Tag: healthy eating

Choc-Chip Sweet Potato Cookies

Leave a comment

Sweet Potato Choc Chip Cookies 1

If you’ve read my Joburg recommendations in the “Two Kitchens Loves” page, you’ll know that I am a big fan of the Organic Emporium in Bryanston. It has replaced regular supermarkets for my day-to-day grocery shopping. The owner, Debbie, is so passionate about the work she does, it’s hard not to get caught up in her enthusiasm!

Last week I was in the store and Debbie asked me to come up with a recipe for Wensleydale’s new organic Sweet Potato Flour. I made these gluten, sugar and dairy-free choc-chip cookies. They’ve been really popular with everyone’s who’s taste-tested them for me!

Sweet potatoes are naturally gluten-free and low-GI so the flour makes a great substitute for regular wheat flour. It is quite granular, so it gives the cookies a chunky texture. If you’d prefer a smoother texture you can grind the flour more finely in a blender. In the first batch I used a combination of honey and coconut sugar to sweeten; and in the second batch I replaced the coconut sugar with organic stevia leaf powder. Both worked equally well, so it’s just a matter of preference. If you’re watching calories I would recommend using the stevia.

Ingredients (makes about 20 cookies)

1/4 cup organic virgin coconut oil
1/4 cup organic coconut sugar OR 1/2 tsp organic stevia leaf powder
2 tbsp raw honey
2 tbsp nut butter (peanut, almond, cashew etc)
2 farm-raised eggs
1/4 tsp organic vanilla powder OR 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp himalayan salt
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 ripe banana, finely mashed with a fork
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup rolled oats
75g Gayleen’s Decadence Raw Chocolate Baking Slab, available at the Organic Emporium
1 1/2 cup Wensleydale’s Sweet Potato Flour, available at the Organic Emporium

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 C.

Make sure that the raw chocolate is cold from the fridge. Chop it up into small pieces for your “chocolate chips” and then return to the fridge. If left at room temperature it may start to melt.

Beat together the oil, coconut sugar or stevia, honey and nut butter. Add the eggs and beat well. Stir in the vanilla, salt, bicarb, banana and water. Add the oats and chocolate chips. Now stir in the sweet potato flour. You will notice that the flour is very “thirsty” and the dough will thicken quite quickly. Stir well so that there are no dry lumps of flour.

Line a large baking tray with silicone mats or baking paper. Place a heaped tablespoon of dough onto the tray and spread out into a neat circle, about 1.5cm thick. You can wet your fingers to prevent the dough from sticking to them. Repeat till all the dough is used up. The cookies will not spread during baking, so you can place them quite close together.

Bake for 15 – 20 minutes, until slightly golden and firm to the touch. Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Health & happiness!

Love,
Raine

Butternut & Sage Pasta

1 Comment

Butternut & Sage Pasta

This is a quick and easy family dinner – I literally only had 35 minutes to get food on the table, and that included writing the recipe and taking a photo!

I am in love with sage… it’s such a versatile herb and the tangy, lemony flavour really comes out with roasting. It pairs beautifully with butternut, which is high in beta-carotene and vitamin C.

Ingredients (serves 4)

850g butternut (weighed without the skin or seeds)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus some extra
1 tsp himalayan salt
15 cloves of garlic, cut into quarters
big handful of fresh sage
250g gluten-free organic pasta (I used amaranth, but you could use buckwheat or quinoa)
1/2 lemon
2 heaped tbsp raw pumpkin seeds

Method

Cut the butternut into cubes. On a roasting tray, toss together the butternut, olive oil, salt, garlic and sage. Roast at 200 C for about 30 minutes, until tender.

Cook the pasta according to packet instructions.

Toss the butternut and pumpkin seeds through the cooked pasta. Add some more olive oil if it looks too dry. Season to taste with lemon juice, himalayan salt and freshly ground black pepper. That’s it!

Health & happiness 🙂

Love,
Raine

Tarragon & Grape Salad

Leave a comment

tarragon salad

Growing up my mom used to make a chicken dish with a tarragon cream sauce, using dried tarragon. It was one of my favourites, so tarragon is a familiar flavour to me. But I’ll never forget the first time I tasted fresh tarragon – it was at Angela Hartnett’s London restaurant, Murano. It took me a good few minutes to identify the salad ingredient as fresh tarragon… I couldn’t believe the intensity of the flavour which, while obviously similar to dried tarragon, had a unique note all of its own. It was a feeling of dèja vu.

I don’t often find fresh tarragon in Joburg, but much to my joy, the Organic Emporium gets in a delivery of organic fresh tarragon every now and then. The slightly liquorice flavour pairs very well with sweet, white grapes, of which we have an abundance in South Africa right now.

I had this salad with a fillet of hot-smoked salmon. A perfect hot summer’s day lunch.

Ingredients (to serve 1)

a handful of fresh tarragon
a handful of wild rocket
a few leaves of fresh basil, torn
a handful of white grapes
a handful of cocktail tomatoes, sliced in half
2 spring onions, finely sliced
a handful of sugar snap peas, sliced
1 tbsp sunflower seeds
1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
extra virgin olive oil
pomegranate concentrate (or organic red wine vinegar, or fresh lemon juice)

Method

Combine all the ingredients. Dress with a drizzle of olive oil and pomegranate concentrate. Season to taste with himalayan salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Health & happiness!

Love,
Raine

Pretty in Pink Valentine’s Juice

Leave a comment

IMG_0325

I felt like something pink and sweet on this Valentine’s morning so I made this beautiful juice!

Originally from Persia, the pomegranate has been revered as a symbol of health, fertility and eternal life for thousands of years. I’m always amazed at how nature gives us clues as to which fruit or vegetable is good for a certain part of our bodies. There is something heart-like about a pomegranate when you open it, with its blood-red seeds and white membranes. Pomegranate contains a unique compound called punicalagin, which is excellent for heart health. It lowers cholesterol and blood pressure, and increases the rate at which arterial blockages melt away. The antioxidants in pomegranate also help to prevent stroke and heart attack.

Radishes eliminate toxins, aid digestion and prevent viral infections.

Ingredients (serves 2)

1 pomegranate, skin and membranes discarded (you don’t have to spend half an hour picking out every little piece of membrane – just the majority of it!)
3 radishes
1 lime (you can juice the skin)
1 medium cucumber
a few sprigs of mint
1 red pepper

Method

Put everything through your juicer. Add ice if you like.

Health & happiness!

Love,
Raine

Leek & Zucchini Fritters

Leave a comment

IMG_0282

I had a bunch of beautiful organic leeks and zucchini so I whipped this up for dinner yesterday. It was quick, easy and healthy! No wheat, gluten, dairy or other nasties, and I even baked them instead of frying. I served them with a big salad of corn, watercress, spring onion and tomatoes, simply dressed with extra virgin olive oil and fresh lime juice. A perfect meal for baby and you!

Ingredients

250g leeks
1 tbsp organic virgin coconut oil
8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 chilli, finely chopped (optional but highly recommended!)
300g zucchini (courgette), grated
a handful of fresh coriander, finely chopped
a handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp himalayan salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp ground flax seeds
1 tsp aluminium-free baking powder
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour

Method

Slice the leeks down the length, leaving the root end intact. Rinse them under running water. I find this the easiest way to get rid of the dirt which is stuck between the layers of the leek. Dry them and then slice finely.

Fry the leeks in the coconut oil until they start to caramelise. Add the garlic and spices and fry for a few more minutes. Stir in the grated zucchini and cook for a couple of minutes. Remove from the heat and add the herbs and salt. Set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 180 C.
Whisk together the eggs and water. Stir into the leek and zucchini mixture. Add the remaining ingredients. On a roasting tray lined with baking paper or silicon mats, spread a heaped tablespoon of the batter into a neat circle. Repeat until all the batter is used up. Bake for 25 minutes until golden and cooked through.

Health & happiness!

Love,
Lauren & Raine

Beetroot & Horseradish Mash

2 Comments

Beetroot Horseradish Mash

This recipe was created a year and a half ago but I’m updating it now as it’s a great one to add to the baby food section. Babies and toddlers will love this because the colour is so vibrant and it tastes gorgeous as well. You can reduce the amount of horseradish if you think it will be too strong for your baby…

There is a chance there might be none of this left by the time my husband gets home for dinner… it’s just so ridiculously delicious! I think it’s one of my favourite creations to date! And I didn’t even edit the picture one tiny bit as I wanted you to see the amazing colour – it really is this exact colour in real life!

You can see how much I love beetroot from my Beetroot Juice post last week. It’s just so good for you and it’s so important for us to get all our nutrients from plant-based sources. I’m also a huge fan of eating locally grown, seasonal produce. For example, not eating strawberries in January because they will be genetically modified. I buy all my fruit and veg from Abel and Cole because they are a genuine source for real organic food. So much so that you can’t even order strawberries or blueberries at the wrong time of year if you tried – they give you what is naturally grown at the right time of year. So as you can imagine, right now, beetroot are abundant in my home! Juice them, mash them, steam them, use them in salads, sandwiches, and, my next venture, to make Valentine’s pancakes out of them 🙂 in the meantime, enjoy this recipe…

Ingredients

5 raw beetroot
6 Maris Piper or Desiree potatoes
2 tbsp grated horseradish root
1 tbsp vegan margarine
Quarter cup almond milk
Salt & pepper to taste

Method

Start by peeling your beetroot (just chop off the skins with a knife), cutting them into small cubes, then steaming them for around twenty minutes. I usually make a big batch and keep some aside in the fridge for salads and other recipes.

While this is on the go, peel, chop and boil your potatoes.

Once the beetroot are ready, add them to the food processor with a few drops of the almond milk and puree until smooth.

When your potatoes are ready, mash them until smooth, then add in the pureed beetroot, margarine, almond milk, salt and pepper, then add in the grated horseradish and mix well.

Taste a little bit, it may need more horseradish or salt, or if you like it creamier, more almond milk or margarine, depending on your preference.

Enjoy!

Love,
Lauren

Colourful Quinoa Salad

Leave a comment

Quinoa salad 2

Yes yes, another quinoa salad. I can’t help it! It’s just so easy to make, delicious and is pure protein so amazing as a post-workout meal. And guess what, I didn’t even make this, my husband did! The biggest meat eater you’ll ever find, has realised how amazing quinoa is and now prefers it as his post-workout meal so he made this after the gym. You really can use whatever vegetables you like but I’ll take you through what we used here…

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa
1 and quarter cups water
Half tsp bouillon
Himalayan salt
Ground black pepper
2 Cooked beetroot, chopped
3 romaine lettuce leaves
2 tomatoes
Half a fennel bulb
Quarter cucumber
2 spring onions
Handful or parsley

Method

Put the quinoa in a saucepan and cover with water. Turn down heat once it starts bubbling then put the lid on. Stir every few minutes until ready, about 7 minutes. While it’s cooking, chop up your veggies.

Once ready, mix all in a bowl and season with a drizzle of lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Ready to go!

Love,
Lauren

Traditional Israeli Shakshuka

2 Comments

Shakshuka

Growing up in an Israeli family, shakshuka was always a big part of our lives… tomatoes, parsley, coriander, cumin and paprika are the flavours of my childhood and today I just fancied shakshuka so I decided it make it for lunch as my sister-in-law was coming over and I know she loves it.

The flavours are so aromatic it just fills up the whole kitchen. Traditionally you serve this with bread and Israeli salad. I used Biona organic linseed and rye bread, toasted, and I made a traditional Israeli salad and cut up and seasoned some fennel too.

Ingredients

2 tins chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato puree
6 organic free-range eggs
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 onion
1 red pepper
3 cloves garlic
2 tbsp parsley
2 tbsp coriander
Himalayan salt and black pepper
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Method

Heat the oil in a large, non-stick pan. Once hot, add the onion and cook for one minute. Then add the pepper and cook on a low heat, stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook for a further minute.

Now add both tins of tomatoes and the puree and stir well and cook on a medium heat for one minute. Then add the cumin, paprika and some salt and black pepper. Mix well and turn down heat to low and let the tomatoes thicken, this should take around 20 minutes. While this is cooking, turn on the oven and prepare a tray that the pan can rest on.

Once ready, gently crack the eggs onto the tomatoes, season the eggs with salt and pepper then place the pan in the oven to bake the eggs for around 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle the parsley and coriander over the top and serve with bread of choice and Israeli salad. (Israeli salad is made up of cucumbers, tomatoes, red or spring onion, red pepper, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper – all cut up very finely).

Hope you enjoy it as much as me and my sister-in-law did!

Love,
Lauren

Raw Chocolate Hearts with Maca Caramel Centre

Leave a comment

Maca Caramel Chocolates

With Valentine’s Day just a week away I’m sure chocolate is on everyone’s mind. So I thought I’d show you that it doesn’t have to be unhealthy or “fattening.” Chocoholics round the world rejoiced when the experts started saying “chocolate is good for you.” But some of you may have been confused by this statement… after all, chocolate is full of sugar, right? So how do you get all those amazing benefits of raw cacao without the toxins of refined sugar, dairy and other additives such as emulsifiers and thickeners? Raw chocolate!

This was one of my favourite discoveries when I started this lifestyle… and it really is simple to make. By omitting all the bad stuff, and keeping the raw cacao at low temperatures so that you don’t destroy the nutrients, you’re giving your body one of nature’s most nutrient dense foods. Raw cacao is rich in anti-oxidants, is good for cardiovascular health and fights cancer. It also contains phenylethylamine, which is a mood enhancer. That explains the “feel good” effect of chocolate! 🙂

What is the difference between cacao and cocoa? Cocoa is what you probably grew up with… it is made from cacao beans but has gone through processing which means a loss of nutrients. To get the full benefits of the cacao bean, and a high-quality chocolate, make sure you only buy organic raw cacao products.

My chocolate recipe uses raw cacao paste as well as cacao butter. If these are not available to you, or you first want to see what this is all about before spending money on those products, you can make raw chocolate using coconut oil and raw cacao powder.

Maca is a root grown in Peru, which comes from the radish family. It has been revered for over 2000 years for its ability to provide stamina, mental clarity and aid fertility. It is believed to be an excellent aphrodisiac, particularly when paired with raw cacao. It has a bit of an odd taste (I must admit at first I didn’t like it!) but adding it to my raw caramel is a good way to start… the result is heavenly!

Ingredients

1 x Raw Caramel recipe
2 tbsp maca powder

Chocolate recipe #1:

75g raw cacao paste
25g raw cacao butter
30ml runny raw honey or organic maple syrup
1/4 tsp organic stevia leaf powder (alternatively, use 60ml honey or maple)
pinch of himalayan salt

Chocolate recipe #2:

90ml coconut oil
90ml runny raw honey or organic maple syrup
125ml raw cacao powder

Method:

Add the maca powder to the caramel ingredients when blending. Set aside.

For chocolate recipe #1, place all the ingredients in a glass or stainless steel bowl which can fit over a saucepan. Bring some water to a simmer in the saucepan, and set the bowl over it. The trick with chocolate is to only ever use gentle heat, and to heat all the ingredients together. If you try to melt the cacao over direct heat, or add cold honey to it once it’s been melted, it will seize. Use a whisk to stir the chocolate until everything is melted, well combined and glossy.

For chocolate recipe #2, place the coconut oil and honey or maple in a glass or stainless steel bowl which can fit over a saucepan. Bring some water to a simmer in the saucepan, and set the bowl over it. Gently melt the oil and honey, using a whisk to combine. Remove from the heat and add the cacao powder, using the whisk to combine well.

Fill your heart mould with chocolate one third of the way. If you don’t have moulds, ice trays work just as well. Place in the freezer until set. Now use a small spoon to drop some caramel onto the set chocolate, trying to avoid the sides of the mould.

Maca Caramel Chocolates 2

Place in the freezer again for a few minutes to harden, so that pouring more chocolate over the caramel doesn’t melt it. If your chocolate is no longer pouring consistency, heat it gently again over the simmering water. Fill the moulds with chocolate so that it pours around the caramel, and covers it. Place in the freezer again until set. These chocolates do need to be kept in the fridge as they can melt at room temperature, especially if you’ve made the coconut oil version. I keep mine in a glass jar, and they can last up to a month (at least, that’s the longest mine have ever lasted before being eaten!)

I hope these will put you in the mood for Valentine’s Day!

Health & happiness.

Love,
Raine

Chocolate ‘Nice’ Cream & Overnight Oats Breakfast Parfait

Leave a comment

Parfait 2

Oh how I love a breakfast parfait. It’s so important to get your protein in in the morning, I’d say especially if you’re a veggie but it’s for anyone really. It’s the most important time of day to have a good protein intake so most of my breakfasts are packed with plant-based protein. I see some people doing nana ice cream parfaits in massive jars but for me it’s too much, this amount is just the right portion size for breakfast, I’d say. My protein today came from the almond butter in the oats, the almond milk in the oats (calcium also), the cacao in the ice cream, and the quinoa pops layered in the middle and sprinkled on the top. I also added maca powder to the overnight oats to give me extra strength and endurance.

Ingredients

Overnight oats layer
1 cup organic jumbo rolled oats
2 cups almond milk
1 tbsp almond butter
1 tsp maca powder
1 tsp organic natural maple

Chocolate nana ice cream layer
2 frozen bananas
1 heaped tsp raw cacao
1 tsp organic natural maple

Extras
Puffed quinoa pops

Method

The day before, combine all the ingredients for overnight oats, mix well, cover and leave in the fridge overnight.

When you’re ready to make the parfait, take the bananas out the freezer and put them in the blender with the cacao and maple and blend until smooth and creamy.

Layer a few spoonfuls of the overnight oats on the bottom, put the quinoa pops in the middle, then spoon the ice cream on the top and sprinkle with more quinoa pops.

You should have a big bowl of overnight oats left so you can have this for breakfast for the next few days in whichever variation you like…

Enjoy!
Love,
Lauren