Paleo Coconut and Carrot Cake

In my GCSE year, I studied food technology where by myself and my class mates would find our favourite recipes to cook, explore food, and learn about the science behind it. My friend Emily decided, for her final cooking practical, that she would make a carrot and coconut cake; and oh my was it scrummy! She later gave me the recipe and I made it a few times since, sharing it with another few who asked.  Seven years later, and I have (annoyingly) misplaced the well-used scrap of paper that read the recipe to Emily's carrot and coconut cake (DANG)!!  So... using my foggy memory, my interest in paleo food and a little research into Paleo baking, I have attempted to recreate this little gem; I substituted flour for coconut flour, sugar for honey, and butter for coconut oil. PALEO here we come!
The coconut ingredients in the cake keep the whole thing completely moist, while the raisins and the walnuts give it a little bit of texture.

I think I have succeeded in recreating it? ....... Well you can judge that after making it yourselves....

For the icing, I used Greek yoghurt and for some Paleo followers, they would argue that this is not part of the diet. You can decide weather you want to add this or not, and by all means make a different icing!! The one I have put here is only a suggestion!!

Ingredients:

Sponge:

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup coconut oil

3 medium carrots, grated

4 eggs, beaten until they are well scrambled

1/4 coconut flour

1/2 desicated coconut

1/4 linseeds

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup walnuts

2 tsp cinnamon

1 heaped tsp baking powder

Icing: (optional)

2 tbsp fat free greek yoghurt

1 tbsp honey

2 tbsp ground almonds

1 tsp cinnamon

Toasted coconut flakes

Directions:

Set oven to 180 degrees. Line a medium sized tin loaf with baking parchment, and grease to make sure nothing sticks.

Wash, peel and grate your carrots. Set aside.

In a bowl, melt coconut oil so it is liquid, and beat well with the honey.

Add your beaten eggs, and sift in your coconut flour over the top (this is to make sure there are no lumps!). 

Beat well.  You will be able to see the coconut flour expand and thicken the batter. Make sure there are no lumps!  Add your grated carrot, your linseeds, raisins, chopped walnuts, desiccated coconut and baking powder. Beat well until all the ingredients are mixed well.

Tip mixture into your prepared cake tin and set in the oven. 

Bake for about 50 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.  Equally you can make the mixture into muffins, but keep in mind it will probably take a shorter time to bake!

Once cooked, take it out and set it onto a wire rack to cool. 

The Icing is optional, but I think it adds something a little extra to the flavour... plus it looks pretty too! To make the icing, measure out all of your ingredients into a bowl.

Beat well. It should look something like this....

In a small frying pan, tip out a large handful of coconut flakes and put them into the pan dry. On a low heat, toast the flakes until golden brown. Keep your eye on them, they will start to brown very quickly! 

Once the cake has cooled, spread over your icing evenly and sprinkle on your toasted coconut flakes.

Serve and Enjoy.....

 

Sweet Potato Fries

Quick, easy and tasty! 

These Sweet potato chips are just great, and you can whip them up to absolute perfection in no time at all! They are minimal admin with them being baked instead of deep-fried, also making them a healthier choice, AND super delicious! The sweetness from the potato caramelises when baked, making them soft in the middle, crispy on the edges and just simply melt in your mouth! 

The little trick of the trade for cooking these guys.....?

Using a plastic freezer bag to help evenly distribute your oil and seasoning is a great little tip I came across, whilst prowling the internet one evening. This is the first time I had tried this, and it was a genius idea!! Why didn't I think of that one first- DANG...

Anyways, here's to the health side of things......

Sweet potatoes are known as a 'Low GI' food, meaning that they release glucose more slowly and steadily within your body, giving you more sustained energy levels throughout the day. They are extremely high in vitamin A (which is predominantly important for the health of the retina within your eye; ie the health of your vision), as well as both vitamins C and D (Immune support). They are a good source of magnesium (which is famous for being the 'relaxation and anti-stress mineral'!), potassium (aids in nerve functioning and the control of blood pressure), and iron (which helps keep your energy levels high, aids in the production of both white and red blood cells within the body, and helps to maintain your immune system at its optimum). Vitamin B6, also noticeably present within sweet potato, acts as a coenzyme to many other enzymes in the body, essentially boosting the body's metabolism. Per 100g raw they contain: 86 cals, 20g complex carbohydrates, 2g protein, 3.4g dietary fibre, and zero fat.....

These little orange guys pack a nutritional punch, hey!?

Ingredients:

Sweet potatoes, (I would measure about 1 regular sweet potato (approx 130g) per person)

1 tbsp olive oil or oil of choice per potato 

Salt, Peper, and any spices you fancy! (chille flakes, cumin, paprika, garlic, curry powder....)

I went for a shake of salt and chilli flakes in this batch!

Directions:

Set the oven to 180 degrees.

Begin by scrubbing your sweet potatoes, and cutting any gross ugly bits off. You don't necessarily need to peal them, but if you prefer to do so, go ahead! Especially when they may be from a green grocers and are still accessorising with a little bit of mud!!

Chop them into chip shapes about 1/2 cm wide

Put all of your chip-shaped-sweet-potatoes in a large freezer bag, drizzle in your oil and seasonings, seal it, and give it a big shake around. Keep shaking until you think your fries have an even coating of everything.

Tip out onto a baking tray. 

If you want to save yourself a bit of washing up, lining it with a bit of baking parchment or foil always saves you scrubbing away at your dish afterwards! Make sure all of the potatoes have their own space. You don't want them over lapping each other, as they won't go as crispy!!

Bake for about 30 mins until you can see the edges turning golden brown! 

Take out of the oven and serve!

Garlicy Stuffed Aubergine with Chicken, Rosemary, Tomatoes and Feta

Aubergine is by far one of my favourite vegetables, and the combining it with a chicken-tomatoey-garlicy-rosemary sauce is just delicious! 

This aubergine wasn't the average aubergine; this was a different variety: white with a few purple stripes in it which I had found at one of the local vegetable shops near my flat. I don't think it particularly makes any difference in the cooking of this dish (I have made this previously at home with the standard aubergine), only that the skin isn't a dark purple/black colour! These little guys look really impressive for a dinner party, and if desired/necessary, it can be made vegetarian very easily by simply leaving out the chicken or substituting it for quorn or tofu. It may look a lot more complicated than it actually is; it is in fact a very easy recipe, and is definitely worth that little bit of culinary effort!

Ingredients: (serves 1 as a main meal, 2 as a starter: double/triple/quadruple for more.....)

1 aubergine

Olive oil

2 cloves garlic

Rosemary leaves, about 1 tbsp

3 small tomatoes, chopped (see picture for reference of quantity)

2 chicken tenderloins, chopped into small pieces

1 tsp chilli flakes (optional)

30g Feta

Salad:

Mixed leaves (I used baby spinach and lettuce)

2 Tbsp bulgar wheat (pre-cooked)

Olive oil and lemon dressing (2:1 ratio respectively)

Directions:

Turn oven on to 180 degrees.

Get your aubergine and slice it down the middle. Use your knife to cut out the flesh of the aubergine of both halves. You can use your hands pulling out some of the flesh too. Set the fleshy middle to one side.

Place your aubergine 'shells' on a baking sheet. Very roughly slice your garlic cloves and scatter over the aubergine, drizzle with some olive oil, a sprinkle of salt and half of your rosemary leaves.

Put in the oven to cook. 

Meanwhile, take the flesh of the aubergine and chop into small pieces. In a small frying pan, add a bit of olive oil with your chicken and begin to fry off on a medium heat. The chicken pieces should be chopped quite small, so they shouldn't take too long to cook through and brown-maybe about 5-7 minutes; once cooked, add in your chopped aubergine flesh. Stir fry again for another 2 minutes.

Add your chopped tomatoes, the rest of your rosemary and chilli flakes. Turn the heat down to a medium heat, and stir until the aubergine is cooked through, and your tomatoes are soft. It should turn a little bit saucy as your tomatoes soften.

By now, your aubergine 'shells' should have cooked through and crisped up. 

Take them out of the oven, put any garlic that wasn't in the shells, inside. Begin to spoon in your tomatoey-chicken filling. 

Crumble over your feta, and put back in the oven to crisp up. This should take another 5-10 minutes...

Serve both halves immediately. 

I had mine with a mixed leaf salad, which I tossed in a little bit of lemon juice and olive oil, and 2 tbsp of bulgar wheat which I had pre-cooked in the fridge. This is only a suggestion! If a bit more hungry, you could serve this with some wholewheat pasta and some truffel oil (the flavours go very well!)- this is my dad's favourite!! Enjoy guys!

SuperFood Maca and Cinnamon Banana pancakes

As it's pancake day, it is the PERFECT time of year to post my favourite pancakes! Anyone who knows me well enough, will know I will probably have some version of this pancake every other day for breakfast; so it is about time I post them on here!  

These pancakes are super easy to make and are great healthy treat to begin your day. They are high in protein, helping to keep you fuller for longer, and provide you with bunches of energy to keep you going all day long! 

Both Maca and Cinnamon are extremely beneficial in their consumption, not to mention give the flavour of the pancakes a little something extra...

Cinnamon is a great digestive aid and works with insulin in the body to metabolize sugar. It has antiseptic properties, and is beneficial to the kidneys, lungs and heart. 

Maca is a super food that has been around for around 3,000 years, and has been used medicinally in South America for centuries. Grown in the most harshest conditions in the peruvian Andes, Maca contains an abundance of minerals, vitamins, amino acids, polynutrients and essential fatty acids. Maca is an 'adoptogen', meaning in the most simplistic terms that it helps the body to adapt to changes and stress. 

Maca bought from the shops, starts as a root, is then dried and turned into powder. It is said to have the ability to increase energy and stamina, increase libido, help oxygenate the blood, balance hormonal production, and support neurotransmitter production. The flavour of Maca is sort of sweet, with a hint of malt flavouring; some describe it to be a bit like butterscotch but in large quantities it can be quite overpowering! As suggested on the back of the packet, Maca should be consumed, like anything, in moderation; they suggest 1-2 teaspoons a day. You should be able to find it in most health food stores and can easily be bought online.... even EBAY sell it!! Note, try to buy it organic, also check it is pure Maca root as some are sold with other ingredients added!

The riper the bananas, the better......as this gives them a sweeter more banana-ry flavour!!

It should be said that if you cannot find the Maca root powder, these banana pancakes are just as good without... you'll just be missing out on all of those fab health benefits mentioned above!! I do appreciate it is an ingredient that is not the most readily available.... 

I normally vary my toppings on these pancakes. Today, I simply went for what yummy things I had in my fridge: Strawberries, natural yoghurt, a Clementine, cocoa nibs (another great super food!), lemon juice and some pumpkin seeds. This tends to change most times I make these, depending on what I have to offer in the fridge. Below I have listed a few things that really do go great!

Ingredients: 

(makes 2 medium sized pancakes)

2 whole eggs

1 egg white

1 medium rip banana

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp Maca

Tbsp linseeds

Toppings suggestions:

Any fruit

lemon juice

natural/greek yoghurt

grated dark chocolate

honey

seeds

peanut butter

chocolate spread

Maple syrup

Ice cream

Directions:

In a bowl add all of your ingredients.

Begin to mash your banana with a fork. You can either do this before you add the eggs etc or after, either way is fine! Whisk all the ingredients well! The more you whisk, the 'fluffier' they will be. The extra egg white helps to give them a 'less dense' texture. Eventually you want to get quite a liquid mixture, but any banana chunks isn't such a problem. I took a photo of my mixture so you can see what it's like. Ultimately, the banana chunks with cook within the mixture and soften... you won't notice at all!

In a non-stick pan, wipe round some oil with kitchen paper, and sprinkle in some linseeds. 

Turn the hob onto a medium heat and pour in half of you mixture. 

Wait until it is completely set before flipping. It really is a waiting game.... It should only take a few minutes.  Flip and cook for another few 30 seconds and serve on your plate!! Repeat this step for the second pancake.

Nows the time to fill up on all your toppings! Go wild guys! Below are some photos of what I ended up with... 

Strawberries, natural yoghurt, 1 clementine, and cacao nibs....

Squeeze over a wedge of lemon.....

And finally, I sprinkled over some toasted pumpkin seeds...... Yum!