Pretty in Pink Beetroot Hummus

You might have noticed that I haven't posted anything in about a month. Reason being that I got ill, I was literally on the floor. I have never felt that exhausted for that long, ever. In addition to exhaustion I had a chest infection which meant I had to give up and take antibiotics. They really helped and slowly I started to recover.
So, forgetting this sad "oh poor me.." story, let's get back to the important stuff. Food!
During that month I had to find meals that were nutritious, but did not need any effort to make, as I simply did not have the strength.
And so this BEETROOT HUMMUS came into my life.
It's tastier to roast the beetroot yourself (better do it with its skin on to retain nutrients), however if you are in a rush you can buy the organic cooked ones.
This hummus is sweet and creamy, in addition to providing you with a protein punch thanks to the beans and tahini.
I had it with falafel for dinner, and vegetables sticks as a snack, but it's super versatile: you could cut a cucumber in thick round slices, and add a dollop of the hummus on top as a fresh and healthy canapé at a party for example. Or use it with some greens and sweet potatoes in a wrap for lunch.
Go crazy!

INGREDIENTS
1 can butter beans
1 medium roasted beet
3 tbsp olive oil 
1 heaped tbsp of tahini
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste

All you have to do is roast the beetroots in the oven at 200C for about 30-35 minutes till slightly soft (unless of course you have the already cooked ones). Let cool and peel them, before popping all ingredients in a food processor and whizzing it up for a minute. Not bad ah?

Enjoy your bank holiday,

Love.x

Foodolina

The "Bring Back Summer" Banana- Pineapple anti-inflammatory smoothie

Every now and then I do a Periscope broadcast in my little London Kitchen and the other afternoon I needed a quick snack before starting to study again...
So I decided to film an improvised smoothie recipe spot some anti inflammatory action, as I don't know about you, but here people are starting to sneeze and cough all around me on public transports....
So why not use some anti inflammatory, immune-boosting ingredients to make a delicious drink???

Pineapple contains Bromelain, a group of enzymes that break down protein, known for its anti-inflammatory action.

Turmeric is an ancient Indian spice containing a compound called Curcumin which is not only a powerful antioxidant, but also anti-inflammatory and can help digestion,.

Ground linseeds are a plant source of Omega 3 and contribute to immune, brain and joints health.
They are also a dietary source of phytoestrogens, which can help balance hormone imbalances.

WARNING: This smoothie might bring back memories of summer, the beach, sun and sea...



INGREDIENTS

2 SLICES OF PINEAPPLE
1 FROZEN BANANA
1TBSP GROUND LINSEEDS
1/4 TSP TURMERIC POWDER
1 HANDFUL CASHEW NUTS (to increase protein content)
1 TSP PROTEIN POWDER (all I had left in the house)
1 TSP VANILLA EXTRACT
1CUP ALMOND MILK

Pop everything in your blender and whizz it up baby!!!!

Now pour it in your favourite glass and imagine you're lying on a beach somewhere fabulous.

Enjoy.

xxx

Foodolina

BANANA CASHEW MILKSHAKE

This is going to be a very quick post not only because I have an assignment to finish but mainly because this milkshake is ready in 2 minutes for you drink up!

I needed a quick snack that was sweet but also had a protein kick plus some cinnamon to get my blood sugar balanced for longer so that I wouldn't get cravings till dinner.

It was absolutely delicious.

INGREDIENTS

1 Frozen Banana (i slice ripe ones and pop them in individual freezing bag so they are always ready)
1 handful raw cashews
1 tbsp protein powder (I use brown rice protein by Pulsin)
1 tsp coconut oil (I use Lucy Bee)
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp bee pollen (help immunity and circulation)
1 tbsp ground linseeds (plant source of Omega 3 fats. anti inflammatory, immunity boosting and much more)
1cup Brown Rice Milk (I use Rude Health)

Pop everything in the blender, whizz it up till smooth and drink immediately if not sooner! Yey!x

PS: I just want to remind you that I'm writing the brands I am using not because I get paid to do it but because they work for me and my taste. There are many other brands out there but if you are starting out using these foods, it might help to at least have an idea of what I go for. When I started reading food blogs I was curious to know which brands worked for the bloggers so at least I would have known in which direction to go when I went to the supermarket to look for types of foods I had never heard of before...xxx

Lloyd's favourite Muffins

I wanted to write this post quickly as my lovely friend Lloyd saw the picture of these beauties on my facebook page and asked how to make them. I am of course very happy to oblige :)))

I had made them as my mother is visiting and she was craving gluten free muffins the night before, so as soon as I woke up,  I headed to kitchen and baked these yummy muffins in under 25 minutes. 

The original recipe is from a wonderful blog called Elana's Pantry, which is full of delicious gluten free recipes like this one. I just changed a few things around, added some more and gave it a little Foodolina's spin! 

Almond Flour Peach Muffins 

1 cup almond flour

2 large eggs

1 tbsp coconut palm sugar

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

1tbsp ground flaxseeds ( optional) 

1 peach sliced thin ( some of my slices broke so they ended up being smaller) 

1tsp cinnamon 

Little tip: you can use your favourite fruit instead of peaches, I'll be making apple cinnamon and raisins ones today!

Grab two bowls, in one you mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon and flaxseed and in the other one you mix sugar, apple cider vinegar, eggs. Then you pop the dry ingredients in the wet ones and mix again while adding your peaches ( keep 4 slices to put on top of the muffins, to make them look extra pretty!).

Line a muffin tray with paper cups and put a scoop of the mixture in each one. 

My suggestion is just be careful not to have too much peaches on the bottom otherwise it'll be too soggy. And nobody likes a soggy bottom...
Add the peach slices you saved on top of each muffin and finally, sprinkle a little more cinnamon.

Place the tray in the oven and bake at 180c, 350 F for 15 minutes or until they become slightly golden on top.
Take them out and leave the about 20 minutes to cool down before stuffing your cute face with them! Enjoy!xxxxx

Pane e Pomodoro (Bread and Tomatoes)

Ok, here we go.First post on this blog which  I'm still trying to figure out so you'll probably see it changing colour or other features in the next few days..Me and technology never got along really well.
But I'm starting anyway, with the simplest, quickest and most comforting meal ever. 
Pane e Pomodoro. I could eat this every day all day for the rest of my life and never get bored of it. Maybe it's because every time i bite into it I can instantly see the house in Puglia where i spent many summers as a child, sitting under the grapevine looking over our vegetable garden filled with rows of bright red tomatoes and big bushes of rosemary that you could smell from a mile away..The heat, the crickets, the white plastic table where I used to play cards with my grandpa who taught me all the best tricks. He introduced me to pane e pomodoro, actually in Puglia we used to eat Friselle which is a kind of bagel made with durum wheat flour, cut in half and baked. Friselle are crunchy so grandpa used to put them briefly under the water so they'd soften up, then we'd get some cherry tomatoes, cut them in half and squeeze the juice on the Frisella,then drizzle some olive oil, a pinch of salt and voila'!!!
A delicious quick mid afternoon snack..Sometimes i would actually have it as lunch because when the heat got really intense I never  felt like a full on meal. So here it is, very simple and satisfying.

Hope you'll enjoy it as much as i do. 

RECIPE
2 Slices of bread (or more depending on how hungry you are!)
7-8 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
pinch of salt

Just squeeze the juices of the cherry tomatoes on the bread and if you want,leave the tomatoes on as well, i prefer just the juice but it's really a personal thing.
Drizzle your oil and finish with a sprinkling of salt.

PS: please don't use the sliced packaged bread that you use for toast in the morning as it'll get all soggy and messy, try and get a nice loaf to slice or even a nice wholegrain baguette. In Italy we have pane pugliese which is a typical kind of bread from puglia. I had some nice sliced bread from a bakery called Poilane here in London but i know that's not always available in supermarkets so just get a nice tasty loaf and start eating!