Kale-onaise. That Healthier Mayonnaise!

Healthier than butter, full-fat mayo, and cheese spread. Ridiculously easy to make and power packed with nutrients. Kale + Mayo = Kale-onaise. The next best thing to spreading your bread or dipping veggies into. Did I mention how delicious it tastes? Just two cups of kale contain over 66 calories and pack more than 200 percent of your daily vitamins A and C. I’ve added fresh basil leaves, lemon zest, dried rosemary and rice wine vinegar into this super low calorie mayonnaise option. Whizzed in the blender and not only does the house smell divine, but you’ve just created a new sinful yet healthy and decadent dip/spread! And many thanks to www.greenheartuae.com for delivering the freshest Fizz Kale and Basil to my doorstep to create this dip!

Kale-onaise

4 cups chopped organic kale from Greenheart Organic Farms

1 cup chopped fresh organic basil leaves from Greenheart Organic Farms

1 tablespoon of sea salt (I got creative and used Danish Smoked Salt purchased from Crescendo)

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 jar of Hellman’s “lighter than light” mayonnaise (10kcal per tablespoon! Purchased from Park & Shop supermarket)

Juice of 1 lemon

Splash of Rice Wine Vinegar

Steps:

In a food processor, combine the kale leaves, basil, rosemary, salt and garlic. Process until finely chopped. Then add in the mayonnaise, lemon juice, rice vinegar process until smooth. That’s it. Get that crusty bread or veggies and dig in!

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A Forest of Rocket Leaves and Cool Nabulsi Cheese

When pressed for time – this salad will fill you up nicely and can be made ahead of time for two large main meals and takes under 5 minutes to prepare. Thanks to Greenheart Organic Farms for delivering fresh local, organic Rocca leaves and Nabulsi cheese to my doorstep today! The Vitamin C rich Rocca leaves (also known as Arugula and Rocket), paired with salt-free and soft Nabulsi cheese, topped with roasted smoked almonds for a good crunchy dose of protein, fiber, calcium and vitamin E, is a winner. Did I mention how light and filling it is at the same time? Yes, it’s possible.

Rocca Leaves with Nabulsi Cheese and Roasted Almonds – Produce by Greenheart Organic Farms

Juicy and Tangy Parsley Salad with Pomegranate Molasses

That moment you crave a large lunch / dinner but as healthy and as low-calorie as possible. I’ve fallen in love with this dish after having tried it (Salatası) at Kosebasi (Turkish Restaurant in JBR). Think, Tabbouleh without the wheat (bulghur). It really is utterly delicious and super speedy to make. Carrefour and Choitrams sell chopped parsley in a large plastic clear box (yes!) so grab yourself one of those, juicy plum tomatoes, cucumbers, thyme leaves, pomegranate molasses (best ones hide in Dubai Spice Souk or Union Co-op supermarket), sumac (optional) and get going! Parsley has tremendous benefits beyond garnishing your plate and killing bad breath…

Parsley salad drizzled with Pomegranate Molasses

Ok before we get started, here is just 8 Reasons Why You Should Love Parsley:

1. Parsley is loaded with Vitamin C and iron making it a useful herb for those dealing with anaemia and fatigue.

2. Parsley is rich in antioxidants that seeks and eradicates free radicals. One of the antioxidants it contains is luteolin which is a powerful anti-inflammatory agent.

3. As well as vitamin C and Iron, parsley is rich in vitamin K, vitamin A, folic acid and Beta-Carotene.

4. Consuming parsley regularly can help to reduce blood pressure.

5. It acts as a diuretic which stimulates the bladder, liver, kidney, digestive system, thyroid and stomach to work efficiently.

6. Parsley is an effective breath freshener when chewed and expels worms and releases gas from the body.

7. Just 2 tablespoons of vitamin K provides us with 153% of the Recommended Daily Allowance which is needed for the strong bones.

8. Parsley is packed with chlorophyll which is cleansing and oxygenates the blood. It also has antibacterial properties and helps to stop the growth of bad bacteria.

Serves 4 as a side salad or two as a super large main meal!

Ingredients:

1 Fresh Parsley Chopped (250 grams) Barakat sell their chopped parsley (washed and all!) at Choitrams/Carrefour
2 medium plum tomatoes
3 cucumbers

1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp sumac

1 tb of olive oil
Pomegranate molasses

Preparation:

Mix all of the above in a large bowl after dicing the tomatoes and cucumbers. Drizzle the pomegranate molasses until the salad is “drenched nicely”

Note: Sometimes this salad is served with crushed walnuts on top. I love serving it with a healthy dose of low fat yogurt and warm arabic bread. I would simply munch on the juicy salad with yogurt and soak up the juice with bread. The contrast of tangy and sweet depth of the Pomegranate molasses is stunning. Add chopped green olives and mint leaves if you wish to add more punch to the salad. Enjoy!!

A Cool Blue Lavender and Lime Smoothie!

Apart from smelling wonderful and looks very pretty in a vase, Lavender spices up chocolate dishes, gravies and offers a stunning and refreshing depth to a smoothie when you feel the need to ‘spice things up’. It also helps combat bad gut bacteria – bonus! Lavender is a herb that everyone seems to know. Many people are surprised to learn that it not only has a wonderful fragrance, but that it tastes absolutely fantastic. So thanks to MindBodyGreen’s latest recipe and my good friend Sara for plucking organic Lavender buds from her grandmother’s farm in Canada, I had to put the lavender to the test and it has never failed. Trust me when I say this, it does NOT taste like you’ve swallowed a Lavender perfume bottle. 🙂

Cool Blue Lavender Smoothie with Blueberries, Lemon, Banana whizzed with Almond and Vanilla Milk – Yum!

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

Why we love Yoga…

The delicious benefits of Yoga !

Nutty Dark Chocolate & Chia Pudding – Oh my yum!

You may have heard about the latest Chia seeds craze…and if you’ve been intrigued to find out why others are addicted to these tiny beads, then here is a little insight into the tremendous health benefits of chia and why everyone is jumping onto the chia-bandwagon:

Dark Chocolate Chia Seeds Pudding

Chia seeds are hydrophillic, meaning then can absorb over 10 times their weight in water. This makes them great for hydration, as they absorb the water we drink and hold it in our bodies.

Eating chia seeds slows down how fast the body converts carbohydrates into simple sugars. This leads scientists to believe chia seeds may have huge benefits to diabetics.

One tablespoon of Chia seeds provides 65 Calories, 7.5 g of carbohydrates, 5 g of fat and 2.5 g of protein. Chia is a gluten-free food that has more protein than rice, oats, wheat and other grains. Chia seeds provide more heart-healthy omega 3 fatty acids than any other plant food. They also contain 5 times the calcium of milk, 2 times the potassium of bananas, 3 times the iron of spinach and 3 times the antioxidants of blueberries!

Chia seeds have more omega-3’s than flax! And, unlike flax, chia seeds do not have to be ground to be digested and can be stored for years without going rancid.

19-23% of the seed’s weight is protein. Like quinoa, it contains a complete amino acid chain, giving your body complete protein on par with meat or eggs.

Chia seeds reduce your cravings for sweets and junk foods because its high levels of soluble fiber allow for a measured release of unrefined carbs into the bloodstream. This is the opposite of a sugar rush and crash which creates more cravings.

WOW! And now onto the more ‘good’ stuff – here is a delicious recipe which I have created at home using chia seeds and Almond + Vanilla Rice Milk (purchased at the Organic Foods Supermarket & Choitrams) with dark cacao powder – at around 160Kcal per serving, this healthy treat is an all over winner!

Nutty Dark Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding

(serves 2/3)

2 cups milk of your choice (cow, soy, almond, rice, goat, vanilla…your preference! I used Almond + Vanilla milk from choitrams)
3 tablespoons chia seeds (purchased at the Organics Cafe)
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 or so tablespoons real maple syrup, to taste (or your favorite sweetener, although you may need to adjust proportions)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond or hazelnut extract (optional)
1 tablespoon of low fat Peanut Butter or Almond Butter
Pinch of salt
Dash of cinnamon

Stir all ingredients very well together until cocoa powder is incorporated. (For the peanut butter / almond butter, you can stick it in the microwave for 20 seconds to loosen it up before adding it into the mixture.) Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Remove and stir well. Cover and return to fridge overnight. Next day (in the hope you didn’t lick the bowl clean by now) transfer the mixture to blender and blend until completely smooth. This is great if you do not like the tapoica texture. Alternately, you can just stir the pudding and eat it without blending. Serve and garnish with shaved chocolate or berries!

Almond + Vanilla Milk. Almond essence (or vanilla essence, your preference!). Unsweetened Cacao powder. Chia Seeds – but ofcourse!

Mix the chia seeds with the milk

Ch-Ch-Chia!!

Adding on the unsweetned cacao powder and almond + vanilla essence

Chocolate Chia Pudding – created by Noura El-Imam

A Delicious DATE with EGGS — [New Bliss Recipe]

I have a thing with eggs..they put a smile on my face and give me energy throughout the day as well as being very versatile friends! Not to mention power-packed with protein including vitamin A, iron (energy booster!), potassium and many B vitamins like folic acid, choline and biotin (great for the nerves / brain)…the icing on the cake is the generous amount of omega-3 fatty acids found in eggs which are important for joint health. So here I thought of whipping up a new recipe with dates and sharing the super-healthy benefits with you.

Not all eggs are created equal so I would strongly suggest going for “free-range” and less focus on the word “organic”. Free-range means these stress-free, uncaged chickens were allowed to roam, picking what it wanted to eat and not fed ‘funky food’ or injected with antibiotics. Research has shown that cage-free hens have produced eggs higher in various vitamins so pay the extra dirhams to get the real goodness out of this oval-shaped staple. (Place an order of free-range eggs through me via Greenheart Organics Farm who have collaborated with Yogalates Bliss – Box of 6pieces for 18Dhs)

So without further ado, here is a delicious , unique and super easy recipe to create at home…this can be eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner…yet another reason why eggs should be a staple in your fridge and keeping your costs low from ordering that take-out! 🙂

Eggs & Dates – Complement each other nicely!

Ingredients :
6 egg whole
6 egg whites
1 cup skimmed milk
Large bunch of rocket leaves
Two large slices of low fat Gouda or Lite-dammer cheese
Rosemary & Basil Sprinkles
Tomato sauce
8 pitted dates (the softer the better)
Dash of Tabasco
Salt & Pepper

Turn the heat in the oven to 200degrees celsius.
In a medium sized non-stick tray, crack the eggs in the tray, pour the milk afterwards and whip the mixture well.
Shred rocket leaves and sliced cheese into the mixture.
Add the herbs, 4 tablespoons of tomato sauce, dash of Tabasco, and sliced dates.
Mix everything nicely before placing the tray in the oven for 15-20 minutes (have a peek after 15 minutes to see if the edges and center have ‘browned’ nicely).
Slice up & serve with a side salad.
The dates break the contrast of the eggs bringing a delicious sweet flavor and more iron to the dish, enjoy!!|

Let me know how you enjoyed this recipe and maybe you have re-created it with different ingredients? 🙂

Raw Vegan Peanut Butter Cheesecake with Decadent Dark Chocolate!

Raw Vegan Dark Chocolate and Peanut Butter - Yogalates Bliss in Dubai

Thanks to dark chocolate and peanut butter for making its way on our planet. This recipe tastes even better the next day – so beware!

You’ll need 4 small bowls / ramekins to make these or a large non-stick tray which is what I’ve used.

Recipe for 4 people…double up if you like, as it may get quite addictive!

For the crust:
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs (I took 4 full light digestive biscuits)
1.5 Tbsp pure maple syrup
1 heaping teaspoon coconut oil or olive oil
2 Tbsp cocoa powder

Filling:
1/2 cup silken (soft) tofu
1/4 cup low fat creamy peanut butter
1/8 cup brown sugar (+/- depending on how sweet you want it)
1 Tbsp almond milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Chocolate shell:
Break a 70% dark chocolate bar [I used Vivani] in a cup and melt in the microwave until creamy. Melt 10 seconds, stir, then melt again for 10 seconds and stir..keep repeating until the dark chocolate is fully melted & smooth . The 10 seconds intervals is the best way to avoid burning the chocolate.

Blend all crust ingredients in a blender until they’re crumby and combined. It should look a lot like wet sand. Spoon 2 TBSP of the crust into small ramekins and press gently with the back of a spoon until “packed.”

Rinse out your blender and combine all the filling ingredients, blending until super smooth and creamy. You may have to scrape the sides down a couple times like I did to mix it fully. Spoon 4 Tbsp of the filling into each ramekin and place in the fridge for about an hour just to let it set.

Remove the ramekins from the fridge and drizzle melted chocolate over the top. Place back in fridge for another 30 minutes if you can stand to wait that long – DIG IN!

IMG_4479 (2013_12_05 22_33_35 UTC)

Yogalates Bliss Desert Photoshoot for Yoga Life Magazine | Carrot, Banana & Peach Yoga Wear

As a brand ambassador to the eco-friendly and organic Yoga and Pilates line by Carrot, Banana and Peach, Noura (founder of Yogalates Bliss) and her awesome duet team – Amber and Mandy – were honored to be selected by Yoga Life Middle East magazine for a desert photoshoot at the stunning Qasr Al Sarab by Anantara Resorts in AbuDhabi. We headed out at the wee-dusk-hour of 4am to AbuDhabi’s Liwa desert and shot away some great Yoga poses for Carrot, Banana and Peach’s new 2013 collection. Our shots have been taken by two Polish photographers, styled by a Singaporean fashion artist and finally featured in Yoga Life Middle East magazine! Here are the images inserted into the March issue and front cover…we recommend grabbing a copy at all Choitrams supermarket! 🙂