Tag: gluten free

Chai Ginger Snap Cookies

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Chai Ginger Snap Cookies 1

I love the flavour of my vanilla chai tea from Pukka, and I used it when I made my healthy pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving and it worked a treat so I thought I’d use it for these cookies.

The gingery taste is so yummy to me, and as a true Brit, the first thing I did was dip it into my tea, and it was heaven!

They literally need no more than 8 minutes in the oven. I left mine for 10 and you can see that some of them are a little burnt (still nice dipped into tea though!) So really watch the clock on these…

Ingredients

1/3 cup honey
3 tbsp coconut palm sugar
2 tbsp organic vegan non hydrogenated margarine
1 tbsp coconut oil and extra for greasing
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
5 tbsp almond milk
1 chai or vanilla chai teabag
2 and quarter cups ground almonds
4 heaped tbsp buckwheat flour
1.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
3 tsp ground ginger

Method

Preheat the oven to 180.

Start by putting the honey in a small saucepan over a low heat and leave for around 5 minutes until it bubbles and turns darker. At this point, add the margarine, coco sugar, coconut oil, almond milk and vanilla and mix until well incorporated.

Then add the teabag. Give it a few dunks then remove from the heat and let it steep while you take care of the dry ingredients.

 

In a bowl add the ground almonds, buckwheat flour, baking soda and the spices and mix well.

Remove the teabag from the honey mixture and pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients. Mix very well, making sure you get all the flour from the bottom.

Line a baking tray (you will probably need 2 baking trays) with baking paper, grease with some coconut oil and then here’s the bit that will make this easier for you: put some coconut oil on a tablespoon (so that you don’t dirty the tub of coconut oil) and grease your hands all over. Once your hands are well greased, take a small bit of the mixture in your hands to form a small ball then put it on the baking tray. Do this until the mixture is finished and then wash your hands if they have too much mixture on, dry and re-grease them with coconut oil then flatten them all with your fingers until they are smooth and fairly flat but with a bit of bounce to them.

Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and put on a wire rack to cool.

Enjoy with a turmeric latte for extra anti-inflammatory goodness!

Love and light,
Lauren

Cauliflower & Tahini Soup

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Cauliflower & Tahina Soup

I love cauliflower, especially as a purée, because of the beautiful smooth texture it blends into. This soup makes use of that, and the addition of tahini makes it even creamier!

Cauliflower contains sulforaphane, which has been shown to kill cancer stem cells, thereby slowing tumor growth. Researchers believe that eliminating cancer stem cells may be the answer to fighting cancer. It is also packed full of anti-oxidants and phytonutrients, is good for your heart and your brain, and has anti-inflammatory properties.

Sesame seeds (the main ingredient of tahini) are high in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and iron. Need any more reasons to make this soup tonight? It’s simple to make and takes no time at all!

Ingredients (serves 4)

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 large onions, sliced
6 big cloves of garlic
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 whole star anise
a head of cauliflower (about 500g) cut into florets
one potato (about 200g) peeled and cut up
1 litre water
1 tbsp organic vegetable stock paste or powder
3 bay leaves
the juice of half a lemon
1/2 tsp himalayan salt
1/8 tsp white pepper
1/3 cup organic tahini
pomegranate concentrate (optional)

Method

Fry the onion in the olive oil until it caramelizes. The more colour you get on the onions, the more flavour you’ll be putting into the soup. You want them to look something like this:

IMG_0130

The trick is to keep it on a medium heat and stir every now and then. If you feel that they may start to burn, add a few drops of water and continue. You could brown them even more than I’ve done here, I was just in a rush to make supper!

Add the garlic, cumin and star anise. Fry for a few more minutes. Add the cauliflower, potato, water, stock and bay leaves. Simmer until the cauliflower and potato are tender. The smaller (and more evenly-sized) your pieces of cauliflower and potato, the faster they will cook.

Remove the bay leaves and star anise, then pour everything into your blender. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until completely, 100% smooth. The measurements I’ve given for lemon, salt and pepper are just a guideline – use your taste!

I’ve served it with a drizzle of pomegranate concentrate – the sweet tartness balances the soup beautifully.

Health & happiness!

Love,
Raine

Chai Coconut Milk Chia Pudding

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chai chia pudding2

That might sound like a mouthful, and it is… a mouthful of deliciousness and health! “Chia” is the ancient Mayan word for “strength” and these little seeds were prized for their ability to provide long-lasting energy. They provide high nutrition for low calories (almost all of their carbohydrates are in the form of fibre) so this is a great food if you’re trying to lose weight. They are high in protein, fibre, Omega 3 fatty acids, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and antioxidants.

You can sprinkle chia seeds over your breakfast or add them to smoothies, but my favourite way to eat them is by making chia pudding. When you soak these little nutritional powerhouses in liquid, they swell and absorb the liquid. The result is a creamy and delicious pudding. Great for breakfast or dessert… and who doesn’t love dessert for breakfast?!

I prefer to grind my spices fresh in a coffee grinder as the flavour is much more intense, but you could use pre-ground spices if you don’t have whole spices or a coffee grinder.


Ingredients

1 stick of cinnamon (3/4 tsp ground)
1 star anise (1/4 tsp ground)
the seeds of 8 green cardamom pods (1/2 tsp ground)
about 1/5 of a whole nutmeg (1/4 tsp ground)
1/4 tsp Himalayan salt
1 – 2 tbsp raw honey or organic maple syrup
2 cups coconut milk (I make my own but you can use an organic tinned one which contains only coconut and water)
90ml chia seeds
60ml hemp seeds

Method

Firstly, grind the spices until you have a fine powder. Place them in a bowl with the honey and salt and a few drops of the coconut milk. Use a whisk to dissolve the honey, and then add the rest of the coconut milk. Add the chia and hemp seeds and whisk well so that the seeds are well distributed through the liquid.
I normally leave it overnight in the fridge, stirring once before I go to bed. If you’re in a hurry, you could stir every hour or so and it should be ready in about 4 hours.

I layered mine with fresh mango, banana, brazil nuts and goji berries for a delicious and energising breakfast.

Health and happiness!

Love,
Raine

No-fry Chocolate and Maca Pancakes

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Choc Maca Pancakes

I can’t think of anything better for Sunday breakfast than a stack of pancakes! And with this recipe they’re completely guilt-free.

This is basically a variant of the Plain Buckwheat Pancakes – I’ve added raw cacao and maca for a delicious malted chocolate flavour. Maca gives you increased energy and is said to help relieve the symptoms of PMS. It has a malted flavour which pairs very well with raw cacao.

Both maca and cacao are aphrodisiacs, so why not start practicing this recipe now for Valentine’s Day?  😉

I find it tedious to stand in front of the stove frying up batches of pancakes, so I decided to try baking them and it worked really well! Of course you also have the added benefit of not having fried them in oil – while coconut oil is the best choice for frying, oils are always healthiest in their raw state.

In this version I used almond flour simply because I have so much (as a by-product of all the almond milk I make) but you could substitute it with buckwheat flour, as in the original recipe.

Ingredients (this makes enough for my husband, my toddler and I – about 12 pancakes)

4 tbsp flax seeds, ground in a coffee grinder (you could also use chia seeds)
150ml water
1 cup almond flour
1 heaped tsp aluminium-free baking powder
1/4 tsp Himalayan salt
3 tbsp raw cacao powder
1 tbsp maca powder
1/2 tsp organic stevia leaf powder (or 1 tbsp organic maple syrup or raw honey)
1 1/2 ripe bananas, mashed with a fork to a puree
1 cup almond milk or other dairy-free milk

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 C.
Combine the ground flax and water to make your flax “eggs.” Refrigerate for 15 minutes while you make the rest of the batter.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, cacao powder, maca powder and stevia. Add the banana and almond milk and use a whisk to combine well. Add the flax “eggs” and whisk again. The flax is quite gluey so make sure you get it mixed in really well.

Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Place a heaped tablespoon of the batter onto the paper and use the spoon to spread it out into a neat circle, about 1 – 2cm thick. Repeat with the rest of the batter.
Bake for about 20 – 30 minutes until they have risen, browned and are cooked through.

I served these with fresh raspberries, blueberries, gooseberries, pomegranate and my Raw Caramel.

Health and happiness!

Love,
Raine

Cacao Maca Overnight Oats

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Cacao Almond Butter Maca Overnight oats

Before getting used to this lifestyle of natural, real, non-processed, organic and plant-based food, it’s easy to wonder what one might have for breakfast every day. Westerners are the perfect consumers; we fall to the feet of advertising campaigns and as a result, we believe that breakfast means either toast (gluten), boxed, store-bought cereals (gluten, sugar, salt, dairy) or, if you’re from England, a full English (fried, fatty meats). So when I’m helping people with their diets, the first thing they ask is ‘what am I supposed to have for breakfast?’ Actually, breakfast is one of the easiest meals to be vegan, gluten free, dairy free and sugar free! You just need to get into the swing of it and, well, forget everything you’ve ever been taught! Of course, any change of lifestyle takes some getting used to and it may seem like a lot more work than pouring some cereal out of a box but seriously, give it a go! You’ll realise how easy and delicious our recipes are and how easy it is to start your day right and help your kids do the same. Just check out our breakfast page. If you make small changes, like starting with learning new breakfast recipes, you’ll slowly notice the chemicals in all the foods we buy, and you’ll see how easy it is to make a full change.

I’ve become a massive fan of superfood powders recently and Maca is just amazing. Maca is from Peru and legend has it that it was taken by Incan warriors before going into battle because of its amazing energy-enhancing qualities. It is known in the natural health world as the ‘natural caffeine’ and is an amazing substitute because it doesn’t give you any of the nasty side-effects associated with caffeine but it gives you a huge energy boost, with none of the comedown. It also increases stamina and boosts sex drive. All great reasons to add it to your diet! I get mine from Organic Burst. Just adding a spoonful into your oatmeal, porridge, cereal or smoothie will help your energy levels. I also added cacao and almond butter to this for extra protein. It was so yummy I made it again the next day!

Ingredients (makes one portion but double ingredients to make enough for 2)

Half cup organic rolled oats
1 cup almond milk
1 tsp maca powder
1 tsp raw cacao powder
1 tsp almond butter
1 tsp agave

Method

Simply mix all the ingredients in a bowl, making sure you mix really well so that the powders get fully absorbed. Put it in a jar with a lid or cover bowl with cling film and leave in the fridge overnight. Enjoy the next morning topped with fruit, nuts, seeds – anything you fancy!

Love, light and positive energy for the weekend.
Lauren

Buckwheat Blueberry & Poppy Seed Muffins

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Buckwheat Blueberry Muffins

Firstly, we both want to thank you all for the amazing response we’ve had to our blog after only going live yesterday – we appreciate it so much!

I really went out on a limb here today. I wanted to make blueberry muffins for my husband for the weekend as he loves them but I’ve never made buckwheat muffins so I decided to really experiment which is sometimes risky as it can go wrong and you end up throwing away a bunch of good ingredients! Thankfully though, these turned out perfectly!

Buckwheat flour is the perfect substitute for wheat flour because, although you may think buckwheat is a grain, it is in fact a fruit seed so it’s a great replacement for wheat. Buckwheat also helps lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and contains lots of phytonutrients that act as anti-oxidants to fight fight disease. Blueberries are also brilliant anti-oxidants. I also used poppy seeds in these because they are a good source of B-Complex vitamins and I’m trying to increase my B-Complex intake to help my nerve pains, something I still suffer from as a by-product of having long-term arthritis.  Poppy seeds are in fact extracted from the pods of the opium poppy, we just don’t get the same side effects with them (!) They are high in oleic acid (a mono-unsaturated fatty acid) so they help lower cholesterol and they are high in fibre. And guess what? They’re also anti-oxidants!

Ingredients (these are gluten free, dairy free and refined-sugar free)

2 cups buckwheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
Half tsp Himalayan salt
1 ripe banana, mashed
2 eggs (for vegan, substitute with 2 tbsp chia seeds mixed with 5 tbsp water, mixed and left to set for 20 mins)
Quarter cup almond milk
Quarter cup agave or maple
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup blueberries
1-2 tbsp poppy seeds, depending on your preference

Method

Preheat the oven to 180.
Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a bowl.
In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and add the mashed banana, then add the almond milk, agave and vanilla. Add dry ingredients to wet and mix well. It doesn’t matter if there are a few lumps from the bananas but make sure you mix in all the flour from the bottom of the bowl. Then add the blueberries and poppy seeds.
Place around 9-12 muffin cases in a cupcake oven tray and using a large spoon, spoon in the mixture into each one, filling to nearly the top.
Bake for 20-30 minutes, until golden and fairly moist.
Enjoy warm or cooled.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Love,
Lauren

Gluten-free Zucchini & Buckwheat Pizza

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photo-2

My son went through a phase where he wanted to eat nothing but pizza. It was driving me crazy (processed white dough, sugary tomato sauce and processed cheese? Not good enough for my boy!) so I came up with this wheat, gluten, sugar and dairy-free recipe using buckwheat and zucchini (AKA courgette or baby marrow.) I was worried that he wouldn’t like it because buckwheat flour has quite a strong flavour but both he and my husband love it! I have since started using buckwheat flour for many recipes.

For the “cheese” I use Yum Universe’s dairy and soy-free recipe for Vegan Ricotta (why improve on perfection?!) It’s a super easy recipe made from cashew nuts.
My husband prefers dairy cheese so I use organic cheddar from grass-fed cows. Sometimes for my son I’ll use a bit of cheddar and some goat’s cheese, as goat’s milk is much more digestible for humans than cow’s milk. He also enjoys the vegan cheese though.

Ingredients

For the base:

1 cup buckwheat flour
3/4 tsp Oryx Desert Salt
1 tsp baking powder (try to use aluminium-free)
1 tbsp chia seeds, ground in a coffee grinder
1 egg (farm-raised)
2 tbsp olive oil
a bit of water
160g raw zucchini

For the sauce:

Olive oil for frying
1 medium size onion, chopped
3 big cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tin organic tomatoes
1 fresh medjool date
1 or 2 leaves of basil
1/2 tsp Oryx Desert Salt
about 1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Method

Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder and ground chia.
Break the zucchini into chunks and place into a food processor. Blend into fine crumbs, scraping down the sides if necessary to get all the bits the same size. Alternatively, use a grater.
Beat the egg and olive oil together, along with 1 tbsp water, and then add the zucchini.
Combine the wet and dry ingredients. You may need a little bit more water, but make sure to combine everything well before trying to add more. It will seem too dry and then suddenly it will come together into a dough. This is a very sticky dough, so be careful not to add too much water! Place in the fridge while you make the sauce.

Fry the onion in some olive oil until softened. Add the garlic and fry for a few minutes until it starts to caramelise. Add the tin of tomatoes and the date. Turn down the heat, cover with a lid and simmer for at least 30 minutes. The longer it simmers the more the flavour will develop.
Place the sauce in the blender, along with the salt, basil and lemon. Blend until smooth. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary. The trick with a good tomato sauce is getting the correct balance between sweet and sour, so don’t be scared to add a bit more lemon or another date if you think it needs it! This sauce freezes very well so I often make a double batch and freeze half for a day when I am in a rush. You could also use it as a base for a pasta sauce.

Preheat the oven to 200 C.
Oil a large baking tray liberally with olive oil. I find it best to make smaller pizzas so that the base cooks evenly and gets nice and crispy on the edges. So use about 60 – 80g of dough per pizza – one is enough for a child, two for a hungry man.
Place your weighed dough on the tray and sprinkle with buckwheat flour (so your fingers don’t stick.) Gently press the dough out with your finger tips until you have a round of thin dough.
At this point I often finely grate some fresh carrot over the base for added veggies. Then cover the base with your sauce. (If using the vegan cheese it helps to make a little “lip” around the edge of the dough and sauce, to stop the cheese running off.)
Now add your toppings. In this photo I’ve used kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes (I use organic, sulphur-free ones which I soak in hot water for a few minutes to soften), onion, basil and avo. Add avo and fresh herbs only after cooking. Other good toppings are caramelised onion, sautéed mushrooms, smoked salmon & rocket… use your imagination!
Now top with your cheese. If using the vegan cheese, simply blend all the ingredients until smooth and then pour directly onto the pizza (rather than heating in a saucepan as the recipe states.) The cheese will thicken as the pizza cooks in the oven. If you have any leftover cheese you can heat it in a saucepan and refrigerate in a jar.

Bake in the oven for about 15 – 20 minutes until crispy around the edges. Yum!

Health & happiness…
Love,
Raine

Zucchini & Cauliflower Gluten Free Pizza Base

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pizza

Mmmm pizza! It’s taken a while and a few failed experiments but I’ve finally mastered the gluten free pizza base and here it is… I had it in my head that I wanted to make the base with courgette (zucchini) and cauliflower, so if your kids (or husbands!) don’t like veggies you can always hide it in this base, although I do think it’s good for kids to see their veggies so that they learn to love them and not have to have them hidden when they grow up 🙂 This isn’t a vegan recipe, but it is suitable for vegetarians. Raine will add her gluten and dairy-free pizza shortly!

Ingredients

For the base:
1 large cauliflower
4 courgettes
2 eggs, beaten (if you don’t like using eggs use 2 tbsp flax seeds with 6 tbsp water, mixed and left to set for 20 mins)
Half cup ground almonds
Quarter cup parmesan cheese
Quarter cup grated cheddar
Salt & Pepper
1 tsp ground oregano
1 tsp ground basil

For the sauce:
1 tin of tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp ground basil
Pinch of salt

Topping:
Cheese, grated
Choice of vegetables

Method

Preheat the oven to 180. Chop up the courgette and cauliflower and steam together for 7 minutes. Once ready, line a colander with a thin dish cloth and empty the vegetables into this. Then you need to start wringing out all the moisture. Keep wringing for as long as possible until as much moisture as possible has left the vegetables and they look almost dry. Once you’re confident this is done, put in a food processor and blitz quickly – it doesn’t need to be completely blended.

Once blended, add to a bowl with the eggs, ground almonds, both cheeses, salt, pepper and herbs and mix well.

Smooth out onto a baking-paper lined baking tray (or a stone pizza base if you have one!)

pizza base

Put in oven and leave for around 30-40 minutes or until you can see it browning.

While it’s in the oven, make the sauce by adding all ingredients to a saucepan and simmering on low. Cut the vegetables at this time too. I used red pepper, onion, mushroom and some leftover cauliflower.

Once the pizza starts browning slightly, add the sauce and vegetables and continue baking for another 20 minutes or until vegetables are soft.

Take out the oven, slice, serve and wait for the compliments!

Love,
Lauren

Rhubarb & Raspberry Crumble

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rhubarb crumble

Magical food
Wonderful food
Heavenly food
Beautiful food
Food, Glooorrriiiooouuusss Fooooood!

That Oliver Twist sure knew what he was talking about didn’t he! We just love food! And we especially love desserts. And we especially ESPECIALLY love desserts that are guilt free! All of our desserts here at Two Kitchens will be gluten free, refined sugar free and dairy free. Look at this picture, could you tell the difference?! This is heavenly!! Nutritious also as the nuts supply our bodies with essential fatty acids and protein, and believe it or not, rhubarb has huge amounts of health benefits. It aids weight loss, improves digestion, is great for the skin, has cancer preventing properties, improves circulation, and, can you believe, helps prevents Alzheimer’s Disease! What’s not to love??

Ingredients

For the rhubarb:

475g rhubarb, cut into 5cm pieces
the juice of 1 1/2 oranges (reserve the zest for the crumble)
125ml raw honey
1/3 cup dates, chopped
pinch of himalayan salt
100g raspberries (fresh or frozen)

For the crumble:

1 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 tsp himalayan salt
1/2 tsp vanilla powder or 1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
the zest of 1 lemon (plus the orange zest you’ve reserved)
½ cup almonds, soaked for 6 hours
60ml coconut oil
40ml raw honey

Method

Firstly, remember to pre-soak the almonds. Drain, rinse & pat them dry.

Preheat the oven to 180 C.

In a saucepan combine all the rhubarb ingredients, except for the raspberries. Simmer for 5-10 minutes until tender. Stir in the raspberries, and pour into an oven-proof dish.

For the crumble, put the oats, ground flaxseed, salt, vanilla, cinnamon, orange and lemon zest and almonds into a food processor. Process until a crumb-like texture forms. Add the coconut oil and honey and combine well. Spread over the rhubarb mixture.

Bake for 20 – 30 minutes until the crumble is golden and the sauce is bubbling up around the edges. Best served warm, but also delicious served at room temperature for breakfast the next day, with some coconut yoghurt!

Health & happiness!

Love,
Lauren & Raine