*Note: This post contains affiliate links that generate a commission for me at no cost to you.

Brussel sprouts are a favorite of many people, but I feel they require some algorithmic instructions to get them perfect.

Let’s get on cooking!

First, get your ingredients. The main ingredients are bouillon which I prefer instead of salt, vegetable oil spray, hot smoke point for example, rapeseed oil. Olive oil, but to use once they are roasted, some nutritional yeast and maybe some agave syrup if you are into sweet stuff and even some lime juice.

Preheat the oven at 400 Fahrenheit or around 200 Celsius.

Add baking paper to a baking tray and spray oil generously, this step is important to get them roasted evenly.

Cut in half the brussels sprouts. And put them with the flat part facing up. This is so that they use as much surface as possible and they get roasted evenly.

Sprinkle bouillon (stock powder) over them. I prefer this to salt because it gives them a better flavour in my opinion. You can add pepper and any other spices you want at this point.

Spray oil over them.

Put them in the oven for about 20-25 minutes. Every oven is different. I strongly suggest that you check them at 20 minutes or earlier if it’s your first time making them.

Remove them from the tray and add your favorite toppings. This is the time to add olive oil if you like it, or cheese, lemon, whatever you like. My personal favorite? nutritional yeast!

Enjoy!

Do I need to wash the brussels sprouts before roasting them?

NO. I know this might be controversial, but, you are roasting them lol… unless you think they will have some ‘insects’… it is not needed, in fact, it could be bad because you are adding more water to them and it is not helpful when roasting.

I am worried about pesticides. You get traces of any pesticide, it is not a reason to worry about. If you wash them you do remove some extra residue, but we are already talking about parts per million. If you are interested in pesticides, organic etc, read my article where I explain the science behind it.

Can I use extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)?

I don’t recommend roasting them with EVOO because you will be roasting the brussels sprouts at 200 degrees celsius or 400 Fahrenheit and the smoking point of extra virgin oil is: 350°F and 410°F (175°C – 210°C), whereas rapeseed oil is slightly higher at 204°C to 238°C (400°F–460°F). Heating past the smoking point could be detrimental to the flavour and can create compounds that are bad for your health (if eaten too often), so I recommend roasting with an oil that has a higher smoking point and if you like olive oil, maybe add it at the end, or roast them at a lower temperature, say 350 Fahrenheit or 170 Celsius. If you are interested in smoking points, and its effects, check out this post on Instagram from Food Science Babe explaining the smoking points.

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A post shared by Food Science Babe (@foodsciencebabe)

This is a side dish, looking for other recipes? what about making a creamy and cold pasta to make a full meal?

Looking for other roasted veggies recipes? what about trying sweet potato rounds or roast potatoes or roasted smash potatoes.

If you are looking for other great side recipes, maybe make a vegan queso?

Finally, if you are looking to make a sauce to go with the Brussels sprouts and are on the look for a blender, the Ninja blender is still my favorite for price/benefit.

If you try this recipe, let us know! leave a comment, rate the recipe or tag a photo on our Instagram or Facebook with the tag #naturalGoodness! Get creative and make it unique, I love to see what you get up to when trying our recipes

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Roasted Brussels sprouts

Easy and delicious Brussels sprouts

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine International

Keyword brussels sprouts, Vegan

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Calories 150kcal

Cost 5

Equipment

• 1 tray bake

Ingredients

• 18 oz Brussels sprouts (500g)
• 1 spray high smoke point oil I use rapeseed oil
• 1 teaspoon Bouillon (stock powder) you can use salt
• 1 tbsp Nutritional yeast optional
• 1 tbsp lime juice optional
• 1 tbsp olive oil optional

Instructions

• Get your ingredients
  
• Preheat the oven at 400 Fahrenheit or about 200 Celsius
• Add baking paper to a tray and spray oil
• Cut the Brussel sprout in half
• Put them in the tray with the flat part facing up
  
• Spray oil over them, a good amount of spraying
• Sprinkle the bouillon or salt over them
• Put the tray in the oven for about 25 minutes. I would say check them at 20 minutes just in case
• Remove them from the tray and add your favorite toppings
• Enjoy!
  

Video

https://youtu.be/jWO2n8JJTQU

Notes

• It is very important to oil the tray to roast them properly
• I don’t think it is a good idea to use olive oil, especially not extra virgin because the smoking point is lower. If you like olive oil, I suggest you add some at the end rather than when they are being roasted
• Putting them with the flat part facing up is key to get them evenly roasted
• Do not even think about adding the nutritional yeast before roasting them, nutritional yeast will burn
• You don’t need to wash them, in fact I don’t recommend washing the brussels sprouts because you will add water to them and they may not roast as well.  You don’t need to wash them because they will get roasted so bacteria will be killed on that process. I guess you could if you feel they could have bird’s… you know, but I am not worried about that. If you are doing it due to pesticide residue, let me let you, that’s not a thing, we get parts per million which are not harmful to human health

The post Crispy roasted brussels sprouts appeared first on Natural goodness | Fuss free recipes everyone can make.

Mexican rice is probably one of the most traditional dishes that Mexicans eat! It’s also one of the very few non-spicy Mexican recipes out there! So, join us to cook this!

Disclaimer: This post has affiliate links that help me to earn a small commission at no cost to you.

Mexican rice or Spanish rice?

Mexican rice looks very similar to Spanish rice, but the Spanish rice usses saffron threads and it has a yellowish colour.

Let’s make Mexican rice

Get the ingredients:

• 1 cup Long grain rice
• 2 tbsp Canola oil
• 1 can Chopped tomatoes (we like pomi)
• 100 g of peas or peas/carrot mix from a can
• 1/2 tbsp Vegetable stock Also called bouillon
• 2 medium garlic cloves
• 1 medium Onion
• 1 teaspoon crushed oregano
• 3 cup boiling water
• 2 Whole chilies I use bird’s eye, or jalapeño if available. You can get canned ones if you can’t get frech ones. We like Hatch brand
• 3 Banana Optional
• 10g Cilantro

Start by adding the 2 tbsp oil to a pan and set the heat at medium. Leave it in the stove for about 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, chop the onion in big pieces, so you can remove it at the end if you want

Add the rice, onion pieces and whole chilies and let them fry for about 10 minutes

Move constantly with a wooden spoon

Meanwhile, boil the 3 cups of water

Mix the veggie stock with 1.5 cups of boiling water.

Blend the chopped tomatoes, the garlic, the oregano and the veggie stock

Add the blended tomatoes and integrate very well

Add a cup of boiling water and mix it

Let it simmer for about 40 minutes, keep a close eye and add more water as needed, you’ll need to move it with a wooden spatula to avoid having a burnt rice.

Add the peas/carrot mix near the end.

Once the rice is cooked, remove the onions and chilies if you want and serve immediately

Optionally, slice the banana and add it to the rice

Enjoy!

Recommendations

• Check the rice instructions! some rice take longer -some shorter- to make, and although this technique is a bit different because you first fry it
• I use canned tomatoes because finding fresh and ripe tomatoes is not easy. If you do find them, just know that the rice will have a lighter color if you use fresh ones. The other substitute for tomatoes is tomato sauce, especially from the bran “La costeña”. A lot of people I know use it, but in my opinion, it tastes better if you use canned tomatoes and a good veggie stock
• This rice goes amazing with salsa verde or red sauce!
• The onions and the chilies are supposed to just infuse the rice, not to make it spicy or to make it taste like an onion! although I don’t remove them, the rice you find in restaurants do not come with pieces of onion or chilies

We hope you love this recipe as much as we do , it’s:

A not spicy authentic Mexican recipe!
A great side for other foods
Also, super easy to make!

If you try this recipe, let us know! leave a comment, rate the recipe or tag a photo on our Instagram or Facebook with the tag #naturalGoodness! Get creative and make it unique, I love to see what you get up to when trying our recipes

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Mexican rice

Authentic recipe for Mexican rice

Course Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword Mexican rice

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 0 minutes minutes

0 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 4 people

Calories 250kcal

Cost $ 5

Ingredients

• 1 cup Long grain rice
• 2 tbsp Canola oil
• 1 can Choped tomatoes
• 1/2 tbsp Vegetable stock Also called bouillon
• 2 medium Garlic cloves
• 1 medium Onion
• 1 teaspoon Crushed oregano
• 3 cup Boiling water
• 2 Whole chilies I use bird's eye, or jalapeño if available
• 3 Banana Optional
• 1 can Peas Or peas/carrot mix
• 10 g Coriander Optional

Instructions

• Add the oil to the pan and turn the stove to a medium heat. Let the pan warm up for about 2 minutes.
• Chop the onion in big pieces, so you can remove it at the end if you want
• Add the rice, onion pieces and whole chilies and let them fry for about 10 minutes
  
• Move constantly with a wooden spoon
• Meanwhile, boil the 3 cups of water
• Blend the chopped tomatoes, the garlic, the oregano, and the veggie stock
• Add the blended tomatoes and integrate very well
  
• Add a cup of boiling water and mix it
• Let it simmer for about 40 minutes, keep a close eye and add more water as needed, you'll need to move it with a wooden spatula to avoid having a burnt rice
• Add the peas near the end
• Once the rice is cooked, remove the onions and chilies if you want and serve immediately
• Optionally, slice the banana and add it to the rice, or add some cilantro if you want
  
• Enjoy
  

Video

https://youtu.be/NsKGHQ656Lo

Notes

• Check the rice instructions! some rice take longer -some shorter- to make, and although this technique is a bit different because you first fry it
• I use canned tomatoes because finding fresh and ripe tomatoes is not easy. If you do find them, just know that the rice will have a lighter color if you use fresh ones. The other substitute for tomatoes is tomato sauce, especially from the bran “La costeña”. A lot of people I know use it, but in my opinion, it tastes better if you use canned tomatoes and a good veggie stock
• This rice goes amazing with salsa verde or red sauce!
• The onions and the chilies are supposed to just infuse the rice, not to make it spicy or to make it taste like an onion! although I don’t remove them, the rice you find in restaurants do not come with pieces of onion or chilies

The post Mexican rice appeared first on Natural goodness | Fuss free recipes everyone can make.

This vegan keto bread is tasty, easy to make, and high in protein! You can use it for whatever calls for small buns.

Disclaimer: This post has affiliate links that help me to earn a small commission at no cost to you.

Is this bread really keto?

Well, my friends, is as keto as it can! Psyllium husk is a soluble fiber, so most of it will not be digested. Although you should take it into account when counting calories, as part of it can be absorbed by your body. Read this article about fiber from Healthline to learn more.

You can substitute peanut flour with sesame flour or almond flour. They fit a bit better keto macros, because they have less carbs and less protein. But I like peanut flour so I made it with it.

Consider that you can probably have only one or two of these buns per day! I am not an expert, but maybe it would be too much protein/carbs if you have more. In any case, this are supposed to be eaten in moderation!

Let’s make this high protein bread!

First, get your ingredients:

• 2 oz Peanut flour
• 1 tbsp Psyllium husk
• 1 teaspoon Baking powder Fresh, otherwise it might not rise
• 2 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
• 2/5 cup Boiling water

Preheat the oven at 350 ° Fahrenheit or 180 ° Celcius. Use the fan option

Mix all the dry ingredients first (peanut flour, psyllium husk and baking powder)

Add the 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar

Add the boiling water

Integrate with a spoon

Knead the dough for about 2 minutes

Form the buns. Divide into 4 equal (ish) parts and create spheres, then put them in a traybake, but make them a bit flat like in the next picture

Put the tray in the oven and leave it for about 20 minutes

Check the buns and make sure the outside does not look burn, try to put a toothpick inside. If the crust is too hard, turn the oven off. In any case, leave them there for another 20 minutes

The inside should be cooked and look like this. Taste one and if it is not gummy, you are done! if it is, then leave them in the oven for another 10 minutes, but turn the oven off

High-temperatures will just burn the bread. If the bread is coming too dry, then try leaving them for longer next time at a lower temperature. This is not exact science, it depends on your oven

Enjoy!

Recommendations

• You can use almond flour if you want white buns
• Feel free to add other dry ingredients in small quantities to give it some flavor. I use a tablespoon of garlic or 1/2 tablespoon of rosemary to give it a great flavor
• No, there are no substitutions! psyllium husk keeps the dough together, it works like an “egg replacement” vinegar activates the baking powder, the baking powder helps to “raise” the flour, and the peanut flour is the base! Also, boiling water helps to bring the psyllium husk binding properties quickly!
• Use fresh baking powder! otherwise, it might not create the bubbles inside
• In order for this bread to not be gummy, you have to cook it at “medium” temperatures. Do not exceed 180 degrees, and make sure you check it at around 25 minutes to make sure it is not burning. If it looks too dark on the outside, reduce the temperature, or turn the oven off and leave it for about another 15 minutes. This is not perfect science! ovens tend to have different “temperatures” so, my recommendation is to cook it at 350° Fahrenheit or 180° Celcius and check it periodically.

Storage

• Wrap it in parchment paper
• It will keep for about a week in your cupboard (although it gets a bit hard towards the end)
• Feel free to store it in the fridge to be safe, it will last a bit longer

Are you looking for a sauce for the bread? try the sauce we use for this creamy pasta.

We hope you love this recipe as much as we do , it’s:

Healthy
Keto
It’s a high protein and very low carb bread
Vegan
It’s an eggless keto bread
It doesn’t use protein powder!
Only 5 ingredients!

Are you looking for more ways to use psyllium husk? try these delicious coconut cookies or this vegan mozzarella cheese! If you are looking for more peanut flour recipes try these protein bars!

If you try this recipe, let us know! leave a comment, rate the recipe or tag a photo on our Instagram or Facebook with the tag #naturalGoodness! Get creative and make it unique, I love to see what you get up to when trying our recipes

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Vegan keto bread

Easy and healthy vegan keto bread. High in protein as well!

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine International

Keyword high protein bread, vegan keto bread

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

0 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 4 breads

Calories 60kcal

Ingredients

• 2 oz Peanut flour
• 1 tbsp Psyllium husk
• 1 teaspoon Baking powder Fresh, otherwise it might not rise
• 2 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
• 2/5 cup Boiling water

Instructions

• Make sure you have all your ingredients
  
• Preheat the oven at 350 ° Fahrenheit or 180 ° Celcious. Use the fan option
• Mix all the dry ingredients first (peanut flour, psyllium husk and baking powder)
  
• Add the 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar
• Add the boiling water
• Integrate with a spoon
• Knead the dough for about 2 minutes
  
• Form the buns. Divide in 4 equal (ish) parts and create spheres, then put them in a tray bake, but make them a bit flat like in the next picture
• Put them in an oven tray
  
• Put the tray in the oven and leave it for about 20 minutes
• Check the buns and make sure the outside does not look burn, try to put a toothpick inside. If the crust is too hard, turn the oven off. In any case, leave them there for another 20 minutes
• The inside should be cooked and look like this. Taste one and if it is not gummy, you are done! if it is, then leave them in the oven for another 10 minutes, but turn the oven off
  
• High-temperatures will just burn the bread. If the bread is coming too dry, then try leaving them for longer next time at a lower temperature. This is not exact science, it depends on your oven
• Enjoy!
  

Video

https://youtu.be/E_ufOMV5TQE

Notes

• All ingredients are required. Vinegar activates the baking powder, the baking powder make the bread rise, the psyllium husk keeps everything together and the peanut flour is the base of the bread
• You can use almond flour or sesame flour as well. But it needs to be defatted! they might even fit a bit better into keto macros because they have less protein and less carbs!
• Check the full recommendations in the blog post
• Each bun has 7g of protein, 0.5 g of fat, and 4g of carbs from which approximately half is fiber, and since fiber is not completely digested, it has very few carbs. 

The post Vegan keto bread appeared first on Natural goodness | Fuss free recipes everyone can make.

This easy vegan pesto is nut-free, dairy-free, cruelty-free, cheap, and delicious! I really enjoyed the taste, I think it really goes great with pasta!

I remember trying pesto in Italy and it is one of those things that are sooo amazing that you really want to know how to make it!

Some friends asked me recently if it was difficult to make and when I researched, it turns out to be SO easy to make, that I decided to make a vegan version, and because I love saving money, I even decided to try it with cheap sunflower seeds. The result is really really good! let’s make some pesto my friends!

Let’s make vegan pesto

Get your ingredients

Start by blending the sunflower seeds, the oil, the water and the garlic

Add everything except 1/5 of the basil if you want “to feel the bits” and blend for another minute.

Add the reserved basil and pulse for about a minute until you get the desired texture:

Enjoy!

Recommendations

Quantities are for an oily pesto (yes… let’s indulge with fat if we are going to sin, let’s do it properly, shall we?) but feel free to use less oil, or make it oil free and add more water, reduce. the oil, the seeds, or whatever. Basil has a strong flavor in my opinion, so, I would not use too much of it! I would rather add more water or lemon juice.

Nutritional yeast can cause facial blushing if you eat too much! so easy on it. It is delicious and makes everything super cheesy, but we have to be careful! especially if you are not used to eat it!

This recipe keeps well in the fridge for about a week, or in the freezer for months!

For substitutions: obviously, feel free to use pine nuts, cashews, almonds, or walnuts instead of sunflower seeds. I love sunflower seeds, and I think they go great with this recipe. Feel free to use some coriander as well, or to add or reduce the garlic quantities! I think I like it a bit more garlicky than normal, but feel free to experiment, and let me know your results!

Also, if you want to make a vegan pesto without nutritional yeast, you can use 1 tbsp of white miso paste to give it a bit of a cheesy, cultured flavor, characteristic of cheese.

If you want to make this WFPB compliant, skip the oil, and add the same quantity in sunflower seeds, and make your own broth. If you remove the yeast flakes, this will be a raw vegan pesto recipe!

Also, please note that for Whole30, sunflower seeds are not encouraged, so you’ll have to reduce the portion or skip it.

The original pesto is well known because you “feel the bits” of nuts. and basil, but I am a practical person so I just blend everything and enjoy it. Trust me, I made this recipe 4 times in the last 2 weeks because it is just the best vegan pesto recipe!

What goes great with pesto?

What about a vegan steak? or a dip for sweet potato rounds? perhaps some tofu with almond sauce, as well? Also great with pizza or lasagna!

And, of course, that delicious glass of wine!

We hope you love this recipe as much as we do , it’s:

Nut-free, dairy-free, on a budget, and delicious
Zesty cheesy, and garlicky!
Super easy and ready under 10 minutes!
Goes great with spaghetti or any pasta and some cheeky wine during the weekend
It is a vegan pesto without pine nuts, trust us, you won’t miss them!

If you try this recipe, let us know! leave a comment, rate the recipe or tag a photo on our Instagram or Facebook with the tag #naturalGoodness! Get creative and make it unique, I love to see what you get up to when trying our recipes

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Easy vegan pesto

Easy, quick, on a budget and delicious vegan pesto!

Course Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword dairy free pesto, nut-free vegan pesto, vegan pesto

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes minutes

0 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 3 people

Calories 280kcal

Ingredients

• 200 g Basil leaves Only the leaves! remove the stems
• 1/2 cup Sunflower seeds
• 1/2 tbs Bouillon powder Known as broth or veggie stock powder. Use homemade for WFPB
• 3 Garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup Olive oil Replace with more sunflower seeds for WFPB
• 1/4 cup Lemon juice
• 3 tbsp Yeast flakes Optional, for cheesiness! substitute with 1 tbsp of miso paste if you don't like yeast flakes!
• 1/2 cup Water

Instructions

• Get your ingredients
  
• Start with blending the oil, water, seeds and garlic
  
• Add everything except 1/5 of the basil if you want "to feel the bits" and blend for another minute.
  
• Add the remaining 1/5 of the basil leaves and pulse, pulse, pulse until you get the right consistency
  
• Enjoy!
  

Video

https://youtu.be/Mi3PHmsce2o

Notes

• Calories are estimated using this tool
• Substitute sunflower seeds with pine nuts for a more “original’ pesto recipe. I really liked it with sunflower seeds though! I have tried with pumpkin seeds and it was not as good. Probably because sunflower seeds have more fat!
• This is freezer-friendly and keeps in the fridge for about a week
• Easy with the pasta and pesto, it is one of those meals that leaves you very satisfied, but at the same time a little bit tired, ideal for those special ocassions or to enjoy it with some wine!

The post Easy vegan pesto appeared first on Natural goodness | Fuss free recipes everyone can make.

Are you looking for a simple, delicious, sweet, and nutritious side? oh yes, sweet potato rounds! This recipe is ready in under 35 minutes and it won’t break your wallet!

Sweet potatoes vs potatoes

Even though they are both called potatoes, they come from different families of vegetables and have a different nutritional profile.

What is true is that normal potatoes tend to have a higher glycemic index, which means that it will spike your blood sugar faster. Their glycemic index depends on how they are prepared! for example, sweet potatoes have a glycemic index of 44 when boiled which is very low, compared to 94 when roasted! meanwhile, white potatoes have a glycemic index of 49 when boiled vs 111 when baked! The following is a comparison of nutrients for sweet potato and white potatoes taken from the U.S. Department of Agriculture:

I am making with “–“ the data that is not mentioned. Note that they differ a lot in terms of nutrients! If you are a nutrition nerd like me, check this article from Healthline.

Let’s make roasted sweet potato rounds!

Gather your ingredients

Wash and remove blemishes and growths of the sweet potatoes. Skin is full of fiber, so it is up to you to remove it or not! I keep it also because it makes it easy to grab the rounds once they are baked!

Cut them into rounds and put them into a tray, use the olive oil across the rounds so they roast very well, At this point Preheat the oven at 390 degrees Fahrenheit or 200 Celsius. Also check the potatoes midway because it looks like some ovens might be super powerful, or super weak hehe or just not well calibrated.

Add the pepper, salt and chipotle flakes:

Put them in the oven and leave them there for about 35 minutes. Some people recommend to flip them to get an even roast, but I usually don’t bother lol… it is up to you.

Enjoy!

We hope you love this recipe as much as we do , it’s:

• Nutritious and delicious! More than normal potatoes
• Whole30 compliant! but careful when mixing with olive oil! check with your whole30 coach first
• Customizable, try with different herbs and spices until you love them
• These are also called sweet potato medallions, they are great with salads, vegan goat cheese, or as a side of a seitan steak!
• If you are looking for more roasting vegetable recipes, try this delicious roasted Brussels sprouts recipe

If you try this recipe, let us know! leave a comment, rate the recipe or tag a photo on our Instagram or Facebook with the tag #naturalGoodness! Get creative and make it unique, I love to see what you get up to when trying our recipes

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Sweet potato rounds

Sweet potato rounds with chipotle flakes, pepper and salt!

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine International

Keyword sweet potato, Vegan

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Calories 180kcal

Ingredients

• 2 Sweet potatoes Preferably "long shaped ones" to make good ronuds!
• 1 tbsp Chipotle flakes
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt Optional
• 2 tbsp Olive oil Optional, extra virgin for whole30 compliance

Instructions

• Make sure you have all the ingredients
  
• Wash the sweet potatoes and remove blemishes and growths
• Cut them into circles of the same depth (approximately :P)
• Put an oven tray and add the olive oil. At this point Preheat the oven at 390 degrees Fahrenheit or 200 Celsius
• Distribute the olive oil on both sides of the sweet potatoes
  
• Add the pepper, the salt and the chipotle flakes
  
• Put them in the oven for about 30 minutes
• Enjoy!
  

Video

https://youtu.be/lN_yvLRP6qk

Notes

• Calories depend on the size of the sweet potato, I am including the olive oil in the number of calories per person (not per the whole batch!)
• This goes amazing with my vegan goat cheese recipe!

The post Sweet potato rounds appeared first on Natural goodness | Fuss free recipes everyone can make.

On the look for not Mexican spicy sauces, I came across peri peri sauce, and I fell in love . This worked perfect on burritos and tofu scramble! I will be making batches of this delicious sauce quite often!

Once I tried the peri-peri sauce in Nando’s and to be honest, although it was good, I found it a bit sweet. So I decided to investigate how to make this traditional (Portuguese? African?) sauce and I was really delighted by the combination of flavors which is very different from sauces made in my home country. This was the perfect excuse to use the food processor of my Ninja blender lol

Do you enjoy sauces? have a look at: salsa verde, Mexican red sauce, and red pepper coulis!

Let’s make peri peri sauce!

Get your ingredients!

• 2 African red bird’s eye chilies
• 2 Bell peppers I tend to combine some sweet chilies to give it more flavor
• 1/3 cup Basil
• 1/3 cup Coriander
• 5 g Tarragon leaves Too minty! more eclipse the flavors of the other ingredients
• 1/3 cup Apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup Lemon juice
• 1 tbsp Paprika
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 4 Cloves of garlic

• Chop the peppers and the garlic
• Mince the african chilies

Chop the peppers and the garlic, and mince the African chilies.
Add everything to the food processor:

Blend at low to get things going on your food processor, and then at high. Scrape the sides and blend again. I prefer to use a food processor as I don’t want this to turn into a completely liquid sauce, but rather I want it to have texture!

Enjoy!

What is peri peri sauce?

It is a sauce that gets its spicy characteristic flavour from African bird chilies. But I would say that all the ingredients make it taste so special. The basil, coriander and tarragon definitely make it taste very herby, and the peppers give this sauce a very fresh round flavour.

This sauce is also known as piri piri, or pili pili sauce.

Peri peri sauce uses

Pretty much everything… If you are looking for recipes that can use it have a look at our , tofu scramble and vegan steak. I have tried it with burritos, beans, crackers (yep! crackers), salads… you name it!

I am going to try it with soups and pasta and report back at some point…

Where can you find african bird’s eye chilies?

If you live in the UK, I have found them in Sainsbury’s (not 100 % sure they are always African, though!).

Friends from Holland and Paris have told me that they sometimes find them on local markets. If you can’t find them I would say that you can also try any spicy chili that you have at hand. I have tried this with chile serrano (Mexican chili) and it tastes very good as well. Careful with the amount! I use 2-3 small chilies only because they are too spicy!

We hope you love this recipe as much as we do , it’s:

• Spicy, garlicky, tangy, herby, flavourful
• Made from mostly whole foods
• Skip vinegar, oil, paprika, and salt for a whole foods version
• Feel free to include this as part of your whole30 plan!

If you try this recipe, let us know! leave a comment, rate the recipe or tag a photo on our Instagram or Facebook with the tag #naturalGoodness! Get creative and make it unique, I love to see what you get up to when trying our recipes

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Peri Peri sauce

Fresh, whole, spicy sauce! delicious on tacos, burritos, salads and maybe on everything!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine portuguese

Keyword fresh, sauce, spicy, Vegan

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes minutes

0 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 180kcal

Cost 5

Equipment

• Food processor or Blender

Ingredients

• 2 African red bird's eye chilies
• 2 Bell peppers I tend to combine some sweet chilies to give it more flavor
• 1/3 cup Basil
• 1/3 cup Coriander
• 5 g Tarragon leaves Too minty! more eclipse the flavors of the other ingredients
• 1/3 cup Apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup Lemon juice
• 1 tbsp Paprika
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 4 Cloves of garlic

Instructions

• Make sure you have all the ingredients
  
• Chop the peppers and the garlic
• Mince the african chilies
• Add everything to the food processor
  
• Blend at slow speed, then at high speed for about 30 seconds. Scrape the sides and blend again for another 20 seconds or until everything is well integrated
• Enjoy!
  

Video

https://youtu.be/OSx1tx5SF-I

Notes

• Be careful with the heat of bird’s eye chilies! I add only 2 or maximum 3, because they are really spicy
• I like to combine sweet chilies and peppers, it gives this sauce a great taste!
• Tarragon is the only herb that I use only a little for this sauce. Why? because it is a bit too minty for a spicy sauce :). If you don’t mind that, feel free to add more!
• If you use a very powerful blender or bullet blender, you are likely going to end with a “juice” instead of the whole sauce you see in the pictures
• If you don’t like vinegar, do not add it, but then it will spoil sooner in the fridge
• If you don’t like raw sauces, you can blend the sauce in a blender instead of a food processor until it is quite liquid and then cook it 
• If you are looking for something like the Nando’s sauce, this is not it :D. Nando’s sauce has some sugar and it is a very liquid and cooked sauce!

The post Peri Peri sauce appeared first on Natural goodness | Fuss free recipes everyone can make.

This tofu vegan sour cream recipe is the best, healthiest, and easiest version to make non dairy sour cream!

I made a delicious lentil soup the other day, and I really wanted to have a replacement for dairy cream. After trying with various options, I believe this is the best one for all things were you would normally use cream. I use this for my vegan steaks, for my bean stew, for a tofu scramble! basically, I want to pour it on everything! Are you looking for other dairy replacements? for example mozzarella? check out the game changer vegan mozzarella I recently made!

Be very careful with quantities! too much lime juice and it will be super sour, too much vinegar and it will be very tangy. It is better to add them little by little until it is perfect for you. I personally like it super sour and tangy so, I actually adjusted the recipe!

If you are looking for more tofu recipes, have a look at the tofu scramble or the spicy almond sauce tofu recipe!

What adjustments can I make?

• Skip the salt for a neutral flavor (like normal sour cream, but I enjoy adding just a pinch for an extra savory taste!)
• I have made some testing with white vinegar, and some of my friends think it taste more like sour cream! I personally enjoy it more with apple cider vinegar!
• Add coriander/garlic to turn this into a delicious vegan dip for totopos or crudites
• Replace the tofu with 150 g of overnight soaked cashews and 100ml of water for a vegan tofu free sour cream. I actually recommend that for pasta recipes or for those people missing the creamy fat from normal dairy cream.

Let’s make tofu sour cream!

Get your ingredients

Add everything to the blender

Blend until smooth and enjoy!

We hope you like this recipe, it’s:

• Creamy, tangy, healthy, delicious
• The best non dairy sour cream
• Customizable into a dip with coriander/garlic, maybe dill!
• Spicy vegan sour cream if you add chili flakes! or fresh chili puree!
• Not freezer-friendly, unless you use cashews or nuts. However, it keeps for a week in the fridge, though!
• Gluten free and oil free vegan sour cream!
• Super quick to make! 5 minute vegan sour cream! talk about convenience!

If you try this recipe, let us know! leave a comment, rate the recipe or tag a photo on our Instagram or Facebook with the tag #naturalGoodness! Get creative and make it unique, I love to see what you get up to when trying our recipes

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Tofu sour cream

The best vegan sour cream!

Course Appetizer, Dip, Side Dish

Cuisine International

Keyword best vegan sour cream, tofu sour cream, Vegan

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 70kcal

Author Roberto

Cost 4

Equipment

• Blender

Ingredients

• 300 g Firm silken tofu J-Basket brand works very well!
• 3/4 tbsp Lime juice Not lemon juice!
• 3/4 tbsp Apple cider vinegar White vinegar gives it a good flavor too
• 20 g Coriander Optional, to make a dip
• 1 teaspoon Garlic powder Optional, to make if more flavorful

Instructions

• Make sure you have all the ingredients
  
• Add everything to the blender
  
• Blend for about 30 seconds (until very smooth). Taste and see if it needs more lime juice, apple cider vinegar or salt
  

Video

https://youtu.be/NLy2D1Vsq40

Notes

• If you are looking for a soy free cream, you can substitute the tofu with 150 g of raw cahews soaked overnight and 100ml of water. If you do that, you will need to blend for much more time until it is really creamy! or try our sunflower seed cream.
• I love to add coriander and garlic, here is where you can get creative! Let me know what you tried!
• Do not replace lime juice with lemon juice! the result will be very different
• Firm silken tofu is key here to obtain a smooth creamy result. Normal firm or extra firm tofu can make this crumbly!
• The combination of vinegar + lime juice is excellent to produce the tangy flavor characteristic of “dairy” products
• As always, calories depend on the tofu. This should be a very light and high protein because tofu is just like that

The post Tofu sour cream appeared first on Natural goodness | Fuss free recipes everyone can make.

Did you try Chamoy while being in Mexico? or, are you a Mexican feeling homesick (I am raising my hand here lol) If so, I bet you know it is the only sauce made for that fruit, the only one. If you are missing it and wondering: Is it easy to make Chamoy? you bet! just 5 ingredients and a blender. This is a very traditional Mexican recipe that combines spiciness with sweetness and even a bit of sourness from the limes. Join me to discover this great sauce!

Into Mexican desserts? try out tamal de elote dulce! or check all our desserts here!

Disclaimer: This post has some affiliate links that help me to earn a small omission to continue creating great posts for you.

What can I use Chamoy for?

• With mangos, apples other fruits, and jicamas. My friend, if you tried it before, you know what I am talking about!
• How to make Chamoy apples? just buy an apple, cut it however you prefer, and add this thick sauce to it!
• If you are lucky enough to have tajin, then use it on top of this!
• Mangonadas, oh yes, yes! I love Mangonadas, that’s basically crushed ice with mango juice and mangos combined with Chamoy, it is soo addictive, here is the recipe!
• With beer (micheladas with Chamoy)
• With tequila shots (dangerous stuff, you’ll be drunk before you know! but it is soo good!)

What are the traditional ingredients?

• Apricot jam, prunes, chile ancho, sugar, salt, lemon juice, and water (some people also use -jamaica-, I mean hibiscus flowers!). This recipe is for a thick Chamoy! feel free to add more lemon juice or water to thin it
• You can adjust the recipe, for example, it is very common to do a tamarindo Chamoy version of this recipe, just add some tamarind pulp!

We hope you enjoy this sauce. It’s:

• Spicy, sweet and sour!
• Easy to make at home, even if you live in Europe (like me!)
• Super addictive!

Looking for more Mexican recipe inspo? how about salsa roja, or a tofu scramble?

Where can you buy Chamoy?

If you are not in Mexico or the US, probably in a Mexican shop, or online (e.g. Amazon) :(. But, as you can see, it is super easy to make, and most supermarkets should have all the ingredients!

Let’s make chamoy!

Get your ingredients:
3/4 cup Apricot jam (if you are in the US, I like this one because it does not have added sugar)
2 teaspoon Chile ancho flakes (substitute with 1-2 natural unveined unseeded chilies if you can find them, you can get them from Amazon US as well)
1/3 cup lime juice
2 tbsp sugar (or another 2 tbsp of the jam if you want no sugar added!)
1 teaspoon salt
4 prunes (optional)
2 tbsp tamarind pulp (optional)

If using chili flakes, you can put them in 1/4 cup of boiling water and let them sit, so they are easier to blend. The same applies to the prunes! especially if your blender is not very powerful.

Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend for about a minute until they are well integrated

Enjoy!

If you try this recipe, let us know! leave a comment, rate the recipe or tag a photo on our Instagram or Facebook with the tag #naturalGoodness! Get creative and make it unique, I love to see what you get up to when trying our recipes

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Chamoy

Traditional Mexican recipe used as a sauce for fruit, micheladas, chamoyadas, mangonadas, etc!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword chamoy, chamoyada, mangonada, Mexican Vegan, side, Vegan

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes minutes

0 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 220kcal

Author Roberto

Equipment

• Blender

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup Apricot jam Feel free to make your own!
• 2 tablespoon Chile ancho flakes Substitute with 1- 2 natural chilies if you can find them where you live! unveined and unseeded
• 1/3 cup Lime juice Or the juice of 4 big limes
• 2 tbsp Sugar I use brown sugar. Make sure it is vegan friendly! Replace with another 2 tbsp of jam if you want this to be "no sugar added"
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 4 Prunes Optional
• 2 tbsp Tamarind pulp Optional, makes it a bit more sour!

Instructions

• Make sure you have all the ingredients
  
• If you are using fresh chilies, make sure to remove the seeds and veins unless you want it very spicy! If you are using chili flakes, a good trick is to put them with a little bit of water the day before so they are softened and then, they'll integrate better when blending
• If you are using prunes and your blender is not too powerful, I suggest that you put them in a little container with some boiling water for 10 minutes to prepare them for the blender
• Add all the ingredients in the blender and blend in high for about 1 minute. Check if everything is very well integrated and blend again if required
• Enjoy!
  

Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvuswxfTjWM

Notes

• Calories depend on the apricot jam used! read the label and the resulting chamoy will have a little bit less than that due to the lemon juice 
• For selecting the best jam: I like St. Dalfour Jam because it uses fruit juices instead of sugar, but you don’t have to buy this brand! my recommendation is to check that the jam does not contain added sugar
• Chile ancho flakes are commonly found in supermarkets, just ask and they are very likely to have it in stock. Of course, it tastes better with fresh chile ancho, but I know it can be difficult to find (I live in London and, I have this issue!)
• Lime juice. I love being practical, just like you, so, if you don’t want to extract the juice of the limes, just buy the juice in the supermarket, it is usually cheap and very convenient for a lot of recipes!
• This recipe is great as a side dish with fruits like mango and apples. It is ideal for chamoyadas, mangonadas, micheladas!
• The traditional recipe includes the prunes! but I honestly prefer it without them. For a twist, you can make this sourer if you include pulparing pulp. Depending on where you are coming from in Mexico, there can be other variations for the recipe

The post Chamoy appeared first on Natural goodness | Fuss free recipes everyone can make.

Have you ever tried baba ganoush and thought. How do I make baba ganoush? In case you thought it is difficult, my friends, I am here to tell you that you only need to “roast” the aubergine anyway you can and then mix it with all the other ingredients! That’s how simple it is! You do not even need a blender if you have a mortar and pestle!

What is baba ganoush?

Baba ganoush is a Levantine appetizer, that has become very popular. It is basically roasted (or broiled) aubergine mashed or blended with garlic, tahini, salt, pepper and optionally other spices. We found that it goes very well with coriander!

It is usually combined with vegetables such as carrot sticks, radish, celery, or perhaps pita bread or us personally enjoy it with sourdough bread or crackers!

How does it taste? Very creamy, a little bit tangy due to the lemon juice/tahini and it feels so filling that you would think it has a lot of fat! but in fact, it is one of our favorite low-calorie food!

I also use it as a side with some dishes like cauliflower rice or scrambled tofu and I find it amazing!

Baba Ganoush calories per 100g

There are around 170 calories for every 100g on “standard recipes”. I add a bit less tahini which is the ingredient that can increase the calories, and I think it still tastes great!

What are the properties of aubergines (eggplant)?

Aubergine is full of fiber, so it is quite filling, and then helpful if you want to lose some weight (because it keeps you full!)

It is full of vitamins and minerals as well, and it has been associated with lowering cholesterol. It has vitamins B1 and B6 and potassium. In addition, it is high in copper, magnesium, and manganese.

A 100g serving of raw aubergine provides:

For full information about aubergine nutrition, visit the BBC good food site!

Are you into more eggplant recipes? these are some of my favorites!

Low-calorie queso dip
Aubergine with walnut dukkah
Oven grilled eggplant

If you try this recipe, let us know! leave a comment, rate the recipe or tag a photo on our Instagram or Facebook with the tag #naturalGoodness! Get creative and make it unique, I love to see what you get up to when trying our recipes 🙂

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Baba ganoush

Different ways to make baba ganoush!

Course Appetizer, Dip

Cuisine Levantine

Keyword Baba ganoush, Vegan

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 130kcal

Cost 3

Equipment

• Blender or food processor (not 100 % required!)

Ingredients

• 1 Big eggplant (aubergine)
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 2 teaspoon Olive oil
• 1 Medium-sized garlic clove
• 3 tbsp Tahini
• 4 tbsp Lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 20 g Coriander (optional!)

Instructions

• Cook the aubergine choosing any of the following methods
• Putting it in a tray in the oven for about 10 minutes at 150 degrees celsius (Grill mode, not fan mode!). You'll need to flip the aubergine at around 6 minutes
  
• Pre-heat a pan at medium fire, add the olive oil and then the aubergine for about 12 minutes, you'll need to flip the aubergine around 7 minutes from when you start
  
• Cook the aubergine directly in the stove (not very recommended tbh!) but some people like doing it this way. It should take about 6 minutes at medium fire. Btw, you should remove the green part of the aubergine!
  
• Roast the garlic/coriander in a pan for about 4 minutes or if you used the pan method, add it 4 minutes before you finish (it is not necessary to roast it! depends on your preferences)
• You know the aubergine is ready when the aubergine is softened and golden brown.
• Remove all the skin (it should come off easily). This step is optional! But take into account that making it with the skin will result in a purple-ish baba ganoush with a slightly earthy flavour (I like it, some people don't!). Also, notice that the purple skin is full of antioxidants, hence if you have a high-speed blender, I suggest that you blend everything and eat the whole food 🙂
  
• Add all the ingredients (tahini, aubergine, salt, lemon juice, and coriander) to the blender or a food processor until smooth
  
• Optionally, you can use a mortar and pestle and mix all the ingredients there

Video

https://youtu.be/EkD9ykgVEIs

Notes

• The whole point is to “roast” the aubergine, that’s what it gives it that special flavour! If you have other method I am sure it will work just as well
• I add coriander, some other people enjoy it with paprika, basil, romero, parlsey, etc.
• Be careful with tahini, too much of it will make it quite heavy!
• It goes very well with sourdough bread! I enjoy it equally with carrot sticks, raddish, cucumber, tortilla chips, etc.
• It can be part of a side dish, for example, cauli-flower rice!
• It is relatively low in calories as aubergine have very few. It tends to make you feel full due to the aubergine fiber contents

The post Baba ganoush appeared first on Natural goodness | Fuss free recipes everyone can make.