Sweets

Roasted Nut Mix

Natalie Alice Zigdon

This little delight has been my go to snack for months now.

I have been craving something sweet I can grab when I open the kitchen cabinet, and this hit the spot perfectly

And with literally 20 minutes in the oven and 5 prep time, it’s easy as a breeze to prepare as well.

Just make sure to pre heat your oven before and get cooking. (165 Celsius)

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Sweets

Banana Maple Cake ( Vegan & GF)

Natalie Alice Zigdon10 comments

It doesn’t take much to hide the fact that I am pretty much of a regular sweet tooth person, and as it turns out the more the Air Conditioning is on the more you’ll be able to hear me cry for help i search of tea, and as a firm believer of you can’t have tea without cake (I’m awful, I know), I just had to have something feed my sweet tooth need.

I would have to admit that the main reason I basically invented this little doughnut looking delight is 3 ripe bananas that were nearing their, and frugal old me just did not want to see them nana’s going to waste 🙂

What You’ll Need?

3 Ripe Bananas
200 Grams Coconut Butter
3 Tb Coconut or Almond milk
3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1 Cup Almond Flour
1/4 Cup Tapioca Flour
1/4 Cup Brown Rice Flour
1 Tsp Maple Flavouring
3 Tb Maple Syrup +
100 Ml Maple Syrup
100 Grams Roughly Chopped Pecan

How To?
I was seriously amazed at how easy and smooth this all think came to be. First think you’ll want to preheat your oven to 170ºc so you wont have the hassle of actually waiting for it to heat up later (Nobody has the patience for that:))
To begin you just want to cream you coconut butter and sugar together until smooth and fluffy, then add your bananas and all your other wet ingredients and mix away.
Now on a different bowl stir all your dry and ingredients and then gently and slowly pour them under you bananaey batter on lowest speed.
prepare your cookie pan of choice, and to the spirit of the jewish new year I chose this gorgeous Doughnut shaped Cake pan and sprayed some coconut oil inside of it. Make sure you oil it up nicely or your creation will be basically annihilated by crumbling cake chunks.

If you want to make it all gorgeously pecanny toss your pecans to the bottom there to get that special shape when you take it out.
Tap it over the counter to get rid of air bubbles and put it in your oven for 25 – 30 min or until golden.
Your not done yet! Use a skewer to pinch some holes inside and ladle some of your maple syrup on top there so it’ll all be nice and mapley and toss back to the oven for 3-5 minutes and that’s it.

Just because I like all things crunchy I let the top layer crisp in the oven for another 3 minutes after flipping it up and yes, I do conquer, It was yummy as hell 🙂

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Sweets

Vegan Oreo Ice Cream Cake

Natalie Alice Zigdon7 comments

News says (if you haven’t heard yet) that Oreo, that darn perfect little cookie, is vegan. And what better way to celebrate this deliciously awesome cookie but with an ice cream cake?  I know what you’re gonna say – ‘Hey Allie, an Ice cream cake made of Oreos is probably not the healthiest sugary sweet in the bunch!”, and yeah, You’re absolutely right about it.

But hey, it was a birthday cake (not my own), and what better way to splurge then someone’s birthday?  So if you’re looking for a wickedly good, healthier and a dairy-free version of an Oreo Ice Cream cake I’ve got you settled here with an awesome recipe that came up. Hope you’ll like it as much as the birthday boy did (Hint, hint – a lot!)

Vegan Oreo Ice Cream Cake

What you’ll need:

3 Cans of Coconut Milk Refrigerated Overnight ( Check for no Guar Gam in ingredients for better consistency)

100 grams of Cashews ( Soaked for at least 2 hours)

2 Vanilla Pods

1/2 cup + 2 spoons of organic cane sugar

3 Tablespoons Coconut oil

4 Packs of Oreo Cookies

How To?

While the process is fairly easy, you’ll find that most of your time is spent here for the “stripping” of the Oreos. No joke when I say it took me around an hour of sitting in front of my living room table with 30 rock reruns to finish it.

Call it what you will but for me that Oreo separation experiment was thrilling enough to continue.

It doesn’t need to be perfect and it’s not half as bad as you think it’ll be, but just don’t let too many “mistakes” get fixed using your mouth. I’ve lost way too many good men that way 🙂

Once you’re done with the Oreos it time to prepare the base of our giant Oreo Ice Cream Cake. Take all the cookie Parts, two TableSpoons of Cane Sugar, and the coconut oil and blend them all roughly in a food processor. you are looking for a nice soft texture that you can squeeze together. Once done, layer 1/2 of the mix to a round pan of your choice ( I used a 24 cm one) and set the remaining heavenly cookie mix aside.

Now, for the creamy filling, you’ll need to flip the cans of coconut cream once you take them out of the fridge and open them. The fatty creamy stuff will naturally go on top so just take that out to you’re mixing bowl and leave all the water aside (FYI, great for smoothies:)). Now add your vanilla and cane sugar and mix aside.

You aren’t done with the filling just yet though, If you really want that creamy sweet texture you’ll need one more step there. Drain your cashes and mix them up in you food processor with 1-2 Tb food coconut water (from the coconut milk can I’ve told you to save before). Add your Oreo filling and blend till you reach a smooth rich texture. Add the cashew batter to your coconut cream mix and mix on a low-speed till even.

Next step is the fun part, the preparation one ( Silent Yay :)). Evenly distribute your creamy batter on your Oreo base, and sprinkle the leftover Oreo cookie mix on top and thats it. I know its hard but try to resist it long enough to let it chill for at least two hours in the freezer before you nestle you face in it (guilty as charge :().

Have an amazing week peops!

Lots of love

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Tools & Tips

Yummy Mondays: Two Vegany Chocolate Delights You Have To Try

Natalie Alice Zigdon4 comments

I think I might just have to admit I have a huge problem here, and as much as I try to eat as healthy as possible I always seem to fall of the wagon and break. Yep. I have an addiction. But its not the alcoholic nor any other self destroying ones (depends of who you ask). I love chocolate! I crave it like a mad person whenever I feel sad, or bad. Whenever that time of the month comes, and whenever that irritating sweet tooth jumps by and bids its hello.

I didnt always love chocolate though. It kinda started with a lust to white chocolate when I was a kid (and yes, I do know that white chocolate is technically not chocolate) and made its way up to dairy and then the hardcore 70% and up kind, or as most people like to call it the fancy kind, and boy was  I hooked.

Unfortunately, most chocolatey treats are not vegan friendly nowadays, so I can sometimes find myself hurdling away finding an alternative, with an hungry heart and a crazed mind, so I did get a little overboard when I came up with this two lovelies here. This are not fat free, but they are down right much healthier then the store bought alternatives, and boy are they yummilicious!

And not to diss the White Chocolate, which is awesome indeed. But this Vegan Sweet Potato Brownies might just be one of the best I’ve ever made. Hope you’ll like it 🙂

Vegan Sweet Potato Brownies

What you’ll need

3 Medium Sized Sweet Potatoes

12 Majhol Dates

1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

100 gr Walnuts

50 gr Cocoa nibs

3 Tbs Cocoa

1/2 cup Almond Flour

2 Tbs Maple Syrup

1 Tsp  Himalayan Pink Salt

1 Tbs Coconut Oil

2 Tbs Almond Milk

How to?

Boil the sweet potatoes until soft and mash them all up in a food processor with your dates. And no, I’m not asking you out here ;). Once you reach an even consistency,  add your walnuts  and simply pulse that heavenly batch 2 or three times. Layer the all thing on a baking pan with some parchment paper. You can even decorate the think with some leftover walnuts as I did right here before you stick it in the oven for 15 minutes on 175°c. And if you can resist, I’d suggest letting it cool down for 30 – 45 minutes before grabbing a slice. Wouldn’t want to burn your tongue there, would you?

Dairy Free White Chocolate

What you’ll need

100 gr Cocoa Butter

3 Tbs Coconut Oil

1/4 Cup Cane Sugar

4 Tbs Almond or Soy milk (unsweetened)

1 Tbs Vanilla Paste or 1 Vanilla bean

Dash of Himalayan Pink Salt

How to?

Now this might not be the “official” Chocolatier way to do it, but it was the only way to melt the cane sugar and not get that grainy texture, I found after experimenting. Start by mixing the cane sugar with the  coconut oil on a double boiler, and mix throughly until the sugar is completely melted. Set aside and in a different bowl add all your other ingredients on medium to low heat. Make sure the hot water does not touch the bowl. The trick here, I found, is to get your cocoa butter melted, but still white. If it gets too hot you’ll want to let it cool and try again. Once its even add you coconut oil and sugar mixture and keep blending it slowly. after around 7-10 minutes you’ll want to get it off the water and keep mixing until the mixture is cooler, but still thick. Then just later it to the pen of your choice, hit it on the counter to let the bubbles out and put in your fridge to cool down

Oh, and make sure you wont be left on cloud nine for too long there

Happy sweet tooth day, and have a great weekend people

Allie

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Tools & Tips

Baked Falafel Goodness

Natalie Alice Zigdon6 comments

I think one of the most undeniably annoying things you’ve got going for you as a vegan is the lack of variety you get when you are actually on a budget.You crave for some substance but most of the store-bought patties can cost a fortune.

The matter itself goes pretty much haywire when you actually have a chef for a brother and an amazing  mom that cooks mouth throbbing foods every Friday, when everybody is just clobbering away during dinner and you end up eating salads and some rice for like the hundred time.

Yesterday, I’ve posted a picture on my way take for baked falafel to my Instagram and as the like meter went up the scale, I thought I would share this recipe with you sweet, sweet folks who took the time to pay me a visit. Hopefully you’ll like it just has much as I did

What you’ll need

500 gr soaked chickpeas

1 Onion

4 cloves of garlic

1 1/2 tbsp of cumin

2 tbsp of chopped coriander

1 tbsp salt

1/2 tbsp black pepper

2 slices of whole grain bread

4 tbsp sesame seed

3 tbsp black sesame seeds

1 tsp baking soda

How to?

Drain your chickpeas and put them up in your food products processor along with your garlic and onion and pulse process until grainy. When mixture is fairly even, add everything but your sesame seed inside and continue mixing it up until even and smooth. Once i to t’s smooth and divine add your sesame seeds, pulse until combined and move to another bowl.

Next step is ridiculously simple, just mold your falafely mixture into small patties and place in a 200 degree oven for 10-15 minutes and your done!

If you want them to have more of that fried feeling id recommend drizzling a little olive oil in top before placing them in the oven, or simply frying them, though for me it kind of diminishes the entire purpose of an healthier sort of meal. And that’s its, you’re done!

Put some hummus in there. Tehini and a salad on basically whatever it is you want and you’ve got yourself one great middle eastern treat there. Enjoy!

Lots of love

Allie

 

 

 

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Tools & Tips

Making Matcha White Chocolate

Natalie Alice Zigdon2 comments

I’ve been Vegan for about half a year now and one of the things I’ve missed most would probably have to be white chocolate. I’ve searched high and low and could not for the life of me find a non dairy version of white chocolate, And if there one thing any of you would probably have to know about me is that when I crave something, I would run miles and miles to get it. So I have tinkered with a couple variation and thought I’d share them with you. FYI, the ingredients are not at all cheap, quite the opposite actually. But if you wanna treat yourself, you might as well do a good job out of it.

What you’ll need

125 gr. Cocoa Butter

1 Tbs Icing Sugar OR 1 Tsp Stevia Powder

1 Tsp Vanilla Paste

1 Tsp Matcha Powder

1 Spoon Coconut Butter

Dash of Pink Himalayan salt

How To?

Add your coconut and cocoa butter into a double boiler on medium heat. Make sure that the bottom of your  bowl does not touch the water. Mix for 5 minutes or until even.

After mixture is even you can add your other ingredients and mix it all up to its greenery heaven

Next up just pore it all in your favourite chocolate pan (And if you don’t have one, the seriously get one fast. Cus seriously, how cute can a pan be?!)

Now just put in fridge for about an hour and thats it!

Learn from my mistakes

  • Pretty rudimentary, but if you use those little cute silicone pans like the one above I highly recommend straightening it up on a tray before pouring you liquidy chocolate mixture inside. Its impossible to pick up without
  • This is not at all sweet as store bought white chocolate, which I rather liked. But if its not your thing I suggest doubling the sugar or stevia amount
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    Tools & Tips

    Azuki Bean & Chia Vegan Burgers

    Natalie Alice Zigdon10 comments

    Now to be honest, last time I actually had the meaty kind of burger was probably when I was 9 or 10, so don’t blame me if these don’t taste exactly like meat, but it doesn’t make them any less delicious, so if you are craving a delicious, healthy, flavour packed vegan burgers then this lovelies are the just the thing to get your mouth throbbing

    What You’ll Need

    (For 24 Patties)

    1 Cup Whole Grain Rice

    2 Cups Water

    1 Large Onion

    3 Portabella Mushrooms

    5 Cloves of Garlic

    2 Spoonfuls of Szechuan dressing

    1 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

    1 Spoonful of Paprika

    1/2 Cup of Chia Seed

    1 Kg of Azuki Beans (Soaked)

    Salt and pepper to taste

    How to?

    The most time consuming part of this will most probably be soaking up the Azuki beans. You’ll need to grab a large ball and soak up the Azuki beans for at least over night. Be prepared, they’re gonna plump up quite a bit so make sure the ball is big enough or else you’ll wake up to a beanfull countertop.

    For the rice, first roughly cut the onions, mushrooms and garlic. You’ll be blending it all up eventually so dont mind the chopping too much. Saute the onions with the mushrooms and garlic with a tablespoon of some olive oil, and then add the rice. Keep saute it all up for 2 minutes and add your water and seasoning and cover lid. Leave in medium heat for 15 minutes and set aside.

    Once your rice has cooled down, pour it down you food processor and blend away. After your mixture is beginning to get mushy, gradually add your Azuki beans and chia and pulse until mixture is even. Don’t over mix it or it wouldn’t hold too well. after mixture is even let it rest, meanwhile you can either warm up a pan or put it on a baking sheet for the leaner version.

    I plated it with a touch of mustard, tomatoes, avocado, rocket and some vegan coconut oil cheese, and yes that’s actually a thing – and a pretty darn delicious one even – And decided to side it up with some hasselback potatoes with some cajun and paprika. Yum yum yum!

    Do yourself a favor people and just try this out, I promise you wont regret it

    lots of love

    Allie

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    Tools & Tips

    Raw Vegan Energy Bars To The Rescue!

    Natalie Alice Zigdon19 comments

    On a normal day to day basis I wake up at 5:30 to 06:00, and within getting ready, making my face up, Yoga and taking Kassie for her morning walk I barely have time to get grab myself anything to eat before leaving for work at 7:00, so I’ve decided to make this bad boy up to satisfy my morning blues. Now don’t let the look of this morning delight here in any way fool you. It might look a tad dark but its  wickedly deliciously and packed full of wonderful treats to help give yourself that much needed morning boost you. So if youre on the go kind of girl like me, this might possibly be your start of the day saviour. All you need is a little bit of prepping in advance and you’re good to go 🙂

    What you’ll need:

    500 grams of pitted soaked dates

    100 grams of soaked cacao nibs (to soften them a little bit)

    100 grams chia seeds

    2 Tbs of Maca powder

    pinch of Salt

    1 Tsp Vanilla extract or Vanilla Vegan Protein powder

    Tools:

    Food Processor

    Pan

    Parchment paper

    How to?

    Now this is ridiculously easy to make, all you need to do is mix it all up in a food processor until you reach an even texture

    Than just layer a pan with parchment paper and even the batter on top of it. Don’t be afraid to get your hand working there too! Dampen (and obviously wash) you hands and even it all up.

    leave the pan in the frizzer for an hour or two, remove it and slice the bars to your liking and return to fridge overnight, and thats it

    The bars won’t become too stiff in frizzer so you can just grab one out just before you head off to work for an healthy energy filled start of day

    Have an energy filled week!

    Lots of Love

    Allie <3

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    Tools & Tips

    The Best Vegan Vanilla Chocolate Chip Ice Cream You’ll Try (Probably)

    Natalie Alice Zigdon9 comments

    After  babysitting my nephews and niece a couple of weeks ago I’ve decided to tweak my healthy Ice cream recipe for their taste and they loved it so much I just thought I’ll make a quick recipe and share this vanilla mapley delight with you gorgeous guys and gals. Hope you’ll like it and have a great Valentine’s Day kind of a weekend 🙂

    What you’ll need:

    Approx 9 Ripe Medium Bananas

    1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

    (Optional) 1 Tbs Vanilla Vegan Protein Powder

    2 Tbs Pure Maple Syrup

    1 Tsp Maple Flavour Extract

    150 Non Dairy Dark Chocolate (roughly chopped)

    100 Grams Sweet Biscuits (I used some leftover Lotus ones, but digestive biscuits or Graham crackers will do fine)

    100 Grams Sweet Roasted Pecans

    Tools:

    Food Processor

    An empty stomach 🙂

    How to?

    Make sure your bananas are ripe and then just pill and dice them roughly. Put the bananas in the container of your choice and leave them in the freezer overnight. Once the bananas are frozen and stiff separate them and put them your food processor. If your handling some “separation anxiety”, and find it impossible to separate that huge bananaey clump, just let them thaw for another 10 minutes or so in room temperature.

    Process your bananas  with your Maple syrup, extract and all those other flavoury delights until you reach a smooth and soft texture Ice Cream texture, add the chocolate, and keep blending for another 30 seconds before adding your biscuits and pecans and that’s it!

    You can even add some blueberries, maple syrup and coconut cream on top if you’re feeling fancy like I did 🙂

    Lots of love

    Allie

     

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