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Recipe: Savoury bliss balls
Savoury bliss balls are my kind of healthy treat. Even though I like looking at sweet treats such as brownies, cakes and regular bliss balls, I rarely want to eat them. I prefer savoury snacks most of the time. In case you don’t know, bliss balls are those golf-sized balls you see at counters in cafes and in the health food aisles in supermarkets (e.g. Bounce balls). They’re typically made with nuts and/or seeds, some sort of sweetener (e.g. honey, maple syrup, dates) and some sort of flavouring (e.g. cacao powder, matcha, vanilla extract, spices). Some incorporate protein powder and/or collagen to be treated as a post-workout snack. They can…
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Recipe: Chorizo frittata
This is an easy, tasty recipe that makes good use of leftover frozen vegetables. You can have it for breakfast or serve it with a big salad for lunch or dinner. Enjoy! I used Mexican-style (uncooked) chorizo. You can use Spanish-style (dried) chorizo, which is already cooked, in which case you can place it straight in the roasting dish without cooking it. This recipe is gluten-free and low-carb.
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Product review: Pili nuts
I first heard about pili nuts a couple of years ago. These nuts hail from the Philippines and are particularly sought after by people following a low-carb or keto diet, due to its high content of fat and low content of carbohydrate. They’re pretty hard to come by, especially in Australia. Luckily for me, a teammate recently went to the Philippines and brought me a bag of plain roasted ones (she knows me well). The nuts look like giant almond slivers and have a soft, buttery and crumbly texture. They are very mild in flavour so you might want to shake some sea salt on them before trying them. The…
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Recipe: Mum’s burgers
Last time I went home I asked mum for recipes of meals I really miss. Her burgers, a simple weeknight meal, were on the list. She used to serve them with rice (otherwise it’s not a meal, according to many Peruvians) and occasionally a little salad. I used to pour tomato sauce all over the rice; these days I prefer serving the burgers with salad (coleslaw is my personal fave) and some good mustard.
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Recipe: Ground beef and cabbage
Ground beef and cabbage is a simple nutritious recipe you can make on a week night using ingredients that are easy to come by. This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free and low-carb. You can substitute the beef mince for any other kind of mince, including plant-based alternatives. You can also use pre-shredded cabbage or a coleslaw mix instead of shredding your own cabbage.
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Recipe: Ground beef and green beans
Ground beef and green beans is a simple nutritious recipe you can make on a week night using ingredients that are easy to come by. This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free and low-carb. You can substitute the beef mince for any other kind of mince, including plant-based alternatives. Feel free to use other vegetables (e.g. broccolini, broccoli or Asian greens) instead of the green beans.
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Recipe: Low-carb ají de gallina (Peruvian chicken stew)
Peruvian food is delicious but can be very carb-heavy. Ají de gallina, for instance, is a chicken stew made with bread, evaporated milk and served with rice and/or potatoes. Made the traditional way, this is not a dish for those with gluten or lactose intolerance, nor for people watching their carb intake. Note that this particular recipe is not lactose-free (you can use coconut cream instead of double cream, but it will change the taste of the dish). Serve with a simple salad on the side and enjoy!
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Recipe: Dry-brined pork chops with roasted vegetables
In this recipe for dry-brined pork chops with roasted vegetables we make use of science to achieve tender and delicious meat. Dry brining is an alternative to traditional brining (i.e. submerging a piece of meat in salty water) with the goal of keeping the meat moist via osmosis. Dry brining involves covering the meat directly with salt (and optional spices), which initially draws water out of the meat. However, given enough time, the water is reabsorbed by the meat, which tenderises in the process and remains moist. This works better with thicker chops (steaks, etc.). This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free and low-carb. If you don’t eat pork, you can use…
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Product review: Lekker Tucker Biltong
I was walking past the tiny Newtown weekend market when I saw a stall selling biltong. Naturally, I had to stop and ask some questions. It turns out that the friendly French guy behind this product is very mindful of ingredient quality (the meat is grass-fed and ethically raised, bought straight from the farmer) and clean flavour. I bought a couple of bags in chilli and fennel flavour (I like these better than the bush spices flavour), both for $20. The ingredients in both are: premium Australian beef, organic spices, organic apple cider vinegar, brown sugar chilli and sea salt.
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Recipe: Egg & olive salad
More egg salad madness! This variation includes olive oil mayonnaise and olives, a combo that is very familiar for Peruvians. If this variation doesn’t appeal to you, try the egg & cucumber or egg pesto recipes.
