Cacao Goodness

This smoothie is great for when you are craving chocolate or something sweet and cold. All those ingredients are actually really good for your body!

Recipe:

½ cup of homemade almond milk –  best alternative to regular milk 

1 extra ripe banana - excellent source of potassium and energy

½ an avocado – excellent source of fat (this is what makes it creamy, you will not feel the taste of it in the smoothie)

3 pitted dates – excellent source of fiber and natural sweetener

2tsp Raw Cacao – full of antioxidants

1tsp Manuka Honey – has natural antibacterial properties

1tsp of any nut butter (I used pure hazelnut) – good fat and energy source

A few ice cubes

Blend everything in the food processor (make sure there are no avocado lumps left) and enjoy your smoothie!

I usually drink half a glass and then pour the rest in small Popsicle molds for my kids to enjoy the next day :D

AvoPesto Zoodles

Whoever knows me well knows that I love avocados whether it's on toast, smoothies, pasta sauce, guacamole and even hidden in deserts such as brownies or chocolate puddings!

Some people have a misconception that due to the fat and calorie contents of avocado it would cause weight gain, it is actually the opposite. The good fats in avocados have so many benefits that it actually helps in weight loss, absorbs other nutrients, boosts eye and heart health, lowers cholesterol, reduces risks of certain cancers, eases arthritis symptoms and is great for the skin!

Today I made healthy noodles by spiraling Zucchini's (check out my zoodles post if you haven't already). The sauce is what makes this dish so hearty and delicious.

For the Zoodles:
2 zucchini's (large) spiral them and keep them on tissue paper so the water drains.

For the AvoPesto Sauce:

1 large avocado

1 cup basil

¼ cup pine seeds

2TBSP olive oil

1 or 2 limes (depends on your taste)

2 garlic cloves

Water as needed (for consistency)

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in the food processor

Add the Zucchini noodles on a heated skillet for two minutes (i like it to be warm but it is perfect to skip this step and eat it raw).

Pour the zucchini noodles in a big bowl, add the AvoPesto sauce and mix in.

Put it on your plate, garnish with some grated cashews (fake Parmesan haha) and devour!!

 

 Note: I like it just the way it is, but if you are making this dish for kids i would suggest you add this to some brown rice spaghetti :)

Healthy Pop!

Did you know that popcorn has more antioxidants than most fruits and vegetables combined? Who would have thought popcorn could be a healthy snack! Of course it isn't if its the ready made microwaveable ones or the ones that are purchased at the cinema, those are made and topped with ingredients that defeat all the benefits.

The only way you can have healthy popcorn is if you pop your corn in your own kitchen :) So easy to make, you literally heat some oil on the pan, throw in some popping corns inside, close the lid and hear them pop!!

I love making our popcorn with coconut oil and then adding some Himalayan Pink Salt (Its the purest salt that is uncontaminated with toxins and pollutants and is easy to digest) since my kids like salty popcorn. It smells and tastes delicious!

Mung Beans & Chutney

Mung Beans are high in protein, fiber, antioxidants and low in fat, sodium, cholesterol and calories. They are easy to digest, reduce inflammation and contain oligosaccharides to prevent gas and bloating unlike other beans and they also give you energy! 

I personally love its taste with our homemade chutney. The chutney is spicy, so if you don't like spicy food maybe you can use less chili or even take the seeds out

For the beans (1/4 cup) i usually leave it in cold water for a few minutes before adding it to a pot of boiling water (1 cup) and a bit of salt (a few pinches). After adding it, let it boil again and lower the heat to a simmer and close the lid. leave it for around 30 minutes and it should be done. 

The chutney is super easy to make and requires only three ingredients! Green chili (2), coriander (6) and tamarind (a cube)!
Put the tamarind in boiling water for 10 minutes then mash it and strain it. Add it to the food processor with the chili and the chopped coriander. Blend and add water to reach the consistency that you like.

Pour the Chutney over the Mung Beans and Devour!

Superfoods Yummy Bowl

My Superfoods Yummy Bowl is one of my favorite breakfast meals! It is so nutritious and keeps me full for hours. It is filled with easy to digest fruits, superfoods and is so yummy!  

Basically it's green yogurt (since i don't have dairy, I use soya yogurt by the provamel brand found in Al Fair. You could use greek, coconut or homemade yogurt whatever you prefer!) I mix in 1tsp of Spirulina powder (that's what makes it green! check out my glossary). I then add 1TBSP of Chia seeds (check out my glossary) and amaranth pops. I like to top it off with whatever fruits are in season and available. This time i added half a banana, mango since it is the mango season :D, pomegranates and some frozen blueberries (i like to freeze my blueberries for their crunchiness).  I then sprinkled it with some chopped nuts (Brazilian nuts for the extra boost of vitamin E to help the release of toxins from the body, walnuts and pecans just because i love them!) and a bit of extra popped amaranth for extra crunch. Yumm!!

 

Spirulina

Spirulina is a blue green algae that springs from water. It is very high in proteins, B complex vitamins and iron. It also contains antioxidants, chlorophyll, beta –carotene and other nutrients. You can find them in most health stores around the world in capsules or powder forms.

Spirulina offers health benefits to almost every organ in the body. It is good for allergies and also removes toxins. It is an anti inflammatory and is excellent for boosting the immune system.  

It is a great source for vegans and pregnant ladies because of its high content of protein and iron. It is also incredibly high in calcium which makes it ideal for children as well. 

I like to add a teaspoon of Spirulina powder to my smoothies or parfaits. I also add it to my overnight oats sometimes. If you have never tried it before I suggest you start with maybe a quarter of a teaspoon and build your way up because Spirulina does have a taste to it that needs some getting used to :)

 

Zaatar (Thyme)

I have always loved Zaatar since i was a kid and now i have a daughter who enjoys it as much as i do :)

Zaatar is made of thyme, sesame seeds, sumac and salt. It is an antioxidant which has anti inflammatory properties. It also reduces blood cholesterol and boosts the immune system. If you haven't tried zaatar yet you should put it on your list to try because it is so yummy :D

There are many ways to having zaatar, the most famous one is zaatar pies where you can make them at home, or get them from an arabic store or at most Mediterranean restaurants.

I like to mix my zaatar with olive oil and linseed oil (Linseed oil is great for reducing inflammation). I then spread it onto my homemade chapati (I use spelt flour instead of the normal flour because spelt flour is very easy to digest. I sometimes also mix in a bit of buckwheat flour to my spelt flour, it makes the chapati a bit sweeter and black in colour).

 

Healing Soup

Moringa is a complete plant protein containing all 9 essential amino acids and is also rich in iron, calcium, vitamins and antioxidants. It's benefits are outstanding to say the least. It is considered a miracle tree that provides more health benefits than any other superfood!

They sell it in capsule and powder forms but I prefer to use fresh morniga leaves from our farm and add it to soup (Tinola). Tinola is a famous soup made in the Philippines. My daughter and i love it and try to have it once a week especially if someone at home is not feeling well.  We usually have it with brown/white rice.

Recipe (2persons)
½ a ginger 

½ a chicken 

A few pieces of white papaya or squash 

¼ cup of fresh morniga leaves 

5 lemongrass leaves 

Salt and pepper to taste

Sautee the onion and ginger then add the chicken until it is brown. Add water and boil the chicken until it is cooked (about 30 minutes).
Add the papaya/squash, moringa and lemongrass leaves, salt and pepper for another 10/15 minutes.    
Thats it!

It is so simple to make, and so nutritious.  Did i mention that it helps new mommies with lactation?! No wonder my mum in law used to give me some of this soup everyday when I was nursing!

Healthy Pancakes!

I have always loved pancakes! Since I started my healthy journey I have been trying to change some ingredients to make the perfect pancakes and I have finally perfected them to my taste :D  We love having those pancakes especially in the weekends. Not only are they healthy and easy to make with a few ingredients, but they are so delicious!

Recipe

½ cup oatmeal (grind in a food processor into a flour consistency)

1 TBSP coconut flour

¼ tsp baking powder

½ a medium banana

¼- ½ cup of whatever milk you choose (soya, oat, rice or any nut milk)

Few drops of vanilla extract

A pinch of salt and cinnamon

After grinding the oatmeal into a flour consistency in the food processor you can add the rest of the ingredients and blend. On your heated skillet drop your batter and cook until bubbles start to form then flip it for another minute or two.  

Top it however you like to (honey, maple syrup, healthy jam, healthy nutella or some fruits).

Today I felt like having it with maple syrup and chopped pecans, yum!