recipe

Vanilla Almond Birthday Cake…

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This year, I celebrated my 20th birthday… in lockdown and it’s safe to say that it was one of the best and because buying a birthday cake was definitely not an option, it was left to me to bake a cake worthy of 20yrs. This one did not disappoint. It took me time to perfect the birthday cake recipe; I wanted one which was not too sweet but sweet enough and it had to be dairy and gluten free.

The issue with a gluten free cake is making it moist and soft enough without a whole lot of butter, as gluten free cakes tend to be dense and dry. The secret is having enough fat, but I needed healthy fat so I turned to almond flour. If you look at finely grounded almond flour, it has a very cakey texture and is perfect to balance dense flours. Although I have seen a few people add mixtures of buckwheat and tapioca flour, I felt like these ingredients weren’t available to everyone and the ratios were never harder to get right.

However, with this combination it’s always a 1:1 ration; half almond flour and half of any gluten free flour blend. Gluten Free flour blends are pretty constant with a mixture of tapioca, chickpea, potato starch and anthem gum. I’ve used multiple brands such as neofoods, Bob’s red mill… and any all purpose blend should work fine.

The recipe below makes four layers of cake and the donuts, but I’ve also provided measurements for only one layer in bold to simplify it.

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 1/2 cups Almond flour / 1 cup
  • 4 1/2 cups GF flour/ 1 cup
  • 9 eggs / 2 eggs
  • 3 tsp baking powder / 1/2 tsp
  • 5 cups almond milk (or any plant-based milk) / 3/4 cup
  • 1 1/2 cup coconut sugar / 1/2 cup
  • 2tbsp vanilla extract / 1tsp
  • 1/3 cup coconut oil/ 1 tbsp

Filling & Glaze (for 4 layers)

  • 350g dark chocolate (I used Sweet switch’s 70% vegan chocolate)
  • 1/4 – 1/2 cup almond milk

STEPS

  1. Combine the flours and baking powder together in a large bowl.
  2. In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs, coconut sugar or any sweetener of choice, coconut oil and almond milk together.
  3. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients or use a hand mixer on low speed to incorporate properly.
  4. Spray your baking pan with coconut oil and add baking paper to the bottom. Pour your batter to fill in 3/4 of the pan.
  5. Bake for 30- 40 mins at 170ºC, let the cake cool before levelling it.

Filling & Glaze

  1. For the filling, melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Let the layers cool completely before spreading the ganache between them.
  2. For the drizzle on top, add almond milk to the melted chocolate and pour over your cake, spreading it with a cake spatula or spoon.
  3. To make donuts to decorate the cake, I simply baked the leftover batter in donut moulds. Optional: add cacao nibs or chocolate chips.

TIPS

  • Make sure all your ingredients are at room temp.
  • If the oven is too hot, your cake is more likely to form cracks.
  • Only level your cake when it has cooled.
  • Levelling a cake is harder without the right tools, but not impossible; using a ruler and a sharp knife, mark your cake all around at the same height. Then start cutting the dome off by angling your knife at right angles to the cake, keep rotating it and cutting slightly deeper each time. This is to avoid cutting a hole in your cake.
  • Keep in the fridge to harden the chocolate, and honestly cake tastes better cold.

Healthy Konjac Noodle Soup

healthy living, recipes

Konjac noodles, also known as Shirataki noodles are made from the fibre of the root of the Asian Konjac plant. They are 97% water and are extremely low in calories and carbs, which make them ideal for weight loss. Moreover, since it is full of fibre, it keeps you fuller for longer and studies have shown that it has prebiotic properties that improve the gut flora.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 portion of konjac noodles
  • 100g of chicken breast or beef
  • 1 cup chopped bok choy
  • 1/2 onion
  • 1tbsp garlic and ginger paste
  • 1tsp lemon zest
  • 2tbsp chopped spring onion
  • 2tbsp olive oil
  • 1 sliced red chilli or chilli flakes
  • 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

STEPS

  1. First heat some olive oil in a pan, add the onions, garlic paste and chilli and stir until the onions turn translucent.
  2. Add the cubed chicken/beef and sauté until browned, this is when you can add any other ingredients you’d like such as mushrooms, broccolini or carrots. Add any spices as well as salt and pepper.
  3. Add the stock and let it simmer on medium heat.
  4. Drain the noodles and rinse them in water. Heat a pan on medium heat and let the noodles dehydrate for 5 mins or until all the water has evaporated. Stir them regularly to prevent them from shrinking if they’re cooked for too long.
  5. Add the noodles into the soup and the bok choy, close the pan with a lid for a few minutes so that the bok choy wilts, but does not overcook.
  6. Lastly add the spring onion and lemon zest.

This is one of my favourite recipes to make on the weekends, so I hope you try it out and follow for more healthy recipes, xoxo.

Golden Milk Latte Recipe

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This amazing recipe is a nutrient dense, caffeine free and totally delicious drink to curb those coffee cravings and boost your gut health. This latte contains turmeric, which has anti-inflammatory properties, improving digestion and skin health. It also contains cinnamon which lowers blood sugar levels and has antimicrobial effects, as well as cardamom which is great for the liver and is packed with antioxidants. In other words, this is one powerful latte! So here’s how you can make it.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1/2 – 1 cup almond milk (or any milk)
  • 1/2 tsp organic turmeric powder
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp cardamom or 5 pods
  • 2/4 tsp vanilla (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp erythritol/stevia blend (or any sweetener of choice)

STEPS:

  • Combine 1/2 a cup of milk to 1/2 a cup of water or use 1 full cup of milk.
  • Whisk in the spices and sugar while on medium heat.
  • Bring to a simmer. Strain the milk into a mug to remove any undissolved spices.

 

Other Optional Ingredients:

  • Ginger
  • Lemon zest
  • Ground Black pepper

 

Let me know down in the comments if you do try out this recipe. Thank you for reading and please like and follow for more recipes like this one, xoxo.

 

Healthy Homemade Granola

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This is a gluten free, dairy free and nut free recipe that I’m sure you’ll enjoy! It can be eaten with yoghurt, milk or as a snack. You can alter this recipe to your taste and add or switch any ingredients you’d prefer. The base mainly consists of rolled oats, coconut oil, and honey, you can add in seeds, nuts or dried fruit if you like.

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Ingredients:

  • 2 cups GF rolled oats
  • 1/4 cup chia seeds
  • 1/4 cup sunflower/ pumpkin / hemp seeds
  • 1/4 cup cacao nibs
  • 1/3 cup coconut flakes
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 2 tbsp honey / maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla powder / 1 tbsp raw cacao
  • You can also add dried fruit – dried figs, berries.

 

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Steps:

  1. Mix together the rolled oats, seeds, cacao nibs and coconut flakes.
  2. Melt coconut oil and honey together either in a microwave or in a saucepan on low heat.
  3. Add the liquid to the dry and fold well to make sure your granola is well coated. Add in vanilla and cinnamon.
  4. Spread the mixture over a tray lined with baking paper.
  5. Bake for 10 mins on 170 º C or until it turns golden. (The granola will burn easily so make sure to keep an eye on it)
  6. Let it cool down and store in an airtight jar.

 

I hope you enjoyed this quick recipe and that you come back for more. Thank you for reading, and make sure to let me know if you try this one out, xoxo.

 

 

Matcha Mint Apple Smoothie

healthy living, Matcha Recipes

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This smoothie is a great detox breakfast or snack, packed with antioxidants and a high content of chlorophyll (green pigment in the leaves) which cleanses the body of toxins. The green apples have a high fibre content, keeping you satisfied for longer and the mint not only adds flavour to the smoothie, but is also rich in nutrients such as; vitamin A, iron and manganese. In other words, this smoothie is just the energy boost you need in the morning, but without the crash.

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Ingredients:

  • 1 large green apple
  • 1/2 tsp matcha powder (unsweetened)
  • a few mint leaves
  • 1 cup almond milk (unsweetened)
  • 4-5 stevia drops (or any sweetener of choice)

 

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Directions:

  1. Throw all the ingredients in a blender, add some ice and enjoy!

 

I hope you all enjoy this recipe and please leave a comment below if you try it out, xoxo.

Healthy & Delicious Cookie recipe

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These are seriously some of the best cookies I have ever made. I’ve mentioned before that I am allergic to nuts, but lately I’ve been experimenting with almond milk and I haven’t had any bad reactions to it, so I decided to try almond flour. Best. Decision, Ever.

These cookie are soft, chewy and taste amazing! The great thing is they are gluten free,  dairy free and super healthy. Read below to find out how to make them yourself and if some of the ingredients don’t work out for you, don’t worry I have some substitutes.

flour-3636553_640 Ingredients:

  •   2 cups almond flour
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 1 egg (or flaxseed egg)
  • 1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
  • 1tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 cup coconut sugar (or maple syrup)

Directions:

  1. Add the almond flour, cinnamon, baking powder and coconut sugar to a bowl andegg-944495_640 mix well.
  2. Add in the egg, coconut oil, and vanilla and fold the ingredients together using a spatula.
  3. Line a tray with baking paper and use your hands or a spoon to scoop the dough. Tip: the dough will be more sticky and runny that regular dough, so I wet my hands  with very little water before rolling and pressing the cookie dough. This prevents it from sticking onto your hands.
  4. Bake them in the oven at 180ºC for around 10 mins (check on them regularly as they do bake fast).
  5. Sprinkle them with some more coconut sugar and cinnamon and enjoy.

 

This is just the base recipe, I have also tried other variations. You can add raw cocoa powder, vegan chocolate chips or dried fruit to make your own version. Another delicious combination would be lemon zest and ginger. I hope you all enjoy this recipe and do let me know if you try them out.