Laura's Coconut Crème Caramel

I am FINALLY on summer break from Uni!!!Whoop! This means I can now dedicate more time to Foodolina as I have neglected this blog too much due to  being overwhelmed with assignments at school...

So, the first post of summer season is this ridiculously good recipe by my fabulous friend Laura.
She's a my classmate, a strong, gorgeous, smart woman and incredibly talented cook.

A couple of weeks ago, some of us girls from class, went to Laura's house to revise for our exams.

(This is Truffle. Laura's dog, nothing to do with recipe itself but too cute not to include in the post..)❤️

After our morning session, our host showed us inside for lunch, she had prepared the most amazing dairy free dishes and added a gluten free twist to some of them so I could try them too :)

Everything was so tasty and light and nutritious and so colourful!I was in foodie heaven..

After I had a second serving of almost everything (I'm tiny but you have NO IDEA of how much I can eat..) Laura served us dessert. WOW.

A dairy free coconut crème caramel that left us all speechless (we were too busy eating it..) and oh so happy!

When I posted a picture of this delicious treat on Facebook I got a few recipe requests and Laura has kindly shared her recipe with me so here I am passing it on to you.

Because life is too short not to have dessert.

Enjoy!


COCONUT CRÈME CARAMEL

INGREDIENTS

1 x 400ml can coconut milk

5 egg yolks

Agave syrup to sweeten the mixture to taste

Juice of half a lime + grated rind

FOR THE CARAMEL

3 tbsp coconut sugar
1tbsp water


Put coconut sugar in a pot heat with 1 tbsp of water. Shake pot to mix sugar with water, do not stir.
When it begins to look like caramel turn off the heat. It should only take a few minutes.
Spoon into individual ramekins or teacups and set aside.


Now whisk egg yolks and add agave syrup, lime juice and rind and finally coconut milk.
You can add a little water to increase the liquid if need be.

Add hot water to a roasting dish.
Fill the ramekins with coconut filling but do so delicately without upsetting the caramel in the base.
place the ramekins in the roasting dish, cover with foil and cook in the oven at 170c for 20 minutes until the top is springy to the touch.

Best chilled overnight.x

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

Banana, Cinnamon, Walnut Porridge

Spring is definitely on its way but we've still had some pretty chilly days here in London.
On those windy mornings I like to have a warm comforting breakfast that feels just like a giant hug..
And that's exactly what this simple, quick delicious porridge is like. It takes 5 minutes, it's nutritious and the smell of cinnamon always makes me feel instantly happier. It's the perfect way to start my day.

Oats (I use gluten free ones) are complex carbohydrates that will prevent your blood sugar levels from spiking and then quickly dropping, leading to cravings for sugary snacks.  They are also a source of soluble fibre which will help keep you full for longer and that can also be beneficial if you are interested in losing some weight.

I use Brown Rice milk as I am currently off dairy but you can use regular milk (preferably organic) or almond milk or any other type you might prefer.

Banana is a good source of potassium and it helps sweeten this meal, cinnamon is not only delicious but it's an extra help in balancing blood sugar and it's also anti-bacterial and helps with digestion too.

Walnuts add an extra crunchy texture and are a good source of zinc (helpful in boosting the immune system) and a vegetarian source of Omega 3 essential fatty acids (they help the cells in your body to work more efficiently and they also make your skin look more radiant) which our body does not produce and need to take in from food.

Lately I started adding nut butter (yummy protein anyone?), more specifically, my latest obsession: Biona's Hazelnut Butter which reminds me so much of Nutella (and if you add some cacao powder to it that's exactly what you'll get, only a much healthier version)...

I also add some coconut oil (a saturated fat with a structure called medium chain fatty acids, this type of molecular structure is used instantly for energy rather then be stored as fat in the body) to give me an extra energy boost and help digestion. I love Lucy Bee Organic Coconut Oil and I generally buy a big jar and use half of it in the kitchen for cooking and half is in my bathroom as body lotion as it makes my skin incredibly smooth.

Lastly, I love to add some bee pollen (my favourite one is the Gfm Organic one) to strengthen my immune system and some maca powder (I love the Organic Burst Maca Powder) to improve my stress levels as it works on the adrenal glands (where your stress hormones are made).

Now, remember you DO NOT have to add all these quirky little ingredients if you don't want to but I am a massive foodie mixed with a nutritional therapy student and as I do not drink or smoke, I love to spend my extra cash on these type of foods to give my body lots of love..

Now, after all these information overload...Let's get down to it!

INGREDIENTS
1 cup Brown Rice Milk ( I love the Rude Health one)
1/2 cup oats
1 small banana (sliced)
1tbsp coconut oil
1tsp cinnamon
1tbsp hazelnut butter
1 handful chopped walnuts

OPTIONAL
1tsp maca powder
2tsp bee pollen

Warm up your milk and add your oats, stir and take to a light simmer then add cinnamon, coconut oil and nut butter, mix all together until smooth and creamy.Turn the heat off, pour in your favourite bowl and add your chopped walnuts, maca and bee pollen. Curl on the couch and enjoy..

Love,

Foodolina.x

Speedy Quinoa with roasted cod, fresh tomatoes and capers

When I work long hours and I come home around 8pm, the last thing I want is spending ages cooking dinner so I always try and find the quickest way to prepare a meal that will be both delicious and nutritious.. This recipe was a happy discovery one night when I didn't have much left in the house except for some leftover cooked quinoa (I like to cook a batch of it on Sundays and just add different ingredients during the week for a "take away" lunch), two medium tomatoes, garlic and some capers. Plus, I remembered I had one piece of frozen cod left in the freezer (ideally you want to defreeze it beforehand but I was desperate). 

Here's how I did it: with my coat still on I turned the oven on at 180C . Placed the cod in the tray with a squeeze of lemon, some olive oil, paprika and herbs (but you can use anything you've got, only herbs, only paprika, only lemon...), and put it in the oven with my timer on for 20 minutes.

Quickly undressed and put PJ's on (yes, I know, I'm a sexy beast...) then, with 10 min left on the timer I washed and sliced the tomatoes and popped them with a couple of chopped garlic cloves and a little oil in a pan. Medium heat and just stir them once, add some salt, pepper and about two minutes before the end, add your capers.

Now, cod was ready, fresh tomatoes cooked, all you need to do is assemble! I added the quinoa and cod directly to the pan with the tomatoes and mixed everything on low heat for 1 minute, maybe less because I was really hungry.... DONE.

It was a comforting meal, full of flavour and packed not only with proteins from both quinoa and cod, but also the phytochemical lycopene from the tomatoes (great for cardiovascular health and also skin). Finally, and you have read this before on my blog as I use it a lot, Garlic! Natural antibiotic, contains sulphur and is therefore really helpful for your liver!

All of this goodness in 20 minutes. That's right.

Now you go and do it.x

Immune Boosting Mushrooms

These past few days it's been getting pretty chilly and apparently it will be even worse next week, so I intend to keep my immune system strong by eating as many immune boosting foods as possible. 

Mushrooms are immune boosting thanks to the polysaccharides (sugars) beta glucans they contain and they are also a source of both vitamin D and B.

Garlic is a natural antibiotic and also helps detoxification.

Parsley helps with bone health as it contains vitamin K (it also helps with blood clotting, so should you be on warfarin, do not suddenly start eating more or fewer vitamin k foods. Ask your practitioner for advice.)

This recipe is very quick and I grew up with it. my mom used to make it all the time and I absolutely love it and have it very often especially in winter.

You can have it as a side, or you can add some cooked quinoa and spinach to have a delicious and light main meal.

Here's what you need:

4 Flat mushrooms or a pack of chestnut ones.

2 garlic cloves chopped teeny tiny

a handful of roughly chopped fresh parsley.

2 tbsp extravirgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Just take the mushrooms' stalk out and scoop the gills out too. I quickly clean the outside with a wet paper towel, slice them and they are ready to go. 

Add the garlic to a pan with oil on medium heat, when the garlic starts to brown add the mushrooms, salt and pepper and mix it up. Just let it go for about 5 min mixing every now and then, if at any point they seem to become dry just add a little water. After 5 min add the parsley, stir and leave it for another 2 minutes.

They should now be dark, soft, smell amazing and ready to eat!

xxx

Foodolina

Healing Carrot and Ginger Soup

 It's Christmas time and I'm loving every single minute of it! the colourful lights and decorations around town, Christmas carols at every corner and the smell of mulled wine at the markets...
It's my personal Disneyland.
However, with this much happiness and fun, also comes the cold weather and all those people that keep sneezing and coughing around me on public transports. Not the best thing..
So this is my go to meal every single time I feel I'm coming down with something or feel a little nauseous and just generally run down. So far it has made me feel better ever single time.
Garlic and Onions can help boost immunity, in fact, did you know that garlic has antibiotic, antibacterial and anti inflammatory properties? BOOM! And onions contain quercetin, a compound that works as a anti-histamine and can therefore help in the relief of allergies.
In addition to these two immune powerhouses I also use fresh ginger. I love ginger and it's my first port of call when I feel a cold coming on (hot water, boil fresh ginger slices for 15 min, add lemon and manuka honey). This powerful root can work as digestive aid, painkiller, anti-nausea, anti inflammatory and so much more! Finally I add organic carrots to this soup, they are rich in antioxidant beta-carotene which converts into vitamin A in the body, helpful for immunity, skin,
eye health and more. One more thing, you'll also find turmeric in this recipe, the active compound within is curcumin and it has anti bacterial, anti inflammatory, anti viral and antioxidant properties.

The best thing about this soup is that is crazy easy and quick to prepare,.I always make a big batch and freeze it so I can have a healing lunch at work throughout the week.

Let's get cooking!

INGREDIENTS

1 large garlic clove (crush it and chop it in tiny pieces)
2 medium onions (thinly sliced)
1 thumbsize piece of fresh ginger root peeled and sliced thinly
4/5 large carrots (possibly organic, I used rainbow ones), peeled and thinly chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp dried mediterranean herbs
1tbsp extravirgin olive oil
vegetable stock
salt (I use pink Himalayan salt but you can easily use sea salt)
pepper

Pour the oil in the pan and add your ginger, onions and garlic. Leave on a low/medium heat until the onions soften. Add carrots, herbs, spices, salt and pepper and mix it up. Cover with hot vegetable stock and bring to a boil then take it down to a simmer and leave for 25 min.
After that, I like to use my hand blender to make the whole soup really really smooth but you can just leave it like it is if you prefer a chunkier consistency.

Merry Healthy Happy Christmas!

xxx

Foodolina

A creamy smoothie for Ffleur..

I love dedicating recipes to girlfriends I love and who inspire me, it creates a special connection that makes the whole blogging experience much more personal and dear to me.
I met Ffleur through my ex boyfriend turned super best friend Patch. Since i first met her, Flleur has moved back to Wales, met her Prince Charming and together they now have the two most beautiful children I have ever seen. On top of that, she is one of my biggest supporters since i started blogging and that means so much to me. She loves my smoothies so this one is for her.

This is the creamiest smoothie I have ever made and it looks and tastes like a pudding you can have for breakfast which sounds pretty good to me. I have twicked the recipe this morning by adding some extra protein in the form of Tahini (sesame seed paste) and a little antioxidant boost with a sprinkle of cacao nibs (I have been using the fantastic organic Of The Earth Superfoods ones and really like them. They also have really yummy porridges pots to go you should totally try them!). Be aware that cacao nibs are yummy and oh so good for you but they do come from raw cacao, so if you are used to eating milk chocolate, do not expect the same sugary flavour. They are the real deal and can be added to your very homemade trailmix (mmm...new post idea!) or to smoothies and many other recipes.

I believe it's important to add protein to all my meals and snack to help balance my sugar levels and keep my energy going strong  throughout the day and my tummy full and satisfied! Trust me, give it a try.
But enough talk, let's get this recipe down!

INGREDIENTS (MAKES 1 SMOOTHIE JAR)
1 small banana
1/2 frozen banana
1 handful raw almonds
2 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 full tsp tahini ( I use organic light tahini)
1tsp Organic Burst Maca Powder (at least this the one I use because of its delicious malt like flavour)
1 tsp 1/2 Organic Bee Pollen (make sure you try one grain first to check for possible allergies)
1 vitC capsule (optional)
 vit D3 (optional)
vit B12 (optional)
1 cup Brown Rice Milk (I use Rude Health and love love love all of their products!)
1 tsp cacao nibs

Pop everything in your blender and whizz for a couple of minutes till smooth and creamy...
Pour in your favourite jar and top with bee pollen and cacao nibs!

Have a fantastic Sunday.

Love,

xxx

Foodolina