flaxseed, dissolved in 4 tbsp filtered water)
300 ml almond milk
5 large carrots, grated
60 g chopped walnuts
100 g chopped dates

For the frosting
Solidified part of 1 tin full-fat coconut cream, stored in the fridge overnight
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp maple syrup
1 tbsp nuttelex or vegan margarine or coconut oil
stevia to taste

Preheat oven to 180 °C and line a muffin mould with paper. Mix the dry ingredients for the batter (protein powder, flours, salt, soda, spices, flax) until one colour. In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients (molasses, honey, banana, vanilla, eggs, almond mik) until well combined. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients and blend well with hand blender. Stir in carrots, nuts, and dates. Scoop batter into 18 muffin moulds and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before frosting – if at all frosting.

For the frosting, beat coconut cream (only the solidified part at the top of the tin!) with stevia, vanilla and maple syrup until it becomes the texture of whipped cream. Add margarine and whip until it gets to a frosting-y texture. Add more fat if it is not solid enough for your liking. Only use on completely chilled (overnight) muffins and always store in fridge!

Enjoy!