Tag: protein

Raspberry Coconut Chia Pudding

1 Comment

Chia Pudding with raspberries

Chia seeds are the ultimate health food. Although they contain carbohydrates, most of their carbohydrates are not digested by the body as carbohydrates but as fibre, so it speeds up the metabolism and gives you energy at the same time. They are also loaded with anti-oxidants and omega-3 fatty acids; gram for gram, chia seeds contain more omega-3 than salmon, and they are just an excellent source of protein.

Being a vegetarian doesn’t just mean you don’t eat meat but eat everything on the side, you have to make a conscious effort to know about where to get your protein from and this was a learning curve for me but I make sure I get all my protein from plant-based sources and believe it or not, these sources of protein are actually absorbed better by humans than protein from meat. So chia puddings are the way forward!

Great for baby breakfast!

Ingredients

2 tbsp chia seeds
The creamy bit from 1 can coconut milk (must be the original kind, not light or lower fat) I find the Blue Dragon brand to have the creamiest cream.
5 or 6 raspberries
1 tsp agave nectar (optional)

Method

Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl, making sure to get an even coating of the chia seeds. Cover with cling film and leave in fridge overnight. If you like it sweet you can add the agave, if not, you can omit this.

Enjoy on its own, as a yoghurt, with granola or as a dessert.

Love,
Lauren

Blueberry Acai Smoothie

Leave a comment

blueberry acai smoothie

I just love this picture! It snowed for the first time this year and I thought it would be nice for you guys to see it, especially Raine, who is probably lying by the pool right now – it’s summer in South Africa you know!

Anyway I need my anti-oxidants at the moment and acai berries have more anti-oxidants than any other known food. These anti-oxidants come from the high count of polyphenols in the berries, this is what gives them their gorgeous purple colour. If you want an immune boost, get yourself some Organic Burst acai capsules and use them as much as you can! If you add a probiotic capsule to this also, you’re really doing all you can for your immune system right now!

Ingredients

Half a cup of raspberries
Half a cup of blueberries
Half a cup of strawberries
1 tbsp almond butter
2 acai capsules (opened and sprinkled in)
2 dates
1 probiotic capsule
3 tbsp almond milk
1 frozen banana (cut in slices and frozen the day before, or any day before!)

Method

Simply put all the ingredients in your blender, in that exact order, and blend away! Pour into a glass and enjoy the sweet, smooth taste.

Love,
Lauren

Healthy ‘Nutella’

4 Comments

nutella

As healthy as I try to be, as much as I now have no problem staying away from all things artificial, (I now genuinely prefer the taste of real foods) I still cannot stay away from Nutella; I just love it! So we set about creating the perfect healthy hazelnut chocolate spread. Because raw cacao is a perfect source of protein, as are hazelnuts, this is actually a great post-workout snack! Hazelnuts are a great source of Vitamin E so it’s also wonderful for the skin. I also use it to layer my breakfast parfaits 🙂

Ingredients

A cup and a half of hazelnuts (soaked for at least 6 hours or overnight. Do not omit this step)
Quarter cup of purified water
Quarter cup of raw cacao
Just over a quarter cup of pure maple syrup
Half tsp vanilla essence

Method

Put the hazelnuts on a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes. Leave to cool for 5 minutes then put them in the food processor and blend until completely smooth.

Now add the cacao, vanilla and maple, blend again then gradually add the water. Add more water if it’s too thick and add more maple if it needs to be sweetened. Follow your instincts!

Enjoy!

Love,
Lauren

Easy Peasy Quinoa Salad

2 Comments

Basic Quinoa saladI do love a quinoa salad, I really, really do. What more could you want from an ingredient? It’s pure protein, easy to make and tastes good with pretty much anything! I will be posting different variations as time goes on but right now I wanted to post my really easy, go-to, basic quinoa salad recipe.

Ingredients

200g quinoa (this will make enough for 3 or 4 servings)
1 tsp Bouillon
1 carrot, shaved into ribbons
6 or 7 cherry or picolo tomatoes, chopped
Half a cucumber, chopped into small pieces
1 Avocado, cut into small pieces
Handful of chives, chopped
Juice of half a lemon
Drizzle of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Start by cooking the quinoa. Put it in a saucepan and cover with water, then add the bouillon and stir well. Once it has started boiling, turn heat down and put on the lid. Keep stirring every few minutes – it WILL stick to the bottom and you don’t want this.

While it’s cooking chop all your veggies.

Once it’s ready, spoon it all into a medium sized bowl and add all the veggies. Then add the lemon, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and serve!

Enjoy!

Love,
Lauren

 

Rhubarb & Raspberry Crumble

Leave a comment

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

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

7 Comments

roasted red pepper hummus

Growing up, my cooking influences came predominantly from the Middle East / Mediterranean (Morocco and Israel) so we ate a lot of hummus! The staples of any of our meals were parsley, garlic, olive oil, coriander and paprika with lots of tomatoes and red peppers. So when I started roasting the peppers to make this dish, the nostalgia took me right back to my grandmother’s kitchen in Israel when I was a kid. Topped off with the parsley at the end, I may as well have been in 1988 for those few minutes! I closed my eyes and inhaled the beautiful nostalgic smells.

I just love hummus. It’s always been in my fridge and I like to try and make variations of it, whilst keeping to the original Vaknine family recipe – simple and healthy.

Chickpeas are an AMAZING source of protein so this is great as a post-workout snack or just as a mid-morning snack when you get a bit peckish, perhaps with some carrots, celery or some homemade crackers!

Ingredients

2 cups chickpeas (I use raw organic ones, in which case you need to soak them overnight, then cook them in a saucepan for about two hours. If you are using tinned, you simply need to drain them and you’re good to go)

1 red pepper
3 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp tahini paste
Quarter cup of water
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
Half tsp garlic salt
Half tsp Himalayan salt

To serve:
Drizzle of olive oil
1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
Sprinkle of paprika or sumac

Method

Start by pre-heating your oven to 180. Cut the pepper up (removing all the seeds) into smallish pieces then place on a baking tray and roast for about fifteen minutes or until quite soft. Once ready, leave to cool for five minutes.

While this is cooling, place all the other ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until super smooth. Taste it, and add more cumin, garlic, lemon or salt if needed. Trust your instincts and your taste buds.

Add red pepper to blender and blend again until completely smooth.

Lastly, add to a bowl, drizzle a little olive oil, some parsley and a sprinkle of paprika or sumac on top. Serve, and enjoy!

Love,

Lauren

Creamy Porcini Pasta with Crispy Sage

Leave a comment

photo 2

Who doesn’t love a good creamy pasta? You may think that when you switch to a healthy lifestyle it’s something you’ll have to give up permanently. But I’ve got good news… you CAN enjoy a delicious and satisfying bowl of pasta, and know that you’ve nourished your body with the good stuff!

Mushrooms have many medicinal properties and make a great substitute for meat.

This recipe is dairy-free, wheat- and gluten-free and vegan. I use raw cashew nuts to make my “cream” for this sauce and nutritional yeast adds a cheesy flavour. You could use any gluten and wheat-free pasta, such as buckwheat, brown rice or amaranth pasta.

Ingredients

2/3 cup of raw cashews

1 1/4 cup of water

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tsp Himalayan crystal salt

a handful of fresh sage

250g quinoa pasta

Organic and virgin coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil for frying

250g porcini mushrooms

120g shiitake mushrooms

3 big cloves of garlic, finely chopped

truffle oil and fresh lemon to finish

Method

Place the cashews, water, nutritional yeast and salt in a blender and blend until completely smooth.

Cook the pasta according to package instructions.

Slice the mushrooms and saute them in coconut or olive oil. Once they start to brown nicely, add the garlic and continue to fry for a few minutes. 

In a separate pan, fry the sage in some oil for a few minutes until it turns crispy.

Season the sauce to taste with black pepper and salt if necessary. Toss the pasta and sauce together and serve topped with a few crispy sage leaves. Finish with a drizzle of truffle oil and a squeeze of lemon if desired.

Enjoy!

Love,

Raine

Green Goddess Spirulina Smoothie Bowl

Leave a comment

green goddess

‘How do you get protein if you’re a vegetarian?’ That is the question I am asked on a daily basis. And I love giving the answer! I get so much plant-based protein, protein that gets absorbed instantly and is bioavailable, that I’m sure I actually get more protein that my meat-loving husband! Plant-based wonders like chia seeds, hemp seeds, quinoa, nut butters, chickpeas and the wonderful spirulina contain all the protein I need. Spirulina is around 50-70% protein, a complete protein. To explain it in simpler terms, 100g of spirulina contains 57g protein, where100g of chicken, in comparison, contains only 16g protein! So I try to get it in my diet a couple of times a week and the best way to do that is in a smoothie or a juice. This is a great pre or post workout smoothie!

Ingredients

1 avocado
Handful spinach
2 dates
1 tbsp almond butter
1 tsp spirulina powder (I use Organic Burst)
1 tsb maca powder (I use Organic Burst)
Half cup frozen pineapple (cut up and frozen the night before)
1 frozen banana (cut in slices and frozen the night before)
Splash of almond milk

Method

Simply put all ingredients into a blender or food processor (I use the Vitamix) in the exact order listed above. Start on a low speed and increase slowly. Once it’s nice and creamy, pour it into a bowl and add your choice of topping. Here I used some homemade granola, poppy seeds, desiccated coconut and some fruit.

Enjoy!

Love,
Lauren