Healthy Pumpkin Muffins Recipe with Oats and Pecans [Skinny, Wheat-free, Dairy-Free]

Autumn is in full swing and so is the pumpkin and winter squashes season! I've been obsessed with these little muffins for breakfast lately and I'm so excited to share this recipe of muffins that are:

♥ healthy

♥ wholesome

♥ nutrient-packed

♥ weight loss friendly

♥ low carb and low GI

♥ low fat

♥ dairy free

♥ wheat free 

♥ refined sugar free

♥ salt free
♥ high in fibre
♥ flourless*
♥ vegan*

♥ simple and easy to prepare

and

♥ soooo yummy!

*I have tried and tested several different ingredient combinations, which I will all reflect in the ingredient list below. So you can pick the one you like the most. ;)

The options are:
 
BASE: 
a) oat flour based or b) completely without flour

ADD-INS:
a) with nuts or b) without nuts

DIET: 
a) vegan or b) vegetarian.

In the meantime, I will tempt you with the preview:

Pumpkin oat muffins (nut-free)

Pumpkin oat muffins with peanut butter

Pumpkin pecan muffins

I have baked several batches ahead from a huge squash and honestly, throughout the week the thought of having these little guys waiting for me in the kitchen made me want jump out of the bed in the morning! :) I put on my little bialetti espresso pot on a stove, jumped to a quick shower and once I was done, the breakfast was ready! These go very nicely with lots of things: berries, apples and persimmons, apple & pear puree ( recipe's coming soon), and if you can tolerate dairy you can pair them up with low fat cottage cheese. One word: YUM!

These are man-approved too! I packed them in a clip lock box for my husband to take to work and he ate his 3 day supply in one sitting. Says it all.

Why Pumpkins and Squashes?

As to the health benefits: these guys are indeed little heroes! First of all, they are very low in carbohydrates, so can be enjoyed safety as a part of any weight loss and weight management eating plan. Secondly, they are an excellent source of minerals, vitamins and antioxidants that maintain health of our eyes, skin, brain, nervous system, bones, blood and even slow down premature aging.  They also have very powerful immunity boosting properties - very thoughtful of mother nature in these cold (and somewhat gloomy) months!

Oh, and by the way! Instead of a pumpkin I've used to make these muffins a kuri squash, which is the most delicious winter squash type I've tasted so far! Highly recommend, but you can use any other squash or pumpkin of your preference. (Let me know in the comments which is your favourite!)

Ingredients:

(Makes 6 medium size muffins) 

♥ 275g puree of pumpkin or quash of your choice
♥ a) 150g porridge oats or b) for flourless, lower carb and higher fibre version 130g oat bran (beneficial for blood sugar level control)  
♥ a) for vegetarian version: 1 free range organic egg or b) for vegan version: 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds mixed with 3 tablespoons of filtered water or 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce 
♥ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
♥ 3/4 teaspoon all spice
♥ 1/2 teaspoon of cloves (optional)
♥ 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and few drops of organic apple cider vinegar
♥ 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
♥ 1 1/2 teaspoon stevia
♥ 1 or 2 tablespoons of oat or almond milk (optional, just in case if your mixture comes out too dry)
♥ a) 45g pecans (skip if you're allergic to nuts) or b) 1 1/2 tablespoon oat flakes for sprinkling on top
♥ silicone 6 cup muffin mould

Method:

1. Make a puree. Simply cut squash slices into smaller pieces, throw them into a chopper, food processor or blender, added some filtered water and puree until smooth.


2. If you will be using porridge oats, ground them in blender, food processor or chopper until the reach a flour consistency. Alternatively, you can use oat bran for higher fibre content and a version that is low in carbs. There's no need to ground oat bran just in case. ;)
3. In a clean large bowl mix together all dry ingredients: oat flour (step 3 above) or oat bran, cinnamon, all spice, cloves (if using), baking powder, stevia and (if using) about 30g roughly chopped pecans (the remaining 15g will go on top). Mix everything well.
4. If you are using an egg: whisk it with a hand mixer until it becomes white and foamy. This will prevent muffins taste or smell like eggs. Just a little trick. ;)
5. Add pumpkin/squash puree to the whisked egg or, if you are making vegan muffins, ground flax seeds mixed with water or applesauce. Stir the mixture well.
6. Take 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and add a few drops of apple cider vinegar. The soda will start to bubble and foam. Don't be alarmed, this is what supposed to happen. Count to 8 and stir it in the pumpkin puree.
7. Add dry ingredients to the wet and mix everything well. If the mixture looks too dry, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of oat or almond milk.
8. Distribute the mixture equally between 6 muffin cups. Even out and from the top press each one gently with a tablespoon.
9. Sprinkle the remaining 15g of chopped pecans on top. If you're making the nut-free version, sprinkle oat flakes on top. Whatever is your topping - press in down gently into the mixture with your clean fingers. This will prevent the topping from falling down.

Ready to go to the oven.

10. Bake for 25 minutes at 170C or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
11. Take the tray out of the oven and allow to cool before removing muffins from the muffin mould.
12. Enjoy!

Pumpkin muffin with apple & pear puree

Ingredients:
(makes approx 23 small pancakes)

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2 Recipes of Healthy and Delicious Pumpkin Pancakes: Sweet Cinnamon and Hot Chili

Autumn is all about pumpkins and squashes! These vegetables are very delicious, healthy, immunity boosting and weight loss friendly. There are million ways to eat them, and I want to share with you two of my favorite ones. One is sweet and fluffy for breakfast and one hot and spicy for lunch, dinner or snacking.

What's so special about squashes and pumpkins?

A little intro. The bright yellow and orange flesh of these wonderful autumn vegetables is essentially beta-carotene in action. Beta-carotene is converted into an active vitamin A in your body, which is a very powerful antioxidant and one of those valuable fat-soluble vitamins many of us are often deficient in. Vitamin A plays a huge role in keeping us healthy. It boosts and maintains immunity, our ability to fight infections and even reduces the risk of some cancers. Vitamin A is essential for maintaining healthy skin, bones, eyes, brain and reproductive system.  Squashes and pumpkin also contain Vitamin C, potassium as well as calcium, iron, and magnesium.

These truly health-boosting veggies are also perfect for anyone who wants to lose weight. Their carbohydrate level is very low, so you can enjoy these veggies without any risk of piling up unwanted pounds. They also have a very vibrant rich taste, so enjoyable tasty meals are not compromised! So squashes and pumpkins are definitely an awesome autumn veg choice if you want to become healthier and slimmer!

My personal winner is a Kuri squash (pictured above), which is probably the most delicious and the yummiest squash variety I have ever tried! I am seriously in love with it! And what's more - thanks to London Farmer's Market I can get it fully organic from Wild Country Organics. Definitely pay them a visit, if you're a Londoner. ;)

Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin Pancakes  

This version is amazing for satisfying a sweet tooth without increasing your waist or bum circumference. It is wheat free, refined carb free and sugar free meal. And once you try them you'll discover that none of those are really necessary! Cinnamon does all the magic.
Perfect for that no-rush cozy weekend breakfast. 

Ingredients:
(makes approx 23 small pancakes)

♥ 250g pumpkin or quash of your choice (I used Kuri squash), peeled and de-seeded
♥ 70g oat bran
♥ 2 free range organic eggs 
♥ 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
♥ optional: 1/2 teaspoon all spice
♥ 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and few drops of organic apple cider vinegar
♥ optional: some salt
♥ non-stick pan and some olive oil 

Method:

1. Make a puree. You can make it after steaming slices as those on the second picture. However, as I like to cook veg as little as possible I decided to make an experiment. I cut these slices into smaller ones, threw them into a chopper (any food processor or blender will do the job just as fine), added some filtered water and voila! The taste of the pancakes was a also bit richer if you make a puree from raw squash.

2. Transfer your squash or pumpkin puree into a medium bowl.
3. Here's what I do to make the pancakes extra tender. I take 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and add a few drops of apple cider vinegar. The soda will start to bubble and foam. Don't be alarmed, this is what suposed to happen. Count to 8 and stir it in.
4. Add cinnamon, oat bran, eggs and salt if using. Mix all ingredients well.
5. Heat a non-stick frying pan. Grease with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil.
6. Fry with a covered lid for 2 minutes on one side, and them for 1 minute of the other.

 Serve with lightly steamed apples sprinkled with ground cinnamon.

Hot Chili Pumpkin Pancakes  

These pancakes go amazingly well with fresh vegetable salad, yogurt, beans, chicken. They taste amazing when you spread cottage cheese or put avocado or low fat cheese slices on top of them. They are light yet satisfying and if you're ever in a situation when you dine late, these are a perfect option! Also I always make loads of these pancakes well ahead, cause they are amazing both hot and cold and do an amazing job in being a quick snack.

Ingredients:
(makes approx 20 small pancakes)

♥ 250g pumpkin or quash of your choice (I used Kuri squash), peeled and de-seeded
♥ 85g oat bran
♥ 2 free range organic eggs 
♥ 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and few drops of organic apple cider vinegar 
♥ 1/2 large red onion
♥ 1 red chili pepper, deseeded
♥ optional: some salt
♥ non-stick pan and some olive oil 

Method:

1. Finely chop onion and red chili in a  chopper or food processor. Transfer to a medium bowl.
2. Make a pumpkin or squash puree.
3. Transfer your pumpkin or squash puree into the bowl with chopped onion and chili.
4. Slake soda, by adding few drops of vinegar onto a 1/2 teaspoon baking soda. Count to 15 and stir it in your puree.
5. Add oat bran, eggs and salt if using. Mix all ingredients well.
5. Heat a non-stick frying pan. Grease with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil.
6. Fry with a covered lid for 2,5 minutes on one side, and them for 1,5 minute of the other.

A small afterword...

I used to hate autumn when I was a teen and the thought of summer coming to an end made me literally deeply melancholic. That was the case for many years, until one year I have finally decided to break that cycle. I decided to try to see the beauty of autumn season instead of focusing that the summer was gone. I realised I enjoyed the fresh crisp air. My morning run was actually times easier and more refreshing than in summer. I loved it! I loved the bright colours of foliage, longer evenings with new enjoyable activities, for example, rejoining with a family when it rained outside. Exciting new clothes to wear and different make up and hair trends, when dark lips and deep bright colours are so in. New delicious fruit, veg and yummy meals to cook. I learned to appreciate it all and shame I didn't do it earlier! I think I now love autumn more than summer! If you are just like I used to be, oh well I hear you...  But try to find what you could enjoy, brainstorm, maybe even look for ideas by asking your friends or Google for inspiration. Don't deprive yourself from an opportunity to enjoy these cold months and be happy. Life goes on and it is beautiful! Go live and embrace every moment! xx 

The Perfect Banana Bread - Vegan, Fat-Free, Wheat-Free, Nut-Free

As the days are getting colder, it's a perfect time to get baking! I've been experimenting with making banana bread several times before posting this recipe to make sure the proportions are perfect. Also, the challenge was to make my banana bread as healthy and as guilt-free as possible as opposed to so many recipes out there overloaded with fat or made of wheat flour. But now with each bite of a flavorsome, fluffy, perfectly moist slice of this banana bread, I get more and more proud that I finally nailed it! I decided to make it fruity and added nectarines, also because I love them a lot! But you can also take peaches or small apples of your choice instead.

For those who never tried or not familiar with banana bread, this is not strictly a bread that you have with soup or to make a sandwich. :) Banana bread is rather a moist pie/cake to go with your morning coffee or tea. You can spread peanut butter or blend of few strawberries and quark (fat-free cottage cheese) on top of it, or just have it on its own. Best served, chilled.

INGREDIENTS:
(makes a loaf approx. 22.5cm long and 10cm wide)
♥ 270g wholemeal buckwheat flour
♥ 300g mashed overripe bananas (peeled weight)
♥ 3 nectarines (or medium size apples)
♥ 1 teaspoon baking powder
♥ 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
♥ 1/2 teaspoon salt
♥ 1 teaspoon cinnamon, plus some for dusting
♥ 4 tablespoons of filtered water

METHOD:
1.  Pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
2.  Mash peeled bananas with a fork or puree in a blender. Add water before doing so.
3.  In a separate bowl, mix buckwheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
4.  Finely (or not so finely:)) dice 2 nectarines and put them into a bowl with dry ingredients.
5.  Add pureed bananas to dry ingredients with diced nectarines and combine everything well.
6.  Make 15-17 slices of nectarines.
7.  Pour your mixture into a silicone loaf mould . Top it with nectarine slices and sprinkle ground cinnamon as much as your want.
8.  Turn the temperature down to 180 degrees Celsius and put the banana bread inside the oven.
9.  Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 60 - 65 minutes.
10.  Let cool for 15 minutes before taking the bread out of the loaf mould.
11.  Before slicing and serving, let the bread cool completely for a couple of hours.

Enjoy! xx

Beetroot and Butter Beans Hummus

A purple makeover: beetroot and butter beans hummus! If you're looking for some new dip or snacks ideas or you're a little tired of your traditional hummus, try this purple dip of deliciousness - I'm sure you'll be hooked! It's also much lower in fat than the traditional hummus and it also tastes absolutely divine with no added salt. Clean, healthy and full of rich flavours it goes perfectly with sugar snap peas, carrots, cucumbers, radishes or as a spread on a wholegrain crispbread.

INGREDIENTS:
(makes approximately 2 small dip dishes as pictured) 

♥ 1/2 cup of grated or thinly sliced beets (raw is best, you can use lightly steamed, but avoid canned)
♥ 1/2 cup of cooked butter beans
♥ 1-2 teaspoons of tahini (depending on your personal preference)
♥ 1-2 garlic cloves (optional)
♥ 1 teaspoon of lemon juice (optional)

METHOD:

1.  Puree beets, butter beans, garlic and lemon juice until smooth. If needed, add a tablespoon of filtered water or more lemon juice to ease the process.
2.  Add tahini and stir thoroughly. 

WHY BEETROOT? 

♥ Good source of potassium, folate (vitamin B9) and vitamin C
♥ Helps clear blood of stress and sex hormones, thus helping fight anxiety and improving your weight loss and sleep
♥ Thins the bile, detoxifies the liver and enhances liver function
♥ Helps eliminate cravings for high fat or deep-fried foods
♥ Helps treat high blood pressure, fatty liver and high blood cholesterol
♥ Decreases risk of developing heart disease and heart attack
♥ Provides good support to women during menstruation
♥ Improves skin complexion
♥ Contains phytochemicals that have potent anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory properties
♥ Improves digestion helping deal with constipation and IBS

* As beetroot is rich in oxalate, please ensure you have an adequate calcium intake.
** If you suffered from or are prone to calcium oxalate kidney stones, please consult your doctor before introducing beetoot into your diet.

High-Protein and Gluten-free Buckwheat Pancakes Recipe ❤

A perfect breakfast solution for those who are either watching weight, are gluten intolerant but still looking to maintain adequate fibre intake or are following high-protein diet for many different health reasons. These delicious pancakes have a smooth nutty taste and are quite easy to make too! If you never tried buckwheat before, I personally strongly recommend you give it a taste and chances are you fall in love with it! It goes very well with most vegetables (both raw or cooked) and even berries. It also is very weight-loss friendly and a healthy cocktail of fibre, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, vitamin B6, niacin and folate.

INGREDIENTS:
♥ 80g of cooked buckwheat (preferably organic)
♥ 2 organic free range eggs
♥ Sprinkle of cinnamon
♥ Optional: 1/4 tsp of salt
♥ Optional: 2 tbsp of organic plain low-fat yogurt. If you don't eat dairy use oat cream like this one - http://tidd.ly/39dcb167
♥ 1 tsp of organic virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine all ingredients either in a food processor or in a chopper. Alternatively, in a bowl beat eggs with a fork and then combine with all remaining ingredients. Mix well.
2. Pre-heat a non-stick pan on a low heat. Add a teaspoon of olive oil and using a spatula spread it quickly over the pan
3. Now it's time to transfer mixture onto a pan! I use a tablespoon to form small pancakes, usually 1 tablespoon gives 1 pancake.
4. When the top of a pancake start to lose moisture (usually around after 4 minutes as we are frying on a very low heat), lift and quickly flip a pancake over. Leave for approximately another 2 minutes.
5. Serve with berries defrosted overnight.

Bon Appétit and have a wonderful day ahead!
Natalia

♥

Italian Biscotti with Almonds and Orange Zest - The Healthy Way ❤

Ah, the tempting smell of fresh baked Italian biscotti... But if you're watching your weight, white refined flour or sugar (main biscotti ingredients) are exactly the products you need to stay away from. And here's more to motivate you - these products have a very bad influence on you health. Increased blood sugar affects your glands and significantly worsens your mood (hello depression, moodiness, grumpiness, irritability and PMS!). Whereas, white flour delays elimination of waste material in the body and disrupts normal digestion. Now to the good news! What I did the other day has been one of the most successful culinary experiments I've made! I'm so excited  and happy to share with you a recipe of an absolutely delicious Italian biscotti made the HEALTHY way! Warning: it may well be the best biscotti you've tasted! ;)

INGREDIENTS:

♥ 230g of organic rolled oats (I used these - http://tidd.ly/bd384a14) finely ground in a coffee grinder or chopper to make them almost flour-like
♥ 2 large organic free-range eggs
♥ 100g almond flakes. Alternatively, you can toast whole almonds for 8 minutes in an oven, let cool and coarsely chop.
♥ A zest of 1 organic orange, finely chopped
♥ 1 tsp vanilla powder
♥ 1 tsp baking soda slaked with vinegar (just pour few drops of vinegar onto a teaspoon with baking soda to make a fizzy mixture) or baking powder
♥ 1/5 cup organic agave nectar (http://tidd.ly/bfdd22dc) or honey.
(You can also use stevia (http://tidd.ly/fdc3196), but each brand has its own conversion equivalent)
♥ 1/4 tsp salt
♥ Non-stick parchment paper (http://tidd.ly/1652d27a)
♥ Optional: 1 tsp almond extract
♥ Optional: 1 tbsp rum or cognac (for adults only)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C degrees.
2. Beat eggs and agave nectar or honey with a mixer for about 5 minutes until they become thick and white.
*3. Optional: Add almond extract and/or cognac or rum.
4. Add flaked or chopped almonds. Gently stir the mixture with a wooden spoon.
5. In a separate large bowl mix ground oats, salt, vanilla powder and chopped orange zest. Finally, add baking soda.
6. Combine egg mixture (described in steps 2-4) and oats mixture (described in step 5). I find it most helpful to do it with a large table spoon and finish with my clean bare hands.
7. Transfer your mixture onto a baking tray covered with non-stick parchment paper and form a log. Usually, it is recommended to make it approximately 30 cm long and 9 cm wide (your biscotti will expand in size a bit during baking).
8. Bake for about 25 minutes until your biscotti log becomes firm. Don't worry, it does not need to be 100% solid yet.
9. After 25 minutes, take your biscotti log out of the oven and let it cool for about 8-10 minutes.
10. Carefully transfer your log onto a chopping board. Reduce your oven temperature to 160°C. Using a sharp knife cut your log into 2cm thick slices. Carefully put your biscotti flat on their widest part on the parchment paper and bake for another 10* minutes.
11. Turn biscotti over and bake for another 10* minutes.
12. Let cool and enjoy!

* This time hugely depends on the air humidity and that's why it will take longer for biscotti to become dry. So your best bet is to put a timer on 10 minutes first and then to regularly check you biscotti and leave them bake longer if necessary. 

With Love,
Natalia

Vegan Peanut Butter Rum Balls a.k.a Chocolate Little Snowball Cakes

No Christmas or New Year's Eve table goes without a delicious dessert. This year I upgraded my family's all time favorite dessert to a healthier level  - less sugar, saturated fats, refined grains but still keeping the taste rich and festive. And it's vegan!

This cake has a funny name with Russians - a "potato" cake. It used to be a very popular and somewhat posh dessert in USSR.  I still remember a morning at the cafe when I was 5 and my mom bought it to me the first time. My taste buds literally dancing! :) I first surprised my parents by making a traditional version of "potato" cakes when I was 18 and since then all my family requests them for special occasions, like birthdays, Easter, New Year's Eve and so on. By now, I know just how explosive the ingredients combination is for our body, so I was pondering how to replace those ingredients with something more healthy. The result was welcomed with approval, so here's a recipe to surprise your loved ones! ;)

I must only remind that although it is a healthier version, this still is a dessert and so should be enjoyed only occasionally to keep your weight and health in tip top condition! ;)

INGREDIENTS:
(Makes 11 small balls):

♥ 170g of organic rolled oats finely ground in a coffee grinder or chopper to make them almost flour-like
♥ 50 ml organic oat milk
♥ 70g organic smooth peanut butter
♥ 1/2 cup agave nectar or honey
♥ 3 heaped tablespoons (or more depending on your to taste) of organic cocoa powder or you can melt 50g of 70% cocoa dark chocolate, which is what I did for the cakes pictured
♥ 1 tablespoon of almond extract
♥ 1 tablespoon of rum or cognac (skip if kids will eat these cakes too)
♥ 1 teaspoon vanilla powder
♥ Handful of organic dessicated coconut
♥ Half small banana sliced crosswise into 1.5 cm thick little coins

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl combine ground oats with vanilla powder and mix them well with a large table spoon.
2. Add agave nectar (or honey), almond extract, rum (or cognac) and mix well.
3. Stir in peanut butter and melted chocolate. This is the time to act quickly - mix in the ingredients well while the chocolate is still runny.
4. To finish up. I find that kneading with my bare (and of course clean!) hands. ;)
4. If the mixture is too dry, add a little bit of oats milk. If the mixture is too runny, don't worry - it will solidify a bit after some time.
5. Take 3 separate clean plates: 1st for dessicated coconut, 2nd for formed round balls and 3rd where these balls will go after being covered in coconut flakes (alternatively and airtight container is good too as it will keep them fresh longer).
6. Start forming cakes! :) I start with warming up the mixture in my hands to make a flat piece almost like for a cookie. I then take 1 banana coin, put it in the middle and roll the mixture into a round ball.
Once all your balls are ready, start rolling them in coconut and press them lightly to get coconut flakes stick better.
7. Refrigerate your ready cakes for a least 3 hours. If you can refrigerate them overnight, this is even better as they will soak in the flavors to the maximum.

Happy Holidays! ♥

Delicious Healthy Tuna Patties Recipe

Easy to make, filling, healthy and delicious dish for your lunch or dinner! Tuna is not only one of the tastiest fish variety in my opinion, but is also super rich in protein, which is exactly what's needed for anyone wanting to lose weight (and keep the muscle mass!) and keep the blood sugar under control.
The ingredients list for the tuna patties is also accessible and affordable, so I really hope you give these tasty tuna patties a try!

INGREDIENTS:
(Makes 15 small patties)
♥ 2 cans of skipjack tuna having 150g of drained weight each. (I ♥ this one - http://tidd.ly/58e82bf2)
♥ 2 medium organic eggs
♥ 4 heaped tablespoons of rolled oats or oat bran
♥ 2 shallots or 1 small onion
♥ 4 garlic cloves
♥ Fresh, frozen or dried dill to taste (but the more the better in my opinion :) )
♥ Ground pepper
♥ Parsley
♥ Sprinkle of lemon spice
♥ Ground coriander
♥ Olive oil (My favorite product of all!! - http://tidd.ly/3f2b35d3)

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a medium or large bowl beat the eggs with a fork. Add drained tuna and ground pepper.
2. Take a chopper (mine looks like this one below) or coffee bean grinder, grind the oats and add them to the mixture. Alternatively, you can take oat bran, which suits very well too.

3. Finely chop shallots and garlic or chop the in the chopper (how many more words "chop" could I use here? :) )
4. Add dried parsley, ground coriander and finely chopped dill.
5. Pre-heat a non-stick frying pan, add a teaspoon of olive oil and smear the the surface of the frying pan well.
6. With your clean hands, start forming flat patties and put them onto the frying pan one by one.
7. Cover the frying pan with the lid and leave for 5 minutes on low heat. Then turn the patties over and cook for 4 more minutes.
8. Serve with green veggies or fresh vegetable salad.

Enjoy! xx

Nourishing and Tasty Avocado & Egg Sandwich Filling

Time to upgrade your old egg mayo sandwiches to a new healthy level! This simple high protein sandwich filling will satisfy hunger, keep you full longer and give your body nutrients, vitamins and minerals it will be thankful for. Avocado is not only a great taste companion here, but also a wonderful fruit that is a source of healthy monounsaturated fats, magnesium and potassium. Of course, I didn't forget about the greens, the super-food mother nature grows for us! This is a great example how the increase your green leaves intake - just add a little to your meals as often as possible!

INGREDIENTS:
(Makes 3 portions)
♥ 2 hard boiled organic eggs
♥ 1/2 avocado
♥ 2 tablespoons of organic fat-free plain yogurt
♥ Rocket leaves to taste
♥ Spring onions to taste
♥ Ground pepper to taste
♥ Sea salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:
♥ Slice eggs, avocado and spring onions as on the picture above.
I use this great little helper for slicing boiled eggs and avocado. Slices in seconds and saves tons of time!

♥ In a bowl, mix them with yogurt. 
♥ Put rocket leaves on organic wholegrain bread slice and top it with the mixture
♥ Season with ground pepper and a little tiny bit of salt

Here's a takeaway friendly option (made for my husband as a healthy alternative to airport takeaways):
♥ Put low fat cheese slices on top of each sandwich and wrap sandwiches around with foil.

And voila!
Hope you enjoy this one!


With Love,
Natalia

Immunity-Boosting Super-Healthy Cranberry Smoothie Recipe

This is a very simple smoothie recipe from seasonal fruit and berries which gives a very powerful immune system boost! It provides a mighty dose of vitamin C, beta-carotene, flavonoids, water and fibre - all of those work to strengthen your immunity, fight viral infections and decrease inflammation. It also gives a mild cleanse helping your body flush out toxins.

Another benefit is that this super smart and healthy smoothie gives you almost an instant relief from unpleasant cold or flu symptoms. Plus, it's drinkable, so no suffering if you have a very low appetite!

And of course, this smoothie will also help you bypass cold and flu season!

INGREDIENTS:
♥  60g cranberries
♥ 1/2 large or 1 whole medium persimmon
♥ 1 medium grapefruit
♥ 250ml water

Needless to say, it is delicious too!
Hope you enjoy and stay healthy this winter!

Hugs,
Natalia xx

Vegan Creamy Courgette, Cauliflower & Mushroom Soup

As days are getting shorter and colder, winds stronger and winter season is just round the corner, you cannot beat a good hearty warming soup! I have been obsessed with this one lately and there's nothing not to love about it - it is delicious, full of goodness, and is easy to make! Moreover, unlike many winter-warmers, this soup is absolutely harmless for your figure. What's more - it will even aid fat burning!

INGREDIENTS:
(Makes 7 portions)
♥ 1 cauliflower head
♥ 2 large courgettes
♥ 1 large leek (around 200g weight)
♥ 250g mushrooms
♥ 3 garlic cloves
♥ Ground black pepper
♥ 2 bay leaves
♥ Oregano
♥ Parsley
♥ Turmeric
♥ 1 tablespoon of fresh, dried or frozen dill
♥ Optional: sea salt to taste
♥ Optional: 1 tablespoon of organic vegan bouillon powder and skip adding extra sea salt

DIRECTIONS:
1. Cut cauliflower into large chunks and simmer for 15 minutes in 1 litre of water. It does not need to become too soft and fall apart - just a slightly soft is right what is needed. Here's an illustration for you:

Don't drain the water in which the cauliflower was boiled.
 
2. Slice courgettes, mushrooms and leeks and put them all into a frying pan (or into two separate pans if one does not fit everything). Add 4 tablespoons of filtered water, cover with a lid and stew for 4 minutes until vegetables start becoming soft. Then remove the lid, add a tablespoon of olive oil and sliced garlic and stir fry for 2 minutes.

3. Start liquidising and I like to do it in stages. Take a hand blender and carefully covering the open top of a saucepan start blending cauliflower. Then add courgettes and blend. Finally add mushrooms, leeks and garlic and blend. Stir all ingredients well with a long handle wooden spoon.

4. Add spices and herbs. Simmer for 7 minutes on low heat.

Serve on its own or as a starter.
Goes well with beans or stirred-in tablespoon of hummus.
If you eat fish, try pairing this soup with tuna. If you are non-vegetarian - try it with chicken breast.

Enjoy! xx

Cinnamon Pancakes with Warm Apples - Wheat, Sugar and Dairy Free

It is a beautiful autumn season when apples are most delicious, sweet and flavoursome. I absolutely love the taste when apple meets cinnamon and that's why this is one of my favourite recipes! These little pancakes are wheat, sugar and dairy free and are high in protein and fibre. They will keep you full until lunch and are perfect for a healthy start of a long working day! Magnesium and vitamin B12 will also help keep those autumn blues away by improving your mood and keeping you calm and happy. Also these pancakes pose no threat to your figure and help lose excess weight.
So now you have no excuse not to try them! :)

INGREDIENTS:
♥ 2 free range eggs
♥ 2 tablespoons of either coconut cream (http://tidd.ly/e8723d4b) or, if you eat dairy, organic plain low fat or fat-free yogurt (http://tidd.ly/d340d454)
♥ 3 tablespoons of organic oat bran
♥ And here's a trick to get a delicious taste without adding sugar - 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon (http://tidd.ly/2e62fc8a)

♥ Small organic apple of your choice or half a big one

DIRECTIONS:

♥ Core an apple and cut into 1-1.5 cm thick slices

♥ Put apple slices onto a pre-heated pan. Add 2 tablespoons of water, cover with a lid and leave on a low heat for 3 minutes. After that turn off the heat, but to keep apples warm leave them covered with the lid.

AND THE PANAKE MIXTURE:

♥ Beat eggs with a fork just to blend whites and yolks together

♥ Add yogurt, oat bran and ground cinnamon and mix them all together

♥ Pre-heat a non-stick pan on a low heat. Add a teaspoon of olive oil and using a spatula spread it quickly over the pan

♥ Now it's time to transfer mixture onto a pan! I use a tablespoon to form small pancakes, usually 1 tablespoon gives 1 pancake.
♥ When the top of a pancake start to lose moisture (usually around after 3 minutes as we are frying on a very low heat), lift and quickly flip a pancake over. Leave for approximately another 1.5 minutes.

Serve with warm soft apples which you can also sprinkle with cinnamon if you like! :)

Enjoy and be healthy!

Love,

Natalia xx