Blueberry and Banana Chip Muffins

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Preparation: 20 minutes Cooking: 40 minutes Servings: 12 medium or 24 mini muffins   Blueberries are definitely one of my favourite fruits; I can’t resist eating them almost every day when they’re in season. These lovely and moist blueberry muffins are perfect for afternoon tea or kids’ school lunchboxes. They are delicious warm from the oven, the blueberry sweetness bursting into the soft almond crumb. Top with banana chips for a playful crunch.   Brain Food Note The delightfully small and sweet blueberries pack a powerful antioxidant punch and act as little brain protectors. They are even more powerful when combined with foods that are rich in healthy fats.   3 bananas 1/2 cup coconut sugar 3 organic eggs juice of 1 lemon 100 grams melted butter or 1/4 cup coconut oil 2 cups almond flour 3/4 cup tapioca flour 1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries 1/2 cup of banana chips   Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C(or360 degrees F) and line a 12-hole muffin tin or 24-hole mini tin with paper cases; alternatively, grease the tins with a little coconut oil. Place the bananas in a large bowl and mash with a fork. Add the coconut sugar, eggs, lemon juice, and coconut oil or butter. Using a large wooden spoon, mix until combined. In a separate bowl, mix the flours, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, and sea salt. Add the mashed banana to the egg mixture and mix well, then add the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined. Don’t overmix or the muffins will lose their lightness. Spoon the batter into the muffin cases or tin and then top with blueberries and banana chips. Bake muffins for about 40 minutes, and mini muffins for 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean.  

Heavenly Ginger and Fig Cheesecake

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I brought these wonderful, very ripe, and juicy figs at my farmers market last weekend. I love figs; we had a large tree on our property when I was growing up and I used to sit under it in the summer and eat plenty of them. The sweet, succulent fig is rich in phyto-nutrients, anti-oxidants, and vitamins. What to do with them? Ok, I need to make a birthday cake for a friend. Why don’t I marry this delicious, sweet fruit with another fave of mine – ginger! Ginger and fig birthday cake, yippee! I gave it a whirl and the result was sublime…   gingerfig6

You Will Need:

Base:
1 cup of almonds ½ a cup of coconut 2 thumb size pieces of ginger (finely chopped) 2 teaspoons of ground ginger A pinch of salt 2 tablespoons of coconut oil
Filling:
2 cups of cashew nuts 1 cup of almond milk Juice of 1 lemon 2 tablespoons of maple syrup or honey 3 tablespoons of cacao butter 4 large ripe figs 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract 1-2 thumb size pieces of ginger (finely chopped) 3 teaspoons of ground ginger ¼ of a cup of filtered water A pinch of salt gingerfig2

What To Do:

The night before:
Soak your cashews in water.
For the base:
  1. Process the almonds into small pieces with the salt in a food processor or high-speed blender. Add the coconut, ginger, ground ginger, and coconut oil, and give a few pulses until combined. As I don’t have a food processor, I find it easier to blend the almonds into small pieces (but not dust), then mix the nuts with the other ingredients in a bowl.
  2. Press the base into the bottom of a spring-form 7 inch pan and place into your refrigerator until needed.
For the filling:
  1. Blend the cashews, almond milk, lemon juice, maple syrup, cacao butter, figs, vanilla, finely chopped ginger, and ground ginger in your blender or food processor until it blends to a smooth velvety mix. Add the filtered water to get a pourable but thick consistency. Blend again until silky smooth.
  2. Take your base out of the fridge and pour the filling in to the nut base in the pan.
  3. Place in the freezer for about 2-3 hours until firm.
  4. Take the cheesecake out of the freezer 1 hour prior to serving and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
  5. Garnish with a sprinkle of ground ginger and fresh figs.
  6. Serve and enjoy!

Bircher Muesli

Breakfast, RecipesLeave a comment
  Preparation:10 minutes plus overnight Servings: 4–5   I’ve always had a soft spot for bircher muesli. You can make this recipe the traditional way, with oats, or alternatively swap out the rolled oats for buckinis and coconut. This creamy bircher recipe is softly spiced with cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and a hint of cardamom. I love the addition of tart cherries, but any dried fruit would work well. This is a great breakfast to take with you if you start work early as I do. Portion the mixture into mason jars and pop in the fridge overnight to work its magic. It’s quick and easy to add fresh fruit in the morning, with a couple of boiled eggs to accompany it, before you head out the door.   Brain Food Note Oats contain B vitamins, magnesium, and fibre to help soothe and relax the mind. This bircher is made with walnut milk and chia seeds to provide all-important omega-3 fatty acids for optimal brain function. Add a spoonful of coconut yogurt for more of the healthy fat that the brain loves.   3 cups oats or 1 1/2 cups buckinis and 1 1/2 cups shredded coconut 1 tablespoon chia seeds 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon cardamom 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup goji berries 1/2 cup tart cherries 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped into small pieces 3 cups walnut or other nut milk 2–3 tablespoons maple syrup juice of 1 lemon 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 red apples (grated) coconut yogurt to serve   In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together. Stir in the goji berries, cherries, and walnuts. Add the almond milk, maple syrup, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Stir to combine. Cover the bowl and pop in the fridge overnight to soak. In the morning, stir in the grated apple and top with coconut yogurt to serve.  

Lemon and Date Amazeballs

Recipes, Snacks, Sweet TreatsLeave a comment
My youngest daughter loves lemony sweet treats.  Her favourites are lemon curd muffins, lemon slices and lemon meringue pies.  As I'm sans an oven at the moment I can't "make over" her favourite baked treats into healthier versions, so I came up with these raw lemon and date balls. These little lemon and date balls didn't last long in our house! Tart and sweet at the same time, they are a great refined sugar, dairy and gluten free snack. Simple and easy to make and ooh so delicious.  They are great as an after school snack and lunchbox filler.  So simple to make, so get the kids helping in the kitchen. :)
You Will Need:
Desiccated coconut 1 ½ cups Cashews 1 cup Medjool dates 8 (chopped) Maple Syrup 2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil 4 Tablespoons Lemon Juice and Zest – 1 lemon Desiccated coconut ½ cup for coating  
To Do:
1. Pop all of your ingredients in a large bowl and mix together. I find using your hands to mix works the best. 2.  Blend until you can form dough with your hands. 3.  Roll dough into balls. 4. Put the topping coconut on a plate and gently roll the balls in the coconut. You can eat some now ☺ or place the balls in the fridge for about an hour to set. 5. Keep in the fridge and pull out for a little snack or they are great to pop into kids lunches. Recipe makes around 15 balls, or if you roll them smaller than I did, about 24. Yum.  

Creamy Cacao Coconut Yoghurt

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There is one thing I really miss since going dairy free and that’s YOGHURT! I love it and I used to eat it a lot, especially during blueberry season. Greek yoghurt and blueberries – yummm! That tangy taste, creamy texture, melt in your mouth… I could go on and on… Anyway, I gave up dairy and found coconut yoghurt! I could eat coconut yoghurt everyday too, but the problem is it’s really expensive. So, what can I do to feed my coconut yoghurt addiction? I make my own. I’ve been experimenting with making my own coconut yoghurt and came up with this simple delicious recipe. I make it using only 3 ingredients: coconut milk or cream, a sweetener, and probiotic capsules (plus cacao if you want the chocolatey kind, and I do). Simply combine the ingredients and leave to sit in a warm place for a day or two. Then voila! Creamy, chocolatey yoghurt for breakfast. You need a good quality coconut milk or cream to begin with, and also good quality probiotic capsules. All coconut cream / milk brands differ slightly, as do the probiotic capsules. You many need to adjust amounts slightly to produce a yoghurt of the consistency you like. cy2real  
You Will Need:
1 can of coconut cream or milk (use the full fat variety) 3 good quality probiotic powder capsules 2 tablespoons of maple syrup or honey 6 tablespoons of cacao powder
What To Do:
  1. Sterilise a glass jar, either by boiling in water or heating in a low oven for 10 minutes or putting it through your dishwasher.
  2. Warm the coconut cream or milk in a pan over a very low heat, until warm to touch.
  3. Pour the warmed coconut cream or milk into the sterilised jar, and add the powder from the probiotic pills.
  4. Add honey or maple syrup.
  5. Stir until well combined.
  6. Place the jar in a sunny place like a benchtop, for 12 hours. Alternatively you could also place it in a yoghurt maker or in a hot water cupboard wrapped in a tea towel.
  7. After 24 hours, add the raw cacao powder to the fermenting yoghurt and blend it all up in a high-speed blender.
  8. Pop yoghurt back in your jar, screw the lid on and place in the fridge for 1-2 days. You will find that the yoghurt will thicken considerably once stored in the fridge. It will also become thicker and slightly tarter each day.
  9. The yoghurt keeps up to 2 weeks in the fridge, but it won’t last that long!
  10. After 1 or 2 days, depending on how you like it, serve and enjoy! Serve a couple of spoonfuls on top of fruit, or in smoothies or with homemade granola. I have topped my cacao coconut yoghurt with goji berries and Little Bird Cacao Grawnola. Recipe makes a small jar or bowl full of yoghurt.
The greek yoghurt kind of thickness in the picture was achieved by using 3 good quality probiotic capsules and waiting for 4 days.

Spinach and Kale Green Smoothie

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I'm really getting into green smoothies at the moment, and its something myself and my kids are loving and will definitely continue. Its a great way to get more veggies into your kids! Green smoothies are a delicious and quick way to download a massive amount of raw nutrients into your body every day. It's a good idea to combine healthy fats with your raw greens, as it helps your body to assimilate the nutrients. Here is a combination I love:  
Ingredients
Baby spinach and kale - handful Coconut Yoghurt 2 Tablespoons Coconut Milk 1/2 Cup Chia Seeds 2 Tablespoons Flaxseed Oil 1 Tablespoon Frozen Banana 1 - (freeze peeled and in pieces) Cold water to your preferred consistency Pop in your blender and blitz until smooth and creamy. Yum :)  

Berry Breakfast Parfait

Breakfast, RecipesLeave a comment
I love breakfast, its my favourite meal, however sometimes only a simple breakfast of muesli will do. I love bircher muesli the most, so I decided to experiment and I came up with this delicate earthy breakfast parfait. This seed and nut muesli is slightly chewy and crunchy and is a great alternative to bircher muesli or I even have it as a dessert sometimes, with some shaved dark chocolate on top.
You Will Need
Sunflower Seeds - 1 Cup Sesame Seeds - 1 Cup Walnuts - ½ Cup Desiccated Coconut - 1 Cup Honey 2 Tablespoons Apple 2-3 small Berry Coconut Yoghurt – 1 small tub Blueberries or other berries of your choice - 1 Cup Goji Berries – Sprinkle on top of parfaits
To Do
1. Pre-heat oven to 175 degrees C. 2. Spread the seeds and walnuts out on a lined baking tray and toast in the oven until golden. Approximately 5-7 minutes. 3. Remove from the oven. Place seed mixture in a bowl. Spread coconut on the baking tray and toast for about 2 minutes. 4. Take coconut from the oven when golden and then add to the seed mixture. 5. Peel and grate apples and add to the seed mixture with the runny honey. 6. In a glass or little jar put the seed mixture first, then the berry coconut yoghurt and then top with your blueberries and goji berries. 7. Recipe makes 6 parfaits. These are great to make in the evening and have ready for your kids or yourself for breakfast. Yum.    

Apricot and Ginger Amazeballs

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I love ginger! I could put it in everything. I have fresh ginger in hot water instead of coffee, whenever I feel like a hot drink. It always “picks’ me up and is very warming and comforting in winter. I also rarely get sick and haven’t had a cold in years. Ginger strengthens your immune system and is great at easing a queasy tummy from motion, travel or morning sickness. I have added the zing of ginger to these yummy Amazeballs and little pieces of organic dried apricots. Dried apricots are rich in Vitamin A, potassium, iron and fiber. Add to that an anti-oxidant boost of cacao and coconut oil and these little babies pack a powerful hit of nutrients! You will love the little ginger kick you get in your mouth after you have had one!   ginger2  
You Will Need:
2 cups of desiccated coconut ½ a cup of cacao powder ½ a cup of dried apricot pieces 2 tablespoons of ground ginger 2 tablespoons of coconut oil (melted) 2 tablespoons of maple syrup 1 teaspoon of vanilla 1 teaspoon of cinnamon A pinch of salt
What To Do:
  1. Put all of your ingredients into a food processor, or mix together in a large bowl.
  2. Roll the mixture into small balls and pop in the refrigerator to chill and set. You can eat them without putting them in the fridge first, but I think they are nicer when they’re chilled.
  3. Makes 24 small balls.
   

Pumpkin and Spinach Omelette with Toasted Pine Nuts

Breakfast, RecipesLeave a comment
  Preparation: 5 minutes Cooking: 10 minutes Servings: 1   The simple omelette is a versatile, quick, and healthy meal you can whip up in no time. It makes for a great breakfast, late night supper, lunch, post-workout meal, or even a light dinner with a salad and fermented vegetables on the side. This is my favourite combination; the subtle sweetness of pumpkin goes well with meltingly soft spinach and the warm, woody taste of nutmeg. Top with pine nuts for a delightful crunch.   Brain Food Note Eggs are a feel-good food, delivering brain-boosting nutrients like folate to protect the brain from cognitive decline. Pumpkin, spinach, and coconut oil are excellent choices for brain strength and vitality. These three together deliver nutrients that can enhance brain function, promote mood balance, and improve memory.   3 organic eggs 1 tablespoon coconut oil or ghee 2 handfuls baby spinach 3/4 cup pumpkin, cut into 1 cm cubes 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted* 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg sea salt freshly ground black pepper   Break the eggs into a mixing bowl. Add salt and black pepper and whisk well. Alternatively, you could pop into a blender and blitz for 10 seconds. Heat the coconut oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Add small pumpkin cubes and cook for 7 minutes, or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add baby spinach and cook for a minute until softened. Add the eggs and tilt the pan to spread the egg evenly. When the omelette begins to firm up but still has a little raw egg on top, sprinkle the toasted pine nuts and ground nutmeg over it. Using a spatula, carefully lift up one edge and fold the omelette in half. Cook for an addition minute. When the bottom of the omelette turns light brown, slide the omelette onto a plate. Sprinkle with parsley or your favourite herbs, and serve with a little tomato relish on the side. * Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (or 350 F). Spread 1 cup of pine nuts on a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Alternatively, for a smaller quantity of nuts, cook pine nuts in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 3–4 minutes, stirring frequently until golden brown.

Nourishing Hot Chocolate

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    Preparation: 2 minutes Cooking: 3 minutes Servings: 2   There is something special and a little magical about sitting around a fire with loved ones, holding a warm drink in your cold hands on a winter’s evening. This divine hot chocolate feels warm and comforting, the inviting aroma of vanilla, cinnamon, and chocolate filling your senses and nourishing your soul.   Brain Food Note Raw cacao is rich in magnesium and acts as a relaxant in the body, aiding sleep. The good fats found in nut milk and coconut oil help to stabilise blood sugar throughout the night and prevent anxiety-induced insomnia. 2 cups almond or coconut milk 2 tablespoons cacao powder 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon raw honey 1 teaspoon coconut oil pinch of sea salt 2 squares 70 to 80 per cent dark chocolate (optional)   Place almond or coconut milk, cacao powder, cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, honey, coconut oil, and salt in a small saucepan on low heat. Stir to combine. Continue to stir as you heat gently. Once the chocolate milk is hot, remove from heat and pour into two mugs. Grate the dark chocolate over the milk or alternatively, place one square of dark chocolate in each mug and either stir to combine or let the chocolate slowly melt as you drink.