Tag: lactose free

29Jun

Paleo coconut macaroons

There’s a lot of changes in my life. We are leaving the city for the countryside, hoping for better quality of life. Moving houses is like a full time job and it leaves you with very little time. This has had a huge impact on our diet and we have been searching for recipes that include all the ingredients we have leftover on our fridge and cupboards. I was tempted by the abundance of asparagus in the market, made some hollandaise to accompany it and this left me with 3 egg whites in the fridge. Then whilst packing I came across a packet of dessicated coconut.  Obviously I thought macaroons. They are so quick and easy to make, plus they are a great quick fix for sweet cravings. Also a great way to use up egg whites Oh, and did I mention it’s paleo?!?! No refined sugar in these babies! Paleo coconut macaroons 3 egg whites, room temperature 70g coconut sugar 1 tbsp lemon juice Zest of 1/2 lemon 175g dessicated  1. Preheat the oven to 150C. Prepare a baking tray limed with greaseproof paper. 2. Beat the whites to stiff peaks. It’s important to use a bowl that’s throughly
2 mins read
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06May

Applesauce banana loaf [Dairy Free]

I am sitting here trying to describe how I have been feeling in these last few days. Tired is the first adjective that comes to mind. At first I thought the word was so salient in my mind because of how the physical side of my job had left me sore in my legs and arms, with 5 am starts thrown in the mix too.  The first course of action for me to counteract this was to dive into a diet of spirulina smoothies and sugar free snacks. The food has given me an energy boost, but on my days off I can’t shake off the wanna-be-in-bed-all-day feeling, so I had to think a little harder about what else I was be doing wrong. Thinking being the key word here, I was in my head too much. I have an emotional job, where you make decisions about people’s lives, and that is something that can be highly rewarding at times, but on the other hands it makes me over analyse every decision I make. It leads to a very judgemental cycle in my head and by the time i get home I am in this deep emotional pit, no one can rescue
3 mins read
662 Views
31Mar

Banana and dark chocolate chia pudding

I  laid in bed yesterday thinking since when did I become such an angry, inpatient person? I have been snapping at everyone recently and even beeped my horn at a slow driver yesterday – a big no-no in England. The feeling of guilt ate me up afterwards. How must I have made that driver feel? What if it was an old lady or a teenager learning how to drive? I am a strong believer in “owning up”, in the sense that I don’t like using external reasons to blame for my own actions. But this week I am going to have to make an exception and blame my period. The changes are palpable, not only in terms of emotions but also in regards to my stomach. My diet has changed considerably in the last few months, I have been trying to cut down on refined sugar and starchy foods and as a result I have been craving chocolate less and less, or in fact any sweet stuff. Result! But do you ever feel like sometimes food rules your emotions? My period then came and like clockwork, chocolate is all I thought about. Food is an emotional thing, and my body
3 mins read
744 Views
22Sep

Courgette Lasagne

Although I love a bit of meat I can easily go vegetarian five to six days in the week. And I used to be a big meat eater, up to the age of 21, when I was living in Brazil, I could count on one hand the times I had a main dish that did not contain meat. My husband on the other hand, well his reaction is always amusing when I tell him I am not adding any meat to our dinners. Last week I made fresh tomato sauce and he asked me not once, not twice but three times: without meat? As if it was an outlandish concept. We were food shopping and he was trying his hardest to convince me to buy minced meat so that the sauce could become bolognese. What is up with all the vegetarian prejudice?!? I have been making this recipe for years, it’s easy and tasty. I use only courgettes, tomato sauce and cheese but it’s a versatile dish so you can add bacon, ham or even minced meat. Courgette Lasagne 4 medium sized courgettes 2 red onions, chopped 3 garlic cloves, crushed 2 tbsp oregano 400g tinned chopped tomatoes 150ml vegetable
3 mins read
548 Views
11Jun

Cheese bread and Chimichurri sauce

Today we continuing with our special posts for the World Cup. This recipe is a true Brazilian tradition, we call it pão de queijo which literally translates to cheese bread. It doesn’t matter where you come from we guarantee you’ll love this snack. Snacks are definitely an essential part of our culture as they are always popular for the mid afternoon munchies or just to accompany a cold beer at the end of the day. Pão de queijo is one of our essential snacks and it’s has a special place in Brazilian hearts, almost as much as football. And amazingly these cheese breads are gluten free! That’s right, they are made with cassava flour which is a root vegetable, it looks like a white potato with a thick brown skin. Although cassava that originates from South America it has been exported to Africa and Asia therefore you will find it in dishes from different cultures. It is this special flour that gives these little rolls its texture: crunchy on the outside and moist on the inside. The chimichurri dip however is not a Brazilian recipe but it complements the cheese bread so well. Many people also add butter or even berry jams to it but they
3 mins read
658 Views
25Mar

Sweetcorn and coconut cake

I worked in a cafe for four months and I was in charge of cakes. The recipe below was one of the most popular at the cafe, never failing to get positive feedback from customers. It is stupidly easy to make, if you have all the ingredients ready it takes five minutes to get the cake batter ready. Funny thing is I never thought such a traditional Brazilian recipe could be such a success with Europeans, so let’s see what you guys think. And if you want to make a lactose free version you can substitute the milk for coconut milk, soy or almond. It is also gluten free! The measure you use throughout this recipe is the tin the sweetcorn came in, so don’t bin it! Sweetcorn and coconut cake 3 eggs 1 tin of sweetcorn ¾ tin sugar 1 tin of cornmeal or polenta ¼ tin of oil 1 ½ tbsp baking powder 1 tin milk ½ tin desiccated coconut (if you can use fresh grated coconut even better) 1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 2. Drain the sweetcorn and with exception of the coconut, add all ingredients into a blender and mix well. 3. Add the
2 mins read
609 Views