Glutenfree Granola

I wanted to make a variation on my other recipe Most important meal of the day part II (click for the link!), and I guess I have a new addiction. Oefff I invented a serious problem, this granola is so insanely good that you A. won't stop eating it, B. will never ever wanna buy the supermarket versions anymore so you have to make this again and again!!!

With this recipe you will create a huge pot of home made granola/cruesli, about 800 grams so you will have some portions after a bit of baking;-)

The recipe is full of healthy products, gluten free buckwheat, nuts and seeds, coconut oil and a sugar alternative that is low GI. It's 100% pure, 100% good for you and100% delicious. What more do you want?

Oh and time wise, it doesn't take that long. You need about 15 minutes for preparing the granola/cruesli, just about the time your oven is heating up. Than it needs 30 minutes of baking, while you are sitting down :P

Ingredients
300 gram flakes  (I chose 200g buckwheat flakes, 50g quinoa pops, 50g kasha (but you can make it with oat flakes, spelt flakes, only buckwheat or what you like)
100 gram (raw) mixed nuts, roughly chopped
100 gram sunflower/pumpkin seeds
70 ml coconut oil (liquid)
80ml maple syrup or honey
3 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla powder
2 tsp cinnamon

handful of mulberries and goji berries or any kind of dried fruit you wish

Preheat an oven on 180 degrees. Mix all the dry ingredients in a big bowl and add the coconut oil, vanilla, syrup and make sure everything is combined. Now add the 3 egg whites (just raw, you don't have to do anything with it) and stir again until everything is coated. Take a baking tray and spread the mixture evenly out on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, gently stir so the other side will bake as well for another 15 minutes. Let is completely cool down so it will be mega crunchy and you should have big chunks.

Serve with fresh fruit and (soy) yogurt. Also delicious as a topping on your smoothie, or just as a wonderful snack!

Nutritional information: each 40g portion is approximately 160 calories.

Berry stuffed fluffy oats

Gooooooodmorning!

I already mentioned I love oats and that they are full of health benefits.. (check out my overnight oats post as well). And I love breakfast, huuuuge breakfasts because I always wake up hungry.
So when I want to give myself a treat, it's all grey and rainy outside, I make myself this comfort bowl: A huge bowl of fluffy oats. It's huge, be prepared, but you will happy to see it doesn't contain that much calories. Isn't that a win-win situation? You get protein-good crabs-fruit, all round perfect combination.

Ingredients

30g old fashioned oats

1 egg white

1/2 cup frozen berries

5 fresh strawberries

handful of blueberries

1 tsp agave

1 tsp cinnamon

150ml unsweetened almond milk

Nut sprinkle on top

1 tbsp sliced almond, a few pecan nuts roughly broken, a teaspoon of hemp seeds (or your favourite combination)

Slice your fruit and set it to the side. Bake your nuts mixture in a clean pan until browned a bit (don't add oil). Then it's time to cook your oats in a bit of water until they are a bit softened, then add the almond milk and cook until done. In the meanwhile whip up the egg white in a clean bowl until amazingly fluffy (you can whip the bowl upside down without any of the egg white falling out). Now mix the frozen berries with the oats, sweeten it a bit with stevia if you like and add the cinnamon. Mix until the berries are not frozen anymore and then add the egg white, mix it well and let it cook for about 1 minute so the egg white is not raw anymore. Serve the oats in a big bowl and serve with the fresh fruit and nuts sprinkled on. Bon appetit!

Nutritional information: approximate 345 calories.

My Modelproof Candy Bonbons

Hey guys!

I am so sorry for not posting for a while.. I have been working a lot and being very sick.. No idea what's wrong but I'm just feeling bad!

I did cook a lot and have a lot of food to share with you! I made this perfect model proof candy, easy to take with you on the road, for a snack with your cappuccino, tea or latte.. or just.. wheneeeeever you want!

It's made out of fresh dates (not the hard, dry ones), almonds, cacao and coconut.. oh and a bit of goji berries.. so basically really delicious and healthy ingredients. The nuts will keep you full, the dates will satisfy your sweet tooth and the raw cacao and coconut is full of health benefits as well. Enough said.. just try it! ;-)

Ingredients
For about 12 balls
12 fresh dates (or medjoul dates), pitted
80g dry roasted almonds
1 tbsp water
1 tsp cinnamon

for on top 
1 tbsp goji berries
2 tbsp cacao
4 tbsp shredded coconut (unsweetened)

Mix all the ingredients for the balls in a food processor for about 1 minute. Place the mixture in the fridge for about 10 minutes so it all cools down after processing, this helps forming good balls. Then wet your hands a bit so your easily able to make small balls. Roll the balls in cacao powder, coconut, goji berries or a combination and place them back in the fridge. Get them out before serving, about 10 minutes!

Enjoy your healthy bonbons ;-)

Home made Pesto

Who knew that making delicious pesto is that easy? I mean there is soooo many junk in a simple jar, fresh pesto stays good for about 1 week in your fridge, yeah you can imagine, the jar you buy is not cooled so they have to add a lot to keep it good.
Well if you do have some time left, and you have a food processor, you will have an amazing red pesto in 5 minutes with just a few ingredients.

Ingredients

A handful of fresh basil leaves
40 gram Parmesan cheese
30 gram dry roasted cashew nuts
2 small garlic cloves
75g sundried tomatoes
75g tomato pasta
extra vergine olive oil

Put all the ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend until everything is pureed. You can add a bit of the oil of the sundried tomatoes and then add as much as olive oil needed until you've reached the right consistency. Now add some salt and pepper for your taste!

You can use this pesto for your salad, whip it up with some yogurt as an amazing dressing. Use a big spoon as a sauce for your pasta of "zugghetti", or on a piece of bread/wrap with some roasted veggies (damn delicious) the exact recipe will follow this week on the blog!

Healthy Superfood Osawacake

As soon as I've seen the cakes in my local organic stores I was always eager to try it out. And then Rens Kroes (renskroes.com) the sister of famous international model Doutzen Kroes came up with a recipe on her website. Inspired by this recipe I tried it out, a perfect on the road packed food since I'm at the Starbucks writing this blog at the moment. Out for a 2 day job traveling trip I know I will be tired as hell, traveling a lot.. and can use some power food! And oh my I love this cake!

This is a perfect breakfast, lunch or snack cake. It contains nuts, seeds, dried fruits, natural sugars, brown rice, oats and spelt. Hard to not love this cake!

Ingredients

200g brown round rice

125g spelt flour

5 tbsp sesame seeds

150g almonds

75g black raisins

75g blonde raisins

2 tbsp coconut oil

3 large dried figs, chopped up

3 dates, chopped up

180ml organic thick apple-pear syrup

1 tbsp vanilla powder

100g oats

1,5 tbsp cinnamon

1 tbsp cookie spices

1 tsp sea salt

Soak the raisins in hot water. Than pre heat an oven on 180 degrees Celsius and cook the brown rice according package. In the meanwhile you can prepare a cake tin with a baking sheet. Because you use non-fat baking sheets you don't have to use extra fat and the cake will be easily removed out of the tin, a healthier solution for all of your cakes and pies! Roast the sesame seeds and sprinkle on the bottom layer off the tin. Keep the rest of the seeds separated, chop the almonds roughly and roast them as well until fragrant and slightly browned. Mix all of the ingredients in the bowl with the cooked brown rice until you have a sticky dough mixture. Spread the mixture over the tin and press firmly. Sprinkle with the remaining sesame seeds and bake the cake in the oven for 50-60 minutes.

Chocolate cookie dough for breakfast

Be aware, you will have a new addiction. This recipe is incredibly delicious and healthy as well. It's fast, easy and doesn't require a lot. It does need a bit time, like 5 minutes of your real time and the rest it does for you while you are sleeping. And then... when you wake up, it's time to spoon in and enjoy this treat! Try it, it will become your favourite new breakfast, lunch, snack.. or even as a dessert!

Ingredients

30grolled oats
half a mashed banana
1 tsp cacao
100g soy yogurt
1 tsp (hemp) protein powder (optional but great for extra protein)
dash of vanilla powder or aroma
100ml non-dairy milk of choice (I had soy milk sweetened with apple)
tsp stevia sugar

And now the easy part, mix it all and transfer to a bowl. Cover and let it sit and rest overnight in your fridge. The next morning this delicious treat is waiting for you to spoon in.

Serving suggestion: sprinkle with some nuts and/or hot blueberries
Psst: the portion, serving size is bigger than this glass but this way it just looked too cute ;-)

Hot Goatcheese Salad

It's sunday.. That means time for a blog that's all about easy. Today a salad you can make in minutes, without making too much effort. You don't need to order, don't need a take away but just try this easy recipe!;)

"Error"

Ingredients

big handful of lettuce

half a cucumber in fours

1 large tomato, sliced

1 grilled bell pepper (pot)

a bit of red onion in half rings

seeds

goat cheese

good quality bread 

Olive oil, balsamic vinegar with salt and pepper for the dressing

Preheat an oven on 200 degrees Celsius. Than grab a plate and arrange the salad and vegetables on. Take a heat proof plate and pop the goat cheese in the oven until browned and a bit gooey. In the meanwhile make the dressing and roast the seeds in a pan on medium heat without any added oil, keep an eye on them because they can get a bit black when you don't;) combine everything and there you go, and easy delicious Sunday lunch or dinner.

Vegetarian Monday

For me it's really important to eat at least one day completely vegetarian, no meat, no fish. My boyfriend is not all to happy with that, but since I start making wonderful dinners and not mention in advance it's going to be vegetarian he is always happy with my created meals;) So this dish is perfect for those who want to eat vegetarian, without the feeling to miss out on meat.

Meat free Monday's Dinner

Ingredients
for the salad
a bag of lettuce
1 avocado
half a cucumber
2 Roma tomato's
goat cheese
seed mix (pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds)
1 eggplant in slices
a hand of diced butternut

add: vegetarian burger, my favourite when I don't want to make my own: the Provencal carré. A mix of zucchini, eggplant, goat cheese and herbs.

for the dressing
Pomegranate or raspberry vinegar
good quality olive oil
salt & pepper


Preheat the grill or oven on 225 degrees. Arrange the butternut on a peace of baking paper, slice the eggplant in rounds and place next to the butternut on a baking sheet.  Sprinkle the vegetables with olive oil, salt and pepper and let the eggplants grill for 10 minutes, turn and let them grill for another 5. The butternut needs about 20 minutes. When you get the eggplant oat, replace the space for the burgers. They need about 8 minutes. Make sure to turn them as well. In the time your vegetables are roasting it's time to prepare the rest of the salad. Grab a big salad bowl and mix the vinegar, olive oil salt and pepper in it. On top you can add the lettuce, the avocado in pieces, the cucumber in fours, the tomato in slices and after the vegetables are browned and cooled down a bit you can add the butternut and eggplant as well to the bowl, now it's time to mix it all up. Making your salad this way prevents the salad to get soggy because it combines with the dressing just before serving. Finally, crumble the goat cheese on top, get a big amount on your plate and serve with the vegetarian burger.

Bon Appetit!

Salad on the go!

Yesterday I had a fun and lovely shoot in the Netherlands. We made a cool editorial with all black and white elements with golden jewelry.

I knew the team and wanted to make something delicious for on set, something healthy ;-) I love salads, a lot of people think it's boring but I really don't understand how a salad can be boring. You can add whatever you like and make a million versions! I chose to make a rocket salad with some healthy ingredients like sweet potato which are high in vitamin B6, vitamin C and D, contain iron (proper immune functioning and white blood cell production) and are a good source of magnesium, which is the relaxation and anti-stress mineral. Further you need the best grain in the world quinoa, some goat cheese (use a good quality of feta cheese if you don't like goats cheese) and some vegetables and nuts. Further it just needs a bit of time and love to make this healthy, delicious salad.

Salad on the Go!

Ingredients

Quinoa
goat cheese
1 big sweet potato
raisins
rocket
cherry tomato's
cucumber
handful of mixed nuts
drizzle of olive oil
salt & pepper
cinnamon
vegetable stock

Boil water in a kettle. Grab a handful of raisins and add them to a cup with some of the boiled water, let it soak up the water for about 5 minutes. In the meanwhile slice the sweet potato in cubes (just wash, leave the skin on it's full of vitamins!) and cook them about 8 minutes until soft. In the same time you can cook your quinoa with some vegetable stock and a pinch of cinnamon. Cook until fluffy and let it cool down. Grab your Tupperware and start layering up. First the rocket, than the cherry tomatoes (in fours), the cucumber (in fours) and the cooled down quinoa and sweet potato. Sprinkle the chopped nuts, raisins and olive oil on top and serve with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper!

Some sneaky backstage unedited shots from the shoot