Low calorie Archives - Natural goodness | Fuss free recipes everyone can make

Crispy roasted brussels sprouts

Natural Goodness — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 15:51:57 +0000

*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.

View this post on Instagram

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

Roasted Brussels sprouts

Easy and delicious Brussels sprouts

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine International

Keyword brussels sprouts, Vegan

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 25

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

Crispy roasted brussels sprouts (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.

Vegan keto bread

Natural Goodness — Sat, 07 Nov 2020 20:49:06 +0000

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!

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

Cook Time 40

Total Time 45

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.

Salsa de chile de arbol

Natural Goodness — Sun, 20 Sep 2020 13:09:07 +0000

This easy and delicious salsa de chile de arbol is a traditional sauce from Mexico that is served with tacos, gorditas, sopes and pretty much everything that calls for a great spicy sauce! With only 6 ingredients, this sauce is as easy as it is practical to make! and being vegan, and low calorie, it fits into every diet!

My mom always use as a base tomatoes, onion, garlic and coriander for sauces. Everything else depends on people’s preferences. I enjoy adding some veggie stock when I want something very savory, and some oil to give it body, but they are not necessary! I even skip salt because I think that when you don’t add it, the flavor of the chilies really comes on top and you can feel the heat!

What is chile de arbol?

This is a relatively small chili, but with a strong heat! They start green but turn red once they are mature enough. If you want to know more, follow this link.

You can find them in Amazon following this link. And some supermarkets have them. It all depends on where you live. It is very different from chile guajillo which is sometimes used as a substitute for ancho chile (used in chamoy!).

Also, it has become popular to use powdered chili! I do not recommend it as it is very spicy and a bit more difficult to estimate how much you actually need. Also, dried chilies tend to give the salsa a better taste.

I use red tomatoes because it is not easy to find “tomatillos” in London! feel free to experiment and use tomatillos instead, or to use a mix of tomatoes and tomatillos!

Let’s make salsa de chile de arbol!

Get your ingredients:

12 Medium sized tomatoes
10 Dried chile de arbol If you are using fresh, go only for 5
1 Onion
3/4 ounce Coriander
1 teaspoon Veggie stock powder Optional
2 Medium sized cloves of garlic
2 tbsp Canola oil Olive oil also works, optional!

Put a non-stick pan or casserole, at medium fire

Chop the onion into relatively small pieces and add them to the pan

Mince the garlic

Once the onion is caramelized (about 5 minutes) add the garlic

Remove the stems and most of the seeds of the dried chilies and chop them into small pieces. If you are using fresh chilies, do the same, but add half the quantity as I found them more spicy

Add the chilies and the coriander

Reduce the intensity of the fire and stir everything from time to time with a wooden spatula

Chop the tomatoes in squares and continue stiring from time to time

Add the tomatoes and stir very well. Cover with a lid and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. Once it is ready it should look more or less like this

Let the sauce cool down and use it on everything!

Enjoy! Are you looking for great dishes that go great with this sauce? how about some gorditas? or some sopes?

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

Ideal for tacos, gorditas and sopes
An essential Mexican sauce
Spicy and delicious!

Salsa de chile de arbol

Easy Mexican sauce with chile de arbol

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword mexicanvegan, Vegan

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 25

Total Time 40

Servings 4 people

Calories 70kcal

Cost 5

Ingredients

12 Medium sized tomatoes
10 Dried chile de arbol If you are using fresh, go only for 5
1 Onion Go red for the antioxidants!
3/4 ounce Coriander
1 teaspoon Veggie stock powder Optional
2 Medium sized cloves of garlic
2 tbsp Canola oil Olive oil also works, optional!

Instructions

Get your ingredients
Put a non-stick pan or casserole, at medium fire
Chop the onion into relatively small pieces and add them to the pan
Mince the garlic
Chop the onion
Once the onion is caramelized (about 5 minutes) add the garlic
Remove the stems and most of the seeds of the dried chilies and chop them into small pieces. If you are using fresh chilies, do the same, but add half the quantity as I found them more spicy
Add the chilies and the coriander
Reduce the intensity of the fire and stir everything from time to time with a wooden spatula
Chop the tomatoes in squares and continue stiring from time to time
Add the tomatoes and stir very well. Cover with a lid and let it simmer for about 20 minutes
You'll have to "mash" the tomatoes once they have been softened
Let the sauce cool down and use it on everything!
You can blend it, but I actually prefer to see and feel the texture of all the different ingredients!
Enjoy!

Notes

Oil and veggie stock are not necessary! but they do give some extra kick to the recipe
If you are too sensitive to spiciness, maybe start with one or two chilies and increase the amount until you are happy with the result. I think 10 chilies is just the right amount as long as you remove the stems and seeds!

The post Salsa de chile de arbol appeared first on Natural goodness | Fuss free recipes everyone can make.

Vegan soup for cold and cough

Natural Goodness — Sat, 25 Apr 2020 11:36:28 +0000

Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

I have been consuming ginger, turmeric, garlic, onions and lemon to help my immune system, and hell yes they work! Follow me to prepare this delicious soup to boost your immune system and help you prevent colds!

First things first… I really like this soup to help with my immune system and just because the ingredients are great for your help, but please, please consult with a doctor if you feel bad. This soup by no means is a magic potion or a replacement of a visit to a proper doctor!

What are the ingredients of the soup?

I am not an expert in the immune system, so let’s check what science says, shall we? I collected multiple articles from the US National Library of Medicine and Harvard Health. Note that there are many, many more papers on the subject in case you are curious like me:

Ginger. Research suggests that ginger has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antifungal effects and experimentation on mouses suggests that it boost the performance of the immune system. I use them to ease a sore throat as well!
Turmeric. Has anti-inflammatory properties, my father who has gout says it is actually very effective! it reduces inflammation and eases pain. Research also suggests that it has anti-cancer properties!
Garlic. Research suggests that It has anti-inflammatory effects and helps to enchance the functioning of the immune system!
Pepper. To increase the bioavailability of curcumin 20 times! (this basically means that it improves the effects of turmeric)
Onion. According to Healthline, it benefits your immune system!
Lemon juice. This is just to make it taste good. Recent research debunks the myth, vitamin C is a great antioxidant, but it does not seem to help to prevent colds, another study from Harvard Health says that it did reduce the symptoms by only 8 % -1 day less with cold woo-hoo!- so don’t go crazy anyways for vitamin C!
Chilies. To make it spicy (because I am Mexican). Also, it might help a little to clear your nose due to the spiciness
Veggie stock powder. To give it more flavor. Hot homemade broth can also be used.
Coriander. To give it more flavor

How do you make this vegan remedy?

Get all your ingredients!

Lemon, chilies, onion, turmeric, garlic, veggie stock powder, turmeric, and pepper

Heat a pot with 400 ml of water

Then, chop the onion garlic and chilies:

Add the onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric, pepper, oil (optional), chilies (optional) and coriander (optional) to the pot:

Let it simmer for about 20 minutes until the onion is soft. Remember to remove the big ginger pieces! do not eat them!

Enjoy! At this point feel free to add the lemon juice, beans, chickpeas, rice, cauliflower rice (I added it, but this time I burnt it so it was not pic friendly looolz). Into soups? try the delicious tomato soup!

Vegan soup in a talavera plate with onion and ginger and a red towel behind

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

Very light, quick, spicy, and comforting!
A quick homemade vegan remedy for cold, congestion, cough, and flu!
This is an AIP Diet compliant recipe!

Vegan soup for cold and cough

Useful soup to fight and prevent cold and cough

Course Side Dish

Cuisine International

Keyword liquid soup, vegan soup for cold and cough

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 20

Total Time 25

Servings 2 people

Calories 130kcal

Cost 8

Ingredients

1 Medium sized onion
2 Garlic cloves
1 teaspoon Turmeric
1/2 teaspoon Ground pepper To improve the effects of turmeric
100 g Ginger
1 Bird's eye chili Optional for more flavor
20 g Coriander Optional for more flavor
1 tbsp Olive oil Optional

Instructions

Make sure you have all the ingredients
Heat a pot with 400ml of water at medium fire
Chop the onion, garlic and the chilies and add them to the pot
Peel and chop the ginger in big pieces and add them to the pot (we'll remove them at the end)
Let it simmer for about 20 minutes until the onion has softened completely
Enjoy

Video

https://youtu.be/Uf3tjjko7-E

Vegan soup for cold and cough (https://youtu.be/Uf3tjjko7-E)

Notes

Calories are without the olive oil
The base ingredients, those effective against cold and cough are ginger, turmeric, garlic, pepper, and lemon. That’s the base of your soup! you can add anything else you feel like adding. I made it with cauliflower rice, but I burn it a little so it was not photo friendly
It goes very well with chickpeas, beans, rice, anything that you would use for a soup!
Note that research shows that it is easier to prevent than to cure, and citrus fruits like lemons help a lot with preventing and boosting your immune system

The post Vegan soup for cold and cough appeared first on Natural goodness | Fuss free recipes everyone can make.

Spicy tomato soup

Natural Goodness — Fri, 24 Apr 2020 16:10:58 +0000

Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

My mom use to make spicy tomato soup often because it feels so Mexican, it is easy, and quick to make, it is made of mainly whole foods, it is low calorie, it is made from fresh tomatoes, and you can customize it!

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

What are the base ingredients of a spicy tomato soup?

Since this is Mexican inspired:

1 or 2 spicy chilies
10 medium-sized ripe tomatoes
1 small onion
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp Olive oil (optional)

Yep! those are the 4 base ingredients! I enjoy adding either basil or coriander a little bit of veggie stock powder and sometimes I add a sweet big chili to the soup to give it more flavour.

Spicy tomato soup recommendations

This should cover questions and recommendations to make a great soup:

Make sure to use ripe tomatoes! otherwise use canned tomatoes as it will not give any depth of flavor. I have used with good success Costco canned tomatoes or these canned tomatoes as well.
Remove the seeds if they feel too sour for you
If you don’t like basil, replace it with coriander or other herbs! but this is necessary! it is part of what it gives this soup a good flavor
Chilies are optional! but since it is a Mexican tomato soup, they are almost a must
No, this will not taste like Indian tomato soup, you will need to use a different set of spices to make it taste like that
This soup goes great with some fresh tortillas if you have them, totopos or some rye crackers. You can also add beans, chickpeas, cauliflower rice
Use definitely fresh basil or fresh coriander. Powdered coriander or basil has a completely different taste!
How do you store it? This is freezer friendly (last for months) and it keeps for about a week in the fridge
Garlic needs to be caramelized first! if you mix everything at the same time, it will give a weird flavor to the soup!
Simmer at medium fire! if you increase the strength too much, you may burn the ingredients (don’t ask how I know this :P)

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

Spicy and thick tomato soup
Mainly whole foods, low calorie, made from fresh tomatoes!
Feels very Mexican!

Like soups or stews? looking to complement this? have a look at these great recipes: vegan split pea soup, vegan soup for cold and cough, high protein bean stew, tofu sour cream, salsa roja, salsa verde.

Spicy tomato soup

Delicious spicy tomato soup made from fresh tomatoes!

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword fresh tomatoes, soup, spicy, thick soup, Vegan

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 25

Total Time 30

Servings 2 people

Calories 250kcal

Cost 8

Ingredients

10 Medium sized tomatoes
1 Medium-sized onions
2 Garlic cloves
2 Small spicy chilies
1/3 cup Basil Coriander also works great!
2 tbsp Olive oil Optional (needs to be extra virgin for whole30 compliance, skip for WFPB)
1 tbsp Lime juice
1 tbsp Vegan stock powder Optional (check compliance if you are under whole30, use homemade for WFPB)
1 Sweet chili or pepper Optional

Instructions

Make sure you have all the ingredients
Add the 2 tbsp of olive oil to a pot at medium fire or 1/4 cup of boiling water if you are not using oil
Chop the onion in little pieces, mince the garlic, mince the spicy chili and the sweet chili
Add the onion, garlic and chilies to the pot. Note that the garlic needs to be caramelized before adding the tomatoes! otherwise it will give a weird flavor to the soup!
Chop the tomatoes and chili in little squares. If you don't like the sourness of the seeds, remove them, but you will need other 4 tomatoes to make a good portion
Once the onion and the garlic caramelize, add the tomatoes to the pot
Wait for about 5 minutes and start mashing the soup
Chop the basil in little pieces and add it to the pot and let it simmer for about 15 minutes. It is very important to do it at medium fire to avoid burning the ingredients!
Enjoy!

Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E93lDi8xSXM

Spicy tomato soup (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E93lDi8xSXM)

Notes

Calories are approximate
This is a soup made from fresh tomatoes. You may substitute with canned tomatoes, but it will not have the same flavor, the tomatoes need to be ripe and in season! if not, using canned tomatoes is preferable
Tomato seeds can make this a bit sour from some people’s taste. Remove them but make sure you include at least other 4 tomatoes to have a good portion for 2 people
Basil can be substituted with coriander or other herbs!
You can combine this with lentils/chickpeas for a complete meal
It freezes well for months, and in the fridge, it lasts for about a week

The post Spicy tomato soup appeared first on Natural goodness | Fuss free recipes everyone can make.

Tofu sour cream

Natural Goodness — Thu, 16 Apr 2020 22:45:30 +0000

Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

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

tofu sour cream ingredients

Add everything to the blender

Blend until smooth and enjoy!

Tofu sour cream

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!

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

Cook Time 0

Total Time 5

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.

Low-calorie vegan queso dip

Natural Goodness — Sun, 02 Feb 2020 13:50:04 +0000

Are you looking for the perfect Superbowl snack? This is a delicious low-calorie queso dip that will help you if you are looking for something tasty and very low in calories

Into vegan cheese? check all our vegan cheese here!

Low calorie vegan queso dip

Aubergines turned out to be a great substitute for cashews or pumpkin seeds when you are making these dips. They still make you feel very full, but with very few calories, one medium-sized aubergine has only 110 calories! If you are interested in more details about aubergines (eggplant) read this thorough article by Healthline.

If you are not looking to cut down in calories, you can also try this pumpkin seed queso that is also delicious!

This recipe is

Spicy
A great snack
Cheesy
Feels very Mexican
Can be adapted to whole30/paleo diets

Now I leave you with the recipe:

Low calorie vegan queso dip

Delicious vegan queso chipotle dip, ideal for your Superbowl nights, or for meeting with friends while cutting a lot of calories!

Course Dip, Snack

Cuisine International

Keyword Mexican Vegan, Plant based, Queso dip, Vegan

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 0

Total Time 25

Servings 4 people

Calories 80kcal

Cost 5

Equipment

Blender

Ingredients

2 Medium-sized aubergines (eggplant)
1 teaspoon Vegan stock powder (bouillon) Make your own from vegetable scrapes for making it whole30 compliant
1 teaspoon Chipotle flakes Use a fresh chipotle for making it whole30 compliant
1/3 teaspoon Garlic powder (or 1 medium garlic clove roasted) Use the garlic clove to make it whole30 compliant
1/2 Cup Warm water Not boiling!
1 teaspoon Yeast flakes Optional
2 teaspoon Olive oil Optional (substitute with 1/4 cup of water for making it whole30 compliant)

Instructions

Cut the aubergines in circles
Add the oil to the pan and the aubergines. Roast until they are golden brown
Remove the skin of the aubergines (eggplants) and let them to cool down for 5 minutes
Add the aubergines, bouillon, chipotle flakes, garlic powder, yeast flakes and water in the blender
Blend for about 1 minute, add more water, little by little if it turns difficult to blend
Enjoy immediately with your favorite totopos!

Video

https://youtu.be/fJgwLiRV1is

Notes

Calories are approximate, it depends on how much you eat, and it does not include the totopos! I still think this is a great dip if you are cutting on calories!
I recommend eating this immediately. You can keep it in the fridge for about a week, but it will turn a bit “gelatinous” so you may need to blend it again, or heat it at low strength in the microwave.
This is very light in calories! aubergines give it the perfect texture!
If you are looking for a seed based queso, try our recipe with pumpkin seeds.

The post Low-calorie vegan queso dip appeared first on Natural goodness | Fuss free recipes everyone can make.

High-protein bean stew

Natural Goodness — Fri, 27 Dec 2019 00:55:06 +0000

Do you like beans, but hate the carbs? this recipe is for you. You can add half of the beans you usually add plus some delicious pea protein, combined with a Mexican inspired sauce, and voilá! The sauce of this recipe is based on our Mexican salsa roja recipe. I enjoy using some vegan sour cream with this recipe as well!

Does pea protein help you build muscle?

According to studies, yes!

For example, in this 12-week experiment done with 161 men executing resistance training, subjects were asked to have 50 grams of protein per day. There were three groups: one that took whey protein, the second one, that took pea protein and a third taking a placebo. Both groups taking protein showed similar increases in muscle thickness! while the group taking a placebo did not show the same increases.

There are also a lot of athletes on a vegan diet. Here is a full list if you are curious!

Beans protein vs meat

Apart from high-protein contents, beans also provide us with other nutrients, complex carbs and almost no fat, in comparison to meat. Take this infographic from Vivo life to understand the differences (read the full article here).

Btw, they don’t mention it, but I think it is uncooked beans! as you can see, beans have more iron, calcium, and magnesium, and they are extremely cheap in comparison. You are also being great to the environment while eating beans! if you are wondering how much water is required for beans, vs meat? 100g of beans only need 103 liters of water, whilst 100g of beef requires 1480 liters!. 100g of beef has 22g of protein. 100g of uncooked beans also have 22g. Note: cooked beans have around 9g of protein according to the USDA site.

One final comment: eating too many beans for getting all the protein you need when you are trying to build muscle might leave you bloated! and you’ll end up eating too many carbs, that’s why we suggest that you mix some pea protein with other seasonings to create a delicious dish!

Macros

This recipe as it is has the following macros:

Protein	14 g
Fat	8.5 g
Carbohydrates	10 g

High protein bean stew

Best way to get all the benefits from beans and with a high-protein amount!

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine Mexican inspired

Keyword beans, Mexican Vegan, Spicy food

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Servings 2

Calories 450kcal

Cost 4

Equipment

Blender

Ingredients

200 g Cooked beans
1/2 Scoop pea-protein (We like Pulsin)
1 tbsp Olive oil
3/4 Medium-sized onion
2 Garlic cloves
3 Medium-sized tomatoes
20 g Coriander
2 Bird-eye chilies
1 teaspoon Vegan stock powder
2 tbsp Water (to mix with the stock powder)
1/2 Cup Water (to mix with the sauce)

Instructions

Pre-heat a pan at medium fire and add the olive oil
Dice the onion and add it to the pan, leave it there for about 5 minutes
Meanwhile, dice the garlic and the tomatoes and do the following two instructions:
Chop the coriander and the chilies
Mix the water with the stock powder
Add the garlic, the tomatoes, the coriander and the chilies to the pan. Leave them to fry for about 6 minutes. Then start mashing the tomatoes and the chilies for another
Turn off the pan and add the contents to a bowl and mix the 1/2 cup of Water
Add the pea protein and the mix in a blender
Add half of the mix to a bowl and half of the beans. Then decorate with onion rings. Do the same in another bowl for the second portion!

Notes

Calories are approximate, depends on the beans, the actual size of the veggies, etc.
This is a high-protein meal that has relatively low carbs. It has approximately 14 g of protein per portion
Do not add more pea protein, seriously… the taste is not great after more than one scoop!
If you do not like pea protein, perhaps try with hemp protein, I find it equally delicious! but some might feel it a bit sweet!
Careful with the chilies, I like it even more hot, I add around 9 chilies, but I am Mexican!

The post High-protein bean stew appeared first on Natural goodness | Fuss free recipes everyone can make.

Baba ganoush

Natural Goodness — Sun, 03 Nov 2019 21:20:19 +0000

Jump to Recipe

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!

Baba ganoush

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:

Kcal	Protein	Fat	Carbohydrate	Fiber
15	0.9 g	2.2 g	2.2 g	2.7 g

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

Baba ganoush

Different ways to make baba ganoush!

Course Appetizer, Dip

Cuisine Levantine

Keyword Baba ganoush, Vegan

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Total Time 20

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.

How to make rice cauliflower

Natural Goodness — Wed, 23 Oct 2019 16:23:18 +0000

Ever wondered how to make rice cauliflower? the perfect low-calorie alternative to rice!
It is basically made grating a cauliflower!
Note: This how-to explains how to make cauliflower rice without a food processor.

What are the properties of cauliflower rice?

It has the huge advantage of having a very small amount of calories, 29 calories vs 130 calories of cooked white rice! (Source: US department of agriculture)
White rice specifically is almost empty calories. Yes, it can help a bit to bulk, but most people are not planning to get bigger!
Cauliflower has a lot of health benefits: it is rich in antioxidants, fiber, and vitamins. Read this article from Healthline for a thorough description!
Cauliflower rice is vegan and keto-friendly!

How can I use it?

You can replace any recipe requiring rice! try this delicious high protein spicy Mexican rice, for example, or for something super light, combine with Mexican salsa roja or complement it with a delicious tofu scramble!
It is freezer friendly! yes! you can freeze it for 1-2 months, although I should say that the results will not be as good as when it has just been grated! you should remove the excess liquid as explained in the recipe before freezing it
After cooking it, you can also keep it in the fridge for about 4 days

Let’s make cauliflower rice!

Get your cauliflower and grater

Cut it into manageable pieces, maybe 3-4

Use the big holes of the grater to grate the cauliflower. Some people recommend to use the medium holes, I find them too small! make your experiments and decide what works best for your

Use a towel to squeeze the moist

Squeeze! This will make it less soggy

Cook in a pan! do not overload the pan or it will not work very well, it can burn or be over moisty

Enjoy!

Notes

This recipe is very good for those who want to reduce their calorie intake
It can be done using a food processor. I personally think it is worth just using the grater, as it takes about 5 minutes to grate a big cauliflower! no big deal
Cook it in “small portioins” otherwise it will get soggy!
Although most people like cutting the cauliflower, I personally just grate the whole piece. It makes less mess, at least in my experience!

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

Easy, customizable, WFPB, whole30 compliant!
Healthy, full of nutrients and low calorie!
If you follow the instructions, this is a no soggy cauliflower rice!

How to make rice cauliflower

Course Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine International

Keyword low calorie, rice cauliflower, Vegan

Prep Time 5

Total Time 5

Servings 4 portions

Cost 2

Equipment

Grater

Ingredients

1 Cauliflower

Instructions

Cut the cauliflower int 3-4 pieces
Use the "big" holes on the box grater. Some people prefer the rice made with the medium holes, I find it too small for cauli flower, but make your experiments and decide what works best for you!
Grate each piece
Use a towel to squeeze out some of the moist. This is optional when the rice feels a bit wet, but very recommended for avoiding soggy rice
Just to make sure, this is what we mean by squeezing out the moist!
You can then put some garlic, onion, olive oil and stock powder (buillon) on a pan and saute the rice. Make sure you do it in small batches to get the perfect results! if you put a lot of rice it will get soggy even if you removed the moist
Uncooked is freezer friendly! although it will only last for about 1-2 months. Note that when it is just done it works much better. Cooked rice will last around 5 days in the fridge.

Notes

This recipe is very good for those who want to reduce their calorie intake
It can be done using a food processor. I personally think it is worth just using the grater, as it takes about 5 minutes to grate a big cauliflower! no big deal
Cook it in “small portioins” otherwise it will get soggy!
Although most people like cutting the cauliflower, I personally just grate the whole piece. It makes less mess, at least in my experience!

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