And some of you might think first “Oh my god, so sorry!”, to which I say: Don’t be.
Read this with the mindset I apply to almost everything, which is thinking of chances, opportunities and what life is telling me.
But I’m getting ahead of myself.
The News
2 weeks ago I was made redundant from my main job. I have worked for Dell/EMC as a Senior Command Centre Advisor for 11 years and before that 1 years as Technical Support Engineer. Essentially I helped create the job of the “Workflow Manager” as we called it internally from day 1 this job came into being and now the company is moving away from needing it.
Part of that is because of AI improving, though honestly I have my doubts it’ll work out. But that’s not my concern anymore. Yay!
I wasn’t let go because of performance issues (I had consistently excellent performance reviews), but because my job is no longer needed, which is probably the best reason to be made redundant you can get.
And with that comes the great part: I got a severance package that allows me to dedicate at least a full years’ time to re-evaluate what I’d like to do. For the past year or so, since I started this blog, I repeatedly said to friends and myself “If only I had the time, I’d love to spend it on this blog!”. Now I can and I’m grateful for that chance. This change allows me to do exactly what I enjoy doing: Create recipes, cook, and photograph the results. And I’m delighted!
If any of you believe into the wish to the universe, I suppose this comes closest to the one I uttered a lot.
Why I Took A Break since May
Oh and another change, I think I mentioned it before, as it took me away from this site for a good while: I bought a young Quarter Horse that I trained myself in April. Her name is Kachina I’ve been riding her since August, and it couldn’t go any better. Which means I now have time for both her and blogging!
If any of you is interested in reading what methods I use to train her and updates, let me know in the comments. I love talking about her!
Here are a few pictures I took of her in the time I had her.
This one was in May. She was still under 3, so I was only doing groundwork with her. Or just keeping her company in the field, while she was sleeping.
End of May, still very skinny after a long hard winter and a growth spurt.
End of June. I think I accidentally bought a Giraffe! She is very food motivated, just like me.
September, starting to look like a proper Quarter Horse.
The Future
I’ll post a few new recipes that wouldn’t leave me alone until I shared them with you in the next week, so you have some lovely holiday recipes from me. While you enjoy them, I will take a bit of time to change the look and feel of my site to a faster and more user friendly theme. Wish me luck…the last time had me nearly pulling out my hair and it had just re-grown!
In a year, I will re-evaluate how things are going, if I still enjoy it and if this can support me well enough to not go back to corporate work, which would be a dream come true.
Currently I’m not earning any money from this blog, hence the lovely add-free pages. But at some point I will have to change that to be able to continue doing what I enjoy and what you (hopefully) enjoy reading, cooking, and eating.
I’m very much looking forward to this next year with you.
To new beginnings! *Raises glass* (Ok look, it’s a cup of coffee at this time of the day, but hey, celebratory coffee is clearly a thing in my house!)
Salmon Sushi Tacos with Pickled Veggies are perfect when you want both: Sushi and Tacos and just can’t decide which one. You get a deliciously crunchy shell made from Nori sheets fried in tempura batter and can fill it with anything you desire. I went for Sushi rice, marinated fresh salmon, lots of quick pickled vegetables and a creamy Sweet Chili mayo that comes together in minutes.
Surprise your friends or family with this one, it’ll sure be a hit!
Why You Will Love This
Customizable
Fill these light and crispy shells with anything your sushi loving heart desires. Sushi rice or any other grain, seasoned with sushi seasoning (essentially rice vinegar with salt and sugar), any sort of raw or marinated seafood or even watermelon tuna.
You can use the same combinations I had in my Sushi Poke bowls 4 ways or make up your own. A great option for those not keen on raw fish would be to use surimi sticks, avocado and cucumber, for some California roll style Sushi Tacos.
Impressive
Did you know Sushi Tacos are a thing? I sure didn’t when the thought of wanting some popped into my head. But…if you can think of it, someone has made it. Low and behold, there are even food trucks offering it already. Not in Ireland mind you. We just got to the stage of having Sushi restaurant. So obviously I had to make these myself.
While the process is fairly easy and much less hassle than making rolls, the look of them will certainly impress your loved ones at any gathering. Or just on a rather unusual Taco Tuesday.
Healthy
Despite the fried shell, Sushi Tacos make a fairly balanced meal if you include enough vegetables. I did so in form my Quick Pickled Vegetables, but you could just use fresh ones if you prefer.
The rice gets you carbs and the salmon is a fantastic source of protein and healthy fats plus omega 3.
The Ingredients
Quick Pickled Vegetables – Try my Quick Pickled Vegetables for filling the tacos. You’ll be amazed at how fast it is and the millions things you can do once you have a few jars of freshly pickled veggies in your fridge.
For this particular recipe I used cucumbers, carrots, and red cabbage which I had pickled the day before.
Salmon – I’m using very fresh, raw salmon filets here, that gets marinated briefly in soy sauce, lime juice, sesame oil and ginger. The lime juice “cooks” it ever so slightly but keeps it very tender and juicy.
Alternatively you could use smoked salmon, fresh tuna, watermelon tuna or prawns.
Sushi rice – You’ll need sticky rice for the tacos to be reasonably easy to eat.
Nori Sheets – The dried seaweed sheets usually used for rolling sushi make the base for the taco shell. Briefly dipped on one side into tempura batter, then fried, they can easily be shaped into surprisingly shells, perfect to hold the fillings.
Tempura batter – A very quick and light tempura batter transforms the nori sheets into crunchy taco shells, keeping the classic sushi flavours, but adding and addictively crunchy element to this dish.
Sauce – While you can use an easy Sriracha mayo if you prefer, I opted for a sort of Asian vinaigrette that doubles as marinade for the salmon. Mixing rice vinegar, lime juice, soy sauce, sesame oil with some ginger and garlic gives you a super flavourful dressing to drizzle over the filling.
Toppings – You can go wild here and top the Sushi Tacos with anything you love on Sushi (or Tacos for that matter). I used avocado, sliced spring onions, pickled ginger and sesame.
The Process
Vegetables
If you are opting for using quick pickled vegetables, follow this recipe. A few hours in the fridge is enough to use them, but they are best when you give them at least a day to develop their flavour. They keep happily for at least a week in the fridge, so you can make more than you need for the Sushi Tacos and use them in other dishes or just as snack.
If you prefer fresh vegetables, slice and julienne them and store them in lidded containers in the fridge until ready to serve.
Salmon
For the marinated salmon, wash and pat dry your salmon. If it still has the skin attached, carefully run a sharp knife between the flesh and skin, to remove it.
Check for bones and remove any you might find. This works best with tweezers.
Chop the filets into about ½ -1 inch cubes, depending on your preference. Transfer to a lidded container.
Mix all ingredients for the marinade and pour half of it over your salmon cubes. Keep the rest for drizzling over the Tacos later. Cover the container with the marinated salmon cubes and sto9re in the fridge until ready to serve. I like to leave it for at least 1h, so the favours have a chance to marry and develop.
Since this recipe uses mostly raw fish, which is just very slightly “cooked” by the acids in the dressing, it’s best eaten on the same day.
Sushi Rice
To prepare the sushi rice for filling the tacos, rinse the rice under cold running water. Transfer to a saucepan. Add the water and salt, then bring to a boil. Stir, cover, lower the heat to the minimum, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the water is fully absorbed. Remove from the heat and let rest, covered, for 15 minutes.
Stir in sushi seasoning until well distributed. The rice is best at room temperature or just slightly warm, so you can prepare it ahead of time.
Optional Toppings
If you’d like to make the optional Sriracha Mayo, mix all ingredients together and keep it in the fridge until ready to serve.
For different dressing ideas, check my Poke Sushi Bowls 4 ways. https://forthepleasureofeating.com/poke-sushi-bowls-4-ways/
Nori Taco Shells
To prepare the Taco shells cut your nori sheets into rounds using kitchen scissors and just trimming off the edges, so you have the largest possible taco shell later.
For the tempura batter, gently fold the egg whites, flour, ice cold water and salt in a bowl. Do not overmix, to not develop the gluten in the flour, which would make the batter tough.
Fill a cast iron pan or large pot about 1in (2cm) with vegetable or sunflower oil for frying. Heat to 350°F/175°C.
While your oil is heating up, get a wooden cooking spoon or, as I did, a rolling pin and 2 about equally high containers with a pour spouts, to rest the cooking spoon/rolling pin on. Line a large plate with some kitchen towel and place between the 2 containers. Rest the wooden spoon on the spouts above the plate.
This will help you shape the fried nori sheets into taco shells.
Pre-heat your oven to 50°F/100°C and place the rack in the middle. If you have a large sheet pan for your oven, line it with baking parchment and place it 2 rows below the rack.
This will keep the fried taco shells warm and in shape while you fry the rest.
Once your oil is hot, dip one side of a nori sheet into the tempura batter, then place it with the batter side down gently in the hot oil. Fry for 1-2 minutes, then flip and fry the other side for about 30 seconds until crispy, but not brittle.
Using chopsticks or tongues, carefully fish the now crispy Sushi Taco shell out of the hot oil. Drape over the wooden spoon with the tempura batter to the outside and carefully shape into a shell shape. Leave for a minute or so, while you dip the next nori sheet and glide it into the hot oil.
While the next one is frying, take the now firming up taco shell and hang it over the bars of your oven rack to keep warm and crisp up. Any excessive oil will drip onto the baking parchment below, which makes cleaning up later very easy.
Continue until all your shells are fried.
Serve
When you are ready to serve, assemble your Salmon Sushi Tacos with Pickled Veggies by adding about 1 handful of rice to each taco shell, top with some quick pickled veggies, salmon cubes, a bit of dressing and any additional toppings you like.
Or put all the ingredients on the table and let everyone build their own Tacos.
Enjoy your Salmon Sushi Tacos with Pickled Veggies. Messy eating encouraged.
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please rate, share and/or comment. It helps me a lot!
Salmon Sushi Tacos with Pickled Veggies
Salmon Sushi Tacos with Pickled Veggies are perfect when you want both: Sushi and Tacos and just can’t decide which one. You get a deliciously crunchy shell made from Nori sheets fried in tempura batter and can fill it with anything you desire. I went for Sushi rice, marinated fresh salmon, lots of quick pickled vegetables and a creamy Sweet Chili mayo that comes together in minutes. Surprise your friends or family with this one, it’ll sure be a hit!
Mixed Quick Pickled Veggies of your choice https://forthepleasureofeating.com/quick-pickled-vegetables/
I used
2carrots
¼headred cabbagethis makes more than you will need for the tacos and is perfect for salads and snacks
½cucumber
Alternatively use the same vegetables fresh and thinly sliced/julienned
3cupssalmon filetvery fresh, chopped into ½- 1in cubes
Marinade/Dressing
6tbsprice vinegar
4tbsplime juice
6tbspsoy sauce
2tbsppeanut oil
2tbsptoasted sesame oil
3tbspsugar
1tbspsweet chili sauceor more to taste
2tspgingerminced
2clovesgarlicminced
Sushi Rice:
1cupsushi rice
3tbspsushi seasoningor a mix of 3 tbsp rice vinegar, 3 tsp sugar and salt to taste
Optional toppings
2avocados
3spring onionsthinly sliced
2tbspsesame seedsI used black and white
Optional Sriracha Mayo:
3tbspMayo
3tbsp0% fat Greek yoghurt
1tspSriracha
1tbsplime juice
1tspHoney
Instructions
If using quick pickled vegetables, prepare them according to the linked recipe. If using fresh vegetables, slice/julienne them thinly and store them in the fridge until ready to serve.
For the marinated salmon, chop the salmon filets into ½-1 inch cubes and remove any bones. Place the cubes in a lidded container.
In a bowl, mix together rice vinegar, lime juice, soy sauce, peanut oil, sesame oil, sugar, sweet chili sauce, ginger, and garlic. Pour half of the marinade over the salmon cubes, reserving the rest for later. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 1 hour.
Rinse the sushi rice under cold water until the water runs clear. Cook the rice according to package instructions. Once cooked, let it cool slightly and then mix in the sushi seasoning until well combined.
If making the optional Sriracha Mayo, mix together mayo, Greek yogurt, Sriracha, lime juice, and honey. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Cut the nori sheets into rounds using kitchen scissors, trimming off the edges to create taco shells.
Prepare the tempura batter by gently folding together egg whites, flour, ice-cold water, and salt in a bowl. Be careful not to overmix.
Heat vegetable or sunflower oil in a cast iron pan or large pot to 350°F/175°C.
Dip one side of a nori sheet into the tempura batter and place it, batter side down, into the hot oil. Fry for 1-2 minutes, then flip and fry the other side for about 30 seconds until crispy. Remove and shape into a taco shell using a wooden spoon.
Keep the taco shells warm in the oven while frying the remaining shells.
To assemble, fill each taco shell with a handful of sushi rice, quick pickled veggies, marinated salmon cubes, and any desired toppings. Drizzle with the reserved marinade or Sriracha Mayo.
Serve immediately and enjoy your Salmon Sushi Tacos with Pickled Veggies!
Notes
While you could heat up the tempura shells in the oven the next day, these are best eaten on the day you fry them, to have the super fresh and crispy tempura experience.If you have filling leftovers, make a Poke Sushi Bowl with them.
This Cashew Chocolate Mousse tastes just like a really good Mousse au Chocolate from France but is made with Cashews instead of cream and eggs. Using just 5 ingredients and a high speed blender, this makes a super indulgent, yet healthy and high protein chocolate mousse in 5 minutes.
Why You Will Love This
Lactose Free
Using cashews and protein powder instead of cream and eggs makes this vegan (if you are using vegan protein powder and chocolate that is), lactose free and utterly delicious.
Secretly Healthy
I bet if you serve this to your guests, they will have absolutely no idea they are eating something that is actually good for them. The Cashews add healthy fats, magnesium and a good dose of protein on their own. Then we add protein powder for even more nutrition.
Deeply Chocolatey
While you could just use raw cacao powder to keep this in the realm of whole foods, I wanted a really indulgent Mousse au Chocolate experience, which I feel you only get by using melted chocolate. I used 70% cocoa content, which keeps this still in the “good for you realm” if enjoyed with reason. But then, sometimes too much of a good thing can be wonderful.
Super Quick
While you’d ideally soak the cashews in hot water for about 30 minutes, unless you have a Vitamix or similar high speed blender, the actual process couldn’t be quicker. 1-2 minutes of blending and your Protein Cashew Chocolate Mousse is ready to enjoy.
Leave it in the fridge for a while and it will get even thicker and closer to “real” Mousse au Chocolate.
Adaptable
Add flavourings – You can take this into lots of different directions flavour wise. I love to add some amaretto, giving it a hint of almond flavour, really bringing out the nutty notes of chocolate. A teaspoon of instant espresso, to emphasize it even more is welcome too.
Or you might go into the After Eight direction, by adding just a drop or two of mint oil or mint liqueur.
Grate some orange zest into it, to get the dark chocolate-orange flavour, or add fresh raspberries for a fruity kick.
Use different nuts – I’ve made this with different ratios of cashews and almonds, but find it comes out smoothest with just cashews. Though the almonds do add a lovely flavour component, so I encourage you to experiment with it if you like.
Use different liquid to nut ratio – If you like your Protein Cashew Chocolate Mousse on the even richer side, add less plant milk, which will result in an incredibly dense and indulgent consistency. Less mousse like, more like a chocolate pie filling, which it can be used for as well.
Use different Chocolate – You can absolutely make this with milk or white chocolate if you prefer. Just be mindful that this will add more sugar and fat content.
The Ingredients
Cashews – When you soak and blend cashews with some liquid, they make an incredible cream you can use for all sorts of things. Either go the savoury route with dressings or aioli or the sweet one, with this like this Protein Cashew Chocolate Mousse.
All you need for the magic to happen is a high speed blender. The one I have is a simple Nutribullet, which you can easily get for about 100€ on Amazon.
Dark Chocolate – You can use any chocolate here, but I love 70% cocoa content dark chocolate. Vegan works well, so does the classic version.
Plant milk – To get cashews to blend really smooth and of course add volume and lightness to your Protein Cashew Chocolate Mousse you’ll need some sort of liquid. You could probably use even water, but I love plant milks for their creaminess. This time I used coconut milk (the drinking version), but any plant milk will work and add its own characteristics. Use an unsweetened one you enjoy.
Dates – To sweeten the Protein Cashew Chocolate Mousse I’m adding dates. This also keeps it refined sugar free (if using unsweetened plant milk) and adds some more fibre.
Protein Powder – Use any protein powder you enjoy. Obviously chocolate flavour works best as it enhances the characteristics. But vanilla or, say coffee would work nicely too. You can use vegan protein powder here, though personally I love MyProtein Whey, even though I’m lactose intolerant. I don’t feel any adverse effects from it at all.
Optional additions – A pinch of salt is a good idea in any dessert, more so in this Protein Cashew Chocolate Mousse. It lifts the flavour and adds that little something. Instant espresso powder is another one doing a very similar thing. It’s not strictly necessary, but really deepens the dark chocolate flavour. You won’t taste coffee (unless you add a lot).
Amaretto is a piece I took from the first Mousse au Chocolate I ever made, which was this one from Jamie Oliver.
Until I made this Protein Cashew Chocolate Mousse, it was the best I ever had. And that’s saying a lot, considering I lived in France for a year and tasted my way through lots of different ones.
The Process
Soak the Cashews (and, if using, almonds) for about 30min in freshly boiled water. You could probably skip this step if you have a Vitamix, but I feel it adds creaminess.
Melt the chocolate gently in the microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring in between.
Add all ingredients to your blender and blend until smooth.
Transfer to pretty jars or a lidded container and keep in the fridge until ready to enjoy.
Serve with topped with fresh raspberries or cashew cream.
How to Store
Protein Cashew Chocolate Mousse keeps in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Now I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please rate, share and/or comment. It helps me a lot!
Protein Cashew Chocolate Mousse
This Cashew Chocolate Mousse tastes just like a really good Mousse au Chocolate from France but is made with Cashews instead of cream and eggs. Using just 5 ingredients and a high speed blender, this makes a super indulgent tasting, yet healthy and high protein chocolate mousse in 5 minutes.
1 1/2cupsunsweetened almond milkor plant milk of your choice
5datespitted
3.5oz(100g) 70% chocolatemelted
2scoops protein powderI used MyProtein Whey. Ideally chocolate flavoured.
1Pinchof saltoptional but recommended
1tspinstant espresso powderoptional
1tbspAmarettooptional
Instructions
Soak the Cashews (and Almonds if using): Place the cashews (and almonds, if using) in a bowl and cover them with freshly boiled water. Let them soak for about 30 minutes. This step adds creaminess to the mousse.
Melt the Chocolate: Gently melt the 70% chocolate in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring in between each burst until the chocolate is completely melted. Set aside.
Prepare the Blender: Drain the soaked cashews (and almonds) and discard the soaking water. Add them to the blender.
Add Ingredients to Blender: To the blender with the soaked cashews, add the unsweetened almond milk, dates, melted chocolate, protein powder, pinch of salt (if using), instant espresso powder (if using), and Amaretto (if using).
Blend Until Smooth: Blend all the ingredients together until you achieve a smooth and creamy consistency. This might take a few minutes, depending on the power of your blender. Scrape down the sides of the blender if necessary to ensure all ingredients are well incorporated.
Transfer and Chill: Once the mixture is smooth, transfer the chocolate mousse into pretty jars or a lidded container. Cover with a lid or wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to enjoy. Chilling the mousse will help it set and develop its flavor.
Serve: When ready to serve, top the protein cashew chocolate mousse with fresh raspberries or a dollop of cashew cream for an extra touch of decadence.
Notes
Protein Cashew Chocolate Mousse keeps in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
These Strawberry Yoghurt Protein Bars taste like one of my all-time favourite chocolates called “Yogurette” but are infinitely better for you.
Packed full of protein, fresh strawberries and 0% fat Greek yoghurt, encased in an irresistible dark chocolate shell, they are exactly the snack I want after a sweaty workout!
Why You Will Love This
Amazing way of getting your protein
I’m not sure about you, but I’m not particularly fond of the protein bars you can buy. They all taste oddly stodgy to me (although the protein wafers I recently found were pretty good!) and are not really what I crave after a workout that has me hot, exhausted, and craving something that just feels both cooling and healthy.
That’s where these Strawberry Yoghurt Protein Bars come into play. They have only 7 ingredients (more about them below) take 10 minutes to make plus some cooling time and taste like really fresh and healthy strawberry yoghurt with a crisp dark chocolate coating.
Each of them comes with about 5g protein and just 40 calories.
Know exactly what’s in them
Making your protein bars at home means you know exactly what goes into them. No preservatives, no fillers. Just protein powder, yoghurt, fruit and chocolate.
The Perfect Ice Cream Bar
Did you ever want an ice cream bar that’s also good for you? This is the one.
All the benefits of yoghurt with its calcium and probiotics .
Plus the much needed protein to build muscle, keep your bones healthy and reduce cravings
And of course the fibre and antioxidants of fresh strawberries, which we are using in two different forms here, these bars are a nutritional powerhouse.
Oh and dare I say it? Dark chocolate (within reason) is also pretty beneficial in its own right, containing lots of minerals and even reducing inflammation. But mainly: It makes me really happy to eat it.
Super Easy to Make
My Strawberry Yoghurt Protein Bars comes together within minutes. You don’t need any special equipment, though a blender like a Nutribullet is helpful for getting strawberry puree. But mashing them with a fork works fine too.
The rest is just a quick stir, transfer into a freezer proof flat container, wait a bit, cut into pieces and quickly coat with melted dark chocolate. A tiny bit more patience while they freeze again and you have your post workout (or anytime really) snacks ready for the week.
The Ingredients
Lets start with the obvious one: Protein Powder. I used MyProtein Strawberry here and loved it. But a good quality vanilla flavoured one will do just fine.
The strawberry flavour comes from both fresh and freeze dried strawberries. While you could use just fresh, I found that the tiny nuggets of freeze dried strawberries give these bars their striking resemblance to Yogurette, with their intense bursts of flavour in your mouth.
I found mine in snack packets from Holland & Barrett and (yes, you may call me a bit weird, but we gotta work with what we find) took 5 minutes to separate the strawberry from the peaches.
If you find them on their own, even better. Or just use the combo. I’m fairly sure the added peach will be delicious too. If you try it, let me know your thoughts!
One note on freeze dried fruit: They are like sponges soaking up any humidity in the air quickly. So chop them last minute before adding and keep the ones for decorating in an airtight container. Otherwise you’ll have a sticky clump instead of nicely defined crunchy pieces. Have a wild guess how I found out…
Fat free Greek yoghurt adds the classic Yogurette flavour base of course. You could use full fat, but personally I feel the protein powder adds so much creaminess, it’s just not necessary.
A tiny bit of honey and lemon juice round out the flavour and of course dark chocolate to coat them. I used a 70% dark chocolate here. I tried both Lindt and the Madagascar 70% from Lidl and loved them equally.
The Process
First clean and roughly chop your fresh strawberries. Either mash them with a fork or puree them for a few seconds in a blender.
Finely chop your freeze dried strawberries. Put a few aside for decorating later if you like.
In a medium bowl, mix all your ingredients except the dark chocolate until creamy and well combined.
Line a freezer proof container with a flat base with parchment paper, so you can easily take out and cut the whole thing later. Don’t skip the parchment paper, or you’ll have to scrape out the filling and eat it like ice cream. I mean…not that this would be the worst thing in the world. You can absolutely skip the chocolate covering and do that.
I use a medium sized Pyrex dish about 15x 7in, in which the Strawberry protein filling came up about 0.7in. But honestly, no need for exact science in this. Use what you have and cut them later.
Pour your Strawberry-protein cream into the prepared dish and freeze for at least 3h or until very solid. You’ll need it extremely cold to be able to coat it with chocolate.
When it’s frozen, take it out onto a chopping board and cut into bars with a sharp hot, but dry knife. I dipped mine into hot water in between cuts, then dried it with a towel, to avoid water crystals on the bars.
Put back into your container and freeze while you melt the chocolate.
Break or chop your dark chocolate and add to a microwave safe bowl. If you enjoy a slightly softer coating, you could add a teaspoon of coconut oil, but I love my bars really crisp, so I left it out.
Melt in quick 30 second bursts in the microwave, stirring in between or over a water bath on the stove, being careful that the bowl with the chocolate doesn’t touch the water. Stir until melted and creamy.
Transfer to a deep plate with flat bottom, so your bars can lie flat in the chocolate.
Line a small tray that fits into your freezer with parchment paper.
Take your Strawberry Yoghurt Protein Bars out of the freezer and, using 2 forks, quickly turn each one in the hot chocolate until fully coated, let the excess drip off and transfer to the prepared parchment lined tray.
If you want to decorate them with the freeze dried strawberry pieces, you gotta be quick and do it immediately after taking each bar out of the chcolate bath, as the chocolate will harden extremely fast. You want the pieces to stick to the just soft enough chocolate before it’s all crisp.
Put back into the freezer for an hour or so, before trying one. I found they taste best, if you give them a few minutes at room temperature to soften the inside just a little.
Enjoy your homemade healthy Strawberry Yoghurt Protein Bars.
Storing
Strawberry Yoghurt Protein Bars keep well in the freezer in a lidded container for up to 3 months. Not that there is any hope they will last that long. But you might want to make double, so they last a few weeks.
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please rate, share, and comment. It helps me a lot.
Strawberry Yoghurt Protein Bars
These Strawberry Yoghurt Protein Bars taste like one of my all-time favourite chocolates called “Yogurette” but are infinitely better for you.
Packed full of protein, fresh strawberries and 0% fat Greek yoghurt, encased in an irresistible dark chocolate shell, they are exactly the snack I want after a sweaty workout!
3/4cupprotein powderI used MyProtein Whey Strawberry, but a good vanilla flavoured one will work fine too.
1cup0% fat Greek yoghurt
0.7oz20g freeze dried strawberriesfinely chopped
7ozchocolate70% cocoa content (or whatever kind you enjoy)
3tsphoney
1tbsplemon juice
Instructions
Prepare:
Line a freezer-proof container with parchment paper, ensuring the base is covered. This will allow for easy removal and cutting of the bars later.
Clean and roughly chop the fresh strawberries. Mash them with a fork or puree them in a blender until smooth.
Finely chop the freeze-dried strawberries. Set aside a small portion for decorating if desired.
Mix Ingredients:
In a medium bowl, combine the pureed fresh strawberries, protein powder, Greek yogurt, finely chopped freeze-dried strawberries, honey, and lemon juice. Mix until creamy and well combined.
Pour the strawberry-protein mixture into the prepared container. Spread it evenly and freeze for at least 3 hours or until very solid.
Coat with Chocolate:
Once frozen, remove the mixture from the container onto a chopping board. Use a sharp, hot, and dry knife to cut it into bars. Dip the knife into hot water between cuts and dry it with a towel to prevent water crystals on the bars. Return the bars to the container and freeze while preparing the chocolate coating.
Break or chop the dark chocolate and place it in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring in between, until melted and creamy. Alternatively, melt the chocolate over a water bath on the stove, ensuring the bowl doesn’t touch the water.
Notes
These bars keep well frozen in a freezer proof container or bag for up to 3 months.
You know this craving when only deliciously peanutty Vegan Satay Noodles will do?
The creamy peanut sauce with lots of umami, slightly sweet with a bit of spice, that just feels so incredibly cozy like a hug on a plate. Add to it the fact that peanuts give you a good bit of protein and join the whole thing up with lots of veggies in different forms and you have yourself a dinner that’s as quick as it is good for you.
Why You Will Love This
Simple to make
If you ever had chicken Satay, you know how utterly addictive that peanut butter sauce is. And probably wondered about its secrets. There really aren’t many, which is probably the best thing about it. The whole dish comes together in about 30 minutes, which makes this very doable even on a busy day.
Flexible
Both noodle and veggies wise, Vegan Satay Noodles are classic case of “use whatever you have at home”. It’s a great way to use up any odds and ends in your veggie drawer or and sort of noodles you have in your store cupboard.
If you don’t have peanut butter (or are allergic) you can use Tahini or almond butter. Sure, it’ll taste different, but just as delicious.
Want to add more protein? Top with some crispy fried tofu or chicken. Beef or lamb work well too if you are not vegan. Or even halloumi for a vegetarian option.
Nutritious
With the ratio of vegetables to noodles I’m using here, you easily get all 5 of your 5-a-day in one portion, including all the fibre and vitamins that come with whatever combination you choose.
Peanut butter adds healthy fats and protein, while the noodles give you satisfying carbs.
Leftovers are great cold
Most noodles, soba in particular, will make this dish taste fantastic cold. So you could eat it hot for dinner one day, then take the leftovers to work and eat them cold (or may I suggest a picnic in the spring sun?) the next day.
The Ingredients
Noodles, as the name says, are of course included, but I use a little trick with a spiraliser to cut down on carbs.
Mixing in spiralised zucchini and carrots, sneaks in a good portion of veggies right with the noodles, so even kids will enjoy them.
To add even more nutrition, colour, and flavour, I’m using my beloved red cabbage, tenderstem broccoli, thinly sliced sweet red peppers and bright green spring onions to top the plate.
The satay sauce comes together mainly from store cupboard ingredients like peanut butter, balsamic vinegar (or, even better if you have it, black rice vinegar, which tastes like the Asian version of balsamic vinegar I feel), soy sauce (or coconut aminos), honey or maple syrup and some sweet chili sauce if you like.
I also add a bit of minced garlic and grated ginger, but you can either leave it out or use them from jars you’ll find in the Asian section of most supermarkets these days. They are a really great shortcut for adding a ton of flavour without the work.
Toppings, while optional, really make this dish sing. I like a squeeze of lime juice over mine, sliced spring onions, some crunchy chopped peanuts or sesame seeds, a bit of cilantro (or parsley, if you have the “Cilantro tastes like soap” gene) and, if you are feeling spicy, a bit of chili crisp or more sweet chili sauce.
The Process
Prepare you vegetables as per ingredient list and set aside while you make the peanut sauce.
For the sauce, simply stir together all the ingredients in a small bowl. It will later be thinned a bit by adding some of the noodle cooking water, just like for other pasta sauces.
Get a large pot of salted water to the boil, add your noodles, and cook according to packet instructions. Before draining them, scoop out some of the cooking water and set aside to add to the sauce later.
Get a wok or large pan, adding a bit of groundnut or olive oil and gently fry ginger and garlic until fragrant but not browned. Tip in the shredded cabbage, followed by the broccoli and fry for 2-3 minutes until slightly softened. Add the remaining vegetables and quickly stir fry until hot, but still crisp with a bit of bite.
Now let the noodles join the veggies in your wok and top with the satay sauce, stirring and thinning with a bit of the cooking water, until it reaches a creamy consistency.
Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
Serve in a large deep plate, topped with spring onions, chopped roasted peanuts, sesame, herbs and maybe some chili crisp if you like.
How to Store
Leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days and are fantastic cold as a salad. I always make a big portion to have a healthy and delicious dinner for my workdays.
Looking for more veggie packed dinners, that give you all of your 5-a-day in one portion?
Here are some ideas:
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please rate, share and/or comment. It helps me a lot!
Vegan Satay Noodles
You know this craving when only deliciously peanutty Vegan Satay Noodles will do?
The creamy umami, slightly sweet with a bit of spice sauce, that just feels so incredibly cozy like a hug on a plate. Add to it the fact that peanuts give you a good bit of protein and join the whole thing up with lots of veggies in different forms and you have yourself a dinner that’s as quick as it is good for you.
1tbspsweet chili sauceor any other hot sauce you enjoy
1tbspmaple syrup or honey
1clovegarlicminced
2tspgingergrated
2tbspOil for frying. I used groundnut.
Veggies and Noodles
7oz(200g) noodlesI used medium egg noodles
1zucchinispiralised or thinly sliced
3carrotsspiralised or julienned
¼red cabbagethinly sliced
7oz(200g) tenderstem broccolidry ends cut off
1red pepperjulienned
3spring onionsthinly sliced
1tbsppeanuts, roasted and choppedoptional
1tbspsesameoptional
Instructions
Prepare all your vegetables as per the ingredient list and set them aside while you make the peanut sauce.
In a small bowl, mix together the peanut butter, soy sauce or coconut aminos, black rice vinegar (or balsamic), sweet chili sauce, maple syrup or honey, minced garlic, and grated ginger to make the sauce. Set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook according to the package instructions. Before draining, reserve some of the cooking water for later use.
In a wok or large pan, heat a bit of groundnut or olive oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and grated ginger, stirring until fragrant but not browned.
Add the shredded cabbage to the wok, followed by the tenderstem broccoli, and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until slightly softened.
Add the remaining vegetables (zucchini, carrots, red pepper) to the wok and quickly stir-fry until hot, but still crisp with a bit of bite.
Add the cooked noodles to the wok, then pour the satay sauce over the noodles and vegetables. Stir well, thinning the sauce with a bit of the reserved noodle cooking water until it reaches a creamy consistency.
Taste the noodles and adjust the seasoning according to your liking.
Serve the vegan satay noodles in a large deep plate, topped with sliced spring onions, chopped roasted peanuts, sesame seeds, fresh herbs, and optionally, some chili crisp for extra heat.
Notes
How to StoreLeftovers keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days and are fantastic cold as a salad. I always make a big portion to have a healthy and delicious dinner for my workdays.
Protein Rice Pudding has all the creamy decadence of the popular dessert, but with a healthy dose of protein. I’ve created 4 versions for you to choose from with different add-ins and toppings, so you have a healthy post workout meal ready for you any day.
On top of that, if you have an instant pot, this can be ready for you in the time you take a shower. No stirring and standing at the hob required!
Why You Will Love This
Instant Pot for Instant gratification
I’ve always loved the rice pudding my mom made for me when I was a kid, but rarely made it myself due to the stirring and watching and possibility of milk burning. Happened to me multiple times and if you ever had the small of burned milk in your kitchen, you know it isn’t pleasant.
All of this changed when I got my beloved Sage Fast Slow Pro. The notion of the pot just doing everything for me when it comes to both risotto and rice pudding was a revelation and opened a whole new range of dishes for me to enjoy, without dreading the ages of stirring.
All it takes is 10-12 minutes of cooking and a few minutes more for the pressure release, and you can use any instant pot you have, to get the perfect rice pudding. Even late evening cravings can be satisfied in minutes. You let it do the work for you, while you have your post workout shower, to enjoy a healthy, protein packed meal.
Can be made Vegan and Lactose free
Being lactose intolerant always left me queasy after eating things like rice pudding or oatmeal. Took me years to realise why that is (being essentially gaslit into not trusting your own feeling leaves marks, doesn’t it?).
Now I make all my dishes with various plant based milks and am just fine.
A Note on Protein Powder
I think I have said this many times on this blog, but I’ll include it here, as the protein powder is such an essential ingredient in this recipe: Despite being lactose intolerant, I do use Whey Protein powder from MyProtein.
This is neither affiliated nor sponsored. Just the powder I found to taste best after trying a fair few. If you never found one you enjoy, give this one a try.
I never had any issues with it and just can’t stomach the taste of the vegan ones. But if you have one you enjoy, you can of course use that.
Why Protein?
Protein is such an important building block for our bodies and its important to eat enough of it. Personally, as I don’t each much meat or legumes for that matter, I wouldn’t have enough in my diet to fulfil my bodies needs. Hence protein powder to the rescue. Preferably in sweet recipes.
How to vary your Protein Rice Pudding
While this Protein Rice Pudding is utterly delicious on its own, topped with just a bit of cinnamon sugar, there are so many more options, that I decided to give you a few here.
If you read any of my posts you probably stumbled over my way to lose weight and keep it stable and of course give my body the nutrition it needs, which is to include as many fruit and veggies as I can in every meal. This one is no exception.
There are plenty of fruit that go fantastic with milky or creamy dishes, so you can wildly pick and choose your favourites. I’m giving you just a few ideas here.
Cherry or Berry. Or Both.
My all-time favourite and a classic with rice pudding in Germany is cherry compote. Essentially sweet cherries briefly cooked with a tiny bit of water, to help them heat up and release their juices, then thickened with cornstarch. That’s as easy as it gets and works nicely with berries too. Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, or a mix of all would be lovely. Add a bit of vanilla and honey and you are set.
Rice Curd-ish with Pomegranate and Grapes
Another variation, borrowed from a co-worker from India are grapes and pomegranate and the rice pudding being enriched with yoghurt, bringing it into the direction of a favourite summer dish from India: Rice curd. The yoghurt adds even more protein, especially if you are using any type of Greek yoghurt.
A few pistachios sprinkled on top, a hint of cinnamon if you like will round this off nicely.
Black Forest or Chocolate Hazelnut
Now we can’t talk rice pudding without mentioning chocolate, can we?
I mean I love chocolate anything of course, and who wouldn’t, but here it’s just so incredibly easy to include it simply via protein powder flavour and, if you want it extra chocolatey (as I always do) a bit cocoa and a hit of espresso powder, to enhance the flavour even more.
Add some cherry compote or even fresh cherries and, if you are having this for dessert or feeling extra indulgent, some Kirsch (a German clear cherry liqueur), top with some whipped cream or coconut cream and you have yourself an irresistible treat.
Want to add some crunch to this one? Roasted and chopped hazelnuts instead of cherries would transform this into a sort of Ferrero Rocher experience. Or drizzle over some melted chocolate or slightly warmed Nutella, to have an utterly indulgent, yet still reasonably healthy dessert.
Mango-Coconut
Last but not least, a tropical mango-coconut rice pudding. You can either cook it straight from the start with coconut milk, or, as I did here, add some after cooking, for a gentle coconut flavour and stir in fresh mango pieces or mango puree. Or both.
Take it over the top with toasted coconut flakes (can I convince you to make maple-lime coconut chips just for this? It’s so worth it!) and enjoy being taken to a tropical island via dessert.
The Ingredients
Of course some of the ingredients with depend on the flavour combination you choose, but the basic recipe is always the same:
1 cup pudding rice or use arborio as alternative. Round corn rice is best suited for pudding, as the grains absorb more liquid and contain more starch than, say Basmati rice, resulting in creamier rice pudding. And creamy is what we want here.
4 cups liquid. You can use any type of milk you enjoy. If you aren’t lactose intolerant like me, whole milk is a great option. I’m using unsweetened almond milk to cook the rice in, then, after cooking, mix the protein powder with a bit of creamy soy or coconut milk, to add even more creaminess.
A pinch of salt – I’m a firm believer of adding a bit of salt to anything sweet. It balances and enhances the flavour of everything it touches. There is a good reason why salted caramel is so popular!
Protein Powder – This is my favourite way to get a high protein sweet meal. It sounds like a cheat, maybe it is. But I have yet to find a better way to add protein, sweetener, and whatever flavour you enjoy in one step to dishes. My Protein is my favourite brand, as it’s super creamy and doesn’t taste artificial. I mostly use the limited edition “Jelly Belly Buttered Popcorn”. Any good vanilla flavour would work too. Though I dread the day when this one reaches its time limit of the limited edition, as I’m utterly in love with it.
For the Black Forest version I used Gold Standard Whey Chocolate, as I have a ton left from before discovering MyProtein. It’s pretty decent, if less creamy.
Again, just to be clear: This is in no way sponsored or affiliated. Just what I use. Though if anyone from MyProtein reads this: Please sponsor me?
The Process
Pressure Cooker/ Instant Pot
If you have a pressure cooker/instant pot/Sage Fast Slow Pro, this couldn’t be any easier:
Add your rice and 3.5 cups of your milk of choice and pinch of salt to your cooker. Set to 10 minutes high pressure, then 10min auto release and let it do its thing while you get on with your day.
After the time is up, mix your chosen protein powder with the remaining half cup of milk or yoghurt until no lumps remain and stir it into your rice pudding. Don’t let it come to a boil after you mixed in the protein, or it might get a bit grainy.
If you make a bigger portion for several days, I would advocate for adding the protein-milk mix just before eating, as rice pudding has the habit of thickening in the fridge. And if you add too much liquid, the rice might essentially dissolve. If you love that, feel free of course.
Add your chosen fruits and flavourings, decorate, and top to your heart’s desire and enjoy hot or cold.
I often prepare a large portion at the start of the week, to have a super quick breakfast/dessert or even dinner (yep, I love sweet dinner! That’s my favourite way to satisfy sweet evening cravings: Make it a healthy dinner!).
You can have this Protein Rice Pudding straight from the fridge for hot summer days or simply re-heat it in the microwave.
On Stovetop:
While I’m plain too lazy to make this on the stovetop, you can absolutely do that too.
It will take about 20- 30 minutes of patient stirring and very gentle simmering to get creamy rice pudding.
Tips and Tricks
If you have no round corn rice, you can use Basmati. It might not get as creamy though
In India, Rice Curd is made by using ready cooked Basmati rice and stirring in “curd”, which is similar to yoghurt, but thinner. So if you are feeling even lazier or just have leftover rice to use up, either stir some plain yoghurt with protein powder into it and top with fruit for a refreshing summer treat. Or heat it up in the microwave, stir in some milk mixed with protein powder and top with whatever your heart desires.
A classic Thai version of this would be to boil the rice in coconut milk. To get the best flavour, use the drinking version, not a can.
You can make this also with black rice, which would look absolutely stunning, or brown rice for added fibre. For those versions follow the cooking instructions for your particular rice. Time and needed liquid may vary.
Want even more protein? Add some chia seeds or hemp hearts and top with more Greek yoghurt. I love the 0% fat version, as I feel the rice has plenty of creaminess already.
Need extra indulgence and want this to taste like the classic rice pudding dessert? Temper an egg yolk by adding a bit of warm milk at the end of the cooking process and stir into the rice, warming it through gently, to avoid curdling the egg. Add some butter to take it over the top. May I suggest browned butter if you do?
The 4 Different Versions
All amounts and instructions are given to make 4 portions of the same variation.
If you’d like to try all 4, as I did in the pictures, simply halve the amounts.
Except the cherry compote. I would always make the full 2 cups, as I love it so much, I happily eat it over everything or on its own. Plus just boiling half a cup is too much hassle for the output.
After your rice pudding is cooked mix 2 cups of milk/yoghurt/coconut milk with 4 scoops of your favourite protein powder. Depending on the version you are going for and stir into the rice until it reaches your preferred consistency.
If you find it too cold after that, feel free to briefly microwave to heat it up, but don’t let it come to a boil again, or your protein might curdle a bit. Which still tastes ok, but doesn’t look as inviting and creamy.
Cherry or Berry. Or Both.
Use about 2 cups of fresh or frozen sweet cherries or mixed berries together with 1 tbsp of sugar (brown or white), maybe a little lemon juice or vanilla extract or both, if you like. In a pot on the stove, bring them to a boil, adding about 2-3 tbsp water, to help them release their juices. Mix ½ tbsp cornstarch with 2 tbsp water in a separate container. Once your cherries or berries are hot and bubbling, pour in your cornstarch slurry while stirring. Bring once more to the boil and stir until it thickens. Take off the heat and your compote is ready.
I used this for both the cherry version and dusted it with a tiny bit of vanilla powder and in the Black Forest version.
Mix 2 cups of soy milk with a good vanilla protein powder until no clumps remain, Stir into the rice pudding.
Top with the cherry (or berry) compote and enjoy.
Rice Curd (-ish) with Protein, Pomegranate, Grapes and Pistachios
If using a fresh pomegranate, cut it in half crosswise. Tuck one half into a small freezer bag. Ideally with a zip and close it, with the open side of the pomegranate pointing down.
Now get a cooking spoon, Wood with the classic spoon shape works best I found.
Start smacking the top of the pomegranate until all seeds have tumbled into the bag.
Discard the empty shell and fish out any pieces of pith that might have fallen out.
Halve the grapes. Roughly chop the pistachios if using.
Mix 2 cups of yoghurt (I used 0% fat Greek yoghurt) with 4 scoops of a good vanilla protein powder until no lumps remain. Stir into the cooked rice pudding. Ideally after it has cooled a bit.
This version is particularly good cold on a hot summer day.
Mango-Coconut Protein Rice Pudding
Prepare your coconut chips if using.
Pre-heat your oven to 350°F/175°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix 1 cup of coconut chips with 1 tbsp maple syrup, a pinch of salt and the grated zest of 1 lime.
Spead onto the baking sheet and bake for about 10-12 min, stirring halfway, until golden brown.
Let them cool to crisp up while you prepare the mango. They will keep in an airtight container for about a week (if they last that long, as they are seriously more-ish). You will find reasons to make them again and again as snack or topping for sweets, cake, salad and even Thai soup or curries.
Peel your mango and chop into bite sized cubes.
Mix 2 cups of coconut milk (canned or from a tetra pack is both good) with 4 scoops of a good vanilla (or coconut) flavoured protein powder until no lumps remain.
Stir into the ready cooked rice pudding, top with mango and coconut chips.
Black Forest Protein Rice Pudding (or chocolate without the cherries)
Prepare the cherry compote as per instructions for the cherry version. If you feel extra indulgent, add some Kirsch.
Whisk some cream or coconut cream into soft peaks. If using coconut cream, make sure it’s very cold or it won’t hold its shape. I found cans of coconut whipping cream at a local health food store, but using just the firm layer from a can of cold coconut milk will do just fine.
Mix 2 cups of soy milk with 4 scoops of chocolate flavoured protein powder and 1 tbsp cocoa until no lumps remain. If you only have vanilla flavoured protein powder use that, but add 2-3 tbsp cocoa, depending on your preference.
Stir the chocolate protein mix into the cooked rice pudding.
In pretty glasses, layer some cherry compote, then rice pudding, finishing with more cherry compote and a large spoon or whipped cream or coconut cream.
Decorate with fresh cherry and chocolate shavings if you like. I simply used a vegetable peeler to create shavings from a piece of dark chocolate.
How to Store
As mentioned above, I often meal prep a big batch for the week and store it in a lidded container in the fridge. It will keep quite happily for about 3-4 days, depending on the milk you used.
If you want to mix it up, portion the Protein Rice Pudding into single portion jars and add your favourite toppings, to have an amazing meal to grab and go.
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please rate, share and/or comment. It helps me a lot!
Protein Rice Pudding 4 Ways
Protein Rice Pudding has all the creamy decadence of the popular dessert, but with a healthy dose of protein. I’ve created 4 versions for you to choose from with different add-ins and toppings, so you have a healthy post workout meal ready for you any day.
On top of that, if you have an instant pot, this can be ready for you in the time you take a shower. No stirring and standing at the hob required!
3.5cupsunsweetened almond milkor milk of your choice
2cupssoy milkor any other milk of your choice. Coconut for the Coconut-Mango variation
4scoopsprotein powderI used MyProtein Whey Buttered Popcorn. Any good vanilla flavoured powder will work fine. Since this is the main flavour component, please use one you enjoy.
1pinchsalt
2tspvanilla extractoptional but lovely
Topping Versions
Cherry Protein Rice Pudding
2cupsof cherries
½tbspcornstarch
1tbspsugar
2cupssoy milk and 4 scoops vanilla protein powder as stated in basic version
Rice Curd-ish with Pomegranate and Grapes
1Pomegranateseeds only (see post on how to get them out without a mess)
1cupgrapeshalved
2cups0% fat Greek yoghurtinstead of the soy milk in the basic version
4scoopsvanilla protein powderas stated in the basic version
½cuppistachiosroughly chopped
Mango- Coconut Protein Rice Pudding
1cupcoconut chips
1tbspMaple syrup
1limegrated zest only
1mangochopped in bite sized cubes
2cupscoconut milkcanned or tetra pack
4scoops vanilla or coconut protein powder as stated in basic version
Black Forest Protein Rice Pudding
2cupsof cherries
½tbspcornstarch
1tbspsugar
1tbspKirschoptional
2cupssoy milk
4scoops chocolate protein powderinstead of vanilla as stated in basic version
1tbspcocoa
½cupwhipped cream or whipped coconut creamor to taste
1small piece dark chocolateshaved with vegetable peeler, to decorate
Instructions
Using a Pressure Cooker/Instant Pot/Sage Fast Slow Pro:
In the cooker, combine the rice, 3.5 cups of almond milk (or milk of your choice), and a pinch of salt.
Set the cooker to 10 minutes on high pressure, then allow for a 10-minute auto release.
While the rice cooks, mix the protein powder with the remaining 2 cups of milk until smooth.
After the pressure cooking cycle completes, stir the protein-milk mixture into the rice pudding gently. Avoid boiling after adding protein to prevent graininess.
If preparing a larger portion for multiple days, add the protein-milk mix just before serving to avoid over-thickening and potential rice dissolution. 1/2 cup of soy milk +1 scoop of protein powder per portion.
Customize with your chosen fruits and flavourings, and top with desired toppings.
Serve hot or cold. Refrigerate leftovers for future servings.
On the Stovetop:
In a saucepan, combine the rice, 3.5 cups of almond milk (or milk of your choice), and a pinch of salt.
Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Simmer for about 20-30 minutes, stirring frequently, until the rice pudding reaches a creamy consistency.
Follow steps 3-7 from the pressure cooker instructions to complete the dish.
Enjoy your protein-rich rice pudding as a quick breakfast, dessert, or even dinner option! Adjust toppings and flavourings to suit your preferences.
Cherry Protein Rice Pudding
Prepare the cherry compote by simmering cherries, sugar, and a splash of water until hot.
Mix cornstarch with water, then add to the cherries, boil and stir to thicken.
Mix soy milk and vanilla protein powder and stir into the cooked rice pudding.
Serve topped with cherry compote.
Rice Curd-ish with Pomegranate and Grapes
Extract pomegranate seeds. See post on how to get them out without a mess.
Halve grapes and chop pistachios.
Mix yogurt and vanilla protein powder, then stir into rice pudding.
Serve chilled, topped with pomegranate seeds, grapes, and pistachios.
Mango-CoconutProtein Rice Pudding
Mix coconut chips with maple syrup and lime zest, bake on a parchment lined baking sheet at 350°F/175°C for about 10min until golden.
Mix coconut milk and protein powder, then stir into rice pudding.
Serve topped with mango and coconut chips.
Black Forest Protein Rice Pudding
Prepare the cherry compote by simmering cherries, sugar, and a splash of water until boiling and cherries are hot.
Mix cornstarch with 2 tbsp water, then add to the cherries to thicken.
Add 1 tbsp Kirsch if desired
Mix soy milk with chocolate protein powder and cocoa.
Stir into cooked rice pudding.
Layer with cherry compote and top with whipped cream.
Decorate with chocolate shavings if you like.
Notes
The nutrition here is given for the basic Protein Rice pudding. It will vary slightly depending on the toppings, though the protein will remain roughly the same. Slightly more for the curd version due to the greek youghurt, slightly less for the coconut mango version, as the coconut milk has less protein than soy milk.How to StoreAs mentioned above, I often meal prep a big batch for the week and store it in a lidded container in the fridge. It will keep quite happily for about 3-5 days, depending on the milk you used. If you want to mix it up, portion the Protein Rice Pudding into single portion jars and add your favourite toppings, to have an amazing meal to grab and go.
Black Garlic, with its amazing sweet-fruity umami notes, is of the most exciting ingredients you can make very easily yourself, with just patience and a rice cooker. You can use it in a million recipes, just like the fresh version, but it has so much more flavour and depth due to the super slow Maillard reaction that happens when leaving it for weeks on very low heat. Much cheaper than in the supermarket too.
Why You Will Love This
The first time I spotted Black Garlic in my local supermarket in Waterford, I was intrigued. I mean, of course the shiny black cloves looked slightly weird, but it was new, so of course I had to try it.
Versatile
What I wasn’t prepared for though, was the flavour explosion in my mouth. Sure, there was a hint of garlic, but so much more! None of the pungent sharpness of fresh garlic was left. Instead hints of fruit, going particularly well with cheese, umami and sweetness, making it an incredible pairing for any meat or mushrooms. Notes similar to good balsamic vinegar, but without the acidity. I could just eat them as they were like tiny snacks, similar to dried fruit with many of the same characteristics.
Essentially, everything you throw it at gets better. I mean it. Even cookies. I’m not kidding you. https://forthepleasureofeating.com/sourdough-oatmeal-white-chocolate-chip-cookies-with-black-garlic/
Adds “Oomph” to Dishes
Similar to its fresh version, you can use it in salad dressing, sauces for meat, compound butter, bread and many more. I think I saw even an ice cream made with it once. It became a trend ingredient in high end restaurants for a reason, adding lots of flavour, lifting up other ingredients, but without overpowering them.
I think my all-time favourite use of it were Burgers with Black Garlic Aioli. https://forthepleasureofeating.com/burger-with-black-garlic-aioli/
Super Easy to Make
All you need is a rice cooker, several bulbs of garlic, unpeeled, clingfilm and tinfoil. And about 40 days of time. That’s not a typo.
Essentially, against all those posts that claim it would be “fermented”, what is happening here is the Maillard reaction (the caramelisation of sugars present on food caused by heat) in extremely slow motion. Which leads to the black colour without any burning, as the sugar in the garlic gets very slowly transformed into caramel. Fermentation however would be bacteria doing the work and generally leading to some sort of bubbly and funky outcome. Think Kombucha or Kimchi or sourdough. There is nothing bubbly or funky about black garlic though. Just little nuggets of concentrated sweetness and flavour.
The Ingredients
I gave it away above, but let me repeat:
Garlic Bulbs. The best quality you can find. Please don’t use any old sprouted ones hanging out in your cupboard. About 6-8 max I found is best. I tried more but found that if I place more than one layer in the rice cooker, the top ones don’t get caramelized as well.
Rice cooker or slow cooker. Ideally one you don’t use every day, because this will be tied up for the foreseeable future. I simply bought a cheap one on Amazon just for this.
The important part is, that it has the “keep warm” function, as that’s what we will be using.
Clingfilm and Aluminium foil. Both.
I have seen and tried methods with just tinfoil or even oven roasting bags, and some using no wrapping at all, but none of them got me the consistent and perfect outcome I got by using clingfilm and tinfoil. And I’ve made many batches by now.
The Method
Cut off as many small pieces of clingfilm and tinfoil as you have garlic bulbs. Each big enough to wrap one bulb.
Now wrap each bulb first in clingfilm, then tinfoil. I did it by placing the bulb in the middle of a square, then just pulling up the sides and twisting the top.
There. The hard part is done.
Please your neat little parcels in your rice cooker.
Ideally add a sticker to your rice cooker, telling you what day you started your black garlic.
Find a well-ventilated spot near a wall plug in your house. Your house will smell of garlic. Unless you have the luxury of a garage or shed with power plugs. I left mine in the utility room, with the window tipped open.
Leave for about 40 days. Start checking the garlic after 30. If the cloves are shiny, black, and still soft, they are done. If they are still light brown, they need more time. If they are hard and crunchy, you left them too long.
That’s all there is to it. Enjoy your little black gems in a delicious Cashew Ranch dressing.
Or add them to compound butter to stuff under the skin of a chicken, for the most delicious roast chicken you will ever have.
Or…bake cookies with it and enjoy the freaked out but delighted look on your friends faces, when you tell them they are eating cookies with garlic.
Storing your Black Garlic
The Black Garlic keeps in a jar in the fridge for several months. Not that I think it’ll last that long. I have a feeling you’ll start a second batch soon.
Please comment!
Now I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please share and comment. It helps me a lot.
Black Garlic
Black Garlic, with its amazing sweet-fruity umami notes, is of the most exciting ingredients you can make very easily yourself, with just patience and a rice cooker. You can use it in a million recipes, just like the fresh version, but it has so much more flavour and depth due to the super slow Maillard reaction that happens when leaving it for weeks on very low heat. Much cheaper than in the supermarket too.
Cut off as many small pieces of cling film and aluminium foil as you have garlic bulbs. Each should be big enough to wrap one bulb.
Take an unpeeled garlic bulb and wrap it first in cling film, ensuring it's covered completely.
Next, wrap the garlic bulb in aluminium foil. Place the bulb in the centre of a square of foil and pull up the sides, twisting the top to seal it. Repeat for each bulb.
Cooking:
Place the wrapped garlic bulbs in your rice cooker. If you're using a sticker, label the rice cooker with the start date to keep track of the slow Maillard reaction process.
Find a well-ventilated spot in your home near a power outlet. Keep in mind that this will emit some garlic smell during the process. A garage or shed with power outlets can be great for this. Leaving them in a utility room with a partially open window is another option.
Slow Maillard Reaction:
Leave the garlic bulbs in the rice cooker for about 40 days. Check the garlic after 30 days to monitor the progress.
The cloves should transform into shiny, black, and soft bulbs when done. If they're still light brown, they need more time. If they're hard and crunchy, they've been left too long.
Storage and Enjoyment:
Once the garlic bulbs have reached the desired consistency, remove them from the rice cooker.
Store the black garlic in an airtight container in a cool, dry place until ready to use.
Enjoy your homemade black garlic in various recipes, such as Cashew Ranch dressing or any dish that benefits from its unique flavour profile.
Massaman Lamb Curry with Veggies is a lovely warming Thai Curry with Peanut butter-coconut sauce. This would go with all sorts of vegetables, to make a nutritionally balanced meal. I have chosen aubergine, red peppers, and butternut squash, to underline the creamy and sweet notes of this easy dish. Using lamb rump instead of a more typical stewing cut means, you can cut down the cooking time to about 50 minutes instead of the typical 2h.
Why You will Love This
Using Thai Red Curry paste to give this Massaman Lamb Curry with Veggies really punchy flavours is your easy way to a quick and delicious weeknight dinner that you can whip up in about an hour.
Tastes Even Better the Next Day
As curries go, they tend to get better when the flavours had a chance to meld and get to know each other. This one is no exception. Make a large pot and have nutritious meals for several days.
Flexible
Massaman Lamb Curry is as flexible as it gets, as you can basically throw in any meat or veggies you have around or love. It takes particularly well to slow cooking cuts that can slowly simmer in the fragrant curry spices. So instead of the boneless rump steak I went for here, you could use lamb shanks and simply bake them in the oven in the sauce at 180C/ 350F for about 3h, with the first 2h covered and the last uncovered.
Check this delicious recipe from Nagi for more details.
For vegetables use whatever you have in your fridge. I love sweet red bell pepper and squash in particular, but sweet potatoes, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, or even green beans are all great choices. Experiment and make it your own.
Vary Calories through the liquid
You can use broth, light or full fat coconut milk or a combination of them to create exactly the sauce you like or that fits your macros.
Serve with Rice or without
I chose to serve my Massaman Lamb Curry with Veggies with cauliflower rice today, but you could for example include potatoes in the vegetables and would have your nutritious carbs cooked in one pot with the rest of the ingredients. Or of course simply serve with very classic cooked basmati.
The Ingredients
Lamb – I used rump here, as it is tender even when cooked relatively short, which suited my idea of making a quick cook Massaman Lamb Curry with Veggies instead of the typical rather slow cooked ones.
If you don’t mind letting it simmer longer, use lamb shoulder pieces or lamb shanks, which will get fall apart tender after cooking them for about 1.5h. This is also a more budget option, but at the same time higher calories, since shoulder is a fattier cut, which will melt into your sauce.
Vegetables – While I used aubergine for the meaty flavour-absorbing qualities, butternut squash for sweetness, red peppers for colour and crunch and spinach for the important greens, you can use any combination of veggies you enjoy.
Other great choices are carrots, sweet potatoes, kale, butter beans, chickpeas or anything else that profits from cooking for a bit in a stew pot. Just make sure to cut them into roughly the same size, so they cook all around the same time.
Spices – I love using the classic trinity of ginger, garlic and onion (or spring onions), since they help build that typical base flavour for curry. If you are in a bit of a hurry, use pre-chopped ginger and garlic from a jar in the Asian section of your supermarket. It’s one of my favourite busy weekday cheats, to have dinner ready quicker.
Curry paste – If you haven’t used red curry paste before, you might think it’s the hottest variety of them, but actually it is milder than green curry paste. So feel free to swap, if you like more of a spicy punch to your curry. You can also vary the heat by using less or more. I’m not a big fan of spicy food, so the amount given here is for pretty moderate heat. I usually start with 1 tbsp if I’m using a paste brand I didn’t try before and add more after tasting. It’s fine to add it towards the end and not fry it.
While the frying the paste will bring out more nuances, it can be tricky to judge the amount of spiciness at that stage. So taste towards the end and balance your flavours by adding more of anything you feel it needs.
Sauce – I used full fat coconut milk, but low fat or a mix of coconut milk and broth works well too. You can customize the level of creaminess you enjoy. Higher fat will also temper the heat. So if you accidentally added too much curry paste (I sure have done it before) simply add one more can of coconut milk, and it should taste great again.
Peanut butter – I really love the flavour of peanut butter and lamb together, but if you are allergic to peanuts, any other nut butter will do fine. Almond or cashew would be good choices for example. If you are generally allergic to nuts, you can leave them out and use for example cream or sun butter. Not authentic, but then…the important part is flavour, isn’t it?
Toppings – You can go wild here with toppings. I have given just a few in the recipe to pick from, herbs, lime, or coconut chips being my choices. Other great ones are a lovely cooling Greek yoghurt, to balance the heat, creamy avocado, any type of toasted nuts or seeds, herbs, maybe some extra sliced chilies if you enjoy even more spice or a drizzle of chili crisp.
What to serve this with – I had my Massaman Lamb Curry with Veggies 2 days with cauliflower rice and the other 2 days with basmati. Both were delicious. It’s also very satisfying with a hunk of fresh crusty bread to soak up the fragrant, creamy sauce or just on it’s own.
Process
Start making your Massaman Lamb Curry with Veggies by gently frying your chopped onions on medium heat in a large pot until translucent. Add garlic and ginger and fry until soft. Remove from the pan.
Add a little more oil and turn the heat to medium high. Once the oil is hot, add your lamb cubes and fry until nicely browned on all sides. You may have to do this in 2 batches, to not crowd your pot. Remove from the pot, season with salt and pepper and rest with the onions, garlic, and ginger.
See the brown bits at the bottom? That’s where all the flavour is!
Reduce the heat to medium and use a little more oil if needed, to gently fry your curry paste, releasing the flavours. Stir in peanut butter, coconut milk and remaining spices, bringing everything to a boil, scraping off any brown bits from the bottom of the pan, to integrate the delicious flavours into your sauce.
Carefully, to not hit yourself with hot fluid, lower the aubergine and squash pieces into the sauce. Add back the meat, onions, garlic, and ginger and gently simmer for about 20minutes or until the squash is tender. Throw in the peppers and spinach and heat through. You want the peppers hot with a bit of bite, but not mushy. The spinach will just wilt into the sauce.
Give everything a taste and balance the flavour to your liking by adding more salt, coconut aminos/soy sauce, maple syrup or tamarind, until it tastes lovely and balanced to you.
Optionally garnish with herbs or nuts of your choice.
Serve over rice, cauliflower rice or simply with a nice chunk of crusty bread for mopping up the fragrant sauce of your Massaman Lamb Curry with Veggies.
How To Store
I froze a few portions of this Massaman Lamb Curry with Veggies for busy days when I need food quickly. It reheats beautifully either in the microwave or on the hob.
If you plan to eat it throughout the week, it keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Let me know what you think!
Now I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please share and comment. It helps me a lot.
Massaman Lamb Curry with Veggies is a lovely warming Thai Curry with Peanut butter-coconut sauce. This would go with all sorts of vegetables, to make a nutritionally balanced meal. I have chosen aubergine, red peppers, and butternut squash, to underline the creamy and sweet notes of this easy dish. Using lamb rump instead of a more typical stewing cut means, you can cut down the cooking time to about 50 minutes instead of the typical 2h.
1lblamb rumpCut into 1in cubes. Or cut of your choice. Check details above on how to cook shanks or shoulder
1auberginechopped into 1in chunks
2red pepperschopped into 1in chunks
1butternut squashdeseeded and chopped into 1in chunks. You can leave the peel on, it will soften
4cupsbaby spinachwashed, roughly chopped if you have large leaves
1onion finely chopped. I used redbut white or shallots will work too
2tbspminced ginger
1tbspminced garlic
1-3tbspred curry paste
2cans coconut milkfull fat, or light. Replace with part vegetable broth for a lighter curry
1/3cupsmooth peanut butter
1tspground cinnamon
½tspground cloves
2tbsptamarind paste
2tbspmaple syrup
1tbspcoconut aminos or soy sauce
3tbspolive oilfor frying
Salt to taste
To Serve, optional:
Fresh coriander or mint
Toasted and salted peanuts
Toasted Coconut chips
Cauliflower or basmati rice
Lime juice
Instructions
Prepare Ingredients:
Chop all vegetables and set aside.
Cut the lamb into 1-inch cubes if not already done.
Sauté Aromatics:
In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.
Add chopped onions and sauté until translucent.
Stir in minced ginger and garlic, cooking until fragrant.
Remove the onion mixture from the pot and set aside.
Brown the Lamb:
In the same pot, add another tablespoon of olive oil if needed and increase heat to medium-high.
Add the lamb cubes and brown them on all sides, working in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding the pot.
Once browned, remove the lamb from the pot, season with salt and pepper and set aside with the onion mixture.
Prepare the Curry Sauce:
Reduce the heat to medium and add a little more olive oil if required.
Stir in the red curry paste and cook briefly to release its flavours.
Add the peanut butter, coconut milk, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, tamarind paste, maple syrup, and coconut aminos or soy sauce, stirring until well combined.
Simmer the Curry:
Carefully add the aubergine and butternut squash pieces into the sauce, followed by the browned lamb, onions, garlic, and ginger.
Gently simmer the curry for about 20 minutes or until the squash is tender, stirring occasionally.
Add Remaining Vegetables:
Once the squash is tender, add the chopped red peppers and baby spinach to the pot.
Heat through until the peppers are hot but still have a bit of bite, and the spinach wilts into the sauce.
Adjust Seasoning:
Taste the curry and adjust the seasoning according to your preference by adding more salt, coconut aminos/soy sauce, maple syrup, or tamarind paste if needed.
Serve:
Optionally garnish with fresh coriander or mint, toasted and salted peanuts, or toasted coconut chips.
Serve the Massaman Lamb Curry with Veggies over rice, cauliflower rice, or with crusty bread for mopping up the flavourful sauce.
Squeeze lime juice over the curry before serving for an extra burst of flavour if desired.
Enjoy your delicious Massaman Lamb Curry with Veggies!
Notes
How To StoreI froze a few portions of this Massaman Lamb Curry with Veggies for busy days when I need food quickly. It reheats beautifully either in the microwave or on the hob.
If you plan to eat it throughout the week, it keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Poke Sushi Bowls 4 Ways, all delicious and easy to make. This might be my favourite new dinner when I’m craving Sushi, which is often, but don’t want the fuss of rolling and forming. Instead they all come in form of a cosy bowl that you can customize to your exact preferences.
Use rice or buckwheat as base, top with fresh or pickled veggies and fruit, chose your protein or vegan tuna to top and you have dinner ready for the whole week.
Why You Will Love This
Delicious as Sushi but Without the Fuss
Have you ever had an irresistible craving for Sushi, but no restaurant or takeaway nearby and you really couldn’t be bothered with all the shaping and rolling? Then this recipe is for you. It does away with the fuss and only leaves the enjoyment of a nutritious bowl with all the flavours you love.
Poke at Home
Have you heard about Poke Bowls? I bet you have. And they always look so tempting, don’t they? Yeah, I think so too.
If you haven’t: Poke is essentially a Hawaiian dish made from raw fish that is tossed in sauce and eaten as snack or main dish. The most common seasonings include soy sauce, sesame oil, mayo, sriracha and spring onions. You can vary it endlessly to make it your own.
I have added fresh ginger and rice vinegar in my sauce, as I just love how it reminds me of sushi and transforms the flavour of the fish.
Typically Poke is just the raw fish in its sauce, but over the years these mixed bowls have become a rather stunning fusion dish, likely stemming from a mix of Korean bibimbap mixed with the Hawaiian Poke. Personally I’m a big fan of fusion kitchen, since it takes and combines the best parts of different kitchens and creates something new.
So in that tradition of mixing styles, I took ingredients that are commonly used in Sushi, where the fish is served simply raw and unmarinated, and combined it with the Poke tradition of mixing it with different flavours and sauces.
Versatile Toppings
I’m giving you 4 different options here, mainly differentiated by their protein or rather topping I should say, as one of them tastes like tuna, but is not a protein, but watermelon.
Tofu is another great topping, which you can even make in the air fryer.
And of course the two classics, both very easy to source: Salmon and Prawns.
It also comes with a range of pretty impressive health benefits, among them being high fibre, magnesium, and vitamin B content, making it a great alternative grain.
Mind you: Even though it’s name has “wheat” in it, it’s not related to wheat grain and contains no gluten.
Dressings
Three different dressings are given below, all take just minutes to assemble. Choose one or make several, to vary your bowls over the week.
We have an Asian Soy-Ginger-Lime dressing that doubles as marinade for tofu or Salmon, a Sriracha Mayo and a Wasabi mayo.
Wait, did you say Watermelon Tuna?
Watermelon? Seriously? That is sweet I hear you say. And you’d be right of course. But the simple process of marinating it with soy sauce, sesame oil and nori, then baking it and marinating once more, gives it both texture and flavour that is as close to raw tuna as I have ever experienced.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I didn’t invent this method and could not figure out who did unfortunately, as I’d love to give credit to this genius idea! But I found a variety of different recipes and picked my favourite while varying it slightly to suit my preferences.
The one I started from was by “Chef Studio”, showing a very easy way to make your own.
While they use the leftover marinade as it is for the second time marinating, I decided to boil mine down, to get rid of the unnecessary water from the melon that gathered in it from the first round of marinating, resulting in a more intense flavour and less watering down what we just cooked out in the oven.
2 Choices of Grains for the Base
As a base I’m using sushi rice in 3 of the bowls and cooked buckwheat in the last. While I love rice, the buckwheat has a nuttier flavour and can be prepared very similar to rice and essentially tastes like sushi rice, if you mix it with sushi seasoning.
Veggies and Fruits
As usual in my main dishes I prepare for the week, I use as many different fruits and vegetables as I can possibly fit on top of the bowl.
In this case I used partially my Quick Pickled Vegetables, a longtime favourite on my blog and partially raw. I just love the crunch and acidity you get from pickling and the zing this option lends to the grains. They are super quick to make too.
But if you aren’t a fan of pickles or just don’t feel like pickling, feel free to use raw ones. A soy or mayo- sriracha sauce on the side with add plenty of flavour to your bowl.
I know I’m walking the line with the fruits. They seem to be the marmite of the bowl and salad world. But personally I very much enjoyed both mango and fresh pineapple on these bowls. Leave them out if you don’t. Your bowl, your topping choice. That’s the beauty of them.
Note on the long Ingredients List
Since I made 4 different bowls and wildly mixed the toppings during the week, the list is fairly long.
But if you are not as decision adverse as I am, when it comes to the variety of what you’ll eat during the week, you can very easily par it down to a pretty short list. Simply pick one base, one sauce, one protein and some of your favourite toppings and you are set.
Ingredients
As usual, I’m stating just a few key ingredients here and why I used them. Please refer to the recipe for the full list.
The Grain Base
Sushi rice is certainly the easiest to find and likely the most familiar tasting if you are going for the typical flavour profile.
But if you feel a tiny bit more adventurous or just want to add more fibre to your diet, try out buckwheat groats. Ideally in form of Kasha, which is the toasted variant.
While you can toast your own, I felt during my tries that it’s never as even as the pre-toasted version and tends to get a bit mushy. It will still taste great but might not look as pretty.
At the time of making these bowls, I only had raw buckwheat groats, so that’s what I used.
Other great base options are cauliflower rice, brown rice or even couscous, which are easy to prepare and taste great with the sushi seasoning.
The Protein
Salmon or prawns – Use the freshest products you can find. Ideally from a fishmonger you can tell you if your fish is fresh enough to be eaten raw.
I took a bit of a risk with mine, buying a packet of super fresh looking salmon and prawns from Tesco, that had 6 days left on their “use by” date, which seemed good enough to me. Please carefully check the date before you buy and once you open it, smell it. It should smell like fresh seawater with a hint of salmon/prawn. If it smells in any way bad, do not use it.
Tofu
I used extra firm Tofu from the Tofoo co., which is readily available at Tesco here and tastes lovely.
Watermelon
Now, while watermelon is obviously not a protein, I’m listing it here as it will act like our tuna.
While you’d usually go for the sweetest and ripest melon you can find, if you are eating it raw, that would be counterproductive for this use.
Instead try to get one that is under ripe, as it will be less sweet and have fewer black seeds. They are also usually a bit on the firmer fleshed side, which is exactly what we want for the tuna-like texture.
Nori
This is what puts the “tuna” into the watermelon. You can find nori sheets for sushi in pretty much every supermarket these days. Just cut one piece into tiny snippets using scissors. Don’t leave this out, as it’s the essential ingredient.
Vegetables
The options are endless here. Think Sushi and Asian bowls and go from there. You can use whatever you enjoy in your bowl.
I used some of my favourites which included
– Red cabbage
– Carrots
– Cucumber
– Mini sweetcorn
– Radishes
– Avocados
– Spring onions
Apart from the avocado and spring onions, I had pickled and fresh versions of them all and found both delicious.
You could also use edamame beans (which are near impossible to get here), fresh peas, pickled onions, daikon radish, seaweed, micro greens, red peppers, or zucchini.
Fruit
Going with the Hawaiian theme from the Poke, I added fresh mango and pineapple to some of the bowls and absolutely loved the sweet freshness they brought to the party. If you are a pineapple pizza hater, maybe leave them out.
Sauce
My personal favourite was a sauce I mixed from soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, lime juice, honey, and ginger. It felt closest to the Poke Sushi theme I was going for.
I used it to marinade the salmon and tofu and to drizzle over the finished bowls. So if you go with one of those 2 toppings, make double.
A note on soy sauce: I prefer Tamari or reduced salt soy sauce, especially from Kikkoman. If you are using Chinese dark soy sauce, you might have to adjust the amount, as it’s very salty.
If you like a creamier and hot version, a simple mix of sriracha, mayonnaise, lime juice and honey will be lovely.
Or swap the sriracha for wasabi, to add a different type of heat. I mixed 0% fat greek yoghurt into both, as I wanted a lighter dressing.
Other Toppings
No bowl is complete without fun additions that make it really sing.
In this case I went with pickled sushi ginger, black and white sesame, and optional wasabi.
FAQ
Sushi Seasoning
No sushi seasoning? No problem. Just make your own.
Mix 1 cup rice vinegar, ¼ + 1 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp + 1/2 tsp salt and whisk until sugar and salt have dissolved.
Are Poke Sushi bowls healthy?
They absolutely can be. Combining a source of carbs, protein and a variety of different vegetables gives your body all the nutrients it needs and keeps your gut bacteria happy.
I love to add at least 5 different veggies and some fruit to my main meal and these Poke Sushi Bowls are now exception. Basically you get all your 5-a-day in one irresistible dish.
But what about raw fish?
As long as you make sure to use really fresh fish, it’s perfectly healthy and eaten in Japan and Hawaii on a regular basis.
However, if you are unsure or have a compromised immune system (I do due to my arthritis drugs, but never had any issues), you could use smoked salmon for example or one of the other toppings. No danger in the watermelon “tuna” for sure.
Also both prawns and salmon have lime in their marinade, which partially “cooks” them via the acid.
But I hate fish!
I get you, I really do. I have a weird, deep dislike for any fish that is not deep fried. Unless it’s raw.
Sounds strange, doesn’t it? But fresh, raw fish tastes a lot less “fishy” than cooked fish of any sort. And the texture and flavour are more like a really tender filet steak (properly cooked that is, medium/raw).
So if you want to enjoy the benefits of fish, especially oily ones like salmon, with all their protein and omega 3, but hate most cooked variants, you might want to give this a go. It’s my absolute favourite way to eat it!
The Process
This part will look fairly long, as I’m covering the different bases and toppings. Simply skip to the bits you’d like to use in your bowl.
Quick Pickles Vegetables
If you decide to pickle your veggies, do that first by following my recipe for it. It just takes a few minutes to make and lasts for over a week in the fridge. So you’ll have crunchy pickled veggies for all kinds of dishes and cravings.
FreshVegetables
Slice and chop your vegetables of choice into bite sized pieces. Store in separate containers, to assemble later.
Watermelon “Tuna”
While the watermelon “tuna” isn’t a lot of work, it does take a while due to the marinating and baking time. So ideally prepare it the day before.
Cut the skin off your watermelon and cube it into about 1in pieces and drop them into a large freezer bag. They will shrink quite a bit as they bake.
Mix all remaining ingredients except the rice vinegar and pour over the melon pieces. Close the bag and shake, to distribute them and cover every bit of melon. In a box or deep dish, where the bag can lay relatively flat, so the cubes are in one layer, store in the fridge to allow to marinate for at least 6h or overnight.
Preheat your oven to 350°F/175°C.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Once ready to bake, carefully pour the now watered down marinade through a sieve into a small cooking pot. We will boil this down to concentrate the flavours while the watermelon bakes.
Distribute the marinated cubes on the parchment lined baking sheet, so they are in one layer, ideally with a tiny bit of space in between them.
Bake for 1- 1.5h, turning them carefully once, until their texture resembles raw tuna. Try one and see if it needs a little longer if in doubt. They should already be delicious.
While that is baking, reduce the marinade by boiling it rapidly until you have about ½ cup left. Add the rice vinegar and leave to cool.
Once your “tuna” is baked, transfer to a heat proof bowl and drizzle over the marinade. Leave in the fridge for at least 1h, up to 5 days. The longer you leave it, the more intense the flavour will be.
Tofu
This is next on the list of “takes a while, but is very easy”, as tofu has to be pressed, to remove some of the water content and then marinated to flavour it.
Start by pressing your tofu. You can do this by simply wrapping it into a clean, dry kitchen towel, putting it between 2 wooden boards or trays and putting something heavy on them to weigh it down. Or, if you’d rather have a less precarious version, get a tofu press like this.
Whichever method you use, leave for at least 1h. Overnight is fine too.
Pour away the liquid that has gathered and cut your block of tofu into about ½ in cubes. Transfer to a bowl or freezer bag for marinating.
Mix the soy dressing/marinade ingredients together and pour one portion over your tofu cubes. Leave in the fridge to marinate for at least 1h or longer.
While your rice is cooking, fry your tofu cubes until golden brown. You can do this in a pan, with a little oil, or in the air fryer.
To air fry, preheat your air fryer to 400°F/200°C-
Spray the cooking basket with a little cooking oil. Lay out the tofu cubes in one layer (depending on your air fryer, you may have to do this in batches) and cook for 9 minutes. Slide out the basket, toss the cubes, then cook for another 2-4 until golden brown and delicious.
Salmon
Remove any bones and skin from your salmon. Cut into bite sized cubes (about ½ in). Transfer to a freezer bag or lidded container.
Mix the soy dressing/marinade ingredients together and pour one portion of it over the salmon cubes, turning them to make sure they all have marinade on them. They don’t need to be fully submerged.
Marinade for about 30min-1h. Serve raw. It will be slightly “cooked” by the marinade.
Prawns
Wash your prawns and pat dry with paper towels. Transfer to a bowl with a lid or freezer bag.
Mix the juice of the limes, salt and ginger and pour over your prawns. Leave to marinade for about 30min to 1h. Serve raw. They will be slightly “cooked” by the marinade.
Sriracha/Wasabi Mayo
In a small bowl, stir all ingredients together until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
Sushi Rice
Rinse the rice under cold running water. Transfer to a saucepan. Add the water and salt, then bring to a boil. Stir, cover, lower the heat to the minimum, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the water is fully absorbed. Remove from the heat and let rest, covered, for 15 minutes.
Stir in sushi seasoning until well distributed.
Buckwheat Groats
If not toasted, quickly toast it on a dry skillet over medium heat for 4-5 minutes until golden brown.
Stir in the buckwheat into boiled water and cover saucepan with lid. Bring back to a gentle simmer and reduce the heat to low. Cook until the water is absorbed, 13-15 minutes.
Remove from heat and let the buckwheat rest covered for 10 minutes.
Stir in the sushi seasoning. Fluff with a fork.
For a more detailed recipe including troubleshooting tips for Buckwheat Groats, have a look at this one from “Olga in the Kitchen“.
Assembly
Build your bowls starting with your carb of choice. Add about ½ cup of rice or buckwheat to your bowl. Top with your vegetables and/or fruit, then your protein or Watermelon “tuna”.
Drizzle with dressing of your choice. Decorate with sesame seeds, pickled ginger and, if you like, extra wasabi.
Dig into your stunning and addictive Poke Sushi Bowls, gratulate yourself for your fantastic food choices.
Meal Prep
Everything in these bowls can be prepared in advance, though for the raw fish options, I would recommend eating them the same day or latest the next day if your fish was very fresh.
Store every ingredient in separate lidded containers in the fridge, to keep it from going soggy and assemble when you are ready to eat.
These bowls also make a fantastic work lunch, if you assemble in the evening and just grab one from the fridge in the morning. The tofu and watermelon “tuna” will both keep for 4-5 days.
Please Leave a Comment
Now I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please share and comment. It helps me a lot.
For other Asian inspired recipes take a look at these:
Poke Sushi Bowls 4 Ways, all delicious and easy to make. This might be my favourite new dinner when I’m craving Sushi, which is often, but don’t want the fuss of rolling and forming. Instead they all come in form of a cosy bowl that you can customize to your exact preferences.
Use rice or buckwheat as base, top with fresh or pickled veggies and fruit, chose your protein or vegan tuna to top and you have dinner ready for the whole week.
1500gwatermelon seeded & peeled (about 1 medium melon)chopped into about 1in cubes
½tspsalt
1tbspsesame oil
2tbspneutral oil such as grapeseed
¼cuptbsp tamari or soy sauce
1sheet noricut into small pieces
2tbsprice vinegar
Marinade/Dressing
Make double if you are topping your bowl with Salmon or Tofu
3tbspShoyu or soy sauceTamari or soy
3tbsplime juiceabout 2 limes
1tbspsesame oil
1tbsphoney
2tspGingergrated
2spring onionssliced to top after marinating
Prawn Marinade
4limeszest of 1, juiced
2tspgingergrated
½tspkosher salt or more to taste
2spring onionssliced to top after marinating
Wasabi-Mayo
2tbspMayo
2tbsp0% fat Greek yoghurt
½limejuice and zest
1tsphoney
½ - 1tspWasabi
Or
Sriracha Mayo
3tbspMayo
3tbsp0% fat Greek yoghurt
1tspSriracha
½limejuice
1tspHoney
Sushi Rice
1cupsushi rice
1½cupswater
1tspkosher salt
2tbspsushi seasoning
Or
Buckwheat Groats
1cupbuckwheattoast, rinse
1 ½water
1tspkosher salt
2tbspsushi seasoning
Instructions
Quick Pickled Vegetables:
If opting for pickled veggies, prepare them using the recipe provided above in the post. This step is quick and can be done ahead, offering crunchy pickled vegetables for various dishes.
Vegetables Fresh:
Slice and chop your choice of vegetables into bite-sized pieces. Store them separately to assemble later.
Watermelon "Tuna":
Prepare the watermelon "tuna" a day in advance for optimal flavor.
Remove the skin from the watermelon and cube it into 1-inch pieces. Place them in a large freezer bag.
Mix all remaining ingredients except rice vinegar and pour over the watermelon. Seal the bag and shake to coat evenly. Refrigerate in a flat container for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Strain the marinade into a pot and boil it to concentrate flavors while the watermelon bakes.
Arrange marinated watermelon cubes on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 1-1.5 hours, turning once, until the texture resembles raw tuna. Adjust the baking time if needed.
Reduce the strained marinade, add rice vinegar, and let it cool. Drizzle over the baked watermelon "tuna" and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, up to 5 days.
Tofu:
Press tofu between two boards or trays with weights on top for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Discard the accumulated liquid and cut tofu into ½-inch cubes.
Marinate in a mixture of soy dressing for at least 1 hour.
Fry the marinated tofu until golden brown in a pan with oil or in an air fryer preheated to 400°F/200°C for 9 minutes, toss, then fry for another 2-4 minutes until golden brown.
Salmon:
Remove bones and skin from salmon, then cut into bite-sized cubes. Marinate in soy dressing for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Prawns:
Wash and pat dry prawns, then marinate in lime juice, salt, and ginger for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Sriracha/Wasabi Mayo:
Mix all ingredients until smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Sushi Rice:
Rinse sushi rice, then cook with water and salt for 15-20min until fully absorbed. Let it rest, covered, for 15 minutes. Stir in sushi seasoning.
Buckwheat Groats:
Toast buckwheat on a dry skillet until golden brown if not already toasted.
Cook buckwheat in boiled water for 13-15 minutes until tender, then let it rest covered for 10 minutes. Stir in sushi seasoning.
Assembly:
Start with a base of rice or buckwheat in each bowl.
Top with fresh vegetables/fruits, protein (tofu, salmon, shrimp, or watermelon "tuna").
Drizzle with desired dressing and garnish with sesame seeds and pickled ginger.
Enjoy your vibrant and flavorful Poke Sushi Bowls!
Notes
Please note: For this particular recipe, as there are so many variables, I'm not giving specific nutrition calculation, but rather an average for the sushi bowls as I made them. This will vary depending on the sauce, protein, grain and vegetables you are using, so it's just a very rough estimate.Similar for the cooking and preparation time. The 2 days resting and 2h cooking are for the Watermelon "Tuna", which simply needs a while to take on the flavor. But it's very little hands on work.The average hands on work would be around 45min plus cooking and marinating time for rice/Protein.Everything in these bowls can be prepared in advance, though for the raw fish options, I would recommend eating them the same day or latest the next day if your fish was very fresh.Store every ingredient in separate lidded containers in the fridge, to keep it from going soggy and assemble when you are ready to eat.
Nutrition
Calories: 350kcal
Nutrition Facts
Poke Sushi Bowls 4 Ways
Amount per Serving
Calories
350
% Daily Value*
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Keyword For Guests, Healthy, High Fibre, meal prep, Protein, vegan, Vegetarian, versatile
This super pretty pink Blood Orange and Pistachio Cake with Protein will brighten up your table while bringing you a zesty and nutty tasting cake that is very easy to make. The sponge is full of pistachio-orange flavour, while still feeling light enough to have it any day with a nice cup of tea or coffee in the afternoon. What’s more: It comes with about 10g of protein per slice, meaning you get your nutrition from your dessert. The candied orange slices are optional, but highly recommended and once you made them, you’ll wonder why you ever bought them, it’s so simple.
Why You Will Love This
I mean look at it! Doesn’t it lift your mood simply because it’s there? It sure does for me. But if you need more reasons, here we go.
Easy to Make
Blood Orange and Pistachio Cake with Protein is essentially a very simple sponge cake you can whip up in a few minutes. The only special equipment you’ll need is a food processor, do grind the pistachios, as they can be hard to find pre-ground.
The icing comes together in seconds and the candied oranges take just a few minutes on the hob and some drying time.
This cake is just as good as impressive centre piece for afternoon tea with guests, as it is to have just by yourself during the week, because of how easy it is to make and how well it keeps due to the pistachio-rich batter.
Pretty Pink and Entirely Natural Icing
Blood Oranges give you an incredibly pretty icing without any food colouring. Even though not all of them have the dark red shades on the skin, the juice tends to be a really intense red, which will colour the simply icing sugar mix just on its own. No colour needed.
Protein
If you read some of my dessert recipes, you probably noticed I include protein powder in most of them. This is because I made dessert essentially a main meal. Due to my busy fulltime job, I rarely have time to eat breakfast, so usually I meal prep lunch and something sweet for the evening on my weekends, to have it ready during the week.
Now, would I eat “normal” desserts, which usually have very little nutrition, that would probably not be a good idea. But I try to incorporate fruits, nuts, protein, and nutritionally dense carbs in everything I make, meaning I fuel my body with them and there is no reason to feel bad about eating them.
Dessert for Breakfast. Or Dinner?
The above distribution of my meals (including this Blood Orange and Pistachio Cake with Protein) is very intentionally structured around what I feel like eating at the time of day I have the food.
Usually, having “lunch” as my first meal, I feel like something savoury, ideally with lots of veggies, that will fuel me until dinner.
While in the evening, after the stresses of the day, I almost always crave something sweet. Do I use the food to reward myself? Absolutely. But by doing this in an intentional way and including all the nutrition my body needs in it, I feel pretty great about it too.
Pistachios for Lovely Contrast and Flavour
This recipe was inspired by one from “Nistisima” by Georgina Hayden for a vegan walnut-orange cake, that is often eaten during fasting.
I wanted protein in my cake and pretty green pistachios instead of walnuts, to provide a contrast to the bright colours and flavour of the blood oranges. Also slightly lower calories. So I adapted the recipe accordingly.
The Ingredients
I’m giving just a few of the ingredients here and why I used them. For the full list, please see the recipe.
Blood Oranges
Blood oranges are in season, so I wanted to make a dessert that really showcases their pretty colour and bright, intense flavour. I feel this Blood Orange and Pistachio Cake with Protein does just that. Both their juice and zest are used in the sponge, more juice to make the pink icing and they get candied to create an amazing and very snackable topping.
They also contain lots of fibre and vitamin C together with and whole range of other nutrients, meaning they are really good for you. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/blood-orange-benefits
If Blood Oranges are not in season, you can of course use normal oranges. They just won’t add the pink colour to the icing. Or use blood orange juice from the fridge in your supermarket. I’ve seen one brand having it relatively regularly.
Pistachios
While it was near impossible to get shelled pistachios in Ireland for a while, they are slowly becoming more common. I found mine at Holland & Barrett, but also saw some at Dunnes.
Depending on where you live, you might want to check health food shops for them, as they seem to be easier to find there.
Pistachios are rich in nutrients, one of the lowest calorie nuts and high in protein.
That being said, Pistachios are not a “nut” in the biological sense, but rather in the same family called “drupes” together with cashews and almonds. Which also explains their affinity with most foods that almonds go so well with.
If pistachios are very expensive where you live, you could replace either half or all of them with almonds and the cake would still be delicious. Just not as pretty light green.
Protein
I’m using as usual my favourite (neither sponsored nor affiliated) MyProtein Whey. In this case their Buttered Popcorn flavour.
Vanilla flavour would work great too.
You could use vegan or casein protein powder, which I read are especially great for baking, but I absolutely despise the flavour of all vegan powders I have tried, and found MyProtein Whey to work rather fantastic in any dessert. So swap at your own risk.
Apart from the beneficial added protein, the powder replaces part of the plain flour and sugar, which brings the nutrition up and the calories down. Win/win.
Whole Wheat Flour
To up the nutty flavour of this cake, I swapped part of the more typically used plain flour for whole wheat flour. Fine to be specific. This is particularly nice for cakes, as it’s finer ground than the typically coarse whole wheat flour you’d use for bread, but still has all of the nutrition of the whole grain.
Icing
All you need for the pink icing is icing sugar and blood orange juice. Extremely simple and very delicious. It also “seals” the cake, keeping in the moisture, so it will last for a few days on your counter.
Candied Oranges
I know, everything candied sounds so very complicated, doesn’t it?
I can assure you, it’s not. Orange slices, sugar and water is all you need. It’s entirely made on the hob. A sugar thermometer is needed.
Making this Cake Vegan
To transform this cake into a vegan one, simply replace the 2 eggs with another 1/2 cup of light olive oil and use a vegan protein powder.
The Process
The Candied Blood Oranges
Start by making the candied oranges if you chose to include them. This will make a few more than you need, which is perfect, as they are great for nibbling.
Prepare a sheet pan with a wire rack by placing some baking parchment under the wire, for less mess to clean up later.
First bring a pot with water to the boil and prepare a bowl of iced water. Once boiling, gently lower your orange slices into the water and simmer for 2 minutes, taking them out with a slotted spoon when done and plunging them into the ice bath. This will remove some of the bitterness from the peel.
Next add your cup of sugar and ½ cup of water to a medium saucepan. The little red flecks you see in the pot above are orange juice from the cut off ends I squeezed into it.
Stir while bringing it to the boil, so the sugar can dissolve. Once it boils, stop stirring and just swirl the pot occasionally, to prevent sugar crystals from forming. If any form on the sides of the pot, use a wet brush to push them down.
Let the syrup come to 225°F/110°C, then gently and in layers, lower all the orange slices into it.
Continue to simmer the mix until it reaches about 230°F/115°C (Keep an eye on it. You don’t want it to turn into dark caramel accidentally) while carefully turning the orange slices once with thongs or a spatula. Once the target temperature is reached, your syrup should be fairly thick.
Pick out the now candied orange slices one by one with a fork or thongs and place on the wire rack. Be sure to keep a bit of space between them, so they don’t stick together.
Leave to cool for at least 1h.
If you are not using them immediately, they can be stored in a lidded container in the fridge for up to a week. So you can prepare them ahead of time. Ideally keep them in single layers on baking parchment, to keeping them for becoming one huge sticky orange piece.
The Blood Orange and Pistachio Cake with Protein
Start by greasing a springform and line the bottom with baking parchment. This is easiest if you lay the parchment over the loose bottom, then fasten the ring around it and cut off the overlap.
Preheat your oven to 375°F/190°C
In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or with your stand mixer, whisk together sugar and oil. Note the sugar won’t entirely dissolve, as it might in butter. That’s fine. Just whisk for a few minutes until it’s mostly there. Add the eggs one by one and mix until light and foamy and the sugar has dissolved. In doubt rub some of the mix between your fingertips. If it’s still slightly grainy, mix a bit longer until it feels smooth.
Now you can add all the remaining wet ingredients and the protein powder. Continue whisking until really smooth and foamy. This will add lift to the sponge.
In a separate bowl, mix the remaining dry ingredients, keeping ¼ cup of chopped pistachios back for garnish later.
Add the dry to the wet and gently fold in with a spoon or silicone spatula until no dry flour remains. Don’t overmix, or you will develop the gluten and your sponge will become tough.
Pour the batter into your prepared springform. Bake for 30 – 45 minutes, rotating once if your oven bakes unevenly, until it’s nicely browned and a toothpick comes out clean or with just a few crumbs.
Leave the cake to cool in the form for about 10minutes, then take it out of the springform and let it cool completely on a wire rack. Don’t add the icing while still warm, or it will just soak into the cake. Which is still delicious, but not as pretty.
The Blood Orange Icing
Juice your last blood orange and add the icing sugar to a bowl or small jug. Start by adding 2-3 tbsp of the juice to the sugar and, using a small whisk, incorporating it until there is no liquid left. Judge the consistency. It should be thick, but still drizzleable (is that a word? If not, it should be!). Add more juice or sugar if it’s not quite right.
Pour the icing over your cake, first one half, spread with a spatula or back of a large spoon, then add more where you feel it’s a bit thin. You could also do this in two layers, letting the first one dry completely before you add the second. Use a spatula to spread some of the icing that has run off onto the sides to complete the look.
Let the icing dry completely before you decorate the cake.
Decorate and Serve
Just before serving your Blood Orange and Pistachio Cake with Protein, decorate it with the candied oranges and remaining chopped pistachios. Slice and enjoy with a lovely cup of hot tea or coffee. Earl Grey would be particularly fitting here.
Getting Ahead
Both the sponge and candied oranges can be made the day before. The orange slices keep well in a lidded container in the fridge. Ideally each layer separated by baking parchment, to prevent them from sticking to each other.
The cake will be fine for up to 5 days covered with kitchen foil or clingfilm. I used kitchen foil and domed it, so it wouldn’t touch the oranges and stick to them.
The cake also freezes well. Even with the icing, though it will soak into the cake a bit when thawing and not be as pretty anymore. So ideally ice later. Or just enjoy the extra flavour that soaked into the cake.
Now I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please share and comment. It helps me a lot.
Blood Orange and Pistachio Cake with Protein
This super pretty pink Blood Orange and Pistachio Cake with Protein will brighten up your table while bringing you a zesty and nutty tasting cake that is very easy to make. The sponge is full of pistachio-orange flavour, while still feeling light enough to have it any day with a nice cup of tea or coffee in the afternoon. What’s more: It comes with about 10g of protein per slice, meaning you get your nutrition from your dessert. The candied orange slices are optional, but highly recommended and once you made them, you’ll wonder why you ever bought them, it’s so simple.
2 ¼cupspistachiosfinely chop 1 cup, keep 1/4 for decorating, grind rest
4blood orangeszest 1 + juice until you have 1 cup.
¾cupplain flour
½cup+2 tbsp whole wheat flourfine
2/3cupprotein powderI used MyProtein buttered popcorn flavour. Vanilla works too
¾cupbrown sugar
2tspbaking powder
½tspbaking soda
½tspkosher salt
1tspground cinnamon
Icing:
1blood orange
1.5cupsicing sugar
Candied Blood Orange Slices:
3Blood Orangescut into 0.2in slices
1cupsugar
½cupwater
Instructions
Candied Blood Orange Slices:
Bring a pot of water to a boil and prepare a bowl of iced water.
Blanch the orange slices in boiling water for 2 minutes, then transfer them to the ice bath.
In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil, swirling the pan occasionally until the sugar dissolves.
Once the syrup reaches 225°F/110°C, gently add the orange slices in layers.
Simmer until the syrup thickens and reaches about 230°F/115°C, ensuring the orange slices are evenly coated.
Using tongs or a fork, transfer the candied orange slices to a wire rack placed over a baking sheet. Allow them to cool for at least 1 hour.
Blood Orange and Pistachio Cake with Protein:
Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C. Grease a springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil and brown sugar until mostly dissolved. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until light and foamy.
Stir in the blood orange zest, juice, and protein powder until smooth and foamy.
In a separate bowl, combine the flours, ground pistachios (reserving 1/4 cup for garnish), baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan and bake for 30-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
Blood Orange Icing:
In a bowl or small jug, combine the blood orange juice with icing sugar. Start with 2-3 tablespoons of juice and adjust to reach a thick but pourable consistency.
Drizzle the icing over the cooled cake, spreading it evenly with a spatula.
Allow the icing to set completely before decorating.
Decorate and Serve:
Arrange the candied blood orange slices on top of the cake and sprinkle with the reserved chopped pistachios.
Slice and serve the cake with a nice cup of tea or coffee.
Notes
Getting AheadBoth the sponge and candied oranges can be made the day before. The orange slices keep well in a lidded container in the fridge. Ideally each layer separated by baking parchment, to prevent them from sticking to each other.The cake will be fine for up to 5 days covered with kitchen foil or clingfilm. I used kitchen foil and domed it, so it wouldn’t touch the oranges and stick to them.The cake also freezes well. Even with the icing, though it will soak into the cake a bit when thawing and not be as pretty anymore. So ideally ice later. Or just enjoy the extra flavour that soaked into the cake.
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