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Recipe: Strawberry, rosemary and pistachio parfait
If you don’t have a super sweet tooth (like me, wink wink) this strawberry, rosemary and pistachio parfait might be the perfect dessert for you. It is not only a looker but also super easy to make. This treat is gluten-free, vegetarian-friendly and super healthy. You’ll get calcium, protein and probiotics from the yoghurt, vitamin C, fibre and lycopene from the strawberries and a bit more protein and fibre, as well as healthy fats from the pistachios. The rosemary doesn’t only contribute to flavour but also provides a small amount of antioxidants.
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Recipe: Gingerbread bliss balls
These gingerbread bliss balls are a great treat to make in the holiday season. This is mainly because unlike actual gingerbread, you don’t have to rely on baking nor decorating skills. Make a batch or two to enjoy during the holidays or to give as gifts. I like using dry roasted nuts mainly for flavour. Feel free to use raw nuts if that’s what you have on hand. You may also use regular dried dates instead of Medjool but you may need to soak them in hot water and then drain them to soften them up. This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan.
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Recipe: Zucchini & carrot brownies
Wondering how you can consume 5 serves of vegetables? Do you want to sneak more veggies into your kids’ diet? Although these zucchini & carrot brownies are a once-in-a-while treat, they are a certainly a healthier alternative to regular dessert. The texture of these brownies is on the soft, cake-y side due to the coconut flour. If you prefer denser brownies, keep your eyes peeled for upcoming recipes.
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Recipe: Double chocolate, adzuki and black sesame bliss balls
Double chocolate, that’s all you need to know. Don’t worry about the hippie stuff 🙂 Ok, ok, as you can gather from the recipe name, these balls have beans in them. Beans are a great source of fibre, low GI carbohydrate and a decent source of protein. They can cause gastrointestinal discomfort to some people, which can be minimised by preparation steps such as soaking, sprouting and fermenting. This recipe came about because I had rescued some adzuki beans from going in the bin. Since these beans are commonly used in desserts, I thought I’d make myself a healthy treat with them. I though I would continue with the Asian…
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Recipe: Licorice salted chocolate mousse
I learned from a young age that salt accentuates sweet flavours (my grandma taught me to eat watermelon with salt). Later, in culinary school, I learned to always add salt to chocolate desserts – chocolate mousse included – and sugar to tomato-based dishes. That’s why there was no doubt in my mind that Saltverk’s licorice sea salt would pair beautifully with a simple, rich chocolate mousse. There are a million ways to make chocolate mousse. Classic ingredients include dark chocolate, eggs, butter and cream. Nowadays, there are lots of hipster versions using ingredients such as avocado, cacao powder (or even hipster-er: carob), coconut cream and cashews (of course, soaked overnight…
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What are açaà bowls and are they worth the $?
Açaà bowls have gained popularity in the past 18 months or so due to the reported health benefits of açaà (and, in my opinion, the rise of healthy eating and veganism). What are açaà bowls “Açaà na tigela (“açaà in the bowl”) is a “typical Brazilian dish made of frozen and mashed açaà palm fruit. It is served as a smoothie in a bowl or glass, and is commonly topped with granola and banana, and then mixed with other fruits and guaraná syrup.” Wikipedia. But before we get any further, please listen to the correct pronunciation of açaà in this Youtube video. Health benefits of açaà The polyphenols in açaÃ…
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Recipe: Anzac biscuits with protein
It’s that time of the year again, that time in between hot cross buns and Christmas pudding. That time when supermarkets display piles of tins of Anzac biscuits. This is a variation of the recipe I shared last year: better (gluten-free) Anzac biscuits. As the previous recipe, it uses uncontaminated oats, which should be safe for people with gluten allergy/intolerance. You may also use other brands, such as Bob’s Red Mill, but keep in mind international standards for gluten-free products are less strict than Australian. This recipe also uses a whey protein based product called 180 Nutrition Grass-fed Protein Superfood, which contains whey protein isolate, seeds, nut flour, coconut flour,…
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Recipe: Gluten-free torta de galletas (biscuit cake)
My aunties didn’t bake a lot, so when it was time for cake they often made torta de galletas, a layered biscuit “cake”. I have vivid memories of me helping make the icing in their vintage stand mixer and, most importantly, licking the icing off the beaters. Of course, I also helped assemble the cake and waited patiently until the next day, when the biscuits had absorbed all the moisture and the cake had a much better structure. My auntie Sumi passed away a few weeks ago. She was a great cook and she was a very kind, loving auntie. It was hard to think of a particular dish that…
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Recipe: Chapana (Peruvian cassava dessert)
This is not a super well-know Peruvian dessert but is as authentic as it can get. In fact, apparently it’s been around for way longer than the popular desserts that appeared when we were a Spanish colony. I’m usually biased toward chocolate when it comes to sweets, but this is an exception. I think this is in part because there are childhood memories attached to chapana. I recently learned this is one of my father-in-law’s favourite desserts, too. I guess we have more in common that what I thought 🙂 Chapana is made with grated yuca (cassava), chancaca (basically cane sugar that has been boiled and solidified in a block)…
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Recipe: Gluten-free Anzac biscuits
It’s been ages since I’ve eaten Anzac biscuits because they are definitely not gluten-free. I know there are several paleo recipes floating around on the interwebs but oats are such an important ingredient in this particular cookie that IMO they don’t deserve to be called Anzac biscuits at all. Back when I reintroduced oats in my diet to follow the Chinese doctor’s nagging recommendations, I tried a few brands of gluten-free (by US standards, which are less strict than Australian) and uncontaminated oats. I didn’t have any issues with any of those so I use them regularly. For this recipe I used this brand of Australian uncontaminated oats. To learn…
