nana: April 2014

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Radish Salad with Avocado Buttermilk Dressing

A simple spring salad of juicy, crunchy cherry radish, peppery arugula and rich, buttery avocado flavoured with an easy salad dressing, which is a creamy mixture of avocado and buttermilk.

Dressing	Salad
1 Medium avocado, diced 200 ml Buttermilk 1/2 Onion, chopped 1 handful Arugula leaves 3 tbsp Fresh lime juice 1 tsp Garlic, minced 1/3 tsp Paprika powder Salt and pepper to taste	1 bunch Radishes 1 Small avocado 1/2 tbsp Lemon juice Arugula leaves

Combine all the dressing ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Adjust the seasoning, to taste. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.
With a mandoline or a sharp knife, slice the radishes as thin as possible. Cut the avocado in half lengthways and remove the stone and skin. Cut into thick slices then into pieces. Toss with the lemon juice.
Arrange the thinly sliced radishes in a serving bowl, and top with arugula leaves and avocado. Drizzle the dressing over and serve immediately.

Friday, April 25, 2014

Gluten Free Black Bean Cauliflower Protein Bread

This moist, dense quick bread is naturally gluten-free, low in carbohydrates and calories, and high in protein thanks to the use of protein powder and black bean flour.

Psyllium adds rise, elasticity and strength to gluten free baking. Not only is psyllium great for gluten free bread it is also very good for you. The soluble fiber found in psyllium husks improves digestion and cleanses the system, making it an excellent choice for healthy dieting. Psyllium can provide the fiber that is missing on low carbohydrate diets.

150 g Dried black beans, ground into flour
110 g Vanilla whey protein
40 g Rice protein
10 g Psyllium husks
1/2 tbsp Cinnamon powder
10 g Baking powder
5 g Baking soda
1/2 tsp Salt

250 g Applesauce
150 g Cauliflower puree
160 ml Buttermilk
160 ml Sparkling water

Preheat the oven to 160C/320F. In a large mixing bowl, add in ground black beans, whey protein powder, rice protein, psyllium husks, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk all ingredients until well combined.
Make a well in the center and add in applesauce, cauliflower puree, buttermilk and sparkling water. Mix with a wooden spoon until well blended.
Pour into a standard loaf pan lined with baking paper. Bake in the center of hot oven for about an hour. Test for doneness by inserting a wood skewer in the center, if it comes clean it's done. Turn out the bread on a wire rack and cool completely before slicing.

Monday, April 21, 2014

Quinoa, Chickpea and Strawberry Salad with Sundried Tomato Vinaigrette

This delicious quinoa salad with chickpea, strawberries, and cucumber along with a sundried tomato dressing is short on gluten but not on taste, and packed full of healthy goodness. It can be enjoyed at room temperature or chilled, which makes it a great choice for picnics, potlucks, and packed lunches!

Salad	Sundried Tomato Vinaigrette
120 g A mix of white and red quinoa 360 ml Water 200 g Chickpea in can, rinsed, drained 1 Small cucumber, diced 200 g Fresh strawberries, quartered	10 Sundried tomato halves 1-2 tbsp Fresh Parmesan, grated 2 Garlic cloves 30 ml Balsamic vinegar 20 ml Red wine vinegar 2 stalk Spring onions, chopped 100 ml Olive oil

Rinse quinoa in a fine sieve until water runs clear, drain and transfer to a medium saucepan. Add water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until water has absorbed. Set aside to cool and fluff with a fork.
Blend all the vinaigrette ingredients together, adding the olive oil last until you get the desired consistency.
Place the quinoa, diced cucumber, chickpeas, and quartered strawberries in a large bowl. Add in dressing and toss to combine.

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Kamut Almond Cookies

Made with whole wheat kamut flour and ground almonds, and sweetened with honey and stevia instead of granulated sugar, these cookies, adapted from Taste, are quite filling and so much healthier than most traditional cookies. You won't feel bad eating a few of them at one go with a glass of buttermilk.

60 g Coconut oil, melted
140 g Honey
190 g Kamut grains, ground into flour
10 g Cocoa powder
100 g Almond meal
1 tsp Baking soda
0,5 g Pure stevia extract
1/2 tbsp Ground cinnamon
1 tbsp Freshly finely grated ginger
1 tbsp Milk
Coloured sprinkles

Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Melt coconut oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Increase heat to medium-high. Stir in honey and bring to the boil. Remove from heat. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
Sift kamut flour, cocoa powder, almond meal, baking soda, stevia extract and cinnamon together into coconut oil mixture. Add in freshly grated ginger and milk. Stir until well combined. Cover and set aside for 1 hour or until dough is firm.
Place sprinkles in a shallow dish. Roll level tablespoons of mixture into balls. Roll balls in sprinkles to coat evenly. Place balls, 3cm apart, on a large parchment-lined baking tray. Bake for about 15 minutes until golden brown. Cool on trays for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Flourless Fat-free Chocolate Cookies

As soon as I saw these chocolate cookies on The Squishy Monster I knew I had to make them myself. These cookies are a dream if you are a chocolate lover who needs to go gluten-free.

Chewy on the inside, crispy around the edges, and intensely chocolatey and rich, these deep dark, flourless (which means gluten-free), no added fat chocolate cookies are super quick, easy to mix and bake up, and are very beautiful with their shiny, crackled tops.

220 g Powdered sugar
40 g Dutch-processed Cocoa powder
Pinch of sea salt
2 Large egg whites
1 tsp Vanilla extract
Rose peppercorns
Pyramid sea salt with chilli

Preheat the oven to 180C350F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and grease the parchment.
In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Whisk in the egg whites and vanilla extract until the batter is smooth.
Scoop the batter by the tablespoon full onto the prepared baking sheets. Leave enough space between each cookie for them to spread. Sprinkle with red peppercorns or sea salt. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the tops are glossy and lightly cracked.

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Asparagus Salad with Creamy Walnut Dressing

This is a simple and super-healthy salad starring fresh green asparagus, radicchio and black beans, matched with a wonderfully creamy and balanced dressing made of yogurt, walnuts, lemon juice and balsamic bianco. This vegetarian salad tastes extremely delicious and very appropriate for spring.

Salad	Yogurt Walnut Dressing
1 bunch Fresh green asparagus, trimmed 1/2 Radicchio, leaves separated 1 Small carrot, thinly shredded 150 g Homemade black beans, drained Walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped	8 Walnut halves 250 g Plain yoghurt 2 tbsp Lemon juice 2 tbsp Balsamic bianco 2 tsp Finely grated lemon rind 1 tbsp Fresh lemon thyme leaves Salt and white pepper

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil over high heat. Add asparagus. Boil for 2 minutes or until just tender. Drain. Rinse under cold water and drain them well.
Arrange radicchio leaves on a large serving plate or a salad bowl and top with shredded carrot, asparagus and black beans. Sprinkle some roasted chopped walnuts over.
To make the dressing, place the walnuts, yogurt, lemon juice, balsamic lemon rind and lemon thyme in a blender and process until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over salad to serve.

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Vegan Gluten Free Black Bean Brownies

Brownies made with black beans might sound quite unappealing to some of you, but I can assure you these are really delicious. No, I am not saying that they taste exactly like regular brownies, but still pretty delicious and nutritious as beans are a good source of protein and fiber. I used Happy Herbivore's recipe as inspiration, but slightly tweaked it by adding a little coconut oil and a mix of white and dark chocolate chips, but you can leave them out if you want to.

280 g Cooked black beans, homemade or can
2 Small bananas
30 g Dutch-process cocoa powder
70 g Maple syrup
20 g Coconut oil, melted
1 tsp Vanilla extract
40 g Quick oats
100 g A mix of white and dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line an 8-inch pan with parchment paper and set aside. Drain and rinse the cooked black beans.
Combine all the ingredients, except the oats and chocolate chips, in a food processor and blend until completely smooth. Stir in oats and chocolate chips.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool before slicing.