We all love pancakes on the weekend, but why can't we enjoy them during the week too? To overcome this, I've created my 'Everyday Pancakes,' that uses ingredients typically found in your average breakfast option, yet still resembles our beloved pancake. Enjoy! Love Alex. xx PS: Be sure to tag me @ballerina_bites on Instagram so I can see your wonderful recreation! Pancake Ingredients
½ cup quick cooking oats ½ cup milk 1 egg 1 tsp sugar (optional) ¼ tsp vanilla extract 1 scoop of protein powder (I use Vega’s vanilla or chocolate flavour) ½ tsp baking powder Pinch of salt Method Heat a frypan over medium heat. Grind the quick cooking oats into a flour - I used my NutriBullet. Add the milk, egg, sugar and vanilla extract into a jug- sir using a whisk until combined. Now stir in until smooth the milled oats, protein powder, baking powder and salt. If the batter is looking a little too thick, add a few extra tbsps of milk. Begin to fry, making them as big or as little as you like. I have a non-stick pan, but you may need to add some coconut oil or butter to avoid sticking. Allow the pancakes to cook on one side until bubbles form and pop, then flip over. Allow to cook on the other side for a further 30 seconds. Transfer the pancakes onto a plate and repeat the process. Once no pancake batter remains, top your pancakes with your favourite toppings - I like almond butter, yoghurt, fresh berries and banana slices. Serves 1
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This recipe won’t be featured in a health magazine, but is designed for one's sanity - think incredibly fudgy brownies, with a glossy cracked top, yes please! One of the exciting and possibly unique elements to these brownies is the addition of the browned butter. What’s browned butter you ask? Well, it’s a process where you gently heat the butter, until it begins to turn a brown golden colour. This creates an incredible nutty flavour, and results in a brownie with a more complex flavour profile. Complex flavour profile? Just think a brownie that tastes out of this world! So this Sunday, blast some tunes and bake away. Enjoy! Love Alex, Ballerina Bites PS: Be sure to tag me @ballerina_bites on Instagram so I can see your wonderful recreations! Ingredients
60g unsalted butter ¼ cup (20g) cocoa powder 1 ½ tsp instant espresso powder (I used Nescafe Azera Americano Instant Coffee) ((You won’t be able to taste the coffee, this is used to enhance the flavour of the chocolate)) ¼ cup (113g) boiling water 150g 85% dark chocolate ¼ cup (56g) neutral flavoured oil (I used vegetable oil) ½ cup (100g) caster sugar ½ cup (100g) light brown sugar 1 large egg 2 large egg yolks ¾ cup (100g) plain flour ½ tsp fine sea salt 200g milk chocolate (I used Lindt), roughly chopped Method Preheat the oven to 180°c and line a 20cm brownie tin with foil - two pieces of foil overlapping works best, then lightly grease with butter. (Baking your brownies in a tin lined in foil, creates a brownie with crisp edges) In a small saucepan add the butter and gently heat. Once the butter begins to go brown, immediately take off the heat and allow to cool slightly. Meanwhile fill a small saucepan halfway with boiling water and set heat to medium. In a small bowl add the cocoa, espresso powder, boiling water, dark chocolate and oil and place over the boiling water, making sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl. Allow the ingredients to melt until smooth, if the mixture looks grainy don’t worry, it will come together in the final bowl later. Set aside to cool slightly. Now add the sugar and eggs into a large bowl and use an electric handheld whisk to beat until fluffy. On beaten, pour in the vanilla extract, slightly cooled browned butter and melted chocolate mix into the bowl - stir using a spatula. Add the flour to the bowl and mix well, before folding in the chopped milk chocolate. Pour the brownie batter into the lined tin and bake for 15 minutes, before removing from the oven and smacking on the bench - this will create a crisp crackle effect on your brownies. Return the brownies back into the oven and bake for a further 10 - 15 minutes - if your brownies are a little underdone, don’t worry, that is ideal and ensures a fudgy brownie. Remove from the oven and again smack on your bench, before cooling completely at room room temperature in the baking tin. Place the brownies into the fridge for another 1 - 2 hours, then slice. Makes 16 brownies Some of my favourite dishes stem from Asian cuisine, with lots of umami strong flavours - I just can’t get enough of a salty sweet sauce coating noodles or rice.
This recipe emulates these flavours, using soy sauce (or tamari), miso paste and sesame oil - transforming the other ingredients they carry. My Miso Kimchi Rice is a simple recipe that basically has you adding the ingredients into a pot, roasting some veggies, before combining in a bowl. Enjoy! Love Alex, Ballerina Bites. Xx PS: Be sure to tag me @ballerina_bites on Instagram so I can see your wonderful recreations. Ingredients ⅓ cup brown rice ⅔ + ¼ cup of water ½ small red onion, diced 1- 2 garlic cloves, crushed Pinch of chilli flakes (optional) 1 tsp white miso paste 1 tsp soy sauce or tamari ½ tsp sesame oil 1 large zucchini, sliced into half moons A handful of coriander, roughly chopped 2 generous tbsp kimchi Black Sesame Seeds 1 egg cooked to your liking, or ½ an avocado (or both!) Method Pre- heat the oven to 190°c and line a tray with baking paper. Add the rice, water, red onion, garlic, chill flakes (if using), miso paste, soy sauce/ tamari and sesame oil in a small- medium sized saucepan. Bring to a boil, before reducing heat to low and covering with a lid. Allow to cook for 30 - 40mins. Place the sliced zucchini moons over your lined tray and bake for 30mins or until crisp and golden. Just before the rice is ready, cook the egg the way you like. (I like mine sunny side up) When the rice has absorbed all liquid, take off the heat and stir in the roasted zucchini, coriander and kimchi. Serve in a bowl and top with the egg, plus a sprinkling of sesame seeds. Serves 1 I think I have a slight obsession with dried figs - in particular the soft kind. Honestly if you’ve never tried soft dried figs, then give them a go! They’re surprisingly moorish with a sweet caramel flavour. As the title suggests, here I have my own version of fig newtons. Initially, I was going to bake them as the original, with the figgy filling wrapped in a biscuit dough, but I don’t have the patience for that - instead I pressed, spread and crumbled. I think fig newtons divide a lot of people, with a lot of people not liking the seeded presence. If you do however like me, then you’re going to love this recipe. Enjoy! Love Alex, Ballerina Bites. Xx PS: Be sure to tag me @ballerina_bites on Instagram so I can see your wonderful recreations! Ingredients Dough 2 cups quick oats 1 cup almond meal ¼ tsp fine salt 1 tsp vanilla extract 3 tbsp coconut oil or butter, melted 3 tbsp water 1 tsp vanilla extract Filling 440g dried soft figs ⅓ cup boiling water A squeeze of lemon juice Method
Preheat the oven to 160°c and line a 20cm square brownie tin with baking paper. Add the oats into a food processor and blend until a flour. Now add the remaining dough ingredients and blend until it comes together. If you find the dough is a little dry, add a few extra tbsp of water - how many extra you may need, depends on the oats you’ve used. Evenly press ⅔ ‘s of the dough into the lined tin and reserve the rest later. Set this aside. Clean out your food processor using a paper towel, it doesn’t have to be completely washed clean. Remove the woody stalks from the figs using a knife, then pop into your food processor. Pour in the boiling water, with a squeeze of lemon juice, and blend until a paste. Scoop and evenly spread the paste over the base - you may need to wet your spoon/ spatula or fingers for this. Now crumble over the remaining dough and slightly press into the fig paste. Bake for 30- 35 minutes, or until golden. Allow to cool completely before slicing. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week Yields 9 Banana Bread is one of those things that mankind can’t live without. It’s perfect for brekkie, with coffee - everyone subconsciously reaches for a slice. With all its glory, a banana bread recipe has always been a high priority to add to Ballerina Bites, but always drove me in circles to find the perfect recipe. With that being said, I’ve finally settled on this version that’s not too distant from the original - just without dairy or eggs. Enjoy! Love Alex xx PS: Be sure to tag me @ballerina_bites on Instagram so I can see your wonderful recreations! Ingredients
6 medium sized bananas (600g without the skin) A large handful of pitted dates, chopped into small pieces A large handful of walnuts, broken into small pieces ⅓ cup (70g) coconut oil or butter, melted 1 tsp vanilla extract ⅓ cup (70g) coconut or raw sugar 2 tsp baking powder 2 tsp bicarb-soda ¼ tsp salt 2 cups (260g) plain, wholemeal or gluten free flour 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar Method Preheat the oven to 160°c and line a large loaf tin with baking paper, or butter then dust with flour. Mash the bananas in a large bowl using a fork. Add the dates, walnuts, coconut oil/ butter, vanilla extract, sugar, baking powder, bicarb soda, and salt - stir until well combined. Now add the flour and apple cider vinegar and mix, be careful not to over stir. Bake for 1 hour, or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool completely, before slicing. Store in the fridge for 1 week - Feel free to freeze the banana bread in slices to ensure freshness is maintained. Enjoy as is, or toasted lathered with butter or nut butter. Makes 1 large loaf Is meal prep big on your agenda and you’re wanting to include more savoury snacks, or a handheld lunch option? These Savoury Muffins are the answer - with umami flavours and cheesy undertones, they’re set to satisfy that need for something salty. My Savoury Muffins are also a wonderful way to hide and pack in the veggies, even for the most picky of eaters. Enjoy! Love Alex. xx PS: Be sure to tag me @ballerina_bites so I can see your wonderful reactions! Ingredients
1 onion 1oog fresh shiitake or brown mushrooms, 2 medium zucchinis 2 carrots 2 garlic cloves, peeled 2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce 2 tbsp maple syrup 2 tsp smoked paprika ⅓ cup oil free sun dried tomatoes, roughly diced Salt and pepper to taste Dry 2 cups buckwheat, plain or gluten free flour ½ cup nutritional yeast or cheese 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda Wet 2 cups milk ¼ cup olive oil ½ tbsp apple cider vinegar A small bunch of parsley, roughly chopped Method Preheat your oven to 180°C. Using a box grater or food processor with a grater attachment, grate the onion, mushrooms, zucchinis, carrots & garlic. Transfer the veggies into a large pot (set to medium- high heat), along with the tamari/ soy sauce, maple syrup, smoked paprika, sun dried tomatoes and salt & pepper to taste. Sauté, stirring throughout, until all veggie juices have evaporated. Take off the heat and add the ‘dry’ and ‘wet’ ingredients - straight into the pot. Stir until well combined, then spoon the batter into a 12x muffin tin, lined with muffin cases. Bake for 30 - 40mins, or until a skewer comes out clean. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week, or freeze to enjoy fresh at a later date. Yields 12 muffins Now this is a granola for the peanut butter fans! With a maple peanut butter caramel coating rolled oats, this granola is perfect with milk, yoghurt or your favourite ice-cream. Yes it is possibly more a morning tea or dessert option (rather than breakfast), but nonetheless it will sustain & satisfy a hungry sweet tooth. Enjoy! Love Alex, Ballerina Bites. Xx PS: Be sure to tag me @ballerina_bite on Instagram so I can see your wonderful recreations! Ingredients
⅓ cup roasted salted peanut butter ⅓ cup maple syrup 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted 1 tbsp vanilla extract 2 ½ cups rolled oats ¼ cup roasted salted peanuts ¼ cup cacao nibs 50g 70% dark chocolate, roughly chopped Method Preheat the oven to 160°c and line a large tray with baking paper. Combine the peanut butter, maple syrup, melted coconut oil and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Stir in the rolled oats, making sure each oat is nicely coated in the peanut butter caramel. Spread the granola over the tray to make one layer. Bake for 25 - 30mins, giving a toss at every 5 - 10 minute intervals. Meanwhile in a small bowl combine the roasted salted peanuts, cacao nibs and roughly chopped chocolate. Once the granola is golden, crisp and still warm, sprinkle over the chocolate and peanut mix - this will allow the chocolate to melt and create clusters! Allow to cool completely before transferring to an airtight jar - store at room temperature. Enjoy as is, or with milk/ yoghurt/ ice-cream! Yields 1x 750ml Jar Peanut Butter. Can anyone else agree that PB should be a food group?!
As a lot of know, I’m obsessed with this thick, nutty, slightly claggy paste and have featured PB here on the blog numerous times before. Some of my favourite PB recipes include my Peanut Butter & Banana Celebration Cake, Peanut Butter Balls (recipe by my bro @emerson_cooks), Dan Dan Noodles, Mexican Cauliflower, Corn & Peanut Butter Soup, plus more! Here I have my super simple recipe that I think is better than any other store bought brand, but you first have to take a few things into consideration to ensure success! 1. The variety of peanuts - peanuts can vary in flavour depending on where they’re grown. You’re looking for a peanut that tastes sweet and is also hi-oleic (meaning they’re high in unsalted fats, which promotes healthy heart health). If you can, finding peanuts that are single origin will make a huge difference too... if we’re getting fancy. 2. Roasted vs raw peanuts - A good rule of thumb, when making any nut butter is using roasted nuts. This tends to save blending time, as the nuts have released their oils during the roasting process, creating a smoother butter. I buy my nuts pre roasted and means they’re skinless also. 3. Unsalted vs salted peanuts - I tend to go for a combo of both and use a 1:1 ratio. Salted peanuts enhance the flavour of the nut and rockets your pb from average to epic! If you use entirely salted peanuts your nut butter can become a little too salty. 4. Ultra smooth pb - the first thing I look for when finding a good pb is its texture - it has to be smooth! To achieve this at home you need to blend, blend, blend! Like 10 minutes blend! Your peanuts will go for a sand - thick paste - ball - then smooth. Enjoy! Love Alex, Ballerina Bites. Xx PS: Be sure to tag me @ballerina_bites, so I can see your wonderful recreations! Ingredients 2 cups unsalted roasted peanuts 2 cups salted roasted peanuts Method Add your peanuts to a food processor (I use a Magimix) and as I mentioned before, blend, blend, blend! After 5 - 10mins, you should have an ultra smooth peanut butter. Pour your pb into a clean jar, or container and allow to cool before closing the lid. Store in a cool dry place for up to 6 months. Yield just under a 500ml jar Wow, what a recipe if I do say so myself!! I haven't created a flavourful one pot stew in a long time and I think this is the perfect recipe to introduce this style of cooking back into my repertoire. My Rose Harissa, Date & Lentil Stew is ideal for meal prep and goes down a treat at family gatherings too. The highlight and possibly unusual ingredient in this dish, is the addition of Rose Harissa Paste - a fragrant paste from North Africa, with red hot chillies, herbs, spices, garlic and rose petals. If you can’t find rose harissa (the brand I use is by Belazu), standard harissa is more than fine also. Some other ingredients worth mentioning in this recipe, are the medjool dates, which melt into the strew and add a sweet caramel flavour, as well as tahini, to cut the heat from the harissa paste and provide an irresistible richness! Enjoy! Love Alex, Ballerina Bites. Xx PS: Be sure to tag me @ballerina_bites so I can see your wonderful recreations. Ingredients
1 red onion, diced 500g brown button mushrooms, diced 3 garlic cloves, crushed 2 large carrots, diced 3 heaping tbsp rose harissa paste or standard harissa paste 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp smoked paprika 4 medjool dates, pitted and chopped into small pieces 2 cups whole green lentils 2x 400ml cans of plum tomatoes 800ml water Salt & Pepper to taste ½ cup tahini A large bag of chopped kale Lemon wedges to serve Method In a large saucepan, add a glug of water or oil and set heat to medium. Add the diced onion, mushrooms and season with S&P. Begin to saute until the onion becomes translucent and the mushroom juices have evaporated. Stir in the garlic, carrots, harissa paste, ground cumin, smoked paprika, medjool dates and allow to fry until it smells fragrant. Now stir in the green lentils, canned tomatoes, water, S&P to taste and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cover with a lid ajar. Allow to simmer for 1 hour- stirring throughout. Serve the stew with a grain of choice and a wedge of lemon. Potato or pasta is also a delicious option too! Serves 6 Beluga lentils create the heartiness of this salad with peppery rocket, roasted red onion and sweet honey like mulberries adding a wonderful harmony of flavours. A one bowl dressing of yoghurt, honey, tahini, cumin and optional lemon juice - brings the salad to life and creates an irresistible meal. Enjoy! Love Alex, Ballerina Bites. Xx PS: Be sure to tag me @ballerina_bites so I can see your wonderful recreations! Ingredients
1 large red onion Oil of choice 250g cooked beluga lentils 2 large handfuls of rocket A handful of coriander, roughly chopped (optional) ⅓ cup dried mulberries Dressing ⅓ cup yoghurt of choice 1 tbsp tahini 1 tsp honey or brown rice syrup ¼ tsp cumin S&P to taste Lemon Juice (optional) Method Preheat your oven to 180°c and line a small tray with baking paper. Peel the red onion, chop into ⅛’s and roughly seperate the layers. Scatter the onion over the tray and lightly coat with oil of choice. Once golden and crisp, remove from the oven and set aside to cool. To make the dressing, add the the yoghurt, tahini, honey/ brown rice syrup, cumin and salt & pepper to taste in a small bowl. Gently stir together until it’s combined and smooth. Taste the dressing and adjust the tang to your liking with lemon juice. Assemble the salad between two bowls - rocket, lentils, coriander (if using), mulberries and red onion. Serve with the dressing on the side and douse to your liking. Store In an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. Keep the dressing separate and dress when you’re to eat. Serves 2 |