Healthy banana & chocolate muffins (v+gf)

I'm finally back with another recipe - yes, I am alive but university can really eat your time away! These sweet little muffins are filled with great flavor and nutrients, plus they are totally free of sugar, wheat, milk products and eggs so everyone can enjoy the famous banana-choc combination. 

Makes about 9 medium-size muffins:

*adapted from Zoe Nathan's "Huckleberry"

- 70g gluten-free blend (I'm using this one)

- 2 tbsp walnuts, roasted and ground

- 3 tbsp almond flour

- 1,5 tbsp flax seed meal

- 1 tsp baking powder

- 1 tsp baking soda

- pinch of salt

- 1/2 tsp cinnamon

- 3 tbsp canola oil

- 50ml honey

- 3 tbsp non-dairy milk of choice (I used almond milk)

- 3 medium-sized, ripe bananas, mashed

- 60g dark chocolate, chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 350F/180C.

2. In  a large bowl, mix gluten-free flour, nuts, flax seed, baking powde, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine. 

3. Fill the prepared muffin cups with batter and bake for about 20-25 minutes, until golden-brown on top and set on the inside. Cool slightly before serving.

 BON APPÉTIT ! 

Ferrero Rocher energy bites (v + gf)

Super tasty and healthy snack, perfect for school, work or just whenever you feel like getting something sweet and nutritious in your mouth. 

Ingredients for about 20 chocolate truffles:

- 2 cups dates, soaked in hot water for 5 minutes

- 1 cup roasted hazelnuts, skins off (plus more to decorate)

- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

- 50g dark chocolate, chopped

1. Melt the chocolate in a water bath until smooth.

2. Blend the dates, hazelnuts and cocoa powder in a food processor until you have a nice, smooth mixture. 

3. Form the dough into walnut-size balls. Cover half of each one in melted chocolate and dip in crushed hazelnuts. Refrigerate until set. 

BON APPÉTIT !

Oregano & rosemary pumkin bread (v + gf)

Ingredients for 25x12cm pan:
*adapted from: nirvanacakery.com

- 140g (1 cup) quinoa flour or buckwheat flour
- 100g (1 cup) ground almonds
- 2 tbsp ground flaxseed
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
- 2 tsp salt
- 200g (2 cups) raw pumpkin, finely grated
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 120ml (1/2 cup) warm water
- 80ml (1/3 cup) canola oil
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- sunflower seeds, for topping


1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F.

2. Combine all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix in the pumpkin, garlic, water, oil and vinegar. The batter will be quite thick.

3. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and sprinkle the sunflower seeds on top. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the cake tester comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool until serving.

BON APPÉTIT !

Gluten-free raspberry & chocolate muffins (gf)

These little ones are perfect for all those light summer feasts where dense and sugary bakes just seem too much. They are tender, full of healthy ingredients and totally guilt-free.

Makes about 15 muffins:
recipe adapted from australian Delicious magazine

- 110g (1 cup) coconut flour
- 200g (2 cups) almond meal
- 3 tsp gluten-free baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 3 free-range eggs
- 185ml (3/4 cup) canola oil
- 120ml (1/2 cup) honey
- 210g (3/4 cup) Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 180g (about 4 handfuls) fresh raspberries
- 130g (3/4 cup) dark chocolate chips



1. Preheat the oven to 170C/338F. Line the muffin tray with paper cups and set aside.

2.In a large bowl, sift the coconut flour, baking powder and salt. Mix in the almond meal.

3. In another bowl mix the eggs with oil, honey, yogurt and vanilla until smooth. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and mix well.

4. Stir in the choccolate chips and raspberries leaving some of the fruits for topping. Fill the paper cups with batter and decorate the tops with halved fruits.

5. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the cake tester comes out clean. If muffins start to brown too much, cover them with aluminium foil.

6. Place the baked muffins on a rack and leave to cool completely.

BON APPÉTIT !

Pineapple, kale & peach morning smoothie

Although my love for baking goods is absolute, I would never have a piece of cake for breakfast. Every morning something in my head keeps telling me to nourish instead of going for a guilty pleasure so I often decide to make myself a smoothie. Green one, with lots of fruit. 

Ingredients for 1 serving:

- 1 cup cold water

- 2 cups kale

- 1/4 chopped pineapple

- 1 peach, cubed

- 1 tbsp chia seeds

- lemon juice (for taste)

- ice (optional)

1. Put all of the ingredients in your mixer and mix well. So simple.

BON APPÉTIT !

Yogurt and mascarpone chocolate ice cream with red currant sauce (gf, no-churn)

I am back with another summer recipe! This time I have something special - chocolate ice cream made with yogurt and mascarpone cheese. Creamy, delicate and wonderfully easy! : )

Serves 5-6:

ICE CREAM

- 250g (9 oz) mascarpone cheese

- 200g (7 oz) plain greek yogurt

- 125 ml (1/2 cup) honey

- 6 tbsp good quality cocoa powder 

- 2 tsp chocolate liquor

- 1/2 tsp vanilla

SAUCE

- 200g red currants (fresh or frozen) 

- 2-3 tbsp xylitol 

- 1 tbsp water + 2 tsp potato starch 

1. In a large bowl, combine all of the ice cream ingredients and mix until fluffy. Transfer to a container and freeze for at least 6 hours. 

2. To make the sauce, heat the currants and xylitol. In a small glass, mix 1 tbsp of water with potato starch Wait until your fruits start to simmer and then add the starch mixture, stirring vigorously until thick. Remove from the heat and leave to cool completely. 

3. When your ice cream is ready, scoop into prepared bowls and top with the currant sauce. 

BON APPÉTIT !

Spinach salad with roasted donut peaches, goat cheese and pine nuts (gf)

So here it is - my very first non-dessert post! I thought this kind of recipe would be nice from time to time. Maybe I just love food too much and writing about sweets alone keeps me unsatisfied! I hope this sweet-and-sour plate of greens will be just right for your summer appettites :)

I mostly go with my gut while making salads so there are no precise amounts of each ingredient. Feel free to add more fruits, cheese or anything else, you simply can't make it wrong! 

Makes 1 hearty serving:

- 2 donut peaches

- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar + 1 tbsp honey

- handful of baby spinach

- 1 tbsp olive oil + few tsp pomegranate juice 

- 1/4 cup of soft goat cheese, crumbled

- 2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted 

- salt and pepper to taste

+ fresh berries for topping (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 200C (400F). 

2. Cut the peaches into slices and place them on a baking tray. Mix the balsamic vinegar with honey and drizzle everything over the peaches. Bake for 25 minutes until slightly caramelised. 

3. Put the spinach leaves on a plate, then coat them in olive oil and pomegranate dressing. Top with cheese crumbs, peaches and pine nuts. Season to taste. 

BON APPÉTIT !

Meringue semifreddo with strawberry and thyme sauce

Today was probably this year's hottest day. Well, it is still uncommon for us to see 21 degrees Celsius (70F) at 7 am. Without strong wind and abundant amounts of ice cream, we would surely be dead by now. 

Semifreddo makes one of my family's favorite summer desserts. There are no special preparations, but you will definitely need some patience while waiting for it to freeze. This treat goes well with literally everything and is amazing if you don't have an ice cream machine.

Ingredients for 23cm x 10cm loaf pan :

SEMIFREDDO

- 300ml double cream

- 100g crushed meringue

- 1/2 tsp vanilla

- strawberry slices for topping (optional)

SAUCE

- 200g chopped strawberries

- 2 tbsp sugar

- 1 tbsp potato starch

- 1 tbsp water

- 1 tsp fresh thyme (or a pinch of dried one)

1. Line the pan with plastic wrap.

2. Beat the cream until fairly thick. Stir in the crushed meringues and vanilla. 

3. Pour the cream into the lined pan and freeze overnight. 

4. To make the sauce, bring the strawberries with sugar and thyme to the boil. Let it simmer for a while. In a separate dish, dissolve the starch in cold water and then add the mixture to the remaining ingredients. Stir frequently on a medium heat until thickened. Leave to cool completely. 

5. Serve your ice cream in slices, topped with sauce. 

BON APPÉTIT !

Strawberry amaretto crumble pots (v + gf)

Summer is pretty much here and I can't wait to load my kitchen with piles of fresh fruit and veg. But for now I am soaking up the sun and creating a thousand ways to eat strawberries.

Today I made for you a quick dessert which could as well be an individual meal. It is really healthy and you have my permission to eat as much of it as you want. 

Makes 8 small servings:

FRUIT

- 500g fresh strawberries (little ones halved, larger quartered) 

- 2 tbsp xylitol or brown sugar

- 1 heaping tbsp of potato starch

- 1/2 tsp cinnamon

- 1,5 tbsp amaretto liqueur

- vanilla

TOPPING

- 100g rolled oats

- 100g buckwheat flour

- 75g xylitol or brown sugar

- 125ml melted coconut oil 

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/356F.

2. In a bowl, mix the strawberries with all of the other ingredients to combine.

3. Put the oats, flour and sugar in a separate bowl and stir with a wooden spoon. Add the melted oil and rub the mixture with your fingertips to create a fine crumb. 

4. Discard the excessive strawberry juice from the bowl and tranfer your fruits to the prepared ramekins. Top with a fair amount of crumb and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

*To make your dessert fancier, try serving it with honey sweetened yogurt. 

BON APPÉTIT !

Fresh strawberries with sheep milk yogurt, granola & buckwheat honey ( gf )

It may be quite ridiculous to make a recipe for something that simply doesn't need one but it is stronger than me. This bowl full of beautiful mess is my summer comfort food which disappears along with the end of strawberry season in Poland. This makes it really special and absolutely worth an individual post. 

It does perfectly as a breakfast meal but you can honestly eat it anytime (like me), adding some chocolate cookies and sipping lemonade. 

Makes 1 serving:

-150g sheep milk yogurt*

- 8 fresh medium-size strawberries, chopped

- handful of homemade granola (for example from here)

- 2 tbsp unsweetened corn flakes 

- 2 tbsp buckwheat honey

*sheep milk yogurt is my definite favourite because of its creamy consistency and rich flavor. You can freely substitute it with any other but I encourage you to try this one if possible. 

Mix all ingredients in your favourite bowl and eat immediately - you've now created a true taste of polish summer. 

BON APPÉTIT !

Raspberry rosewater chia pudding (v + gf)

Mornings are definitely my favourite thing. I cannot image starting the day without a moment to enjoy good food and give my body some nourishing boost. I also truly believe that breakfasts are one of the most important things for maintaining a healthy life and weight. Even when you like to snack on a piece of homemade cake from time to time ; )

Makes 2-3 servings:

- 400ml coconut milk

- 200g raspberries

- 3 tbsp honey (agave nectar for vegan option)

- 60g chia seeds

- 1 tbsp rose water

- fresh fruits and pistachio nuts for topping

1. In a large bowl, put together the milk, raspberries, honey and rose water and blend until smooth. Stir in the chia seeds.

2. Divide the mixture between your prepared bowls or jars and refrigerate overnight.

3. Top with fresh fruits and pistachios just before serving.

BON APPÉTIT !

Flourless chocolate chip & peanut butter cookies

There are only a few posts on this blog and yet there's no way to hide my love for peanut butter. I make it every month just to be sure I always have a jar on hand. You never know when you will be in need ; )

These cookies are amazing. Just like almost every sweet thing created by Nigella, it takes only a couple minutes to make and still they surprise you with great, original flavors. When the cookies are hot, they can be a little bit crumbly but they tend to soften when left in a container for a day or two. 

Ingredients for about 16 cookies:
*recipe adapted from Nigella Lawson's new cookbook "Simply Nigella"

- 230g smooth peanut butter (preferably homemade or as natural as possible)
- 100g light brown sugar
- 1 free-range egg
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- vanilla
- pinch of salt
- 50g good quality dark chocolate, chopped

Preheat the oven to 180C/356F.

In a large bowl, beat the peanut butter with sugar, baking soda and salt. Stir in the egg and vanilla.

Combine chopped chocolate with the cookie batter, take a large spoon and start placing a walnut-size balls on a lined baking tray.

Press lightly with your hand and then bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges turn golden.

BON APPÉTIT !

Butterry hazelnut granola ( gf )

Compared to the regular granola recipes you can find all over the Internet, this combination of a few simple ingredients may not be the "slimmest" but it is without doubt the yummiest one. Besides, it totally wins with all  of the popular store-bought cereal. So if you're not on a diet right now, this jar of crunchy goodness should be your pantry's must-have. 

As Julia Child used to say: "With enough butter, anything is good."

Ingredients to fill two large jars:

- 500g rolled oats (use certified ones to make the granola gluten-free)

- 250g roughly chopped hazelnuts

- 3/4 - 1 cup honey

- 3 tbsp melted butter

- 1 tbsp dark cocoa powder

- pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 175C/347F.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, hazelnuts, cocoa and salt. Mix in the honey and butter to evenly coat all of the dry ingredients. Spread the granola on a lined baking tray.

Bake for 15 minutes or until slightly golden, remove from the oven and stir the granola with a wooden spoon. Bake for another 10 minutes. When ready, let it cool completely before transfering to an air-tight container.

BON APPÉTIT !

Nutella cake (v+gf)

I love healthy sweets. Especially those with which your thoughts wander through its chocolatiness without mentioning the lack of white flour, milk, eggs and butter. While testing this recipe, I've started to recall my less successful vegan bakes and by the end I don't really know what compelled me to take up the creation of the cake free of almost everything. But with a little bit of determination something wonderful was born - an intensely moist, chocolate cake with a gentle hazelnut taste, which was a great success even among the most bitter traditionalists. 

Ingredients for 18cm cake tin:

Source: minimalistbaker.com

- 4 tablespoons of ground flaxseed + 10 tablespoons water

- 1 cup (250ml) of unsweetened almond milk

- 1.5 tsp apple cider vinegar

- 3 tsp baking soda 

- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons maple syrup (honey for non-vegan option)

- 154g cane sugar 

- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil

- 1 tsp vanilla extract 

- 2 cups unsweetened applesauce

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 1 cup of good quality cocoa

- 120g almond flour

- 50 g oat flour

- 200g gluten-free mix*

Chocolate ganache:

- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

- 230g good quality dark chocolate, chopped

- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil

- 150 g powdered sugar

- 175g roasted hazelnuts, half whole, half chopped

CAKE

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/360F. Grease two small cake tins with oil and coat with flour. 

2. Mix almond milk with apple cider vinegar and leave for 5 minutes to curdle.

3. In a large bowl, combine flaxseed with water. Leave for couple minutes until adding sugar, maple syrup and curdled milk. Mix everything to combine.

4. Add apple sauce, vanilla, coconut and salt. Mix again.

5. Then stir in cocoa, flours and baking soda. If the dough seems too thick, add a little more almond milk. 

6. Separate the batter between two cake tins and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center of cake will be dry. When ready, take out the tins from the oven and let them chill for about 15 minutes. After that, carefully remove the molds and put the cakes on a wire rack to cool completely. 

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

1. In a small saucepan heat up the almond milk and turn off the fire as soon as it begins to boil. Pour into a bowl, add the chocolate and leave for 3 minutes to melt. 

2. Once melted, stir with a wooden spoon to combine the ingredients and add coconut oil. Leave for another 10 minutes.

3. Use a hand mixer to beat the mixture adding sugar at the same time. When smooth, refrigerate for about 10 minutes to solidify. Proper ganache should be solid but easy to spread.

4. Beat the mass again and if it turns out to be too thin, add a bit more sugar.

5. Place the first layer of cake on a plate and spread approximately 1/3 of chocolate on the top. Sprinkle a handful of chopped nuts.

6. Set the second layer and use the remaining ganache to evenly coat the edges and top of the cake. Garnish with whole hazelnuts. 

* Mix together: 280g rice flour, 100 g of potato starch and 30g of tapioca starch. Store in a sealed container.

BON APPETIT!