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 !!! 

Flaxseed & almond bread

Since I started this diet/lifestyle, bread has been the hardest thing to find replacement. At least I wasn't able to make fluffy loafs of bread, as the ones that we buy in the bakery.

I still find hard to achieve the perfect consistency when baking with coconut, almond flour or even with flaxseed. I tried dozen of recipes until decided to change how to mix the ingredients, and I have to say that finally my bread came out pretty well.
It was a success here at home.

It even looks like a real loaf, right?? I am proud of it :-)

Ingredients:

• 1+3/4 cup of flaxseed (milled) 
• 1/4 cup of almond flour
• 1 tsp on cinnamon
• 1 tsp of stevia (optional)
• 1 tsp of baking powder
• 2 whole eggs
• 5 egg whites
• 5 Tbsp of coconut oil

Let's do it:

• Grease a loaf pan and set the oven to 175 C
• In a bowl mix all the dry ingredients removing all the lumps
• In another bowl whisk the 2 whole eggs with the coconut oil
• Mix the wet ingredients in the dry ones 
• Let it settle and meanwhile whisk the 5 eggs whites until stiff peak
• Pour the egg whites in the mixture and with a spoon  until you get an homogeneous 
• Bake it for 35 minutes or until you insert a toothpick and it comes out clean

Time of preparation: 45 minutes (10 minutes preparing+35 minutes baking)

For today I leave you Flight Facilities, that I know since few years but only now I discovered that they are from Australia...I am still surprised with the good rock&roll and electronic music that Australia has to offer. 

I especially like this song as it fits perfectly in my vinyasa soundtrack :) 

Hope you enjoy it!! 

Enjoy the day and what it brings to you :) 

Mango chia pudding

The summer is back to Oman and although I don't really love this crazy heat, I love the wind that comes with the monsoon on the south of Oman allowing us to enjoy every weekend kiting :)

With the summer we need to improve our daily hydration and I tend to suffer a bit with dehydration, although I drink a lot of water during the day, all the water that we drink here comes from desalination water plants so doesn't have most of the nutrients that our body needs to fight dehydration. So I try to include in my diet, especially during the summer coconut water as it is super rich in nutrients as potassium, sodium, magnesium, manganese, calcium, vitamin C and is poor in carbohydrates so is perfect for us.

The good thing of coconut water, is that you can add it to your favourite smoothie, fresh juice and even to chia pudding, that is my new addiction.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of coconut water
• 1/2 avocado 
• 1/2 mango 
• 2 Tbsp of chia seeds 

Let's do it:

• Blend all the ingredients together (beside the chia seeds)
• Pour the mix to a glass jar and add the chia seeds and mix well with a spoon 
• Close the glass jar with a lead and place it overnight in the fridge
• On the next morning I added coconut chips and berries. 

We all take from granted things as having mineral water in our taps, bottled water in the supermarket. Sometimes we should stop and think that our reality is not the reality in a lot of places in the world. I came from a country where the simple water that comes from the tap presents an amazing quality. Then I moved to a country where I can't drink tap water, or is not advisable, and where the water is not mineral coming from desalination plants, lacking all the minerals that makes the water a good and nourishing drink.
At the same time I came across in Oman, with people from really poor countries where they didn't had any potable water in their own countries and where the price of a bottle of water is so overpriced that they avoid drinking water.

Life is a matter of perspective but is important, once in a while, to get out from our own perspective.

I know that we are far far far away from Christmas but today I am in the mood to listen Ryuichi Sakamoto.
He's a japanese musician, composer and some of his albums he worked with famous artist as David Byrne, Arto Lindsay and even Iggy Pop.

Enjoy the life that has been given to you...is so important to recognise that a life has been given to us and that every second is a blessing and that we should be grateful for every breath, for every drop of rain and sunlight, for every smile and tear.
Is so important to practice mindfulness in a daily basis and share this with others.