Sugar Free Challenge: Week 2

by Martin Hayman

BREAKFASTS

Banana protein pancakes

(Makes 14 mini pancakes)

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe bananas
• 1/4 cup hemp protein powder
• 1 cup almond milk
• 3/4 cup gluten free flour

Method:

Heat up coconut oil in a pan. Whizz everything together in a blender and ladle the mixture into the hot frying pan. Serve with fruit.

 

Raspberry porridge with flakes almonds and raspberries

• 1 cup porridge oats (gf)
• 3/4 cup almond milk
• 1/2 cup raspberries
• 1/2 tbsp toasted flaked almonds
• small handful whole almonds
• drizzle of raw honey

Method:

Heat milk in a pan on low heat and add oats. Keep stirring until it thickens up. Add to a bowl and top with toasted flaked almonds, whole almonds, raspberries and a dash of raw honey.

 

Beetroot and coconut smoothie  (serves 2)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 beetroot
• 1/2 avocado
• Handful kale
• Handful spinach
• 1 banana
• 1/2 cup coconut water

Method:

Wash all kale and spinach. Add everything into a blender and whizz up until smooth! Add more coconut water if necessary. Top with nuts and seeds!

 

LUNCHES

Homemade hummus and homemade tahini dressing for salads

Hummus

Ingredients:

• 2 x 400g cans of chickpeas. Reserve liquid
• 4 tsp tahini
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tsp Himalayan salt
• 6 tbsp quality extra virgin olive oil (plus extra for drizzling)
• 3½ tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Method:

Rinse the chickpeas and tip into the food processor. Add the tahini, garlic, salt, lemon juice and 1/2 cup of reserved chick pea liquid. Blend together and whilst slowly pouring in the oil. Keep blending until smooth.
Optional topping of paprika and coriander.

Tahini dressing

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup well-stirred tahini
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Method:

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth!
Serve with a mixed salad!

 

Tomato soup  (makes 4 small bowls)

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cans tomatoes (2x400g cans)
• 2 tsp oregano
• 2 1/2 tsp basil
• 11/2  tsp paprika
• 3 tsp bouillon powder in 1/2 litre boiling water
• pinch salt

Method:

1⃣ Heat oil in a large pan. Add onion and garlic and sauté until brown. Add tomato paste and mix until onion and garlic is coated. Add 2 cans chopped tomatoes, herbs and paprika.
2⃣ Pour in the bouillon water and add salt.
3⃣ Let it cook for a few minutes and pour into blender. Blend until smooth. Serve and enjoy!

 

Loaded sweet potato  (serves 2)

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 425 g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp each cinnamon and paprika

For the garlic herb sauce:

• 1/4 cup (60 g) hummus
• juice of 1/2 lemon (1 Tbsp)
• 1 tsp dried dill
• 1 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp Water or unsweetened almond milk to thin

Method:

1⃣ Preheat oven to 180°C and line a large baking tray with foil. Rinse and scrub potatoes and cut in half half length ways. Rub the sweet potatoes with a bit of olive oil and place face down baking tray.
2⃣ Toss rinsed and drained chickpeas with olive oil and spices and place a the same tray or another tray depending on size. Roast in oven for 30 minutes.
3⃣ While the sweet potatoes and chickpeas are roasting, prepare your sauce by adding all ingredients to a mixing bowl and whisking to combine, only adding enough water or almond milk to thin so it’s pourable. Once the sweet potatoes are soft – transfer to a dish and top with the chick peas and herb sauce. I added parsley and tomatoes to finish.

 

DINNERS

Spinach and beetroot burgers

Makes 12 large burgers (6 of each)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw quinoa (170g)
• 1 tbsp bouillon powder/1 veg stock cube
• 125g baby spinach leaves
• 150g boiled beetroot
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 free range eggs (or egg replacement)
• pinch Himalayan pink salt

Method:

1⃣ Cook your quinoa in 2 cups water with the bouillon/stock cube for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave to sit in the pan with the lid on.
2⃣ Meanwhile, pour boiling water over the spinach leaves in a sieve until wilted, run under cold water and then leave to drain. Squeeze excess water, chop into small pieces and transfer to blender with half the oil and 1/2 clove of garlic and blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl.
3⃣ Then blend the beetroot with the remaining oil and garlic. Transfer to a bowl.
4⃣ Once the quinoa is cool enough to handle, place half and half into 2 separate bowls. Mix in the spinach into one an the beetroot mix into the other. Beet 1 egg into each of them (or egg replacement).
5⃣ In a flying pan heat a small amount of coconut/olive oil and shape the mixture into burgers in the pan. Cook each one for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden. Serve with a salad and enjoy!

 

Spiced apple, butternut squash and raisin risotto  (serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of chopped butternut squash
• 2 apples, chopped into small chunks
• 1 1/2 cups risotto rice
• 1 onion, diced
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 6 cups vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp raw honey
• salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1⃣ Mix chopped apple and squash with all spices, oil and raw honey. Place on baking tray.
2⃣ Roast for 25 mins at 200°C.
3⃣ Sauté onion in frying pan until golden. Add rice and stir for a few minutes. Add the liquid stock gradually until rice is soft. Add raisins near to the end.
4⃣ Once all the liquid has been absorbed by the rice mix in the roasted apple and squash and serve! Add salt and pepper to taste.

 

Vegan vegetable curry  (serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 1 red onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 courgette, chopped
• 2 medium sized carrots, chopped
• 1 cup broccoli, chopped
• 1 sweet potato, chopped into cubes
• 1 regular potato, chopped into cubes
• 1/2 cup cashew nuts
• 2 cups spinach leaves
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 cup tinned coconut milk
• 2 bay leaves
• Mixed herbs

Method:

1⃣ Chop the potatoes into small cubes. Steam for approx 10 minutes, after 5 minutes add the rest of the chopped vegetables to the steamer.
2⃣ Whilst the vegetables are steaming, chop the onion and garlic and add to a deep frying pan with coconut oil, until slightly brown.
3⃣ When the vegetables are slightly soft, add to the frying pan. Add the coconut milk, turmeric, curry powder, spinach leaves and bay leaves. Leave to simmer for about 10 minutes. Before serving, mix in the cashew nuts and herbs.
Serve with rice.

 

DESSERT

Apple and rhubarb crumble  (serves 8)

Ingredients for fruit base:

• 10 dates
• 3 red apples
• 2 sticks of rhubarb (400g)
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1 tsp cinnamon

For the crumble:

• 1/2 cup almonds
• 12 dates
• 3/4 cup oats (gf)
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 tbsp butter
• 1/2 tbsp raw honey (add more if you have a sweet tooth, don’t add any if you’re not bothered! It’s lovely either way)

Method:

1⃣ Preheat oven to 160°C. Put dates in pan with 1cm water, cook until soft (about 5 mins). Put to one side.
2⃣ Peel apples and chop both the apples and rhubarb into smallish cubes. Add a tiny bit of water just coving the bottom of a pan and add the apple and rhubarb, steam for about 5 minutes, until soft but not mush.
3⃣ Mix in the raisins, cinnamon and date paste. Transfer fruit mixture into an oven proof dish.
4⃣ To make the crumble topping blend the dates, almonds and oats together in blender until fine crumbs form. In bowl mix in the oat mix with melted coconut oil, raw honey and butter until crumbly.
5⃣ Sprinkle the crumble over the fruit mix with your fingers and bake in the oven for half an hour, or until golden.

 

SNACK

Carrot cake balls

Ingredients:

• 1 grated carrot
• 1/4 cup of pitted dates
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup GF oats
• 2 tbsp shredded coconut
• 2 tbsp chopped walnuts

Method:

1⃣ Put all ingredients in the blender expect the walnuts and blend until everything sticks together.
2⃣ Transfer mixture into a bowl and add walnuts. Roll into balls and store in the fridge.

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