Donut resist temptation

Did you know that donuts are world wide?  Yes they may come in different shapes, some with holes, others without, at times filled, or coated with some other delicious toppings, but yes, donuts are world famous. 

And infamous.  Let's be honest, where's the nutritional value in deep fried refined flour and sugar?  

But before you misjudge my tone and take me to be an uppity health freak chief inspector of the fun food police, let me continue.

What if I told you there was a way to have your donut and eat it too! Without feeling like you've just overloaded your system with a crazy cocktail of chemicals that is.

Well good news, here's two super easy recipes to get you rolling those little circles of yum.

The following recipe is adapted from one by Maz Pugoy, founder and creator of my all time fave raw vegan cafe in Sydney, Sadhana Kitchen.  You can find the original recipe here. It utilises a dehydrator which I don't own so I just froze mine.  Worked out great.

Cinnamon Donuts with Salted Caramel Glaze

Makes 8 small donuts

Ingredients

Cinnamon Donuts

3/4 cup raw almonds

1/4 cup raw cashews

1/4 cup shredded coconut

1/4 activated buckwheat flour*

1/4 cup flaxmeal 

1 Tbsp. lacuma

1 Tbsp. mesquite

3-4 pitted dates (soaked for 1 hour)

1 tbs coconut nectar

2 tsp cinnamon powder

pinch of Himalayan pink salt

Salted Caramel Glaze

4 TBS coconut oil melted

2 TBS of mesquite powder

1 TBS lucuma powder

1/4 tsp Himalayan pink salt (or to taste)

Toppings of choice (optional)

I used peanut crumbs, goji berries, cacao nibs, pistachios and dessicated coconut.

Method

Place nuts and coconut in food processor and process until it looks like fine crumbs.  Add the coconut, buckwheat, flaxmeal, lucuma and mesquite and process to combine.  Add the rest of your ingredients and process until it starts to lump together.

Roll mixture into small balls and insert finger into the middle to create the whole.  Shape it into a little donut.  Repeat with all the mixture until it's all used up.

Place in the freezer.

For the glaze, mix all ingredients together until they are really well combined.  If it's cold, you'll need to act quickly as coconut oil solidifies pretty quickly.

When glaze is ready, take donuts out of the freezer and dip into the glaze to coat the top.  Place on a clean plate and continue until you have coated all donuts.  

Add your toppings if you are using.

And your done!

I stored mine in the freezer.

Apart from donuts, I'm also obsessed with matcha.  It's not just that I love all things Japanese, I also just love the taste.  I remember the first time I ever had matcha, it reminded me so much of lucuma ice cream.  It has that same powdery subtle flavour.  

I'm not ashamed to admit that Starbucks soy matcha latte (unsweetened) is my guilty pleasure!

So, that was my inspiration for the next donut recipe.

Vanilla Donuts with Matcha Chocolate Glaze

Makes 8 small donuts

Ingredients

Vanilla Donuts

1 1/2 cups almond meal

1 1/4 cups dried shredded unsweetened coconut

1/4 tsp Himalayan sea salt

3 Tbsp brown rice syrup

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Matcha Chocolate Glaze

1 tsp of matcha powder (I used Kenko tea which you can find here)

2 TBS of raw cacao butter (melted)

Stevia drops to suit taste

4 TBS non dairy milk of choice 

Method

For the donuts, place all ingredients in the food processor and process until it resembles fine crumbs but holds together.

Roll mixture into small balls and place hole in centre and shape like a donut.  Repeat until the mixture is finished.  Place donuts in the freezer whilst you make the glaze.

For the glaze, combine all the ingredients and mix well to dissolve the matcha powder which can clump together.  It can be strong so you may need to use less depending on your taste.

Once ready, take out the donuts from freezer and dunk into the glaze to coat.  It should harden on contact with the cold donuts so if you are adding toppings, do it quickly so they stick to the glaze.  

Repeat with the rest of the donuts and serve.

Again, I keep mine in the freezer.  You just never know when you might need a donut fix!

P.S I also got featured in a new magazine called Australian Gluten Free Life.  It's a magazine about, yes, you guessed it, all things gluten free.

I answer a lot of questions which I get asked about a lot and also has some of my recipes, so check it out!

It's been a busy week in my kitchen so see you soon with more recipes!

Peas, love and mungbeans

xxb

Stew it up

Now that the weather is getting cooler, it’s been so much fun coming up with tasty and hearty dishes that keep me satisfied and feeling nurtured.

The following two recipes are stews, which I love making as they are super simple, fast and last well in the fridge for a couple of days so you can either freeze the left overs, or keep it for tomorrow’s lunch and/or dinner.

You’ll have to forgive me as I’m writing the recipes way after the fact so hopefully my memory serves me and I don’t leave out any ingredients!

Black Bean and Quinoa Stew
Serves 4

Ingredients

2 garlic cloves
1/2 brown onion, diced
1 cup chopped pumpkin
1 cup chopped mushrooms
2 cups of chopped silverbeet
1 cup of chopped celery
1/2 cup of chopped capsicum
1/2 cup of quinoa, soaked and rinsed
1 can of organic black beans, rinsed really well
1 vegan stock cube
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 1/2 cups of water

Method

In a large pot, add 1/4 cup of water, the garlic and spices and gently cook until they are fragrant.

Add the vegetables, except the silverbeet and beans, and give it a good stir so that they are covered with the spices and garlic.
Add the water, quinoa and stock cube.

You may need to crush the stock cube once it’s in the pan, and stir to combine.

Bring to the boil over medium heat, then, lower heat to simmer and cover with lid.

Check after about 15-20 minutes to see if the quinoa is cooked. Adjust seasoning at this stage and if you feel it’s too dry, add some more water.   If you feel there’s too much liquid, cook it for a bit longer with the lid off so some of the liquid evaporates.  Add the beans and silverbeet and cook for a further 5 minutes.  Basically you just want to warm the beans through and keep the silverbeet vibrant and green.

Serve into bowls and eat.

I eat this on it’s own or with some cauliflower mash.

Spiced red lentil and Root Vegetable Stew

Serves 4

Ingredients

1/2 cup red lentils, soaked overnight and rinsed

1 brown onion, diced

1 parsnip, diced

1 swede, diced

1 carrot, diced

1 sweet potato, diced

1 red capsicum (pepper), diced

3 cloves of garlic, crushed

2 Tbs of freshly grated ginger

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

5 fresh curry leaves

1/2 Tbs of turmeric

1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper

2 tsp of ground coriander

1/2 tsp of Himalayan pink salt

2 tsp of tamarind puree

1 cup of water*

1 can of organic canned tomatoes

1/4 cup coconut milk

fresh coriander and coconut kefir to garnish

some papadums for dipping and scooping**

Method

Add some water to a large saucepan and add the spices and ginger over a medium heat.   Once it becomes aromatic, add the onion and garlic and cook until soft, a few minutes.

Add the veggies and stir to cover with the spices, cook for about 5 minutes, then add the lentils, canned tomatoes and water.

Stir to combine and bring it to the boil, then lower heat to low-med, cover with lid and leave to cook for about 25 – 30 minutes, until the vegetables and lentils are soft.

Once the vegetables and lentils are ready, stir in the coconut milk and tamarind puree, and stir gently to combine.  You don’t want to mash the vegetables!  You can adjust seasoning at this point if required.

Serve on it’s own, topped with a generous tablespoon of coconut kefir and some fresh coriander.

*You may need more water, but start with 1 cup.  You want it to be thick and saucy not soupy.

**I used store bought papadums which I just prepared in the microwave.

As you can see, I didn’t add any oil when I made the above recipes because you just don’t really need to.  However, I know some people love to fry up their spices so feel free to use some coconut oil if you so desire.

Hope you enjoy the above recipes and that they make you feel warm and toasty all over!

Please let me know if you have any problems with the recipes, like I said, I’m relying on my memory (gasp!), which if I believe what my husband tells me, is pretty unreliable!

Peas, love and mungbeans

xxb

Bend it like Caroline

You know what I love the most about social media? Apart from connecting with like minded individuals, you also meet some people who inspire you.

This happened to me when I first started seeing Caroline's pictures on Instagram.  Apart from her amazing yoga skills, what got me about her was the aura that she had.  There was just something about her that made me want to know more about her. Her vibrancy literally jumped off the screen and yelled out that there was something more  about this girl.

In a world of superficiality and sometimes make believe, Caroline's authenticity really drew me.

So, being the inquisitive being that I am, I decided to approach Caroline and asked her to share her story.

Here she is, in all her sunny splendour and in her own words.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself? 

I’m originally from Denmark in the Northern Hemisphere but decided to take a leap of faith to further progress in my career and move to Australia when I was 20. Almost 4 years later I’m still here and proud to call this my home. I specialise in Digital Marketing/E-commerce helping both new and well-established business find their feet in the Digital Jungle by creating innovative & sustainable strategies.

On the sideline – where you may know me from – I practise yoga, train and I’m a BIG (mostly Vegan) foodie. It changed my life when I was diagnosed with cancer as 22 year old and have used the past few years battling this disease and kickin’ its butt! I believe the reason I recovered was because of my lifestyle change into eating raw, vegan, nutritious food and practising mindful yoga every single day.

What is your eating philosophy?

I try to eat completely vegan 90% of the time. I believe in eating what my body feels like, and I don’t limit myself by counting calories. As I’ve made the transition into a healthier lifestyle I don’t have many cravings any longer, but if I crave something sweet I’ll normally have one of my vegan, raw treats that are waiting in the fridge to be eaten :)

When and why did you decide to start eating this way?

When I was diagnosed with cancer in mid-April 2012 my life was turned upside-down in more ways than one.

However, it wasn’t until January 2013 I really turned my life around and became a healthy foodie.

The reason? A few months earlier someone broke me inside. So very badly. I’ve never felt pain like that before. Pain in my heart, my body and my mind. Mix this negative, depressed and sad state of mind with chemo, lots of medicine and not a lot of food you have a bomb that’s bound to go off.

When I went into cardiac arrest in hospital in December 2012 (I still thank the Universe every day for bringing me back to life) and waking up in ICU to my loving friends I knew something had to change. If I wanted to live and beat cancer, beat anything that would come at me I needed to change everything. Nutrition, exercise, mind-set and much more.

And so I made my way through the jungle of different approaches to healthy, clean, raw eating, lost 20 kg’s and have finally found my way to become 90% vegan. Beating cancer and being in remission from January 2014 was the best thing to happen to me in my life and to this day I still believe I owe it all to my nutrition, yoga, positive thinking and the amazing souls that fill my life with joy. Your mind is so much stronger than what you think it is!

Have you noticed any difference since changing your eating philosophy (if any)?

Absolutely. The biggest difference that most people can/could see was probably when I dropped 20 kilo’s. My skin started clearing up, I sleep better, my energy is always on a high, I recover quicker when I train, I feel happy and positive about life.

Have you met any barriers to eating this way, if so, how did you overcome them?

I had a lot of people in my life disagreeing on the lifestyle and eating philosophy changes I incorporated. A lot of people thought I did this to lose weight and just to look good – a lot of people thought I took it too far, because I think they didn’t fully understand the extent of my mission. They liked life the way it was & was scared of changes – even if it wasn’t their own life who was going through a change. However I knew I ultimately did this to save myself from being beaten by cancer. And to live life.

What is your favourite dish to make?

I LOVE to make my vegan, raw, sugar-free treats. They’re so tasty and there’s nothing better than seeing the look on people’s faces when they try one and say: “So, you’re saying this is healthy? This is good for me? How is that possible? It’s SO tasty!”

Unfortunately a lot of people are very narrow minded when it comes to living a vegan, healthy lifestyle. They basically think you eat carrot & sellery-sticks and nothing else.

What ingredients are a must-have for your fridge/pantry?

My fridge and pantry are always fully stocked – that also helps me to make the best decisions when it comes to eating healthy and if you’re in a rush. My fridge is always full of fresh veggies, fruits & berries from the markets along with almond & coconut milk, herbs to add spice to my dishes and of course cold water.

In my pantry I always keep stables like canned beans, coconut oil, grains, dried spices, flours, dates and raw cacao.

Juices or smoothies? What do you prefer and what combination?

I prefer smoothies much over juices. I’ve never really been on the ‘juice-bandwagon’, however this doesn’t mean I won’t ever have a juice – I do. But I believe in eating food in their most natural way and this means keeping the ‘meat’ of the fruit instead of just consuming the juices.

My favourite smoothie is a Banana & Blueberry smoothie with Vanilla Vegan Protein from BodyScience. YUM!

Sweet or savoury?

SWEET! I do have a massive sweet tooth, so I’m happy I’ve got a lot of vegan, raw, sugar-free treats up my sleeves ;)

Can you share a fave recipe with us?

Absolutely.One of my favourite treats are my Raw Peanut-butter & Coconut cups. They are vegan, raw, sugar-free, dairy-free, gluten-free and egg-free.

Ingredients:

Almond Base layer:

1 cup almonds

6 tbsp organic virgin coconut oil

1 & 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste

1 tsp rice malt syrup

Pinch of rock salt

Peanut & Coconut Butter layer:

1/3 cup raw peanuts (unsalted)

1 tsp rice malt syrup

1/2 tsp rock salt

6-8 tbsp organic virgin coconut oil

1 tsp desiccated coconut

Chocolate layer:

1/4 cup organic virgin coconut oil

4 tbsp raw cacao powder

1/2 tbsp rice malt syrup

1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste

8 medjool dates

Pinch of rock salt

Directions:

To make the Almond Base Layer: Combine almonds, coconut oil, vanilla bean, salt & rice malt syrup and blend until you can make a dough that’ll easily stick together when you handle it with the hands. If too dry, add a tiny bit more coconut oil.

Take a muffin-form with place for 6 and add the dough, pressing down firmly. Let it sit in the freezer.

To make the Peanut & Coconut Layer: Combine peanuts, rice malt syrup, salt, coconut oil and desiccated coconut to a blender and keep blending for 4-5 minutes, scraping down the sides until a paste This peanut butter will have a thicker consistency. Add more coconut oil to make it more runny if you wish.

Grab your almond-base layer from the freezer and roll a small ball out of the peanut butter, adding one to each cup of the muffin-form and pressing them down on top of the almond-layer slightly so they squeeze out to a flat ‘pancake’.

To make the Chocolate Later: Combine coconut oil, raw cacao powder, rice malt syrup, vanilla bean, dates and salt in a blender and blend until completely smooth.

Take your muffin-form and spoon over the chocolate on each cup. Put them back in the freezer and let them set for 30 min – 1 hour.

Can you describe your day on a plate?

8am: I will start off my day with either gluten-free oatmeal with fresh fruits & vegan protein from BodyScience or a kale & tofu scramble.

10am: by this time I’ll be starving, so I’ll have a handful of raw nuts and a cup of peppermint or ginger/lemon tea – perhaps with a piece of fruit too.

12.30pm: LUNCH-TIME! Any time I can eat is a good time :) I normally have a big raw salad with lentils or chickpeas for protein and added nuts/seeds for crunch dressed with fresh lemon juice and S&P.

3pm: For a snack I’ll have carrot & red capsicum sticks with some homemade hummus or roasted pumpkin dip and another cup of tea.

7pm: For dinner I normally like to keep it light – I won’t have that many carbs for dinner so it’ll be another load of fresh veggies, normally steamed as I like a ‘hot’ dinner. When it’s winter I like to whip up a little carrot & pumpkin mash to go with my veggies. It’s so delicious and easy!

9pm: I’ll normally have a bit of fruit or one of my vegan, sweet treats to curb my cravings :)

How do you stay fit?

I train 6-7 days a week. I train weights for 1 – 1 1/2 hour every morning + yoga afterwards or in the afternoon. I don’t do much cardio at all – my body doesn’t respond to it anymore after having played handball for 14 years.

If you had limited time and space, what would be a kick-ass work out that you would do?

I would do a combination of my arm & legs workout you can find on my Instagram and mix it up with skipping in between every other set. You’ll be sure to get your heart rate pumping and sweat on your forehead!

Seeing your yoga pictures is such a treat and you have inspired me to take up yoga, thank you for that! But how did you get so bendy?

A lot of people ask me this & I’m still not quite sure what to answer. I always thought I was rather flexible however when I took up yoga 9 months ago I was proven very wrong!

I’m the type of person who doesn’t have a bone of patience within me – if I want something I keep going at it until I have it or can do it. It’s been a lot like that with yoga too. It’s so addictive because it changed me as a person. It changed my mindset and my body. And so when something you love to do and makes you feel so good every single day it’s hard to not keep at it. I strive for progression not perfection though. Give your body time to get used to the poses. You may look back at yesterday and thinking nothing has changed however when you look back at the weeks and months you can see the progression so clearly.

If you could give someone a piece of advice regarding adopting a healthier lifestyle, what would it be?

Life is too short not to nurture and value your body for what it is. You only have one body and it has to last you an entire lifetime. Don’t be scared to adopt a healthier and more positive lifestyle – take one step at a time and make small changes if you’re scared of turning your life upside down instantly. We, as human beings, are creatures of habits – keep at it and soon your lifestyle change won’t be something you think about so much – it’ll be just what it is; your lifestyle.

If you want to see more of Caroline, please head over to her blog www.greenresolutions.com and also find her on FB: www.facebook.com/greenerresolutions and Instagram: carolinehgroth

Keep inspiring Caroline!

Peas, love and mungbeans

xxb