GRAIN-FREE SEED CRACKERS

I made these crackers for breakfast this morning. I was craving something crunchy, crispy and just

VEGAN MAYO - PLUS HOW TO RECIPE VIDEO

Whether you are vegan or NOT this mayo is the bomb dot com, yip I just said that. Thats not how I usually speak but I felt it was the best way to describe a recipe that is:

BERRY SUMMER SMOOTHIE

I have been loving having berries around now that the warmer weather seems to be here, Hello Spring and then Summer!

This is one of those make shift recipes where it really just a guideline to what I throw in my blender (so please adjust according to your taste).

Vegetarian
Summery
Fruity
Quick
and could be vegan if you sub the honey for maple syrup.


BERRY SMOOTHIE RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:

+/- 2 cups of berries (I used strawberries and mulberries)
1 medium banana
1 cup organic coconut milk
2 -3 Tablespoons hemp seeds
1 teaspoon honey. 

1/4 cup filtered water (if to thick - OPTIONAL)

METHOD
Blend and adjust sweetness and thickness to taste. 

serve. 

Comment and tell me what your favorite smoothie combo is below.

Maca Bowls

This is what we are eating for desert at the moment - And if there is any left over in the back of the fridge (read I hid some from my family) then I have a small bowl for breakfast.
It is cool and smooth with a little bit of chia texture. I find it comforting and sweet (cause we don't eat refined sugars and our taste buds have adjusted) - yay. small victories right?

GREEN GODDESS DRESSING

With the crazy busyness of studying plus work and family life I haven't been able to get to cook and photograph many things in the day time. Hence the lack of recipe posts -sorry. I think about it often and check in here and on facebook to say hi and answer comments etc...

I will be back - one day ;) kidding , Im still here just lurking in the background.
Studying is going well and Im getting close to the end, about 5 - 6 weeks and Im finished -Eeek!
I will be studying 2 other short courses after that but much less work load so life will ease up a little - yay!
I have LOVED studying, I never thought I would like it that much but now Im sad to finish. Life always has ways of flipping things on its head and surprising us.

COCONUT MUESLI

This is like having dessert for breakfast!

Fresh coconut thinly sliced and then toasted can not be compared to dried out coconut toasted! really once you have cracked up a fresh coconut and put a thin sliver under the grill until lightly golden - oh my yum! I never knew what I was missing... I strongly suggest you try (if you like coconut that is)

CHOCOLATE AND COCONUT TRUFFLES

 

I originally posted this recipe on my blog when SPAR Cape Quarter asked me to write some recipes and blog about it - They paid me in yummy vouchers to buy all the ingredients in their store. (to read the original POST go here).

With Easter coming up soon I thought I would re-post it.
These truffles are beautiful and sweet but healthier than your regular chocolate truffles (especially if you swop out the glace cherries for some soft dried fruit). They do contain chocolate and the higher percentage of cocoa in the chocolate you purchase - the healthier they will be. So don't go buy a regular milk chocolate but a dark 70% or 85% cocoa bar.
My understanding of how it works is, if you buy a 100gram bar of 85% cocoa chocolate then 85 grams out of the 100 gram bar is cocoa leaving only 15% for sugar and cocoa butter etc... Yes it will be more bitter as there is less sugar in the bar but I assure you I have added beautiful sweet dates and dessicated coconut and raw sweet almonds to sweeten it up naturally. With no bad sweeteners but healthy natural ingredients. You could always add a dash of honey if it really isn't sweet enough for you.

Adding the maraschino cherries in the middle or the glace cherries to the mix is not healthy at all so if you go that route - then it is only for a very special treat and the truffles won't be healthy (just FYI)

INGREDIENTS
50grams Raw almonds
7 fresh Dates (pips removed)
a generous handful of Glace Cherries (roughly 17) +/- 100grams (I now would opt to have soft dried fruit like PEARS or APRICOTS instead)
50g 70% dark Chocolate (I used Lindt) (roughly chopped)
1/2 cup fine coconut
70- 100grams dark chocolate (or chocolate of your choice)
2 teaspoons sunflower oil
OPTIONAL a few marachino cherries on stalks

METHOD
Grind the almonds until fine in a blender and then take out and set aside.
Place dates in the blender and blend slightly and then add the glace cherries OR soft dried fruit. (much better option).  Blend a bit more and then add the dark chocolate and blend until  very well mixed, chopped and kind of smooth. Add the ground almonds and mix again. Now add the coconut little by little until you reach a pliable consistency. Then roll into balls or mold around marachino cherries---> OPTIONAL and not as healthy!
Melt the chocolate and oil in a baine marie or a glass bowl balanced on top of a pot with a little water boiling below (the glass bowl mustn't touch the water below). Stir until melted. Dip the rolled cherry and coconut balls in the chocolate and spoon over more melted chocolate with a spoon and then place on waxed paper to set. There will be a little melted chocolate left over but if you use less you wan't be able to spoon the chocolate over the balls - so spread the left over chocolate on a separate piece of wax paper and sprinkle with cherries, almonds or raisins or water you fancy in your chocolate and leave to set - break into pieces and enjoy.

Enjoy your lovely Chocolate and coconut truffles or wrap up and package in a pretty box to make a beautiful and delicious gift.

VANILLA CAKE GLUTEN FREE

Here is the typed out version from the recipe: Vanilla cake in my you tube video. A big thank you to all who have viewed it. I hope it keeps spreading and being viewed - YAY!

It really is a VERY easy and Yummy cake :) Its one of those cakes that you can make in 1 bowl and whip up and place in the oven while supper is being prepared. It is THAT easy!

Scroll to the end of the post to see how yummy is is all finished and filled with cream.

 INGREDIENTS
100 grams Brown sugar
2 eggs
120 grams Gluten Free flour (you can use regular flour - just use a bit less)
1 and a half teaspoons baking powder
1 vanilla pod or a generous teaspoon of vanilla essence
1/4 - half a cup of milk

LEMON CREAM CHEESE ICING / FROSTING

Cake garnished with blueberries and dripping smooth lemon cottage cheese icing

It the time of year for festive happiness and Christmas cheer :) and what better to cheer you up than some zesty and sweet icing or frosting for your cakes.
Super easy and simple to make.

INGREDIENTS
Icing Sugar (+/-250 grams)
1 lemon
Cream Cheese or Smooth Cottage Cheese
Milk

METHOD
Depending on weather you use cream cheese or smooth cottage cheese will depend on how much icing sugar you need. Start by placing your cheese (which ever you pick) in a medium bowl. Beat the cheese until soften slightly then sift over icing sugar a bit at a time and mix in until smooth.
Cut your lemon in half and squeeze some of the juice into the bowl - taste and add as much as suits your taste. If your icing is too thick add a little milk until it is the desired thickness. The same applies if it is to runny, add more sifted icing sugar until thick enough.
Then ice / frost your cakes

Happy tea time

enjoy

Smooth Banana Ice Cream

I love this treat/snack SO much as it is one of the EASIEST things to make, so very cheap on ingredients and easy to adapt to your taste!

I have seen this blogged about as the 1 ingredient ice cream. ... and I suppose it can be called that. I just adore it because it can be given to babies all the way through to adults. AND IT DELICIOUS AND HEALTHY. Think easy for kids on a hot summers day. No need to buy ice cream and fill them with preservatives and glucose syrup when this tastes just as delicious and is twice as healthy. Great for kids parties - especially toddlers. You also can add chocolate chips or peanut butter or nuts and cherries to make it an even more special treat.

INGREDIENTS

1 and a half bananas per person

2 Tablespoons cream per person (optional) - don't add if giving to babies

extras: chocolate, peanut butter, cherries, nuts etc... 

METHOD

Peel your bananas and slice into 1cm chunks.

Place in a glass (freezer proof) bowl or jar and freeze until hard (I freeze mine over night) but I'm guessing 3 hours should be fine.

Then place in a blender jug and blend until smooth - adding cream if you so wish to make it even more decadent and ice cream like but not necessary. 

Once smooth you can stir in any goodies if you wish .. chocolate, nuts etc..

Enjoy straight away or place in the freezer to keep cool until needed

so creamy and delicious - you can also use mangoes instead of bananas :)

enjoy

MUESLI - MAKE YOUR OWN STYLE

MUESLI is one of those great things that if you make your own you can decide just what kind of mood you are in and make it according to your taste. If you don't like nuts or a particular nut - leave it out. If you really LOVE dried mango add double the amount! :) See its fun when you make it how you want it instead of buying the shop version and then picking out the annoying parts you don't like. Also the shop bought version can be expensive for the good stuff! And the cheap stuff tends to lack in taste or nice ingredients. Of course as always I believe in buying the best quality ingredients you can afford. And go for organic if you can... it will be healthier and better for you.

Here is the really simple MAKE-YOUR-OWN muesli.

INGREDIENTS (feel free to swop out ingredients for what you like)
500g - 1kg rolled oats (organic if possible)
2 - 5 tablespoons coconut oil
2 - 5 tablespoons Honey ( as RAW and as pure as you can get)
Sunflower seeds
Sesame seeds
OPTIONAL:  (Raisins, Golden Saltanas, Dried Mango,Dried Pineapple, Dried Apple, Dried Apricots, Dried Pears etc...)
Almonds or nuts of choice

METHOD:

MIX ALL THE ABOVE TOGETHER AND BAKE/GRILL UNTIL GOLDEN BROWN. STIR OFTEN AND WATCH IT DOESN'T BURN. THEN ADD:


Almonds or other nuts you like

Dried fruit of choice- (Raisins, Golden Saltanas, Dried Mango,Dried Pineapple, Dried Apple, Dried Apricots, Dried Pears etc...)


Chop up your dried fruit into small bite sized pieces and stir into the honey toasted oats.
Let cool and then pour into a air tight jar.
Enjoy with a variety of options:
milk
yoghurt
a spoon of honey
coconut milk
sliced banana
fresh fruit



Makes an excellent gift - label and tie some pretty ribbon round the jar.