Banana & Blueberry Muffins

I love porridge and have it for most days for my breakfast.  Today I felt like something different and made these delicious little muffins yesterday which are great for breakfast or as a snack.  Dairy and wheat-free.  

Banana & Blueberry Muffins (makes around 12-14 muffins) 

75g softened coconut oil

30g honey

2 large bananas, mashed (use fork or blender) 

1 handful of blueberries (wash before)

120ml almond milk (or oat / rice milk)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

150g buckwheat flour

25g of hemp seeds

20g grounded flaxseeds

1. Preheat oven to 180 celcius. Place muffin cases into a muffin tray or baking tray.

2. Cream coconut oil and honey until soft.  Mash bananas with fork or blend until smooth. 

3. Mix the remaining ingredients (except blueberries) until smooth consistency.

4. Spoon into muffin cases (2-3 tablespoons). Sprinkle blueberries on the top.

5. Bake for 25min until the tops are golden.  Let cool before eating.  Store in airtight jar.  

Blue Tuesday

Today wasn't my day.  My great plan to wake up early to get everything ready for the day while husband being away didn't start so well. The girls woke up unusually early, demanding breakfast and play and different clothes to wear, not the ones I chose of course.  After a few showdowns with my gorgeous-terrible-two-toddler, we headed outside to play in cold and dark playground.  The grey weather was making me feel even lower and I realised that I hadn't have a proper winter for 16 years.  I missed the snow and freezing temperatures.

Apparently Monday was the most depressing day of the year, called 'Blue Monday'. Researchers say that post-Christmas blues, worries about debt, low motivational levels and poor weather were getting people down.  

However my day did get better.  A friend popped over for an impromptu cup of tea and a gossip and my darling toddler learned to say 'happy' from Pharrell's song "Happy".  I also learned an interesting technique, a 10 minute spring clean of your mind, where I could off-load everything that was bothering me today.   

I definitely had my 'Blue Tuesday' today.  Have you had your 'Blue Monday"? And how do you ift your spirits?  I would love to hear your comments!  

Festive Baking

This date cake is a recipe from my grandma. She used to bake this every Christmas.  I slightly tweaked the original recipe by making it wheat-free and instead of refined sugar, I used honey. Dates contain fibre, potassium, some B vitamins, magnesium and calcium.

This cake fills the house with beautiful Christmassy smells which made me think about my gorgeous grandma who loved to bake!  

Mummon Taatelikakku (Finnish Christmas Date Cake)

200g pitted dates
2dl water (200ml)
200g butter
4 eggs
1dl (100g) organic honey
3dl (300g) gluten-free flour
1tsp baking powder
1tsp baking soda

1. Chop dates, put in a pan on medium heat and cover with water. Once soften, blend till smooth.  Add the butter until melted. Cool down.
2. Put eggs and honey into bowl. Beat until airy & foamy. 
3. Mix flour, baking powder and soda and add to egg-honey mixture. 
4. Add cooled date-butter mix in two batches. And pour dough into a pound cake tin (which was buttered before).
5. Bake for 45-55min in 175 degrees (depending on your oven). 
6. Test if cake is ready with clean toothpick.  If dough still wet, bake a few more minutes. 

Coconut Oil - a miracle or hype?

Coconut oil is a hot topic at the moment and it certainly has its critics and fans.  But is it a ‘miracle oil’ as many claim or should it be avoided? 

Extra Virgin Coconut Oil by Royal Green

Coconut oil contains 90% saturated fatty acids and most of them are medium-chain triglycerides. Saturated fats are linked with increase cardiovascular risk however medium-chain triglycerides have been associated to reduce fat mass. What makes coconut oil special is that is contains lauric acid.  Lauric acid has been found to support immune system through its antimicrobial activity as it helps to destroy bacteria, fungus and viruses such as Candida (Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 2001). Additionally 1996 and 2011 studies found that coconut oil could be useful in protecting mouth as it prevents plaque and gingivitis.  

Saturated fats are more stable in cooking as they are more resistant to higher temperatures unlike olive oil and other vegetable based oils. By cooking with coconut oil could prevent oxidation that occurs when cooking oils in high temperatures. Oxidation damages oils components, creating harmful free radicals. However, do not exclude olive oil from diet as it has been linked to be reduce inflammation and may reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Olive oil is better to use it on salads or stir-frying in low temperatures for a few minutes.

Another point in a favour of virgin coconut oil that it is non-hydrogenated. Hydrogenated and processed oils (some coconut oils) and vegetable oils, have been through several refining processes, destroying antioxidants and essential fatty acids. 

Coconut oil is best to use in small to moderate amounts and as a part of a well-balanced diet and choose organic unrefined virgin coconut oil as it is non-hydrogenated. If you do suffer from any health issues, it is best to talk to your doctor or nutritional therapist before using it. 

My top 10 uses of coconut oil: 

• Cooking
• Baking
• Moisturiser - day, night, foot cream 
• Hair conditioner 
• Eye make-up remover
• Lip balm
• Natural teeth whitener 
• For a quick energy source
• Sunburn 
• Nappy rash (for my baby!) 

Beetroot Chocolate Cake

(Sugar & wheat-free)

Here is the recipe for the heavenly chocolate cake I made last weekend. 

The original recipe is from Kiitos Hyvaa Blog, a fantastic Finnish well-being site with great recipes and health tips  http://www.lily.fi/blogit/kiitos-hyvaa I have tweaked the original recipe slightly. 

Don't be scared off the ingredient list, it is actually quite a simple cake to make. 

Base Ingredients:

2 beetroot (peeled, dice to small pieces)

3 eggs

100g of Raw Cacao powder

100g ground almonds

150ml oil (half of olive oil, half of coconut oil. Melt coconut oil)

50ml of honey

1.5tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla essence

Sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg

Pinch of sea salt,

cinnamon, nutmeg 

Chocolate frosting:

8 dried dates

50ml raw cacao powder

50ml coconut oil

50ml water

Pinch of sea salt

Indulgent Choco-cake! 

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees. Steam or boil beetroot until starting to soften. 

2. Blend beetroot and eggs in a blender.  Add cacao powder, ground almonds, oils, honey and baking powder. 

3. Add vanilla essence, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Taste and add more spices if needed. 

4. Use 17cm springform cake tin and oil the base and sides.  Put piece of baking paper and pour the cake dough into to tin. Bake (middle level) for 35-45min. Check if cooked by using a toothpick, if clean it is ready. Let the cake cool down.

5. Frosting:  Blend dates and melted coconut oil.  Add water and cacao powder and mix until smooth paste.  Add pinch of salt.  If too thick, add more water.

6. Smear over the cake and sides and add mixed berries; blueberries, blackberries, raspberries. 

Enjoy!!

Chocolate - Guilty Pleasure or Healthy Snack?

I admit it, I love chocolate!  If I've had a tough day or just feeling bit blah, I treat myself with bit of chocolate, dark or raw.  Don't get me wrong, I didn't always like dark chocolate.  I grew up eating plenty milk chocolate, like many other Finns.  However since starting studying nutrition and health, I switched to dark chocolate which tastes like a 'real' chocolate compared to the sugar-laden milk chocolate. 

Chocolate is made from cocoa beans through a long and complicated process by using fermentation, cleaning, dehydration and crushing techniques. Following this, fats, milk powder, sugar and other flavourings are typically added to make chocolate more palatable to the general public. Raw cacao, however, is unprocessed and has over 300 chemically identifiable compounds. Unprocessed cacao contains magnesium, iron, copper, zinc and antioxidants and  high content of flavanols which are also found in green tea, red grapes and red wine. Chocolate, with higher cacao content, has been found to have health benefits such as lowering blood pressure and cardiovascular protection (through procyandins, epicatechin and gallic acid content). 

Chocolate also contains theobromine, theophylline and caffeine which can act as stimulants in our central nervous system. Dark chocolate and raw cacao can have higher content of these substances.  These substances can raise serotonin, a neurostransmitter, which is involved with many body functions such as appetite, sleep, memory.  Serotonin, happiness hormone, has beneficial effect on mood and lower levels has been linked to increase risk of depression. 

Although chocolate may possess health benefits, it should not be eaten in excess and a few pieces a day is enough.  Furthermore,  choose carefully your chocolate. Dark chocolate has a higher cacao content; less processed, less saturated fats and sugar and more beneficial nutrients.  So next time you feel like chocolate, grab a darker version with minimum of 70% of cacao solids and check the label for sugar content and other additives.

I use raw chocolate in baking and in smoothies.  I've found (and my family) that it is almost impossible to consume larger amounts of it and few pieces is enough to satisfy the craving.  And without the guilt factor!