Healthy Avocado Cornmeal Cake

This healthy cake is a great snack for tea time or breakfast. Its is beautiful green colored cake with a lovely crunch from the cornmeal (use the finely ground variety if you don't want too much of a crunch). The avocado replaces the oil/butter in this cake making it low caloric and packed with nutrition. 

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 1.5 cup  ripe mashed avocados
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup buttermilk

Procedures

1. Place a rack in the center and upper third of the oven and preheat to 200°C. Grease and flour two 9x5-inch loaf pans and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add avocado and beat for another 2 minutes. Stop mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on medium speed for 1 minute after each addition. Stop the mixer and scrape down to make sure everything is thoroughly mixed. Beat in vanilla.
5. With the mixer on low speed, add half of the flour mixture. Beat until just incorporated. Add the buttermilk and the remaining flour mixture. Beat until just incorporated. Remove bowl from the stand mixer, and finish incorporating the batter with a spatula.
6. Divide the batter between the pans and bake on alternating racks for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, rotate racks and bake for another 15 to 25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pans for 20 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
   
   
   
   
   
    

Go Bananas with these Dark Chocolate Banana Muffins

Dark Chocolate Banana Muffins

 

Ingredients:

• 3   whole very ripe  Bananas 
• 2   large Egg, beaten
• 1/4   cup Butter, melted/ one cup oil (for a healthier version)
• 1   cup Brown Sugar
• 1   cup Flour/ half n half Whole wheat & refined flour

• 1/4   tsp. Baking soda
• 1/4   tsp. Salt
• 6   oz. 70% cacao Chocolate baking bar
• 1/2   tsp. Vanilla

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Line muffin tins with paper or foil cups. Mash bananas in a medium bowl, leaving some small chunks. Stir in egg, and melted butter. In a large bowl combine the sugar, flour, baking soda and salt. In a small, microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate baking bar in the microwave on high power for 45 seconds. Stir. If un-melted pieces remain continue microwaving and stirring the chocolate in ten-second intervals until it is all melted and smooth; set aside. Pour the banana mixture into the dry ingredients and stir just to combine. The batter should be lumpy. Stir in melted chocolate,  and vanilla. Divide batter among the prepared muffin cups and sprinkle each with the additional 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips for the topping. Bake at 180 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Muffins are done when the tops of the muffins look dry and cracked.

Moroccan Chickpea Stew (with Vegetables)

This hearty chickpea stew is a Moroccan dish that uses classic moroccan spices like cinnamon cumin, chili powder, and turmeric.  What I love about this vegetarian stew is the myriad of vegetables and the lovely flavours. Complete with protein rich chickpea and colourful vegetables this makes for a healthy one pot.

Despite the seemingly long list of ingredients, this is a fairly simple dish to prepare. You can incorporate all kinds of other vegetables, any leftovers that need to be used like celery, mushrooms, pumpkin, potatoes etc.

Serve over hot rice or couscous and enjoy this North African dish!

Ingredients

1tbsp olive oil

2 zucchini sliced

2 carrots sliced

1 red bell pepper

1 small aubergine

1 large onion copped

3 garlic cloves crushed

500ml of cooked and drained chickpeas

1 tbsp chicken/vegetable bouillon powder

½ tsp turmeric

½ tsp cumin powder

½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground ginger

½ tsp cayenne pepper (or chilli powder)

3 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp of fresh coriander chopped

1/2 cup water

Handful of raisins (optional, I usually don’t add)

Handful of sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (optional, I use it if it is handy or if I am serving guests)

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Method

1. Cut the aubergine into cubes and microwave on high for 3 – 4 minutes

2. Heat oil in a large saucepan and sauté the garlic and onions. Add the carrots and cook for 5 minutes.

3. Toss in the other vegetables and the cooked aubergine. Cook for about 10 minutes.

4. Add the cooked chickpeas, bouillon powder, tomato paste and the spices and raisins (if using).

 

 

 

5. Add the water and bring to a boil. Simmer, covered till the vegetables and chickpeas fully cooked to your liking. Add the coriander before serving.

Serve with cinnamon couscous or rice.

 

Effort Level: Just a little bit of effort

Time: 30 minutes

 

5 Vegetable Soup with Fresh Cottage Cheese and Herb Toast

Like me, if you enjoy clear soups with vegetables you will love this one.  My inspiration came from a recipe in BBC Good Food of Pistou Soup. Pistou is basically the French version of the Italian Pesto and it is drizzled over a vegetable soup to finish. I decided to chuck the oil laden pistou and tweaked the soup a bit and gave it a new name! This wholesome soup comprises of 4 green vegetables and potato (hence the name) and is packed with nutrition. Served with fresh cottage cheese and herbs on toast, it is a complete meal!

 

Ingredients

For Soup

Olive Oil 1 tbsp

Celery Sticks 2, peeled and diced

Leek 1 Large, diced

Zucchini 1 large, diced

1 cup frozen peas

Potato 1 large, peeled and diced

Vegetable stock 500 ml

Garlic clove 3, finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground pepper (taste)

Basil, a bunch, chopped

For the toast

Fresh Bread

Homemade cottage cheese, that’s been refrigerated

Chopped mixed fresh herbs (dill, parsley, basil etc.)

(I used frozen mixed herbs, but you can substitute with dried Italian herbs too)

Salt and pepper

 

Method

1.      Heat the oil in a casserole and cook the leek and celery until softened. Add the garlic and potatoes.

 

2.      Add the zucchini and the stock. Simmer till the potatoes are just cooked, about 3 – 4 minutes.

3.      Throw in the peas and cook for another 2 – 3 minutes

 

4.      Season with chopped basil and salt and pepper

 

Serve with toasted bread topped with fresh cottage cheese and herbs.

 

Serves 2

Effort level – Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy!

Mango Chicken with Cucumber Couscous

This is one of the simplest recipes to prepare, especially if you have mango chutney handy in your kitchen shelf. Serving the chicken with cucumber couscous completes the meal making it a balanced and healthy.

Ingredients

For the Mango Chicken

1 tbsp Olive oil

Chicken fillets 300gms

3 tbsp Mango Chutney

Chicken Stock/ Chicken bouillon cube made up to 100 ml stock

1 tbsp Fresh Ginger paste

3 Spring Onions, diced

A pinch of Turmeric

Coriander, a handful, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Chili Flakes to taste (I used a teaspoon of chili sambal sauce)

 

 

For the Cucumber Couscous

 

Chicken Stock/ Chicken bouillon cube made up to 200 ml stock

Cucumber , 2 cups of chopped (don’t peel the skin)

Couscous 150gms

Coriander, a handful, chopped

Salt to taste

 

Method

1.      Rub the chicken with salt and pepper and ginger and set aside (while you chop your vegetables and gather the other ingredients, fillets don’t really need to be marinated for long).

 

2.      Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the chicken for a couple of minutes till browned.

3.      Add the mango chutney to the chicken and stir well for a couple of minutes.

 

4.      Add the chicken stock, spring onions and turmeric and cook for 5 minutes.

5.      Add the chili, coriander, salt and pepper to taste.

6.      For the couscous; let the couscous stand in the hot stock for 5 – 10 minutes. Fluff it up with a fork and let it cool for a few minutes. Add the chopped cucumber, coriander and salt.

 

Serves 2

Effort level – Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy!

Spicy Mediterranean Sausage Rice

Call it paella or rice pilaf; this is my version of rice cooked with Mediterranean veggies and sausages. I throw in veggies like corn, red pepper, zucchini, carrots and black olives, that not only makes this dish colorful, but very healthy! Parboiled rice adds the fiber; however you can use white rice or risotto rice. To cut back on calories I usually use chicken sausages, but if you really want a fiery dish and don’t mind the extra calories, use spicy chorizo sausages.

Ingredients

 

1 cup Parboiled Rice

2 cup water

6 Sausages (I use chicken but any sausages will do)

1 tablespoon Olive Oil

One large onion, finely chopped

1 cup of chopped red Bell Pepper

1 Zucchini chopped

1/2 cup Corn Kernels

½ cup Black Olives

1 tablespoon tabasco

1/2cup tomato puree

½ tea spoon Cayenne Pepper

1 cube of Chicken Bouillon

Chilli Flakes (only if you have high tolerance for spice)

Salt to taste (check the bouillon for salt, it may be enough)

Method

1.      In a vessel cook the parboiled rice in water till almost done.

2.      Meanwhile, slice the sausages 1/2 inch long and sauté them gently in a large pan with ½ tbsp olive oil. Add a dash of tabasco and tomato puree and cook for a few minutes till slightly crisp. Remove sausage and keep to one side

3.      In the same add the remaining oil and fry the onions and garlic till softened. After 5 minutes or so add the peppers, zucchini, olives and corn kernels, cook for a further few minutes then return the sausages to the pan.

4.      Add tomato puree to the mix one chicken bouillon.  Add the cayenne pepper and tabasco, and salt.

5.      To this mix add the almost done rice and cover the pan. Let it cook till the rice is fully done.

Serves - 4

Quick Lamb Stew in Red Wine

 

 

On a cold day, there is nothing more comforting than a warm bowlful of Meat Stew. Stew cooked in red wine is absolutely divine. With a few root vegetables thrown in this stew makes for a great one pot.  Any red meat goes well, so the lamb can be replaced with Pork or Beef. Since this stew is cooked for very long at high temperature, the alcohol essentially evaporates. The wine flavor will remain in a concentrated form, but the alcohol will be gone, leaving the food safe for a child to consume.

The meat is cooked in a pressure cooker, making it a quick way to prepare stew and still get that delicious taste of ‘slow cooking’, well almost! For someone like me who can never plan to cook a dish 4 hours in advance, this is a perfect way to enjoy traditional stews.

Ingredients

• 750 gms of Lamb, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 2 cups dry red wine, such as Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon
• 1 cube low-sodium beef boullion
• 2 medium onion, quartered
• 2 bay leaves
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder
• 1 sprigs parsley 
• 3 medium carrots sliced
• 4-5 medium sized white potatoes, quartered
• 3 garlic pods, chopped
• ½ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• Salt to taste

1.       Put the meat in a food storage bag with the flour, pepper and salt; toss to coat well. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat; add beef and cook, stirring, until lightly browned.

2.       Put the meat in a pressure cooker. Tip in the wine, bay leaves, bouillon and pressure cook for 20 – 30 minutes.

3.       In another casserole sauté the onion in 1 tablespoon oil; continue cooking, stirring, for about 3 minutes. Add carrots, garlic, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

4.       Add the Potatoes and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Now add the lamb and tomato paste. 

5.       Add the Cayenne pepper honey and salt or pepper as required. Cover the casserole and simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until lamb is tender.

Serve with crusty bread

Serves - 4
Effort Level - Just a little bit of effort, but so worth it!