Vegan Pancakes

Ingredients

- 1 cup flour (I used gluten free, but regular flour would work too)
- 2 tbsp. brown sugar
- 2 tbsp. ground flax seeds (a great binder for dessert mixtures, perfectly replacing eggs) *see note*
- 2 tbsp coconut flakes (optional)

- 1 cup soya milk (I used rice milk, but coconut, cashew, almond milk would work too)
- 3tbsp. melted coconut oil

- olive oil (to drizzle on pan)
- maple syrup and frozen berries as pancake toppings




*NOTE: Grounds flax seeds are not necessarily required for this recipe, due to the use of coconut oil. Also, flax seeds are an amazing source of fibre, magnesium, iron, protein, potassium & vitamin B-6.

Directions
1. Add the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl (flour, sugar, flax seeds, coconut flakes)
2. Add the wet ingredients into the same mixing bowl (milk and coconut oil)
4. Whisk all ingredients together until mixture is smooth and slightly thick (similar to cake batter)      -> add more milk/ flour depending on the consistency of the mixture
5. Turn the stove onto medium heat, whilst drizzling some olive oil onto a (non-stick) pan
6. I used a soup ladle to scoop out the pancake mixture onto the pan, cooking it for approximately
half a minute on each side, until slightly golden.
7. Add your pancakes onto a plate
8. I added maple syrup, mixed berries and more coconut flakes as toppings :)
9. Enjoy :)

Yield: 6-7 small pancakes

Berry Ice-Cream (vegan)

Hey everyone :)
After uploading my banana nicecream recipe, I noticed that some of you are allergic to bananas, or simply don't like them. But don't you worry, because I've made another fruity ice cream that's just as delicious, refreshing, healthy and dairy free :)
This recipe only includes ONE ingredient, or two if your blender is giving you a hard time!

Ingredients:
2-3 (heaped) cups of frozen mixed berries (I used a store bought frozen berry mix)
a dash of coconut milk/ water (this is simply to smoothen up the consistency of the ice cream)

GET BLENDING! :D
-> I added some more berries and chia seeds as toppings, coconut shredding would go perfectly too:)

Vegan Frozen Yoghurt

Hey everyone :)
This is an extremely quick and easy way to put together a fruity 'frozen yoghurt.'
I used frozen bananas for the smooth texture, frozen berries, and optional coconut shreddings or maple syrup for extra sweetness :)

Rough guidelines for ingredients (2 portions)
6 bananas (freeze them, ripe from night before)
1 heaped cup of frozen mixed berries
2 tbsp maple syrup/ 2 tbsp coconut shreddings

Directions: Add into blender on high speed, you may need to open the lid and stir the mixture half way through.
Hope you all enjoy this sweet, refreshing and healthy summer dessert. I would love to see any recreations :)

Vegan Ice Cream! (NiceCream)

Hey Everyone :)
The days are getting warmer, revision stress is overwhelming and Ice Cream cravings are kicking in!

This is a delicious vegan alternative to Ice Cream, or just a healthier fruity option to non-vegans. In the top picture I'm holding a bowl of nicecream that's half vanilla and half chocolate with a drizzle of homemade chocolate sauce, whereas in the picture below, I've made a simple banana nicecream with chocolate chip toppings.

Calories: My 10 banana nicecream contains over 1000Calories, however remember that it's the quality of calories that is important, not the quantity.
Bananas are high in calories, but they provide an amazing energy boost for the day, along with high potassium, Vitamin B-6, Vitamin C, and perfect amounts of glucose. High natural sugars found in fruit that's high in carbs will re-charge and energise our cells, whilst avoiding unnecessary high fat, sugar cravings that may contain dairy throughout the day.


Ingredients:
For the Vanilla half
5 frozen bananas (freeze fully ripe bananas from the previous night)
2 tsp. vanilla essence
3 tbsp. coconut milk

For the chocolate half
5 frozen bananas
3-4 tbsp. raw cocoa powder
5 pitted dates (optional, I add dates in for the sweetness and for extra nutrition)
3 tbsp. coconut milk

(If you don't want to add coconut milk to the mixtures, you can add one less frozen banana, and replace it with a soft ripe banana from your pantry to achieve that extra smooth texture of the nicecream)

Directions:
1. Blend the vanilla ingredients together in a high speed blender and then add to bowl
2. Same applies for the chocolate nicecream ingredients
3. Top it up with some chia seeds and the sweet chocolate sauce

Chocolate sauce:
I simply mixed 2 heaped tbsp. of cocoa powder with 5 tbsp. maple syrup (Vanilla essence is optional)

Chia seeds are super nutritional because they're a source of natural fats, but are also high in potassium, sodium, calcium, and are a complete protein source!

For the nicecream on the left, I simply added 10 frozen bananas, along with a tiny bit of coconut milk in the blender for about 10-15 minutes on high speed.
Then I topped it off with some cocoa nibs and chia seeds :)
This might end up becoming my favourite breakfast/snack for the summer season!

Breakfast smoothie! (Vegan, Dairy, Gluten-free options provided)

Hey everyone :)
This is the perfect recipe for those of you who wake up wanting a smoothie, but also something more filling!
I've poured my smoothie into a massive bowl, and topped it with some chia seeds and my trail mix.
This was super filling, whilst satisfying all my sweet cravings.
I'd love to see any recreations of this !

As always, ingredients could vary according to your own personal preferences. You could always add more or less liquids according to your preferred smoothie thickness, and hunger (same applies for the quantity of fruit).
However, I'd still stick to bananas because they created the thickness of the smoothie that also kept me feeling satisfied.

Ingredients:
- 3-4 bananas (I used 5 small ones)
- 8-10 strawberries
- 1 cup coconut milk (almond and soya milk could be used too. So can dairy milk)
- 1/2 cup rolled oats (exclude for gluten-free options)
- 1 tbsp. Chia Seeds (more for topping)
- 2. tbsp. Flax seeds
- 1 tsp. Cinamon
- 1 tsp. Maple Syrup (or any other sweetener of your choice, e.g. coconut flakes work well too)
(Water is optional depending on how thick you want your smoothie)

Directions: Blend it all up, until smooth and pour into a bowl

Trail mix recipe: 
http://natasaskitchen.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-only-healthy-trail-mix-recipe-youll.html

The only healthy trail mix recipe you'll need ;)

Hey everyone :)
I made this healthy trail mix a couple of weeks ago and it turned out great, so I thought I'd share it on my blog.
This is perfect to add to smoothies, cereal bowls, or even to nibble on during revision when your cravings start to kick in.
I've put mine in sealable jar, so it can last for weeks.
The ingredients below can vary according to your own personal preference, so what I used is simply just for guidelines.
Enjoy :)

Ingredients:

Nuts (crushed)
- Almonds
- Walnuts
- Cashews
Other options: Pistachios, peanuts, pecans
=> Go for unsalted, and unsweetened to keep sodium and sugar levels under control, respectively.

Dried fruit
- Goji Berries
Other options: Dried dates, apples, figs, blueberries, cherries, cranberries, banana chips, raisins
=> Again, I buy unsweetened dried fruit with as little preservatives as possible (or none at all, if that's an option).

Seeds
- Chia Seeds
- Flax Seeds
Other options: Sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds

Grains
- Granola Mix
Other options: Oats, wheat/ whole grain-cereal, pretzels
Gluten-free options: Crumbled up rice cakes, rice cereal, popcorn

'Sweeteners'
- Cacao nibs
- Coconut flakes
- Cinnamon
Other options: Chopped up chocolate, m&ms, yogurt-covered raisins and/or nuts, marshmallows
(Chose darker chocolate, for extra antioxidants)

Directions: Mix them all up together :)

I'd love to see any recreations of this! 

Vegetarian curry with chickpeas (Chicken directions given too)

Some pictures i took during the preparation process

Ingredients
- olive oil
- 1 red onion
(other onions will work too)
- 2 spring onions
- 1 clove of garlic
- 2 medium bell peppers
- 4 large mushrooms
(10 small ones)
- 1 large carrot
- 1 bunch of broccoli rapini
   (normal broccoli florets also work)
- 1 tin chickpeas in water (400ml)
- 1 tin coconut milk (400ml)
- 1/2 cup red lentils
- vegetable stock
- 3 tbsp. Curry powder
  ( I used 3 different typed for variety)
- 1 tbsp. saffron
- 1 tbsp. turmeric
- salt and pepper
- 3/4 tbsp. flour (optional)
- 1 cup of rice

Note: the choice of vegetables is completely up to you, frozen peas also work well! :)

Directions
1. Chop up all ingredients into small pieces of your preference.
2. Heat up a large pan, on medium heat and add a couple tbsp. of olive oil.
3. Add the onions and garlic into the pot, with the oil and some black pepper, allowing the onion to become crispy over 2-3 minutes.
4. Dilute your cube of vegetable stock in a cup of hot water and add this into the pot.
5. Add in the rest of the vegetables, followed by the chickpeas (including the water they come in).
6. Pour the can of coconut milk into the pot, along with the lentils.
7. Cover the pot and let it sit for 10 minutes, do not allow the mixture to boil.
8. Add the curry powder, along with the remaining spices. Cover the pot and let it sit for 20 more minutes. (The times depend on how hot your hobs get, so adjust accordingly)

9. (For the rice) Whilst the curry is cooking, i added some hot water to a separate pot along with the rice. (Cooking time was about 10 minutes, but this depends with the rice used, so make sure to check the back of the package) 

10. I want my curry to be slightly thick, so I added about 3-4 tbsp. of flour to the pot and stirred it around for a couple of minutes. (This step is completely optional depending on your preferences.

11. Try some of the curry to test the flavours, and adjust according to your taste :) 

[Yield: 3/4 servings depending on how you chose to eat the curry]

Serving suggestions -> alongside with rice

                                 -> plain

                                 -> in a wrap with salad

                                 -> as a side to a larger meal 

Note: When re-heating the curry leftovers the next day, I always use a pot and add a tiny bit of water to it because the curry mixture usually thickens in the fridge. The addition of extra water shouldn't be needed if the flour wasn't added. 

Leftovers in a wrap with salad

Leftovers by themselves

 Directions for a chicken curry (for all you meat lovers)
-> After chopping up your veggies, place them aside whilst you stir fry (suggested for better taste), or boil your chicken
-> Once the chicken has been cooked, place the chicken into the pot at step 5 from above.
-> When using chicken, this replaces the chickpeas and lentils from above (that acted as a source of protein and texture.)

To boil
1. Boil 3-4 cups of water in the kettle
2. Chop up your chicken pieces into chunks
3. Place the hot water and chicken pieces in a pot, over medium heat for about 10 minutes

OR to stir-fry
1. Add a drizzle of olive oil and some ground black pepper into a pan, over medium heat
2. Chop up your chicken pieces into chunks
3. Carefully place the chicken pieces in your pan, flipping them over regularly, until the chicken turns (slightly) golden-brown. (Around 5-6 minutes)

Note: don't allow the chicken to cook completely when boiling, or stir frying because it will further cook later when added to the curry pot.