French Galette des Rois

Traditionally, on January 6th in France, we celebrate the arrival of the Three Wise Men in Bethlehem (Epiphany) by sharing a galette with friends and family. A little charm called "Fève" is hidden inside the cake and if you get it in your slice (without choking on it ;-)), you get to wear a paper crown and be called a King or Queen for the day.

This galette is a puff pastry cake filled with an almond cream usually made with sour cream, sugar and eggs. Today, I want to share my vegan version, more digestible, anti inflammatory and made with natural sugars and no fat. It is delicious, very sweet and light!

INGREDIENTS: (Serves 10)

2 sheets of vegan puff pastry (round, 230 g each) (you can use gluten free, or filo pastry)
15 Medjool dates (or 20 Deglet Nour soaked for an hour in a little boiling water)
1 large mug almond milk
2 tablespoons apple puree
2 large mugs of almond meal (freshly ground in my NutriBullet)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon bitter almond extract (optional)
A little milk and melted coconut oil for the glaze

METHOD:

Preheat your oven to 180°C.
In a high speed blender, mix the dates, milk, apple puree and vanilla extract until a liquidy paste is formed. Transfer to a bowl and add the ground almonds. Stir gently.

Put parchment paper on a baking tray and lay the first puff pastry sheet. Pour the mixture onto it, spread it a little without going too close to the edges (leave about 2cm)
Place your little charm (not right in the middle!!) You can use an almond if you don't have one ;-)

Cover with the second pastry sheet and join the edges nicely, seal with a little almond milk. You can draw something on top if you want, but make sure to not go through the puff pastry with your knife.
Bake for about 20 minutes until golden brown.
As soon as the galette is out of the oven, brush gently with the milk and oil mixture. It will give your galette a nice glaze. Serve warm or cold. Keeps well in the fridge for a few days.

Vegan chocolate chip walnuts hazelnuts Brioche

Brioche is a big part of French culture as are croissants (plain and chocolate ones). However the traditional ones are made with eggs, milk and butter and sometimes even crème fraîche! Needless to say that your hips and tummy will not be as pleased as your taste buds :-) nor will be your health in general.
Cue the vegan brioche! Made with whole foods, fluffy, light, anti inflammatory and delicious (it was gone in less than 48 hours and there are only to of us in this household!)
I will definitely make this again and wake up to this on Christmas morning this year.

Warning: You will need to plan ahead and have some time on your hands as the dough needs to rest twice (2 X one hour)

INGREDIENTS:

Brioche:

370g wholemeal flour

100g cornstarch 

1/2 mug tepid rice milk

1/2 mug tepid aquafaba 

2 tablespoons brown sugar (or maple syrup)

5.5g fast action yeast

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

Filling:

4 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons of melted coconut oil (or non dairy butter)

100g chopped walnuts

100g chopped hazelnuts

100g soaked raisins (in alcohol of choice or just water)

100g chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips

METHOD:

In a large bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients together. Add the tepid milk, aquafaba and oil and combine until everything sticks together.

Sprinkle a clean surface with flour, turn the dough onto it and start kneading for about 5 to 10 minutes until your dough is nice and smooth. Add a little more flour if needed. 

Grease a large bowl and place the dough ball in it. Cover with cling film and a towel on top. Leave to rest until it has doubled in size (about one hour)

Once rested, turn the dough out onto a floured surface and punch it down. Cut it in 3 equal parts and with a rolling pin, flatten it down in a rectangle shape.

Coat the dough with melted coconut oil or dairy free butter, sprinkle with sugar, add the nuts, raisins and chocolate. Starting with the side closest to you, roll the dough into a long tight roll. Make sure all sides are sealed well (you can use wet fingers) Repeat for the other two rolls.

Take a baking sheet and place on a baking tray. Take your 3 rolls, seal them at the top and carefully start plaiting. Again, seal ends well. Cover with a towel and rest for one hour.

Preheat your oven at 180°C. 

In a small bowl, mix one tablespoon of almond or rice milk with a little oil.

Just before you place your brioche in the over, brush the top with the mixture which will act as a glaze.

Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown. 

Carefully, transfer from tray to a baking grid to avoid the bottom from going too brown and let cool.

Pear, ginger, cinnamon and chocolate Crumble

Pears are in season! Juicy, melt-in-the-mouth and tasty pears!

Pears are rich in fiber, antioxydants and flavonoids. They are fat and cholesterol free. Pears contain vitamin C and K and can help you fight free radicals. This dessert combines pears, spices and dark chocolate which is a good magnesium source when chosen vegan, raw and organic.

This is a pretty straight forward dessert but so good and satisfying. Great cold or straight out of the oven.

INGREDIENTS (for 4 people)

3 large pears
80 g vegan organic dark chocolate (75% minimum)
2 tablespoons ginger powder
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon maple syrup

For the topping:
1 large mug of ground almonds
1 large mug of rolled oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon organic raw cacao
3 tablespoons melted organic coconut oil

METHOD:

Preheat your oven at 180°C.

Peel your pears, cut in chunks and put in a big bowl. Add the spices and maple syrup and give it a gentle stir. Add 40 g of chocolate (chopped). Set aside.

In another bowl, mix together the ingredients for the topping.

Grease an oven dish (I usually take a square or rectangle brownie pan) with a little coconut oil. Put the pear mixture and top with the almonds/oats mixture.
Bake for about 30 minutes. Serve with chocolate shavings (the 40g remnants) on top.

Just breathe.

Today will just be a simple post about how i'm feeling, right now, at this very moment.
If you've followed me for a while, you know that I am currently studying holistic health. Being medication free has helped me a great deal since last year's traditional treatment. Combined with a clean diet and natural supplements, it has made a difference.

There are days however when the pain does not want to go away no matter what. On those days, it would be key to love my body and mind and not be hard on myself. That would be ideal.... but reality is different.

I wish I could trade bodies and get a new one, a healthy one. I imagine dragging myself to a shop, talking briefly to a salesman, looking at various models, asking more questions about that disease-free one up there on the shelf, jumping into it to try it on and coming out of the changing rooms all brand new with ZERO pain, feeling amazing and ready to take on my new life!
(No, no, I am NOT on any medication nor am I delirious, don't worry!)
Of course it is not realistic but a girl can dream right? :-)  It could perhaps be the plot for a new movie? No? K then.

I'll go back to my studies with my dearest friend the heating pad. I just wanted to share with you that you should rest when your body wants to and not be mad about it. You will find out that in no time, once well rested, you'll be able to be out and about again and there will be light after that grey cloud passes.... so take it easy, breathe deeply and accept the situation. I know I'm trying to.

Super easy houmous

There's no two ways about it. Houmous is good. It's good to taste and it's good for you. The chickpea (or Garbanzo bean) is a legume of the family FABACEAE (hence the name of the chickpea water Aquafaba). Chickpeas are naturally high in fiber and protein and are great for digestive health since they regulate blood sugar levels.
There are all sorts of houmous in the UK... not so much in France... And there's usually dairy in it for some reason.

It is originally from the Middle East and in fact, the word hummus means chickpea in Arabic. 

Houmous makes a great sandwich base but can also be eaten with a salad, spread on nice bread or used as a dip with raw vegetables or tortilla crisps.

INGREDIENTS:

200 g cooked chickpeas (rinsed and drained)
2 tablespoons aquafaba
1/2 lemon juice
2 tablespoons lime
1 small clove of garlic, chopped
2 heaped tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons olive oil
Himalayan pink salt and pepper to taste

METHOD:

Put all ingredients in a food processor and mix! :)
Pulse a few times to get a really smooth paste.
Optional but recommended: Drizzle some olive oil and sprinkle some paprika on top.
Transfer to a glass jar and store in the fridge up to 5 days.

Green Olive Tapenade without capers or anchovies

I love olives. Raw or cooked, I love them. Specially green ones. When I first tasted Tapenade which is basically olive paste, I thought I would love it. Wrong!!! I found it way too salty and sickening. Looking at the ingredients, I noticed that there were capers in it which I don't like. You can even find anchovies in it sometimes but having been a vegetarian for years (before being a vegan) I obviously never tried that one.
Olives are great for us Endogirls. They are full of healthy fats which we need in order to improve hormonal balance overall.
Before the holidays, my better half came home with a giaaant jar of olives from the market. As much as I love them, I wasn't really sure what to do with them all. He suggested we make Tapenade :)
We came up with a recipe right there and then. Below is our own version of Green Tapenade, all Endo approved. Keeps in the fridge for up to 4 or 5 days... If it lasts that long :)

INGREDIENTS:

(For a small jar)

220 g green olives
1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
3 large basil leaves or 6 small ones
1/2 lemon juice
3 tablespoons virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

METHOD:

Put your olives, nutritional yeast and lemon juice in a food processor and mix until finely chopped. Add the garlic, basil leaves and olive oil and mix again until you get a paste. Pulse as much as desired depending on the consistency you like. I think the smoother the better. Add black pepper to taste.
Transfer to a jar and keep in the fridge.
Spread on toasted baguette.

Gluten free Granola

I was brought up on continental breakfast. Bread, butter, jam, a mug of hot cocoa, a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice and a yogurt. Everything was either home made (my father was an Artisan Baker) or organic directly from the farm which I thought was good at the time. I never really questionned it. I was brought up this way, so were my parents and grandparents (although times were extremely tough during the war and they would eat whatever they would put their hands on but that's another story).
I also had severe anemia growing up which is a decrease in the total amount of red blood cells you have in your blood. I suffered from iron deficiency for a long time. I would lose a lot of blood every month. The family doctor always told me it was normal, that my pain was normal, that it was part of growing up... Again, I never questioned his diagnosis. I mean, he was a Doctor! I was put on iron pills for years and took them religiously. I developed other symptoms because of them but I'll explain that in another post.
Coming back to breakfast, it took me a long time to try and taste and find out what I liked and what was actually good for me. You hear all sorts of things about breakfast : "it's the most important meal of the day, you should drink a hot beverage and eat carbs and dairy, you should eat a lot at breakfast that will sustain you til noon" etc etc....
I feel it is really up to everyone to find out! I believe in fasting once in a while (which is what you do during your sleep for hours anyway) so if you are not hungry in the morning then ...don't eat! Don't force yourself. Have some nuts and fruit at hand for later when you do get hungry. I love porridge during the winter months but for a few months now, I've been loving my homemade Granola.
Homemade Granola is the best. Specially when you can make it gluten free and with bits and bobs that you like. Then the one recipe that you have has endless possibilities.
Below is the version that I like best at the moment, on top of a mashed banana. I hope you get to try it!

Makes a whole tall Mason jar

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup of organic rolled oats
1 cup of millet flakes (if you don't have any, use unsweetened rice puffs or just go with 2 cups of rolled oats)
3 Tablespoons of melted organic coconut oil
2 Tablespoons of organic raw cacao
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 handful of raw almonds
1 handful of raw hazelnuts
1/3 cup Goji berries
1/2 cup of unsweetened dry raisins or sultanas

METHOD:

Heat up the oven to 180° C. Cover a baking tray with some parchment paper.
In a large bowl, mix the oats, millet, cacao, almonds and hazelnuts together with the oil and vanilla extract. Mix until everything is well coated in oil.
Pour onto baking sheet and spread evenly.
Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes.
Take out of the even and let cool.
Once the mixture has cooled down, throw the raisins and the goji berries in there.
Fill the jar and you're good to go!

Nectarine Oat Bars

I'm loving nectarines right now :) They're gorgeous, juicy and in season so what's not to like? For this recipe, I got my inspiration from a recipe from Thug Kitchen and their strawberry bars. I've changed a few things - mostly replace the brown sugar with more naturally sweet ingredients I really like and tolerate better. So here we are. It is DELICIOUS, keeps up to 5 days in the fridge - if it does make it that long - it never does in my household!

Makes 12 bars:

Ingredients for the filling:
6 organic nectarines
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon maple syrup

Ingredients for the base:
2 cup rolled oats
2 heaped spoons of nut butter of your choice (I used almond/hazelnut and cashew)
2 heaped tablespoons of softened coconut oil
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon maple syrup
6 pitted Medjool or Deglet Noor dates

Method:
Line a rectangular baking dish (mine is 17 X 27cm) with baking paper and grease it a little with coconut oil. Heat up your oven to 180° C.
Dice up the peaches, getting rid of the pits. Mix with the lime juice, vanilla and syrup and set aside.
In a food processor, mix the oats, nut butter, coconut oil, baking soda, syrup and dates until it forms a sort of crumble.

Press the mixture into the dish quite firmly. You can save a little to put on top later. Pour out the juice made by the nectarines (you can drink it later or use it in a smoothie) and press the fruits gently into the crumbly mixture. Top with the rest of the crumble and a handful of sliced almonds (optional).
Bake for about 40 minutes until the top or/and almonds becomes golden brown. Cool completely before cutting into slices. (I love them straight out of the oven!) Store in the fridge.

No-bake choconut balls

Last week I talked about the lovely coconut balls I made that could easily replace your standard truffles. This week, I want to talk about another version that I've made with hazelnuts. And they are the BOMB! They ressemble the Ferrero Rochers that I used to loooove but can't have anymore *sigh* because of endo. These are dairy/soy/palm oil and gluten free! What else do you want? 

(I made it again today with hazelnuts and almonds and it was gorgeous)

INGREDIENTS:

(for about 20 mini balls)

1 cup of hazelnuts

2 Tablespoons of hazelnut oil

1 Tablespoon of organic pure raw cocoa powder

3 Tablespoons of maple syrup

2 Tablespoons of coconut cream

1 Teaspoon of vanilla extract

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to180° C (360° F)

Arrange the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and roast for about 10 minutes until golden brown. Stir them every four minutes or so. Let them cool for another 10 minutes.

You will need to skin them. I usually transfer them into a bowl, put a plate over it and shake energically.

Separate the hazelnuts from their skin and transfer them into a food processor. Grind them until finely chopped. Scoop out 1/4 cup of the nuts onto a plate and save for later.

Back to your food processor, add the oil, the cocoa powder, the vanilla, the syrup and the coconut cream to the rest of the nuts. Pulse until you get some sort of paste (you might want to scrape down the sides a couple of times).

With a teaspoon take some of the mixture (the size of a small walnut) and press firmly in your palm to start shaping a small ball then roll it into the remaining chopped hazelnuts. 

Put them on a plate or tray and refrigerate for at least a couple of hours. Enjoy!

No-bake vegan choc' coco balls

With Christmas coming up, let's talk about chocolate truffles. Yes they are lovely and very chocolatey but they are also high in fat and can quickly become sickening. As an Endogirl, I can't have dairy or refined sugar so these are an UH-mazing alternative!

Today I made these beautiful vegan, gluten-free and most importantly guilt-free chocolate and coconut truffles. They are yummy and light and perfect for a quick dessert or just a chocolate craving. I mean just look at' em beauties!

INGREDIENTS:

(for about 10 small balls)

1 1/2 mug of shredded coconut

2 Tablespoons of coconut cream

1 Tablespoon of raw unsweetened cocoa powder

2 Tablespoons of melted coconut oil

3 Tablespoons of maple syrup

1 Teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 pinch of Himalayan or Guerande salt

METHOD:

In a food processor, mix 1 mug of shredded coconut (keep the rest for later), the melted coconut oil and the cocoa powder until well combined. You may want to scrape down the sides a couple of times.

Add the coconut cream, vanilla extract, maple syrup and salt. Mix again until you get a paste.

Place the remaining shredded coconut on a plate, shape the paste into small balls and roll them into the coconut.

Refrigerate for one hour minimum. They will be perfect after a few hours in the fridge. Enjoy!