low fat – Page 2 – Nat's Ladle

Gingerbread Bliss Balls {vg, gf}

Published on April 9, 2017 by nathaliejasmin2019Leave a comment

I am continuing my bliss balls obsession with a new flavour that is just perfect for the current season – autumn! While autumn here in the southern hemisphere doesn’t necessarily go hand in hand with gingerbread, the shops in Germany and other Northern and Central European countries start to fill up with all kinds of gingerbread-y goodies as soon as the leaves turn yellow. And because gingerbread is so delicious and comforting all year round – not just in the lead-up to Christmas – here’s my gingerbread bliss balls.

The idea for gingerbread bliss balls has been at the back of my mind for a while. After all, if you make carrot cake bliss balls and cookie dough bliss balls, why not turn other baked favourites into healthy snacks as well? I am pleased to say that these babies are utterly delicious! They are spicy, warming, comforting, full of flavour and just divine. I love all my bliss ball creations – if I do say so myself – but I think this is by far my new favourite. So make these now or bookmark this page if you are craving something really delicious and really healthy or frantically looking for Christmas presets (or any presents) in a few months’ time.

These gingerbread bliss balls are of course vegan and gluten free, but they are also nut free, which is great if you are watching your fat intake or struggle with nut allergies. My gingerbread bliss balls are therefore also great for kids’ parties and toddler snacks, in which case you might want to ease up on the spices a bit. Featuring dates, oats, maple syrup and an array of spices, these gingerbread bliss balls are refined sugar free, packed with fiber and magnesium, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, while cinnamon helps to lower blood sugar, ginger has anti-inflammatory effects, and cardamom aids detoxification.

If that is not enough to convince you, these balls take just a few minutes to prepare!

Gingerbread Bliss Balls

Makes 12-15 bliss balls

2 cups rolled oats
6 Medjool dates
1.5 teaspoons ground ginger
1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
half a tsp nutmeg
half a tsp cardamom
2 tbsp maple syrup
half a tsp gingerbread spice

First, process the oats in a high powdered blender until a coarse meal forms. Add the other ingredients and blitz until you achieve a malleable consistency. Shape 12 to 15 balls and store in the fridge to firm up a little. They can last in the fridge in an airtight container for up to two weeks. But I doubt they will last that long. 😉

Enjoy!

Skinny Parsnip and Peanut Soup (4 ingredients!) {vg, gf}

Published on February 13, 2017 by nathaliejasmin2019Leave a comment

I do love a good soup, regardless of the weather. And I happened to have a lot of parsnips in this week’s vegetable box delivery (hello, autumn!). Parsnips that were slowly wilting away, screaming at me: “Turn me into a soup!”. I listened to them. And because I am a sucker for unconventional combos, the result was a parsnip and peanut soup. A skinny parsnip and peanut soup, to be precise.

To be honest, I am not the hugest fan of parsnips. I don’t particularly like their texture and the taste does nothing much for me, not even roasted. Throw the good ol’ spud and peanut butter into the equation, however, and magic happens. You don’t even necessarily need the peanuts, I just think it really adds some depth of flavour and it actually works really well with the parsnips and potatoes even though it seems like an unusual pairing. The starchiness of the root vegetables and the creaminess of the nuts just takes this soup to a whole new level of goodness. I used defatted peanut butter powder (pb2) to lower the fat content. However, you could use ground peanuts (or other nuts) or peanut butter instead and this soup would still be very low in calories albeit satisfying.

As a full-time working mum far away from my family (sniff), I take my commitment to create easy, quick and hassle-free recipes very seriously. This soup requires just four ingredients (yes, four!) and a minimal amount of time to prepare. It is also ridiculously fool-proof so you will have absolutely no excuses not to try it! Given that the required ingredients are fairly cheap, this is also a very budget-friendly soup. It is ideally suited to prepare as a big batch and store leftovers in the fridge or freezer. Presented in a beautiful bowl and with some fancy toppings, this soup is also impressive enough to serve at your next dinner party.

Note that if you don’t have or don’t want to use vegetable stock, it’s totally fine to use water instead (that’s what I did). You just need to add salt, pepper and other spices (such as garlic powder) to taste. The stock will make it even more flavoursome but I have tried it both ways and it works beautifully with just the water as well. For what it’s worth, I don’t peel my veggies as it all gets blended up anyway and I use organic but I know tut shat most peaople like to peel their veggies. 😉

Skinny Parsnip and Peanut Soup

Serves 2-4

1 lb (ca. 500 g) potatoes, washed, peeled (optional), and cut into small pieces
4 parsnips, washed and cut into small pieces
3 cups vegetable stock (or water plus salt, pepper, garlic powder and other spices to taste)
2 tbsp powdered peanut butter OR peanut butter OR ground peanuts (or other nut butter or nut meal)

Steam or microwave the vegetables until tender. Bring stock or water and spices to the boil, add the steamed veg and peanut butter/powder, stir and then blend with a stick blender until smooth and creamy. The soup will seem to be liquid and frothy at first, but hold on and it will turn creamy!

Enjoy!

Healthy Pumpkin and Chickpea Curry {vg, gf}

Published on January 4, 2017 by nathaliejasmin2019Leave a comment

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

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

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

Healthy Pumpkin and Chickpea Curry

Serves 4

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

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

Enjoy!

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

Published on December 29, 2016 by nathaliejasmin20193 Comments

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Enjoy!

Oil-free Blueberry Muffins {vg, gf}

Published on December 8, 2016 by nathaliejasmin2019Leave a comment

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

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

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

Oil-free Blueberry Muffins {vg, gf}

Yields 16 mini muffins

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

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

Enjoy!

Vegan Clafoutis {lc, lf, gf}

Published on September 19, 2016 by nathaliejasmin20193 Comments

Note: This is an updated – veganised – version of a vegan clafoutis to my previous recipe for paleo clafoutis! I hope you enjoy it!

It seems I have a thing for French desserts at the moment – or rather, my take on them. While I love the timeless finesse that French desserts exude, a little makeover never goes astray, especially if it’s as delicious as this one! My previous paleo version of clafoutis already hit the spot, but when I embarked on a vegan diet, I knew I had to make this a vegan clafoutis as well. And I have to say, the result was pretty successful! So here is my vegan clafoutis. I use aquafaba (chickpea brine) instead of eggs (more about aquafaba here), so technically this is not paleo anymore. However, there is absolutely no nasties in here, no wheat, dairy, soy, refined sugar or oils, and also no eggs. I hope you enjoy this truly cruelty-free but no less delicious version of clafoutis.

The thought about making clafoutis has been at the back of my mind for a while – actually, ever since I saw a recipe for cherry clafoutis in my French text book at high school. (Which, sadly, is a long time ago now. Very long.) Ever since then, clafoutis recipes have been popping up in magazines. and, naturellement, on the internet. This recipe is my own little invention. There is low-carb, fibre-rich coconut flour instead of conventional flours and starches, coconut sugar and maple syrup instead of sugar, plant mylk instead of milk, and no fat, oil or butter (I did grease the mould but dare I say that the amount of fat used is rather negligible).

I like my clafoutis so much that I will never go back to any other recipe. It is also very versatile – you can use any fruit, any milk and any sweetener you like. This little delight is as good as impressive dessert to impress guests as it is as for afternoon tea or even a satisfying breakfast – all this knowing that you are devouring a treat that is not going to blow your calorie budget (something you can’t say about French desserts), and that is a winner on the health front. Plus, it looks pretty.

Vegan Clafoutis

Serves 8

4 tbsp coconut flour
4 tbsp LSA or ground chia seeds
4 tbsp coconut sugar
4 tbsp maple syrup
healthy pinch of Maldon sea salt
aquafaba from one 425g tin of chickpeas (approx. 3/4 cup)
2 cups plant milk (I used cashew)
fruit of choice (approx. 1-2 cups, red fruit are a great option)

Preheat oven to 180 °C and prepare a tart pan by lining it. Mix coconut flour, LSA, sugar, syrup, salt in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and carefully fold in the aquafaba until mixed in. Beat in milk until you reach a homogenic consistency. Divide fruit between the four dishes and spread batter over the fruit. Bake for about 60 minutes or until lightly golden on top. Let cool completely and preferably store in the fridge before serving to firm up.

Enjoy!

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!

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!