Smoked Cheesy Kale Chips…and It’s Vegan!

I admit. I love cheesy popcorn. Cheesy chips. Cheese in general. I also think Baked Kale with Cheese and Cayenne Pepper are the best combination – ever. But I took a twist on this one and used an alternative to cheese (nutritional yeast) for all my vegan friends who love their cheese just as much as I do, but cannot consume dairy. I feel ya!

So here we power packed the ultra nutritious Kale (thanks to Greenheart Organic Farms) and Vitamin B packed Nutritional Yeast (and thanks to Bob’s Red Mill!) to create this highly, addictive, healthy snack. Getting Kale crisped to perfection is a skill! It is a moody one either turning limpy or burnt. So the right balance is turning your oven temperature on the lowest level AFTER  preheating it to around the 220 celsius mark.

Tear up your Kale leaves in a big bowl, spray coat the leaves with non-stick spray (I used a trans-free canola spray) or you can use an olive oil spray or simply a teaspoon of olive oil and massage it into the torn leaves well. Then sprinkle a generous amount of nutritional yeast (if you like it cheesy….be very generous!) and cayenne hot pepper or sweet smoked paprika… a dash of salt and pepper and you’re ready to toss it in the oven for 30-40 minutes at the 100degrees celsius.  Make sure to check up on the kale every 10minutes to avoid it from scorching.  Sprinkle lemon juice over the baked kale once out of the oven and consume immediately to avoid limpy kale! Bye Bye Dorritos.

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Food for thought: What makes kale so exceptional? Here is why it’s a superstar vegetable!

Kale is a Nutritional Powerhouse

One cup of chopped kale contains 33 calories and 9% of the daily value of calcium, 206% of vitamin A, 134% of vitamin C, and a whopping 684% of vitamin K. It is also a good source of minerals copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus.

Kale’s health benefits are primarily linked to the high concentration and excellent source of antioxidant vitamins A, C, and K — and sulphur-containing phytonutrients.

Carotenoids and flavonoids are the specific types of antioxidants associated with many of the anti-cancer health benefits. Kale is also rich in the eye-health promoting lutein and zeaxanthin compounds.

Beyond antioxidants, the fiber content of cruciferous kale binds bile acids and helps lower blood cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease, especially when kale is cooked instead of raw.

Visit : www.yogalatesblissindubai.com to discover our Yogalates outdoor signature classes and the upcoming Dubai Yoga Teacher Trainings and workshops.

 

 

A BLISSFUL DATE WITH CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES!

Raw Energy Date and Cacao Bliss Balls

Yogalates Raw Bliss Balls with Dates and Cacao

Here is my very first attempt in making chocolate truffles…super easy & loaded with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that are perfect for providing a quick boost of energy & when you’re simply itching for that chocolate bar…you’ll need:

INGREDIENTS:
*3 generous heaped tablespoons of dark cacao powder.
*1.5 cups of pitted soft medjool dates
*1 tsp of melted coconut virgin oil

DIRECTIONS:
** Blend away the above ingredients for a couple of minutes in a food processor (until they clump together). Scoop, roll the mixture into small balls with wet hands. Then roll the balls in anything your heart desires over baking paper. I coated them with cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, walnuts + ground coffee + pure maple syrup, rose essence, vanilla essence, cacao nibs, more dark cacao powder…cool them in the fridge for 10 minutes before engulfing them. If you can wait that long ofcourse!

Other innovative coatings can be sesame seeds, caramelized almonds or walnut pieces, pistachios, roasted rose petals, saffron, goji berries, maca….you name it! Play around, get creative and let me know what incredible flavors you come up with 🙂

Handmade & created with love by Noura El-Imam, founder of Yogalates Bliss in Dubai: http://www.yogalatesblissindubai.com

Stuffed 8 Ball Zucchini and Squash with Feta, Anchovies & Sweet Corn

Those gorgeous deep rich colors of the Zucchini and Squash “skin”, the juicy sweet flavor, the low calorie/high nutrients tagged along with those stunning 8 ball zucchini/squash is simply, a winner all over and a great way to impress guests when entertaining at home. As usual, I have kept the recipe super simple to re-create at home but ssshhh…your guests don’t need to know that! 😉

Thanks to Greenheart Organic Farms for supplying me with the “8 Ball Zucchini & Squash. They are in season – now – for a limited time only – so make sure to order some asap! And onto the fun stuff…

Baked Goat Cheese Caprese with Basil & Rosemary

Recreated and tweaked from All Recipes – this is a very simple and beautiful dish to make at home for two people (or if you prefer, feeding yourself twice). Nothing beats the scent, sight and taste of goat cheese warmed and paired with juicy cherry tomatoes with plenty of basil leaves. I’ve added rosemary in there for a greater contrast and paired it with a delicious cold green salad drizzled with pomegranate molasses. Let your tastebuds jet set to heaven! Perfect breakfast – lunch and dinner meal 🙂

Baked Goat Cheese with Basil & Rosemary – paired with Green Salad & Pomegrante drizzle

 

Zesty Lavender and Lemon Raw Cheesecake

 

Raw Lavender and Lemon Cheesecake

Summer is here so we are happy to share with you this tangy, zesty, flowery and raw healthier cheesecake. This version of cheesecake contains NO dairy and is gluten-free while delivering a beautiful balance of fragrant lavender, sweet vanilla and tangy lemon tones. The best bit is that you can constantly tweak it to your preference along the way – need more sweetness? Add more honey. Prefer a tangy version? Add more lemon. The Lavender ofcourse is the highlight which can be purchased easily at tea stands/kiosks in malls. Onto the recipe….

Raw, Dairy Free, Nutty Banana and Dates with Spiced Dark Cacao Ice Cream

When the sweet tooth is craving a chunky, gooey, satisfying dessert, it’s time to whip this rawsome, vegan, dairy-free Banana and Dates ice cream with zero dairy. The texture is a pure balance between a mousse meets chunky and nutty pudding with the added mixed nut butter in there.  Plus you get a healthy dose of natural energy, iron, potassium, magnesium and selenium from the dates, cacao and bananas. Sinful? Not!

Banana, Dates, Dark Chocolate Ice-cream. Fuss free, easy to make, vegan and dairy-free!

Noura’s Super Healthy Spiced Apple Crumble topped with fresh Vanilla Ice cream

The house smells of cinnamon, ginger, vanilla and apples… This heart-warming super healthy apple crumble, might wake up the neighbors next door with the addictive ‘aroma’ , but then, you have some serious ‘tastebuds’ to please! Even if you aren’t an apple-crumble enthusiast, this healthy dish serves a healthy fruit and nails the spot when craving something sweet yet filling, warm and ofcourse, lower in fat. The roasted oats crumbled with crispy golden slivered almonds over warm red apples topped with a refreshing cool vanilla-bean ice cream, might transport your tastebuds to the likes of TGIF’s – Chilis – Tony Roma’s apple crumble – only a million calories less.

This recipe is made for one lucky person. Why? To avoid going for seconds and a great way to keep your calorie intake in control. Also, it comes across as highly addictive so…without further ado, here is your recipe-for-one.