healthy recipe Archives - Charlene Hutsebaut

Pumpkin & Banana Loaf

11 November 2018/in Recipes

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.

Anyone else think soaked chia seeds are slimy?

27 August 2018/in Recipes

I have never got on well with soaked chia seeds. They remind me of things like tapioca or rice pudding. Slimy!

However, knowing their benefits (see below) and always willing to give things a go, I thought I would experiment with a few recipes and then tailor my own. The result is on this page. This is a great dish to use pre or post workout.

The benefits of chia seeds are many:

omega 3 oils
anti-oxidants (these mop up free radicals released from process we use to make energy)
fibre
iron
calcium

This recipe also has quinoa which as many of you already know is a seed, not a grain. This addition to the recipe adds another powerful protein punch! Here are the reasons to eat quinoa:

high in protein
low glycemic (aids in regulating blood sugar levels)
high in fibre

In addition there is also greek yogurt to top off the protein. It’s benefits are:

probiotics (good bacteria to populate your gut)
calcium
protein
Vitamin B12 (brain health, energy)
potassium (needed as part of the process for energy production – read up on the sodium-potassium pump of cells)

Let’s get to the recipe!

Mix all of these together in a glass jar or container with a lid & pop in fridge overnight:

1 1/4 cup almond milk (or your choice)
3 TBSP chia seeds
1 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 cup greek yogurt

Option ingredients – Choose any similar ingredients of your choice:

handful of berries
1 tsp cinnamon (great for blood sugar regulation)
1 TBSP maple syrup (leave out if you are staying low sugar)

Enjoy and send me your comments on Twitter or via charlene@charlenehutsebaut.com

Banana Chocolate Loaf

16 November 2015/in Recipes

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….

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

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!

Homemade mayo recipe

5 November 2015/in Recipes

Here is recipe for home made mayo from my Belgian father’s family.

“This is an old family recipe from my Dad’s Belgian roots. These aren’t exact quantities as you need to feel your way but it is a straight forward way to make healthy homemade mayo.

Ingredients & method:

2 egg yolks room temperature & 1 tsp of Dijon mustard (place in a bowl for mixing).
Add a pinch of salt & pepper.
Start mixing at high speed with a hand mixer
Drip in a few drops of either good quality canola or olive oil. The former tends to make a bit thicker but go with your preference.
At intervals keep dripping in drops of the oil until you see the mixture start to thicken up. At this point you can add more of the oil each time.
Keep adding oil at the intervals until you have an amount of mayo you would like. I usually end up with about a cup or more.
Right at the end pour in a splash (about 2 tbsp) of white vinegar. This gives you a little edge of taste.

Enjoy this with fish or other meats, crudités or on a salad. The French Canadians would have this with their home made French fries.”

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Ingredients:

Method:

Let’s get to the recipe!