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Vegetarian

Super Easy Healthy Matcha Cheesecake in a jar

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Easy, Matcha, Cheesecake perfectly portioned out just to take one whenever you want. Crispy, delicious cookie swirled in slightly sweet matcha-flavoured no-baked (healthy) cheesecake cream. Sounds good? Well, because it is good! And the best thing, it also is easy!

What is special about this dish?

Everything, basically. Cheesecake usually is made of a buttery-cookie crust and a cream cheese and cream filling, and then it is baked. This recipe could not really be further away from this. But it still is as delicious. Instead of buttery-cookie crust, we have a delicious healthy cookie. And instead of natural flavoured, high fat filling, we have a lighter, super creamy filling, that is not baked. And of course, there is the matcha in here!

What is Matcha?

Matcha is a green tea actually. It is most of the time sold in a powder form which is made from green tea leaves. IT originated in east Asia, where it is consumed a lot too. Especially in Japan it is very common to drink it. But how has it made it way to Europe and America? Well, Matcha contains a lot of caffein (because green tea does so too) and it has an incredibly high amount of antioxidants, which means it is really healthy. That’s why it has kind of been celebrated as a superfood in the past years and that also is why you can find a matcha latte on basically every menu in any coffee shop! It has a slightly bitter flavour and definitely is not something for everyone’s taste buds. To be honest, I do not even like it too much really. But in this recipe it tastes amazing! I promise. SO it really is for matcha lovers and non matcha lovers!

Is cheesecake healthy?

I am sorry to tell you that, but no it is not. Why? Lets start from the bottom. As I already mentioned, it is usually made out of cookies combined with butter. Extremely high in fat and sugar and with basically no nutritional value. And then the filling; cream cheese, cream and sugar. Not very nutrient-packed either. But is has loads of sugar and fats. The only positive thing is that it is pretty high in protein in comparison with most other cakes.

How to make cheesecake healthy

I have never made a regular baked cheesecake in a healthy form to be honest. BUT I have made a vegan healthy baked cheesecake and it turned out beyond bombastic! You can find the recipe here! But I can tell you a little about how to make no bake cheesecake (mousse) healthy. Instead of a regular cookie crust, you could make healthier cookies with oats or wholegrain flour and natural sweetener! And for the filling you could mix a few things. I like to mix yoghurt, greek yoghurt, curd cheese (topfen) and some cream cheese. The combination tastes really good, is way lower in fat and very high in protein! As we still need some sweetness, I like to swap out refined sugar for a more natural sweetener like maple syrup or honey for example.

How to make Matcha Cheesecake in a Jar?

This is incredibly easy actually. It comes down to two things; Making the cookies and making the cream. To make the cookies you need to blend oats, coconut shreds, coconut sugar and egg, then spread it on a baking tray and bake. That’s it. The mousse is not much more difficult. You simply add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix until creamy. Yes, that’s it! When the cookies are done and cooled, you break them apart and swirl them into the cream. Then you only have to portion them out and that already is it! Incredibly easy right?

When to have it

Whenever you want. I think it is perfect as a snack or dessert because it has the perfect serving size for just a little sweet craving, but you can really have it at any time of the day. I also think it is great if you are having friends over for dinner because you can prepare it beforehand and just take it out of the fridge!

I genuinely hope you enjoy this recipe (as much as my cousin and my best friend, because they keep asking me for when I am making it again 🙂 )! It is super easy, super delicious, and pretty healthy. Definitely worth giving a try for both – matcha lovers and non matcha lovers.

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Healthy Matcha Cheesecake in a jar

A delicious, easy and pretty healthy twist on the regular cheesecake. Creamy and sweet matcha mousse with swirled in cookie chunks.

Course Dessert, Snack
Prep Time 10 Minuten
Cook Time 20 Minuten
cooling time 30 Minuten
Total Time 1 Stunde
Servings 8 servings
Calories 185 kcal

What you will need

For the cookie:

  • 60 g rolled oats
  • 25 g coconut shreds
  • 1/2 egg
  • 40 g coconut sugar
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil

For the cream:

  • 250 g Topfen like cream cheese just lighter and slightly different in texture
  • 125 g cream cheese
  • 200 g greek yoghurt
  • 200 g yoghurt
  • 50 ml maple syrup
  • 3-4 tsp matcha

How to

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. For the cookies add all the ingredients to a food processor. Take about 2 tablespoons at a time and form a cookie on a baking tray lined with parchement paper. The dough will be very sticky, but this is the way it is supposd to be. Bake them for about 12-15 minutes.

  2. In a large bowl add all of the ingredients for the cream. Whip them up until creamy and well combined. Adjust sweetness and matcha to your desire by adding a little more if you want. Let chill in the fridge.

  3. When the cookies are golden brown, take them out of the oven and let them cool. Then break them apart into small chunks and whip them into the mousse. Divide it onto small jars or bowls and keep in the fridge!

    Enjoy!

Happy cooking,
Enjoy,
Katie // Une Petite Cuisinière

The meanest green sandwich with grilled halloumi and lemon spinach

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Who doesn’t love a good sandwich? And not just a good one but a really delicious and healthy one. Marinated lemon tomato spinach paired with pesto, avocado and perfectly grilled and soft halloumi. Every single bite is a pleasure. 

Sandwiches are truly one of the best meals you can have. I mean, they consist of bread, and who does not love bread? And you can fill them with whatever you like!! Pretty genius to be honest. But really, today we are not going to make a basic boring sandwich. We are going to make a next level sandwich that makes your mouth water and still is ready in 15 minutes! 

What is special about this dish?

It is the unusual fillings if the sandwich! How often is the bread just spread with butter or mayonnaise and topped with ham and cheese? Way too often in my opinion. Not only, that it really is not healthy, but kind of boring right? In this sandwich we have an incredibly delicious combination of incredibly delicious marinated spinach that is tossed in a mixture of lemon juice, olive oil, dried tomatoes and chili flakes, some delicious creamy avocado, a gentle spread of pesto, and let’s not forget about the star of the show, the soft halloumi. If you have never had the combination of avocado and halloumi, then now it’s high time.

Are sandwiches healthy and how to make them healthy

There definitely is no yes or no answer to this question. This really depends SO much on what the sandwich is made out of. If you have some white toast with butter, cheese and ham, then no, it is not healthy. There is no fiber but lots and lots of fats in it. But if you make one like this, it is fair to say that it is healthy. You have got nutrients and vitamins from the spinach, healthy fats and vitamins from the avocado, and a bunch of fibre and complex carbohydrates from the whole grain bread. The halloumi is nit super duper healthy but it is super delicious and the combination is what makes it. The sandwich is very well balanced out with healthy ingredients such as spinach and also deliciousness as the halloumi. 

But how can you make a healthy sandwich? With very easy changes, you can get a big difference in the nutritional value. It already starts with the bread. Instead of white toast, you can long for whole grain bread. More fiber and more complex carbs which will provide more nutritional value and will keep you full for longer. Then it comes to the spread. Instead of using butter, you can long for avocado, pesto or hummus for example. They all are loaded with unsaturated fats and are a healthier choice over butter. 

Then, what I always love to do is adding some kind of veggies. You can do some salad, like in this sandwich, or you can also do something else like cucumber, bell peppers, radishes or whatever you like! And for me, personally I always like to have something to be kind of the „star of the show“. So something kn the middle that really fills the sandwich and makes it taste amazing. This could be halloumi, scrambled eggs, smoked or pan fried tofu, smashed chickpeas or anything else to your desire. 

How to make this sandwich:

This is truly simple. First you need to marinate the spinach. For that you just need to combine the oil, tomatoes, lemon juice and chili flakes. Next you need to toast the bread. This is not obligatory but crispy bread just tastes better in my opinion. Next, you need ti spread the pesto on both sides. This way the bread will not taste dry and it adds a bunch of flavor. Now, we need to pan fry the halloumi. For this just add the halloumi to a pan and heat it up. And then it already is down to being assembled. Yep it is that easy! 

I really love this sandwich as a brunch, a quick lunch or an easy but still fancy dinner! It is packed with so much flavor, pretty healthy and incredibly delicious while it still is super easy to make! 

I hope you like this recipe as much as I do and will make it ok repeat! 

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Meanest Greenest Sandwich with Lemon Chili Spinach and Grilled Halloumi

a delicious, easy and healthy sandwich that is ready in basically no time! Perfect dor meal prep or as a quick lunch!

Course Breakfast, brunch, lunch
Prep Time 10 Minuten
Cook Time 5 Minuten
Total Time 15 Minuten
Servings 2 Sandwiches
Calories 413 kcal

What you will need

  • 4 slices Whole grain bread
  • 1/2 Avocado
  • 125 G Halloumi
  • 2 Handful Spinach
  • 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 Tbsp Chopped dried tomatoes
  • 1 Tsp Chili flakes
  • 1/2 Lemon juiced
  • 2 Tbsp basil pesto

How to

  1. Combine the olive oil, chopped dried tomatoes, chili flakes and lemon juice in a bowl. Add it to the spinach and mix to combine. Let sit to marinate for about 10 minutes.

  2. Toast the slices of whole grain bread. Slice up the avocado. Heat up a pan and add the halloumi. Fry for about 2-4 minutes on each side.

  3. Spread the pesto on one side of every bread. Add the spinach on top, followed by the halloumi, the sliced avocado and close with the second slice of bread!

  4. Serve and enjoy!

Happy cooking, 

Enjoy,

Katie

The Best Healthy Falafel-style Pita with Dreamy Pink Goddess Sauce

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That bite into a warm and soft pita filled with a giant dollop of hummus, that coleslaw, the crispy deep fried falafel and that yummy yoghurt-mayonnaise sauce on top. Sounds heavenly doesn’t it? As good as it sounds, it is really everything else than healthy. But we do not want to miss out on that deliciousness. So why not making it healthy?

What is special about this dish?

A lot to be fair. We have falafel, that are not deep fried, as traditional falafel would be but pan fried. Then we have a pink tahini and greek yoghurt sauce (which I have never seen at any of those falafel stands before) instead of the mayonnaise yoghurt dressing and we have a homemade tzatziki and self-made hummus for that extra flavour .

First, what is falafel and where does it come from?

Falafel is a ball made out of chickpeas or cassava beens combined with different spices and herbs before it is deep fried. Usually it is served in a pita bread or to go with hummus or other mezze appetisers. It is believed to have originated in Egypt and can be found in the Middle Eastern cuisine today.

Why are falafel not very healthy?

While many people would believe that falafel are healthy because they are made out of chickpeas and are vegan, that is not quite the case. That is true, that the base of the falafel is healthy, so the „dough“ is healthy. But what is not nutritious about them then? The fact that they are deep fried. All of the oil adds a lot of fat and calories. It is more than fine to have fried food once in a while but it is not something that is healthy, one needs to be aware of that.

Authentic falafel are made with raw chickpeas that have been soaked. This way they are soft enough to blend but not too soft so you do not have a mushy consistency. But since we do not all have the time to soak falafel (especially when we want a quick meal), in here we use flour for the right consistency and canned falafel. This way they will not be white as crispy, but they are way quicker and still delicious!

How to make this dish healthy

Instead of deep frying the falafel, we prepare them in a pan with just a little oil. Yes, you can also bake them in the oven but to be honest, I never find that those get really crispy when being prepared in the oven. When making them in the pan, we still get that crisp (not the exact same of course, but a really good one) while keeping things healthy.

Also, to replace the mayo dressing that often comes on top we make a beetroot-greek yoghurt – tahini dressing. While homemade mayonnaise, in moderation is not unhealthy, store bought ones often have a lot of additives and preservatives in them and making your own one is a little tricky. The sauce we are making is high in protein, from the greek yoghurt, tastes delicious with the beets (and also has a nice colour), and has a good amount of healthy (or unsaturated fats) from the Tahin.

To make this entire dish even healthier you can substitute the normal pita with whole grain pita. This just is pretty difficult to find, which is the reason I stick with normal pita.

How do you make healthy falafel

This is super easy, to be honest. You need to drain canned chickpeas and add them to a food processor along with a bunch of parsley, onion, garlic, spices, and (wholewheat) flour. Then you just pulse everything together until you have reached a sticky, doughy consistency. (if you do not have a food processor or blender you can also add everything to a bowl, very finely chopped and mix it with a fork or your hands). Then you form little balls with your hand, one at a time and roll them in breadcrumbs.
In a hot pan with oil, you add the falafel and let them fry until crisp for about 3 minutes on each side. That is it!

Meal prep friendly?

I would say so. Pack everything separately and mix together before eating. The falafel will not be quite as crisp anymore but they’ll be just fine when you heat them up in the oven.

I hope that you will enjoy this recipe and please your family and friends with it!

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The best falafel-style pita with dreamy pink goddess sauce

A healthy version of the dreamy Middle Eastern classic. A little crispy on the outside, super soft soft on the inside falafel with a creamy delicious Tahini-Beetroot Sauce, Tzatziki and Hummus. Not difficult, but really healthy.

Course Appetizer, dinner, lunch, Main Course
Cuisine middle eastern
Prep Time 25 Minuten
Cook Time 10 Minuten
Total Time 35 Minuten
Servings 4 servings
Calories 397 kcal

What you will need

For the falafel:

  • 1 can chickpeas
  • 2-3 tbsp flour (whole grain is prefered)
  • 1/2 red onion
  • 1 bunch parsley
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • breadcrumbs
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

For the beet sauce

  • 1 small beetroot (precooked)
  • 100 g greek yoghurt
  • 1 tbsp Tahin
  • 1/2 lemon juiced
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 tsp honey

For the rest:

  • 1 cucumber
  • 200 g greek yoghurt
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 pita breads
  • some hummus
  • fresh radishes & tomatoes
  • 2 handful salad

How to

  1. For the falafel combine all the ingredients, except the breadcrumbs, flour and olive oil in a food processor and pulse until combined (do not blend until smooth!!!). Then add the flour a tablespoon at a time and pulse it in (not blending fully, again!) until the dough is not sticky anymore. Chill in the frisge for half an hour.

  2. In the meanwhile peel the cucumber. Then cut into very thin slices (preferably with a mandoline). Add it into a bowl and salt generously. Let sit for 20 minutes.

  3. In the meantime slice up the raidshes and tomatoes and wash the salad.

  4. For the beetroot sauce add all of the ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth. If the sauce is too thick add some water or olive oil!

  5. After chilling take about 1 tablespoon at a time of the falafel dough and roll out in your hands into a small ball. Toss in the breadcrumbs until they cover the ball fully. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Heat up the oil in a pan and add the falafel. Let fry on this side for about 2-3 minutes on medium high heat before tossing. Do not toss around in the pan immediately since the dough still is a little bit soft. After those 2-3 minutes, start tossing them around in a pan softly and fry for another 5-6 minutes until they are golden brown on each side and crispy.

  6. Prepare the Tzatziki. Take a clean kitchen towl and place the salted and sliced cucumber in it. Squeeze out all of the remaining water of the cucumber and put it back into the bowl. Press the garlic and add it along with the greek yoghurt. Combine everything well and season with more salt if desired.

  7. To serve fill the pita with hummus, the veggies and the tzatziki. Add the falafel on top and drizzle with the sauce. Serve and enjoy !

Happy cooking,
Enjoy,
Katie // Une Petite Cusinière

Ultimate healthy and creamy raspberry overnight oats from dahoam

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Summer is a tough time for all porridge lovers. As good as porridge is, who wants to have a steaming hot bowl of oat in the morning when you already start to sweat when you just take a look outside. That’s why we need a cold alternative. Cold oats? Yes, that’s a thing. Overnight Oats. And no, they are not boring or taste like a babyfood.

What are overnight Oats?

As the name already suggests, overnight oats is a form of oatmeal that is prepared overnight. Well not exactly. Usually they are prepared the evening before by mixing together oats and milk and then they chill in the fridge for a few hours, mostly overnight. This way the oats can really absorb and soak up the milk to get soft for the next morning

What is special about this dish?

Well, first, and most important, this breakfast, snack, dessert, whenever you want to enjoy it, is SO EASY to be made from LOCAL ingredients only. Why? Especially here in Austria we have a lot of farmers for local dairy products (but you can find this in most countries). Also, in pretty much any supermarket or bulk store you can find rolled oats that are grown in Austria, because we have an ideal climate here. And lastly, at the moment it is the season of berries, which means nothing is easier than finding berries from Austria right now.

Why is it better to buy local?

There is no single answer to this but I divided it into 4 main reasons:

  1. You support your local economy. Especially during or after a crisis like the one we are going through right now it is important to really support the country you live in. The farmers who produce Austrian products have also been hit by the crisis and as a nation it is important to help together. With supporting the economy you also save and maybe create new jobs, which is very important at the moment, since a lot have gone to loss.
  2. It’s environmental impact: when you buy locally, the goods do not have to be transported for a long time by ships, planes, cars or trains. Especially in a country like Austria, transport way are not very distant and this way we save a lot of CO2 and therefore have a positive impact on the environment.
  3. To be independent: This may sound weird at first but the importance is shown in crisis like the one at the moment. of course raspberries from countries like Spain or Portugal may be cheaper. But when we all keep buying those because they are cheaper, the amount of Austrian raspberries planted will be reduced. And then, when facing a crisis as the current, where delivery and the entire transport system suddenly stops or is interrupted we will not have enough berries to satisfy our needs. So when we consume the products we produce in the country we live in, we, as a nation, are more independent.
  4. Quality: when you buy local products (at least in Austria), you can expect the quality of the product to be at a high standard and you know this. When buying from other countries, where you may not not the quality standards, you may be disappointed and the product may contain some unnatural additives.

Where I get my local products from:

The main ingredient, so the Oats I buy at a bulk store. The one I go to is called Lieber Ohne and it only has organic and unpackaged food, mostly from the region but you can see from any product where it comes from.

The Dairy products I get at Joseph Brot. They are an organic bakery and always have dairy products from Austrian farmers in reusable jars and bottles. A great way to buy local and without producing waste.

The berries I get at a local market. I know where they come from and I can choose the ones I want myself!

The same goes for the honey and nuts. I either get both at Lieber Ohne or I get them at a farmers market!

How to make really good overnight oats:

As I said, overnight oats usually are prepared by solely combining oats with milk. Since this tastes a little boring as you can imagine we are taking a regular version and making it fancier, while still keeping it simple. By adding fruits we add an extra kick and we also use some more ingredients to make it extra creamy and delicious!

This already starts with the oats. Maybe you already know, maybe you do not – there are different kinds of oats. Larger (whole) ones and finer ones. While large ones work great for things like granola, finer ones are best for porridge and overnight oats. This may sound a little stupid because they are the same product in the end of the day but this really makes a difference! Finer ones just absorb the liquid better and therefore make it creamier.

Also, when wanting really creamy overnight oats it is best to add some yoghurt. In here I like to use greek yoghurt because it also is very easy to get in reusable glass jars but any other yoghurt or plant based yoghurt works just fine. Again, this makes it super creamy.

Another two ingredients which I would always recommend to be adding in are chia seeds and a little syrup. The chia seeds will swell up and make everything stick together better. The syrup adds a little sweetness (even if it just is a tiny drizzle) and make it 10 times better!

My last tip on making overnight oats is to add some fruit when making them. You for sure can just add some fruit on top the next day but adding them the night before helps the oats to soak up some of their sweetness, taste and juices, so it’ll infuse the entire dish.

More oat inspiration…

If you do like oats, just as I do you can check out a few other recipes of mine, which you are going to like for sure, like the Mango Overnight Oats, Oatmeal with Caramelized Bananas, Bircher Muesli with Honey Poached Apple, Healthy Peach and Cherry Crumble, Mango Coconut Granola or my Apple and Cranberry Granola !

How to make this dish low waste

Making delicious dishes while not producing much waste is actually pretty easy. If you wanna learn how, then you can read this at my Andalusian Gazpacho Post, My Easy No-Waste ice Cream Sandwiches or my No-waste French Toast with Basil Apricots blog post!

So just to summarise:

  • buy your oats at a bulk store! You can go there with your own jars or Tupperware and buy lots and lots of grains without packaging! A very sustainable way.
  • Get your dairy products at your local bakery. Most times bakeries have a small section with dairy products, which most of the time are packaged in reusable jars or bottles
  • Go to a local market. Getting fresh fruit there often is better than at the supermarket. Primarily, you know where it comes from easily and it most of the times is not packaged in plastic. I am aware that you will not find berries without packaging but mostly they at least come in paper or cartoon.

To sum up

I hope that this little guide and explanation really helps you to understand why it is important to buy locally and also include more local products easily into your daily life. Plus, you have really incredibly delicious breakfast recipe for these late summer days!

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The Ultimate Healthy and Creamy Raspberry Overnight Oats

A delicious, creamy and refreshing summer breakfast for those hot summer days with regional ingredients

Course Breakfast, brunch, Snack
Prep Time 10 Minuten
Total Time 10 Minuten
Servings 2 servings
Calories 414 kcal

What you will need

  • 100 g rolled oats the finer the better
  • 100 g greek yoghurt
  • 200 ml milk (you can also use plant based milk)
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp chia seeds
  • 200 g raspberries
  • a few walnuts and raspberries for garnish

How to

  1. In a large bowl mash the raspberries until mushy. Add the rolled oats, yoghurt, chia seeds, honey and milk and stir until everything is combined well.

  2. Keep in the fridge for at least 4 hours to overnight.

  3. Take out the next morning and top with extra greek yoghurt, raspberries and nuts. Enjoy!

I hope you enjoy,
Happy cooking,
Katie // Une Petite Cuisinière