Zucchini Scones!

Greens in scones are great.
You may not believe me...
... so just try these goodies!

These honestly turned out way better then I expected and they're great with chocolate almondbutter and a sliced banana on top!

I mean just look at these goodies! If any of them were left I'd devour them right here and now!

Ingredients (makes 4-5 scones)
      3 dl oatflour/grounded oats (110 grams, about 1 1/4 cup)
      1 dl gluten free whole-grain flour (60 grams, a bit less then 1/2 cup)
      1 Tbsp baking powder
      1/2 tsp salt
      1/4 tsp xanthan gum
      3 Tbsp unsweetened apple sauce
      2 1/2 dl grated zucchini (about 1 cup)
      2 eggs
      ev. bread-spice

Directions:
Put all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix until it's all combined. Add the applesauce and zucchini and mix before adding the eggs. Make sure not to overmix!

Place 4-5 dollops of dough onto a covered baking tray and pop it into an oven preheated to 200 °C (about 390 °F) and leave the scones there for about 20 minutes. Take them out and allow them to cool a little so that you don't burn your tongue!

Now the nutrition label is based on 5 scones and I must say
that it's looking pretty fine!

I looked up the nutrition value for a regular scone recipe and
found that for a scone equal to the size of these you'd get way
less fibre (about 4 % instead of 15 %). The fat content would
be about 10 % higher! Because of the higher fat content the
calories in a regular scone lands on around 225-240 according
to my calculations (on a 85 g sized bun that is).

So I would rather eat these healthy and good for my body
scones then regular ones, because I can top these with all
the almondbutter in the world! And almondbutter, as everyone
already knows, equals happiness!

Black Bean Burgers

I am the master procrastinator but instead of just plain out ignore studying I figured that I could post a recipe favorite of mine (while plain out ignoring studying)! These black bean burgers are wholesome and really good! They will not taste like a burger made from meat but they're delicious nevertheless, and if you're anything like me (a non-meat-eater) then you're probably going to find these to taste way better then any meat burger out there!

Black Bean Burgers (makes 4 big burgers)

     230 grams of cooked black beans

     1 onion

     1 egg

     1 dl oats (30 grams, a bit less then 1/2 cup)

     1-2 tbsp cornstarch
     1/2-1 tsp salt
     1/2 tsp black pepper
     1/2 tsp chili powder

Directions:

Making these burgers is ridiculously simple! Just put all the ingredients into a food processor and mix it until it's all mashed and mixed. I mix mine finely because I like them that way but if you're a fan of chunky bean burgers you just have to mix a little less! Feel free to add more spices if you like your food spicy! And you most certainly don't have to season your burgers with the spices mentioned! I bet they would be delicious with some garlic powder!

You can either fry them in a lightly greased frying pan or pop them into the oven (heated to 200 °C, which is about 380 °F) and leave them there for 15-20 minutes. If you leave them in the oven for too long they tend to get a bit grainy so if you want to go with the safe and non-grainy alternative then I recommend frying!

During the summer I eat these burgers all the time, usually with a big salad and heaps of sauce! Or with fried mushrooms as in the picture above! The fact that they're so quick and easy to make makes them a go-to summer food for me since I am usually rather busy during the summer months!

As you can see one of these burgers already contain
more then 1/4 of the fibre needed for one day so
they're sure to keep you full for a while. All in all they
are filled with slow carbohydrates, wholesome proteins
and very little fat. I usually use full fat yogurt to make
the sauce for these because I like to have a balance
of fat, proteins and carbohydrates!

Oh and as you can see in the pictures, I never eat
just one but always 2 or 3 depending on how hungry I
am and what I serve with them!

Strawberry Buckwheat Oatmeal/Yogurt

I don't know what would be the right term for this meal… It has the grains that oatmeal usually does but it's entirely smooth like yogurt… But the taste is still a bit more "oatmealy" then "yogurty" if you know what I mean!

Oh, and it's also delicious (and insanely healthy!) while being completely raw!

Strawberry Buckwheat [raw, vegan] (serves 1)

      3/4 dl whole buckwheat groats (soaked in water during the night) (about 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp)

      100 grams strawberries, both frozen & fresh should be okay (I used frozen)

      3 fresh dates

      a dash of pure vanilla

Directions:

Drain the buckwheat groats well so that all the "slime" disappears then place them in a small mixer together with the dates, strawberries and the vanilla. Mix until desired consistency is reached. Some like their oatmeal with a little more texture but I mixed mine until it almost resembled yogurt!

I topped my raw oatmeal bowl with a banana, almond butter mixed with unprocessed cacao and homemade cashew milk. I also threw on some chia seeds and some shredded coconut! Unsurprisingly it was delicious and generally amazing! I just love raw food! It gives me all the energy in the world! 

Here we have a nutrition label for the entire recipe and

to me it looks just about excellent! 

Great amounts of fibre to keep you full until lunchtime!

Low fat which gives us the opportunity to drench it in 

chocolate sauce and nut butters!

A decent amount of protein that can easily be boosted with

another 5 grams via chia seeds, various nut butters or 

just chopped nuts in general! The choice is all yours!

Oh… and you'll also get all the vitamin C that you'll

be needing for the day!

Sugar Free Waffles!

I hurt my hip this Wednesday and quite frankly it hurts a lot. So I can't train, not even the teeny tiniest bit of yoga… So naturally I will spend all day cooking instead, because comfort food is a must when you can barely waddle around!

We've been working with waffles in school the past few days, leaving me with a desperate longing for them. So I figured that I'd whip up a single serving of fibre rich, sugar free and most of all delicious waffles!

Ingredients (serves 1)
      1 dl buckwheat flour (a bit less then 1/2 cup)
      1/4 tsp baking powder
      1-2 tbsp erythritol or another sugar substitute/just regular dry sweetener
      1/8 tsp xanthan gum
      1/4 vanilla pod or vanilla extract
      4 tbsp eggwhite
      3 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
      1/2 tbsp melted coconut oil
      a dash of salt

Directions:
Mix all the dry ingredients together carefully, they tend to get all over the place otherwise. Pour in the wet ingredients and mix until completely smooth, make sure that there is no lumps at all! Heat your waffle iron and grease it with coconut oil if that's needed. Place half of the mixture in the iron and press down. Wait for about 2-5 minutes (this really depends on what waffle iron you're using so please make sure to check on the waffles the first time you make these). Take out the finished waffle and cook the rest of the mixture.

Top with whatever you fancy but I strongly recommend fruits and chocolate sauce!

Here is a nutrition label for these two waffles. As you can see

they have quite a low amount of calories so topping them with
everything that you have on hand won't be a problem!

They also contain a decent amount of protein as well
as a good chunk of your needed fibre for the day! Meaning
that they will keep you full forever! Even I, who usually
get hungry two hours after eating, stood my ground
for at least four hours! But that probably has more to do
with me being unable to move around.

So go outside lovely people! Enjoy your movability
because I can tell you that it sucks not being able to
tie your own shoelaces…
But at least I can comfort eat on my homemade almond
cups, and that's pretty sweet!

Green Yogurt

Are you tired of eating yogurt that is filled with processed sugar and weird preservatives? Or do you just want a dairy free alternative that doesn't contain soy? Perhaps you're like me and just generally enjoy making your own food, and have a love for all things green?
Then this yogurt is for you! That it is super quick and easy to make just makes it even better!

Green Yogurt (serves 1)

      2 dl light coconut milk (a bit less then 1 cup)
      2 heaped dl pineapple chunks (about 1 cup)
      1 big handful of fresh spinach
      1/2-1 tsp xanthan gum
      eventually some ice cubes if you want it really cold

Directions:
Blend all the ingredients except the xanthan gum until smooth. Add the xanthan gum little by little until the yogurt is as thick as you'd like. If you're using a pineapple that isn't very sweet then you might have to add some sweetener. In that case I recommend stevia, agave or maybe a couple of dates?

 
I chose to top my yogurt with mulberries, shredded coconut, cacao nibs and chia seeds! Yum!


The yogurt makes a really generous serving, but since
I am usually really hungry when breakfast comes around I
have made the assumption that others might feel the same way.
The nutrition label is therefore for the entire recipe so knock
yourself out!

Since the recipe is so low in calories I strongly recommend
that you top it with something calorie dense like nuts and
seed. That will also give you a boost in protein! I know that
there is lots of vegan protein powders available now so if
you feel like adding that to the yogurt itself in order to
up the protein feel free to do so!

Chocolate Covered Coconut Patties

As I promised yesterday, here comes the recipe for these insanely delicious and nutritious little things! They are completely raw (if you choose to use a raw sweetener) and vegan. Its quick and easy to make them, except that you will most certainly end up with chocolate covered hands. I assume that this won't be a problem!

Chocolate Covered Coconut Patties (makes 10-12)

The filling
      1 heaped dl cashews (about 1/2 cup)
      1 heaped dl shredded, unsweetened coconut (about 1/2 cup)
      1 tbsp coconut oil
      5-10 drops of stevia (or other sweetener until desired taste)
      1/2 tsp pure vanilla

The coating
      2 tbsp coconut oil
      2 tbsp cacao powder
      1 tsp agave
      about 5 drops of stevia or more agave

Directions:
Place all the ingredients for the filling in a food processor and mix until smooth. You will most likely have to stop and scrape down some of the coconut from the sides since it has a tendency of getting stuck. When everything is smooth have a taste and see so that the sweetness is right for you and that the cashew to coconut ratio is to you liking. If it doesn't taste as you would like it then adjust the sweetener/amount of coconut until you love it!
Make small rounds of the "dough" and place on a baking sheet. When you have all your patties done then place them in the freezer for an hour or so.

When an hour has passed then start to melt the coconut oil (if you want the recipe to be strictly raw then make sure that you do not heat it over 42 °C). When its melted pour in the rest of the ingredients and mix until you have a loose, lump free mixture. Once again, if it's not sweet enough/too sweet for you then add sweetener/cacao until you find it divine!

Take out the patties from the freezer and dip them in the chocolate mixture. If there is chocolate over when you have dipped all your patties you can either double dip them or you know… drink it. Or dip strawberries in it as I did!

Place the patties in the fridge and let them stay there until it's time to serve them. The coating will melt if you leave them out in room temperature for an extended period of time.

Here is a nutrition label for one of these delicious little cookies…

I must say that this label looks pretty good for something
as delicious as these patties. It has zero cholesterol which
is great for people who needs to keep track of that.

The cashews and coconut contributes with quite a lot
of fats though but they're both really healthy fats!
For me, who tend to eat way too much fruit and way
too little fats and proteins in general, the fact that they
have fats is great. And I mean coconut is beyond
great for your skin!

So excuse me while I go and eat some, all, of these...

Zucchini Lasagna

When I got back from university today I was insanely hungry and before I knew it I had sliced up a zucchini that we had laying around. Since I am not the biggest fan of zucchini I had to take a step back, eat some grapes & nuts then really think about what I could make out of this. And then it hit me! I wanted to make a lasagna! Because it was such a long ago since I had any type of lasagna! But I also wanted it to be vegan & super-duper healthy of course! Meaning that it was time for a compromise! Because I refuse to give up on great flavor in order to eat healthy!

This recipe doesn't taste like traditional lasagna (according to both me and my sister it tasted better) so if that's what you're looking for then this recipe is not for you! But if you're ready to try something new & divinely delicious then this is without a doubt something that I think that you would enjoy!

Zucchini Lasagna (serves 4)

The base
      1 zucchini
      1 tbsp olive oil
      salt
      pepper

The "sauce"
      2 1/2 dl cashew nuts (about 1 cup)
      1 tbsp dill, either fresh or dried
      dash of coriander
      dash of cayenne pepper
      dash of herb salt
      water as needed (I used about 150 ml)

The "meat"
      450 grams of extra firm tofu or cooked chickpeas
      10 sundried tomatoes (that has been soaked in hot water for about 30 minutes)
      2 1/2 dl water (about 1 cup)
      1 onion
      spices to your liking

Directions
Set your oven to 180 °C (about 360 °F).

Slice the zucchini lengthwise into thin strips, then place in a bowl. Pour the olive oil over the strips & add the salt & pepper. Place them in a medium sized baking dish & place them in the oven for about 15 minutes.

The sauce is really simple to make, simply add all the ingredients to a food processor & mix until smooth. Add the water little by little so that it doesn't end up too runny. Pour into another container & wash of the food processor because you'll be using it to ground up your "meat".

Chop up your onion & put it in a frying pan with some olive oil or cooking spray. Place your meat substitute (the firm tofu or the chickpeas) in the food processor & mix in quick pulses until it has the consistency of ground meat. Place it in the frying pan with the onion. Time to mix the tomatoes! Put them in the food processor (no need to clean in between) with the water & mix until smooth. The scoop the mixture out into the frying pan. Fry everything until it's evenly coated with tomato mixture & it looks ready to be eaten.

Arrange the zucchini strips so that they cover the bottom of the baking dish then add your tofu/chickpea mixture & top it off with some of the sauce. Place the rest of the zucchini strips on top then add the last sauce & smooth it out evenly.

Place it in the middle of the pre heated oven for about 30 minutes & when it's done serve it with a leafy salad!

Here is the nutrition label, which certainly doesn't look too shabby! I love when recipes turns out amazing & filled to the brim with taste while they're still soooo good for you! I guess that what I am trying to say is that healthy, wholesome food makes me happy!

     

Colorful Chickpea Salad

Just as I promised! Here comes the recipe for this insanely colorful salad! This is basically what happens when I throw together a bunch of all the wonderful fruits & veggies that we have at home! Lots of color & lots of flavor! Which is what I love about healthy food!

Colorful Chickpea Salad (serves 2)

      2 1/2 dl mini tomatoes (about 1 cup)

      2 1/2 dl seedless grapes (about 1 cup) 

      1 dl mango (about 1/2 cup)
      1 small avocado
      5 dl chopped baby spinach (about 2 cups)
      1 red onion
      200 grams of cooked chickpeas

Directions:
Cut the mini tomatoes into either halves or fourths then place them in a big bowl. Half the grapes and throw them in the bowl as well. Slice the mango into dices or if you use frozen mango thaw it carefully so that it doesn't get soggy. Place in the bowl together with the tomatoes & grapes. Slice up the onion really finely and put it in the bowl. Cut the avocado into pieces, make sure not to cut it too finely since this will make it mushy. Throw in the cooked chickpeas. If using canned chickpeas then rinse throughly before. Chop the baby spinach a bit (or leave it as it is if you have very fine leaves) then put that into the bowl and mix carefully. When everything is combined it's time to plate up and devour!

This salad goes really well with a spicy dressing since it's so very sweet on its own, so if you have any good recipes for that then please do share! Dressings really isn't my thing so I usually just drop on some tabasco or eat as it is!

I figured that since it's so quick & easy to make nutrition labels nowadays I'd throw one in!

Enjoy!