Zucchini Banana Cake

I don’t often see zucchinis in Japan and when I do they’re imported and so super expensive. Though recently, my local farmer’s market/shop has starting selling 3/4 zuchinnis for the equivalent of $2 which I think is really cheap. I wished I had one of those zoodle machines (the ones that make noodles out of carrots, cucumbers and zuchinnis) to make a fancy salad with rice noodles and peanuts but it’s okay because I turned my zucchinis into the most delicious cake.

To make the recipe free of gluten, simply use GF oats and GF flour.

2 free-range eggs
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp pure maple syrup
1 ripe banana
3/4 cup oat flour (oats made into flour using a blender or food processor)
1 tsp pure vanilla essence
2 tbsp wholewheat flour
1 tbsp almond powder
2 tsp baking powder
1 zucchini grated
granola to top (optional)

Preheat oven to 180C.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients together.

Pour batter into a greased loaf tin.

Top with granola (optional)

Bake for 30 or so minutes.

Avocado chocolate mousse

In my previous post we established that to succeed at health-food blogging one must acquire an adorable child. So, here’s Emma, the cutest one of all promoting my healthy chocolate mousse.

Emma says, well if she could speak, she would say, “have you tried the unusual yet delicious combo that is avocado or as we Japanese say, “abocado” and chocolate?! Here, auntie Anisa presents it in the form of a HEALTHY delectable mousse topped with mixed frozen berries and raw macadamias. I sure digs it.”

Recipe here.

Banana berry and coconut okara cake.

Cake:
3 free-range eggs
2 ripe bananas
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup ground almonds
3/4 cup okara (soy pulp or any nut pulp left over from making nut milk will also work)
1 cup wholemeal flour (use GF variety if GF)
1/2 cup unsweetened desiccated coconut
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Topping:
1/4 cup mixed frozen berries

Preheat oven to 160C

Mix all cake ingredients together then pour into a greased cake tin

Top with berries

Bake for 35-40 min or until the fork comes out clean

PS What’s that in Emma’s hand? That’s right, my cake!

Fat free chips

What’s the bet this will become my most viewed post? Guess only time shall tell. Last week, I was given a bag full of sunchokes AKA Jerusalem artichokes from my friend and our local organic farmer, Gery. Sunchokes are knobby-looking tubers that grow underground. They are rich in vitamins and practically fat free. According to Gery-san, they grow all year round but are at their sweetest in winter. They are to be eaten like a potato, roasted, pureed into soup or last but not least, chipified. But, since I don’t eat fried food (lol), okay, you caught me, let’s try that again, since I don’t cook fried food, I baked my sunchokes. Baked em free of fat, salt or any additives at all.

Unlike most tubers, but in common with many other members of the Asteraceae (including the artichoke), sunchokes store the carbohydrate inulin (not to be confused with insulin) instead of starch. For this reason, sunchokes are the best “clean” potato substitute both for diabetics and the health conscious in general.

Ingredients:
Sunchokes.

Preheat toaster oven to 260C (don’t fret, I’m sure a regular oven will work too! You might just have to squat a few times outside of your gym schedule).

Wash sunchokes then slice em thin – best to use a slicer thingy (no need to peel, the extra fiber is good).

Rub between paper towels in order to draw out as much moisture as possible.

Place sunchoke slices on an oven tray and bake in small batches until crispy.
That’s it! Just watch them so they don’t burn by turning them often (hence the squatting/gym reference).

Nothing else, no oil, no spice, no salt. Just as is. You’ll be surprised at how naturally flavorful and sweet they are all nat-u-ral.

Enjoy as you would regular chips, with a movie, smothered in dip or at 3am in your lonesome bed. Nah, just kidding no one does that… so a more appropriate suggestion for this hashtagfitfam generation would be to mix them through your paleo salad.

eggplant pizzettes

I’mma be honest, living so far from home isn’t easy but these eggplant pizzas are worth it. Just kidding! What I’m trying to say is, I’m finding love in so many different forms and receiving it in an abundance of unexpected ways. Today, love took the form of a big bag of organic vegetables from my considerate colleague. I received eggplants, tomatoes, capsicums and cucumbers! Eating healthy and seasonal is so easy here! I am truly blessed. Ideally for this dish, bigger eggplants are better (more room for toppings, you see) but if you only have mini eggplants, like I did then you’ll just have to wing it!

1 or 2 big eggplants (sliced 1 inch thick)
salt (just enough)
1/4 cup pizza sauce
1/2 cup shredded mozarella (use vegan variety if vegan lol)
fave pizza toppings (I used cherry tomatoes, white onion, corn and green capsicum)

Preheat oven to 180C

Place eggplants on a lined tray and season generously with salt – this helps draw out the excess water

Prepare toppings (chop, slice etc)

By now, the water from the eggplants should  have surfaced so using a paper towel pat the eggplants dry – this will also get rid of the excess salt.

Bake eggplants for about 10 minutes (we dont want them getting mushy so watch them)

When ready, remove from oven and top with remaining ingredients:
sauce, cheese, toppings, cheese again is usually a good order

Bake for a further 10-15 min or until golden!

YUMMO