Quite possible the easiest and healthiest chocolate muffins you will ever make!
Makes 12 mini muffins or 7 large muffins
Ingredients 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup unsweetened apple sauce 1/2 cup to 1 cup sugar or preferred sweetener equivalent, depending on taste 3/4 cup (plant) milk of choice 1/4 cup cacao or cocoa 2 tsp baking powder dash of vanilla pinch of salt
Note: You will need a silicon mould as they will stick to paper muffin cups due to their low fat content.
Preheat oven to 180 °C. Dump all ingredients (no particular order needed!) in a large mixing bowl and mix with a whisk or wooden spoon until you obtain a smooth and pourable batter. This should not take long at all. Evenly distribute into the muffin moulds. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Turn off the oven and let them rest in the hot oven for 5 minutes, then take them out and let them rest on the bench for 10 minutes. Only remove them from the mould once they have cooled as they will stick.
Ingredients 260g self-raising flour (gluten free if required) 40g plain flour (gf if required) 500g overripe bananas, well-smashed/pureed 2 eggs or egg replacer pinch of sea salt vanilla essence 100g sugar of choice 1tsp cinnamon half cup milk or dairy alternative of choice half a cup of apple sauce
Method Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a loaf pan with baking paper, allowing it to overhang. Sift the flours, salt and cinnamon into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the sugar and make a well in the centre. Add mashed bananas, apple sauce, egg replacer, vanilla and milk. Stir until well combined. Spoon batter into prepared pan Bake for 45 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack and cut into slices. Keeps well in the fridge for at least 5 days.
Gluten free, vegan and much lower in fat than traditional caramel slice – what’s not to love?
Making healthier, allergy-friendly versions of old favourites is definitely a hobby of mine. And caramel slice is no exception!
Just look at it – wouldn’t you think it’s the real deal?
Traditional caramel slice comes with a buttery shortbread, but you won’t find any butter or margarine in my version. For the caramel, I used a store-bought vegan condensed milk which is quite low in fat, but you can also make your own. I used dark chocolate for the topping so this is not a “fat-free” caramel slice, but it is much lighter and healthier than the original. And because there is a lot less sugar in it, it is also more satisfying!
My whole family approved of these (which is rare!) and they would be perfect for school’s cake stalls as they come without dairy, eggs or nuts!
Makes 24
One cup gluten free flour One cup apple sauce One cup desiccated coconut
Preheat oven to 180°C and line a slice tin (20x30cm) with baking paper. Combine flour, coconut and apple sauce in a large bowl until mixed well. Press into tin and bake for 15 minutes until golden brown. Pour condensed milk over base and bake for another 10 minutes. Allow to cool Melt the chocolate and pour over base. Let set in the fridge, then slice into squares.
These freeze very well – but I am sure they will be gone before you have a chance to freeze them!
Gluten free, vegan and fat free are usually not attributes that come to mind when hearing “Stollen” – I show you that the impossible is possible!
Tastes just like traditional Stollen – but without butter, egg, oil or wheat!
Today I got a real treat for you! Most of you would be familiar or would have at least heard of “Stollen”, a very dense traditional German spiced loaf typically eaten in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
Behold all this spicy, Christmas-y, fruity deliciousness!
It is basically our version of Christmas pudding and it is certainly never a light dish! Traditional Stollen is made with lots of butter (in the store-bought version often replaced with cheap margarine) as well as nuts and marzipan, none of them recommended if you are watching your waistline or are struggling with autoimmune issues (me).
Now, there is no shortage of recipes for gluten-free Stollen out there and there is even store-bought gluten free Stollen these days. Making it vegan is already a bit more of a challenge as Stollen relies heavily on milk, butter, and eggs. However, you do find recipes for vegan Stollen on the net. Problem is, even the vegan versions use lots of oil or margarine. I am presenting you here a completely fat-free version of this delicious treat that also happens to be vegan and gluten free!
It is so fluffy, juicy and delicious, you won’t miss a thing. It is comforting and perfect with a cup of hot latte or tea on a chilly afternoon. So now matter if you are vegan, want to lose weight or suffer from allergies, fear not – the perfect Stollen is awaiting you!
One loaf
454g gluten free flour (I use a self-made mix of buckwheat flour and a store-bought gf flour mix) 14g dried yeast 130ml almond milk, luke-warm 120g raw sugar 1 cup apple sauce 3tsp mixed spices (cinnamon is mandatory, everything else is up to you – I recommend ginger, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg) almond extract 250g mixed dried fruit (sultanas etc.) and orange peel
Soak dried fruit in some hot water (or orange/apple juice) to soften. Dissolve yeast in the milk, add a tsp of sugar and stir until completely dissolved. Add the flour, spices and remaining sugar to a large bowl, add the yeast-milk mixture and apple sauce, mix well, cover with a dishcloth and let the dough rise in a warm spot for 15 minutes. Add the almond extract and drained soaked fruit and knead well. Let rest for another 2-3 hours. Preheat oven to 180°C. Fill the dough in a loaf tin and bake for 45 minutes. For a more authentic Stollen, you can sprinkle with icing sugar after baking but it is not necessary.
Whether you are veteran vegan, someone who is new to the plantbased lifestyle or just looking for a meat-free staple recipe for lent and beyond, this superb vegan mushroom bourguignon is for you!
It is easy and economical to make yet refined and elegant, looks fancy enough for a dinner party, it is comforting and warming and with its meaty texture will convince even the staunchest meat eater! It is the perfect dish on a gloomy autumn night – and actually for any other night as well!
Mushrooms are a rich, low calorie source of fiber, protein, selenium, and antioxidants. This recipe does without any oil, butter, cream or other fat sources and is therefore low in fat and calories and suitable for pretty much any diet!
It freezes well and is therefore suitable for meal prep.
Mushroom Bourguignon for Meal Prep
4 garlic cloves, minced 2 onions, peeled and finely chopped 3 carrots, finely sliced 3 stalks celery, finely sliced 480g mushrooms, brushed and sliced (any type is fine) 120ml (half a cup) tomato paste dried thyme and rosemary 1-2 tsp cornstarch or tapioca starch 1 cup vegetable broth 1 cup red wine salt (or soy sauce) and pepper to taste
Sear garlic, onions, carrots, and celery in a bit of water or broth in a heavy pot until softened, add mushrooms, thyme, rosemary. Add one cup red wine and broth and let cook until reduced and alcohol smell has evaporated (about 25-30 minutes). Add tomato paste and salt or soy sauce and pepper. Dissolve cornstarch or tapioca in equal amount cold water and add to the bourguignon while vigorously stirring. Let simmer until thickened. Serve with mashed potatoes or alternatively over pasta or rice.
Quick, easy, healthy and yummy pumpkin spice bars – a great breakfast or snack!
Looking for a quick easy and healthy recipe to have at hand when the 3pm slump strikes, the kids come home hungry from school or you need a quick breakfast on the run that doesn’t weigh you down? Then look no further than these pumpkin spice bars!
I have made and perfected this recipe countless times over the years and let me just reassure you that these pumpkin spice bars don’t need to be pumpkin spice bars at all. You can replace the pumpkin puree with apple puree and have apple bars (my favourite!) or replace it with banana and have banana bars etc. This recipe is veeery forgiving – you can play around with different grains, different sweeteners (or omit sweetener altogether) and it will always work!
Ingredients: 3 flax eggs (3 tbs ground flaxseed dissolved in 9 tbs water or plant milk and left to thicken) 3 cups rolled oats 3/4 tsp baking powder 1 cup pumpkin puree (or apple sauce or other fruit/veg puree) cinnamon and other spices to taste pinch of salt 1 cup soy milk or other plant milk 1/4 cup coconut sugar or other sweetener (may be omitted) sultanas or other dried fruit and seeds (half a cup)
Method: Preheat fan-forced oven to 180°C. Line or grease a 20×30 cm baking tin. Stir all ingredients together and let rest for 20 minutes – the longer the better! Pour into prepared tin and bake for 20 minutes or until golden on top. Let cool completely before you slice into squares.
Substitutions and adjustments:
As for oats, you can use quick or rolled oats, the rolled oats give a better texture though.
Sweetener: I have made these many times, including with raw sugar, coconut sugar, stevia, honey, and maple syrup and they all work well. As the oats, apple sauce and dried fruit are naturally sweet you can even omit sweetener altogether.
Milk: You can use any plant milk you like. I used soy milk to keep it nut free, but feel free to use nut milks if you don’t need the bars to be nut free.
Add-ins: These bars are very low in fat as they are free of oil, butter and eggs. The fat only derives from the natural fat in the oats and the seeds. If you follow a very low fat diet, omit the seeds and just add dried fruit.
Flax eggs: If you eat eggs, you can use 2 whole eggs instead of the aquafaba.
Pumpkin puree/apple sauce: mashed banana works well if you don’t have apple sauce, or any type of “baby food” purees. I’ve made these with pumpkin purée with great results.
Ready for a game-changer, peeps? Who doesn’t love mayonnaise? And I bet, after trying this recipe, you’ll love my instant lowfat vegan mayonnaise!
Instant Lowfat Vegan Mayonnaise
There were two problems with mayonnaise until now: a) it is full of fat, and b) it is incredibly tedious, time-consuming and tricky to make yourself. Obviously, traditional mayonnaise being made from eggs is off-limits if you are vegan or intolerant/allergic to eggs (not to mention the risk of contracting salmonella). If you have ever attempted to make your own mayonnaise, or even tried to “healthify” it, you are in good company. According to internet searches, it is one of the most coveted items to make vegan, oil-free or egg-free. But the plethora of recipes for vegan mayonnaise you can find online were not what I was looking for, either. They generally still use a lot of oil, making a very high-fat vegan substitute or they use cashews as base which are also high in fat, expensive and not suitable if you have nut allergies.
So my browsing of vegan mayonnaise recipes left me thinking of the U2 song: “I still haven’t found what I was looking for…”. Needless to say, I had to create my own version. I wanted it to be very quick, very yummy and very healthy. And I am quite positively surprised that it turned out great on the first try. In fact, this was probably the quickest recipe creation I have ever done.
Thick and creamy vegan mayonnaise
I knew I wanted to use tofu as a base but without any added oils. I figured that there needed to be some zing and because I could not decide between apple cider vinegar and lemon juice, I simply used both. And because I love mustard (a remnant of my European heritage), I added that as well. I also added just a tiny pinch of toasted sesame oil which is my favourite oil and gives this mayonnaise a mysterious depth of flavour.
The result was a thick, creamy, luscious mayonnaise that – both in terms of flavour as well as texture – can take on any conventional mayonnaise heads-on. I find it so addictive, I can hardly restrain myself from not gobbling up the whole thing when I make this. And why not? Using naturally low-fat silken tofu as base and with only half a teaspoon of sesame oil, this is a light and lower fat alternative that still provides a very rich, authentic taste. Not a bad effort considering this beauty is gluten free, dairy free, egg free, cholesterol free, vegan, nut free, refined sugar free and almost oil-free!
Tip: If you tolerate garlic, add some garlic to make aioli!
Are your fries/coleslaw/potato salad ready for the healthiest, quickest and most delicious mayonnaise of your life?
Vegan Mayonnaise that tastes like the real thing!
Instant Lowfat Vegan Mayonnaise
300g nigiri tofu 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar 3 tsp lemon juice 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 tsp sea salt (use herb sea salt for extra flavour) 1/2 tsp black pepper 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
Blitz all ingredients in a high-powered blender and serve straight away. Alternatively, store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
I am amazed again and again at how the most simple meals are often the most delicious and satisfying. There you are, pondering for hours over what you could do with all the produce that “needs to go”, browsing recipes, flavour combinations…when all you need is just some common sense and a look in your pantry! You find yourself with a lot of fresh veggies for whatever reason (a very good problem to have imho). Maybe you had a green thumb this season, your neighbour ended up with way too much stuff, or you are savvy like me and just buy anything in the shop that’s marked down for quick sale. No need to let your precious 5-a-day die a slow death in your crisper section. As long as you got some stock, spices, legumes and tinned tomatoes in your pantry (and you want to make sure you always do), you can pretty much do anything from a chili sin carne to soup to vegan bolognese. Or in this case a curry. A kale & chickpea curry, to be precise.
Admittedly, it doesn’t happen very often that I end up with too much kale. I belong to the weird species who really and truly enjoys kale. I love munching on it and also in smoothies. Long story short, if I buy kale, I tend to use it up pretty quickly while it is still in its prime. However, one day I bought a LOT of kale that was marked down. Apparently, there were not many other people around who belong to the kale appreciation society like me. While I froze some of it to be used in smoothies, I was wondering what to do with the rest of it. I mean, there is only so much raw kale you can munch on before your jaws are sore and your digestive system pays for it! What to do?
So I had kale (obviously, the whole previous paragraph was carrying on about that). I had tinned chickpeas and tomatoes. There were frozen green beans, vegetable stock and also an array of exotic spices, as well as a couple of potatoes (that also needed to go).
I am glad I trusted my intuition to throw all this together. Because the end result was delicious, warming, satisfying, comforting, and my omnivore husband loved it too! I served it with cauliflower rice (as pictured) to boost our veggie intake even further, but it would definitely be delicious with any kind of rice! It is vegan, gluten free and very low in fat while brimming with nutrients, protein, healthy carbs and fiber. It is also a very cheap meal, requiring only basic ingredients.
Another plus side is that this delicious kale & chickpea curry takes less than 15 minutes to make! I know what it’s like to be flat out after a day’s work when you are hangry but cooking is the last thing you want to do. If you ever find yourself with some kale on a busy weeknight, here is your solution to keep everyone happy, fed and healthy!
Kale & Chickpea Curry
Kale & Chickpea Curry
Serves 3
1 l vegetable stock
half tbsp mild or hot curry powder
3 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp each cumin seeds, mild or hot chili powder, ground ginger, and turmeric
Large bunch of kale, washed and finely chopped
approx. 350g green beans (frozen)
2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 tin diced tomatoes
salt and pepper
1 tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed (see here for a delicious way to use the chickpea brine!)
a dash of lemon juice
Pour a dash of vegetable stock to cover the bottom of a large, heavy saucepan and water sauté the garlic and spices (curry powder, cumin, chili, ginger, turmeric) for a couple of minutes until aromatic. Add some more stock to prevent the spices from burning. Add kale, beans and potatoes, and then season with salt and pepper. Stir to coat the vegetables, add the remaining stock and diced tomatoes, bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender. If the consistency becomes too dry for your liking, add a bit of water or some more stock. Add the chickpeas and lemon juice and adjust seasonings. Serve with rice or cauliflower rice.
In theory, the heading says it all. But it does not. What I am going to present you today is absolutely knock-your-socks-off crazy delicious! Don’t believe “fat free”, “vegan”, and “delicious” go together? Hear me out. It’s beginning to look a lot like autumn here in Melbourne, so it’s that time of the year where you are tired of your barbecue and dish out the comfort food again. Just kidding. I mean, tired of barbecues? Never! But yeah, as the days get cooler and the shorts and sandals make way for cardies and boots, you wanna have the matching recipes up your sleeve. And this express vegan sheperd’s pie is one of them.
Vegan Sheperd’s Pie
Like most of my recipes, this baby is a bit of a rush job. One night we were coming home very late and very hungry. Our crisper greeted us with some not-so-crisp vegetables. Limp carrots, wilting celery and rotting onions, I’m looking at you. In short, there were a few things that just screamed “sheperd’s pie”. But sheperd’s pie and quick doesn’t really go together. Or does it?
I am excited to present you with a truly express vegan sheperd’s pie. A sheperd’s pie that, on top of being easy and quick, is gluten free, vegan, and insanely delicious. Yes, it is. I am generally more of an Italian/Asian food girl. I prefer light, flavoursome dishes to traditional Northwest European comfort food. But I’d gladly have two helpings of this sheperd’s pie any time. To be honest, I wasn’t sure whether this would work out. Apart from my crisper with said sad veggies (pun intended, sorry not sorry), my pantry was practically empty. I had no stock or fancy spices at hand so I used water and a bit of good ol’ salt and pepper instead. Also, I had run out of plant milk so the potatoes on top is just that – potatoes. I really used minimal ingredients and minimal equipment. But with maximum results.
As you know if you have been following my blog, I’m pretty lazy. I mean, erh, busy. Really. Or maybe I just can’t be bothered standing in the kitchen for one hour straight. So I like to take shortcuts. Microwaving instead of boiling potatoes? Be my guest. Whatever, I’m going to give you a few options here. Every step comes with an option for lazy bums like me and with an option for people who have too much time on their hands, i.e. people who peel their vegetables. Ugh. Ain’t nobody got time for this. If you peel your vegetables, you obviously got way too much time on your hands. (PM me for my address.) I don’t deny that the end result looks prettier if you peel your vegetables. But I take that “no worries” thing seriously.
Express Vegan Sheperd’s Pie
And that’s why this express vegan sheperd’s pie is virtually fat free, it’s no bake (so that you can still enjoy this beauty in the peak of summer), it’s ridiculously quick compared to normal sheperd’s pie recipes. It is get-on-your-knees scrumptious (as confirmed by my sheperd’s pie snob husband). And it is also very cheap with a few simple ingredients and no fancy equipment. You’re welcome. And for the avoidance of doubt, this sheperd’s pie is also vegan and gluten free. But you know that already.
Express Vegan Sheperd’s Pie
Serves 4
1kg potatoes, washed, peeled (if you can be bothered), and roughly chopped
optional: a dash of plant milk and some salt and pepper for the potato mash 1 onion, diced handfull of spring onions, washed and chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 pound (approx. 500g) carrots, washed, peeled (if you can be bothered), and chopped 1 whole celery bunch, washed and chopped 2 cups dry green lentils, rinsed 4 cups either vegetable stock or water and some extra spices such as herb salt, white pepper etc.
First things first, cook your potatoes like you normally do. (I do mine in the microwave, but that’s just me.) In the meantime, heat a large stockpot or French oven and cover the base of the pot with some water. You can use oil, but I like my water sautés. Sauté the onion, spring onions and garlic for a few minutes, then add the carrots, celery and lentils. Add the stock or water and spices. Cover and cook until lentil are tender. Adjust spices.
Meanwhile, puree the potaotes in a high-powered blender (if you are lazy) or mash by hand. Add plant milk and some more spices if desired. I use some of the liquid from the lentil-vegetable mix as the starch will lend a lovely texture to the mash and the pie filling will be less liquidy if you use part of it for the spud. Just saying. Scoop the vegetable mix into a baking dish and scoop the prepared potato mash on top. Bob’s your uncle.
Nat's Ladle 