vegan – Page 4 – Nat's Ladle

Mango Nectarine & Baobab Smoothie {vg}

Published on February 25, 2017 by nathaliejasmin20191 Comment

Summer is clearly coming to a close in Australia. This, sadly, means saying farewell to some of my favorite fruits. Strawberries, raspberries, cherries, apricots, watermelons – oh, and mango and nectarines, of course. The flavour and texture of mango and nectarines complement each other so well, so why not throw them together. My newly found love for the fruity and tangy taste of baobab led to the idea for a mango nectarine & baobab smoothie!

This smoothie is thick, creamy, and refreshing, a bit like a mango lassi. It is, however, less sweet and has a slightly tangy, yogurt-like flavour which I absolutely love – without any dairy! You would never think that this creation is vegan, refined sugar free, low in fat and good for you. I have already raved about the health benefits of baobab in my recent blog post about lemon poppyseed & baobab bliss balls. Baobab is shock full of electrolytes (great to hydrate on a hot day!), has more antioxidants than goji and acai (hello glowing skin and healthy immune system), plus fiber, vitamin C, potassium, magnesium and calcium to boot!

While technically not mandatory for the purposes of this smoothie, the addition of baobab boosts the already amazing health benefits of mangoes and nectarines. Think fibre, vitamin C, vitamin A, antioxidants, vitamin E and much more. With its unique fruity and zesty taste, baobab with mangoes and nectarines makes for a winning summer flavour combination – not only in summer!

Mango Nectarine & Baobab Smoothie

Serves 2

250 g frozen mango
3-4 fresh nectarines
one cup soy milk or other plant milk
4 tbsp baobab powder
mint to serve (optional)

Blend fruit, milk and baobab until nice and smooth, divide between two glasses and serve with mint and fresh fruit.

Enjoy!

Spicy Lentil & Black Bean Stew {vg, gf}

Published on February 24, 2017 by nathaliejasmin20191 Comment

My love for lentils continues. I’m still not tired of lentil bolognese, lentil hummus, lentil pâté and lentil burgers. And with autumn clearly on the way here in Melbourne, it’s time for soups, stews, spice and all things nice again. And because I love black beans too (black bean chocolate cake, anyone?), here’s a spicy lentil & black bean stew, just for you.

To make things clear, you could really use any legumes in this one. I just found that the combo lentils and black beans was really yummy and filling. This dish is a bit of a crossover between Moroccan and Mexican, but that will vary depending on the spices you use. This stew is actually so dirt easy to make that it almost can’t be called a recipe, but I found it so delicious that i thought I’d post it anyway. It really is one of my easiest and most straightforward recipes (I know I say that a lot), but basically, if you have tinned tomatoes, some legumes and spices in your pantry, you can start right now, and in less than half an hour have a crowd-pleasing meal that is tasty, satisfying, warming, comforting, nourishing, keeps well in fridge and freezer, and is good for you.

I have already mentioned the numerous health benefits of lentil, beans, and tomatoes – the staples in this spicy lentil & black bean stew – at length, so if you are interested what goodies you put into your body with this baby, a google search will tell you! 🙂 Feel free to add more vegetables to boost the goodness of this wonderful stew. Like all my recipes, this spicy lentil & black bean stew is both gluten free and vegan, and it is also low in carbs and practically fat free. All of the comfort with none of the guilt.

Spicy Lentil & Black Bean Stew

Serves 3

1 large onion, sliced or chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp ground cumin
a pinch of chilli powder (optional)
salt and black pepper to taste
400 g can diced tomatoes
1 cup water
half a cup dry green lentils
400 g can black beans, rinsed and drained
fresh parsley to serve

Heat a heavy-based saucepan or cast iron pot and sauté the onion in a bit of water to prevent sticking for a few minutes or until soft and translucent. Add the remaining spices (garlic, coriander, cumin, chilli, salt and pepper) and cook for another two minutes. Add the tomatoes, water, lentils, and black beans. Bring to the boil and simmer until the lentils are soft, about 20 minutes. Adjust the spices and serve with fresh parsley.

Enjoy!

Lemon, Poppyseed & Baobab Bliss Balls {vg, gf}

Published on February 23, 2017 by nathaliejasmin20191 Comment

I have a confession to make. I am addicted to bliss balls. /Have you checked out these, these, these and those beauties yet?) They are easy and quick to make, generally require only a few easy ingredients and are a great portable way to beat the mid-afternoon slump (and keep your toddler happy). They are also incredibly customisable. Generally speaking, as long as you got dates and either nuts and/or oats, you can make bliss balls. And you can make them your own. Add cocoa, vanilla, your favourite superfoods…the options are endless. That’s why I thought i come up with something different compared to the standard cacao-based bliss balls and offer you an old favourite: lemon and poppyseed. And because I am a health geek and like my superfoods, they are not only lemon & poppyseed bliss balls, but lemon, poppyseed & baobab bliss balls.

You might not have heard about baobab powder. Touted as the queen of superfoods, it is a highly nutritious fruit of the African Baobab tree. It is naturally raw, vegan and gluten-free and bursting with antioxidants, fiber, electrolytes, minerals and vitamins. Baobab has more fibre than chia seeds and almost 5 times as much vitamin C as goji berries. Please note that the use of baobab is not essential to make these bliss balls work, but I thought it would be nice to include a recipe for a superfood I recently discovered as you might be interested how to use it (I always try to extend the use of superfoods beyond adding to smoothies). Baobab also has a nice subtle fruity flavour that goes well with something lemony.

These bliss balls furthermore boast dates, oats, and coconut flour and are therefore packed with more fibre and minerals. Poppyseeds are a great source of iron, copper, calcium, magnesium and zinc and have been traditionally used in ayurveda for glowing skin. I love these lemon, poppyseed & baobab bliss balls so much. Their tangy taste has something cheesecake-y about them, and due to their high fibre content they keep me full and happy until the next meal. They are also refined sugar-free, with healthy, slow-burning carbs from dates and oats and only very little fat. I hope you enjoy them!

Lemon, Poppyseed & Baobab Bliss Balls

Makes 20 bliss balls

10 pitted dates (any dates will work, but if not using Medjool dates, you will have to soak your dates for a few minutes in hot water to soften them up, then drain well)
1 cup oats, ground to a fine meal
half a cup coconut flour
juice of one lemon (or less if you prefer it less lemony)
half a cup dessiccated coconut
2 tbsp poppy seeds
1 tbsp baobab powder

Blitz all ingredients in a high-powdered blender until well combined and starting to stick together. Leave the mixture in the fridge for ten minutes to firm up, then roll into 20 balls and store in the fridge. They will get more delicious over the coming days!

Enjoy!

Blueberry Muffin Smoothie Shake {vg, gf}

Published on February 19, 2017 by nathaliejasmin2019Leave a comment

Unless you lived under a rock this past year, you would have probably tried a smoothie for breakfast. You might have had a smoothie on top or instead of your usual meal. Maybe you’ve read that it’s a great way to get nutrients in. After all, you can pretty much put anything in it. Or maybe you wanted to try this lowcarb double chocolate weightloss shake your co-workers are raving about. After all, it was half-price at the supermarket this week. Chances are, you were hungry again one hour later and reached for your colleague’s snack size mars bars or got some exercise by getting that enticing blueberry muffin in the café down the road. With a large full-cream latte and two sugars, of course). Bye bye, healthy goals for the new year! To avoid scenes like that from now on, here comes my blueberry muffin smoothie shake!

The truth is, while I am a big fan of smoothies for breakfast or any time of the day for various reasons (as demonstrated here, here, here and here), blended fruits and vegetables are not a complete meal, not even if you add protein powders. It’s healthy, slow-burning carbs from starchy wholefoods such as grains and legumes that keep you full until lunch (and away from the patisseries and vending machines). This blueberry muffin smoothie contains fruit, your favourite milk and favourite protein powder just like any other smoothie, but with the addition of oats (preferably soaked overnight for an ultracreamy texture). I can’t praise the benefits of oats highly enough, and one of their definite perks is that while they do contain carbs and fat, you get a lot of satisfaction per calorie so to speak as they keep your belly full and happy for many hours and are therefore a health geek’s BFF.

I called this a blueberry muffin smoothie shake as it tastes a bit like a blueberry muffin, though much much better for you. It is thick, creamy and immensely satisfying. Customise this according to your liking. Sub your favourite fruit, milk, sweetener or protein powder. Add your supplements and/or some greens to supercharge your breakfast or afternoon snack. If you want to take this a step further, you could use soaked buckwheat groats instead.

Blueberry Muffin Smoothie Shake

Serves 1

Half a cup rolled oats, soaked overnight in water or plant milk (use certified gluten free if required)
a handfull of frozen berries
one scoop of protein powder (if using plain protein powder, add some vanilla and stevia or your favourite sweetener to taste)
half a tsp of cinnamon
any supplements (maca, probiotics etc.)

Simply blitz all ingredients in a high-powered blender and enjoy! You probably don’t need any more liquid as the soaked oats will be liquidy, but feel free to add more plant milk to achieve the desired consistency.

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!

Ultracreamy Green Smoothie (with secret ingredient!)

Published on February 3, 2017 by nathaliejasmin20191 Comment

No food blog – and no hipster café – is complete without a green smoothie nowadays. And that’s why I don’t want to hold back with my ultracreamy green smoothie.

Green smoothies can be a bit like cold vegetable soup. They are usually not creamy and indulgent unless they have lots of avocado and/or nut butters in. Now, dont get me wrong, avocado is definitely one of the healthiest foods under the sun and I love them (Avocado tarts or avocado brownies, anyone?). If you are trying to limit the fats in your diet, however, or have financial constraints (as avos can be rather exxy), they might not be your first choice. Thankfully, you can have an ultracreamy green smoothie without the fat – and we are not talking a chemical crap fest here like many things are that are labelled “low fat”, we are talking…beans.

Yes, you read that right. This smoothie contains beans. The protein and starch in the beans provides for ultimate creaminess, bulk and fluffiness as you would normally only achieve by putting LOTS of bananas and LOTS of avocado in. Just 2 tablespoons of any beans mean that you save a lot of avocado fats and banana sugar and still devour ultracreamy goodness! Not to mention that this sneaky addition costs you, like, between 10 and 20 cents, even if you buy organic. So how does that sound?

This smoothie is not only ultracreamy and ultradelicious, it is also ultragood for you. We all know the benefits of leafy greens which should be on our menu daily. The reality is, thinking of a fancy dinner involving several types of leafy greens is a nice idea for us that is hard to put into practice. I am a full-time working mum so I know how hard it can be to get your daily serves of veggies in! A green smoothie is the quickest, easiest and yummiest way to start the day on the right foot or get that mid-afternoon lift you are craving.

Adding beans does not only provide bulk and creaminess, with their protein and fibre this smoothie will keep you full for a long time!

Are you in?

Ultracreamy Green Smoothie

Serves one

2 handfulls of kale or lettuce
2 handfulls of spinach or silverbeet
1 frozen banana
2 tbsp tinned beans of choice
1/2 cup coconut water (or other liquid of choice)
1 scoop vegan protein powder
matcha powder or other greens powder (optional)
any other supplements such as probiotics, maca, ashwagandha… (optional)
a handfull of ice cubes

Blend all ingredients bar the ice cubes in a high-powered blender until smooth. Add the ice cubes and blitz in.

Enjoy!

Homemade Oat Milk

Published on January 27, 2017 by nathaliejasmin2019Leave a comment

I know. Every man and their dog is making homemade almond milk these days. And hey, why not? It is easy enough if you have a high-powered blender. Store-bought plant milks are expensive and often have some fillers or other additives, so making your own plant or nut milk is better for your health and better for your wallet. So yeah homemade almond milk is all the buzz right now, but have you tried making your own homemade oat milk?

Like almost everything else I make, making homemade oat milk happened by chance. A while ago, I was making a vegan cashew panna cotta for my husband based on this recipe which calls for blending cashews in water until you achieve a creamy “milk”. I was absolutely blown away how delicious this cashew mylk was and how easy to create – especially given the astronomical prices they charge for nut mylks in the shop! So it has been at the back of my mind to make my own plant and nut mylks.

Then, a couple of days ago, I had tried a new brand of almond milk (not mentioning any names here) which I really did not like all that much. It was overly sweet, had a funny marzipan flavour and curdled horrendously in coffee. I remembered my goal to create my own plant milks. As oat milk has always been one of my favourite vegan milks and oats are also considerably cheaper than nuts, here was my project!

It dod not take much experimenting as this worked out quite well at the first shot. I blended 1 cup of quick oats with 3 cups of filtered water. This ratio produces a very thick and creamy milk which I love but you could also try a ration of 1:4 which would produce a slightly thinner milk. Just experiment! I don’t add any sweeteners but you could try adding a tablespoon or so of your favourite liquid sweetener (maple syrup, date syrup or coconut syrup would probably work best). You could also try adding some vanilla essence or cocoa powder or any other flavour you fancy. Then, just strain the milk in a bottle, chill and enjoy!

Note, there will be sediment so you need to shake your bottle well before every use. This is all natural, so it is not a 1:1 replacement for store-bought mylks which often have a lot of stabiliser and thickeners added. It is not perfect but I think it is a good and economical alternative to store-bought plant milks!

Homemade Oat Milk

Makes about a pint of oat milk

1 cup quick oats (use certified gluten-free of gluten free)
3-4 cups filtered water
optional: 1 tbsp liquid sweetener, pinch of salt, vanilla essence

Blitz all ingredients on a high powered blender until smooth, milky and the oats are completely broken up. Strain the milk into a bottle. The leftover oat pulp is delicious scooped out and also serves as a great thickener for smoothies and nicecreams! Store your homemade oat milk in the fridge for up to 5 days. Remember that there will be sediment so shake your milk bottle thoroughly before use.

Enjoy!

Salted Caramel Protein Bites {vg, gf}

Published on January 24, 2017 by nathaliejasmin2019Leave a comment

I know it’s getting a bit much with all my energy/bliss ball-y things lately (see here, here and here). But one bite into these beauties and I knew I could not wait another day to share these with you. I know you guys love salted caramel. And I know you love protein bites. Enter…salted caramel protein bites!

These came about as I tried to recreate one of those crazy expensive and filled-to-the-brim with junk store-bought protein bars. The combination of dates and oats has never disappointed me and I figured that with the addition of my favourite vegan protein powder I’d be able to make the perfect protein bar. But then it just seemed easier to go down the bliss ball route again. So here we are. Unfortunately or fortunately, I tasted the “batter” while making these balls and got so addicted that I devoured a considerable part of the mix (so you might well be able to yield more than 30 balls out of this recipe). I could not get over how much these tasted like salted caramel!

I hate the word amazeballs, but it pretty much does them justice!

Salted Caramel Protein Bites

Makes 30 bites

2.5 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup packed pitted dates (any kind)
1/4 cup coconut syrup (you can try other liquid sweeteners, but I find the coconut syrup really gives it that deep malty, caramelly taste that we want)
1/4 cup filtered water
4 rounded tbsp (ca. 40-45 g) vegan vanilla protein powder (I use Amazonia Raw Fermented Paleo Protein)
dash of vanilla extract
healthy pinch of Maldon sea salt

First, blitz the oats in a high-powered blender until you reach a rough flour consistency. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until the mixture comes together and holds its shape but is not overly sticky. Shape into balls and store in the fridge.

Enjoy!

Maca Espresso Energy Balls {gf, vg, nut free}

Published on January 8, 2017 by nathaliejasmin20193 Comments

I hope you love all my recipes, but you gotta love these maca espresso energy balls. If you don’t – seriously, what’s wrong with you? Just kidding, I mean, no kidding. These energy balls are so crazy insanely delicious it is actually a sin I haven’t put them on the blog sooner. They are buttery, scrumptious, decadent…I am lost for words. And they pack a serious nutritional punch. All this requires five super-healthy ingredients and five minutes of your time. Yes, that’s right.

Want to know what’s in them? Five superfoods that will get you out of your afternoon slump before you have time to yawn:

Medjool dates – chock-full of fibre, aminoacids, potassium, zinc, magnesium, calcium, iron, B vitamins and lots of other goodies.
Oats – one of the healthiest foods on the planet, they contain a type of fiber called beta-glucan, which helps lower levels of bad cholesterol. Plus, manganese, selenium, magnesium, vitamin E and zinc to boot.
Carob or Cacao – carob contains gallic acid which has antibacterial, antiviral and antiseptic properties. Carob also contains vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, D and E. It is a lower fat and naturally sweet alternative to cacao. However, you can totally use cacao instead, which has 40 times the antioxidants of blueberries and is the highest plant-based source of iron.
Maca – rich in vitamin B vitamins, C, and E. It provides plenty of calcium, zinc, iron, magnesium, phosphorous and amino acids and is known to balance hormones and mood. It is also a caffeine-free source of energy.
Espresso coffee – loaded with antioxidants and may even protect against diabetes. Improves cognitive function, mood and fat burning

If that wasn’t a reason alone to get rollin’ – these will also be the easiest energy balls you’ll ever make. Just pulse the ingredients in a high-powered blender and after 15 seconds (!) you will have a malleable dough. No mess, no fuss. Just what you want when you need an energy kick. You can eat them straight away but they will firm up and improve texture in the fridge. They would last a while, at least a week – though I highly doubt that you’ll leave them for that long!

I have mentioned before that I am in love with Medjool dates. The feeling that you are eating something naughty and indulgent when it’s a gem of nature can only be topped by eating bananas! And it’s not only the taste, the texture is just so exquisite, it’s like a buttery caramel fudge made with butter, cream and lots of sugar! None of those nasties in these little babies, however. They are gluten free, dairy free, vegan, nut free, soy free, refined sugar free, and – unlike most recipes for energy balls or bliss balls – very low in fat.

The oats will make sure to fill you up so you don’t need to reach for the bag of Skittles on your co-worker’s desk, while the dates proved slow-releasing carbs without the sugar crash that would normally lead you to yet anouther trip to the vending machine. Carob, maca and just a little bit of coffee (that can of course be caffeine-free if you want) provide a gentle energy kick without the jitters. Maca espresso energy balls for the win!

Maca Espresso Energy Balls

Makes 12 balls

115 g Medjool dates
60 g rolled oats
2 tsp carob (or cacao)
1 tsp maca
1 tsp instant espresso powder

Just blitz all ingredients in a high-powered blender until a doughy ball forms. Shape into 12 balls and store in the fridge.

Enjoy!

Lowfat Lentil Carrot Hummus {vg, gf}

Published on December 19, 2016 by nathaliejasmin2019Leave a comment

Have you ever considered making hummus with lentils? If you haven’t noticed already, I love all things legumes with their only downside being a little hard on the ol’ stomach at times. Which is why lentils are great. i have mentioned before that lentils might be easier to digest for some and with their hearty, meaty flavour are a nice alternative to chick peas and other beans. With lots of garlic, carrots and red peppers and only very little fat coming from healthy tahini paste, this hummus is infinitely better for you and tastes – in my humble opinion – better than any store-bought hummus! It is also incredibly quick to make with ingredients you likely have in your pantry. I’d consider this an allround win.

This lowfat lentil carrot hummus has been tried and tested by friends and family. It never fails to hit the spot, so give it a go! Tasty with just the right amount of spice, much lower in fat than store-bought hummus and very filling. I doubt you’ll be in a hurry to buy hummus from the shop again! It is also vegan, gluten free, soy free, refined sugar free, and nut free – a great recipe to have in your repertoire for entertaining as you’ll tick most dietary requirements! Tip: Try it with my 5-minute vegan gluten free naan bread!

Lowfat Lentil Carrot Hummus

1 tin lentils, drained and rinsed
½ cup grated carrots
½ cup roasted red peppers (can be from the jar)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp dukkah (optional)
3 tsp souk spice mix or blend your own with a pinch each of black pepper, allspice, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, paprika, cardamom, cayenne, and nutmeg
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp tahin (omit if you want to make it fat free)
pinch of salt

Just blitz everything in a high-powered blender and –

Enjoy!