Eating Vibrantly

Crunchy Hemp Coconut Fruit Salad

Nikki - Eating Vibrantly — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 23:14:56 +0000

I love the way that necessity leads to creativity and wonderful discoveries, like this crunchy hemp coconut fruit salad.

We went interstate last weekend for my sister’s wedding, so I had the opportunity to play with eating raw vegan while travelling.

Interesting, definitely.

My original plan was to do a partial fast while we were away – in other words, eat simply, mostly green smoothies, drink lots of water and don’t fret too much about eating.

But then the idea of not eating seemed a bit too much, so it evolved into Plan B, which was to drink green smoothies and eat as much fruit as I liked – a great idea given that we’re going into summer and were heading closer to the equator – the perfect time for an abundance of fresh fruit.

So I got myself a Tribest personal blender that I could take with me, and practiced making mini green smoothies beforehand.

I had my recipe perfected and everything.

Sounded great in theory.

In practice, my routine was so out of whack that I just ate completely haphazardly.

All vegan, mostly raw, but fasting? Nope.

But out of that chaos emerged this wonderfully crunchy hemp coconut fruit salad, so it was a blessing in disguise.

What I love about this recipe is that you can make it in 5 minutes flat, with no special equipment required.

In fact, you could make up a pre-mixed blend of the hemp, coconut and sunflower seeds, pack a selection of your favourite fruits, and then make it up on the spot.

Anywhere, anytime.

That definitely works for me.

And to be honest, I’ve always found fruit salads to be a little insipid.

Don’t get me wrong, I love a good fruit salad. But sometimes, they just don’t quite satisfy.

And that’s where this raw crunchy hemp coconut fruit salad comes into its own.

The seeds and coconut add a wonderful texture to the fresh fruit AND they give it enough density and richness to perfectly hit the spot.

Because when you look at it, you’re still eating mostly fresh fruit. With just enough crunch and flavour to make it a hearty meal.

And I just love the way the coconut and seeds coat the fruit pieces, like you’re eating a bowl of little fruit snacks.

There’s something magical about the hemp-coconut-sunflower fuzz that covers each sweet and juicy chunk of fruit.

The perfect combination.

Crunchy Hemp Coconut Fruit Salad

This raw crunchy hemp coconut fruit salad is light yet filling - perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner - and you can make it in just 5 minutes flat.

Course Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine Paleo, Raw, Vegan, Wholefoods

Keyword dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, oil-free, salt-free, soy-free, sugar-free

Prep Time 5

Total Time 5

Servings serves

Calories 356kcal

Author Nikki, Eating Vibrantly

Ingredients

1 med mango (200g)
1 med banana (100g)
1/2 punnet strawberries (125g)
2 tbsp shredded coconut (13g) *
2 tbsp hemp seeds / hearts (22g) *
2 tbsp sunflower seeds , activated (26g) *

Instructions

Peel the mango, remove the seed and dice the flesh.
Peel and slice the banana and add to the mango.
Dehull the strawberries, dice and add to the mango and bananas.
Add the coconut, hemp seeds and sunflower seeds and mix thoroughly.
Serve immediately.

Notes

Before: -
During: 5 mins
After: -
Need: Board & knife

Notes

* Australian tablespoon = 20 ml

Nutrition

* Australian tablespoon (20 ml)

Tips

I’ve eaten this hemp coconut fruit salad for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It’s light enough and yet filling enough to eat at any time of day, so it’s a great addition to your raw food recipe arsenal.
You can change the balance of fresh fruit in this recipe to suit what you have on hand, or your tastebuds. Just use your favourite fruits, or whatever’s in season. The thick juice of the mango does coat everything beautifully, which helps the seeds and coconut to stick, so try to include something that does the same thing, like maybe persimmon or plum.
You can easily add more (or less) of the coconut and seeds. There’s a sweet spot in this recipe where if you add too little, it doesn’t have the right crunch and you almost don’t notice them in amongst the fresh fruit. And if you add too much, it makes for too much chewing and the nutty flavours can start to overpower the more subtle fruit ones. But it’s still pretty forgiving, so tweak it to suit your preferences.
I love the sweet edge that coconut adds to recipes. You can buy it ready dried and shredded like I do, or you can make your own by grating and dehydrating the flesh from fresh coconuts. (Especially handy if you make your own fresh, raw coconut milk and need something to do with your leftover pulp.)
Hemp seeds (also called hemp hearts) are one of the best plant sources of protein and essential fatty acids. I love them and I add them anywhere I can.
Activating your sunflower seeds is optional. You might be able to buy activated sunflower seeds from your local health food shop, or you can just soak them in water overnight (8-12 hours) and then dry them in a dehydrator for about 12 hours (or until dry). It’s best to store them in the fridge after activation, because they don’t keep as well once they’ve started to germinate.
And if you can’t be stuffed activating the sunflower seeds, just add them raw. It’s definitely better than not at all.
Another thing I love about this hemp coconut fruit salad recipe is that it’s nut-free, did you notice? It wasn’t intentional. I just happened to have coconut, hemp seeds and sunflower seeds handy, and it worked so well that I’m not going to change it. Raw and nut-free. Awesome.
I haven’t actually tried storing this salad yet – mostly because it’s way too yummy not to eat it all as soon as I’ve made it. You’d need to store it in the fridge for sure, and I’m guessing that the coconut, hemp and sunflower would soak up some of the delicious juices, making them less crunchy but extra sweet.
This recipe makes 2 medium serves (or one very large serve), and you can easily scale it up (or down) to suit the number of people you’re making it for.

My inspiration

Well, they say necessity is the mother of invention, and I think she shined bright with this one, because this recipe came out of thin air.

Take one raw vegan on holiday, add a plentiful supply of fresh, colourful fruit and finish with a coating of crunchy goodness.

Doesn’t get much more amazing (or simpler) than this.

And it’s still delicious after 10+ years :)

Have an awesomely crunchy day!

This post, Crunchy Hemp Coconut Fruit Salad, was originally published on Eating Vibrantly - Easy healthy whole food vegan recipes that taste amazing.

17 Healthy Vegan Blueberry Recipes (That Aren’t Muffins)

Nikki - Eating Vibrantly — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 14:01:59 +0000

I’m trying to eat more blueberries, especially wild blueberries as recommended by Medical Medium (affiliate link) for healing various health issues.

And apart from my brain cleaning cilantro blueberry smoothie, I’ve been a bit stumped for variety in my blueberry recipes.

So I scoured the web, looking for healthy vegan blueberry recipes that I can try out.

I found a TON of muffin recipes, but they’re not really blueberry recipes in my book – just mostly floury cakey things with a hint of fruit.

But buried amongst the mountains of blueberry muffin recipes were other healthy vegan blueberry recipes that used LOTS of blueberries and mostly unprocessed ingredients.

If I’m being completely honest, I saved these recipes here for myself so I can easily find them later, but I’m hoping that you’ll find them useful too!

Here’s the best tasty – and healthy – vegan blueberry dishes that I found.

I’ve focused on vegan blueberry recipes that use mostly whole food ingredients, and that are also (mostly) free from gluten, soy, refined sugar and salt.

So you should be able to find something to suit your dietary preferences in the list below.

Happy bloobing!

Breakfast recipes

1. Blueberry Banana Smoothie Bowl

by Purely Kaylie

Ingredients: Frozen bananas, blueberries, medjool dates, chia seeds, plant-based milk, (toppings) medjool dates, flaked coconut, fresh fruit, granola

Ready in: 10 minutes (if you already have frozen bananas and blueberries on hand)

I love how this smoothie bowl recipe uses heaps of blueberries and creates a really thick pudding.

If you don’t tolerate chia seeds well, you could swap them for ground flax seeds. And if you don’t like bananas, try using mango instead.

https://www.purelykaylie.com/blueberry-banana-smoothie-bowl/

2. Blueberry Hemp Pear Porridge

by Vegan.io

Ingredients: Oats, almond milk, blueberries, hemp seeds, fresh pear

Ready to eat in: 10 minutes

I like that this porridge recipe includes hemp seeds and lots of blueberries.

Although it is oat-based, it would be super easy to swap this out for rolled buckwheat or your favourite gluten-free porridge grain.

https://www.vegan.io/recipes/blueberry-hemp-pear-porridge

3. Quinoa Porridge with Hot Blueberry Drizzle

by Hurry the Food Up

Ingredients: Quinoa, water, plant-based milk, star anise, cardamom, cinnamon, salt, almonds, dried apricots, blueberries (fresh or frozen), (toppings) coconut flakes

Ready to eat in: 25 minutes

I like the heartiness of this quinoa porridge, and also that it’s naturally gluten-free. I don’t have much experience cooking with cardamom or star anise, but I get the feeling they’d work well in this recipe. I’m thinking about using even more blueberries in this one though!

Although the recipe does use soy milk, you can use your favourite plant-based milk and it will be just fine, I’m sure. And if you’re trying to avoid preservatives, make sure you use sulphur-free dried apricots.

https://hurrythefoodup.com/quinoa-breakfast-porridge/

4. Blueberry Chia Overnight Oats

by Flavor the Moments

Ingredients: Oats, chia seeds, almond milk, maple syrup, blueberries, (toppings) almonds, pecans, coconut flakes

Ready to eat in: Four to twelve hours (preferably overnight)

I like that this recipe only has five ingredients, and that it’s so simple and quick to make (apart from the waiting).

To make this gluten-free, you could swap the rolled oats for rolled buckwheat (Update: Buckwheat doesn’t get soft enough using this method). And if you don’t tolerate chia seeds well, you could swap them for ground flax seeds.

You could also swap the maple syrup for whatever liquid sweetener you had on hand, such as agave nectar or coconut syrup. I’m also thinking about adding the blueberries at the start, rather than at the end, which might make for a rather purple dish! I might also add a dash of vanilla bean powder.

https://flavorthemoments.com/blueberry-chia-overnight-oats/

Lunch and dinner recipes

5. Blueberry Topped Baked Sweet Potato

by Comfort Bites

Ingredients: Sweet potato, blueberries, maple syrup, vanilla, coconut yoghurt

Ready to eat in: 1 hour

This recipe intrigues me – partly because I want to find new ways to eat sweet potatoes, but also the idea of sweet toppings on what is ostensibly a vegetable.

I’d probably skip the coconut yoghurt, and maybe use a coconut or cashew cream instead, or maybe even a light cashew sour cream. But it looks good!

https://www.comfortbites.co.uk/2014/11/blueberry-topped-baked-sweet-potato-aip.html

6. Blueberry Basil Salad Dressing

by Veganosity

Ingredients: Blueberries, basil, lemon juice, sweetener, salt, pepper, onion powder, water

Ready to eat in: 5 minutes

Although this recipe is not a meal in itself, I like that it helps you to add blueberries to any salad. I also like that it’s oil-free, and I’m always looking for new and interesting salad dressings to spice things up.

I’d probably use agave nectar or coconut syrup as my sweetener, and I’d reduce the amounts of salt to make it lower in sodium.

https://www.veganosity.com/blueberry-basil-salad-dressing/

7. Balsamic Blueberry Vinaigrette

by Live Eat Learn

Ingredients: Blueberries, balsamic vinegar, honey, lemon juice, salt, pepper, olive oil

Ready to eat in: 5 minutes

I love the idea of combining the tang of balsamic vinegar and lemon juice with the sweetness of blueberries and honey (or agave, or coconut syrup).

This is not technically a vegan recipe because of the honey, but you could swap that out for any liquid sweetener. Great for dressing up salads.

https://www.liveeatlearn.com/blueberry-balsamic-vinaigrette/

Dessert recipes

8. Vegan Blueberry Coconut Panna Cotta

by Vegan Heaven

Ingredients: Coconut milk, vanilla bean, agar powder, agave nectar, blueberries

Ready to eat in: 4 1/2 hours

This recipe takes a little more fiddle than I would normally prefer, but it’s definitely one for special occasions. I like the use of coconut and blueberries, and it’s a pretty simple dish overall.

https://veganheaven.org/recipe/vegan-blueberry-coconut-panna-cotta/

9. Raw Blueberry Cheesecake

by Tuulia

Ingredients: Walnuts, dates, cinnamon, salt, cashews, lemon juice, blueberries, coconut milk, coconut oil, honey or maple syrup, acai powder, vanilla powder

Ready to eat in: 12 hours

I like that this raw vegan cheesecake uses a fully blueberry top, and so uses heaps of blueberries. The colour is amazing!

Again, it’s probably more fiddle that I prefer for everyday cooking, but maybe it would be worth the effort at Christmas or on a birthday.

I’ve also found in recent times that the combination of cashews and coconut oil can sit quite heavily in my stomach, so I imagine small pieces of this would be best.

http://tuulia.co/raw-blueberry-cheesecake/

Frozen treats

10. Blueberry Banana Ice Cream

by Diethood

Ingredients: Frozen bananas, blueberries

Ready to eat in: 10 minutes (or 6 to 8 hours)

I love the simplicity of this recipe, and the speed. Just frozen bananas and blueberries to create this wonderfully purple creamy treat.

https://diethood.com/blueberry-banana-ice-cream/

11. Banana Blueberry Bark

by Feasting on Fruit

Ingredients: Frozen bananas, blueberries, vanilla bean powder

Ready to eat in: 4 to 6 hours

I like the sheer simplicity of this recipe, with basically just two ingredients – bananas and blueberries. This is one I’m definitely going to try!

https://feastingonfruit.com/banana-blueberry-bark/

12. Vegan Blueberry Coconut Popsicles

by The Viet Vegan

Ingredients: Blueberries, lemon juice, cane sugar, coconut milk, maple syrup

Ready to eat in: 6 to 8 hours

I like this one because it combines blueberries and coconut milk. I’m not so keen on the cane sugar, and would probably swap this for agave nectar, coconut syrup or coconut sugar.

I also like the idea of blending everything together, so this might be more of an inspiration for my own blueberry coconut popsicle recipe.

https://thevietvegan.com/vegan-blueberry-coconut-popsicles/

13. Blueberry Mango Banana Popsicles

by Veggies Don’t Bite

Ingredients: Blueberries, banana, mango, spinach or kale, hemp seeds, chia seeds and almond milk

Ready to eat in: 6 to 12 hours (preferably overnight)

These vegan popsicles are packed with fruit and hidden healthy wholefood ingredients. A tasty treat for breakfast or any time of day.

If you don’t tolerate chia seeds well, you could swap them for ground flax seeds. And if you don’t like bananas, just add more mango.

https://www.veggiesdontbite.com/blueberry-mango-banana-breakfast-pops/

Snack recipes

14. Vanilla Blueberry Cashew Almond Snack Bars

by Fit Mitten Kitchen

Ingredients: Cashews, almonds, dried blueberries, almond meal, flaxseed (or chia or hemp), salt, vanilla bean seeds, brown rice syrup

Ready to eat in: 90 minutes

Although this recipe is baked and uses dried blueberries, I like that it includes flax or hemp seeds.

I’m not 100% sure about the brown rice syrup – I’d be tempted to find an even healthier option – but it’s a good start. You can also use just use vanilla bean powder for simplicity, and I’d probably skip the salt to keep it low sodium for my purposes.

https://www.fitmittenkitchen.com/vanilla-blueberry-cashew-almond-snack-bars/

15. Blueberry Applesauce

by Athletic Avocado

Ingredients: Apples, blueberries, cinnamon

Ready to eat in: 3 hours (or 5 minutes)

I like the simplicity of this recipe, and given that I usually make raw apple sauce by blending apples in my Vitamix, I think you could do the same thing here. Super quick and easy!

http://athleticavocado.com/2015/08/09/diy-homemade-blueberry-applesauce/

Smoothie recipes

16. Almond Butter Lemon Blueberry Smoothie

by Connoisseurus Veg

Ingredients: Frozen banana, blueberries, soy or almond milk, almond butter, lemon juice, (optional) maple syrup or agave, lemon zest

Ready to eat in: 5 minutes

I like this smoothie recipe because it’s simple, balances sweet and tangy and includes almond butter for creaminess. I’d be tempted to add even more blueberries for maximum impact.

You could also make this nut-free by using rice or coconut milk, and using sunflower or pumpkin seed butter instead of almond.

https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/creamy-almond-butter-lemon-blueberry-smoothie/

17. Cilantro Blueberry Detox Smoothie

by Eating Vibrantly (me!)

Ingredients: Coriander, banana, blueberries, orange, spirulina, water/ice

Ready in: 7 minutes

I had to include this recipe, because this is one of my favourite ways to add more blueberries to my diet.

And I like the fact that I’m also cleaning out toxins from my body at the same time!

https://eatingvibrantly.com/recipes/cilantro-blueberry-detox-smoothie/

A cornucopia of vegan blueberry recipes

So there you have it. An abundance of whole food vegan recipes that use blueberries as their main ingredient, and not a muffin recipe in sight!

Hopefully you can find some inspiration from this great selection of blueberry recipes and add more blueberries to your day.

Let me know which recipes you like the best.

And happy bloobing!

Have a fantastic day.

This post, 17 Healthy Vegan Blueberry Recipes (That Aren’t Muffins), was originally published on Eating Vibrantly - Easy healthy whole food vegan recipes that taste amazing.

How to make coconut flour at home

Nikki - Eating Vibrantly — Sat, 07 Nov 2020 22:02:52 +0000

Note: This is a guest post written by Karen Rutherford

What is coconut flour?

Can you name another edible plant known to man that is more versatile than the coconut? You can drink its juice, eat its “copra,” utilize its oil for cooking or cosmetics and make use of its hairy husk shell to make charcoal. On top of that, you can even grind the dried coconut flesh into flour.

Despite its name, a coconut is not a nut, so people with nut allergies shouldn’t have a problem eating them. However, before you get into that big bag of coconut flour, there’s a handful of things you might want to know about what you’re getting into and how best to use it.

Coconut flour is a vegan flour that has more fiber and less carbs than other kinds of flour. It’s an easy-to-make product which only needs one essential ingredient – that is, coconut. Most importantly, it has plenty of health benefits.

Health benefits of coconut flour

Coconut flour is great for low carb baking because it is gluten-free with no cholesterol. It is low in carbohydrates and rich in protein. Also, you don’t need to add any sweeteners because it is naturally sweet.

As mentioned, coconut flour is also rich in fiber that aids the body for faster digestion, as well as MCTs (Medium-Chain Triglycerides) which promotes stable blood sugar and a healthy heart.

It contains a great source of copper which keeps the brain healthy, which activates enzymes in charge of the production of neurotransmitters. It also boosts weight loss and may fight infections.

Coconut flour is suitable for people who have prediabetes, diabetes, and anyone else who wants to prevent blood sugar spikes.

Coconut flour is cost-efficient and is a great substitute for traditional flour because you can directly substitute it for the ordinary flour needed in the recipe.

It has a mild taste; with a texture that is similar to other flours. It can be used in a variety of recipes, including baked goods, pizza crusts, wraps, and veggie loaves.

Making homemade coconut flour

Are you someone that is tired of counting calories and holding back on your favourite desserts? Try using coconut flour as a healthy alternative or substitute ingredient in your favourite desserts, so you can indulge in your preferred snacks without the guilt.

Also, if you are looking to substitute all-purpose flour with coconut flour you can use 1/4 to 1/3 cup of coconut flour for 1 cup of wheat flour.

I guarantee you that this is the best homemade coconut flour recipe you can find. It’s very easy to make and the results are promising. So, let’s jump right into the instructions!

How to make coconut flour from coconut pulp

Ingredients for making coconut flour

2 cups of coconut pulp
3-4 cups of hot water

Prep Time: 5 mins

Cook Time: 3-4 hours

Equipment you’ll need

Baking sheet or dehydrator tray
Jar/airtight container
Spatula
Baking paper
Blender/ food processor
Cheesecloth
Sieve
Mixing bowls

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1

Place the coconut pulp in a bowl then pour the hot or warm water into the coconut pulp.

Step 2

Squeeze out the coconut milk using a cheesecloth, or you can use a sieve. Repeat this process three to four times.

You must extract the milk from the pulp because it is high in fat content, so blending it at high speed would turn it into coconut butter.

Before proceeding to the next step make sure that you completely squeezed out all the milk from the pulp.

Step 3

Spread the coconut pulp on a baking sheet lined with baking paper, or you can use cheesecloth that is dry and clean.

Make sure there are no big bits of the pulp. It should be small crumbs and spread out evenly.

Step 4

Leave the coconut pulp to air dry for a day, or you could bake it for three to four hours at 135°C / 275°F (or the lowest temperature that your oven can do).

You can also pan-dry it on a low heat, using a skillet, for around 20 minutes or until the pulp turns light brown. Let it cool.

Step 5

Once the pulp is dried and cooled, put it in a high-speed blender or food processor for one to two minutes until it is fine in texture or powdered looking.

Step 6

Put it in an airtight container like a jar and store it in a cool dry place. Homemade coconut flour is best used within a few weeks, but will stay fresh for at least two months int he fridge.

Using a dehydrator to dry coconut pulp into flour

Step 1

Follow Steps 1 and 2 above to remove as much moisture as possible from the coconut pulp.

Step 2

Spread the pulp evenly on a dehydrator tray.

Step 3

Leave it overnight on a medium to low setting.

Step 4

Ground or pulverize the dried coconut pulp into a flour-like consistency using a food processor or food blender.

Tips for using coconut flour in your recipes

When replacing wheat flour with coconut flour, make sure to use 1/4 – 1/3 cup of coconut flour can be substituted for 1 cup of wheat flour. This is because coconut flour behaves differently than grain-based flours. You should not apply a one-to-one replacement since gluten-free batters tend to be thicker than those made with wheat flours.
Coconut flour has a distinct taste so if you are a coconut lover you will most likely enjoy the result. However, if you are not a fan of coconut you may want to mask it with a stronger flavor like cocoa, garlic, or chives.
Because coconut flour is naturally sweet you can lessen the sweetener or leave it as it is depending on your taste buds.
One of the simple tricks in using coconut flour is to sift it properly before using it to avoid gritty texture in your baked goods.
Make sure to scoop, and do not pack. When measuring coconut flour, you should scoop it up using a measuring cup and even it off with a knife. Ideally, you want to prevent packing it into a cup.
Coconut flour can absorb a very large amount of liquid with just a small amount of flour, which may lead to dry baked goods, to avoid this situation use plenty of bananas. Mashed bananas are an ideal replacement for eggs, moisture and sweetness in vegan baking.

Time to try making your own coconut flour?

So there you have it! A simple recipe for making your own coconut flour at home.

I hope you enjoy making your own healthy coconut flour, right in your own kitchen, and using it in all of your cooking.

Note: This is a guest post written by

Karen Rutherford

Karen Rutherford is founder and editor in chief at Cakedecorist. You will often find her in the kitchen creating edible works of art or trying out some new recipes. As a pâtissière and baking enthusiast, Karen has decided to share her abundant knowledge with the internet audience and provide only the best tips and recipes for baking and decorating your favorite sweets.

If you have any comments or feedback about this post, please let me know.

This post, How to make coconut flour at home, was originally published on Eating Vibrantly - Easy healthy whole food vegan recipes that taste amazing.

Vegan vs Plant-Based: What’s the Difference?

Nikki - Eating Vibrantly — Thu, 24 Sep 2020 23:20:03 +0000

I’ve noticed a bit of debate springing up recently about using the term “vegan” vs “plant-based”.

I’ve even noticed my own tendency to use “plant-based”, or even “whole food plant based” instead of “vegan”, even though there may not be much of a difference between the two.

Let’s take a closer look at these two diets and lifestyles and see if we can figure out once and for all whether vegan is the same as plant based, or not.

What is the difference between a vegan and plant based diet?
Is there really a difference between vegan and plant based?
Can you be both vegan and plant based?
So which do I eat: a vegan, plant based or whole food plant based diet?
Quiz: What kind of vegan are you?

What is the difference between a vegan and plant based diet?

Although both vegan and plant based diets include a lot of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and grains, there are some subtle but important differences.

A vegan diet is one that excludes all animal products in any form, whereas a plant-based diet focuses heavily on foods that come from plants, but may include small amounts of animal foods.

What vegan means

The term “vegan” was coined in the early half of the 1900’s as a variation of the term “vegetarian”, to describe someone who eliminates all animal products from their diet for ethical reasons.

Over time, the term has come to more generally describe anyone who eliminates animal foods for any reason, whether that’s for health, environmental reasons or animal welfare.

The word “vegan” also carries with it more than just a way of eating, as a result of its origins, and is often used to indicate someone with a strong belief in the importance of animal welfare.

This traditional use of the word describes someone who refuses to buy or use products such as leather clothing and shoes, beeswax candles and cosmetics and other things that include animal products.

Such “ethical vegans” may also attend animal protests, and support organisations calling for improvements to animal rights.

Of course, not everyone who considers themself a vegan shares these beliefs or characteristics, which may be why the alternative phrase “plant based” emerged.

A plant-based diet

Someone who eats a plant-based diet is mainly consuming foods that come from plants, such as vegetables, fruit, grains, legumes, nuts and seeds.

Many people who consider themselves “plant based” are in fact eating a vegan diet, that includes zero animal products, but their reasons for eating this way are usually not about the ethics of animal treatment.

Most people use the term “plant based” to refer to a 100% vegan diet, although there is nothing in the definition that precludes eating animal products.

So some people who eat a plant based diet may consume small amounts of animal products, either consciously or unintentionally, and not be overly concerned about it.

Because many people who choose to adopt a plant based diet are doing it for health reasons, eating small amounts of animal products is unlikely to cause any problems.

What about a whole food plant-based diet?

There’s another variation of the planet based diet which is referred to as a whole food plant based (WFPB) diet.

The whole food plant based diet – apart from being a bit of a mouthful – takes the plant based diet one step further, and eliminates as much processed food as possible.

Again, like the plant based diet, it’s not an all or nothing thing, just a focus on eating primarily unprocessed foods that originated from plants.

This generally means excluding things like extracted oils, refined flours, processed sugars and fractionated foods like white rice.

This becomes especially relevant when considering some modern vegan foods that are highly processed and contain little to no nutritional value, because going vegan and relying heavily on those foods would be incredibly unhealthy.

The idea behind the whole food plant based diet is to maximise nutrient density in every meal and mouthful, by leaving foods as close to their original form as possible.

Is there really a difference between vegan and plant based?

Although it may seem like splitting hairs (vegan ones, of course), the subtle differences between the terms become important in certain situations, because they can tell you something about what someone is willing to eat.

And to complicate things further, there are other diets and terms being used to describe people’s eating choices – like vegetarian and flexitarian – which can make it very confusing if you’re new to all of this.

To make the difference very clear, let’s look at some of the key things that each main group would or would not care about.

Not everyone agrees on these definitions exactly, so what one person means by “plant based” might be different to the next person.

In the end it’s just safest to ask what someone means by the term to avoid feeding (or giving them) something that contradicts their personal lifestyle choices.

Can you be both vegan and plant based?

Absolutely yes! And it’s actually quite common.

If you eat only plant-derived foods, and have eliminated all animal products from your diet, then you’re eating both a plant-based and vegan diet at the same time.

Looking back, I realise that I started with a plant based diet, transitioned to a vegan diet, and am now working on eating a completely whole food plant based and vegan diet.

And as a side-effect, I notice that the longer I eat plant based, the less keen I am to support anything that reduces the well-being of animals. Fascinating!

Other people do it the other way, starting on a vegan lifestyle for ethical reasons, and then transition to more of a whole food plant based diet for their health.

And that’s the great thing about vegan and plant based eating – there are so many different ways to approach it that you’re sure to find a way that works for you.

So which do I eat: a vegan, plant based or whole food plant based diet?

It’s funny, but I struggle with this confusion a bit myself sometimes.

I am quite happy to say that I do not eat animal products, which would make me a vegan.

But I don’t really do it for the ethics, I do it for my health, so does that make me plant based?

And I’m also constantly trying to reduce the amount of processed food in my diet and in my recipes, so does that make me whole food plant based?

I even have periods where I will eat primarily raw vegan dishes, which is the ultimate form of whole food plant based eating, where as many nutrients as possible are preserved through the absence of high temperatures while preparing food.

And when I do eat animal products these days, I feel physically worse, so I genuinely want to avoid them.

At the end of the day, I explain my diet to most people as “eating a vegan diet” because people understand what vegan means.

But I don’t identify as a “vegan” because I don’t share the convictions around animal treatment to the same degree as a traditional vegan (although I would prefer not to hurt animals if we can avoid it).

I’m also not 100% rabid about avoiding animal products. If something has a small amount of honey or milk, especially if it was a gift or home made, then I will eat it anyway, out of gratitude and respect.

Sometimes I will also refer to myself as a “dietary vegan” to contrast myself with “ethical vegans” but it’s a bit laboured.

Paul and I never set out to “go vegan”. When Paul and I made the choice to reduce and then eliminate animal products, it was because of how we felt in our bodies when we ate these amazing nutrient-dense dishes.

I also like to think of my 100% plant based diet as a lifestyle, not a “diet” because this is not something I’m doing for a few weeks before I go back to my old habits. I plan to keep doing this for as long as it makes me feel healthy and vibrant.

Vegan vs plant based quiz! Which type are you?

Let’s have some fun with this. I made a quiz that helps you figure out which type you are – a vegan, plant based or whole food plant based eater.

Answer (at most) four simple questions and you’ll finally have the right “label” to plaster all over yourself.

[tqb_quiz id=’10018′]

Share your results with the world if you like, but above all, have fun!

And have an awesome day!

This post, Vegan vs Plant-Based: What’s the Difference?, was originally published on Eating Vibrantly - Easy healthy whole food vegan recipes that taste amazing.

Raw Vegan Cilantro Blueberry Detox Smoothie

Nikki - Eating Vibrantly — Sat, 22 Aug 2020 14:01:37 +0000

Contents » Recipe : Tips : Substitutions : Variations : Inspiration : Resources

In our house, this cilantro blueberry detox smoothie is referred to as our “brain cleansing” smoothie.

It’s packed with fresh cilantro (or coriander to us Aussies), and wild blueberries, with a dash of spirulina powder for good measure.

These are some of the tops foods recommended by Medical Medium as being good for cleaning heavy metals out of the mid-brain.

The banana and orange make the smoothie sweet and creamy, and also help to pull together the flavours so that the cilantro and spirulina flavours are not too overpowering.

If you’ve read Medical Medium before, you might notice that I haven’t included the recommended barley grass juice extract powder or Atlantic dulse in this recipe, and that’s because:

A) I didn’t have any on hand when I created this recipe, and

B) I wanted to make sure that I created something that my 16-year-old son would be happy to drink.

Despite his adventurous taste buds, I’m not sure that “seaweed flavour” would go down too well!

I actually make enough of this each day for three of us to drink a 300ml glass each, and the only reason I don’t do 4 glasses’ worth is because my daughter is 10.

Enough said.

But if you want to start cleaning out your brain and getting it working even better than ever before, then here’s a great smoothie that combines some awesome detoxifying ingredients, while also tasting pretty amazing!

I look forward to my “brain cleaning” smoothie every day, and so do my husband and son.

And Paul (my husband) even said that when he started drinking this, he could feel his brain sharpening up and working better.

In the first few days of drinking this, my son and I also noticed specific parts of our brains reacting to the smoothie about half an hour after drinking it, so I’m confident that it’s having an effect.

And it doesn’t hurt that it taste pretty amazing as well.

Cilantro Blueberry Detox Smoothie recipe

Make sure to read the tips below the recipe to get the most out of this brain cleaning cilantro blueberry smoothie recipe.

Cilantro Blueberry Detox Smoothie

If you want to clean out your brain and getting it working even better, here's a raw vegan cilantro blueberry detox smoothie that tastes pretty amazing!

Course Drink

Cuisine Paleo, Raw, Vegan, Wholefoods

Keyword dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, low-fat, nut-free, oil-free, salt-free, soy-free, sugar-free

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 2

Servings ml

Calories 113kcal

Equipment

Blender

Ingredients

2 med bananas , peeled (300g) or 3 small bananas
1 small orange , peeled (130g) or half a large orange
1 cup wild blueberries , frozen (140g)
1 tsp spirulina (5ml)
1/2 bunch fresh coriander / cilantro , rinsed (30g)
2 cubes ice (50g)
1 cup water (250ml)

Instructions

Add all of the ingredients to a blender jug in the order listed
Blend smoothie ingredients until there are no lumps or different coloured parts of the smoothie left (make sure it stays cold).
Pour the detox smoothie into glasses and drink immediately.

Notes

Before: -
During: 7 mins
After: -
Need: High speed blender, glasses, reusable straws (optional)

Nutrition

Tips for this smoothie recipe

As with most of my recipes, this detox smoothie recipe is very forgiving. If you don’t have exact ingredients, it’s OK to change quantities or substitute things. Just get as many of these great brain cleaning ingredients in there as you can, in as wholefood a form as possible.
I like to use reasonably ripe bananas for my smoothies generally, as it just makes for a nicer texture and a better, sweeter flavour. You can use less ripe bananas, but if they get too green, you’ll end up with a smoothie that’s furry on the tongue and may even set like pudding in the glass.
Bananas are simply not a standard size, so I’ve made this cilantro blueberry detox smoothie with anything from four tiny bananas up to two huge ones, so don’t worry too much about the size of your bananas. Just aim for 250g to 350g of banana, and you’ll be fine.
I break my bananas in half before adding them to the blender jug, just to help them break up faster.
I started out making this recipe with half a large orange, because that’s all I had on hand. And now, I only have small oranges, so I’m using a whole one. Again, because oranges don’t come in standard sizes, don’t worry too much about how much orange flesh you’re adding to the smoothie. Just aim for 100g to 150g and you’ll be fine.
The orange helps to balance out the flavour of the cilantro, so you can adjust the amount of orange if you find the cilantro flavour still too much.
When you’re cutting the peel off your oranges, don’t worry about cutting off the pith. Orange pith is actually quite good for you, so just cut a think layer off to remove most of the hard orange peel and leave the rest.
I like to cut my oranges into half (at a minimum) because I’ve had lots of experiences where a whole orange gets stuck over the blender blade and just doesn’t break up properly. So cut your oranges into chunks, OK?
I wasn’t aware of wild blueberries as a thing until I read Medical Medium but then I found them easily at my local health food store, in more than one brand. I haven’t spent the effort to confirm that my wild blueberries are from Maine, as he recommends in the book, but I figure wild blueberries is a big step in the right direction.
I’ve been adding just under a cup (133g) of wild blueberries to my smoothies, because it divides beautifully into 500g and 1kg, which are the size of the bags I’ve been getting. And of course a “cup” of round thingies is kind of hard to measure, which is why I actually weigh everything (that and I just can’t be unscientific about these things). So again an approximate amount is fine.
I’ve noticed quite a few “flecks” in my cilantro blueberry detox smoothie, and I think they come from the blueberries. So don’t fret if you see these small red-purple-blue bits in your drank. It’s cool.
I’ve been “eating” spirulina in my breakfast smoothie for years (along with a bunch of other green powders), and I love finding ways to have more of it. I always buy organic spirulina, and cheapest is not always best when it comes to these concentrated green powders. Make sure you’re getting a good quality one for maximum effect.
I’ve been using half a bunch of cilantro for this smoothie for a while because that seemed to be a good amount based on the bunches I was getting from my organic greengrocer at the time. More recently the bunches seem to have been getting smaller, so I’ve been using closer to 3/4 of a bunch. Just add as much as you can without it becoming overpowering.
The bunches of cilantro I get always seem to be covered in dirt. I always chop off the roots, but then the stems and even the leaves can still be quite dirty. The other day I found an entire lump of soil in my bunch! So make sure you get as much dirt out as you can, either by rinsing the cilantro, chopping off more of the stems, or sorting through the stems and shaking off the dirt.
I add ice to my smoothie recipes to make sure that they stay cold while the blender does its work. Being a high-speed blender, it does warm things up through friction from the blades against the ingredients, and the ice keeps everything cool while it blends to a smooth enough consistency.
The cup of water makes a moderately thick, but still drinkable through a straw, smoothie. I’m trying to pack as much of the good stuff into one glass as possible, so it does end up being quite thick, which I like.
The only reason this recipe makes three serves was that I simply couldn’t make a smaller one with the ingredients I had without it getting kind of silly (1/4 of a large orange? Uh, no.) and as an added bonus it means that three of us get to drink it every day. Feel free to adjust the recipe size to suit your needs.
You won’t get as much of the detox ingredients as you might want to from one serve, so feel free to drink the whole thing yourself. There’s no added oils, so it’s low in fat and calories, and is also quite high in fibre. And all that fresh fruit is great for you too!
I don’t recommend storing this detox smoothie, because of all of the fresh ingredients. I recommend that you drink it straight away to get the maximum benefit, especially if you’ve used barely ripe bananas. You might be able to store it in smoothie bottles and drink them throughout the day, but fresher is better.

Substitutes for cilantro blueberry smoothie ingredients

If you don’t like bananas, you could use mango as the base for this recipe (very creamy and delicious), or lots more oranges (more watery, but still tasty, add more berries if you do this). You can also use coconut cream, avocado or even oats (not gluten free) to make the smoothie creamier without bananas, although I wouldn’t recommend adding grains to a brain detox smoothie in case they make it less effective.
The coriander/cilantro, wild blueberries and spirulina are central to this recipe, so I wouldn’t recommend substituting them for anything else. That said, if you can’t get one of the ingredients, it’s still worth having the others. An imperfect brain cleanse is still better than no detox at all.

Smoothie variations

Add more spirulina: If you can stand the taste, you can definitely increase the amount of spirulina in this smoothie. My rule with “green” smoothies is, increase the healthy ingredients only as much as you can while still making something that’s delicious. In other words, don’t add to much or you’ll stop drinking it entirely, and something is better than nothing.
Add more cilantro: When I first made this smoothie, it didn’t have the orange in it at all, and the cilantro flavour was quite overpowering. But if you like cilantro (my husband definitely does not!) you can always add more

My inspiration for creating this detox smoothie

This recipe was inspired by the list of brain detox foods in the book Medical Medium by Anthony William.

I love this book and was re-reading the chapter on brain detox, because I’ve been focusing heavily on improving the brain function of our family recently.

The chapter on ADHD and autism talks about the importance of cleaning out heavy metals from the the cerebral midline as treatment for autism, and especially before the age of 18, before it closes up.

My son is 16 and a half years old right now, and I realised that I had 18 months to clear out as much of the heavy metals out of his brain as possible.

Although my son does not have autism he has struggled with specificlements of brain processing for his whole life, especially turning thoughts into words, so I figured if there was a chance that he had heavy metals in his midline, then I wanted to get as many of them out as possible and quick smart!

I read the list of the top foods for detoxing heavy metals and designed a smoothie that used as many of the ingredients as possible, while still remaining palatable.

And we’ve been drinking this every afternoon for the last couple of months.

I only realised afterwards that there’s actually a similar brain detox smoothie recipe in the Medical Medium book itself, but I like mine better because it uses entirely whole foods.

Great minds think alike ;)

And I love knowing that my brain is getting cleaner and happier every time I drink this delicious detox smoothie.

Cilantro blueberry smoothie resources

Of course, my number one recommendation to get more out of this smoothie recipe is to read the original book:

Medical Medium by Anthony William

There’s so much more in there about creating amazing health naturally, and I’m working through implementing as much of it as I can.

If you want to know more about the detoxification properties of cilantro (coriander) and heavy metal chelation, here’s some helpful articles:

Spirulina is such a great food / supplement to add to your diet, and here’s some more info about it:

Spirulina Benefits: 7 Reasons to Try It by Wellness Mama

And if you want to know more about wild blueberries, here’s some great reading for you as well:

Wild Blueberries by Medical Medium

Have fun cleaning out your brain!

And have a fantastic day.

This post, Raw Vegan Cilantro Blueberry Detox Smoothie, was originally published on Eating Vibrantly - Easy healthy whole food vegan recipes that taste amazing.

How to use a Moroccan tagine pot

Nikki - Eating Vibrantly — Sat, 08 Aug 2020 14:01:35 +0000

Note: This is a guest post written by Barbara Fernandez

Traditional Moroccan tagine pots look beautiful.

And cooking in a tagine pot – even if you’re not making tagine – is actually one of the healthiest ways to prepare food.

Tagine pots are perfect for cooking at low temperatures, which helps preserve nutrients that otherwise break down at high heat.

These Moroccan works of art are typically made of clay, and the colorful hand-painted tagine pots are usually only intended for serving up dishes.

Some of the more unadorned clay pots that are suitable for cooking typically require the use of a heat diffuser (a flat metal paddle) if you’re cooking on a stove.

The heat diffuser will prevent clay pots from cracking as they heat up.

This guide will show you how you can have the beauty of a vegan tagine with all the convenience, by using a tagine pot that is not only beautiful but made of cast iron.

Cast iron pots last a lifetime and are suitable for all kinds of cooking: raw and vegan included!

The secret to having your tagine pot last you for many years is to know how to season and care for it, and that’s what we’ll look at here.

We’ll also look at some suggestions for dishes that you can make in your tagine pot.

There are many other delicious options that you can create in addition to tagines.

How to season your tagine pot

It’s essential to season – or cure – your tagine pot, in order to strengthen the material. Here’s how to do it.

1. Let your tagine pot heat up slowly

First, you want to leave your tagine pot on the stove for about 5 minutes on a medium to low heat. Preheating your tagine pot will help ensure that the first foods you use don’t stick to the bottom.

2. Use a bit extra oil for the first few dishes you prepare

You’ll want to use a bit extra olive oil or coconut oil when first using your pot. The excess oil will soak gradually into the tagine pot and help to strengthen the seal.

3. Use dishes that cover the whole base of the pot

Finally, make sure that the first few dishes that you prepare will cover the whole surface of the pot.

Excellent dishes to start with are sautéed veggies. Be sure to stir your veggies from time to time, particularly if you are cooking them with the lid on.

Why tagine pots are also great for raw food dishes

Because tagine pots heat your food slowly and thoroughly, they are perfect for gently heating raw soups and stews.

These are great for colder climates or in the middle of winter when you’re looking for a dish to warm you from the inside.

Heating with the lid on ensures that the moisture of the food stays inside the dish, and the result is food with lots of flavor.

A word on heat diffusers

A heat diffuser is round and fits over the ring on your stove. It helps prevent pots and pans from overheating.

If you need a heat diffuser, you can find a review of various brands here. Some are best with gas stoves, others with electric.

Note: Heat diffusers generally cannot be used on ceramic or glass cooktops.

Tips for cooking raw vegan dishes in a Moroccan tagine

Tagine pots are very versatile. Any dish that cooks slowly over low heat is suitable to make in a tagine pot.

And if you are making raw vegan entrees, you don’t even have to cook them at all! You can just warm them gently.

Be sure to stir from time to time so that the food doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.

Raw vegan dishes that work well in a tagine pot

Raw ‘rice’ dishes with cauliflower, broccoli, sprouted buckwheat, or sprouted quinoa
Soups and stews
Fruit crumbles
Salads
Pasta dishes with spiralized zucchini or other veggies

Suggested ingredients for a raw vegan tagine

If you want to make a raw vegan tagine, you can easily do so: choose one of the ‘rice’ options mentioned above (cauliflower, broccoli, or sprouted buckwheat or sprouted quinoa).

Then make your favorite tomato sauce recipe, and add any or all of these:

Preserved lemons
Raw olives
Pomegranate seeds
Chopped raw sweet peppers
Fermented or raw cabbage
Sprouted lentils
Diced dried apricots or prunes

Enjoy experimenting with your tagine pot!

Note: This is a guest post written by

Babara Fernandez

Barbara Fernandez is a freelance lifestyle writer and voiceover artist. A serious foodie, she has written everything from raw food recipes to parody song lyrics to stories about what it’s like to be a fruit. She now spends most of her time writing, recording, and making delicious food.

If you have any comments or feedback about this post, please let me know.

This post, How to use a Moroccan tagine pot, was originally published on Eating Vibrantly - Easy healthy whole food vegan recipes that taste amazing.

Essential Sourdough Starter Tips for Complete Beginners

Nikki - Eating Vibrantly — Sun, 12 Jul 2020 03:14:54 +0000

Creating a sourdough starter from scratch can be a frustrating combination of science and art.

With the recent shortages of bread in the shops, I took the plunge and created my own sourdough starters – a wheat-based one and a gluten-free sourdough starter.

The process ended up being immensely satisfying, and yet also incredibly frustrating, because of the things you don’t know when you’re making a sourdough starter for the very first time.

So I’ve put together a collection of sourdough starter tips, from one complete beginner to another, to save you making the same mistakes that I did.

And if you read and take on everything I’m sharing with you, my hope is that your sourdough starter journey will be much easier than mine was!

Here’s a quick overview:

OK, let’s dive into the details.

Tip #1 – Be REALLY patient

And by this I mean be really, REALLY patient.

Really.

I am not by nature a very patient person, and there were many points during the early days of my first sourdough starter that I thought I’d got it all wrong and wanted to throw it away and start again.

In fact, I got so discouraged, that I put my starter in the fridge and left it for over a week before trying again.

Happily, I think neglecting it for this long actually helped, because it gave my microbes more time to multiply than I’d been giving them to before.

The point is, it will take longer than you expect, so be extremely patient with the process.

You’ll probably see blog posts out there that promise you a thriving starter in a week, if you just follow their steps.

But I just don’t think that’s true when you’re creating a sourdough starter for the very first time. There’s too much you don’t know.

So be willing for it to take 2 weeks – or longer – and trust that EVENTUALLY you will get there.

I promise.

And no matter what happens, don’t throw it out!*

* Unless you get pink mould on your starter, in which case, you will need to start again.

To quote from one of my favourite movies, Galaxy Quest:

“Never give up. Never surrender!”

Tip #2 – Feed when hungry

If you’ve had kids, you might recall the old “feed every three hours” advice or whatever from the 70’s and 80’s, which over the years became “feed when hungry, roughly every 2-5 hours” by the time I had kids.

And trust me, this works a LOT better than feeding on some rigid schedule.

Have you ever tried feeding a baby when they’re not hungry? Trust me, it’s no fun for anyone and you just end up with milk everywhere.

Well the same applies when feeding your sourdough starter – wait until it’s hungry before you feed it!

I didn’t really appreciate this when I started my first batch of sourdough starter, and fed my starter religiously every 12 hours after the first couple of days, but I think this was actually slowing it down.

I got so discouraged I stuck it in the fridge for a week, and I suspect this was what actually rescued me, because finally my microbes finally had time to grow!

I wasn’t giving it enough time to actually thrive, and so instead of building up a strong stater, I was just diluting it out, and getting nowhere. And getting super frustrated.

So when you’re starting out, let your starter sit around for longer than you think you should, and you’ll have much better success.

Wait until it’s doubled, peaked and started to drop down before you touch that thing. In fact, if you wait as much as 6 hours after it’s started dropping back down, it’ll be fine, I promise!

And if it doesn’t seem to be doing anything at all, wait longer. Give it 24 hours, 36 or even 48, especially in the first few days.

It won’t starve to death, I promise, and you might just get to your healthy, thriving sourdough starter a lot faster.

And if all else fails, stick it in the fridge for a week. It worked for me ;)

Tip #3 – Use quality ingredients

I created my wheat-based sourdough starter using whatever leftover bits of wheat flour I had lying around the kitchen.

It worked, but it didn’t really start thriving until I started feeding it a quality wholemeal spelt flour.

And in fact that’s the only thing I’ve fed it with in the last couple of months and now it’s super strong and healthy.

With my gluten-free sourdough starter, I was feeding it brown rice flour and buckwheat flour, and getting nowhere fast (see Tip #2).

But then I had the bright idea to add some gluten-free flour blend to it, and it took off like crazy.

And then I tried making a loaf of bread with it, which was pretty much a total dud.

The trouble was that the gluten-free flour blend was made up of highly-refined flours like potato and corn, and it was almost like feeding my starter pure sugar.

Sure it was “bouncing off the walls” happy, but it wasn’t creating a resilient, strong starter that could make a good loaf of bread.

I tried tapioca flour instead of the gluten-free flour mix, and although it did better, it still wasn’t thriving.

So I switched the refined flours out for quinoa flour, and although it took another couple of weeks for my gluten-free sourdough starter to get really strong and happy, when I used it for a second time to make a gluten-free sourdough loaf, it was much more successful.

And remember that your starter is a living creature, so if you want it to be strong and healthy, don’t feed it rubbish.

Give it wholegrain, unrefined flours that contain lots of nutrients to keep it happy.

And along with that, use the best quality water you can.

I use filtered water for all of my cooking and drinking, and also for my sourdough starters.

Plain tap water may contain all kinds of “extra” things that can adversely affect your starter.

Think of it like this – if you wouldn’t eat it, don’t feed it to your starter.

Quality ingredients build a resilient, healthy starter that will bless you with many loaves of wonderful bread, so take care of it!

Tip #4 – Be precise

OK, just remember that I’m a scientist by training, so I can’t help but be precise.

But trust me, measuring out your ingredients precisely is going to make your sourdough activities so much more effective.

Every time you feed, you need to add a known amount of water and flour, plus a known amount of starter.

And especially early on, the more precise you are, the faster your starter will thrive.

Once it’s strong and healthy, you can be a bit more approximate with your quantities and it will be just fine, but sadly accuracy in the early days is quite important.

About 20 years ago I bought myself a set of electronic kitchen scales which we used every single day for so many things – they’re absolutely essential in my kitchen.

With the wheat-based sourdough starter, you’re generally using 1 part starter, 1 part flour and one part water, so you might be able to get away with not weighing your ingredients.

But remember that 1 cup of flour does not weigh the same as 1 cup of flour (it’s about 125g), and you need to do equal amounts by weight, not volume.

And when I was struggling with my gluten-free sourdough starter, I quickly realised that each flour I used needed a different amount of water to create the right consistency.

Too much water, and the mix is runny and bubbles can’t form properly and push the mix up.

Not enough water and the mix is too thick, and it also won’t move up.

You have to get that hydration ratio just right to make your starter a success.

So find a way to be precise and consistent with your amounts.

Tip #5 – Adjust hydration ratios

And speaking of hydration ratios, it really is important to get the consistency of your mix right to allow your starter to thrive, and create bubbles in the mix.

What is a hydration ratio?

Basically it’s the ratio of water (hydration) to flour.

If you use 100g of water per 100g of flour, you have a 100% hydration ratio.

Using 90g of water per 100g of flour would be a 90% hydration ratio, and 120g of water per 100g flour would be a 120% hydration ratio.

I found that my wheat sourdough starter thrived on a 100% hydration ratio for the wholegrain spelt flour I was using, and that’s also what you’ll read in most recipes for making your own sourdough starter.

So that generally means, if you transfer 120g of starter to a new jar, you add 120g of flour and 120g of water.

This seems to create just the right “smooth peanut butter” consistency in the mixture that’s ideal for the sourdough starter.

BUT, for my gluten-free sourdough starter I had all kinds of issues with the hydration ratio.

Firstly, I kept changing my flour mix, so my hydration ratios were all over the place.

Sometimes my mix was too wet, and it would separate out with a layer of water at the bottom, but be too heavy for the starter bubbles to push it up.

Sometimes it was too dry and thick, and I could barely mix it together, and my sourdough starter had no chance of pushing up past the thick gluggy top layer that formed.

I also read online that gluten-free flours generally soak up more water, which is why I ended up with wet mix so often.

But I kept playing with it, and finally discovered that my buckwheat/brown rice/quinoa blend actually needed about a 93% hydration to create the right consistency.

So keep playing with the hydration ratios to suit the specific flours you’re using, make a note of what works, be precise, and keep trying.

Remember you’re aiming for a “smooth nut butter” consistency when you feed your starter – one that is thick and may take some strength to mix, but is smooth and well mixed.

Tip #6 – Keep it warm

The temperature of your kitchen will also make a big difference to how quickly your sourdough starter gets going.

My wonderful ducted heating keeps our house at around 20-23ºC, which helps my sourdough grow more quickly.

If your house is on the cooler side, you’ll probably find that your sourdough takes longer to grow, both between feedings and also the total time it takes before it’s ready to cook with.

So be patient, feed only when it’s hungry, and learn to read your starter.

If you can find a warm spot in your kitchen, like next to the dehydrator, or the oven, this will help your starter to thrive.

Just be careful not to let it get too hot, as you may start to kill off your wonderful microbes if it gets above 30ºC/86ºF, or at least, it won’t grow as fast.

The best temperature for your sourdough starter is between 25ºC/77ºF to 28ºC/82ºF.

And if you really want to nurture your starter, especially in the early days, try feeding it with warm water, at around 27ºC/80ºF.

I boil my kettle for a few seconds and I use my hand dandy infrared thermometer to make sure the water is around 27ºC/80ºF before I use it.

Just be careful not to use water that’s too hot of you’ll cook your beautiful starter babies!

Tip #7 – Get used to the discard

Ugh, one of the things I’ve struggled most with making my own sourdough from scratch is the amount of starter I’ve had to throw away.

Yes, you can make it into things, but there’s only so many sourdough pancakes my kids will eat!

I simply detest wasting good food, and throwing away 2/3 of my starter each time seems like SUCH a waste.

But there were a couple of things I realised that really helped me.

Firstly, every time you feed your starter, you’re tripling the volume, so if you didn’t throw any away, you’d very rapidly have jars and JARS of the stuff and have to use kilograms of flour each time.

So by throwing away an amount of starter each time, you’re saving yourself from using tons of flour every time you feed it.

Secondly, I see the “wasted” flour as the price of creating a healthy and strong sourdough starter.

And it all goes into my compost to feed my garden anyway, so happily it’s not going completely to waste. It will end up feeding me eventually.

And of course, there’s nothing stopping you from getting creative in the kitchen with the discard portion.

But the sooner you can get comfortable with the discard, the easier you’ll find the process, and the more you’ll enjoy it.

Making a sourdough starter from scratch

Meet Emelia.

She’s my wheat-based sourdough starter, and she’s been thriving since mid April.

I followed a great recipe from Feasting at Home, which I highly recommend you also check out.

Maybe I didn’t read her tips properly, or maybe I just didn’t understand what was really required.

But although I followed her process faithfully, I ran into all of the issues I mentioned above.

So let me explain the process of creating a sourdough starter from scratch, in my own words.

Kicking off the sourdough starter

Put 1 cup (125g) of whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup (125g) water in a glass or ceramic container (a wide-mouth mason jar works well)
Mix thoroughly, until you achieve a “smooth nut butter” consistency” (it’s OK to add a little more water to get the right consistency if need be)
Put the lid on, or cover it with wrap or a damp tea towel to keep the moisture in
Let it sit on the bench at room temperature for a minimum of 24 hours (and up to 48 hours), until you see tiny bubbles in the mix

Feeding your starter

This is the process you’ll use every time you feed your starter.

Keep 1/2 cup of starter, or transfer it to a new clean container (makes it easier to see doubling). Discard the rest
Add 1 cup (125g) of whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup (125g) water
Mix thoroughly until you achieve the right consistency (I find that a fork works best for this)
Leave on the bench until it’s hungry again, then repeat

I’ve discovered that it’s a heck of a lot easier to add the water to the starter and mix it thoroughly first.

Then, when you add your flours, it’s easier to mix it in, and you can be confident that your starter is well mixed in because it’s completely blended with the water.

When to feed your starter

In the early days, you’ll probably need to wait for as much as 24-36 hours each time for bubbles to appear and for it to rise.

And it probably won’t rise very much initially, so you’ll want to feed it once it has stopped increasing in height, or has lots of bubbles, even if it hasn’t grown upwards much.

Remember, you’re better off to leave it for too long, than feed it too often, so trust that it will be OK if you leave for 36-48 hours to make sure it’s growing properly.

Eventually, your sourdough will begin to grow so much that it doubles in height, and then it will start to drop back a little. This makes it much easier to see when it’s ready for a feed, but you won’t have that feedback in the early days.

Once it begins to drop back, then it’s hungry and you’re good to feed it. It’s also OK to not feed it for several hours after it’s begun to drop back, if you can’t get to it.

Regular feeding

Eventually you’ll find that your starter doubles in less than 12 hours, and then you can start feeding it twice a day.

If you start feeding it twice a day before it’s doubling this fast, you’ll be diluting your starter instead of making it stronger, so be patient and let it sit for as long as it needs to before feeding again.

I find that 7AM and 7PM works well with my schedule, but of course you can just adjust it to suit your routine.

Knowing when your sourdough is ready to use

Of course the thing we’re all hanging out to do is make our first sourdough loaf with our new starter, so how do we know when it’s active and ready to use.

There are two criteria you’ll need to use to know that your baby is ready to use:

Your starter doubles in less than 8 hours
A teaspoon of starter floats in water

Then you’re ready to explore all the wonderful sourdough bread recipes that are out there and create your first masterpiece.

Gluten-free sourdough starter

Meet Cordelia.

Cordelia is my gluten-free sourdough starter, and is finally thriving after weeks of messing around with flours and hydration ratios.

She’s Emelia’s daughter. In other words, I used some of Emeila to start Cordelia.

I’ve read that it takes just as long to start a new sourdough starter as it does to convert an existing wheat-based one to gluten-free.

And having gone through that process, I would wholeheartedly agree.

But I like the idea that both of my sourdough starters are related, like I have a whole family of microbes making bread for my family.

The process for feeding (and creating) a gluten-free sourdough starter is the same as for a wheat-based one, with two key differences:

The flours you use
The hydration ratio

I’m using a blend of flours to feed my gluten-free sourdough starter, because my bread recipes use a blend of flours, so I want my starter to be used to feeding off a range of flours.

The blend of flours I’ve settled on that’s working really well for me is:

1 part buckwheat flour
1 part brown rice flour
1 part quinoa flour

The buckwheat and brown rice flours form the base of my bread recipe, so I know my starter will be used to those, and the quinoa is in there for three reasons:

It’s really nutritious, including being high in protein
I don’t like the taste in my bread recipe, so I’m using it up!

The quinoa part is the one that I kept swapping out for other flours, until I found that the quinoa works best for me. When I run out of quinoa, I’ll probably swap it for besan or millet.

I would recommend for you that you begin your gluten-free sourdough starter with the same wholemeal flours you’ll be using in your final bread recipe.

So if you prefer sorghum and millet as the base for your bread, use those.

I have read that rice and buckwheat are great grains for starting sourdough starters, so I ‘d recommend including at least one of those in your blend.

So when I want to feed Cordelia, I measure out 120g of starter, and add 40g each of buckwheat, brown rice and quinoa flours.

And then comes the hydration ratio.

Like I said above, although I read that gluten-free flours are typically thirsty, I’ve found this blend to be quite the opposite.

My ideal hydration ratio is 93%, which means that for every 100g of flour, I’m only adding 93% water.

So for 120g of flour, that’s 112g of water.

I also find that when I first mix it all together it seems impossibly dry and stiff, but as I continue mixing and stabbing with a fork, the mix transforms into the perfect “smooth nut butter” consistency.

How to store a sourdough starter

Storing your starter in the fridge

The best way to store your starter, once it’s growing strongly, and you don’t currently need it to make bread, is to feed it and then put it into the fridge.

So if you’ve just used it to make a loaf of bread, then feed it as per usual and put it straight into the fridge.

I recommend putting a label on it so that you know when it was last fed, as you’ll need to feed it every week or so. Some sites say that you may be able to go for as long as a month between feedings.

You’ll see that it still bubbles and doubles, just more slowly than usual.

Keep an eye on your sourdough, and once it’s peaked, feed it as per usual, and then put it straight back into the fridge.

If your sourdough gets some liquid on top, that’s OK, it just means that it’s hungry and ready to be fed.

When you’re ready to make a loaf of sourdough, take your starter out of the fridge and feed it twice – once to get it going happily, and the second time to use in your loaf of bread.

Although you could feed it just once before using it to make bread, doing the second feed ensures that your starter is really thriving before cooking with it, which will make for a much more successful sourdough loaf.

And then just feed your leftover starter and put it back into the fridge until you need it again.

Storing your starter in the freezer

If you’re not making sourdough bread every few weeks, you may want to put your starter into long-term storage, which you can do by freezing.

Just take a cup of your starter, put it into a sturdy freezer bag or freezer-safe jar, and put it into the freezer. Make sure you label it with a date!

When you need to make bread with your sourdough starter, remove it from the freezer and let it sit on the bench to thaw at room temperature.

You’ll need to revive your starter by feeding it regularly for a while after being frozen, similar to the process you used when starting out.

Feed your starter when it’s hungry until it doubles within 8 hours, and you’re ready to make bread again. Make sure you follow the 7 tips above to maximise your success with bringing your starter back to full strength.

Drying your sourdough starter

Another option for long-term storage of your sourdough starter is to dry it out.

To dry your sourdough starter, you add enough flour and mix it in thoroughly (using your hands to break up any clumps) until the entire mixture feels very dry.

You then let the mixture sit out, exposed to dry air for an hour and then put it into a sealed, air-tight jar in a dark, cool place in your pantry.

Alternatively, you can spread your starter out in a thin layer and put it into a dehydrator set to 25ºC and dry it until the mixture lifts and cracks, and looks completely dry.

Make sure you don’t dry it at a temperature any hotter, or you risk killing your microbes instead of preserving them.

Again you’ll want to store this dried sourdough starter in a sealed, air-tight jar in a dark cool place.

With this method, you want to ensure that there’s no moisture able to get to your dry starter.

To revive dried sourdough starter, you add water to rehydrate it, and then additional fresh flour to feed it, and then swing back into the usual feeding schedule.

Easy sourdough bread recipes

You’ve created your amazing sourdough starter using just flour and water, it’s thriving and growing happily and rapidly.

What do you do with it now?

The short answer is, you make some bread with it!

But the longer answer is that it may take some time and practice before you perfect the art of the sourdough loaf.

Making good sourdough bread is an entire art unto itself, so I’m not going to try and even begin to explain how to do that here.

But then there’s no shortage of options and tips on making great sourdough bread out there on the internet, so I suggest you do some exploring to find an approach that works for you.

Here’s a selection of easy sourdough bread recipes to get you started on your sourdough bread journey:

Wheat sourdough bread recipes

Gluten-free sourdough bread recipes

These recipes should give you a place to start on your sourdough bread journey.

With my preference for low-fuss, my favourites are the gluten-free and tin recipes, because they’re so much easier to do, so that’s what I’m going to be focusing my time on from here.

Easy Healthy No-Cook Playdough

Nikki - Eating Vibrantly — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 04:13:31 +0000

Contents » Recipe : Tips : Variations : Inspiration : Resources

With my kids at home full time at the moment, it was time to crack out my easy no-cook playdough recipe.

Now, I know this is not technically something you’d want to eat, but it sure as heck will make you feel better once it gives your kids something to do!

I’ve made this homemade playdough recipe healthier than the usual playdough recipes, by using natural food colours and some lavender essential oil.

So instead of getting hyped up by synthetic dyes (i.e. from the popular koolaid playdough recipes) that soak into their hands while they play, they get soothed by the smell of lavender.

And as a bonus, the lavender also keeps the playdough – and your kids – fresher for longer, by discouraging germs.

I love that this easy homemade playdough doesn’t even require a hot stove or any kind of cooking.

Just a bowl, some simple ingredients that you’ll probably have lying around the house, and some elbow grease.

And creates a wonderfully smooth, easy to mould playdough that just itches to be shaped and poked and squished and crushed and sculpted and chopped…

And it will keep your kids entertained for hours.

Homemade No-Cook Playdough Recipe

Make sure to read through the tips below to get the most out of this super easy no-cook playdough recipe.

Easy Homemade No-Cook Playdough

Make your own homemade non-cook playdough using ingredients you have around the house with this easy recipe and keep your kids healthy and occupied.

Course Non-food

Cook Time 5

Total Time 5

Servings cups

Ingredients

1 cup wheat flour
1/2 cup salt
2 tbsp cream of tartar (30 ml)
1 tbsp olive oil (15 ml / 13g)
6 drops lavender essential oil (optional)
1 cup water , boiling
10 drops natural food colouring

Instructions

Mix the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Add the olive oil and essential oil, and then the boiling water.
Begin to mix the ingredients together, and then add your natural food colouring.
Stir thoroughly until the playdough ingredients are completely mixed.
Once the playdough is mixed well enough not to be too sticky, you can dump it out onto the kitchen step and knead it until it’s smooth and ready to use.
Store in an air-tight container for up to 6 months.

Notes

Before: -
During: 5 mins
After: -
Need: Bowl, spoon

Tips for making homemade playdough

I generally use whatever wheat flour I have lying around the kitchen. I don’t use wheat flour very often so I had some old stone-ground wheat flour that I used up and it worked perfectly for my latest batch, but any wheat flour will work just fine.
If you want to make this recipe gluten-free, you should be able to use your favourite gluten-free flour mix instead of the wheat flour. You’ll need to adjust the amount of water, and the playdough won’t be quite as smooth or pliable and may crumble more without the gluten, but it will certainly do the job.
The salt serves a double-purpose in this recipe. Firstly, it makes the playdough taste awful, which discourages your kids from eating it, which is especially important if you also use the lavender essential oil. And secondly, it helps to preserve the playdough, making it harder for germs to grow in it, so it lasts for much longer.
I use cheap table salt to make my playdough, because that’s what I’m willing to use in such large quantities for something that doesn’t actually get eaten. But if you want to use your good cooking salt, that’s also totally fine. Using pink himalayan salt will make the playdough even healthier and apparently gives it a lovely pink tinge.
If you want to leave the salt out altogether, that’s totally fine. You actually don’t need the salt at all, although you will need to reduce the water to create the right texture in your final playdough mix.
The tartaric acid (or cream of tartar / potassium bitartrate) helps to stabilise the playdough and also preserve it, and affects the texture of the playdough. It’s a substance naturally found in plants, that’s formed during the winemaking process, and is one of the main ingredients in baking powder, so it’s non-toxic.
If you want to leave out the cream of tartar entirely, you can use an alternative natural plant-based acid such as lemon juice or vinegar.
The oil in the playdough helps to make the playdough smooth, to lubricate it so that it slides across itself and your hands easily, and to help keep it moist without being sticky.
I use olive oil in my playdough because that’s my main cooking oil of choice, and the only liquid one that I have sitting around in my kitchen typically. I do also have coconut oil, which would set once the dough cooled, and warm up as the dough was played with, so that could be fun to try.
You can use any liquid cooking oil that you have on hand. If you find that your dough is a bit dry or stiff, you can add extra oil to help it move more easily. But don’t use too much or your kids hands will end up greasy.
I added the lavender essential oil to make the dough smell nice, to keep the germ levels down in the playdough, and also to help calm my kids as they play.
If you expect your kids to eat your playdough, then it’s probably best to leave out the essential oils from your playdough (and the salt), as they’re not intended for internal use and could make your kids sick if they eat it (trust me, we learned this one the hard way!)
Using boiling water helps the ingredients come together, without having to cook the playdough on the stovetop. Just be careful if your kids are working with boiling water to ensure they don’t burn themselves.
If your playdough is too dry, try adding a little more water. And if it’s too sticky, add a little more flour, until the consistency is smooth and dry without being stiff or crumbly.
Make sure you add your natural food colouring in the early stages of mixing, while the dough is still easier to mix. I tried adding mine to the boiling water, but found that some of them were degraded by the boiling water, and they worked better if I added them to the playdough mixture. If you’re using regular food colouring, you’re probably best off adding it to the water to ensure a good even colour.
If you use a lot of natural colouring to make a strong colour, you may find that it comes off on your kids’ hands. This is perfectly safe, but just keep an eye on it to avoid stains on your furnishings or hand towels.
Be sure to store your playdough in air-tight containers to help it stay fresh for longer. Once it dries out, it’s not nearly as much fun to play with. It will break down in the compost, so it’s very safe to dispose of in with your general food scraps.

Playdough recipe variations

You can use these variations to suit your playdough to your needs.

If you want to make an edible playdough, leave out the essential oils and salt. And add pleasant-tasking spices, such as cinnamon, or cacao to colour and flavour the playdough. The playdough won’t last as long but it won’t make them especially ill if they eat it either.
If you want to use more natural colours for your playdough, try powdered greens (spirulina, chlorella, spinach, kale, etc), turmeric (yellow), cacao powder (brown), beetroot juice (red), tomato powder (red), berry juices (pink & purple). You’ll need to use more of these natural colourings to get a strong, deep colour.

Ideas for playdough tools

I didn’t feel like buying on expensive gadgets to go with my homemade playdough, so I got creative with things from around my kitchen and house to use.

Here’s some ideas for easy and inexpensive playdough tools:

Garlic press: This makes amazing playdough worms / hair / spaghetti.
Cotton reel: These are great for making patterns in and squishing playdough through.
Cutlery: Small spoons, forks and table knives are great for chopping, poking and generally experimenting with playdough.
Chopsticks: These are great for making eyes, sculpting and drawing in playdough.
Egg cups: These make great playdough holders and scoops. Just make sure your kids know the playdough is not for eating.
Spatulas: These are great for chopping and smoothing over playdough, as well as scraping it off the table top.
Unusual shaped objects: Powerpoint safety plug, a fly swat (might get broken)

Basically, you can use anything that’s an interesting shape that you don’t mind getting playdough on and that can be easily washed afterwards. The possibilities are quite limitless!

My inspiration for making homemade no-cook playdough

I’ve been making playdough for years to keep my kids hands and brains occupied, especially on school holidays.

This is my fallback recipe that I always go to when I want to make playdough and works very reliably.

I’m not sure where I found the original recipe, but I do know that it’s very similar to many classic playdough recipes that you may have seen elsewhere.

It’s evolved a little over the years, as I’ve tried making it gluten-free, adding the essential oils and using natural colourings.

I also used to make it as a cooked playdough, but I didn’t like having to use the stovetop to do it, so I love that this is now a fully no-cook recipe.

And of course, most recently, I cracked out this recipe again when I found myself at home with my kids full-time over the extended school holidays and needed to find ways to keep them busy.

It seemed to work.

Resources for homemade no-cook playdough

If you want to understand the different between tartaric acid and cream of tatar, here’s a great explanation:

Tartaric Acid Vs. Cream of Tartar at Leaf.tv

To understand the science behind playdough, check out this article:

The science behind playdough.. @ The Pedagogy Princess

And to turn making playdough into a science lesson at home, here’s some great suggestions to get your kids thinking:

Ready, Set, Let’s Dough! It’s a Matter of System @ Science Net Links

And have a creative day!

This post, Easy Healthy No-Cook Playdough, was originally published on Eating Vibrantly - Easy healthy whole food vegan recipes that taste amazing.

Chickpea Vegan Chicken Schnitzels

Nikki - Eating Vibrantly — Fri, 04 Aug 2017 21:01:41 +0000

Contents » Recipe : Tips : Variations : Budget : Inspiration : Resources

If you’re looking for a low-fat, high-protein option for dinner, then these chickpea vegan “chicken” schnitzels might just fit the bill.

Based on chickpeas, these pseudo-chicken schnitzels use vital wheat gluten for binding and savoury yeast flakes for a lovely cheesy flavour.

The addition of thyme and rosemary finishes off the chicken-like experience neatly.

Of course, there’s no actual chicken, and it’s been years since I had a true chicken schnitzel, so I’ll have to leave that assessment up to you.

But regardless, they’re a delicious vegan dinner option, and the best part is, my kids love them.

My daughter mostly loves pounding the dough balls into submission (and she’s scarily good at it).

But my teenage son, with his sensitive mouth and bottomless stomach gives my vegan chicken schnitzels a big thumbs up.

Phew!

And honestly, who could resist them when they look as good as this?

And you might even be able to convince a non-vegan friend or two to give them a try.

Now all you have to decide is what to top them with.

Enjoy!

Vegan Chicken Schnitzels recipe

Make sure to read the tips below the recipe to get the most out of this delicious chickpea vegan chicken schnitzels recipe.

Chickpea Vegan "Chicken" Schnitzels

Dinner is sorted with these Chickpea Vegan "Chicken" Schnitzels. They're high-protein and low-fat and based on chickpeas, gluten flour and yeast flakes.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Vegan

Keyword dairy-free, egg-free, low-fat, oil-free, soy-free, sugar-free

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 15

Freezing time 8

Total Time 45

Servings schnitzels (16 serves)

Calories 129kcal

Author Nikki, Eating Vibrantly

Ingredients

2 tins chickpeas , drained (450g)
Scant 1 cup savoury nutritional yeast flakes (50g)
1/4 tsp garlic powder or 2 garlic cloves
1 tsp salt
2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1 cup almond milk (250ml)
1 1/4 cup vital wheat gluten flour (160g)
Scant 2/3 cup vital wheat gluten flour (80g)
1/2 cup oat bran , to coat (50g)

Instructions

Drain and rinse chickpeas.
(Optional) Grind thyme and rosemary into a fine powder.
Process chickpeas, yeast, spices and milk until smooth.
Add 1 1/4 cup gluten flour and process until just combined.
Remove from processor and knead additional scant 2/3 cup of gluten flour into mix.
Split into 32 balls about 1" across (weighing about 32g each).
Flatten into thin rounds.
Press into oat bran, shake off excess.
Store in lined trays, separate multiple layers with paper.
Freeze for several hours or overnight before cooking.
Cook at 200°C for 15 minutes or until puffed and golden brown.
Top with fresh tomato and vegan cheese or your toppings of choice.

Notes

Before: -
During: 30 mins
After: 8 hours (to freeze)
Need: Food processor, oven

Nutrition

Download a beautiful printable version of this recipe »

Tips

I used canned chickpeas simply because it’s more convenient, but you could definitely cook your own chickpeas instead. Just grab yourself some dried chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans), choose your cooking method, and you’re good to go.
If you decide to cook your own chickpeas, you’ll need about 2 and half cups cooked chickpeas, which is equivalent to about 1 cup of dried chickpeas.
Savoury yeast flakes (also known as nutritional yeast flakes) are a particular variety of yeast that has been grown, harvested, washed and dried. They add a lovely cheesy flavour to recipes, along with heaps of protein and vitamins. You should be able to find them in your local health food store.
Most savoury yeast flakes have been supplemented with a variety of B vitamins, including folic acid or folate. Folic acid and folate are NOT the same thing, so try and find savoury yeast with folate, because that’s the naturally occurring form that’s good for you.
I prefer to use dried garlic powder in this recipe because it’s more convenient and also because it makes it easier to spread the garlic flavour evenly throughout the schnitzels. But if you want to up the amount of whole foods in this recipe, then just use some very finely minced fresh garlic instead, about 1-2 cloves.
As always, I love using pink Himilayan salt in all of my recipes because it’s better for you. It’s less processed than table salt and contains trace amounts of a bunch of minerals. Apparently it tastes better too!
I would love to have a thriving herb garden so I can pick whatever I want whenever I need it, but that’s a work in progress. If you are lucky enough to have a supply of fresh herbs, just use 1/3 the amount of fresh to dry. In other words 2/3 tsp of thyme and 1/6 tsp rosemary.
I found that if I used the thyme and rosemary as is, that I got chewy lumps of the herbs in the schnitzels, which doesn’t work for our texture-sensitive family at all. So I ground my herbs into a fine powder before adding them to the food processor. If your family doesn’t mind a bit of herby-texture, then you can skip this step.
I used my homemade almond milk for this recipe, but you could use bought almond milk, or your preferred dairy-free milk. They’ll all work just fine.
Vital what gluten flour, also called vital wheat gluten and gluten flour, is a concentrated form of wheat flour that removes most of the starch, leaving a really, REALLY high percentage of protein (around 75%). It’s great for binding recipes together, and also for delivering a good amount of protein.
Make sure you don’t over process the mix in your food processor. Only go for just long enough to get the ingredients combined. I’ve found that if I go any longer than absolutely necessary, the schnitzels will come out tough, which is the last thing you want.
If you’re avoiding gluten, then this recipe is not for you. The vital wheat gluten flour is a key ingredient in these vegan chicken schintzels, and I don’t think there’s any way around it. Maybe you could try my raw veggie burgers instead!
We flatten our schnitzels almost as far as we can go. We’ve found that if we leave them too fat, they end up puffing up lots and being more like bread than a patty, so thin is best.
We’ve found that freezing the chickpea patties before we cook them really helps to stop them from puffing up as much and becoming little “bread puffs” instead of schnitzel-like patties. If you are going to cook them straight away, make them as thin as you possibly can.
You can use any kind of crumb for finishing off these vegan chicken schnitzels. The first time I made them I used breadcrumbs, but the texture was too dry. Then I tried using wheat bran, but it was quite dry and flaky and more chewy than I’d like. So then I switched to oat brain, which has a much softer texture, and it works really well for us.
If you have a hungry teenage boy like I do, you might need to double the serving size to four.

Variations

The thyme and rosemary are a big part of what makes these vegan chicken schnitzels taste “chicken-y”, but there’s no reason why you couldn’t mix it up a little. Try using a taco seasoning instead for Mexican chickpea patties, or maybe a your favourite curry powder for curried chickpea schnitzels. The flavour base is certainly plain enough that you could get quite adventurous.
You can top these schnitzels with anything you like. We used fresh tomato and slices of vegan cheese to make something akin to a vegan chicken parmigiana, but the sky’s the limit. Try avocado and sauerkraut, hummus and roasted red capsicum, or just a simple tomato ketchup.
I made these vegan chicken schnitzels on the smaller side, because that’s kind of how it worked out. For the number geeks among you, you’ll notice that 32 is a binary number, and all I did was keep halving the final dough until the balls seemed small enough. The fact that the finished dough balls also weigh 32g is just a geeky bonus! In other words, you can make these as big or as small as you like. Just make sure that you flatten out your dough properly either way.

Budget

Here’s roughly how much these chickpea vegan chicken schnitzels cost me to make:

Ingredient	Amount	Price	Cost
Chickpeas	2 x 400g tin (440g drained)	$2.10 / tin	$4.20
Savoury yeast flakes	1 cup (50g)	$40 / kg	$2.00
Garlic powder	1/4 tsp (1g)	$124 / kg	$0.12
Salt	1 tsp (2g)	$10 / kg	$0.02
Thyme	2 tsp (3g)	$200 / kg	$0.60
Rosemary	1/4 tsp (1g)	$220 / kg	$0.22
Almond milk	1 cup (250g)	$5.20 / L	$1.30
Gluten flour	1.875 cups (240g)	$18 / kg	$4.32
Oat bran	1/2 cup (50g)	$11 / kg	$0.55
TOTAL	1040g	$12.81 / kg	$13.33

Keep in mind:

All prices are in Australian dollars
Your costs may vary quite a bit depending on whether you buy in small or large quantities, as conventional or organic, and the time of year.

Ways to reduce the cost of this recipe

All things considered, this recipe is relatively inexpensive to make, with each schnitzel costing only 42c each, making it 84c per serve.
The two ingredients that add the most to the cost of this recipe are the chickpeas and the gluten flour. You could definitely reduce the cost by cooking your own chickpeas instead of using tinned ones. As for the gluten flour, just see what you can find at your local health food shop.
The savoury yeast flakes also add quite a bit to the flavour of these vegan chicken schnitzels, so I wouldn’t want to use less of it, but you could see if you can find a less expensive brand.
Growing your own herbs, like thyme and rosemary, would be another easy way to reduce the costs.
It doesn’t make a huge difference to the cost whether you use homemade or bought almond milk, but my homemade almond milk is a lot nicer!

My inspiration

These chickpea vegan chicken schnitzels were inspired by the “Baked Crispy Chickpea Seitan Patties” from Kathy Hester’s Great Vegan Bean Book.

I was looking for more healthy vegan dinner options that the kids might actually go for, and I’d have to say that this one was mostly a success.

I tweaked Kathy’s recipe to suit our family’s taste buds, including leaving out the black pepper and swapping breadcrumbs for oat bran.

I also doubled the recipe, so I could make a decent amount of them all at once, and make the most of the mess I have to clean up any time I go into the kitchen.

My fussy teenage son loves these vegan chicken schnitzels, so that’s good enough for me!

Resources

Here’s a couple of different ways that you can cook chick peas if you decide to start from scratch:

Three Simple Methods for Cooking Dried Chickpeas @ Inspired Taste
How to Soak and Cook Chickpeas @ Tori Avey

Learn more about nutritional savoury yeast flakes here:

What the Heck is Nutritional Yeast? @ Fat-Free Vegan Kitchen
Nutritional Yeast: The Antiviral, Antibacterial Immune-Booster @ Dr Axe

Discover all about vital wheat gluten flour here:

Wheat Flour Vs. wheat gluten @ Stack Exchange
What is Vital Wheat Gluten? @ Happy Herbivore

And find other great sources of vegan protein here:

Top 25 Highest Protein Vegetables @ Health Listed

Check out Kathy’s book for yourself

I think legumes are a great addition to any wholefood vegan diet, so if you want to discover some awesome ways to add more legumes to your diet, I highly recommend Kathy’s book.

Get The Great Vegan Bean Book at Amazon.

And have a fantastically chicken-free day ;)

This post, Chickpea Vegan Chicken Schnitzels, was originally published on Eating Vibrantly - Easy healthy whole food vegan recipes that taste amazing.

Black Bean Chocolate Pudding

Nikki - Eating Vibrantly — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 20:05:29 +0000

Contents » Recipe : Tips : Variations : Budget : Inspiration : Resources

Eating healthy food is so much easier when it tastes this good.

This black bean chocolate pudding is packed with nutrient-dense wholefoods, but no-one will care.

They’ll only care that it’s the best tasting chocolate pudding they’ve ever had!

So feel free to start sneaking the goodness of black beans into everyone’s day, wherever you go.

Of course, it’s healthy in other ways too:

The healthy coconut fats.

The raw cacao powder.

The medjool dates for natural sweetness.

It’s almost healthy enough to eat for breakfast…

And happily it’s also super easy to make.

Chuck everything in the blender, blend it up, throw it in the fridge overnight and you’re golden.

Sweet, chocolatey black bean pudding ripe for the eating.

Yum.

Black Bean Chocolate Pudding recipe

Make sure to read the tips below the recipe to get the most out of this amazing black bean chocolate pudding recipe.

Black Bean Chocolate Pudding

This black bean chocolate pudding is packed with nutrient-dense wholefoods, but no-one will care because it's the best tasting chocolate pudding ever!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Paleo, Vegan, Wholefoods

Keyword chocolate, dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, oil-free, salt-free, soy-free, sugar-free

Cook Time 5

Setting time 8

Total Time 8 5

Servings g (4 serves)

Calories 394kcal

Author Nikki, Eating Vibrantly

Ingredients

1 tin black beans , drained (230g)
1 tin coconut milk (400g)
1/3 cup cacao powder (30g)
8 med medjool dates (150g)
1/2 tsp vanilla bean powder or 2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Drain and rinse black beans.
Put all ingredients into blender jug.
Blend on high speed until smooth.
Spoon into serving dishes, cover and refrigerate overnight or until firm.

Notes

Before: -
During: 5 mins
After: 8 hours (to firm up)
Need: Blender

Nutrition

Download a beautiful printable version of this recipe »

Tips

I used canned black beans because they’re faster and more convenient. But you could also buy dried black beans and cook them yourself if you want, which would make the recipe even more cost-effective. Just make sure to leave the salt out of the cooking process.
If you’re going to buy tinned black beans, make sure the tins are BPA-free, so you don’t get any nasty plastic compounds in your beans from the tin lining.
Make sure you rinse the black beans thoroughly with fresh water before using them, to remove any salt that might have been used in their preparation and any excess starch that might have soaked out into the water.
I think the black beans work so well in desserts because they’re quite soft and have a mild flavour. I’ve never tried using a different kind of bean for this recipe, but let me know how it goes if you decide to give a different bean a try.
I used canned coconut milk for this recipe because it’s quick and easy. Coconut milk in a UHT container is not suitable because it’s too thin to make this pudding work.
You could definitely replace the coconut milk with the coconut water and coconut meat from a fresh coconut. That would make this dish even more nutritious and less processed. Just add enough water and flesh to make about 400g-worth (around 1.5 cups).
Make sure that the coconut milk you use has sufficient fat left in it. If the fat content is too low, the pudding won’t turn out very firm.
I love using raw cacao powder in my recipes because it has more of the nutrients left in it, so it’s better for you.
If you don’t have cacao powder, you can use regular cocoa powder. Just make sure to use the unsweetened variety.
I love using medjool dates to sweeten my dessert recipes because they’re as wholefood as you can get when it comes to sweeteners. Medjool dates are big, sticky, sweet dates that add a rich sweetness to this recipe, along with fibre and creaminess.
If you’re using regular dates, you’ll need to soak them in water for a couple of hours first. Drain them, but keep the soak water to use in smoothies and other recipes, for an extra date-y taste.
If you don’t want to use dates in this recipes, you could tried other dried fruit, like currants, raising, figs or prunes, although I haven’t tried doing this myself.
You could also use other liquid natural sweeteners, like coconut nectar, agave nectar or maple syrup, but the pudding probably won’t set as well.
The vanilla bean powder is just dried vanilla beans ground up into a powder. You can make your own or you can buy it from your local health food shop.
If you don’t have access to any vanilla bean powder, you can scrape out a fresh vanilla bean into the mix, or add a teaspoon of vanilla extract.
My high-speed blender does a great job of turning the beans and dates into a super-smooth and creamy chocolate pudding. If you don’t have a high speed blender, just blend or process it for as long as you can, without the mix getting too hot, and you should be fine. You can also try refrigerating the ingredients for a few hours beforehand to give you maximum blending time before the pudding overheats.

Variations

If you want to get creative with this black bean chocolate pudding, you could put it into popsicle moulds and make it into black bean chocolate ice pops. Trust me, they’re delicious!
You could top this pudding with chopped nuts, fresh berries or even some natural coconut sprinkles.
This chocolate pudding is also a fantastic accompaniment to other desserts, like my raw walnut & macadamia cake, my coconut vanilla ice cream or a big bowl of fruit salad.

Budget

Here’s roughly how much this black bean chocolate pudding cost me to make:

Ingredient	Amount	Price	Cost
Black beans	400g tin (230g drained)	$2.10 / tin	$2.10
Coconut milk	400g tin	$2.65 / tin	$2.65
Cacao powder	1/3 cup (30g)	$30 / kg	$0.90
Medjool dates	8 med (150g)	$32 / kg	$4.80
Vanilla bean powder	1 g (1/2 tsp)	$350 / kg	$0.35
TOTAL	810g	$13.32 / kg	$10.80

Keep in mind:

All prices are in Australian dollars
Your costs may vary quite a bit depending on whether you buy in small or large quantities, as conventional or organic, and the time of year.

Budget notes

This recipe is actually pretty inexpensive overall, compared to some, because black beans and coconut milk are reasonably affordable staples, and they make up the bulk of this dish.
Interestingly, the medjool dates contribute the greatest amount to the overall cost of this recipe. You could reduce this cost by finding cheaper dates, reducing the amount of sweetener in the recipe or by using an alternative, cheaper dried fruit or natural sweetener (e.g. raisins, currants or figs; or coconut nectar, agave nectar or maple syrup)

My inspiration

This black bean chocolate pudding recipe was inspired by the “Black Bean Fudgesicles” recipe from Kathy Hester’s Great Vegan Bean Book.

I adapted the recipe to use even more whole foods, and increased the cacao powder to make sure that the bean taste was completely hidden.

And then I discovered that if you leave the mix in the fridge overnight, it sets up nicely.

So far it’s been a huge hit with my chocolate-loving 7-year-old daughter, who does actually put it on her breakfast.

And who am I to argue with that?

Resources

Here’s a couple of different ways that you can cook black beans if you decide to start from scratch:

How to Cook Black Beans @ Wake the Wolves
Black Bean Cooking Tips @ The Spruce

Learn more about Medjool dates here:

Medjool Dates: The Healthiest Natural Sweetener? @ Dr Axe

And read about the difference between cacao and cocoa here:

Cacao vs Cocoa: The Difference and Why It Matters @ Paleo Hacks

Check out Kathy’s book for yourself

I think beans are a great addition to any vegan diet, even a mostly raw one, so if you’d like to discover some awesome ways to add beans to your day, I highly recommend Kathy’s book.

Get The Great Vegan Bean Book at Amazon.

And have a rich and creamy day!

This post, Black Bean Chocolate Pudding, was originally published on Eating Vibrantly - Easy healthy whole food vegan recipes that taste amazing.