Organic Chickpea Soup With Lemon & Rosemary

Author: Green Cyprus  //  Category: Food, Recipes

 

Serves 4

400g organic cooked chickpeas or for ease, 2 tins organic chickpeas
50 ml organic olive oil plus extra for drizzling
1 small organic onion, chopped
1 litre filtered water
1 tbsp organic rosemary, chopped
1 tsp sea salt
Freshly ground organic black pepper
1 large organic lemon, juiced
Fresh organic rosemary sprigs for garnish

Sauté onions in olive oil until onions soften and start to turn golden. Stir in chickpeas, water and the chopped rosemary. Bring to the boil, turn down heat, and simmer for 30-40 minutes. Add the salt and pepper and puree the soup until smooth with a blender. Stir in lemon juice, taste and add additional salt, lemon juice and  rosemary, as needed. If soup is too thick, add more water until it’s the texture you prefer. Drizzle with olive oil, and garnish with rosemary sprigs before serving.


Organic Coconut Rice Pudding

Author: Green Cyprus  //  Category: Food, Recipes

Craving something sweet but as healthy as possible? Here’s a quick recipe you can whip up in 15 minutes. Tastes delicious and won’t leave you feeling too stodged-out or guilty (and it’s gluten-free)!

Organic Coconut Rice Pudding

2 cans Organic Coconut Milk
1 cup Organic Pudding Rice*
3/4 cup Organic Coconut Sugar* (regular organic sugar may be used)

In a medium saucepan, combine the coconut milk and rice.

Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 10 – 15 minutes (stir occasionally so rice does not stick).
Serve warm or chilled, topped with shredded coconut, chopped pineapple and/or banana.

 

*Organic coconut flour and sugar are readily available in health stores.

Organic Quinoa Tabouleh

Author: Green Cyprus  //  Category: Recipes

Here’s a simple salad recipe which is quick to make:

Ingredients:
200 g organic quinoa
2 large, ripe organic tomatoes
large bunch fresh organic parsley, leaves only, finely chopped
small bunch fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
1 small organic onion, finely chopped
2-3 tbsp lemon juice
2-3 tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil
sea salt, flakes 

Method
1. Cook the quinoa according to packet instructions. Cook it like rice i.e. one part quinoa to 2 parts water. Takes about 15 minutes.
2. Make a small cross at the base of each tomato. Place the tomatoes in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside for 30 seconds, then drain. When the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, peel off and discard the skins.
3. Dice the tomatoes and place in a serving bowl. Stir in the parsley, mint and chopped onion until well combined. Mix in the quinoa, then drizzle over the lemon juice and olive oil and season to taste with sea salt. Mix well to coat the ingredients in the dressing.

Optional: Green Cyprus suggests adding half a teaspoon each of organic paprika and turmeric for an extra kick and health benefits.


Organic Carrot Cake

Author: Green Cyprus  //  Category: Food, Recipes
If you’ve gotta have a slice of cake, make sure it’s as healthy as possible! Here’s a recipe for an organic carrot cake. Sounds delicious and perfect with an organic soya latte!

Ingredients:

175g organic muscovado sugar

175ml organic sunflower oil

3 large organic eggs , lightly beaten

140g grated organic carrots (about 3 medium)

100g  organic raisins

grated zest of 1 large orange

175g organic self-raising flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp grated nutmeg (freshly grated will give you the best flavour)

For the Frosting:

175g icing sugar

1½-2 tbsp orange juice

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan 160C. Oil and line the base and sides of an 18cm square cake tin with eco-friendly baking parchment.

Tip the sugar into a large mixing bowl, pour in the oil and add the eggs. Lightly mix with a wooden spoon. Stir in the grated carrots, raisins and orange rind.

Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices, then sift into the bowl. Lightly mix all the ingredients – when everything is evenly amalgamated stop mixing. The mixture will be fairly soft and almost runny.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 40- 45 minutes, until it feels firm and springy when you press it in the centre. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn it out, peel off the paper and cool on a wire rack.

Beat together the frosting ingredients in a small bowl until smooth – you want the icing about as runny as single cream. Set the cake on a serving plate and boldly drizzle the icing back and forth in diagonal lines over the top, letting it drip down the sides.


Organic Homemade Frappuccino

Author: Green Cyprus  //  Category: Drinks

Need a coffee fix? Frappuccino maybe? Try this healthier version:

The archetypal frozen coffee drink of our generation is the Starbucks Frappuccino. It’s cold, it’s chocolately, it’s caffeinated, and it tastes great. But at around 5 euros for a large glass, not to mention 400 calories, it’s fattening, expensive and not organic.

Why not try your own version, it’s far healthier, lower in calories and organic! Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:
2/3 cup brewed strong organic fairtrade coffee
2 tablespoons raw sugar
½ cup organic milk or soya milk
½ banana
1 cup ice
Homemade chocolate syrup, for serving, recipe follows
Whipped cream for serving (optional)
 
Method:
1) Whisk sugar into hot coffee until dissolved. Allow to cool.
2) Combine coffee mixture with remaining ingredients in a blender; blend until smooth. Serve in a tall glass with ample drizzlings of chocolate syrup and a fluffy dollop of whipped cream (we prefer to leave this out but you’re allowed as a treat!)
 
Homemade Chocolate Syrup
Ingredients:
125g organic sugar
125g unsweetened organic cocoa powder
235ml water
Pinch sea salt
Pinch ground organic cinnamon
 
Method:
1) Whisk together sugar and cocoa in a small saucepan until smooth. Add remaining ingredients; whisk until lumps are gone.
2) Heat mixture over medium, whisking, until a low boil is reached. Simmer over medium-low, whisking, until slightly thickened. Cool 5 minutes and serve. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.
 
Here’s how a homemade organic frappuccino compares with a Starbucks version. The homemade version is well worth the effort! Enjoy…
 
  • 16-ounce Organic Homemade Frappuccino: 200 calories, 3 grams fat
  • With 2 tablespoons Homemade Chocolate Syrup & real whipped cream: About 250 to 300 calories total, 3 to 5 grams fat
  • 16-ounce Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino® Blended Coffee: 370 calories, 15 grams fat