Lactose-Free Stuffed Courgette 🥒

Also known as calabacines rellenos.


Currently on a mission to help my boyfriend with his diet, which at the moment means avoiding lactose (the sugar in dairy). He loves his grans stuffed calabacines so I thought I’d try a lactose-free version. Heres how:


Ingredients:
2x large courgettes (sliced lengthways and in half to give you 8 pcs)
Handful of chopped spinach
3 Egg whites
3/4 Cup gluten-free breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp lactose-free soft cheese
1 Tbsp onion granules
1 Tsp garlic granules
120g Lactose-free cheddar (grated)
Salt & Pepper

Method:
You’ll need to cook the courgettes first, you want the outer skin to be softer and you’ll be using the flesh for the stuffing mix.


Courgette Img


You can do this two ways: the easier way is in microwave. Place courgette pieces in a microwave safe dish face down in approx 1inch of water, heat in intervals of 1 minute until the flesh is soft enough to scoop out. Alternatively, the second way is doing it in the oven – this takes a little bit longer.

Then, the rest is easy. Scoop the flesh out of the courgette and mix into a bowl with all ingredients except for cheddar. Spoon back into the hollowed courgettes and sprinkle with grated cheddar and cook in a pre-heated oven at 170 Degrees C for approx 10-15mins until cooked through and cheese has melted.



Fun fact: Courgettes have a high water content making them a dieters best friend as they contain very few calories! Whats more they aid healthy digestion AND are high in antioxidants.

Perfect to prep in advance and have as snacks or a side dish with main meals. I calculated that each piece has approx 130 calories, macros may vary depending on brands you use but not bad huh?


Stuffed Courgette Img


Hope you enjoyed this recipe, don’t forget to tag and share us if you try it 🙂

Find me on instagram for more recipes, tips and nonsense.

How to: Quinoa 🍚

If you don’t like quinoa, we can’t be friends.


Quinoa {keen-wa} – is it a seed? Is it a grain? A debate we are not here to discuss because there is a more pressing issue: eating it.

Its my favourite thing to eat at home, so i collated my favourite ways to eat them…get ready to jazz up your plain quinoa.Life changing.


EGG-FRIED QUINOA


Egg-Fried Quinoa
Ingredients:
1 Cup Cooked Quinoa
5 Egg Whites
2-3 Tbsp Soy Sauce (Or Tamari if needed gluten-free)
Sprinkle of salt

Method:
1. Heat a pan on medium heat with a bit of spray oil.
2. Once hot, pour the egg whites and salt and cook like you would scrambled egg, moving around until egg is mostly cooked.
3. Add quinoa and soy sauce and mix together, keep moving until egg has fully cooked through.
4. Remove from heat and enjoy.

LENTIL MEATBALLS WITH QUINOA



Follow our Lentil ‘Meat’ Ball recipe and enjoy on a bed of your ready made quinoa.

RICE WRAPS WITH VEGGIES & QUINOA



Ingredients:
2 Rice Wraps*
40g Avocado (Sliced)
50g Roasted Sweet Potato Cubes
50g Spiced Tofu (optional) 1 Tbsp Spicy Brava Sauce
Sprinkle of salt
Large bowl with lukewarm water
*You can find these in the chinese food section in most supermarkets or grocery stores.

Method:
1. Prepare all your ingredients and a large chopping board next to your bowl of lukewarm water
2. Grab a rice wrap and immerse it into the lukewarm water until fully covered for about 3 seconds so that it goes a bit soft but still manageable.
3. Lay carefully onto chopping board and repeat (2.) with second rice wrap. Place second wrap with half of it overlapping the first.
4. Layer ingredients as you please.
5. Roll wrap together carefully, tucking in the edges before wrapping fully.
6. Drizzle with the spicy brava sauce and enjoy!

LENTIL STEW WITH QUINOA



Ingredients:
500g (Cooked) Pardina Lentils
100g Mixed Frozen Peppers
1 Chopped Onion
1 Tbsp Frozen Garlic
Handful Chopped Basil
4 Tbsp Marigold Vegan Stock
6 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
2 Tbsp Italian Herbs
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1.5 Ltr Water (Boiling)
100g Roasted Sweet Potato Cubes
2 Cups Cooked Quinoa
Sprinkle of salt & pepper

Method:
1. We pre-cooked the lentils for this recipe, but you can also use can or jar lentils which come ready made.
2. In a large sauce pan bring olive oil to heat on a medium setting, then add onions and garlic. Once onions have softened slightly, add mixed frozen peppers and keep moving until peppers have softened too.
3. Add all the remaining ingredients, except for the quinoa and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat and leave simmering for approx 15mins.
6. Fold in quinoa and leave simmering for another 10mins.
7. Remove from heat and leave to settle, then enjoy or pack it up for the next day.

Note: The lentils will settle even more if you store them for the next day, so dont worry if you think they have perhaps come out too liquid(ey).

This recipe is made to suit my preferred tastes, but you can add/ swap ingredients and flavours as you see fit.

Hope you enjoyed these recipes! Please tag us if you make them, we love seeing you re-make our creations 🙂


Recipes created by @themusclebaker

BrunchIt: Marbella 🥞

Brunch It Cafe (New Marbella location).

Location: Calle Francisco Nte, 5 29602 – Marbella, Malaga📍

After my first BrunchIt experience in Malaga, i fell in love with the place.

Its decor, food, branding and ethos stood out from the rest and after having reviewed their first location, Lydia the owner (who is absolutely adorable may i add) invited me to try out their new Marbella branch.

The decor is a little different to the original blacks and whites from my first BrunchIt visit back in Malaga. Instead, you are greeted with wooden and yellow tones with a fresh and modern feel.



To start we ordered some coffees and fresh juices. They have milk alternatives which was great for my fussy friend who won’t go anywhere without non-dairy milks. Hello Daniella, looking at you.


brunchit coffee

Then, in true foodie style we ordered almost EVERYTHING on the menu! So much improvement and variety from the first time I had been there and we just couldn’t choose!

Eventually we decided on both pancake options (to share obviously) both chicken salads and the gnocchi dish. Plus some extra cakes, you know just in case we were still hungry *eye roll*


brunch

For my mains, i chose the chicken and mango salad. Don’t be fooled, you will get a huge salad bowl, packed with chicken, mango, avocado, seeds and a delicious side of balsamic dressing. My friends chose the other chicken salad and gnocchi dish. They too were really impressed with their choices and were already so stuffed from our mains (oops). Absolutely perfect for sharing or for the fitness fiends looking to fuel them muscles.


mango chicken salad

For dessert we ordered both pancake options: chocolate with strawberry and protein pancakes made with oats and peanut butter. Plus, a doughnut, cheesecake brownie and a nutella doughnut. I know. There was no stopping us.


pancakes
food flatlay
cheesecake

Everything was delicious, but top marks went to the protein pancakes, especially as I’m a sucker for peanut butter anything. Would recommend! They are really light and fluffy and ALSO really filling. (How my jeans didn’t pop i do not know). Would demolish them post-workout all day, everyday. Yum.


protein pancakes

The second time i went was to finally meet the lovely Lydia (who was the driving force behind me trying all this goodness). In the midst of girly chat, empowering each other and bouncing collaboration ideas… I got to try the one thing we didn’t order the last time… NO DISSAPOINTMENT.

It was the savoury crepe with baked egg, spinach, cashew and tomato cream with jamon serrano. SUH SUH GOOD. Lydia enjoyed a salmon and pasta dish which also looked divine!

Honestly the food is faultless.



Price: ☺️ | Location: 😄 | Service: 😄 | Food: 😄


The place is super chilled, whether you want to hang out for a coffee and get some work done, if you want a tasty meal or just fancy pancakes at 5pm, that sort of thing.

The vibe is perfect because its away from the hustle and bustle but still situated in a good location.

They have meal options to suit all types which is great, especially if you’re travelling there with a variety of people who have different diets.

AND, out of all the Marbella eateries (trust me ive tried them all) this one beats them hands down, in quality of meals. Yes, you want your food to look good, but also want it to taste amazing. 10/10.


happy foodie

how to really make a girl happy

– @themusclebaker


Caters to Vegan/ Vegetarian diets (and people who love carbs – me).

Tip: For anyone counting calories/ macros etc my advise would be to log in similar counterparts to what you are eating and be mindful about it. Eg. bean burger isn’t hard to find on MFP, and it is very unlikely that there is a vast difference in macros. Trust me, at some point, someone has logged in something similar in MFP, a quick search and you’re good! If at the very least, for peace of mind.


Another from our series of #EatsFreeFrom as we travel around taste testing all the delicious (free-from) foods for you!


Any requests? Let us know! 🙂

Much love,

The Muscle Baker

<3

World Vegan Day 🌼

Today is World Vegan Day, an annual event celebrated by Vegans all over the world. The event was established in 1994 by Louise Wallis, then Chair of The Vegan Society in the United Kingdom, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the organisation and the coining of the terms “vegan” and “veganism”.


In the beginning, The Muscle Bakery wasn’t a reaction to any culinary changes but more of a personal development in the way I saw food. However, as my clientele developed and my skills improved, the demand began evolving and I was catering to the needs of my customers as well as developing my own cooking/ baking style.

The request for Vegan food has grown incredibly over the past few years, and even more so in the last year. When I began, my Vegan customers were a very select amount. But now it seems to be the other way around which is actually surreal to see; the way our culinary culture has changed.

With the growth of knowledge, we are all becoming more conscious of the world around us and it’s up to us to change that. So in contrast to when we began, we have developed with these changes, becoming an exclusively veggie friendly bakery.

We have also completely removed plastic bags and looking into veggie friendly packaging and labels.

We also offer a discount to all customers when they return their plastic containers or bring their own bags.


Everyone’s little efforts, make a big difference.


DID YOU KNOW:


A person showering for 2 months uses up the same amount of water that it takes to produce enough livestock for one beef burger.

Broccoli has a higher protein content per calorie than beef.

Every minute, 7 million pounds of excrement are produced by animals raised for food in the US.

Plastic is the only existing material that CANNOT break down naturally.

There is officially so much plastic in the world that any fish we eat, by default also contains plastic.

If every human skipped just ONE meal of chicken per week, environmental effects would be like removing 500,000 cars off the road.

82% of starving children live in countries where food is grown to feed animals in the west.

Brad Pitt, Beyoncé, Ellen Degeneres, Liam Hemsworth, Alicia Silverstone, Jennifer Lopez, Pamela Anderson, Alec Baldwin and Bill Clinton are vegans.


To celebrate this day, we have put together a collection of our best Vegan recipes to inspire you guys; to show that eating Vegan (& veggie) is also super fun and tasty (and not just about eating leaves and carrot sticks).


VANILLA WAFFLES

Vanilla Pancakes


Say yes to waffles with this tasty vanilla flavour waffle, topped with soy yoghurt, cookies, fresh berries and zero syrup.


BLUEBERRY SLICES


Imagine if you married up a cookie, a scone and a cake… this is what our Blueberry Slices are like.


COFFEE COCONUT TRUFFLES


Coffee and coconut? imma go and say yes my friends. Soft truffle centre made w/ coconut flour, infused with instant coffee and coated in luxurious dark chocolate.


CHOC BROWNIES


Fudgey brownies to brighten the day. Using Soy yogurt as a secret ingredient, a recipe to make over and over again.


CHEESY NACHOS


Cheesy nachos without the cheese? C’est pas posible. Thanks to the use of nutritional yeast, make any tortilla your b**tch and make them into badass nachos.


FLAPJACKS


Flapjacks are usually laden with butter, not these tho. With added peanut butter… theres nothing to not love!


GOJI HOB NOBS

Goji Hob Nobs


Hob Nobs minus the gluten and the buttah + added health from the goji berries. Give them a whirl.


PROTEIN PANCAKES

protein pancakes


These pancakes are so tasty, it fooled all our non-vegan friends.


BBQ TOFU

bbq tofu


The easiest way to make tasty tofu, using bbq sauce and not much else! Pair it up in a salad or a spud for maximum taste bud party.


TOFU NUGGETS


Chicken nuggets is so last year, try these tofu nuggets instead.


VEGAN BANANA BREAD

vegan banana bread


Would you believe us if we said a can of pop can replace an egg? This recipe shows you how.


BASIC VEGAN PANCAKES


The simplest and tastiest pancakes you’re ever gonna make! A firm favourite amongst our followers.


We hope these recipes inspire you and remember: even if you swap ONE meal a day to a Vegan meal… you ARE making a difference.


Join us with your feedback #WorldVeganDay \ @themusclebakery \ @themusclebaker


For 20% off Bulkpowders use code: MUSCLEBAKERY20
For 5% off iHerb use code: JCB887


HAPPY VEGAN DAY 🌱

Treat or Treat? 👻

We made a post last year about Halloween, so this year we are gonna skip all that mumbo jumbo and head straight to the treats… no tricks. Its the best part of this holiday anyway, right?


Showcasing our favourite Halloween-ey treats that we’ve rustled up to date:


SPIDERWEB SMOOTHIE BOWL


Get in the Halloween mood with this easy to make smoothie bowl, decorated with yoghurt spiderweb!


FRANKENSTEIN PROTEIN POPS


These Frankenstein Pops are a firm favourite with the kiddos! Laced with peanut butter, decorated with chocolate and coloured in green… fun to make… and EAT!


VEGAN WITCH FINGERS


These Witch Fingers are made with all the healthiest ingredients, but full of all the scare!


FRANKENWEENY CUPCAKES


Try these Frankenweeny cupcakes…The cutest Halloween cupcakes you ever did see.


PROTEIN WORMS


Snack on these protein worms today. Lucky for you they are choc orange flavour!


WORMY MATCHA CAKE


Dont be spooked out by this Matcha cake, what you see ain’t really worms… but walnuts!


HOPE YOU ENJOYED OUR HALLOWEEN THEME RECIPES!


Don’t forget to tag us if you try any of these recipes, you can find us on all social media outlets @themusclebakery/ @themusclebaker


For 20% off Bulkpowders use code: MUSCLEBAKERY20
For 5% off iHerb use code: JCB887


HAPPY (HALLOWEENY) BAKING!

How to: Overnight Oats 🍨

Overnight oats became all the rage about 5 years ago, when all the health gurus were touting its awesomeness, flooding the blogosphere with grams of overflowing oat jar creations.

But, they weren’t wrong about the awesome part. There is a huge benefit in eating overnight oats (aside from the time-saving). As the oats soak overnight, their starches break down which improves digestibility. The soaking acts like a long cooking, which you won’t get from just heating them in the microwave or in a saucepan. (You’ll find that most people who suffer from digestive problems, find overnight oats much easier to stomach for this reason).

So, we are re-visiting this old craze because it’s a gem that needs to be revived!

(Not to mention all the crazy combos you can make with it!)

Here is our how to:


CHOOSE YOUR LAYERS
You are going to need a milk, a ground seed like flax or chia (or both), 30-40g oats, a filling like nut butter or jam, and fruit of choice. Extras include protein powder, yoghurt, syrups, nuts, seeds, chocolate chips (whatever you may fancy).


UPCYCLE YOUR OLD JARS
Save used jars for these overnight oats, not only do they look cool in a jar but you’re helping the environment too.

I love making them in almost over peanut butter jars as it soaks in all the hard to get to peanut butter that always gets left behind (or thrown away).


MIX IT UP
Add milk and ground seeds to your jar and mix, follow it with oats, peanut butter, jam, fruit, seeds and whatever else you may or may not wanna add. Give it a good swirl so that the oats are all soaking in the milk, helping give it a swirly pattern too!


LET IT SOAK
Leave in the fridge to soak overnight and bam. Ready to eat oats!


PEANUT BUTTER CHERRY OVERNIGHT OATS 🍒



Ingredients:
3/4 Cup Coconut Milk made w/ a tiny bit of protein powder to thicken up. Use whichever one suits your diet best.
1 Tsp Chia Seeds
1 Tsp Flaxseed Meal
25g Pip And Nut Maple Peanut Butter
1 (generous 🙄) squeeze of Bulkpowders Zero Maple Syrup
Handful of Waitrose frozen cherries
1 Savia Soy Yoghurt
1 Pack Quaker Oats GF Oats (30-40g Oats)

Method:
1. Pour milk, chia, flax and oats in your jar and roughly mix.
2. Add peanut butter, cherries and yoghurt + whatever else you want in there and again mix roughly.
3. Close your jar and leave overnight.
4. Enjoy the next day with a hot cuppa!



The beauty of this recipe is that you can make as many different creations as you like, so long as you follow the basic how to.


Look forward to seeing what combos you guys come up with! Don’t forget to tag us if you make them, we love to see. Find us on all social outlets @themusclebakery/ @themusclebaker 🙂


Fancy some creamy oats? Check out our How to: Make Creamy Oats


For 20% discount on Bulkpowders use code: MUSCLEBAKERY20 | 10% discount on iHerb using code: JCB887

All recipes created by The Muscle Bakery and subject to copyright.

GUEST POST // Eating Vegan in Amsterdam

Eating Vegan in Amsterdam, By Darian Galloway.

Amsterdam… what a beautiful city. Clean, amazing food, endless shopping and sightseeing a plenty! We follow Darian as she shows us what are the tastiest Vegan spots in Amsterdam!


VEGABOND

On my first day of arriving in Amsterdam, I visited a small cafe/shop called Vegabond, if you love quirky little cafes, then you will not want to leave this place. The first thing I noticed was the vintage decor, relaxed atmosphere and welcoming staff. They have a variety of vegan meals, snacks and desserts and they even have a shop inside where you can buy lots of goodies including: vegan foods, sweets, snacks, chocolate, gifts, cookery books, natural beauty products and vegan protein powders. I visited this cafe 3 times out of the 4 days I was staying in Amsterdam; I couldn’t get enough of the vegan treats!

If you are looking for a light lunch, with amazing desserts, I would definitely pop into Vegabond. Out of the 3 times I visited Vegabond, I ate a selection of different tasty foods including: Spelt sandwich made up of spelt bread with handmade cashew ‘ricotta’, pesto, cherry tomatoes and rucola, Fresh wrap with home-made hummus, sun-dried tomato, spinach and cucumber.


And (the best part) the dessert selection they had to choose from! I consumed many a doughnut, in strawberry, chocolate, oreo and caramelised apple flavours. Not to mention the amazing cake variety they had to choose from too; I tried Raw Snickers and Gluten-free brownie with hazelnuts… honestly I could not possibly pick my favourite as I loved them all.



MOAZ

Another place was Moaz, which had the best falafel pitta EVER! After spending a full day shopping and sightseeing, I definitely worked up an appetite… walking down the high streets I stumbled across this little vegetarian food shop on a street corner. It was booming with people enjoying the food and a lively busy crowd is always a good sign when deciding where to eat. So, I stepped inside, joined the queue and opted for the falafel pitta bread. (You could choose between the regular size or the small… of course I chose the regular… the bigger the better.)

You had the option of white or brown pitta, they filled it with falafel and hummus and then the control was in your hands, they handed you the pitta, where you could fill it with all sorts of sides such as: vegetables, salads, sauces, cous cous, and olives… oh and the best grilled peppers ever!

Of course my pitta bread was jam packed, if I am given the control to fill my plate, then the food has got to be over flowing. The service was quick, the staff were friendly, all customers were happy and I was definitely full. Honestly, this was one of the best falafels I have ever tasted.

I was really satisfied with the amount of food I had, but you had the option of adding a side of chips too. There were other options on the menu where you could choose from falafel salads, meal deals and smaller portion options for snacks or young children.

You could also choose from freshly squeezed juices, coffee or water. The prices were fair and you received a lot of food for the money paid.



ALBERT HEINZ

As we was staying in an Air BnB, we had our own little kitchen with cooking facilities and utensils. So in between meals or for breakfast before stepping out into the city again, I relied on snacks from the local supermarkets/shops and Albert Heinz was one of our favourites. As a vegan, finding a good selection of suitable food is hard but this is a great supermarket which has a huge selection of fresh food, meals, fresh juices, snacks, cereals and frozen goods. The prices were reasonable, staff were very friendly and helpful and not to mention…their falafel wraps were amazing, I consumed one every single day I stayed in Amsterdam.


SLA

On my last day staying in Haarlem, we had to leave our BNB at 12:00pm and the flight was not due until late afternoon. We decided to venture around Haarlem, visit the shops and locate some tasty vegan food. SLA caught my eye and was open on a Monday… I noticed on Monday’s quite a few food places are actually shut in, so be careful when planning your days out in Amsterdam.

There is a great selection of different foods on the menu, raw fresh vegan foods and there are non-vegan options too. I chose the white bean falafel bowl. My boyfriend chose their Moroccan Chickpea Soup, which they serve cold with freshly made delicious oat bread… do not knock cold soup until you try it, honestly it is so refreshing.



The food was fresh, tasty, wholesome and nutritious… I felt amazing after eating it. I finished the meal with a dessert (obviously). Dessert > Starter any day! I chose the raw cacao chia cake which really inspired me to create my own selection of raw desserts. Although the cake was small, it is definitely deceiving as it was so rich, you would not need a larger portion and that is coming from Miss Greedy Piggy over here.



VEGAN ICE-CREAM

I finished the trip with one last sweet treat… Near the airport there was a vegan ice cream van, they had a great selection of ice creams which included cookie dough, granola jam, honeycomb, chocolate mint, turmeric and chocolate. They served it in a tub or in a vegan ice cream cone and there were many toppings for the ice cream. You wouldn’t have ever guessed this ice cream was dairy free and it made me want to buy an ice cream maker and make a life-time supply of dairy free ice cream… serious heaven.


So to summarise, after consuming lots of amazing food in Amsterdam, I would definitely visit again and would highly recommend it to anyone who loves food, shopping, sightseeing and plenty of walking/bike rides to visit as soon as possible!


Muscle Bakery tip: Want to keep on a lower cal diet but still eat delicious food in Amsterdam? Stick to loads of leafy greens and veggies! Don’t miss out on dessert either, just skip on the bread and extras, have cake instead! Plus, Amsterdam is filled with lots of walking and cycling so you will no doubt burn it all off anyway 🙂


I am a 22 year old vegan foodie with a keen interest in baking (and maybe eating and force-feeding my treats to everyone)… sharing is caring! Instead of permanently driving those around me insane with my loved topic of conversation, I decided to create a blog to showcase all my recipes, food reviews and vegan lifestyle tips.

Ive always had an interest in fitness and healthy eating, starting my foodie mission by searching the net for healthy recipe ideas. Initially, with simple bakes such as flapjacks, overnight oats, etc.  But, once i adopted a vegan lifestyle, my interest peaked and changed my little world around! I began tailoring my baking around the new diet and was enjoying every minute. I still bake to cater all needs, interests and adapt the recipes where necessary, but my true passion lies within the Vegan lifestyle.

I create all kinds of plant-based meals, snacks and treats and no longer feel guilty for eating my body weight in cookies, cakes and all kinds of goodies! I always consciously try to use the healthiest ingredients which means no guilt, right?

My recipes are simple, easy to follow and fun to make as possible, so get in the kitchen bake someone happy and always leave room for dessert…

 

Blogpost created by Darian Galloway, the lady behind Darian Kay Bakes. if you have not checked her out… what are you waiting for?! You can find her on Instagram too!


We hope you enjoyed this post, get involved… tweet/ gram us @themusclebakery & @dkayxx and tell us your thoughts! And if you have any more recommendations, give us a shout 🙂


Photography by @illuminatus_photography.

How to: Make Savoury Oats 🍅

There are actually people out there who dont like oats or porridge. We, of course, are not them.

We truly believe that oats is an anytime of the day kinda meal so, to prove this theory, decided to have a whack at creating a savoury oat combo. The outcome was even better than we imaged it to be, it was SO SO good and much more filling than toast would’ve been!

(Not to mention all the added vitamins and minerals this combo brings!)

Naturally, we couldn’t wait to share it with you…

Here is our how to:


HEAT UP MILK WITH FLAVOURED STOCK
Choose your favourite milk, you will need 3/4 cup per serving and 1/4 cup of stock (for every 33g of oats approx). Pour it into a saucepan and move to the next step…


ADD YOUR FAVE HERBS AND SPICES
You can choose your favourite herbs and spices for this, keep it simple or as crazy as you prefer. (Scroll to bottom for exact recipe).


LET IT GET SOME FLAVA
Bring the milk, stock and herb mix to a boil, then add oats and 1tbsp flaxseed meal/ ground flaxseed.

We use packs of 33g Gluten-Free Quaker Oats so it will be approximately that much oats you will need if not using single packs.

Let it all simmer until the oats have soaked up most of the liquid and has formed into porridge texture.


PIMP IT UP
Pour into a bowl and add your toppings. We chose some smashed avo, tomatoes, black olives, grated vegan cheese, toasted sesame seeds and sprouts. (What happens when you can’t choose between avo toast and oats).


SMASHED AV-OATS



Ingredients:
1 Pack Gluten-Free Quaker Oats
1 Tbsp Flaxseed Meal/ ground Flaxseed
3/4 Cup Non-Dairy Milk (we used Alpro Coconut Milk)
1/4 Cup Veggie Broth, made with 1 Tbsp Marigold Vegan Bouillon Powder
1 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
1/4 Tsp Turmeric
1/4 Tsp Smoked Paprika
1/4 Tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 Tsp Onion Powder
1/8 Tsp Chilli Flakes
Pinch of sea salt

Toppings:
1/2 Avocado
1 Small Tomato
1/2 Small can sliced black olives
25g Violife grated cheese
Handful Alfalfa Sprouts
Sprinkle of toasted Sesame seeds

Method:
1. Add milk, veggie broth, nutritional yeast and salt/ spices into a pan and bring to the boil.
2. Add oats and flaxseed and reduce heat, leave simmering until oats soak up most of the liquid and you achieve a porridge consistency.
3. Pour into a bowl and set aside.
4. Mash avocado with a little salt, lemon juice and garlic powder and scoop on top of oats.
5. Add the rest of your toppings.
6. Grab a spoon and enjoy!



Yields: 1 serving

Nutritional Info:
519 Cals | 29.4F | 54.1C (14.3g fiber, 6.3g sugars) | 15.7P

Vitamin A: 18.1 | Vitamin C: 30.4 | Calcium: 224 | Iron: 21

Free from Gluten, Wheat, Dairy, Egg & Vegan


MAS BUENO QUE EL PAN 😛


Look forward to seeing what savoury oat combos you guys come up with! Don’t forget to tag us if you make them, we love to see. Find us on all social outlets @themusclebakery/ @themusclebaker 🙂


Fancy some sweet oats? Check out our How to: Make Creamy Oats


For 20% discount on Bulkpowders use code: MUSCLEBAKERY20 | 10% discount on iHerb using code: JCB887

All recipes created by The Muscle Bakery and subject to copyright.

GUEST POST // Vegan Salmorejo

Vegan Salmorejo, By Veggie Gib.

Salmorejo is a classic dish from the Cordoba region of southern Spain. It is a cold soup (similar to gazpacho) although it is much thicker in consistency because it is made with bread. Many traditional Spanish dishes use bread because it was cheap and a good filler. Salmorejo has become quite popular and trendy and can be found in most tapas restaurants.

I must say this now though, purists please look away! This version differs from the traditional version in that it does not contain bread, making it gluten free, and it is high in protein because it is made with tofu, but it does not interfere with the flavour and thickens the soup in the same way bread would! I suggest using a high-powered blender (like the ones for making smoothies) to make it smooth, and not to make it too far in advance as the garlic flavour will get more intense as time goes on and can become overpowering.

Traditionally Salmorejo is served with diced serrano ham and boiled egg, or even tuna. However, I like to keep it vegan and using raw diced fruits and vegetables gives it interesting textures and contrasting flavours. In winter-time I like to use cucumber, apples and even kiwi. In the summer-time melon works wonderfully as it has crunch and sweetness.


salmorejo01salmorejo02


Tofu, made from soybean curds, is naturally gluten-free and low calorie, contains no cholesterol and is an excellent source of protein, iron, and calcium.


Ingredients:

  • 750g (about 6) ripe plum tomatoes
  • 250g extra firm tofu
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • Salt to taste

Method

  1. Place the plum tomatoes in a bowl and cover with water from a recently boiled kettle and allow to soak for about 1 minute. This should be enough time to enable them to be easily peeled. Discard the water, peel the tomatoes and roughly chop them into a blender.
  2. Cut the tofu up and add to the tomatoes.
  3. Cut and peel a clove of garlic and add to the tomatoes.
  4. Add the apple cider vinegar the olive oil and a good pinch of olive oil.
  5. Blend until smooth and then put through a fine sieve to remove any graininess from the tofu or seeds.
  6. Finely dice cucumber, apple, kiwi, melon or any other fruit / vegetable of your choice and serve.

Serves 4 tapas (or 2 main)

Nutritional information:
Overall: 768kcal | 49F | 34C | 44P
Per serving: 192kcal | 12F | 8.5C | 11P


Muscle Bakery tip: Want to make it even higher in protein? Add some Nutritional Yeast! High in protein, fiber and loaded with B Vitamins!


Veggie Gib

Food has always been a passion of mine, especially eating! Being naturally curious and having a sweet tooth I have always enjoyed experimenting in the kitchen and creating yummy treats for myself, family and friends. Going vegetarian made me explore a lot of different foods and ingredients and made me look at food from a different perspective. What is more I quickly learned that veggie food is far from bland or boring. I like to make food that is quick, easy and tasty and I like to adapt traditional recipes to vegetarian alternatives whenever I can. Now I like to share what I eat and my recipes and hopefully make people want to eat more veggie food.

 

Recipe created by Ivan Hernandez, the man behind Veggie Gib. if you have not checked him out… what are you waiting for?! You can find him on InstagramTwitter, Facebook and most importantly via his website. (His Instagram is a beautiful array of meals and sweets that will most certainly make your tummy rumble!)


We hope you enjoyed this recipe, get involved… tweet/ gram us @themusclebakery & @veggiegib and tell us your thoughts!


Veganuary Week Uno 🌱

Let’s take part in Veganuary they said. It’ll be fun they said. No-one warned us about the cheese cravings, dangers of sudden fibre uptake and how easy it is to get fat. But, it aint all doom and gloom, have a read and find out what the experience has been like so far:

For those who don’t know what Veganuary is, we explained it in our previous blogpost: Top tips to tackle Veganuary.


DAY ONE: HANGOVER 💀

My first day as a vegan was quite uneventful, I skipped breakfast as usual (because bed minutes are worth more than breakfast minutes) and waking up on New Years Day still sporting the previous nights make-up (across face and pillow) to the realisation that it was now Veganuary and I couldn’t call up Mr Pizza Man for the usual fix was really tough. More so, with a hangover. But, I mustered up all my energy and rolled out of bed, first into the bathroom to turn myself from drug addict to relatively normal looking human and then into the kitchen to make some avo toast in true cliche Vegan style.

I hadn’t really given much thought to what being vegan implied, I just knew I didn’t want any other living being to suffer unnecessarily on my account, and no I have not watched Earthlings yet.

The hangover had claimed all my energy and nothing was gonna culminate in a greasy cheesy pizza.

The rest of the day was spent opening the cupboards in a majorly uninspired fashion, the hangover had claimed all my energy and nothing was gonna culminate in a greasy cheesy pizza. The night before the change, I spoke to my only vegan friend, and he advised me to throw out all non vegan products. I said I would, but I didn’t. Ingrained in my very being is my father’s voice saying “waste not, want not” or “starving children in Africa would fight over that plate”,every time I attempt to throw food away. So, when the temptation to whip out the cheese and crackers came along, I knew they had to go.

Sorry dad. Was there no one I could offload my brie on?

Humus and carrot sticks for dinner it is.

And with that, day one finito.

*Pats self on back*


DAY TWO: INSPIRED ✨

Woke up late (earning extra bed minutes) and in a huff decided to be pro-active in a bid to make up for those wasted hours. Chopped up all the veggies possible, laid them in a tray and popped them in oven to grill. +5pts to me.

Determined to stick to my plan, I spent a considerable amount of my lunch hour in the health shop along with most of my life savings; stocking up on organic fruits, vegetables, beans, pulses and vegan alternatives.

Then it hit me,Chocolate!

What the hell vegans? Why would you do this to yourselves, and more importantly, me.

Chocolate is my thing. I eat it every day.

Now, for any of you thinking about going vegan, let me tell you this; your chocolate will never taste the same again. Say goodbye to Green & Blacks Butterscotch bars *sad face*. This does not mean vegans cannot eat chocolate, we can, just not the deliciously smooth milk variety.

I’m a fan of all kinds of chocolate, so after a frantic Google search, I found that some of my favourites were in fact vegan. Lindt Excellence, as from 70% cocoa, awesome! It also helps if you (or in Lisanka’s case, your best friend) is a wizard in the ‘free from’ kitchen. *insert Hazelnut truffles here*

Anyhow, whilst on my splurge at the health shop, I discovered something much better than chocolate anyway, dried pineapple. My absolute favourite fruit ever. There are many versions of dried pineapple on the market, most of them heavily laced with preservatives and sugars. Sulfur dioxide is not something I want to be consuming thank you very much. I’ve become an additive snob along with my vegan-ism. Tropical Wholefoods ‘sun dried pineapple’ is 100% pineapple and is organic to boot. I may have eaten the whole bag in sheer excitement.

Lunch was a bit of everything. I went to the only vegetarian place I could think of close by and ordered enough food to feed a small country. Avocado and tomato salad, roast sweet potato and beetroot salad, 3 bean soup, falafel and humus. I must stress, I did not eat this all. The falafel and humus was enough and I saved the rest for later. I guess I tried to over compensate for the lack of obvious protein on my plate.

I spent most of my afternoon engrossed in vegan literature, i.e. Google, Pinterest and Instagram.

Inspired by the colourful offerings I held in the palm of my hand, I set to work on writing up an endless list of ‘to-do’ recipes. The first on my list? Bean burgers. What i ended up with? Lentil & Quinoa patties. Ah well, its only my second day, ill get this.

I know most vegans and vegetarians say this when they make a meat free alternative, but seriously, I did not miss the meat at all. My bean patty was divine and my mother agreed. Although, I’m going to be honest, I missed the slice (or two) of cheese.

For dessert? The remaining Hazelnut Truffles of course.


DAY 3: HELLO FIBRE 🙃

O.K, so none of these vegan blogs warned me about the side effects of upping your fibre intake dramatically. In hindsight I should have seen it coming. I won’t go into the technicalities, but I am under the mercy of my digestive system, and she’s not being very gracious.

To be safe, my breakfast choice was a Coconut Milk smoothie laced with flaxseed, oats and a generous dollop of Hazelnut butter. Somehow, it felt sensible to keep to liquids, or at least it seemed logical to me.

I’ve started slowly telling people that I am cutting out meat, dairy and any other animal products from my diet and for the most part everyone is surprisingly supportive. Vegans tend to get a bad reputation for being pushy, preachy, holier-than-thou know-it-alls, so the common response when you tell someone you’re vegan is a defensive one. I know, because I used to get that way.

I once tweeted something quite awful about a vegan, and how I wanted to slap her in the face with a steak. In jest, of course. It’s not that she was vegan, she was just an ass hole; an ass hole who happened to be a vegan.

I don’t want to be one of those people who sneers at your life choices at the dinner table, or aggressively pushes their beliefs on others.

Lunch was leftover bean patties paired with homemade sprout crispies; an idea that was inspired by one of many Vegan Insta-foodie accounts I have began to follow since starting Veganuary. My judgement clouded by excitement, but my fibre intake jeopardised. A decision I would come to regret.

I feel a constant need to eat and to be nourished, and as a result I’m eating copious amounts of nuts, nut butter, seeds and dried fruit, namely cashews, peanut butter and dried pineapple. I may be eating too much, but how can something so small be so calorific?

*sigh*

Dinner comes along and in usual post-workout fashion, am really tired, cranky and hungry. I only have enough macros left to eat protein and not much else and with that, for the first time since starting, i wish for some chicken. I give myself a few imaginary slaps and proceed to whip up some Satay Tofu. (Honestly… it was horrible, but i ate it anyway.)

Tomorrow will be better, surely.


DAY 4: BLOATED 💩

Not loving myself at the moment if I’m totally honest. I feel like a blow up doll. I’m swollen, uncomfortable and fat.

The thought of a lean scrambled egg breakfast was plaguing my mind. I banish the little yellow clouds of protein goodness from my thoughts and again opt for a liquid breakfast. Paired with a bowl of oats. Girl logic.

Getting ready for work was a chore, everything feels too tight and I was in no mood for the confines of hosiery. I look in the mirror and liken myself to a dairy cow who’s been pumped full of hormones. Even my face looks distorted. What’s happening to me?

Google will know.

“Is veganism making me fat and ugly?”

The short answer is yes, the long one is no.

There is a common misconception, that there are certain things one can do to “detoxify”

When you starve your body of all animal products, a lot of weird stuff happens. You might feel overly emotional and sensitive,experience unexplained aches and pains, tension headaches,flu-like symptoms bloating, constipation, diarrhea (or both), vomiting (or all three). You may start thinking your body is punishing you for deviating from what we all believe is our God given right, eating animals. I likened it to going cold turkey on Heroin, not that I’ve ever been a heroin addict, but if Eastenders taught me anything, it’s that addicts go through hell when they give up the goods.

Hang in there. It will get better, you will get better. Much better.

Your face wont always resemble a big hunk of celeriac (organic of course), I promise.

I will say this though, the withdrawal symptoms are real. It will happen to you. Just think of it as a good spring clean. The body is ridding itself of mercury, pesticides, bacteria and hormones along with a whole host of other nasties found in animal based foods.

Thankfully, i didn’t have to worry about lunch today. Wagamama had my back. All the Edamame beans please.

Note to self: Stop buying dried pineapple.


DAY 5: STILL BLOATED 💩💩

The ugly continues.

I stare at my reflection in the mirror… how is this bloat even normal? I look like I’m in my third trimester, ready to pop triplets and my partner has already begun mocking me. ‘Stop sticking your belly out.’ he says … I wasn’t even. I start to think of all the moments in my life i wasnt bloated and took for granted.

F**K you sprouts.

I proceed to rummage through all my clothes, finding all and any baggy items, telling myself, ‘Today, i will refrain from eating fiber. I can do this.’

Breakfast was again a liquid option. With toast, toast is always a good idea, and 100% vegan.

In a bid to avoid any extra fibre, I steered away from all the cans of neatly stacked beans which I had impulse bought in my pre- veganuary excitement. My next best bet for getting some high protein foods in my belly? Tofu. I remembered a chicken nugget recipe i used to make, so applied the same ingredients and methods to the tofu instead. Thankfully, it was a success and possibly the best Vegan recipe ive made so far. #VegansOfIG rejoice. Tofu nuggets was born.

I start feeling a little bit better come afternoon and the bloat subdued after several toilet visits. (Gotta thank the extra dosages of lemongrass tea for that).

Then much to my surprise, an asos delivery came a knocking at my door, inside? Some new training gear! I popped it straight on, and pranced around feeling as light as a pringle. What a contrast to this morning!

Eager to test out the new gear, i opened up my NTC app and set off for a run. I started running and couldnt stop. I felt alive. For the first time in all of Veganuary i was PUMPED! Was it being Vegan that had made me able to run for so long? Maybe it was, who knows. Either way, i was loving it.

 


DAY 6: OK, I GOT THIS 🙅🏼

Fresh from the previous days motivation i woke up feeling great, not only had it been a while since i was capable of running 10k but for the first time all week… no bloat! YASSSSS! Guess this Veganism is kinda alright!!? With a smile on my face, i swirl up my daily dosage of super greens and hot lemon water before seizing the day ahead.

It was a busy day prepping bars for the week ahead, and even when my oven broke and toilet started leaking… my positivity levels were still high. After all, what is a broken oven in the grand scheme of things? Im alive, i’m healthy and have a fluffy gown that warms me up at night. It could be worse.

 


DAY 7: HAPPY ONE WEEK! 🎉

I would love to say that I woke up this morning feeling rested and refreshed. The truth is I was kept up half the night by my upstairs neighbour. 1 am is as as good a time as any to grind cacao nibs in your antique heavyweight bronze pestle and mortar (So 2017).

I know because after half an hour of racking my brains I asked him what the hell that was.

“I’m making chocolate, darling, come up it’s fabulous. I’ve got cacao nibs on the grind.”

“No thanks, it’s late. I’m trying to sleep.”

“Save me some.Goodnight.”

If I wake up at 10 i’ll get a solid 8 hours.

6 hours later, a frantic mother charges in my room like a bull in a china shop, looking for her charger (why in my room I don’t know).

I’m up. I’m annoyed. Tea.

I love the ritual involved in making a pot of tea. i opted for my favourite: mint tea.

Soak some loose green tea leaves in about an inch of water in a tea pot. Drain after a couple of minutes, this reduces the bitterness in the tea. Add a bunch of fresh mint leaves and add just boiled water. Wait 3-5 minutes. Pour. Sit outside. Watch the ships go by. Relax.

After about 6 months, endless cancellations and several illness excuses, our attempt at a girl date was successful. I met Liz and we ventured up the Rock and onto the new suspension bridge. The day was still, the sun was warming. The apes were out in abundance.

On our way back down from our trek, Liz was telling a story about how she and her family had been chased by a pack of apes because her youngest brother had mimicked one and proclaimed “OOOH” in its face.

As she demonstrated what her little brother had done over a decade ago, an adolescent ape (who up until that point had been indifferent to our presence and totally engrossed in a fruit peelings), leapt from behind her and onto her back baring its teeth whilst grabbing her arm. Luckily, she’s well acquainted with a quick backhand, and she shook the ape off. It seemed like she’d done this before.

I thought animals were supposed to appreciate vegans?

Exhausted from our ordeal we head off for lunch. But first, a quick stop at the supermarket for some lettuce i needed.

Sixteen impulse buys and £50 later we made our way to Wagamamas for lunch. By the way, vegan bacon bits exist, as does “just add water” sausage mix (vegan of course) and Lotus biscuits are Vegan. You’re welcome.

Wagamama’s always delivers, those edamame beans are life. I have been tempted to hit it up everyday instead of cooking myself but, my bank account denies me this luxury. We engross ourselves in eating these little green pellets of protein goodness, sip on green tea and enjoy eachothers company.

One week Veganuary down, i celebrate by making a Veggie Paella and treat myself to a bag of crisps. Yolo.

Note to self: The stated amount of rice in mother’s recipe is correct. Do NOT add more rice. Repeat. DO NOT ADD MORE RICE.


We hope you enjoyed our week one Veganuary. It has been fun to do, (challenging somewhat) but exciting to try new recipes and foods and not as hard as you may believe it to be! You may feel that it is impossible to do it and give up *insert favourite animal based food here* (most people say cheese)  BUT, eating LESS also makes a positive change on our environment! Try it  😄


 

This text is based on the experiences of Elke Hurtado and Lisanka Trinidad. Written by them both. You can find Lisanka Trinidad and some of her blogposts on Just Weight and Tea.


Much love,

The Muscle Baker ❤️