Gluten and Sugar Free Protein Cakes

These cakes are so moist and delicious, I couldn't have been happier with the results. They are beautiful as a muffin, toasted as an english muffin or served warm with co yo ice-cream and sugar-free maple syrup for dessert. Made with really clean ingredients, this is an excellent skinny sweet, which is free from gluten, any added sugar and packed with protein and healthy fats.

Gluten-free Sugar-free Protein Muffins/Puddings

Ingredients:

• 2 scoops of pea protein powder
• 3 tablespoons of coconut flour
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup of sugar-free maple syrup
• 1 mashed banana (great to use an overripe banana - I keep mine in the freezer and take out when I need it)
• 1 cup of apple puree 
• the zest of one orange
• 1 small avocado
• 2/3 cup of egg whites
• 3 tablespoons of coconut oil, melted
• 1/4 cup of dried blueberries
• Pepitas and walnut to top

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Generously spray a large muffin tin with coconut oil spray. My muffin tin makes 8 large muffins.
2. Mix together the egg whites, banana, maple syrup, vanilla, apple puree, orange zest, avocado and coconut oil.
3. Stir in the protein powder and coconut flour until combined. Add in the blueberries.
4. Divide the mixture between each muffin hole and top with pepitas and walnuts. You can add any nuts or seeds you like (or have on hand).
5. Bake for 25 minutes, until browned on top and set.
6. Leave to cool before taking out and storing in the fridge for up to one week.

Vegan power porridge

This simple yet satisfyingly delicious breakfast will give you an extra push to get out of bed on a cold winter morning. Easy to make, you can toss a few ingredients together to make a celebratory breakfast any day of the week. Full on nutrients and fuel for your day ahead, this morning meal is one of my absolute favourites.
Vegan power porridge

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of Brookfarm's Power Porrij (this product is made from organic supergrains rich in proteins such as organic amaranth and quinoa, and organic golden flaxseed, as well as oats and barley) *If you don't have access to this product, you can use plain oats or a mixture of oats, barley and quinoa.
• 1/2 cup of filtered water
• 1 teaspoon of Xylitol sweetener
• A handful of pepitas
• Sprinkle of blueberries
• 1 chopped dried fig
• 1 tablespoon of rawtella *see my other post on rawtella for the recipe for this sugar-free version of nutella

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, heat up your porridge oats, water and sweetener on a low heat until it becomes creamy (3-4 minutes). If the porridge becomes too dry, add more water to achieve the desired consistency.
2. Transfer your porridge into a serving bowl and top with rawtella, fig, blueberries and pepitas.

Enjoy!

A Simple Brunch - Egg and Bacon Cups

I love making bacon and eggs as a treat on the weekends, but if you are catering for more than two, the thought of multitasking poaching eggs and grilling bacon for a crowd can make you want to crawl back into bed. If you would rather spend your morning enjoying the sunlight and chatting with your companions, this recipe is perfect for you. Within a few minutes, your breakfast will be all prepared, and you can sit and relax while the cooking part takes care of itself. Serve your cute egg cups with whatever accompaniments you like; I picked some beautifully ripe baby tomatoes, and gluten-free English muffins that were topped with mashed avocado, Himalayan sea salt and continental parsley.

Egg and Bacon Cups

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 6 organic free-range eggs
• 6 slices of lean organic bacon (I prefer a thinner bacon slice for this recipe)
• crumbled light fetta cheese
• coconut oil spray
• pepper
• sea salt

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
2. Spray six-holes of a muffin tin with coconut oil spray. I used a silicone muffin tin as I found this is easier to pop out the cups when they are cooked.
3. Line six of the muffin holes with a bacon slice; don't worry if this doesn't coat all of the muffin tin, a rough job is fine.
4. Pop the bacon in the oven for 5 minutes, until it crisps up a little.
5. When you take out the bacon, crack one egg into each of the six cups.
6. Sprinkle each with fetta, pepper and salt and bake for a further 15 minutes.
7. When these are baking, you can pop into the oven some bread of your choice sprayed with some coconut oil to save you from hovering over the toaster for the rest of the morning.
8. After they are baked, take out the cups (and bread once golden), and using a large spoon, carefully turn out each one onto a serving plate. I ran a knife around each one to help them pop out more easily.
9. Serve straight away with bread and accompaniments. 

Banana and Chia Seed Protein Cookies (gluten and sugar free)

This recipe makes delicious sweet and moist cookies that are filled with healthy goodies like omega fats, protein and important vitamins and minerals. Not only are these cookies packed with protein, they are bursting with potassium, which reduces lactic acid, improving your strength endurance and recovery time. You only need a few ingredients and the biscuits are very easy to make. If you don't have a cookie cutter, just roll portions of the dough into a ball and flatten before baking.

Banana and Chia Seed Protein Cookies (gluten and sugar free)

Ingredients:

• 1 mashed banana
• 3 tablespoons of macadamia oil
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons of Natvia sweetener (made from stevia)
• 200 grams of almond meal
• 4 tablespoons of chia seeds (I used chia seeds in half of the dough)*
• 1 1/2 scoops of plain vegan pea protein powder (or your preferred protein powder - preferably in vanilla or banana)

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the mashed banana, vanilla, oil, egg and sweetener together; mix to combine.
2. Line two large baking trays with greased-proof paper and preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
3. Add the almond meal, protein powder and chia seeds into the mixing bowl and stir to combine. Once the mixture starts to come together, you can use your hands to mould the dough. *I didn't add any chia seeds until I made the dough, which I seperated and added chia seeds to one half. Either option creates a lovely cookie.
4. Once the dough is formed, divide into two pieces. Line your bench top with cling film and sprinkle with a little protein powder (to stop the dough from sticking). Using a rolling pin, roll the dough to approximately 1.5cm thick - I found the thinner cookies were more caramelized and chewy, the thicker cookies were more 'cakey' in texture. Note: The dough will be easier to work with when cool, it will get sticky if it starts to warm. 
5.  Cut out desired shapes and place on baking trays. 
6. Repeat with the remaining dough.
7. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. 
8. Leave to cool for a minute or two, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
9. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Here are a few reasons why chia seeds are so fantastic for you:

• Chia is gluten free
• It is super high in dietary fibre, making it great for digestion and healing digestion issues.
• It contains 20% Omega 3 ALA, making it a super food for the brain and heart. Chia has eight times more Omega 3 than salmon.
• It boasts 20% protein
• The protein is a complete protein with all 8 essential amino acids
• It is high in antioxidants (It has a four times higher ORAC value than blueberries)
• Chia contains five times more calcium than milk
• Chia contains seven times more vitamin C than oranges
• It contains three times more iron than spinach
• It contains twice the potassium content of banana
• It is food for healthy skin, hair and nails
• It has a positive impact balancing blood glucose levels

Apple Seeds are poisonous?

Yes! I had heard green potatoes are toxic, but I never knew an apple seed can be harmful.

Apple seeds contain cyanogenic acids. Cherry pits, and seeds from related fruits, including peaches, plums, almonds, pears, and apricots, all contain cyanogenic glycosides. Your body can detoxify small quantities of cyanide compounds, which means if you ingest a few accidentally, your body can process the compounds without causing you harm. Chewing the seeds makes them much more hazardous for your body as the poisons are released.

How do you know you could be suffering from poison? Symptoms of mild poisoning include headache, dizziness, confusion, anxiety, and vomiting. Larger doses can lead to difficulty breathing, increased blood pressure and heart rate, and kidney failure. Reactions can include coma, convulsions, and death from respiratory arrest! There are several treatment options, but the main thing is to limit the absorption of the chemicals from the seeds.

If eating an apple or pear, just remember to cut out the core and discard; also make sure to de-core your apples and pears before juicing. If you are eating a stone fruit, don't be afraid of the seed, but don't chew or suck on it.