Gluten free - My Wholefood Romance

Best Acai Bowl Ever

October 17, 2013 By Meg With 14 comments

acaibowl1

Voted in my house anyway. Enter my latest obsession – ACAI BOWLS! These babies have been around for quite some time, I have just been a little slow of the mark with them.

Acai (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) is a berry native to Central and South America. It has a super fabulous list of nutritional benefits, including a ridiculous antioxidant status, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and has protein, essential fatty acids, fibre and a host of other vitamins and minerals. Acai bowls are more common place in Brazil, California and Hawaii, and having not been lucky enough to visit these places yet, I will have to be content with my home made number. I have also supercharged this version with a nice whack of protein, healthy fats, and a fabulous array of super foods, and kale of course (ha) which is also a superfood!

You can buy acai as powder or frozen in sachets. It is not the cheapest thing in the world, but you don’t need a massive amount. My local health food shop is wonderful enough to sell it in bulk, which is perfect if you have that option. Alternatively, you can substitute it with any other superfood powder of your choice. Even if you left it out all together the recipe would still be ace. Freestyle this one as much as you like, the recipe below is just a guideline and is a little unconventional. I do like the addition of protein and good fats such as the avocado, seeds and nut butter, as often they are just a blend of mixed fruit. A fruit only version is delish, but a few extra ingredients and you can totally pass it as a legitimate meal! It’s also a huge hit with kids!

acaibowls

Makes 2 bowls

1 cup frozen berries (any kind)

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Vegan Breakfast Pancakes For The Whole Family

September 11, 2013 By Meg With 11 comments

bfpancakefromtop Who doesn’t love pancakes?! My brother-in-law makes excellent pancakes, and I have been known to have them with butter and vegemite….yep, don’t judge me. These little lovelies are a little different though. They are thicker, almost erring on the side of pikelets, but that’s just semantics. The point is that they are secretly a nourishing breakfast all wrapped up in a cute pancake! Plus they’re delicious.

Packed with quinoa they supply your morning protein boost along with magnesium, B vitamins and iron. Round that out with nourishing and sustaining healthy fats, topped with some extra vitamins, minerals and antioxidants in the form of fruit – perfect!

bubbfpancake

I have made many versions of these. My daughter likes them straight up, whereas I prefer them layered fancily and adorned with extra berries and maple syrup. Whatever your preference, I hope you enjoy them. They are gluten, egg, dairy and nut free (and yet still delish), and so extremely allergy friendly and make good little lunch box treats if needed. They are simple to make, and extremely adaptable. If you don’t have an ingredient, sub in something else, or if you don’t quite have enough banana for example, they are forgiving enough not to care – just make with what you have. I have made chocolate versions by adding cacao powder, and vanilla is also a good idea. Another fabulous quality of this recipe is that you can mix it up the night before and pop it in the fridge for an even speedier result. And if that wasn’t enough – they freeze beautifully, so make more and keep some to whip out on a whim next week!

Makes 8 small pancakes

2 tbs chia seeds

1 cup quinoa flakes (or rolled oats blitzed up in a blender for a few seconds)

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THE LOW DOWN ON COCONUT OIL, and Chocolate Ganache Filled Biscuits – dairy/gluten/grain/egg free and FULL OF DELICIOUS!

August 9, 2012 By Meg With 12 comments

Coconut oil is ace! It is a wonderfully nourishing fat that is antiviral, antifungal and antimicrobial due to its lauric acid content – just like breast milk!
It is metabolised immediately in the gut rather than relying on bile acids from the liver, and so is fabulous for anyone with digestive disorders or difficulty digesting fat. This also means that it produces energy more quickly and stimulates metabolism.
Coconut oil has a wonderfully high smoke point (around 170 degrees), making it fantastic for cooking at high temperatures. It is also a godsend for the dairy intolerant, making a great substitute for butter in almost any recipe.
Coconut oil is a saturated fat, but it is medium-chain triglyceride as opposed to a long-chain triglyceride normally found in animal and plant fats. Medium-chain triglycerides are more easily absorbed, digested and used by our bodies as they contain smaller molecules than those long-chain triglycerides. Less energy and less enzymes to digest = more quickly and easily metabolised – which can be useful if weight loss is a goal also.

We have a need for dairy free goods in our house at times, and I use it in baking, roasting, frying and even in place of butter on toast.

So now that you are pumped to rush out and cook something with coconut oil, I have a completely fabulous recipe for you that I came across last week here.
So easy, so good for any food intolerance or dietary restriction thrown at you, and SO delish!

Here’s what to do:
Ganache
1/4 cup coconut oil (liquefied)
1/4 cup plus 2 tbs raw cacao (or cocoa if you like)
1/4 cup raw honey
1 tbs full fat coconut milk
Mix the first three ingredients together in a small bowl. If your coconut oil is

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For the love of tea, and an antioxidant sorbet.

July 24, 2012 By Meg With 5 comments

Green Tea and Raspberry Sorbet

Tea is one of the oldest drinks in the world, and has traditions entrenched many cultures. We are so lucky to have a huge variety to choose from, but today I am just talking about green tea.

GREEN TEA leaves are blessed with catechins, the gatekeepers of wondrous amounts of antioxidants, as well as anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, and antibacterial properties. That’s right, drink some green tea and reduce your risk of colon, skin, lung, prostate and breast cancer; and the likelihood of cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative disease. And slow adverse effects of ageing while you’re at it!

But why stop at drinking it as a tea. The Food Matters Project recipe for this week - Raspberry Cabernet Sorbet, inspired me to to make a green tea, raspberry and mint version. Cracker-packed full of antioxidants, this sorbet is a delicious little dairy-free treat. Wrong time of year for sorbet? Not on hot apple pie!

Green Tea and Raspberry Antioxidant Sorbet
Makes about 2 cups
1 tablespoon good quality green tea
10-15 mint leaves, roughly chopped
225g raspberries (frozen)
1/4 cup silken tofu (or coconut milk)
1-2 tablespoons maple syrup

Pour 1/2 cup boiling water onto the green tea and steep for 10 minutes.
Pop the raspberries, tofu and maple syrup into a food processor or blender and process until just combined (you will probably need to scrape down the sides).
Drizzle in 5 tablespoons of the strained, cooled green tea infusion and add the mint leaves and process just enough to combine. Don’t overprocess or it will turn into a raspberry liquid!

Serve straight away. You can freeze and serve later, but be sure to allow time for it to soften before serving (anywhere from 15 – 30 minutes or more depending on the temperature).

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