Tag: gluten-free

Tarty Purple Plum Smoothie with Açaí & Chia

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I am doing the free Juice Master 7 Day Guided Juice Challenge* this week, but here is a lovely tasty purple smoothie for the rest of you!

This is a refreshing, but quite tart, thin smoothie that is high in resveratrol, a substance present in purple fruits and veg which is believed to be anti-aging. The quinoa flakes provide protein and minerals as do the chia seeds.

Our plums weren’t ripe but I quite like tarty fruit, however if you prefer a sweeter flavour try adding a medjool date or a little dark maple syrup.

Açaí is a South American fruit that has recently joined the list of superfoods in Western diets. It has a mixed blackberry/cacao flavour. It is full of anti-oxidants.

If your grapes are not organic, be sure to give them a thorough rinse, they are one of the most chemical-sprayed fruits available.

It is best if you pre-soak the Chia Seeds, Quinoa Flakes and Açaí Powder in the Coconut Water in the blender for 15-20 minutes

Ingredients

2 Plums, chopped

Handful of seedless Purple Grapes

1 Rounded Tbsp Chia Seeds*

1 Small Glass unsweetened Coconut Water

1 Tbsp Quinoa Flakes

1 Rounded Tbsp Plain CoYo Coconut Yogurt

1 Tbsp Açaí Powder *

Blend and add ice for a refreshing summer energy boost.

*Still time to sign up, just visit the website:

http://www.juicemaster.com/

*http://www.therawchocolatecompany.com/

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Apricot Chia Smoothie

It’s summer fruit season at last! I had my first apricots of the season last week and am salivating whilst awaiting the peaches in my organic fruit and veg box. Sorry, not a nice image, but there you go. I’m often loth to put them in smoothies, preferring to savour them whole, but one of the apricots looked like it needed using up so in it went.

Here’s the result:

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The smoothie has lots of vitamins and minerals, protein, fibre and healthy fats. To find out the health benefits of chia seeds and other chia, recipes see Three Cheers for Chias!

(Tip: Put the oats and chia seeds to soak in the milk in the blender and leave for about 15 minutes, it will thicken the smoothie, make it easier to digest and keep you feeling fuller for longer)

Vegan and gluten-free.

Ingredients

1 Small Banana

1-2 Fresh Apricots depending on size

2 Tbsps Gluten-free Oats

1 Tbsp Chia Seeds*

1 Tbsp Peanut Butter

1 Medium Glass Almond Milk (see recipe here)

Blend and serve with a few chia seeds sprinkled on top for a bit of crunch.

Today’s video is an oldie but a goodie and will have you boppin’ away the cobwebs. The Summer of ’69… Ah, I remember it well… A Levels, Neil Armstrong, Woodstock, Crosby, Stills and Nash… Nuff sed 😎

*http://www.therawchocolatecompany.com

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Pink Oats, Anyone?

imageThis is my second post on savoury oats and this one might throw you for a loop: people tend to either love them or hate them but beetroot should be your new veg friend.

It has been shown that regular juicing with beetroot can improve your circulation and lower your BP by dilating your blood vessels. It certainly worked for my husband. I wasn’t too sure about using beetroot when I first began juicing, but now I have it every other day. If you add lemon or pineapple, or a couple of apples along with other veg, it makes a refreshing and very healthy juice. (See post and juice recipe here).

All well and good, you might say, but adding it to porridge is going a little bit far!

I wasn’t sure either, but I had tried courgette (zucchini) oats (recipe here) and was pleasantly surprised, so in for a penny, in for a pound! Don’t forget, the benefit of having veg for breakfast is you have one of your daily portions of veg to give you a head start and it keeps you fuller for much longer.

Ingredients

1/2 Cup Oats

1/2 Cup Home-made Almond Milk (see recipe)

1/2 Cup Water

1/4 to 1/2 Small Beetroot, peeled and grated

2 Medjool Dates, chopped

1 Tbsp Chia Seeds*

1 Dsp Açaí Powder*

Pinch of Pink Himalayan Salt

*

Method

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Add all ingredients except chia seeds and açaí powder to a pan and warm up stirring occasionally, then cook for 5-10 minutes, keep giving it a stir.

Add chia seeds and açaí powder.

Stir well.

Transfer to a bowl.

Top with the fruit of your choice. I had plum and banana with raw chocolate mulberry chips.*

Add a drop of milk if you like it thinner.

imageBon Appetit!

Convinced? No? My husband will make it for me but won’t go near it himself. Although he has a daily beetroot juice, he draws the line at beetroot porridge. He prefers his plain, nothing added.

Watch out for my next version of Zoats, which turned out the best I think. It really does need practice to work out the right combination for your tastebuds.

*http://www.therawchocolatecompany.com/

Copyright Chris McGowan

Juicy Sweet Potato Surprise

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Sweet Potato Surprise made in my Retro Super Juicer* and stored in my Grip and Go* glass bottle.

Many of you will know from earlier posts that I love sweet potatoes: I love them baked whole with a nut roast, or as healthy chips tossed in coconut oil or even toasted!… But best of all, I love them juiced. Sweet potatoes are good sources of Vitamin A, B vitamins, iron, potassium and fibre.

*

Juice the following ingredients:

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2 Sweet Potatoes, with skin on, scrubbed and chopped

2 Carrots, ditto

1 Apple

1 Pear

1 Kiwi, peeled

Several Romaine leaves, washed

(Did you know romaine lettuce contains protein?)

Blend with 1/4 of a ripe Avocado (for extra protein, fibre, Vitamin E – good for your skin and keeps you fuller longer).

Serve with ice, if desired.

(The Suprise? That you’ll like it!)

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*http://www.retrojuicer.com/

*http://gripandgo.co.uk

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Have You Tried Savoury Porridge Yet?

 

imageApparently, the latest health food trend is savoury porridge. Yep, that’s porridge with veg in. Weird, huh? Except that it’s not that weird. The Scots have been making their porridge with water and salt rather than milk and sugar since I don’t know when and I quite like it for a change. So when I saw Blogger of the Year Healthy and Psyched post a photo of her Zoats or Zucchini Oats, I decided to give it a go. We used her recipe as a template for the first try then we made another two recipes of my own. My husband wasn’t impressed! But he is a traditionalist and is very hard to shift when it comes to new culinary ideas. I liked them. They are extremely filling and satisfying, I didn’t need to eat again until halfway through the afternoon. Plus, you’re eating a portion of your day’s veg with your breakfast which gets your day off to a great start.

So don’t turn your nose up and click onto the next post. Give it a try at least once and stir up your breakfast routine a little! You don’t have to have it just for breakfast of course. It makes great comfort food on a chilly day. I promise you you can’t taste the courgette, it just adds a little texture and extra nutrients. It would be good for a weaning child, without all the extras of course!

Here’s the first effort:

Ingredients

1/2 Cup Oats

1/2 Cup Almond Milk (try making your own recipe here)

1/4 Cup Water

1/2 Courgette/Zucchini, grated

1 Tbsp Chia Seeds (optional)*

Optional Flavourings – Choose your own combination:

2 Medjool Dates, chopped

1 Tbsp Cacao Powder*

1 Dsp Lucuma Powder (it has a mild malted flavour)*

1 Dsp Açaí Powder*

1 Tbsp Coconut Palm Sugar*

1 Tsp Wheatgrass Powder if you want to go hardcore!

Dried coconut to sprinkle on top

Extra milk if liked

Methodimage

Warm the oats, milk, water and grated courgette in a pan, stirring

Cook for about 5 minutes until it starts to soften and thicken.

We then added a chopped Medjool date for sweetness, saving the other to put on the finished porridge, and cooked for a couple more minutes.

In went some chia seeds to thicken it up, for healthy fats and protein and because I like them, but you don’t need them. Add a little more milk or water if necesary.

Next was cacao powder – the original recipe uses a lot more than here, but I found it too much, especially first thing in the morning.

Pour into a bowl and top with your favourite fruit. We used Blueberries and Red Grapes.

Sprinkle with coconut and extra date, add a little more milk if liked.

….

I’ll post the next 2 recipes separately: you’ll never guess what’s in the first one!

To sweeten the pudding, here’s a classic sketch from the BBC series ‘Porridge’ with the late Ronnie Barker and Richard Beckinsale. (If you’re reading via email, you need to click onto the blog).

*http://www.therawchocolatecompany.com/

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Quick Vegan Open Toasted Sandwich

imageThis is a quick light lunch or afternoon vegan snack that came about when we wanted to use up some slices of home-made chickpea, tiger nut and cornflour bread from the freezer.

*

All ingredients are organic.

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Lightly toast 2 slices home-made gluten-free bread, spread with tahini, top with romaine, cucumber, spring onion, organic green olives, black pepper and a drizzle of tahini/lemon dressing (which I forgot for the photo).

*

Tahini is made from sesame seeds, a good source of calcium and healthy oils. Chickpeas, too, are rich in calcium, iron and fibre. Spring onions and tiger nuts* are prebiotics, good for the gut. Romaine has protein and cucumber is hydrating, while olives have heart-healthy oil.

Overall, a very healthy snack and satisfying, too!

*http://www.thetigernutcompany.co.uk/

Organic Chickpea Flour & Cornflour from

https://www.buywholefoodsonline.co.uk/

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Pink Coconut Green Smoothie

Ingredients for Pink Coconut Green Smoothie

I finally managed to get hold of some Chi 100% Raw Organic Coconut Water! We found it at Ocado this week. It’s pink due to the activity of the antioxidants in the young Thai Nam-Hon Coconuts and is sustainably produced, fairly traded and unheated with no additives whatsoever. It is also naturally sweet and not made from concentrate. For an added bonus, the company donate to Drop4Drop who provide waterwells where needed most.

The drawback is that it is more expensive and has to be used within 24 hours, although I’m on my second day and it is still fine. For me, it is this week’s treat.

(Oh, and if only it didn’t come in a plastic bottle).

I decided to use some in my breakfast smoothie, which is rich in antioxidants, electrolytes, protein, healthy fats, B vitamins  and selenium from the Brazil nuts!

Coconut water makes a lighter smoothie and is a much healthier and tastier alternative to sugary, chemical-laden so-called energy or post-workout drinks.

All ingredients are organic.

Ingredients

1 Small Glass Chi 100% Raw Coconut Water

1 Ripe Banana

3 Romaine leaves

2″ Cucumber, peel left on, chopped

1 Tbsp Chia Seeds*

1 Tbsp CoYo Plain Yogurt

1 Tbsp Golden Linseeds

3 Brazil Nuts

1 or 2 Medjool Dates, pitted

1 Tsp Juicemaster Wheatgrass Powder*

….

Blend, add ice if preferred and enjoy!

Pink Coconut Green Smoothie

*http://www.therawchocolatecompany.com/

*http://www.juicemaster.com/

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Lemon Tahini Pasta with Pine Kernels

imageA quick vegan and gluten-free pasta meal that’s ready in half an hour. You can use any easy-cook veg, we just used bits of veg that needed to be used up, and whichever is your favourite pasta.

Ingredients & Method

We used sliced spring onions, thinly sliced broccoli, sliced green beans, peas, mushrooms chopped into chunks, shaved carrot, courgette sticks.

These were all stir-fried in a little coconut oil while the pasta was cooking. We prefer Dove’s Farm Maize and Rice Gluten-Free fusilli, it cooks very quickly.

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We lightly toasted some pine kernels while the veg and pasta were cooking – actually, the first time they went from white to black in the time it took to check on the pasta, so keep an eye on them!

Make some lemon tahini dressing by mixing tahini with some lemon juice, water, black pepper and pink Himalayan salt. Tahini is subtle and you don’t want to overwhelm it with lemon juice, just a small squeeze is enough. If you want to enhance the lemon flavour, add some lemon thyme.

When the veg is cooked, mix in the tahini dressing and add to the pasta on a hot plate.

We snipped some chives over it because they came free with our organic veg box and needed using – plus it was too wet to go out and cut some lemon thyme!

Top with a sprinkling of pine kernels, serve with a green salad and more tahini dressing.

Done.

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Copyright: Chris McGowan

Too Hot To Cook? Simple & Spicy Summer Chickpea Salad

imageOn an overwhelmingly hot day, we had no will or desire for a cooked or complicated dinner. It was also midweek, so this what we cobbled together.

Chickpeas are good to have in the cupboard, so easy to use and a good source of protein, fibre, calcium and iron.

Cucumber is always cooling and hydrating and nicely offsets the hotter flavours of the spring onions, chilli flakes and black pepper.

*

In a bowl, empty half a tin of Chickpeas, drained and rinsed.

Add about 4″ of ridge cucumber, chopped

2 Spears of Asparagus, chopped

Half a Stick of Celery, chopped

2 Spring Onions, sliced

 Some Chilli Flakes to taste or Fresh Chilli, chopped

Chopped Coriander

Black Pepper to taste

Mix together and add Tamari and Olive Oil Dressing

Serve on a bed of babyleaf salad on a large leaf of Romaine Lettuce.

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(Meg, Rufus, this one’s for you 😉)

Ps If you’re reading this via email, you’ll need to head to the blog to watch the video.

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Chilled Sweet Hemp Treats

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Do you ever feel that slump of energy after a stressful morning or feel a craving for something sweet that doesn’t involve ingesting unmentionables or make you feel guilty for whatever reason? Do you have a sweet tooth that just won’t be assuaged by a banana or a smoothie? You have to try these Chilled Sweet Treats!

They are fizzing with energy, can be as sweet as you need and you won’t go on to eat half the batch and spoil lunch or dinner. They are satisfyingly sweet without leaving you craving more, unlike refined processed snacks.

These Treats have the nutty flavour and texture of Raw Shelled Hemp Seeds, Sweet Apricot Kernels and rolled oats as well as the sweetness of dates, raisins or other dried fruit such as apricots. Even my mum loved these and she doesn’t like dates or dried apricots.

So, without further ado, on with the music – what else, but James Bay busking ‘Craving’ in front of Sydney Opera House!– and out with the measuring cups.

Ingredients:

1/3 Cup Sweet Apricot Kernels* – roughly ground

1/3 Cup Shelled Hemp Seeds* + a little for the topping

1 Cup Dried Fruit, I used a combination of Medjool Dates (chopped) and Raisins

1 Tbsp Maple Syrup (optional) or a little apple juice

1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

1 Tsp Cinnamon

1 Cup Gluten-Free Rolled Oats

Method

Pulse the Sweet Apricot Kernels, Shelled Hemp Seeds and Dried Fruit a few times until they begin to combine.

Add the Maple Syrup (if using) or apple juice, Vanilla Extract and Cinnamon and process until all combined, forming a ball.

Mix in the oats until well blended in.

Line a baking tray with parchment

Break off small amounts of the mixture, roll into balls and then flatten out into thin circles and place on the try.

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Sprinkle a few Raw Shelled Hemp Seeds on the middle of each circle and press in gently with the back of a teaspoon.

Place in the fridge until they firm up. They will also freeze. Open-freeze them first on a tray before placing them in a container.

Makes about 15, but I think 2 will be enough!

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*http://www.therawchocolatecompany.com/

Copyright: Chris McGowan