Tag: sugar free

Broccoli & Pea Buckwheat Pasta

Leave a comment

Pasta

Easy dinners, easy dinners. It’s all about easy dinners that you can just throw together quickly. Usually the meals that are considered ‘easy’ or ‘convenient’ are not particularly healthy so I’m always trying to invent new ones to add to the website so I can go back to them when I am short of time.

I’m trying to keep my folate and calcium levels up during my pregnancy so broccoli is a must-have in my diet right now. Buckwheat also helps control blood sugars which is essential during pregnancy to prevent gestational diabetes, and avocados, well, you all know how I feel about this wonder-food!

Ingredients

Enough buckwheat pasta for two people – double up all ingredients if you need more. (you can also use brown rice pasta or quinoa pasta. Try and stay away from processed pastas, even if they’re gluten free.)
A head of organic broccoli
1 cup frozen peas
1 ripe avocado
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
5 tbsp lemon juice
5 Brazil nuts
Handful pine nuts
1 clove of garlic
Handful fresh mint
Pinch Himalayan salt

Method

Cut your broccoli into florettes and add to a pan of boiling water. Once it’s been in for five minutes, add the peas and leave for around three minutes until all the vegetables are ready but not too soft. Drain, and set to the side until you are ready to use them. Rinse the saucepan and add the pasta and boiling water and begin to cook as per packet instructions.

While this is cooking, make your vegan pesto sauce. Add the avocado, olive oil, lemon juice, Brazil nuts, pine nuts, garlic, mint and salt to the food processor and process until totally smooth. If it is too thick, add a little more oil and lemon juice. Taste to see if it needs more salt or lemon.

Drain the pasta once it is ready and return it to the pan, then add in the vegetables and pesto sauce and turn heat on low just to heat the vegetables and stir to heat it all through.

Serve once hot.

Enjoy!

Love,
Lauren

Double Chocolate Cookies

1 Comment

Double Chocolate Cookies

It’s tough being pregnant and health-conscious! But what time could be more important than now to watch what I eat? The growth and health of my baby is solely dependent on me – that’s a lot of pressure! So I need to make sure I’m consuming only the healthiest, most nutritious organic produce but that’s not always easy; as we know, everything healthy takes preparation. I must admit, I have succumbed to the odd store-bought chocolate biscuit over the last few weeks as the serious chocolate cravings hit, but I try to make a batch of something sweet yet healthy once a week or once a fortnight so I have stuff on hand.

Today we looked after our 18 month old niece (good practice!) and while she had her afternoon nap I whipped up these bad boys, adapting from a recipe by Wholesome Patisserie. Not only did they 100% fully satisfy my craving (and I’m not lying, they really did – even more so than the store-bought processed stuff!) but my niece loved them too and we got to have them warm out the oven when she woke up. That’s what I call Sunday afternoon bliss! I hope you like them as much as we all did 🙂

Ingredients

Wet Ingredients:
1 heaped tbsp ground flax seeds
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup almond butter
1 and quarter cups coconut palm sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste

Dry Ingredients:
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/4 tsp Himalayan or Oryx salt
3 heaped tbsp raw cacao powder
1 1/2 cups buckwheat flour
2 tsp almond milk
Half cup dairy free (or your choice of) chocolate chips

Method

Preheat oven to 180 and line 2 baking trays with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the ground flax and 3 tbsp filtered water and set aside for 2-3 minutes or until it has thickened up. Then whisk the flax egg one final time.

Now add the wet ingredients to the same bowl with the flax egg; solid coconut oil, almond butter, brown sugar, coconut sugar and vanilla. Beat the mixture until smooth and well combined.

Add in the baking soda, baking powder, salt and cacao, beat the mixture well. You may have to knead a bit with your hands to get it fully incorporated, then beat or knead in the buckwheat flour with the almond milk until smooth and well combined.

Now mix in the chocolate chips.

Take a small piece in your hands and roll into a ball then flatten into a cookie shape and place on prepared baking tray. Make sure to leave enough room between each cookie as they will rise.

Put them in the oven for 12-15 minutes then remove them and leave to cool on a cooling rack for 5 minutes. After that you can either eat them warm or wait until fully cooled before storing them in an airtight container.

Enjoy the decadence!

Love,
Lauren

Overnight Chia Oats with Strawberry Compote

1 Comment

Overnight Oats with Strawberry Compote

Overnight oats is this easiest thing to make and it makes such a nice change from the usual breakfast. You can also do all sorts of flavours and toppings so it never gets boring. Get a good batch of organic, gluten free oats, some almond milk, and some fruit and nuts and you’re ready to go! The chia seeds give extra goodness and protein.

Ingredients

1 cup organic, gluten free oats
1.5 cups almond milk
2 tbsp pure organic maple syrup
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
1 tbsp chia seeds
A big handful of organic strawberries

Method

Mix your oats, milk, maple, chia seeds and cinnamon in a bowl, cover with cling-film and leave in the fridge overnight.

When you’re ready to eat it the next morning, make the compote by putting the strawberries in the food processor.

Layer both mixtures up in small cups or bowls, top with nuts or seeds of choice. Yummy and so great for the kids!

Enjoy!

Love,
Lauren

Homemade Coconut Yoghurt

1 Comment

Coconut Yoghurt

When I first started cutting out dairy, yoghurt was the hardest thing to give up… in fact I didn’t think I’d ever be able to do it! I’ve spent a lot of time working on my coconut yoghurt recipe and have finally come up with the perfect one. I normally make my own coconut milk from fresh coconut but you can also use an organic tinned coconut milk or cream. No dairy, sugar, artificial colours or flavours, but still thick, creamy and delicious 🙂 Need I say more?

Ingredients

160g fresh mature coconut flesh
350ml hot water (or replace the coconut and water with 420ml organic coconut milk or cream)
1/3 tsp agar agar powder (flakes require different measurements so make sure you are using powder)
1/4 tsp himalayan salt
1/4 tsp organic stevia leaf powder or 1 tbsp organic maple or raw honey
20ml baobab powder
1 tbsp of a high quality liquid probiotic, or the contents of 2 probiotic capsules
A glass jar, a piece of netting or breathable cloth, and an elastic

A note on making yoghurt

Two things are very important when making yoghurt: Firstly, the quality of the probiotic you use and secondly, hygiene. If you do not have a good quality probiotic it will not culture into yoghurt and you will merely have a nice tasting coconut cream. On the other hand, if you don’t sterilise the glass jar and wash your hands properly, you may end up culturing other bacteria. This won’t taste good and may even make you sick!

I’ve tried a few different probiotics and have found the best result with a liquid probiotic. I use Sambiotica or Nature’s Choice Ultimate Probiotic, available at Dischem.  Alternatively you can use Biogen Pre- & Probiotic capsules also available at Dischem. If you’re not in South Africa, you may need to experiment a bit to find the one that works best.

Probiotic Probiotic2 Probiotic3

Method

Firstly make sure you have a sterilised glass jar for fermenting the yoghurt. The easiest is to put it in a dishwasher, otherwise you can boil it for 2 minutes. Turn it upside down on a rack to dry. Also make sure that your hands are thoroughly clean!

Blend the coconut and hot water for 30 to 60 seconds in a high speed blender and then strain through a nut milk bag or muslin. Place the resulting cream in a saucepan. Sprinkle the agar over the cream and use a whisk to thoroughly combine. Bring up to a gentle simmer, and simmer for 3 minutes exactly. Agar needs to be heated to activate it, but over heating will destroy it and it will not thicken. Remove from the heat.

Once the coconut cream has cooled down to body temperature, whisk in the remaining ingredients. If you add the probiotic while it is too hot, you will kill the cultures. Remember that bacteria are living things so treat them as such… they like to be warm and fed 🙂 Cover the jar with a cloth that breathes and use an elastic to secure it.

Coconut Yoghurt 2

Leave the jar in a warm place for about 24 hours. If it is particularly hot, 18 hours may be enough. If it’s very cold, gently warm your oven, turn it OFF and then place the jar inside. After a day the cream will have cultured into yoghurt and you can refrigerate it. In the fridge it may culture and thicken further. You should eat it within about a 10 days, if it lasts that long!

Health & happiness.

Love,
Raine

Courgette Pasta with Sauteed Mushrooms and Vegan Pesto

2 Comments

Zoodles

OK I may have gone a little overboard with the sauce, it’s just so yummy! But you may want to tone yours down and add less sauce, or as much as you want to get it as creamy as you like.

It seems that everyone is jumping on the spiralizer bandwagon these days which is great! All these utensils give us more resources to be able to cook healthily more often, and in less time. It honestly takes about 60 seconds to put two courgettes through a spiralizer. I decided to go for a tagliatelle shape this time. I had some mushrooms and leeks in the fridge along with my courgettes so decided to mix all three together and the result was delicious. Added to it my creamy Vegan Pesto, you can’t go wrong! Either as an accompaniment to a meal or as a meal itself with some salad – just yum!

Ingredients

2 courgettes (zucchini)
About 6/7 chestnut mushrooms or any smallish mushroom
1 leek
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 x vegan pesto recipe

Method

First spiralize your courgettes and set aside. If you don’t have a spiralizer you can use a potato peeler. (Spiralizers are quite cheap and really great to have around.)

Chop your mushrooms and leeks.

Heat some olive oil in a deep saucepan and when hot, add the mushrooms and leeks. Stir for a while, until the mushrooms start to release juices, then add a little salt and pepper. After about 7-10 minutes, once they smell delicious, gently pour away the excess liquid.

Put the saucepan back on the hob and add the courgette. Mix well, then add the pesto sauce and mix around until all is hot. Serve hot and sprinkle a few pine nuts on the top.

Enjoy!

Love,
Lauren

Spelt Flour Banana Bread

1 Comment

Spelt Banana Bread

Everyone loves a bit of banana bread in the afternoon with a cup of tea, right? And everyone loves it more when it’s guilt free! I’ve tried this recipe with coconut flour, buckwheat flour and spelt flour and spelt seems to give it the most moist consistency. This is wheat free but not gluten-free as spelt does in fact contain gluten but the gluten in spelt has a different molecular make up which means that the body handles it differently. Gluten is a sticky substance with a consistency like glue (hence the name) which is difficult to digest (imagine chewing gum finding its way through your system) but which also gives dough its elasticity and allows bread to rise.

As the genetic make-up of spelt is different to wheat it is a grain that many people who suffer wheat intolerance or sensitivity may be able to use. The molecular structure of the protein in spelt is both brittle and soluble, allowing it to be assimilated more easily, so give it a go and see how it makes you feel. I know I’m totally fine with spelt; it never bloated me and never made the arthritis flare…
This really is a fool-proof recipe that always works!
Ingredients
Wet ingredients:
3 extra ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup vegan margarine or coconut oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp almond milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 free range organic eggs
Dry ingredients:
1 1/4 cups spelt flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
Method
Preheat the oven to 180 and grease a loaf tin with coconut oil.
In a medium bowl, mix all the wet ingredients, mashing the bananas first.
In another bowl, mix all the dry ingredients.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix really well until well combined.
Pour into the loaf tin and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a fork comes out dry but you still want it moist inside!
Tag us in pictures of this one on Instgaram if you make it please! Our Instagram is @twokitchensonelifestyle
Love,
Lauren

Chocolate Birthday Cake with Berry Chia Jam & Chocolate Mousse Icing

Leave a comment

Chocolate Birthday Cake

For my son’s first birthday I made a cake without refined sugar but still used stoneground wheat flour and organic butter. Last year for his second birthday I was determined to come up with a completely clean cake recipe, so I began The Cake Trials (which you may have seen if you followed my old Instagram account @unsinfully_divine.) I must have baked about 10 cakes in the month leading up to his birthday, and finally came up with the perfect recipe!
This cake was so good I made it again this year for his third birthday. You would never guess that it is so healthy… it’s rich, moist and has a good crumb (very hard to do with gluten-free baking!) Berry chia jam and my awesome Chocolate Mousse Icing finish it perfectly.

INGREDIENTS

For the cake:

1 1/2 cups rolled oats
70g raw cacao paste
150g pitted fresh dates
180ml boiling water
150ml organic maple syrup
200g organic virgin coconut oil
4 eggs
1/2 tsp organic vanilla powder or 1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of himalayan salt
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 cup almond flour
60ml raw cacao powder

For the Chocolate Mousse Icing:

320g mature coconut flesh and 1 1/2 cups hot water, OR 2 cups organic coconut cream
80ml raw honey
pinch of himalayan salt
1/4 tsp organic vanilla powder or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
5ml agar agar powder (not flakes – they require different measurements)
40ml organic virgin coconut oil
90ml raw cacao powder

For the Berry Chia Jam:

1 cup frozen mixed berries
1 tbsp raw honey
1ml organic vanilla powder
small pinch of himalayan salt
2 tbsp chia seeds

METHOD

Set aside the frozen berries to allow them to defrost.

Firstly make the icing. If using fresh coconut to make your own cream, blend the coconut and hot water in a high speed blender for 30 to 60 seconds. Strain through a nut milk bag. Allow it to cool slightly before squeezing so that you don’t burn your hands! Return the coconut cream to the blender, along with the honey, salt, vanilla, agar agar and coconut oil. Blend until smooth. Pour into a saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Simmer for three minutes exactly and then remove from the heat. Boiling activates the agar agar, allowing it to set, but over boiling will destroy it, so use a timer. Refrigerate.

Preheat the oven to 160 C. Line two 20cm cake tins with baking paper or silicone liners.

In a clean, dry blender, grind the oats until you have a fine flour. Sift together with the almond flour and 60ml cacao powder. Set aside.

Place the cacao paste, dates, boiling water and maple syrup in the blender. Blend until completely smooth. Add the coconut oil, vanilla and salt, and the eggs one at a time. Blend until the mixture is smooth, thick and glossy. Add the bicarb and blend just to disperse it thoroughly. Pour the mixture onto the sifted dry ingredients and fold them together. Pour into the cake tins, dividing the mixture evenly, and bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

While the cake bakes, make the jam. Blend the berries with the honey, vanilla and salt. You can make it smooth or leave it chunky, as you prefer. Pour into a bowl and stir in the chia seeds. Refrigerate until needed.

Once the icing has set, blend it again with the 90ml cacao powder. Agar sets much firmer in comparison to gelatine, but blending it breaks up that glassy texture, giving you a smooth and creamy end result. Refrigerate again to firm up.

Once the cakes have cooled, turn them out. Use the berry jam to sandwich them together and then top with the icing.

My son asked for a Maleficent cake. I made two 20cm cakes and two 10cm cakes, and sandwiched them together with the jam. I then used coloured cardboard and ribbon to decorate, rather than using fondant icing which is full of refined sugar and chemical colours which are so bad for kids! Once the cardboard was on, I carefully piped the icing ontop, and placed a Maleficent figurine we got from the toyshop on the top of the cake.

Maleficent Cake

Health & happiness!

Love,
Raine

Mango Coconut Ice Cream

Leave a comment

mango coconut ice cream

The last few mornings in Joburg have been quite chilly and I’m not at all happy to admit that autumn is definitely on its way. Use the last of our beautiful tropical summer fruit to make this quick and easy ice cream – no dairy or sugar! I’ve frozen it in lolly molds to make it fun for my son, but you could also freeze it as regular ice cream to be scooped on its own or to accompany a dessert.

Ingredients:

650g fresh mango flesh (about 2 mangoes)
1 tin (400ml) organic coconut milk
60ml organic virgin coconut oil
30ml raw honey
1/4 tsp himalayan salt
1/4 tsp organic vanilla powder or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp organic stevia leaf powder

Method:

Blend all the ingredients until smooth. Pour into lolly moulds and freeze, or process in an ice cream machine. If you don’t have an ice cream machine, freeze until almost set, then blend again to break up the crystals and return to the freezer.

mango coconut ice cream 2

Health & happiness!

Love,
Raine

Roll Up Maca Crepes

Leave a comment

Maca Roll Up Pancakes

This morning I just needed pancakes, and energy. So I concocted this new recipe using ingredients that would give me energy, including maca powder. It’s basically the ‘original’ healthy caffeine. Just gives you that boost you need without the dip in energy later on that caffeine does to you. I also used almond butter for protein and banana, because who wants pancakes without lashings of nut butter and banana?! It’s also made with buckwheat flour so it’s totally gluten free, as well as dairy free and refined-sugar free. It’s a really quick, easy recipe and so yummy. Give it a go…

Ingredients

1 egg
1 egg white
1 banana, mashed
2 tbsp organic maple syrup
1/3 cup almond milk
1/3 cup buckwheat flour
1 tbsp maca powder
Coconut oil for cooking

Method

Mash the banana in a bowl, then add the egg, egg white, maple and almond milk and mix well.

Once combined, add the flour slowly, mixing the whole time, then add the maca. Mix really well.

Get a non-stick pan really hot with a little coconut oil and add 1 ladle full into the pan and flatten. These are more like crepes than American pancakes so they need to be larger and flatter. It shouldn’t take more than 40 seconds on each side with a good pan.

Serve with your choice of filling or topping from homemade chocolate sauce to almond butter or peanut butter, banana, nuts, seeds and fruit.

Enjoy!

Love,
Lauren