Apri-coco-walnut Energy Bars

Dried apricots are never my go-to snack. Like never.

Ahem, dates are so so so much better.

But hey, team it up with coconut and walnuts? And whip them into cute little fun-sized energy bars to pick me up in the afternoon? And make them taste like those artificial apricot squares sold in the shops when it's actually made of unprocessed and unrefined all-natural nutritious ingredients?

Umm .. you had me at hello.

Today's post shall be kept simple, just like this recipe which I am sharing in response to some of my dear Instagram followers' requests :)

Ingredients
1 cup dried apricots
1 cup dessicated coconut
1/2 cup walnuts
1/3 cup quinoa flakes (or rolled oats)
3 tablespoons chia seeds
2 tabelspoons raw honey
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
Pinch of cinnamon

Method
1. In a food processor, chop the walnuts before adding in the dried apricots. Pulse for a few minutes until the two begin to blend together.
2. Add remaining ingredients and process until thoroughly combined. Add more coconut oil if the mixture is not dry enough.
3. Press mixture into a lined baking pan and refrigerate overnight, or if you're impatient like me, freeze for a couple of hours.
4. Slice into pieces/bars and eat!

Secret confession: 
My favourite part about making energy bars is slicing them into perfect - or not - squares and shapes.

Jaffa Breakfast Jar

Earl Grey tea, the perfect tea blend of bergamot orange, has always been a favourite to pick me up during those sluggish Winter mornings or warm Summer afternoons. It's a very soothing tea for me and I love the subtleness of the sweet citrus flavours.

One rainy Spring however, I thought, why not combine this distinct flavour with some cacao/chocolate? Because you know chocolate tastes amazing with anything pretty much. 

And ta-da, another weird clean creation by yours truly, somewhat reminding me those Jaffa lollies I used to buy from the supermarket as a kid - you know those round little confectionery balls with a soft chocolate centre and hard red orange-flavoured casing? If in doubt, ask Google.

I've come to enjoy the somewhat bitterness/blandness of tea so the Earl Grey will be quite evident in this recipe, making it less sweet and creamy as ordinary chia pudding. To help you if you're a particularly sweet sweet tooth though, feel free to add in extra sweetener (when serving) to suit your tastebuds, substitute some of the chilled tea with extra milk or maybe even chuck in some mandarin/orange pieces with it to soak overnight!

Earl Grey Chocolate Chia Pudding
Serves: 2 

Ingredients
1 cup brewed and chilled Earl Grey tea
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/4 cup chia seeds
2 tablespoons cacao powder
2 tablespoons maple syrup/honey

Method
1. Combine tea, milk and chia seeds together in a jar, before adding in cacao and maple syrup/honey.
2. Cover and refrigerate overnight but stir every 20 minutes for the hour so that the chia seeds don't clump up.

Good morning and good day!

Smelly breath? No worries, I've got you covered.

Ever wondered how chewing gums or mint lollies are able to give you that cool refreshing feel in your mouth? 

Well if you didn't .. I'll tell you why anyway.

The prime ingredient in them is xylitol, a sugar alcohol that's 70% as sweet as sucrose (table sugar). Because it's not absorbed by the intestines it's often used in 'low joule' or diabetic-friendly food products. When we chew it, heat is drawn from our mouth as a form of energy to dissolve the xylitol, hence giving us that cool, refreshing feeling we get - neato right? I think so.

Today's recipe is a little treat to fix those chocolate aero bars and mint lolly cravings .. or your garlic breath from lunch. 

The dates keep these guys chewy (even after refrigeration) and they have a nice soft balance between sweet and minty. If you want them more dense for satiety or nutrition content you could also substitute some of the cacao powder with chocolate protein powder. This might reduce it's sweetness and would require some sweetener though.

Chia-ful Chocolate Minty-Breath Balls
Makes: Around 18 bite-sized pieces

Ingredients
1 cup dates
1/2 cup cacao or chocolate protein powder
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/4 cup almonds
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
3-4 tablespoons water, as needed
1 tablespoon honey (optional)

Method
1. Using a food processor, finely process dates, chia seeds, cacao and almonds altogether until combined.
2. Stir in peppermint extract and tablespoons of water at a time until you get a dough-like consistency. 
3. Roll big teaspoons into balls.
4. Coat in extra cacao, coconut, chia seeds and eat straight away or refrigerate.



I felt obliged to take a photo of one bliss ball half eaten to show you its insides .. just kidding. Note to self: never take photos of food when you're hungry - your stomach is too busy distracting your mind from taking proper, good-looking photographs.

Oh and be sure to hydrate yourself with water when eating these because since the chia seeds haven't absorbed any water yet .. they'll end up doing that when they're inside you. Ouch..?

Adios amigos!

Stale bread is for you, not the birds.

A lot of the time when I buy a loaf of bread I find myself excruciatingly slow to finish it all. And since no one else in my family appreciates the deliciousness and nutritional value of rye or wholegrain bread, often it ends up staling on the kitchen bench. Waste right?

Now it's not that I don't enjoy eating bread, it's just that:

a) My preferred carbs are sweet potatoes, chickpeas and oats.
b) I rather eat sources of proteins and fats because they fill me up more - so much that I end up forgetting about that loaf of bread I bought 5 days ago..

Anyone have a similar problem or am I just an odd eater?

Well if you are, here are 10 simple solutions to turn that nearly-stale-not-yet-mouldy-bread into something spectacular.

1. Bake a sweet fruity bread pudding for breakfast.
2. What about savoury pudding for lunch? Throw in some mushrooms and spinach instead.
3. Process it into breadcrumbs to coat your chicken breasts or meat balls.
4. Cut it up and toast into croutons to add some crunch to your soups and salads (think Panzanella).
5. Make some French-ass toast.
6. Cook up an egg in a basket (refer: V for Vendetta)
7. Use it as a base crust to make mini quiches in muffin tins.
8. Chuck on some minced garlic to make garlic bread or salsa for bruschetta.
9. Stuff it into a chicken or turkey.
10. Can't decide just yet? Freeze it and decide next month.

Happy Friday!

Super-dooper Salmon Soba Salad

Anyone heard of soba? It's a type of Japanese noodle made of buckwheat flour which I absolutely fell in love with when holidaying in Japan early this year. While tasting delicious, it's relatively low in calories compared to white pasta, is gluten free and protein packed with all the amino acids essential for good health compared. Win.

This light and refreshing dish (packed with all the good-stuff) might seem a bit tedious to put together but you won't regret it after you try the the soy marinade. It really brings together the flaked salmon, noodles and vegetables together. Feel free to replace the carrots or kale with snow peas, asparagus, broccoli or whatever other  vegetables you like - the more the merrier anyway! 


Oh yeah and this can be served cold or warm depending on your mood (or the weather).
Enjoy and have a fabulous weekend (while I study for my last two exams..).

Salmon Soba Salad
Serves 2

Ingredients
2 salmon fillets
1 large carrot, grated
2 cups of kale, washed and chopped
1 packet dried soba noodles (packets usually vary from 200-250grams)
2cm piece fresh ginger root, minced
2 tablespoons mirin/Japanese rice wine
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius and line a baking tray with foil. Lightly rub salmon with salt and pepper and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil. 
2. Let the salmon sit in the fridge for 10 minutes before baking it for 20-25 minutes until your liking (I personally like my salmon still half raw). When it's done, pop it out, let it cool, flake into smaller pieces and set aside.
3. Cook the soba noodles according to instructions (similar to pasta, boil water + dump them in + wait). Drain the noodles and run under cold water. Pop it in the fridge if you prefer it chilled.
4. Bring another (or same) saucepan of water to boil. Blanch the kale by stirring them into the boiling water for a minute or so, remove, drain and run immediately under cold water.
5. In a bowl mix together vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, mirin and remaining 1 teaspoon of sesame oil. 
6. Finally assembly this together with the kale, carrot, flaked salmon and half the soba noodles. Top with extra grated ginger, spring onion, chilli flakes or sesame seed.
Enjoy :)

Transformation Tuesday + PB&J SORBET - AKA The Majin Buu

Some of you guys probably would have seen this post yesterday on Instagram but I'll do some explaining any-hoo.

I absolutely love being in the kitchen. Nothing gets me more than trying to think of new ways to incorporate super foods into my life. I find it so fun experimenting with different tastes and combinations and it's always such a sense of accomplishment to me when my finished 'product' comes out a success. 

But you know because I am always in the kitchen I do tend to get really messy ... and lazy ... Bottom line is: I love cooking but I HATE cleaning. Hate it.

And as a result my kitchen bench is usually a pig sty full of different jars, half opened packets and packaging everywhere. (As you can see above). Oh and I absolutely hate those packages that quinoa, chia seeds, flour etc always come in because you actually have to CAREFULLY reseal them every-time or they lose their quality - #aintnobodygottimefodat.

I finally decided it was time for a makeover so yesterday (hence Transformation Tuesday) I invested in some beautiful pint-sized mason jars - you know, those things that everyone is so into these days because they're so cute and perfect and fun-sized yet 'sah indie'. After an hour or too this was my result:

What do you think?!

I think next time I'll buy some bigger sized mason jars to store more inside, but hey look how neat my bench is now! The near-impossible was possible. I now have so much more space to work with and don't have to worry about annoying paper packages everywhere. I swear I could just stay in my kitchen all day gazing at my kitchen bench with all its prettyfulness - breakfast, lunch and dinner times just got way more exciting. 

Is it weird that while so many girls my age spend money on clothes to look good and things to decorate their rooms with, I instead spend my money on ways to neaten my kitchen? You could say that I do spend money on looking good too .. through food to nourish my body :)

Okay now enough with today's rant and to today's clean creation.

This one's pretty similar to acai bowls and my previous blueberry froyo post but is more like sorbet because it requires less liquid and without the protein powder content. 

Even though I call it PB+J there actually is no jam in it (I know, I breathe dishonesty) but the blended berries do give a similar taste to jam anyway right right right? You get what I mean. And the peanut butter just goes well with anything so it's a given that these two combo's go together like a house on fire.

Oh and do try use coconut milk if you can, the lauric acid in it makes it just that much better. 

It was so pink + thick + chunky (+ it's so FLUFFFFFFFY) it was just a big ball of goodness - hence the title 'Majin Buu'  (for all you awesome kids who, like me, was raised watching Dragon Ball Z haha).

This snapshot could have been so much better but fear got the better of me when I was taking photos. I rushed to take it as soon as I finished blending/decorating because I didn't want it to melt in todays warm weather before it was too late :(
#firstworldproblems

PB+J Sorbet
Serves 1
Ingredients
Just over 1 cup frozen strawberries (any other frozen berry is fine also)
1/4 cup coconut or almond milk
1 heaped tablespoon peanut butter or PB2
1 teaspoon acai/berry powder (optional)

Method
Blend, blend and blend! Make sure you do so thoroughly and get into all the nooks and crannies :)
Dig in before it melts!

Lots of love,

The Gluttonous Nutritionist

A Bircher Muesli as Sweet As Pumpkin but not

Bircher muesli is always a nice energising way to start your week especially when it's a warm one rather than with hot oatmeals. It's so versatile, packed with heaps of goodness and super easy to prepare if you're short for time in the morning.

With this I decided to combine the delicious flavours of sweet potato and the juicy apple together and wow I was not disappointed. For this recipe, if you don't have sweet potato butter (refer to past post) you can always substitute for pumpkin butter or sweet potato/pumpkin puree (if you do then you may need to add sweetener). 

A lot of Bircher muesli recipes call for either milk or apple juice for the oats to absorb. It's up to you which liquid you prefer, neither skimp on taste. Milk will make the Bircher muesli creamier while juice will make it refreshingly sweeter - however I personally am not a fan of adding apple juice because generally bottled ones are packed with artificial sugars (and I don't always have time to home-make my own apple juice).

Happy Monday everyone!

SWEET POTATO APPLE BIRCHER MUESLI



Serves 2
Ingredients
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup no fat Greek yoghurt
3/4 cup almond milk or apple juice
1/4 cup puréed/mashed sweet potato or pumpkin (can substitute for sweet potato/pumpkin butter)
1 large apple, unpeeled and grated
2 tablespoons raisins/sultanas/cranberries
1/2-1 teaspoon mixed spice (omit this if using sweet potato/pumpkin butter)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Top with: extra grated apple, nuts, seeds, dried fruits

Method
1. Thoroughly combine mashed sweet potato/pumpkin with the yoghurt and vanilla extract.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients and mix to combine.
3. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight before serving.

PB Blueberry Banana Kale Smoothie

This one's perfect to get you going in the morning!

PB, Blueberry + Banana + Kale Smoothie

Sounds like a whole lot of random ingredients chucked together but this actually came out delicious. Really quite filling too.

Tastes like: A synergistic combination of flavours - peanut butter creaminiess with the hint of banana and a slight kale bitterness that really gives it a finishing punch.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon peanut butter or PB2
1 frozen banana
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup kale leaves, washed
1/4 cup no fat Greek yoghurt
3/4 cup water

Blend! Top with extra blueberries or whatever you like - I went for cinnamon :)

Keep calm and have a spoonful of peanut butter - A PB2 VS PB REVIEW

Most of you will probably know of the infamous PB2 by Bell Plantation. 

For those of you who don't .. where have you been living? 

Haha but seriously, PB2 is basically a dehydrated powdered form of peanut butter which becomes peanut butter once you mix it in with water. Quoted by the labelling it is made of 'quality roasted peanuts before having 85% of its fat and oil removed'. As a result is is much lower in calories and fat that normal peanut butter (45 calories vs ~100 calories, and 1.5g vs 10.3g fat per tablespoon) so this is perfect for all you guys trying to cut down the calories. Sounds pretty awesome doesn't it? Yep you should get on this stuff.

To make it, it's simply 2 tablespoons of PB2 powder + 1 tablespoons of water = 1 tablespoon of PB2 peanut butter. 

And if I'm correct in making some rough calculations then its standard 184g jar of PB2 powder would make around 15 or so tablespoons of peanut butter. Not a lot is it? Especially when it does not come cheap. In Australian supermarkets on average normal PB usually sells in jars for $1 per 100g. Unfortunately we don't sell PB2 in Australia (boo), so it has to be bought online.
Jump onto eBay.com.au and the cheapest for me (including shipping) would range from $14-$16 for a 184g jar of PB2 powder. iHerb.com sells it for $5-$6 not including shipping. 

Don't get me wrong I still love my PB2, but today I've decided to make a quick comparison of it with a jar of smooth peanut butter by one of Australia's biggest food manufacturer's Kraft.

K, go.

First off how can you go wrong with something that tastes close enough to peanut butter and is literally half the amount of calories? It's a perfect guilt-free substitute and has 90% of the same sweet and salty undertones of traditional peanut butter. 

I don't know about you but I could eat it all day, every day, any where on any thing. Reow.

Anyway.

Because of PB2's powdered form you can:
a) use it as a flour (very moisture absorbent however) or stir it straight into your yoghurts/smoothies/oatmeal
b) control the consistency/texture of it to your liking by adjusting the water quantity. So it's versatility from becoming a butter solid to a saucy liquid is a win for me.

However some of the cons I found with PB2 (other than pricing) include the following:
- It takes time to make which sometimes I don't have (or I'm lazy..)
- As you can see in the photo above, when made as per label it is not as smooth as normal PB (um false packaging excuse me? haha) and I found it much thicker and chewier in texture. While this can be fixed by adding more water it does annoy me how I have to watch how much extra water to add or else I just spend more time juggling back and forth between flour and liquid to get the right consistency. #ragequit.
- PB2 can't be heated. From previous experiences I've found that this ends up separating the mixture and ruining it overall, so best stick to normal PB when needing it heated in recipes. 
- It does not have the same creamy sticky/gooeyness + that delectable distinct after-taste that traditional PB gives. Do you guys know what I mean?
- In terms of nutritional content, normal peanut butter whoops the butt(er) of PB2 because most of it's health benefits has been stripped from processing just to cut down on calories. PB2 does not provide the same dosage of essential unsaturated fats, heart healthy vitamins and proteins that a tablespoon of generic PB can give you, WHICH could help you stay full with reduced cravings. 

All in all I'll get to the point.
PB2 is good but not good enough at times (especially when it doesn't stick to the top of your mouth like after you eat traditional peanut butter!). And although it's still a great alternative to incorporate into your life don't forget the occasional dosage of normal PB to get those good fats into your system! 
Oh yeah and don't forget to try the chocolate PB2 as well.

The Gluttonous Nutritionist.

Raw Coconut Cacao Protein Bars

I'll just keep this post simple rather than rant on. I basically spent my Thursday night making protein bars instead of studying so that I could wake up the next day excited about something - (achieved). 

These taste awesome. Don't be bogged down by all the different ingredients I used, the flavours that come through are actually quite minimal - a combination of chocolate/cacao, coconut and sesame seeds/tahini. The seeds and chunky cut almonds also give it a nice crunchy texture.

Ps. Maybe I just have a small stomach but I downed 3 of these today and I was actually stuffed for the rest of the evening (satiety effects of good fats + high protein).

COCONUT CACAO PROTEIN BARS
Yields: Not much .. only ~16x16cm square block bar.

Ingredients
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup chocolate protein powder
1/4 cup raw cacao powder (or replace with extra protein powder)
1/2 cup dates, chopped finely (not blended/processed)
1/8 cup chia seeds, (grounded if you prefer not to have it 'gritty like')
1/8 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup consisting chopped almonds
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup raw honey
3 tablespoons melted coconut oil

Method
1. Combine all ingredients together, if the mixture is too crumbly add more tahini or honey until you get a good 'dough' like consistency.
2. Press and flatten into a lined, rectangular dish and refrigerate overnight before slicing.
Enjoy :) 

The Gluttonous Nutritionist.

Oh Dear Sweet Sweet Potato Butter

Tis the season for pumpkin ... Not. It's sweet potato time.

This is my go-to recipe for a homemade batch of sweet potato butter, something I opt for if I'm out of pumpkin or feeling like something different from the common peanut butter. It has a similar taste and texture to pumpkin butter but requires less sweetener when making because sweet potato has naturally more sugar in it.

There's so many ways to eat this - you can spread it on your toast, top your oatmeal with it, blend it in a smoothie, dip some apples in it or, like me, serve on top of banana slices. Yummers. I think next time I'll be a bit more adventurous and add pecans to my sweet potato butter for extra flavouring.

HOMEMADE MAPLE SWEET POTATO BUTTER
Yields: Just over 3 cups

Ingredients
3 cups mashed or puréed sweet potato
1/2 cup apple juice (can be substituted with water, but won't be as sweet)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup maple syrup 
2 teaspoons pumpkin spice (alternatively, your choice of cinnamon, ground ginger or nutmeg)
Pinch of salt

Method
1. Over medium heat, combine all ingredients in a saucepan and stir well. 
2. Once it's boiled, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes or until it's thickened to your liking - stirring frequently. 
3. Finally, let the sweet potato butter cool before funnelling into jars/air tight containers and refrigerate prior to serving. 
Or if you're impatient like me just have some spoonfuls while warm.

Lean Mean Green Smoothies All Day Errday

Last weekend I went to the groceries and found myself buying 4 huge bagfuls of kale because:
a) I'm a hoarder
b) I'm a sucker for sale specials
c) I need a detox. 

So, seeing as I won't be running out of kale anytime soon ... I've made it my own personal challenge to incorporate at least one green smoothie into my daily diet - everyday of course being a different one. 

Here's a few recipes (all servings of one) of the green smoothie combinations I've tried - with much success too.

APPLE KALE BANANA SMOOTHIE

1 frozen banana

1 large apple, chopped

1 cup kale leaves, washed

1 cup water

TROPICAL PINEAPPLE SMOOTHIE
1 cup frozen pineapple
2 cups kale leaves, washed
1/4 cup water, coconut water or pineapple juice

CREAMY KALE SMOOTHIE
1/3 cup coconut water
1 tablespoon PB2 (or nut butter)
1 frozen banana
1 cup kale leaves, washed
1 teaspoon maca (optional, but supercharges your day!)

PINE-BANANAPPLE SMOOTHIE
1/2 cup frozen pineapple
1 frozen banana
1 apple, chopped
1 cup kale leaves, washed
1/4 cup water

Yo Yo It's Blueberry Protein Froyo Time

I really should be preparing for my exams but somehow I found myself in the kitchen ... again. This is a really easy to make chilled breakfast or snack that's packed with protein, two servings of fruit and calcium. It's so thick and fluffy (and purple!) it's like frozen yoghurt/ice cream so it's perfect for the days as they warm up in here in Melbourne. 

BLUEBERRY PROTEIN BOWL 
Tastes like: Creamy blueberry frosty froyo/ice cream.

Ingredients
1 cup frozen blueberries
1/4 cup protein powder (I used Nature's Way soy protein powder, vanilla)
1/8 cup no fat Greek yoghurt
1/4 cup skim milk (any)

Method
1. Mix together protein powder, Greek yoghurt and skim milk until completely combined, this is crucial!
2. Chuck in frozen blueberries and blend together (I found using a blender stick easier) until your desired consistency - I left some of the blueberries still intact to give the 'froyo' a bit more texture.
That's it. Finally top to your liking.
I went for bananas, dessicated coconut, almonds and dried mulberries.

Vanilla Protein & Cacao Shortbread Bars

DOUBLE DECKER (more like double delicious) VANILLA PROTEIN + CACAO SHORTBREAD

Tastes like: Heaven. But seriously, the classic vanilla and chocolate combination can never go wrong! With these, the bittersweet cacao really complemented the coconutty-vanilla layer. These are also quite dense and flavoursome so you'll find that eating just one small portion is enough to satisfy your afternoon sugar cravings. 

Apologies for the poor photo quality from my instagram, if I ever get around to making another batch of these I'll be sure to take a much better photo.

Ingredients

Shortbread base:

1 cup vanilla protein powder 

4 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

2 tablespoons honey

Cacao base:

1/2 cup cacao powder

1/2 cup chocolate protein powder (or replace with cacao powder)

4 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

2 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon peanut butter (I used chocolate PB2)

Note: If you're having trouble combining the dry ingredients with the wet, adjust quantities as needed (i.e add extra drops of coconut oil/honey etc) until you get a dough-like consistency that you can work with.

Method

1. Line a rectangular dish with baking paper. Combine shortbread base ingredients in a bowl and press into the dish. Pop into the freezer.

2. Melt the cacao/chocolate protein powder with the coconut oil and stir together. Add the honey and peanut butter, ensuring the mixture is completely smooth.

3. Depending on the consistency of your cacao mixture, press or pour this over the shortbread base. (Try to work quickly because once the cacao mixture hits the cold edges of the rectangular dish it hardens almost instantaneously).

4. Refrigerate for at least an hour before slicing!

Greek Yoghurt Devilled Eggs

GREEK YOGHURT DEVILLED (more like heavenly) EGGS

Ingredients

4 eggs

3 tablespoons no-fat Greek yoghurt
1 tablespoon light Kewpie Japanese mayo (or substitute normal mayonnaise or honey mustard sauce)
salt & pepper to taste
paprika or cumin, to garnic
1 spring onion, chopped to garnish

Method

1. Bring a pot of water to boil. Pop in the eggs to boil for 10 minutes exactly.

2. Take out the eggs and place into a bowl of cold water to stop its cooking process.

3. Once cooled, peel the eggs and slice into half. Scoop out the egg yolk into a medium bowl and mash with a fork.

4. Add Greek yoghurt + Japanese mayo to the mashed egg yolk. Add salt and pepper to your liking. Combine until smooth, it should be thick and not runny.

5. Pipe egg mixture into each egg white half (or spoon it in) and sprinkle with spring onion, paprika or cumin (depending on whichever spice tickles your fancy).

6. Enjoy while warm or refrigerate until serving (tastes equally as delicious).

All Hale the Almighty Baked Kale Chip

While practically every healthy, clean-eating, vegan, paleo, etc etc foodie has been incorporating kale into their life, I decided it was time for me too (because you know, I like to be a sheep). 
In particular, I wanted to see what all the fuss was about with kale chips so I gave it a go yesterday afternoon - and boy I was not disappointed at all. 

These were so easy to make, and they came out perfectly! Best when just out of the oven, I really wanted to save some for my partner to try but I ended up eating them all in one sitting .. Whoops. They kind of remind me of packeted seaweed, but also Autumn leaves too because of its crunchiness - and the urge they just give you to step on them haha. 

Half of these I sprinkled with sea salt (a la 'originale') and the other half with nutritional yeast. My mum, (who thinks I'm strange always trying new health/super foods that she's never heard of), even liked it! Yep that means that this recipe is definitely a keeper.

BAKED KALE CHIPS

Ingredients

1 bunch kale, washed and dried completely

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon salt OR 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast OR opt for garlic salt, cumin, paprika, herbs, etc - whatever your tastebuds prefer :)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

2. Tear kale leaves into bite sized pieces - evenly sized for cooking consitency.

3. Toss kale leaves in a bowl with olive oil until all the chips are lightly coated, (not drenched in oil because this will make them soggy chips - um ew?)

4. Line baking tray with baking paper and spread kale leaves/chips, sprinkle with salt or nutritional yeast.

5. Bake for 20 minutes, until the edges are lightly brown. Watch carefully so they don't burn! Larger sized ones may take longer than 12 minutes while smaller sized chips will be quick.

6. Enjoy while warm :)

Quick Power Profile: Kale

What is it? A dark green, leafy vegetable part of the cabbage family

Great source of: Calcium, antioxidants (beta carotene, flavonoid), Vitamin A, C, K, fibre, minerals (including iron, manganese, phosphorus, copper)
Use it in: Chips (duh), smoothies, juice salads, soup, quiche + more.

Quick Power Profile: Nutritional Yeast

What is it? Not to be confused with it's related brewer's yeast, in that it has been deactivated and has no leavening ability.

Great source of: Complete Vitamin B complex + protein

Tastes like: Mildly nutty and cheesy, ( making it the perfect cheese substitutes for all you vegans out there)!