Monthly Archives: September 2012

Raw Kale and Beetroot salad with Tahini Dressing

Posted on September 26, 2012 | 3 Comments

This salad is just divine. So earthy and refreshing. When I finally got my hands on some kale thanks to The Kale Project here in Paris, I went a bit kale nuts. Kristen from The Kale Project and I made this last week for a big vitamin boost.

You’ll need:

  • 1 bunch of curly, green kale
  • 2 spring onions
  • 1 large golden beet (or two medium) You could also use regular red beets
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 -2 cm (1 inch) of ginger
  • 1 Tbsp Tamari
  • 3 Tbsp Tahini
  • 3 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 3 Tbsp of Coconut Oil
  • 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • Juice from 1/2 lemon or lime

Wash and cup up the kale into very small pieces, otherwise it’s a bit too leafy.

Peel the beets and grate them.

Grate the carrots.

Mix everything up.

Blend the salad dressing in a blender and pour it over the salad.

Enjoy it! My J enjoyed it which is really saying something.

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Posted in 17e arrondissement, DIY, France, Health, Recipes

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A Macaron Class in Paris For Two ❤

Posted on September 24, 2012 | 2 Comments

My J treated me to a macaron class last week and boy was it fun! Who ever know just how complicated macaron’s are to make. Well, we didn’t.

We learnt a lot and just look at that concentration on J’s face.

In other news, look at this interview with me on The Kale Project.

J and I booked tickets for Istanbul for a 3-day getaway in November. I cannot explain my excitement in words. (I can in cartwheels)

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How Do You Do Your Cheese Platter?

Posted on September 23, 2012 | 1 Comment

Living in France, cheese does play a big role in everyday life. I go through phases where I love it and hate it. At the moment I’m going through a stage where I still am crazy about the stuff,  but not at night time. I like a bit of fruit with it to break it up, and I always make sure I have a soft goat’s cheese.

How do you do yours?

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Very Green Kale Smoothie

Posted on September 21, 2012 | 5 Comments

Why is kale so good for you?

One cup of kale contains 36 calories, 5 grams of fiber, and 15% of the daily requirement of calcium and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), 40% of magnesium, 180% of vitamin A, 200% of vitamin C, and 1,020% 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 .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. (I like it raw and cooked)

Because of it’s very high chlorophyl levels, it balances your PH levels and counteracts the effects of acidic foods like red meat, pasta, cheese, cream and processed foods. This is very important for overall health and long-term well-being.

This kale smoothie is so delicious and is a real kick start to my day.

Cut up the kale, add as much as you like, I generally cut up around 4 big leaves.

One ripe banana.

A teaspoon of matcha.

A teaspoon of supergreens (this can be spirulina, or any super greens mix you use)

Half a cup of frozen raspberries

A cup of freshly brewed green tea, cooled, or at room temperature

Honey to taste

Half a cup of organic natural yoghurt

Mix and voilà!

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Pizza aux Figues et Chèvre (Goat’s Cheese and Fig Pizza)

Posted on September 19, 2012 | Leave a comment

Before figs went out of season I wanted to make the most of them. In Australia I was used to having them in my garden, and here I am restricted to having access to figs only a few weeks a year so when I get my hands on them I go all out.

This pizza is just so wonderful because it is light and with the heat the figs caramalise.

I use 4-5 figs per pizza.

For the chèvre (goat’s cheese) I use a rather young one, because I find that if you used aged chèvre it’s a bit too full-on in that quantity. That said, if you like very rich cheeses, this would be wonderful with the figs.

I dusted on my Corsican herbs. Any Mediterranean herb mix would work for this such as herbes de Provence. Or simply basil, rosemary and parsely.

A small amount of gruyere cheese.

And hop! In the oven.

A couple of spoon’s of mascarpone.

I like to add some fresh basil for colour and an extra fresh taste.

Om nom nom.

In other news, last night J and I did a macaron class here in Paris. It was just great. Photos to come.

Tonight I am meeting Kristin from The Kale Project. We are cooking a recipe together, with kale of course. I am so excited to finally eat some kale in Paris! She is doing such a great thing.

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Amazeballs Superfood Energy Balls

Posted on September 18, 2012 | 8 Comments

I’m sick of wanting a small snack to go with my coffee or afternoon tea and finding that anything I consider bying is full of refined sugars, additives and other things I cannot pronounce! I took things into my own hands and made super dooper amazeballs jam-packed with goodness, superfoods and energy.

This is how it goes:

300g of fresh dates. Despite them being quite soft, I soak them for 24 hours. This will make them easier to digest and bring out their natural sweetness too. After soaking them for 24 hours I take out the pips and add the rest of the ingredients.

Half a cup of organic cocoa nibs.

4 tablespoons of chia seeds.

half a cup of coconut.

Blend it all up.

Add half a cup of cocoa.

Roll them into bite-size balls.

Sprinkle cocoa over them to make them richer but also easier to eat!

Store them in the fridge and enjoy one each morning with your morning tea or coffee to get you going and ready for the big day ahead.

If we are going to eat chocolate we may as well do it right, do it whole, do it with real foods! Chocolate is healthy for us, it’s is the processed chocolate with milk, soy, sugar and other chemical lab made ingredients that makes it unhealthy. When it is made with raw cocoaand a natural sweetner like dates in this instance it is loaded with vitamins, nutrients, and anti-oxidants – more than green tea, red wine and blue berries! This recipe is high in magnesium,great for energy, weight loss, a protein snack before a workout, an aphrodisiac and for FEELING GOOD!

Enjoy xo,

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Gluten Free Flourless Orange and Chocolate Cake

Posted on September 17, 2012 | 2 Comments

I love making flourless gluten free cakes because I don’t feel guilty and I gobble it all up because it is moist and feels nourishing. Here is my recipe:

You’ll need:

2 oranges
1 big chunk of fresh ginger
3 eggs
1 cup of muscovado
300g almond meal
1 generous cup of raw cocoa
1tsp baking soda or raising agent
1 shot of black coffee

Place the oranges and ginger in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil over medium heat. Cook for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain. Return to pan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and cook for 15 minutes (this will reduce the bitterness of the peel). Refresh under cold water. Drain. Coarsely chop oranges. Remove and discard any seeds.

Place the orange in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth.

Use an electric beater to whisk the eggs and sugar in a bowl until thick and pale. Add the orange,cocoa almond meal and baking powder and gently fold until just combined. Add the shot of coffee. This does not make the cake taste like coffee, it simply makes the cocoa taste richer and takes away the bitterness of the rind.

Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Set aside for 15 minutes to cool.

To decorate, I covered it with cocoa and added on four macarons and a sliced fig.

It was so moist and almost tasted like a fudge cake- minus all the dairy and flour!

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Muscovado: A Good Alternative to Refined Sugar

Posted on September 14, 2012 | 4 Comments

Muscovado is a thick, unrefined sugar that has a rich smell and is moist and thick. The good thing about this sugar is that is contains minerals because it has not gone through the stripping down and processing of other sugars. when it is highly processed, sugar is turned into an ‘empty-calorie’ product that contains nothing of nutritional benefit.  Replacing your usual white sugar with muscovado sugar at home can help lower the amount of ‘empty calories’ you consume.

The extraction process of muscovado sugar is very simple; the extracted juice from the sugar cane is boiled until it has reduced to about 30 percent. The residue is then dried out and it solidifies to form the sugar granules known as muscovado sugar. In comparison, white sugar undergoes additional heating, filtering and bleaching stages, which removes most of its nutritional content in the process. Another health benefit muscovado sugar has over refined sugar is that it is free of harmful chemicals such as phosphoric acid, sulfur dioxide and formic acid, which may be put in during the additional stages white sugar goes through.

Seriously, do you want to eat bleach? No, that’s what I though.
So, how can you substitute your scary white sugar with this delicous vitamin-filled sugar?
Muscovado sugar is most commonly used in baking. You can also add it to your tea and coffee or substitute it wherever you would normally use white sugar. When substituting your sugar, use exactly the same amount of muscovado sugar as you would white sugar.
For those of you that get worried about spending lots on healthy substitutes, you’ll be happy to know that is really isn’t expensive. I bought a kilo for around 9 euros.For maximum health benefits, try baking carrot cakes, oat and raisin cookies, fruity muffins, apple and cinnamon crumbles and apple strudels. You can also use muscovado sugar in savory dishes such as mustard-glazed gammon, caramelized balsamic steak, and more!
Recipes to come, my lovely readers.
Here and here are some links about why you should be careful of your sugar intake. I always cut down the sugar in my recipes.

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Fairydust and Dark Chocolate Cupcakes to Celebrate a Birthday

Posted on September 13, 2012 | 1 Comment

My homegirl Em got a year older yesterday so I made special cupcakes to make her feel special.

What do you think? Pretty cute, huh.

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In Oh La La Livia’s Kitchen This Week

Posted on September 13, 2012 | 4 Comments

I am always curious to see what food people buy, I love looking in fridges (that seems strange?). So I thought you may be interested in seeing how I filled my fridge this week.

The weather is getting cooler, so I changed my vegetable and fruit selection. I am favouring fruits that I can grill with unrefined sugar and vanilla and vegetables that I can put in soups and roasts.

Figs: What better way to eat them than grilled with herbs of Provence and served with fresh goat’s cheese?

I have been meaning to get my hands on some himalayan salt. I finally did and boy is it tasty!
But what can it do for you I hear you ask? This is by far the purest salt available on earth and is absolutely uncontaminated with any toxins or pollutants. Some other great things it can do for you:

  1. Regulate the water content throughout your body.
  2. Promotes a healthy pH balance in your cells, particularly your brain cells.
  3. Promotes blood sugar health and helping to reduce the signs of aging.
  4. Assists in the generation of hydroelectric energy in cells in your body.
  5. Absorbs food particles through your intestinal tract.
  6. Supports respiratory health.
  7. Promotes sinus health.
  8. Prevents muscle cramps.
  9. Promotes bone strength.
  10. Regulates your sleep — it naturally promotes sleep.
  11. Supports your libido. (WOOOP!)
  12. Promotes vascular health.
  13. In conjunction with water it is actually essential for the regulation of your blood pressure.

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR PEOPLE?

But what really made my day was the Turkish coffee gift I received from my lovely friend Emily. You can see my priorities are right, but come on, Turkish coffee is just so great.

With a spoonful of this unrefined, unaltered brown sugar it makes it even more delicious.

More details to come about this wonder sugar very soon.

What new additions do you have in your kitchen this week?

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