Embracing a whole food plant-based diet and natural health.
Chickpea flour also known as Garbanzo or Besan flour is made from ground chickpeas. It is pale yellow in colour and a staple ingredient in Indian cuisine. It is a gluten free flour and can be used to add a good boost of protein to a range of recipes This mixture can be thickened up and used a s a pizza base, used as a wrap for salads or eaten like a pancake with either a sweet or savoury topping.
This recipe is very much like fried rice but uses cauliflower instead of rice. Cauliflower belongs to the cruciferous family of vegetables which are known for their health promoting benefits. For this recipe, I used what vegetables I had in the fridge at the time but you could truly use whatever vegetables you liked and I’m sure it would turn out just fine. You could also add some tofu or cashews for some protein and make a meal-in-one or just serve it as an interesting accompaniment to a main dish.
These crackers are very versatile and can be made into any size or shape and used to accompany dips or topped with either sweet or savoury spreads. I always used wheat for these crackers but wheat is not the product it used to be. New modern cultivars have been introduced which are easier and quicker to grow but lacking in nutrients. I generally use Wholemeal spelt flour these days. Spelt is an ancient grain which although distantly related to wheat has a superior nutritional profile being higher in protein and minerals. It is lower in gluten than wheat but obviously still unsuitable for celiacs. I am still working on perfecting a gluten-free cracker as they don’t hold together quite as well as these do!
I love zucchini noodles! They form the basis of a fresh, healthy, raw salad and combine well with basil pesto. As a bonus, zucchinis are low in calories due to their high water content yet they are very nutritious containing high levels of potassium, manganese and the antioxidants Vitamin C and A.
Tomatoes are rich in many nutrients including the antioxidant lycopene which is linked with a reduced risk of heart disease and cancer. Lots of recipes for tomato relish typically include lots of sugar and/or vinegar. This is my healthy version using fresh beetroot to add natural sweetness to the mixture.
This dip can be made using raw capsicum but the flavour is certainly intensified by roasting the capsicum. Did you know that a one cup serving of red capsicum contains 100% of your daily requirement of the antioxidants Vitamin A and C. That’s a great incentive to include more capsicum in your day.
The flavour of this dip is very intense so you need to be an olive lover in order to enjoy it! Olives are a staple of the Mediterranean diet and are linked with a range of health benefits including helping to reduce inflammation in the body and protecting against heart disease.
There are many different versions of LIfe Changing Bread on the internet now. The original recipe I believe came from the website My New Roots This is my variation using some beetroot fibre for added nutrition and an interesting shade of pink!
This recipe is actually a thickened version of (VEGAN) CASHEW SAUCE. The end product definitely wont taste like its dairy counterpart but it is tasty in its own right and the health benefits are many!
I ordered something similar to this chickpea spread on a wrap at a café one day. It was really tasty so I came home and did my best to replicate the recipe in the kitchen. It is an easy filling for sandwiches or wraps and the combination of chickpeas and tofu gives it a high protein boost!