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Lemon Yoghurt Cake

July 28, 2014 · 20 Comments

I have been hankering for something delicious and lemony!

Combined with some yoghurt that needed to be used and inspired by this recipe, I baked a lemon yoghurt cake.

It is dense, moist and very zingy. I really like it and so did the kids!

If you are familiar with orange almond cake, the texture is a bit similar even though it’s made differently.

If you can’t get fine polenta, just process regular polenta a little first in the food processor so your cake isn’t too ‘crunchy’!

If you are dairy free, you can try it with coconut yoghurt and coconut oil, but I can’t make any guarantees.

As usual, I love feedback, so let me know if you make it and how you go. Send me a photo on Facebook!

 

Lemon Yoghurt Cake

Vital Stats: Gluten free, Refined sugar free

Okay, so this is what you need:

1 1/2 cups organic almonds (or almond meal)

1/2 cup fine organic polenta

1/4 cup tapioca flour

1/2 tspn bicarbonate of soda

3 organic eggs

Juice and zest of one organic lemon

3/4 cup organic coconut or rapadura sugar

125g organic butter, cubed and softened

3/4 cup organic greek yoghurt

 

Okay, this is how you do it:

Preheat the oven to 170° celsius and line a round, deep cake tin with non-toxic baking paper.

Thermomix: 

Whack the almonds in thermy and blitz speed 7 for 10-15 seconds to make almond meal.

Throw in the rest of your ingredients and mix, speed 5 for 20-30 seconds until all ingredients are well combined and the batter looks smooth.

Fling into the cake tin and into the oven for 45 minutes or until cooked through. Cool on a wire rack and use a serrated knife to cut. It can be eaten slightly warm.

Non-thermomix:

Use almond meal and process all ingredients in a food processor until combined.

 

HOT TIP: This is delicious served with cream, custard or more yoghurt. If you can’t get fine polenta, give it a whizz in the thermomix or food processor before you start.

 

Want more lemon recipes ??

10 Zesty Lemon Recipes 

 

 

Filed In: FOOD / Tagged: almonds, cake, gluten-free, lemon, lemon cake, lemon recipes, lemons, thermomix, yoghurt, yoghurt cake

Why I am activating my nuts!

October 14, 2013 · 52 Comments

why-i-am-activating-my-nuts

 

Why I am activating my nuts!

 

It’s time. I had to start doing it. I had to start activating my nuts.

Funny thing about keeping a food diary, is you can soon start pinpointing what foods are making you feel good and what foods are giving you a pain in the belly! My body also gave me the loud and clear via kinesiology muscle testing that activated nuts are good for me.

So, nuts………..prepare to be activated!

 

Okay so what is activating?

Activating is the process of unlocking the life force of nuts, seeds and grains. Activating releases their toxic substances and nutritional inhibitors. This is not a new concept, most ancient civilizations soaked nuts, seeds and grains!

Sally Fallon, author of Nourishing Traditions, says “according to Dr. Edward Howell, enzyme specialist, our ancestors ate most grains in partially germinated form (sprouted). Grains standing in stacks in open fields frequently began to sprout before they were brought into storage. Our modern farming techniques prevent grains from germinating as often the goal is a longer shelf life.”

 

Okay, so how do you activate your nuts?

Easy! Just soak your nuts in salt water. Allow about a teaspoon of salt per cup of filtered water and make sure there is enough water to cover the nuts.

Lemon juice, apple cider vinegar or yoghurt are added to grains and seeds rather than salt. This brilliant graphic from Wake Up World explains how long each nuts, grains and seeds need to soak for. You don’t have to make it too complicated though, just overnight in some filtered water is cool.

 

soak_nuts

 

After soaking, rinse well and you can now eat them or use them in recipes wet. However, they will only keep in the fridge for a few days. To extend their shelf-life,  you can dry them out using a dehydrator or the oven. I find the dehydrator much easier – you can chuck them in and (almost) forget about them. How long will depend on your dehydrator, so check the manual, but around 12 hours should be okay. Just make sure to test them to make sure they are very dry.

If you want to use the oven, spread them out on a baking tray and whack into the oven on the lowest temperature – about 60 degrees celsius. It will take about 12 hours or overnight. You have to stir them occasionally. After cooling them down, they can be stored in an air-tight container.

Hot Tip: Make sure your nuts are very dry and crisp because they will go mouldy otherwise!

 

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Why would you activate your nuts?

Like I mentioned, eating a lot of raw nuts can give some people a tummy ache!

Here is what my favourite nutritionist, Cyndi O’Meara has to say:

“Our digestive tracts find it hard to extract the minerals from uncooked grains, nuts and seeds. Cooking or soaking the grains, nuts and seeds releases the toxic substances and nutritional inhibitors including; phytates, tannins, and goitrogens, which bind the minerals and make these nutrients easier for the body to extract and utilise for maximum digestibility. One particular problem with grains, nuts and seeds is that they also contain enzyme inhibitors which can block the action of trypsin and other protein digesting enzymes. This can produce serious gastric distress, with reduced protein digestion causing chronic deficiencies in Amino Acid uptake. Therefore soaking nuts, grains and seeds increases the amount of minerals, vitamins (especially B Vitamins) and protein readily available for absorption. Remember it’s not what you eat; it’s what you digest and absorb.”

 

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

 

Can you buy activated nuts?

Yes, you sure can. Check out some activated nuts at Organics on a Budget. Unfortunately, because of the activating process, the price shoots up to about $40-$50 a kilo. I can get organic almonds for around $15 a kilo through our co-op. We go through a lot of nuts in our house, so doing it myself is a more economical option for us.

 

What do you do with activated nuts?

Well, you eat them! Just use them as you would normal nuts – use in recipes or just snack on. You can sprinkle on some seasonings during the drying process like pink salt and apple cider vinegar or spices for a yummy treat.

 

Do I really have to activate my nuts?

Well, I tried to get away with it, thinking I didn’t have time to be faffing about soaking and dehydrating! Unfortunately after a year and a half of eating more nuts than I ever have before, my body is telling me I need to. If you don’t eat a lot of nuts, it’s probably not a big deal. However, if you are eating a lot of nuts, seeds and grains, it might be worth checking in with your body and see how it feels when you eat them un-activated versus activated. Remember bio-individuality and always be led by what your body says.

 

Do you activate your nuts? Tell me about it.

 

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 Only one of the best books I have ever read!

Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon.  Click here to buy.

 

UPDATE: This dehydrator in the photos did not last long before the plastic started cracking. I am now saving up for an Excalibur. 

Filed In: HEALTH / Tagged: activating, activating nuts, almonds, grains, seeds, soaking, soaking nuts

Choc Banana Protein Smoothie

July 29, 2013 · 27 Comments


Choc Banana Protein Smoothie - Natural New Age Mum

 

Choc Banana Protein Smoothie

 

I have been experimenting with different smoothies lately.

They are a great way to get superfoods into your diet. This recipe came to me in the middle of the night (and yes, I had to get out of bed and write it down so I didn’t forget it).

I wanted to make a smoothie for breakfast that tasted good but also had a good amount of protein to get me through the morning. It did both of those things. I was actually a little surprised at how well it filled me up – sometimes drinking smoothies for breakfast means I need to eat morning tea!

Let me give you a rundown on some of the superfoods and why they are so good for you before we get to the recipe.

* CACAO. Rich in magnesium, iron and antioxidants, cacao is also a natural appetite suppressant. But what I love most about it, is that it contains the amino acid tryptophan, which leads to the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that promotes feelings of joy and may help prevent mild depression. Start the day off happy!

MacaPowder300g

* MACA POWDER. I am a recent convert to maca powder, but I am loving the general health benefits and feelings of energy I get when I take it. Maca is a nutritionally packed super food rich in amino acids, vitamins minerals & essential fatty acids. Maca is rich in vitamin B12 and protein (handy for vegans).  It contains vitamins B1, B2, B12, C and E. It provides plenty of calcium, zinc, iron, magnesium, phosphorous and amino acids.

It is also well-known for helping to regulate hormones, increasing libido, increasing energy, improving acne and skin conditions and alleviating symptoms of depression and anxiety.  Read more here.

* CINNAMON. I put cinnamon in everything. Not only because I love the taste, but cinnamon has so many health benefits, including lowering our blood sugar. It can also help with things like PMS, candida, arthritis, headaches and migraine! Read more here.

* BANANAS. High in potassium, magnesium, B vitamins and antioxidants, bananas also produce tryptophan! Find out some more good things about nanas here.

* ALMONDS. Almonds are a good source of calcium, vitamin E, some of the B vitamins,  and are about 20 percent protein, so they are also very filling. Copper, iron, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, magnesium, manganese and selenium are present in almonds.

* INCA INCHI POWDER. You may not have heard of inca inchi before. It’s fast becoming very popular as a natural protein supplement. Inca Inchi Protein Powder is over 60% complete protein. It’s also high in vitamins A and E, calcium and omega 3.

“Inca inchi powder is made from the nut that has been cold pressed to remove the oil (Inca Inchi Oil). The dried nut powder contains one of the most highly digestible, low-irritant, high quality proteins (unlike some whey based, chemically enhanced protein) and thus has become one of nature’s superfoods!” Cyndi O’Meara

 

So this little smoothie is a powerhouse of nutrition, will fill you up and make you happy! Now, Let me tell you how to make it:

 

Choc Banana Protein Smoothie

Vital stats: dairy-free, gluten-free, sugar-free, egg-free, vegan, vegetarian, full of superfoods!

 

Okay, so this is what you need:

1 organic banana

1 cup (250ml) organic milk of your choice (I used nut milk)

1 teaspoon inca inchi powder

1 teaspoon maca powder

2 teaspoons raw, organic cacao

2 teaspoons almond or other nut butter

1 large medjool date

1 teaspoon cinnamon

 

Okay, so this is what you do:

Whack everything into your blender/thermomix/ food processor and whizz it like crazy for a minute.

Pour into a glass and enjoy! It serves one large glass or two small.

Do you like smoothies for breakfast? What do you put in them?

 

Nutra Organics

Get superfoods at my affiliate shop.

Filed In: FOOD / Tagged: almonds, banana, breakfast, cacao, chocolate, cinammon, dairy-free, egg-free, full of superfoods!, gluten-free, inca inchi, maca, nut milk, protein, smoothie, sugar-free, vegan, vegetarian

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