apple Pie Bites recipe, 1st post of our contributor editor hara korakaki

Let me introduce you one of my best friends , a charismatic girl , a business woman , a veterinarian , who never stops exploring the world while travelling and the best cooker and talented pastry chef I know .Welcome to Escape Karma Hara ! Hara Korakaki is our first contributor editor here on escape karma , she is a 25-year-old woman ,born and raised in Greece , but currently lives in UK where she works as a vet. But as I mentioned, she is unstoppable and when she is in the kitchen she works her magic ,so she launched Haras Foodblog ,there you will find her healthy and colourful recipes savory or sweet you are going to love them all .

Today she is sharing with us her tasty and quick recipe , to make our own apple pie bites !

Recipe

  • 1/3 cup green apple (grated, excess liquid squeezed out)
  • 1/3 cup almond butter 
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup 
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract 
  • 1+1/2 cup oats 
  • 1 tsp cinnamon 
  • pinch of salt

In a medium bowl, combine the grated apple, almond butter, maple syrup and vanilla and stir until smooth. Add the oats, cinnamon and salt and mix until evenly distributed. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Use a tablespoon to scoop out the mixture, then roll into balls with your hands. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight contain for up to a week. Enjoy!! 

photo Hara’s Foodblog

That was her first post on our website hope that you will love her recipe and if you give it a try let us know . Till then stay safe .

Recipe by Hara Korakaki find her here too

Eleni Kadigkou XX

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Chia pudding , the healthiest overnight vegan breakfast

Image Panagiotis Kadigkos

Can you imagine that , waking up and have ready on your fridge your breakfast high in protein , fiber and healthy fats made with only two ingredients ? So today I’ll share with you the quick and super easy way to make it on your own .The only thing you need to do is to prepare the chia pudding from the previous night in order for the seeds to have enough time to absorb the milk and release their kind of jelly quality and their nutrients .

Before proceeding to the recipe , let’s share some of their benefits and facts .

  • They are an excellent source of omega 3 fatty acids, rich in antioxidants, and they provide fiber, iron and calcium .
  • A 28-gram, or 1-ounce, serving of chia seeds also contains 5.6 grams of protein.
  • Mixed with water, they can replace egg in vegan cooking.
  • Chia seeds can be eaten cooked or raw, but they should be added to another food or soaked before eating.

Also foods that are high in fiber help people to feel full for longer, and they are usually lower in calories. Increased fiber intake and a high fiber diet have been shown to help with weight loss.

Chia seeds contain nearly 5 grams of fiber per tablespoon , and their high levels of omega-3-fatty acids and alpha-linoleic acid may be useful for weight loss. The seed can also be consumed as a gel when mixed with water. This causes it to digest more slowly in the body, potentially preventing hunger for a longer period .

Recipe

  • A cup of no sugar almond milk (you can use any type of milk vegan or not )
  • 4 tablespoon of chia seeds

(The ratio is everything . What I found that works best is 2 tablespoons of chia seeds for every half cup of milk ) You will need a mason jar and then you add the milk and the chia seeds , mixture them well and put it on the fridge overnight . I didn’t add any sweetener because of my personal taste but you can add honey or for vegans agave or maple syrup .The good thing with the chia pudding is that it’s easy to grab it in the morning and take it with you at the office or at the college . Also you can keep it on the fridge for up to 7 days so you can have jars for the whole week . Once the seeds have absorbed the milk in the morning you can add the toppings of your choice , like fresh fruits , shredded coconut , chocolate , peanut butter , cinnamon and different kind of seeds .

In my case I added some fresh blueberries and blackberries , and some frozen gooseberries , red currants and crushed hazelnuts .

Well this is a simple and facile way to have your breakfast ready in the morning and at the same time take advantage of it’s high beneficial quality . I highly recommend you to try at least for once ! Waiting for your feedback .

Eleni Kadigkou XX

Photographer : Panagiotis Kadigkos

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celery juice , have you tried this nutriotinal trend yet ?

First of all , let me say this just because I added on my morning ritual doesn’t mean I follow blindly this trend or that I claim that the juice is a miraculous one and has the ability to heal chronic diseases .Fruits and vegetables have been added on my diet for many years now but it was around 2 or 3 years ago that I tried celery on my smoothies beside the common use , soups ,salads and etc . But this is a different one , we are talking about plain , fresh 100% celery juice (to be honest I add a few drops of lemon sometimes ) .

Photo credits Panagiotis Kadigkos

But how did it turned to be a huge nutritional trend ? Celery juice gain popularity through Anthony’s William book Celery Juice :The most powerful medicine of our time healing ,who’s not a doctor or a nutritionist , but many celebrities , thousands of people in the US and around the globe and as well Gwyneth Paltrow ( featuring Anthony on her website Goop )swear by it . I am not here to mislead and especially when concerning to medical issues neither I am the kind of the person who follows the herd . I only wish to share my own experience and the to do steps in case you are willing to give it a try too .

I won’t insist on nutritional information and composition of the vegetable but I have to mention some of the benefits that provide . Have you ever noticed that celery looks alike human bones ?

Actually beside the appearance, they have another thing in common – they contain 23% sodium, just like our bones . Celery is a great source of silicon which helps with the structure of our bones to keep them strong and healthy. Furthermore celery has an alkalizing effect ,with minerals like magnesium, iron, and sodium, celery can have a neutralizing effect on acidic foods and helps to balance our PH . Also its anti-inflammatory effect is ideal to use celery juice for detoxifying our liver and heal our gut .

Lastly celery contains a particular compound called coumarins which promotes the activity of white blood cells and assists the vascular system. This helps the blood flow, reduces blood pressure and purifies the bloodstream .The sodium in celery also maintains the fluidity of the blood and lymph fluids, preventing them from becoming too thick. For more information you can check thoroughly on medical and nutritional website , books and researches .

Before we continue to the making process allow me to share my personal experience and the reason I added on my morning ritual . Have been suffering from abdominal bloating effect , my stomach ,even if I follow a healthy diet, isn’t working right plus I have some symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome . That means that the past few years in the morning time the first think I do is to drink something like warm water with lemon and turmeric or do a juice cleanse program in order to aid digestion and for 30 minutes after that I don’t eat or drink something else . Alongside I do studies to be a sommelier and also I ‘ve got a certification in spirits , part of the training is the tasting although you don’t have to drink all of them (!!!) but I like wine so sometimes I feel the need to detoxifying my liver cause generally my diet is quite balanced .

What I’ve noticed so far are the following :

  • My digestion works better not all but most of the days that I drink the juice
  • My skin looks a lot better and clean , especially the eye area (puffiness and dark circles )
  • My energy levels are getting higher and the effect of fatigue is lower than ever ( to mention also the interval of 30 minutes that I have to wait before breakfast I reclaim it and go for running )
Photo credits Panagiotis Kadigkos

 Recipe

1 head of celery, stalks separated

  • Rinse the celery ,chop the stalks and run it through a juicer.
  • Drink immediately.
  • Alternatively, you can chop the celery and blend it in a high-speed blender until smooth. Strain and drink immediately.
  • Then wait from 15 to 30 minutes until you have breakfast or coffee .
Photo credits Panagiotis Kadigkos
Photo credits Panagiotis Kadigkos

That was all for this time . I don’t recommend Celery juice as a remedy for chronic diseases but after all its hydrating and vegetables are rich on nutritional value . If you have already tried it feel free to share your story otherwise if you are willing to share your feedback anytime .

Eleni Kadigkou Xx

Photographer : Panagiotis Kadigkos

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