Tag Archive for: gluten free

Sweet Potato – Turmeric Soup

Sweet Potato – Turmeric Soup

This lovely warming soup is a great winter warmer filled with goodness!

Ingredients:

3 large sweet potatoes

1 large onion

2 celery sticks

2-3 cloves garlic

2 tsp tumeric powder

1 tsp paprika powder

1 – 400g can/container chopped tomatoes

2 tbsp olive oil

2.4 litres water

 

Method:

Add the olive oil to a large pot, place on stove top on medium heat.

Chop the onion & celery and add both to pot. Soften onion for about 10 minutes then add chopped garlic, turmeric, paprika and cook for 2 minutes.

Chop sweet potatoes into small chunks, add to pot with tomatoes and water. Bring to a boil and then turn heat down a bit to simmer for 25-30 minutes until sweet potatoes are soft.

Turn stove off and mix soup with a stick hand mixer or cool soup and add to a blender to mix.

Reheat soup on stove top on low if needed and serve.

Pumpkin & Banana Loaf

Some of you may have already tried my chocolate banana loaf….This is a lovely modification to include pumpkin!

The result is a dense, moist gluten free loaf.


Ingredients:

2 ripe bananas
398ml can pumpkin (no sugar added)
2 eggs
8 Tbsp maple syrup
6 Tbsp melted Coconut Oil
1 tsp vanilla

1 cup gluten free flour (Dove is great)
1 cup of ground almonds
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt (Pink Himalayan Salt if possible)
1/2 cup good quality cocoa

Method:

Preheat oven to 180C.

Mash bananas in a bowl, then add eggs, can of pumpkin, maple syrup, vanilla, coconut oil and mix with hand mixer.

Drop in flour, baking powder, salt & ground almonds. Mix with a wooden spoon or similar by hand. Be sure to mix only until all ingredients are combined. Your batter should look quite wet. Gluten free flour makes recipes a bit more dry so if batter looks dry add in a few more tablespoons of melted coconut oil.

Use two loaf tins for baking. Line with baking paper.

Bake for 50 minutes.  Check loaves with a knife to see if fully baked.  If knife has wet cake on it bake for 10 more minutes.

Peanut butter and almond – Gluten free cookies

– Gosh I love a good peanut butter cookie! This is my modified recipe for a healthy option.

I wanted to fine tune a traditional cookie recipe to be a little healthier. I have done this by using good quality, no sugar added nut butters and natural pure maple syrup.  The cookies have a lot of sustaining energy from the proteins to offset the sugar (glycemic index effect) of the maple syrup.

Maple syrup as a sugar option is better than refined sugar because it has a slightly lower glycemic index score. This means it releases a little slower than refined sugar meaning you won’t have such a high after eating it and less of a crash.  Having said this remember that maple syrup is still a sugar so we want to take in small amounts of this if any in our food plans to avoid obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. If you choose to have some sugar, maple syrup is the better choice because of the lower glycemic index as well as it’s supply of some anti-oxidants.

These cookies are also great pre or post workout because of their protein and carbohydrate/sugar content.


The Recipe:

Preheat oven to 180C/350F

Ingredients:

  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup crunchy peanut butter (Meridian or Whole Earth are great natural brands)
  • 6 tablespoons ground almonds
  • 1 tsp baking powder

Instructions:

  1. Beat together the egg, maple syrup, vanilla and peanut butter.
  2. Stir in the ground almonds and baking powder.
  3. Take tablespoon round portions and place on parchment paper then press down with fork.
  4. Pop in oven at 180C/350F for 14 minutes or until brown.
  5. Enjoy!

Options:

  • Try 1 cup of almond butter instead of crunchy peanut butter or half and half
  • Add 1 handful chopped pecans
  • Add 50 grams of a Green & Blacks Dark chopped chocolate bar (great for post workout)

Makes about 16 cookies.


Find more recipes here!

Peanut butter cookie 1

 

Pancake recipe

I often hear people talking about only having pancakes on Shrove Tuesday. What a shame! Pancakes are a great meal for any time of the year.

I have great childhood memories of my Dad and I being the first ones up early on a Saturday morning. He would make pancakes while I sat on the counter top chatting away! I can take myself back there just by closing my eyes.

When I make pancakes and coffee now the smells also remind me of those precious moments with my father. I bet you have a special childhood memory too? I would love to hear them so please share them on my facebook page here.



Pancakes RecipeLondon personal trainer - healthy pancakes 5

My Dad’s recipe modified!

Ingredients:

1 cup gluten free flour (in the UK I use Dove brand)

1 cup milk or if you prefer unsweetened or homemade almond milk (use a drizzle more if mix too dry)

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

2 eggs

4 tablespoons melted coconut oil or butter

Method:

My Dad used to throw everything into a mixing bowl and use a hand mixer to combine.  Nowadays I put everything (liquid first) into a blender and mix in there.  Quick & easy!

Have a pan on the stove top heated on medium with a little butter and pour some of the mix in.  You can make small or large pancakes whatever takes your fancy.  This particular mixture will be very runny, more like a crepe mix.  Don’t worry, it will all stick together.  If you like your pancakes a bit thicker, simply add a few more tablespoons of flour to the mixture.

Allow the pancake to develop holes on the wet side before turning over.  It will almost be done when you flip it so the second side won’t need much time.

London personal trainer - healthy pancakes 2


Healthy fillings:

When I was growing up we used to pour corn syrup on the pancakes!  Oh the horror of this now as I look back.  I used to love the kick of that sugar!

I am a “recovering sugar addict”!  I do my best to stay away from refined sugars or anything I know makes me feel wired.  So instead if I want something sweet on my pancakes I have some fresh or frozen berries or even a bit of maple syrup.  This tasty topping is now known to have many health benefits. You can read about them here.  

Maple syrup with a squeeze of lemon is also nice.

I do like a dash of real butter on my pancakes.  Nutritionists say that some saturated fat is essential to our bodily functions.

A few more healthy toppings:Avocado

Make a savory filling with tuna or salmon.

Almond butter.  This is a favourite as it tastes like cookies!

Smashed avocado with chilli flakes. Thanks to my kiwi friends for this brilliant idea!

 


Hope you enjoy these pancakes any time of year and for any meal of the day!

Remember to share your childhood food memories as a post over on my facebook page here. #favouritefood 


Banana Chocolate Loaf

Like most people I love chocolate, and from my teenage years I have loved baking!  So now, as I am trying to stay as sugar free as possible (did I mention I am a recovering sugar addict?),  I am always experimenting with the most natural ways of baking with our health in mind.

Recently I posted a photo of a banana chocolate loaf I made onto instagram and was asked for the recipe. Find it below….

 

Banana Chocolate Loaf

 


Ingredients:

4 ripe bananas
30 (165g) raspberries (roughly chopped)
2 eggs
2 Tbsp honey (manuka if possible)
4 Tbsp maple syrup
6 Tbsp melted Coconut Oil

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups gluten free flour (Dove is great)
2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt (Pink Himalayan Salt if possible)

1/2 cup good quality cocoa
handful of chopped pecans

Banana, Chocolate loaf mix

Vanilla, cocoa, raspberries Bananas, eggsBanana, Chocolate loaf batter Raspberries Pecans

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Method:

Preheat oven to 180C.

Mash bananas in a bowl, then add eggs, honey, maple syrup, vanilla, coconut oil and mix. Drop in chopped raspberries, flour, baking powder, salt and pecans. Mix with a wooden spoon or similar by hand. Be sure to mix only until all ingredients are combined. Your batter should look quite wet. Gluten free flour makes recipes a bit more dry so if batter looks dry add in a few more tablespoons of melted coconut oil.

Use two loaf tins for baking.  Line with a small amount of coconut oil.  Bake for 45 minutes.  Check loaves at 45 minutes with a knife to see if fully baked.  If knife has wet cake on it bake for 10 more minutes.

 


Healthy eating tips:

Manuka honey and pure maple syrup have healthy properties but do remember they are still forms of sugar that create the same reaction in the body of raising blood sugar levels and causing insulin to be released in order to clear that blood sugar.

In order to have less of a blood sugar spike adding protein to a meal or dish is helpful.  I have added the pecans for some protein. You could also serve the loaf with a few slices of cheese or with some natural yogurt to bring down the glyceamic index.  Everything in moderation as they say!

Banana Chocolate loaf - cut


Healthy Recipes

Charlene has put together some healthy recipes for you.  Try them out and add your own twists!

Anti-Ageing – Workout Recovery Smoothie (vegan)

DIY Sports Drink

Healthy Chocolate

Healthy Banana Chocolate Loaf

Healthy Muesli 

Healthy Pancakes 

Read more