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Snack

Chocolate Coconut Almond Dates

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Are the perfect snack to get you motivated for the rest of the day. Chewy dates, rich chocolate, crunchy almond, and fresh coconut. This is the perfect combination to make a super simple 4 ingredient, 10 minute snack. This will get you through a long morning, an afternoon-low, or work out as a super delicious dessert. 

I got the idea to make this recipe when I was in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Dates are from high importance there. Until the 1970´s they were the staple food for the inhabitants. While they are fasting, they only eat 2 dates a day. I did not know that and was blown away when I heared that. We visited a local date market, which was something I had never heard of before but it was real impressive. You could see how this food is super important in this part of the world. In the shop we went there were 18 (!!) different date sorts. I did not even know that there was more than one existing. We tried lots of them and then bought 2 different ones, Madjool and Ajwa. Madjool dates are larger, sweeter, and richer while Ajwa dates contain less sugar and are smaller. I really liked them both but for this recipe I used Ajwa dates because they are smaller, which I think is better as a snack. 

Choloate covered dates are no rarity in Arabia. You can find them everywhere and with almost everything; white chocolate, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, matcha chocolate, camel milk chocolate (which I think is the most fancy hehe), soo many different types. Since we already had packed so much and bough 2kg of dates before, I decided not to buy any more but recreate them (as a healthier version) myself at home. 

So now I am back home and recreated them. I used the Ajwa dates, which are dried or course, dark vegan chocolate. The one I use is from HuKitchen, and is with all natural and healthy ingredients, and it is soooo good! Other than that I only use raw almonds and shredded coconut. This is as simple as it is. I love simple snacks because who likes to spend an hour in the kitchen with 100 ingredients when you are hungry or hangry RIGHT NOW. I can tell you, no one! 

Dates actually are a super healthy food, which made is possible for emirates to mainly eat those for hundreds of years. Dates contain 7 grams of fiber per 100g. This helps your digestion. There are lots of studies that show that eating dates increases your digestion. Moreover it helps you regulating your blood sugar levels. Plus dates are really high in antioxidants which protect your cells and reduce the risks of several deseases such as diabetes, Alzheimer or cancer (certain types). These are just some benefits of dates, but other than their health benefits, they are really delicious! Really!

I love pre-making this snack and just grab a few dates when I am hungry or pack some for work or school. I really like them when they are chilled and straight out of the fridge, because the chocolate is extra crunchy then, but they are delicious any way. I hope that you will like this recipe and enjoy it! If you do recreate it be sure to tag me on insta with @uneptcuisiniere or #uneptcuisiniere .

Enjoy, 

Katie // Une Petite Cuisiniere 

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Chocolate Coconut Almond Dates

A really delicious & healthy snack or dessert! Super simple and super good.

Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine arabian, asian
Prep Time 10 Minuten
Total Time 10 Minuten
Servings 16 dates
Calories 45 kcal

What you will need

  • 16 small Dates I like to use Ajwar dates (this equals about 150g)
  • 16 Almonds
  • 25 g chocolate
  • 2 tbsp shredded coconut

How to

That is how it works:

  1. Cut the dates in on one side (do not cut them in half totally!). Take out the seed and put an almond in it instead. Do the same with all of the dates.

  2. Stick/ squeez the size where the date had been cut in, together with your fingers, so it sticks together and it is closed.

  3. Melt the chocolate in a water bath or the microwave. Dip the dates in the molten chocolate as you like. You can completely dip them, you can dip the half horizontally or vertically, or whatever you wish. Then dip it in the coconut flakes. Place them on a plate and store in the fridge.

Notes

If you do not like coconut, do not use it. You can leave it out or substitute is with chia seeds or crushed nuts. The same accounts for the chocolate. You can also go for white chocolate, whole milk chocolate, or whatever you want. 

Healthy Christmas Pancakes

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Who doesn´t love a good brunch at Christmas day? For my family, it is very typical to do this. It is like another coming together after a beautiful Christmas eve before the family is leaving. We all cook together and prepare the meal so we can sit down at the table and enjoy! This pancake recipe is the perfect meal to make for all those who have a sweet tooth but don’t want to start their day with something unhealthy. These pancakes are fluffy, juicy, wholegrain and super delicious! You can´t taste the “healthy” part of them, so you can make them for everyone out of your family!

Usually I totally am a savory kind of breakfast and brunch person. I would be the first to grab the avocado toast and scrambled eggs or the smoked salmon and leave the pancakes and waffles for the others because 90% of the time they are too sweet for me. I really do not like them if they simply taste like sugar, plus it is pretty unhealthy. Traditional pancakes are loaded with sugar, butter, and plain white flour, which will not make you feel full for long and raise your blood sugar levels. 

What is in it?

In order not to result in this but still enjoy a really delicious sweet breakfast or brunch, I am sharing this super delicious and healthy pancake recipe with you. Instead of butter, we are using apple sauce, instead of white flour, we aim for whole wheat (you cannot really taste the whole wheat out but if you really do not like the flavor or need something gluten free you can substitute it for other things. Just be careful with gluten-free flour because sometimes you need them in another ratio.), and honey instead of refined sugar. Honey is a natural sweetener and it still contains some vitamins, other than conventional sweeteners. Other than that, there are eggs, to bind and Greek yoghurt to give texture, add some richness, softness, and protein. The Greek yoghurt can´t be left out and I would not substitute it with normal plain yoghurt because it does not have that thick texture. But you can substitute it for Skyr, which is an Iceland-style yoghurt that also is thick. 

What to serve it with?

I love serving these pancakes with extra yoghurt, some cooked blueberries and a nice drizzle of honey. They would also work great with fresh fruits and banana and nut butter, but since berries & co are not in season right now, I did not use them. But if you want something in season to serve it with, you can serve it with my christmas apple sauce. It makes a great topping. Or you can add some cinnamon sautéed apples from the middle layer of my Apple crumble cake. Honestly, you can serve it with whatever comes to your mind, or what you love. If you love a good drizzle of melted chocolate or some fresh butter, because .. I mean it´s Christmas. We all deserve that!

Whether you serve this for your loved ones, or treat yourself, this recipe is a great recipe! You can also make them in a big batch, freeze them separately and heat them up in the microwave before serving. It makes great for christmas or any other brunch, super simple, and incredibly flavorful!

I hope you´ll enjoy them, 

Marry Christmas, 

Katie

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Healthy Christmas Pancakes

A great way to enjoy some delicious, indulging, breakfast pancakes. No matter if they are for christmas morning (they are the best!) or just some brunch. Easy, whole wheat, packed with protein and fiber!

Course Breakfast, brunch, Dessert
Prep Time 10 Minuten
Cook Time 10 Minuten
Resting time: 10 Minuten
Total Time 30 Minuten
Servings 6 pancakes
Calories 82 kcal

What you will need

For the pancakes:

  • 1 egg
  • 50 g Apple Sauce for some next level pancakes, use my christmas apple sauce
  • 100 g Greek Yoghurt
  • 1 tbsp Honey
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 75 g Whole wheat flour
  • 40 ml almond milk Maybe more, depending on the texture

For the rest:

  • some coconut oil for frying
  • greek yoghurt for topping
  • berrie, frozen and cooked or fresh
  • any other toppings, as wanted: nuts, nut butter, fresh fruits, banana,…

How to

Thats how it works:

  1. Seperate the egg. In a larger bowl, add the egg yolk, the greek yoghurt, the applesauce, and the honey. Mix until well combined.

  2. In a seperate bowl whip up the egg white until fluffy and stiff peaks.

  3. Mix the flour and the baking powder well. Fold this mixture and the fluffy egg whites alternating under the remaining liquid ingredients. Once folded in, gently add the milk and mix. If it is too thick, add a little bit more.

  4. The consistency of the dough should be similar to a cake dough. A little runny but stick thick.

  5. Set the dough aside and leave it to rest for about 10 minutes.

  6. In a large skillet heat up coconut oil over medium heat. Bake the pancakes on each side for about 2-3 minutes. Once there are bubbles occuring, flip them.

  7. Add them onto a plate and top them with whatever toppings you desire. Enjoy!

Bircher Muesli with Honey Poached Apple

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This Swiss style overnight oats is going to bring your breakfast to the next level! It is a great meal if you don’t have too much time in the morning because it littleraly takes 5 minutes when you have prepared it the night before. 

What even is Bircher muesli?

Bircher Müsli has actually been invented around 1900 by a Swiss doctor called Maximilian Bircher Brenner who served it his patients in the hospital as a medicine. The original recipe calls for rolled oats, water, cream, lemon juice, Apple and honey. In my recipe I have used almost the same ingredients but even made it a bit healthier.

Overnight oats vs Bircher muesli

Overnight oats are traditionally made either only rolled oats and milk soaked overnight. Bircher muesli also is made with oats being soaked in milk overnight but most of the time. To make it « Bircher » usually there are some nuts, seeds, dried fruits and yoghurt added overnight. When making “normal” overnight oats, you would only top them with fresh fruit, granola, nut butter and yogurt (usually but really depending on the preference) while for Bircher rules like the recipe calls for a freshly grated apple that you add to the yoghurt base. It then is topped with berries, bananas or apple, so just fruit. 

What do I need for this?

My basic recipe is really simple. You just have to add almond milk, yoghurt, rolled oats, seeds and/ or nuts, and some dried fruit to a jar and let them soak overnight! In the Morning all you have to do is take it out of the hat, mix under some grated apple and more yoghurt and serve! Honestly it already is incredibly delicious like that!! I love to eat it that way! 

But in case you want to go next level, you can add the poached apple on top. This is not difficult either but takes some time. You can make this by adding an Apple into some simmering water with honey and apple sauce and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. Then you take it out, peel it if you want but it’s not necessary, drizzle some more honey and add it to the muesli! This takes it next level and is super good

My favourite honey utensil!

I think if you have been following me along on the blog, you probably know that I am in love with honey. The only thing is that it always is some plastic whenever you finish a packaging when squeezing it out. Because of this reason I have ordered the honey spoons from Tuuli kitchen ( http://www.tuuli-kitchen.com )! They are made out of natural wood and such a great utensil for honey! This way I can always buy and use honey from glasses and produce less waste. Plus they look super cute when serving! 

Is this Healthy?

Also the Bircher muesli is really healthy and nutritious. The oats provide you with good carbs, essential fiber, a good amount of protein and a lot of vitamins. The ains milk also adds some vitamins and liquids while the Greek yoghurt is packed with protein. The nuts and seeds give you the healthy fats you need and the dried fruit add some natural sweetness. The Apple also provides you a lot of vitamins and deliciousness. 

I hope that you will really enjoy this recipe! I honestly do and think that you will do so too! If you decide to recreate it be sure to tag me with @uneptcuisiniere or #unepetitecuisiniere! If you have time it would mean a lot to me if you would leave a comment and rating here on the blog too! 

Enjoy! 

Katie 

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Bircher Muesli

A delicious swiss breakfast recipe. It is similar to overnight oats, packed with nutrients and incredibly delicious! Enjoy!

Course bowl, Breakfast, brunch
Cuisine swiss
Prep Time 10 Minuten
Total Time 10 Minuten
Servings 3 servings
Calories 250 kcal

What you will need

The night before:

  • 100 g rolled oats
  • 200 ml almond milk
  • 1 heaped tbsp greek yoghurt can be substituted for a thick plant based yoghurt if making it vegan
  • 1 tbsp sunflower seeds
  • 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
  • 1 tbsp dried cranberries or raisins
  • 1 tsp honey

The morning of:

  • 1 large apple
  • 3 tbsp yoghurt preferably thick such as greek yoghurt or skyr
  • a few nuts
  • some fresh berries for serving

How to

That is how it works:

  1. In a large jar or bowl add all the ingredients for "the night before" and stir until all mixed up. Place it in the fridge for at least 6 hours to overnight.

  2. In the morning take the jar out of the fridge and transfer it into a bowl. Grate an apple and add it to the soaked oats along with the yoghurt. Gently mix until evrything is combined. Sprinkle some more nuts or seeds and top with some fresh fruit or honey poached apple (see recipe below). serve and enjoy!

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Honey Poached Apple

This is a great way to prepare apples to use as a topping for bircher muesli, overnight oats, yoghurt or anything you like!

Course Breakfast, brunch, Dessert, Snack
Prep Time 5 Minuten
Cook Time 20 Minuten
Total Time 25 Minuten
Servings 1 apple
Calories 171 kcal

What you will need

  • 1 Apple
  • 2 tbsp apple Sauce
  • 1 tbsp honey

How to

This is how it works:

  1. Bring a pot with water to a boil. Add the apple sauce and honey and reduce to a simmer. Add in the Apple and let it simmer for 20 minutes.

    Once done take the apple out. You can peel the apple if you want, but it is not necessary. Drizzle some more honey and enjoy!

Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins

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Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins with Whipped Ricotta Frosting. Doesn’t that sound amazing? A sweet treat between classes, as a dessert or a snack to balance out your afternoon low. Yes! Yes! And yes! I think we all need this, like every week at least a few times! 

Taking a vegetable and putting it into a desert?! Sounds weird although it has already worked out so many times. Think pumpkin pie or zucchini bread. Also carrot cake is many people’s favorite dessert but I mostly is packed with tons of sugar and saturated fat and topped with a rich cream cheese or butter frosting. It is delicious but really heavy and not the healthiest thing to eat in the world. 

But not this version of it. The muffin itself is light and fluffy, no butter or refined white sugar. Light and delicious. The ricotta on top has its natural sweetness which doesn’t ask for any other sugars and works great with the muffins. Pair them with a cup of coffee as a snack, or top with almond butter and fresh banana for a delicious and healthy breakfast or just grab one on the go. You will get your veggies in without even noticing.

The batter is made out of simple ingredients of which most are everyone’s household staples. Grated carrots of course, greek yoghurt for protein and good fats, eggs for texture, protein, vitamins, and healthy fats, Apple sauce for sweetness. A mix of wholegrain and white flour for fiber and carbs, some enrythrit or coconut sugar for sweetness, cinnamon for the heartiness and pecan nuts for the crunch and healthy fats. 

A great balance of ingredients and nutrients that turn out to be a really delicious dessert. I believe it is a really great way to switch up your average use of carrots and try something new with them. I love making them when it is rainy and cold outside as the feeling of baking gives that comfortable feeling and coziness. They are perfect for the days now when it is getting colder and when carrots are in season.

I love enjoying them warm, when the frosting is melting on top of them, but they are also really delicious when chilled. The frosting is optional so if you do not like ricotta or want to go for an even lighter version you can of course leave it out but in my opinion it tastes amazing with it! If you decide to recreate that recipe be sure to tag me with @uneptcuisiniere or with #unepetitecuisiniere and if you could leave a comment that would mean and lot to me. I hope you will enjoy it!

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Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins

A healthy twist on the all beloved cake. LIght and delicious.

Course Breakfast, brunch, Dessert, Snack
Prep Time 12 Minuten
Cook Time 20 Minuten
Cool time 15 Minuten
Total Time 47 Minuten
Servings 10 muffins
Calories 127 kcal

What you will need

  • 2 carrots about 150g
  • 100 g Greek Yoghurt
  • 100 g Appl Sauce
  • 2 Eggs
  • 100 g Erythrit you can also use coconut sugar, or raw cane sugar if prefered
  • 80 g Whole Wheat Flour
  • 80 g Wheat Flour
  • 1.5 tsp Baking Powder
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 200 g Ricotta
  • 2 tsp Honey

How to

That´s how it works:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Peel the carrots and grate them into a bowl. They shouldn’t be grated too thin, a little thicker worst best. Into the same bowl add the 2 eggs, the Greek yoghurt, the apple sauce and the sugar of your preference. Mix it well until all combined. 

  2. In a separate bowl combine the 2 flours along with the cinnamon, the baking powder, and the salt. One by one, slowly fold the flour under the wet mixture. Don´t whisk fast, gently fold it under with a spatula.

  3. Portion the mass out into 10 muffin forms. This works best with an ice cream scoop. Fill the muffin tin ¾ of the way. Place the muffins in the oven and bake them for about 18-25 minutes. Take a tooth pick and poke into the muffins, if no dough keeps sticking on the toothpick they are done. 

  4. Don´t take them out immediately, because they will fall back together and the fluffiness will be gone. Turn off the oven and let them sit in there for about 15-20 minutes. 

  5. Meanwhile in a bowl whip up the Ricotta and the honey. Once the muffins are completely cooled, add the frosting and enjoy! 

    They last in the fridge for up to 1 week!