Tag: #glutenfree

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Cranberry Sauce

Hello and Happy Holidays!!

The Holiday season is upon us and celebrating with delicious, festive food is an enjoyable part of the season.

Specifically, cranberry sauce is a common ingredient and traditional condiment that is typical for the Winter Holidays.

I wanted to introduce a homemade Cranberry Sauce that can be made from 3 ingredients and takes only about 5 minutes of your time.

There are added sugars, high-fructose corn syrup, colorants, or preservatives.

Watch a video below on how to make this recipe or just print it out.

The ingredients:

  • 3 cups of fresh cranberries
  • 1 fresh Fyui persimmon
  • 4 dates (all pits removed)
  • 2 cups of filtered water

The equipment:

  • A blender, knife, cutting board, and a 4-cup Mason glass jar

The preparation:

  1. Remove cranberries from a package and rinse under cold water.
  2. Wash and peel persimmon and cut into 4 pieces
  3. Put cranberries, dates, persimmon, and water into a blender.
  4. Blend well until the mixture becomes smooth and homogenous.
  5. Serve immediately.
  6. Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze in the portion-sized containers for up to 2 months.

Yield: 4 cups

Total servings: 16 (each serving is 1/4 cup)

Total calories: 500 kcal (31.25 kcal per serving)

This recipe makes about 4 cups of Cranberry Sauce, which can serve 16 people. You can also cut the recipe in half to make less of it.

Watch a 1-minute video on how to make this recipe.

Cranberry Sauce

Nataliya
This recipe needs only 3 ingredients and takes about 5 minutes to make.
All of the ingredients are fresh and raw, and no cooking is necessary.
There are no added sugars, high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, colorants, or taste enhancers.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
0 minutes
Servings 16 people
Calories 31.25 kcal

Equipment

  • Blender
  • Cutting board
  • Knife
  • 4 cups Mason jar

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups fresh cranberries
  • 1 piece fresh persimmon
  • 4 pieces Medjool dates (pits removed)
  • 2 cups filtered water

Instructions
 

  • Remove cranberries from a package and rinse under cold water
  • Wash and peel the persimmon and cut into 4 pieces
  • In the blender, combine cranberries, persimmon, and dates
  • Add water to the blender
  • Blend everything until smooth and homogenous.
  • Taste and adjust it to your preference. For example, you may want to add a few more dates to make the sauce sweeter.
  • Store in a refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze in the portion-sized containers for up to 2 months.

Notes

This recipe makes about 4 cups of Cranberry Sauce, which can serve 16 people. You can also cut the recipe in half to make less of it.
It is ready to serve immediately. You can store this Cranberry Sauce in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. 
Enjoy! 
Nataliya @ https://beinginbesthealth.com/
 
 
Keyword antioxidants, dairy-free, delicious, easy, gluten-free, lowcalorie, noaddedoil, noaddedsugar, nutrient-rich, nutrition, plant-based, raw, vegan, wholefoods

 

 

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Quinoa Pancakes

Happy Independence Day weekend to everybody! It is a middle of the year and almost a middle of the summer. What is your favorite summer-time activity? For me, it is the appreciation of the long days filled with the sunshine and the delicious and colorful summer foods. 

Today, I’m sharing with you one of my favorite recipes – the quinoa pancakes.

It needs just a few ingredients, is easy to make, and tastes very good. Actually, both the sweet and savory versions of this recipe can be enjoyed year-round. 

 

 

 

You will need the following ingredients:

  • Quinoa (white, red, or multicolored),
  • ripe banana,
  • flax seeds, 
  • water.

That’s it. You may use a little bit of coconut oil, however, it is optional if you use a non-stick skillet.

You will need this equipment: a bowl, blender, and non-stick skillet. The amount of preparation time can be reduced if you have more than one skillet. I typically use 3 small non-stick skillets, and in this case, the total preparation time takes about 5-7 minutes. 

What I love about this recipe is that the pancakes have a neutral taste and can be enjoyed with both sweet and savory meals or snacks. As a sweet version, I like to serve them with berries, fruits, and coconut yogurt. For a savory twist, I serve them with veggies, salads, and dressings (taco-like style). On this image below, you can see 3 pancakes, each served with the arugula leaves, slices of tomato and red onion, and avocado cubes. In this version, the pancakes work as flatbreads or soft tacos. 

Additionally, I soaked and sprouted the quinoa seeds, which is an easy step that can improve the digestibility and nutrient availability. Moreover, soaked and sprouted quinoa gives you more pancakes if compared with those made from the unsoaked quinoa. Note that this recipe does not need any flour; the whole quinoa seeds were soaked and sprouted and blended together with banana, flax seeds, and water. Here is a full recipe, enjoy!

Download the recipe: Quinoa Pancakes

By the way, it is the middle of the year, and I’m wondering how are your new year resolution goals doing? How successful have you been so far? Which obstacles came your way?

Let’s discuss how I can help you to get back on track during the next 6 months.

Our first 20-minute discovery session is free of charge, and I can work with you as a wellness coach or/and a nutrition consultant, depending on your needs. Contact me today, I’m happy to see how I can help!

In best health,

Nataliya.

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Cauliflower “Rice”

Hello!

I’m excited to share with you my version of the recipe called Cauliflower “Rice”.

This recipe is so quick to make that it became one of my staples!

I wanted to highlight the benefits of this recipe:

It is 100% grain-free and gluten-free!
It’s made with fresh vegetables and herbs – it means that your body will get lots of fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals!
It is low in fat and calories and has no added oil – it means it is perfect for those who watches the calories or tries to lose weight. (You can certainly add some olive, avocado or sesame oil to it if you like; however, I encourage you to try it first and see how it tastes to you.)
It has no additives or sweeteners; however, it tastes slightly sweet and pleasantly delicious because of the natural carbohydrates present in carrots and cauliflower.
This recipe is 100% raw and uncooked; however, you can steam or cook the cauliflower (and even carrots) if this is your preference.

You will need the following ingredients:

cauliflower, carrots, onion, scallion, avocado, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar,  and optional Himalayan salt.

You will need this equipment:

a cutting board, a knife, a food processor (I used a Cuisinart), and a mixing bowl

Ingredients:

2 cups cauliflower florets, chopped
3 carrots, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
1 scallion, chopped
2 Tbs parsley, chopped
1 avocado, cubed
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 Tbs raw apple cider vinegar
Optional: 1/16 tsp sea salt

Yield: 4 cups

Serving size: 1 cup

Method of preparation:

Put all ingredients (except avocado) in a food processor and pulse until the mixture combines homogenous.
Transfer the mixture into a bowl, add the cubes of the avocado, and mix it all well.
Test the taste and adjust as needed by adding more salt.
Serve immediately with any meal or as a snack.
Store in a refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Download the Recipe” Cauliflower rice”

Here is a quick video on how to make this delicious recipe:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctX8f-OiWqE
Let me know if you have any questions!

Enjoy!

Nataliya.

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“Burgers”! Vegan and Raw

I’m excited to finally share with you a very delicious recipe: Raw Vegan “Burgers”!

I made them for the first time around Thanksgiving holiday, and later I experimented with the recipe and tried a few different versions of it.

The bottom line: these “burgers” do not have any animal ingredients, so please do not expect that the taste and texture will be just as it usually is in an animal-based product.

However, these vegan “burgers” are still super delicious, satisfying, filling, and quite addictive in a good way (meaning that it could be difficult to stop after eating just one “burger”). The recommended serving size for this recipe is about 2 or 3 “burgers”, depending on their size, so it means you can eat more than one!

I just wanted to mentioned one more thing: some people pay attention to the color of the vegan “burger”, and, as I learned, it mostly depends on the ingredients that you use.

This recipe will have a brownish-reddish-purple color because of the beets, and if you decided to replace the beets with a green vegetable (such as celery), the color of your product will be brownish-green. As you can see on this picture, the colors are different, but the taste and texture will be similar.

What you will need:

  • Ingredients:
    • nuts, seeds, vegetables, herbs, and spices.
  • Equipment:
    • a knife, cutting board, food processor (I like Cuisinart), a large mixing bowl.

Method of preparation:

  • Process the nuts and seeds into a fine powder.
  • Process the vegetables and herbs into a smooth mass.
  • Combine the dry and wet ingredients, form patties, and assemble them into a “burger” meal.
  • The whole process takes about 15-20 minutes.

Download a full recipe here: Burgers raw and vegan

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup walnuts
  • 2 cups sunflower seeds
  • 1 stalk celery, chopped (1/2 cup)
  • 1 small beet, chopped (1/2 cup)
  • 1 carrot, chopped (1 cup)
  • 1 small handful parsley, chopped
  • 2 Tbs ground flax seeds
  • 3 Tbs nutritional yeast
  • 2 Tbs dried herbs (Italian seasoning)
  • Optional: 1/16 tsp sea salt

Yield: 5 cups or 9 burgers, Serving size: 2-3 “burgers”

Method of preparation:

  1. Process spices, nuts, and seeds in a food processor into a powder and set aside in a large mixing bowl.
  2. Process all vegetables and fresh herbs in food processor into a smooth mass.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, combine processed dried and wet ingredients using a large spoon or your hands, until it becomes a homogenous mass (if it is too wet, add more of the dried ingredients such as extra powdered nuts or seeds). The final texture should be not too soft or too wet.
  4. Measure about 1/2 cup of the mixture to make one patty.
  5. To serve, place a patty on a lettuce or cabbage leaf, and decorate with slices of bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, and parsley.
  6. Store in a refrigerator for up to 3 days, freeze up to 2 weeks, or serve immediately and enjoy!

Finally, I’m including my quick video with some ideas on how to make a “burger” meal and serve it in a beautiful and delicious way. Hope you find it helpful.

The inspiration for this recipe came from the book by Baird and Rodwell (referenced below).

Bon appetit and happy holidays!

Nataliya.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wi43YVpgEz0&t=6s

References:

Baird, L. & Rodwel, J. (2005). The Complete Book of Raw Food. Healthy Living Books: New York, NY

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No-Grain “Cereal”

Hello!

How many of you love to enjoy a bowl of cereal for breakfast? Surely, it is a very comforting meal.

Some of my clients as well as myself have sensitivities to the processed grains and added sugars. What to do? What to eat?

Today, I would like to share with you an easy no-grain “cereal” (or muesli) recipe that has no grains! Yay!  Best of all, it is free from added sugars, gluten, and any processed ingredients.

This “cereal” is delicious, pleasantly sweet, and has a creamy-crunchy texture that many of us love. It can be served for breakfast, or as a snack or dessert.

For this   No Grain “Cereal”  you will need:

  • 1 ripe banana, frozen or fresh
  • 1 cup of fresh seasonal fruit, cut in small chunks
  • 1/4 cup of fresh berries
  • 2 dates, pitted
  • 3 Tbs nuts
  • 3 Tbs seeds
  • 1 tsp cinnamon powder
  • 1 cup of water

 

 

Watch this quick video on how to assemble this recipe:

The recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 1 ripe banana, frozen or fresh
  • 1 cup of fresh seasonal fruit, cut in small chunks
  • 1/4 cup of fresh berries
  • 2 dates, pitted and chopped
  • 3 Tbs raw nuts, chopped
  • 3 Tbs raw seeds, chopped
  • 1 tsp cinnamon powder
  • 1 cup of water

Yield: 2 ½ – 3 cups, Serving size: 1 cup

Equipment: Cutting board, knife, blender, serving bowl

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Method:

  • Put sliced fresh fruit and berries into a bowl.
  • Blend 1 banana with water, cinnamon, and dates until smooth and creamy.
  • Pour the mixture over the fruit and berries.
  • Top with nuts and seeds, and gently mix together.
  • Enjoy for breakfast or as a snack or dessert.

Keep in a refrigerator for up to 2 days

Recipe variations:

  • You can use such fruits as apple, pear, nectarine, or figs
  • Any type of fresh berries can be used
  • Any type of nuts or seeds can work in this recipe
  • You can use plain coconut milk instead of water

Let us know if you have any questions!

The inspiration for this recipe came from Fully Raw Christina blog at https://www.fullyraw.com/ and Cafe Gratitude https://cafegratitude.com/

Enjoy and Bon appetite 🙂

Nataliya.