Amaranth & Smoked Salmon Bowl

This recipe came to life one morning. On this particular morning, I was woken up with a hunger of a big black hole, or so it seemed. This prompted me to make a breakfast worthy of a lunch, and this is exactly when you can make this bowl: on a morning that allows you a little more preparation time (since the amaranth requires 20 minutes to cook), or for a light but filling lunch full of nutrients.

The ingredients in this bowl are designed to A) get rid of really bad hunger, B) leave you felling full for some time and C) be the envy of all those around you. Just kidding! ;) The recipe yields one really filling bowl, so scale it up accordingly!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup amaranth

1/2 avocado

2 handfuls of salad greens

3 slices of smoked salmon

1 egg

fresh parsley

salt, sweet paprika

EVOO, vinegar or fresh lemon juice

Instructions:

1. Wash the amaranth and cook it in a pot with salted water in the ratio 1:2.5. While it is cooking, stir occasionally. If you notice that the amaranth has soaked in all the water and is threatening to become as dry as the Sahara, add a little bit more hot water and stir. Cook for around 20 minutes, but start checking it a few minutes before that mark so it doesn't overcook.

2. In the meantime, wash the salad greens and finely chop the parsley. Slice the avocado.

3. When the amaranth has cooked through, you can add more salt if necessary. Add the parsley and mix.

4. Season the salads with salt, olive oil and I recommend adding a bit of acidity with a vinegar of your choice or some fresh lemon or lime juice.

5. The last step is to poach an egg. Crack an egg into a small cup. In a pot heat up the water. Use a spoon to create a little whirlpool and gently slide the egg from the cup into the slowly spinning water.

6. While the egg is poaching, prepare the bowl for serving. Add the salad, avocado and amaranth. Add the smoked salmon slices. Once the egg is done poaching, serve it on top of the salad and season with salt. If you want, you can sprinkle some sweet paprika on top as well.

7. Serve immediately. Bon Appetit!

Coconut Matcha Pancakes

Have you jumped on the matcha train? I don't know what took me so long but hey, I am finally here, ready to ride to Greenville. I made my first matcha latte with dairy free milk (I used homemade hemp milk) and I loved it. Sure, I am still trying to get around the taste of non-dairy milk but even my cow-milk-loving self loved it because matcha gave me a big green hug.

So, after the latte I was inclined to start experimenting with matcha in other recipes. I made these gluten free coconut matcha pancakes for breakfast and loved them. These pancakes are also dairy free since I use coconut milk. I didn't add any sugar in the dough, only drizzled them with a little bit of maple syrup while serving. Feel free to adjust the sweetener to your taste. Also, I only added one teaspoon of matcha into the dough and this gave me a pale green colour. If you want your pancakes to be a more vibrant green, and you prefer a more intense matcha taste, add a few more teaspoons of the matcha powder.

Ingredients:

1 egg

200 gr coconut milk

70 gr oat flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp matcha powder

dark chocolate

maple syrup

Instructions:

1. In a bowl and one egg. If you want to use sweeteners, add them now and mix well.

2. Stir in the coconut milk and then mix in the oat flour.

3. Add the baking powder and matcha. If you want a more intense matcha flavor and a more vibrant green color, add a teaspoon to two more matcha than stated in the recipe. If you want your pancakes to have chocolate chunks in them, stir them into the dough now.

4. Heat up a pancake pan and slightly oil it with some coconut oil. Cook the pancakes until both sides are golden.

5. Melt some dark chocolate. You can choose to just top the still hot pancakes with a piece of chocolate and it will melt, or you can melt it with some coconut oil and pour over the pancakes.

6. Make a pancake tower. Pour over the chocolate and maple syrup. Serve immediately. Bon Appetit!

Gluten Free Potato Fritters with Scallions and Avocado Mayo

These easy gluten free potato fritters can be prepared as a side dish, a quick dinner or a filling breakfast. I put some scallions in them but you can also add your favorite herbs like oregano or thyme and if you are feeling like it you can even add some diced pancetta or bacon pieces. Or you can use the base recipe I will type up here.

I decided to eat these fritters with a dip - so I prepared some super quick and delicious avocado mayonnaise. All you need is a ripe avocado (I used one medium sized Hass avocado), some good extra virgin olive oil and apple cider vinegar. Season to taste and your meal is ready!

Ingredients:

2 white potatoes (middle sized)

1 scallion

1 egg

2 tbsp potato starch

2 tbsp gluten free flour

1 avocado

1/2 - 1 tbsp EVOO

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

salt, pepper

Instructions:

1. Peel the potatoes and coarsely grate them. Add some cold water to the potatoes and wash them. Use your hands to drain the excess moisture from the potatoes and place them in a clean bowl.

2. Finely slice the scallions and add to the potatoes. Add one egg, the flours and season. Mix everything well until you get a slightly wet and sticky mass. It should hold its shape once you press it.

3. Form six fritters of equal size. Heat up a pan with enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Once the oil is hot, add the fritters and fry on medium low heat until they are golden brown on both sides.

4. Once the fritters have cooked through, place them on a paper towel to drain the excess oil.

5. In the meantime, mash one avocado in a bowl. Add olive oil, vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste.

6. Serve immediately, while the fritters are still warm. Bon appetit!