Healthy Apple and Rhubarb Crumble – Gluten, Dairy and Sugar Free

I used to love making an apple and rhubarb crumble which was so full of sugar even though it didn’t really didn’t need the extra sweetness!!  So I created this guilt-free version which I’m sure you will all love.  It’s healthy enough to eat the leftovers for breakfast!

(I’ve also included my Thermomix friendly version here.)

Healthy Apple and Rhubarb Crumble

What you will need:

For the filling:

1 green apple – peeled and diced

1 bunch rhubarb – trimmed and cut into 2 cm pieces

1/2 cup pitted dates chopped

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Topping:

1 cup quinoa flakes

1/2 cup brown rice flour

1/2 teaspoon aluminium free baking powder

1/2 cup coconut sugar

1/2 cup slivered or flaked almonds

1/2 cup shredded coconut

3 tablespoons coconut oil

How to pull it all together:

In a large saucepan heat the coconut oil.  Add the apple, rhubarb, dates, cinnamon and vanilla and cook for about 5 minutes until well combined.  Set aside.

To make the topping, combine all the ingredients into a bowl and mix together (working the coconut oil into the dry ingredients) with your fingers until the mixture has the consistency of crumbs.  Pour over the fruit mixture.

When ready to serve, bake in a moderate oven for about 30 minutes or until deliciously browned and bubbling.

Serve with thick cream or coconut yoghurt.

The Shrinking Hubby’s healthy crumble with coconut yoghurt

Thermomix version:

For the filling:

Put the dates, roughly chopped rhubarb, peeled and roughly chopped green apple into the mixing bowl.  Put the dial to lid closed position and chop turbo 3 or 4 times.

Add the cinnamon, vanilla and 2 tablespoons coconut oil (about 50/60g) and cook REVERSE speed 1 at 90 degrees for 5 minutes.

Pour into baking dish.

For the topping:

Add 1/2 cup (65g) brown rice flour, 1/2 teaspoon aluminium free baking powder, 1 up (50g ) quinoa flakes, 1/2 cup (50g) almonds,  1/2 cup shredded coconut, 1/2 cup (70g) coconut sugar and 3 tablespoons coconut oil (about 75/80 g).  Mix closed lid position turbo a few times – until desired crumb-like consistency is achieved.

Pour topping over filling and bake in a moderate oven for about 30 minutes until brown and bubbling.

The Shrinking Hubby’s Healthy Apple and Rhubarb Crumble

Options:

• You can use butter  (organic grass fed if possible) instead of coconut oil (50 grams for the filling and 100 grams for the topping)
• You can use rolled oats instead of quinoa flakes (1/2 cup)

Enjoy XX

There wasn’t much to have for breakfast the next day!!!

Coconutty Salmon, Quinoa and Greens

This is one of my favourite go to meals.  It is quick, easy, tasty and healthy – so it ticks all boxes!  The coconut oil gives it a delicious coconutty flavour.  I love making this on the weekend for us for lunch, or it makes the perfect lazy dinner.  I love it with quinoa, but it is delicious with brown rice too …

Coconutty Salmon, Quinoa and Spinach

(serves 2 – but easily halved/multiplied depending on how many you are feeding)

What you will need:

1 cup cooked quinoa (or cooked brown rice if you prefer) *

2 fillets of fresh salmon

1 tablespoon coconut oil

a couple of big handfuls baby spinach leaves or rocket (arugula), or  baby kale works well too

Fresh lemon juice (to taste)

Salt and pepper (and chilli flakes or sambal to taste)

How to cook your quinoa:

In a saucepan add in a ratio of 1:2 quinoa and liquid.  (I.e. 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups water).  Bring to the boil and reduce heat.  Simmer, covered for 15 minutes.  You should end up with fluffy perfectly cooked quinoa.  (You can cook with a squeeze of lemon juice, some grated lemon zest, or in chicken stock for extra flavour if you like.)

I like using both white and red quinoa, but whatever you can get your hands on is fine.

How to pull it together:

Steam the salmon fillets for 5 minutes or until cooked to your liking.  You could also poach in boiling water for 5 minutes.  When done,  chop it up or pull apart into flakes with a knife and fork.

In a large pan heat the coconut oil.  Add the quinoa (or brown rice) and toss until well coated.  Toss through the flaked salmon, greens and lemon juice and stir until the spinach has slightly wilted.

Divide into bowls and serve with more lemon juice and chilli (if desired).

Enjoy XX

The Shrinking Hubby’s Coconutty Salmon, Quinoa and Greens

 

Quinoa and Chickpea Salad

If you’ve been following The Shrinking Hubby for a while now, you may have realised how much I LOVE quinoa!  This salad is absolutely delicious on its own, or as an accompaniment to fish, chicken or beef.  Try it with my delicious healthy BBQ Chook!

The first time I made it, I enjoyed the left overs with a tin of tuna for the next couple of days for lunch – it was really good.

This salad was inspired by food blogger Phoodie, but I have tweaked it a little bit to suit our own tastes.

What you need:

1 cup quinoa

zest and juice of 1/2 lemon

1 punnet grape/cherry or roma tomatoes – quartered

1 bunch parsley leaves chopped

1/2 red onion finely diced

1 cucumber diced

1 red capsicum diced

1 cup of pinenuts or slivered almonds (whichever you prefer) – toasted.  (I dry roast them in a pan until they become aromatic)

2 tins organic chickpeas rinsed well and drained

150 – 200 grams of goats cheese or feta (whichever you prefer)

Dressing

Whisk together (or shake in a jar)  juice of 1 lemon, salt and pepper, 1 teaspoon sumac, and olive oil (to taste)

How to pull it together:

Bring 1 cup quinoa, 2 1/2 cups water, zest and juice of 1/2 lemon to a boil and simmer (covered) for about 10-15 minutes or until cooked.  If it gets too dry you may need more water.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the onion, diced capsicum, cucumber, parsley, chickpeas and tomatoes.  Add half the toasted nuts (almonds or pinenuts) and half the cheese (crumbled).

Add the quinoa to the bowl and pour the dressing over and mix well.

Decant into your serving dish and top with remaining nuts and cheese to serve.

With Almonds!

With Pinenuts!

Such a healthy and delicious salad – enjoy!

XX

Alix

Healthy Lunching – Try Quinoa!

Quinoa is a delicious grain that is high in protein, low GI and so good for you!  It is now freely available in the health food section of your supermarket or health food shop.  Quinoa cooks a lot like rice, in fact I’ve been told it’s really easy to cook in a rice cooker covered with a fingernail length of water (although I actually have never tried to cook it this way). I love having quinoa as a sweet porridge for breakfast (will post this recipe in coming weeks) and I especially love having it with chicken and veggies for lunch.

Here is a yummy Quinoa recipe to try…

Chicken and Vegie Quinoa

(Serves 2)

You will need:

1 cup Quinoa

Half a sweet potato

1 carrot

Half a head of broccoli

A handful of precooked chicken (see finger lickin chicken post)

A small amount of feta

Juice of a lemon

Some chilli/chilli flakes/ sambal to taste

Preparation

Cook the quinoa by adding 1 cup quinoa with 2 cups water and a squeeze of lemon.  When the water boils turn the heat down, it will take about 10-15 mins.  You might need to add more water if it goes dry – keep an eye on it.

In the meantime, chop the veggies into fine dice and steam.  If ‘steaming’ sounds too complicated you can cook them for a couple of minutes in a saucepan of boiling water (I would do sweet potato for a minute, add the carrots for a minute and broccoli for just under 2 minutes.)  They should be vibrant in colour so make sure you don’t overcook. Drain veggies.

Add veggies, chopped (pre-cooked) chicken and lemon juice (to taste) to the saucepan with the quinoa and mix through over a low heat until the chicken is heated.  Finally add the finely chopped feta and chilli (if required) and stir through.

This should be enough for 2 servings – you could double it and portion it up for easy lunches to take to work, or it would make a quick and easy dinner too.

So yummy and tasty and HEALTHY!!!

Of course you can experiment with different veggies, different proteins (think tuna, beef, lamb …), maybe drizzle with some yoghurt, stir through some pesto – whatever tickles your fancy!

Enjoy

X

Alix