Raw salad

In those days that I don't have any inspiration in the kitchen and I don't really feel like transforming the kitchen in a kitchen lab, I tend to do all the time salads and since I bought a spiralizer I like to do raw salads with zucchini and beetroot especially...I just like the shape that you can give veggies I guess :)

I can do a nice looking salad, only with raw ingredients and make it super tasty and fulfilling. We are addicted to these type of salads and the good thing is that they are super easy to do. 

For this salad you will need a spiralizer for the zucchini and beetroot.

Ingredients:

• 1 zucchini 
• 1 beetroot 
• 1 capsicum (orange or yellow) 
• 1 green apple 
• alfafa sprouts 
• pine nuts
• feta cheese 
• pesto 
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil 

Let's do it:

• with a spiralizer transform the vegetables in the shape that you prefer ( I like to transform the zucchini in spaghetti and the beetroot in a spiral shape) 
• cut the capsicum and the green apple in small pieces 
• in a wok (or frying pan), pour the coconut oil and when warm enough, stir in the zucchini noodles for few minutes, until they become a bit soft 
• In a bowl add the zucchini noodles with the raw beetroot, add the capsicum and apple. Spread with some alfafa sprouts, feta cheese and pine nuts. Serve with a Tbsp of pesto or any favourite salsa.

*Note* - You can opt to not cook the zucchini if you prefer a full raw salad

Time of preparation: 15 minutes 

Quantity: The list of ingredients is enough for 2 people

Recently while listening Radar, a awesome Portuguese radio station, they were playing Pizzicato Five and it was like if I was traveling to the past. I used to listen so much this band in the 90's and today I decided to share it with you. 

Pizzicato Five is a Japanese pop band and their music is so energetic and happy that you should give a go and allow your body to dance :) 

I love them...

Chicken & Mango dressing

Summer is mango season and this dish is fresh and tasty, making it a nice match for the current season.

Chicken is the perfect restorative food for the brain and nervous system, as it contains Vitamin B as well protein. Mangoes are a good source of betacarotene with protective antioxidants and Vitamin A.

I found this recipe in a old book but I made some changes according to my diet and I found it super tasty. The mango dressing is an explosion of different flavours that combine really well together and combined with chicken creates the perfect fusion.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium mango 
• 2 sticks of celery 
• 2 limes juiced
• 4 large spring onions or half cup of the green part of leek 
• 1 large bunch of coriander or parsley (at your taste) 
• 2 Tbsp of olive oil 
• Chicken breasts to roast (or you can use the leftovers of a roasted chicken) 
• Lettuce
• 1 cucumber 
• 1 cup of red cabbage sliced 

Let's do it:

Chicken

• If you don't have any leftovers of roasted chicken , you can start by preparing the chicken. Pre-heat the oven to 180-200 C
• In a oven dish place the chicken breasts and season them with salt and fresh thyme. Sprinkle some olive oil on the top and do some cuts along the breast to make it easier to roast without getting dry
• Place it in the oven for 30 minutes 

Dressing 

• To prepare the dressing, put the mango, celery, lime juice, spring onions (or leek) into a food processor. Process it in medium speed
• Add the olive oil and the coriander (or parsley) and process it in medium speed until the parsley or coriander are chopped. You don't want highly chopped, you want it mixed and well combined but with visible leafs. 

In a plate arrange the lettuce leaves, the cucumber diced and the red cabbage sliced. Pile the chicken on the top and pour the dressing. Garnish with some sliced almonds or pine nuts if you want.

Quantity: The dressing serves 2 to 4 (depending of the amount of chicken that you have available)

Time of preparation: 40 minutes (30 minutes of roasting the chicken and the time of preparing the plates. I made the dressing while the chicken was in the oven)

I discovered Courtney Barnett in the beginning of 2016 and I was so lucky that I was able to watch her concert in Portugal last summer. 

If there is something that I love in Portugal is our music festivals. Bring it on summer...

Courtney Barnett is from Australia and as I already wrote in one of my previous posts, Australia is awesome in terms of music. Just name it, they have it...grunge, punk rock, indie rock. 

If you like punk rock and Indie music you should listen this girl. Although if your ears are too sensitive and too much into classical and boring music....don't listen, you will feel too much energy in your body and can cause side effects as dancing and jumping :) 

Seize the day people :) 

Paleo muesli with activated nuts

One of the things that under ketogenic or Paleo diet you start to consume a lot, are nuts and seeds. They are an amazing snack as alternative to cookies, biscuits, cakes and so on, however they have phytic acid that reduces our body's ability to absorb the nutrients present in nuts and seeds. They also contain enzyme inhibitors which force the body to work harder to produce the enzymes necessary for digestion and this process leads to a faster ageing of our cells.

Pete Evans, a Australian paleo writer, started to write about activating nuts and this became big worldwide and currently you will find easily in a organic supermarkets, activated nuts, paleo muesli, nut milks from activated nuts.

Activating nuts is nothing else than soaking nuts and seeds in salty water for few hours, between 4 to 12h depending of the nut and seed, and then dry them in the oven at low temperature or in a dehydrator.
This process of soaking and dry them, will break down the phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors and will make the nutrients a lot more readily available and easy to digest. Meanwhile there is actually some researchers that say that soaking nuts and seeds for long periods of time actually increases their nutritional value.

After all this information I decided to activate nuts and seeds and do my own paleo muesli and this was actually one of the main reasons that made us buy a dehydrator and until now I am super happy with it.

I followed Pete Evans soaking hours and to dehydrate them I just went a bit by trial error, opening the dehydrator and check when the nuts and seeds were ready.

All the nuts and seeds must be soaked in salty water and in separated containers, as they all have different times. Afterwards I place them in dehydrator under 110F, around 43C.

Almonds

Soaking time - 12h

Dehydrator - 15h

Cashews

Soaking time - 4h

Dehydrator - 15h

Pistachios 

Soaking time - 6h

Dehydrator - 12h

Sunflower seeds

Soaking time - 3h

Dehydrator - 12h

Pumpking seeds

Soaking time - 10h

Dehydrator - 12h

Cramberries 

Dehydrator - 12h

To do a paleo muesli I just combined all the activated nuts, plus the dried cranberries, goji berries and some organic coconut chips that I bought in supermarket. You can add some dark chocolate nibs as it makes it a bit sweeter and doesn't make any harm. I didn't had chocolate nibs so next time!
Mix all the nuts, seeds and dried fruit and keep them in a airtight container and it will last few months, however in here doesn't last long because we use it as muesli replacement and as a snack.
This paleo muesli matches perfectly with homemade coconut yogurt. I've been doing mine and is really yummy. I will post the recipe soon.

A easy and lazy morning as the one of today, needs some lazy music.
Mogwai are a Scottish post-rock band from Glasgow. They are still active, however they are not really known I guess.

Blueberry muffins

Lately I've being putting more effort into breakfast recipes than others, is a phase I guess. So today I decided to bake some blueberry muffins as blueberries are rich in anti-oxidants and I confess that I still remember when I was going to London and I had that blueberry muffins from Costa or Nero.

For me was mandatory to have a blueberry muffin every time that I was going to UK, sometimes I even asked my brother to get me one to have it as soon as I landed. 

Because few days ago I had this memory, I decided to try to bake some....and they went quite well I have to say.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of almond flour (I use fine one) 
• 1 tsp of baking soda 
• pinch of salt
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup of honey 
• 2 Tbsp of coconut oil
• 1 Tbsp of lemon juice
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract 
• 1 cup of blueberries (fresh ones)

Let's do it:

• Pre-heat the oven to 170C and grease muffin tins
• In a bowl mix the almond flour, the baking soda and the pinch of salt
• In another bowl mix the eggs with the coconut oil and lemon juice. Add the honey, the vanilla extract and mix well
• Add the wet ingredients to the almond flour mixture. Mix well with a spoon
• Add the blueberries to the mixture
• Scoop the mixture to the muffin tin and bake for 20-25 minutes

Time of preparation:  35 minutes (10m preparing+25m baking)

Quantity: 8-12 muffins

Today I am in the mood of listening Tom Waits, he is an American singer and songwriter and has a really peculiar voice.
Is easy to not like Tom Waits, but is even easier to love him and the way he sings.
Hope you enjoy, of not is okay anyway :)

"There's a winner in every place
There's a heart that's beating in every page
The beginning of it starts at the end
When it's time to walk away and start over again"

Beetroot sauce

I just passed one month in Australia, including Tasmania which is definitely a paradise on the top of the planet. Starting with the landscapes to the wildlife, finishing in the food and wine...oh gosh...I want to go back.

While living in Oman we don't have any opportunities to browse around in a bookstore because there's any, so while on holidays I like to browse for cooking books and healthy magazines, and Australia is perfect for this.
The amount of healthy shops, organic markets, good restaurants is amazing. I totally recommend Australia for a foodie. In one of several magazines I came across with several recipes for dipping sauces so as soon as I arrived home I started trying them out.

Although this recipe was not invented by me I think that would be nice to share it as it is so good and honestly, when it comes to food all recipes are from everyone. Is like the sun, when it raises is for all :) but for the record I followed Pete Evans recipe.

I leave you a beetroot sauce that is good as side dish with meat or as a dipping sauce with some vegetables sticks (like carrot, cucumber or celery), or to spread on the top of some savoury bread.

Ingredients:

• 1 large beetroot, peeled and grated 
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil 
• 1 large handfuls of parsley 
• 1 small red onion 
• 2 garlic cloves
• 4 tablespoons of oregano leaves
• 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• sea salt and black pepper

Let's do it:

• Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse it until finally chopped
• You can add more olive oil as it depends of the consistency that you desire and of the size of beetroot also

*Note* - You can store it in a airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. 

Time of preparation: 5 minutes

Somedays I am in the mood of some good old jazz, the one that makes you sing and dance. I am sure that Peggy Lee doesn't need presentation! 

All day's are good days....

Coconut&Chocolate Cookies

While browsing in Instagram I came across with a lovely picture of some cookies, and for the ones that know me....I simply love cookies. If you can check out in instagram all the cookies that "thehealthyhazelnut" has.
I changed few of the ingredients to match with a low carb and high fat diet. This was the third time that I tried them out, as I have been all the time adjusting the ingredients but I finally I  achieved what I was searching for. These ones I have to say they came out quite tasty and more with a cookie look :)

These cookies are a perfect snack for kids and adults and although has coconut sugar, is not refined sugar.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 3/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup of coconut sugar
• 1 tsp of baking soda
• 1 Tbsp of cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 Tbsp of coconut oil
• 1 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• 2 large eggs or 3 medium ones
• 1/4 cup of almond butter 
• 1/4 cup of cocoa chips of chopped dar chocolate

Let's do it:

• pre-heat the oven to 170 C and prepare a tray with parchment paper or silicone mat
• In a bowl mix all dry ingredients and mix well removing all the lumps with a spoon
• In other bowl the almond butter, vanilla extract, coconut oil and the eggs previously whisked and mix well with a spoon until get an homogeneous mixture
• Slowly add the flour mixture (dry ingredients) to the wet ingredients until get a homogenous and thick batter
• In the end add the chocolate chips or chopped chocolate and mix again with a spoon
• Spread some coconut oil in your hands (in this way the batter will not stick to your hands), remove small pieces of the batter with your hands and form balls. Align the balls along the tray and in the end use a piece of parchment paper to flat a bit the cookies. NOTE - You don't want to flat them too much
• Bake for 10 minutes. Try to not over bake them so they will stay soft. 

Time of preparation: 25 minutes (15 minutes to prepare the batter and 10 minutes baking)

Quantity: 20 cookies (it will depend on the size that you make them)

I have been in the mood of Feist. I used to listen a lot when I was in University and today I leave you one of my favourite songs...1234 :)

Enjoy the cookies :) 

Spicy Carrot&Ginger soup

Sometimes I crave for something different, different flavours, colours and smells.

Today I looked to the available vegetables that weren't many, and decided to make a soup, but as I was really craving for different flavours I decided to add some dry spices that I tend to use to cook meat and in the end I even surprised myself with the amazing soup that I had just made.

Meanwhile I thought about Thai soups that are made with coconut milk so I divided the soup in two batches and in one I added coconut milk to see how it goes, and turned out pretty tasty and fulfilling because of the coconut milk.

If you like food that when you eat, you feel like an explosion of flavours in your  mouth, you really have to try this one. 

Ingredients:

• 4 Tbsp of olive oil 
• 1 tsp of ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp of curry powder
• 1 tsp of ground ginger
• 2 onions (red ones) 
• 2 carrots 
• 2 small zucchini or 1 medium 
• 1 orange sweet potato 
• 4 cloves garlic
• 4 cups of chicken stock (organic or made by yourself) 
• salt 
• black pepper 
• 1/2 cup of coconut milk (optional) 
• 2 Tbsp of lime juice (optional) 
• Cilantro

Let's do it:

• In a large pot add the olive oil and add the ground coriander, curry powder and ginger and cook for about 1 minute under low heat
• Add the onions chopped, carrots, sweet potato and zucchini and stir to combine and cook for about 2-3 minutes 
• Add the chicken stock (or 4 cups of water if you prefer) and bring to a boil. Increase the heat to medium and let it cook until the vegetables are smooth, around 40 minutes. Make sure that you add extra water during this period, as the water tends to dry out
• When vegetables are smooth, season with salt and pepper and boil for more 5 minutes 
• With a hand blender, blend the vegetables. At this point you can add water until you find the desired consistency

As it's not advisable to keep soup in the fridge with coconut milk, I separated the soup in two batches. In one I let it cool down and kept it in the fridge for a next meal, and on the other half batch, under low heat I added the 1/2 cup of coconut milk and the lime juice, stirring well until the coconut milk gets well mixed in the soup.

• To serve pour the soup in bowls and add chopped fresh cilantro if you fancy

This soup was a success at our place. It is so tasty that I think that I will do it again for next week :) 

One of my favourite albums that I remember to listen quite often when  I was university was the "banana" album from Velvet Underground and Nico. This album made 50 years since it was released. The cover was made by Andy Warhol on the time of Pop Art movement. This album became a major influence and a  icon of the pop music on that time. 

I think I like every song form this album but today's choice is definitely this one...

Happy mood !!!