Browsing Tag

gluten-free-recipes

Lunch + Dinner Recipes

Spiced pumpkin & chickpea stew vegan stew

25th July 2021

This spiced vegetable and chickpea stew reminds me of a cosy winter afternoon in a bowl.

As always, this is a very simple one pot meal to make. The chickpeas,  along with a helping of brown basmati rice makes this a plant protein powerhouse.

Ingredients:

  • 1 small red onion, finely diced
  • 2 cups of cubed pumpkin
  • 1 cup of shredded kale, tightly packed
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 teaspoon of fresh ginger
  • 1 400g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 2 tablespoons of coconut oil

Spices etc:

  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons of ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon of turmeric
  • 1 heaped tablespoon of tomato paste
  • ½ cup of water
  • 1 heaped teaspoon of brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon of allspice (optional)
  • Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Serve with well-cooked brown basmati rice

Instructions:

Start by getting your basmati rice cooking. Setting it aside with the lid on when done to keep steaming and fluff properly.

In a deep saucepan or medium sized pot fry the diced onion until soft & translucent. Then add the pumpkin cubes, season with salt and continue sautéing the pumpkin & onion mixture for a further 5 minutes.

Next add the chickpeas, kale, all the spices and tomato puree, sugar and water – seasoning once again with salt now – then give it a good stir through before turning down the heat, placing the lid on the pot, and then leave it to simmer slowly for 45 minutes.

Then serve with a little salad on the side and a helping of brown basmati rice.

Wishing you radiant health and kitchen contentment ahead,

Marlien

Breakfast, sweets, Wellness + Nutrition

Sunday Morning Oat Crumble

12th July 2021

Sunday morning oat-crumble ~ Serves 2

Although this oat crumble may feel like having pudding for breakfast, it still packs a powerful nutritional punch. I use gluten free whole rolled oats which is wonderfully gut-healthy, as is cooked apples.

Fruit:

  • 1 teaspoon of butter, for coating the baking dish
  • 2 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
  • ½ cup of raspberries  fresh or frozen (but blueberries will work too)
  • 1/2 teaspoon of sugar
  • 1 teaspoon corn-starch

Crumble:

  • 1/2 cups gluten-free rolled oats, divided
  • 2 heaped tablespoons of unbleached wheat flour (for a gluten-free option you can consider using buckwheat flour, but any GF flour will do)
  • 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar (muscovado works well)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
  • 4-5 tablespoons of butter at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Instructions:

Butter a small oven proof dish and set aside. Then switch on the oven – setting the temperature at 160 degrees Celsius.

Sauté the apple on low heat in a little butter for about 10-15 minutes. Set aside.

Crumble: Add all the crumble ingredients to a bowl, and using your fingers work the butter through the dry mixture.

Now add the berries to the cooked apple, as well as ½ teaspoon of sugar and the cornstarch, and then sir through well.

Transfer the fruit mixture to the buttered oven proof dish and then top with the crumble mixture – transfer to the pre-heated oven and bake for 20-30 minutes.

Serve with thick coconut yoghurt or a drizzle of cream.

 

 

Salad, Wellness + Nutrition

Healthy Brain Beet Salad Beet as a Superfood to protect your brain

1st April 2020

Beets and walnuts for your brain, all combined in a really delicious salad.

Scientists say beets may be the new superfood. A new study suggests that a daily dose of beet or beet juice boosts blood flow to the brain, sharpening your mind and potentially creating a safeguard against dementia as you age. In addition walnuts – also found in my ‘clever’ salad is exceptionally high in Omega 3 – and we can all do with a boost 0f Omega 3

It may be just a coincidence that the shell of a walnut looks like a tiny brain, but research suggests that this nut may indeed be good for your mind.

Animal and test-tube studies found that the nutrients in walnuts, including polyunsaturated fat, polyphenols and vitamin E, may help reduce oxidative damage and inflammation in your brain.

 

Despite the surreal and scary time we are living through, I am grateful for the quiet, slow days I can spend with my girls.
I am finding tons of contentment and peace in preparing meals and this one was for lunch.

Ingredients:
3 quartered and sliced beetroot
1 loosely packed cup of kale chips
1/2 wedge of goats-milk feta cheese
1/3 cup of cracked walnuts

Dressing:
1/3 cup of avocado oil
1/4 cup of white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon of honey
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Boil or roast your beetroot, then simply sprinkle/ crumble the rest of of your ingredients over the top and then add your emulsified dressing – I like shaking mine in a jar.

Happy cooking & nourishing.

Marlien x

sweets, Wellness + Nutrition

Buckwheat Flour Banana Loaf Benefits of Buckwheat

1st April 2020

Hi everyone

I hope you guys are all staying safe and healthy during the very scary and uncertain times we are globally living through. Apparently too many of us has been posting recipes for Banana Loaf (according to some :)) – I have decided to go ahead share mine anyway as its a lovely gluten & wheat free version. And as always easy.

Buckwheat may sound like a wheat related flour, but in fact its entirely unrelated to wheat, its gluten-free and in fact classed as a pseudo seed. But it makes for a great wheat flour substitute and its very easy to get hold of from your local supermarket (in the health-food section), or a nearby health store. Should you however struggle to find buckwheat flour – buy whole buckwheat and turn it into ultra fresh flour in your food processor.

You can substitute the buckwheat flour for ordinary flour off offcourse, or any other wheat flour alternative of your choice – I use bicarbonate of soda as my raising agent – so just check whether your flour is self raising- in which case you can omit the bicarb.

Here is why buckwheat is good for you:Buckwheat is mainly composed of carbs. It also boasts a good amount of fiber and resistant starch, which may improve colon health. What’s more, it offers small amounts of high-quality protein.

The most abundant minerals in common buckwheat are;

  • Manganese. Found in high amounts in whole grains, manganese is essential for healthy metabolism, growth, development, and your body’s antioxidant defenses.
  • Copper. Often lacking in the Western diet, copper is an essential trace element that may benefit heart health when eaten in small amounts.
  • Magnesium. When present in sufficient amounts in your diet, this essential mineral may lower your risk of various chronic conditions, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
  • Iron. Deficiency in this important mineral leads to anemia, a condition characterized by reduced oxygen-carrying capacity of your blood.
  • Phosphorus. This mineral plays an essential role in the growth and maintenance of body tissues.

Ingredients:

2 large (or 3 small) very ripe bananas
3/4 cup of (buckwheat) flour
2 eggs
1 heaped tablespoon of ground flaxseeds
1/2 cup of crushed walnuts
1/2 cup of live full fat yoghurt or buttermilk
1/4 cup of macadamia nut oil or melted butter (avocado oil will also do)
1 heaped teaspoon of bicarb
1 teaspoon of fine sea salt or pink salt

Pre-heat your oven to 170 degrees Celsius
I make things simple by adding the bananas, eggs, yoghurt, oil, flaxseed powder sugar & salt to the mixing bowl and just whizz it all together with my hand blender.
Once smooth I add the flour and bicarb and walnuts and then mix it well.

Pour it into a greased small bread tin and pop it in the oven for 30 min. Test with a fork or pin and should it come out clean you can take it out to cool – otherwise give it a few more minutes.

Serve with butter, ghee and a lovely cup of tea ????

Happy baking – and hang in there everyone.

Breakfast, Wellness + Nutrition

The Hideaway’s Sublime Muesli Gluten Free, Paleo & Vegan Friendly

24th November 2016

Many moon’s ago, I received a phone call from a lovely man called Stephan Young, requesting that I start teaching him and his fabulous wife, Jackie, yoga at their guest house: The Hideaway.

Since then my journey with the Hideaway has lead to our unique Retreats & Wellness Getaways.

When hosting retreats with Stephan and Jackie the term ‘working’ seems inapplicable. Their attention to detail and quality is legendary…and the thought has often occurred to me  mid-retreat ‘that I can simply turn up’, everything else get’s ‘magically’ done and dealt with.

Another awesome perk of hosting Yoga Kitchen Retreats at The Hideaway is that I get to enjoy having brunch cooked by Stephan and Jackie…and boy oh boy is it a feast. Jackie prepares grain free muffins, and grain free muesli , and Stephan cooks a magnificent hot breakfast to go with it, also gluten and dairy free.

But this blog post is all about Jackie’s muesli’s…long before her grain free Muesli Jackie was famous for her Hideaway Honey Muesli, they both are so good – I could have them for pudding. After much nagging Jackie has generously agreed to share her recipes here. Thank you Jackie!

Paleo Granola (Grain Free)

Prep Time:  10 mins

Cook Time:  30 mins

Total Time:  50 mins

Ingredients

2 cups raw walnuts

2 cups raw cashews

1 cup raw pumpkin seeds

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1 cup dried cranberries

½ cup sunflower seeds

½ cup sesame seeds

½ cup linseeds

⅓ cup sunflower oil (or coconut oil if you prefer)

⅓ cup honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 150°C.

Break the nuts into small pieces, place in a deep roasting tin and add the pumpkin seeds, shredded coconut, cranberries, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and linseeds.

In a large jug, combine the sunflower oil, honey, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon and salt.  Mix well.

Pour the oil and honey mixture over the nut, seed and fruit mixture and stir well to make sure that all the ingredients are well coated.  Bake in the oven for 10 – 15 mins.

Remove the mixture from the oven and stir well.

Return the mixture to the oven and bake for a further 10 – 15 mins or until golden brown and crispy.

Remove the mixture from the oven and leave to cool for at least 10 mins before stirring to allow the nut clusters to develop.  (Use a spatula to get under the granola and release it from the bottom of the roasting tin).

Once the mixture is completely cool, store in an airtight container.

 

Hideaway Honey Muesli

Makes about 2 litres

Pre-heat oven to 140°C

Ingredients:

250g Bran Flakes

500g Tiger Oats – Old Fashioned large flakes (you can also get hold of a Gluten Free rolled oats from Health-Connections)

100g sesame seeds

100g linseeds

100g sunflower seeds

100g pumpkin seeds

½ cup honey

1 cup sunflower oil

250g pecan nuts (or alternative nuts of your choice)

Dried fruits/flaked coconut (optional) to taste

Instructions:

Mix the Bran Flakes, Tiger Oats and seeds together in a large, fairly deep, ovenproof tray.

Mix the honey and sunflower oil together in a large jug and heat in the microwave for 1 min.  Pour this mixture into the ovenproof tray and stir the dry ingredients carefully to ensure that they are well coated.

Bake the mixture in the oven for a total of 45 min at 140°C.  After each 15 min interval i.e. at the 15 min and 30 min point, remove the tray from the oven and stir the mixture again to aid the distribution of the honey and to ensure even baking of all the ingredients.

Remove the tray from the oven and allow the muesli to cool before adding the pecan nuts, dried fruits, flaked coconut and whatever else you fancy.  You will need to continue stirring the mixture often as it sticks very easily as it cools.

Cook’s notes: Store in an airtight container.  If it loses its crispy texture, place in oven for a few minutes to re-crisp. Serve both these muesli’s with some tahini and/or greek yogurt, you can add extra honey or maple syrup, but they are ‘sweet enough’ as they say.

So get cooking good looking, once you have experienced these muesli’s you will be converted.

In dedication to your glowing health

Marlien x