All Posts by vitalassurance

Groovy Green Smoothie

There are so many different green smoothie combinations. Here's a recipe for those that enjoy having a green smoothie but don't want the flavours to be too intense.

Ingredients:

¼ cup activated almonds
1 frozen banana, chopped
1 Medjool date, pitted
1½ cups baby spinach
1 small Lebanese cucumber, chopped
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 tablespoon maca powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
250ml coconut water

Method:

Place all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend for 60 sec until smooth and creamy. Pour into glass and enjoy.

Serves 1

Roasted Mung Bean Stuffed Mushrooms

I always find my digestion works more efficiently when I give it a break from animal proteins. However, in order to have a complete meal and ensure that you are going to remain satisfied, a good plant protein source will be required. Here steps in the mung beans. They are part of the legume family and are really easy to prepare and throw into anything. I often cook up a batch and use it for all sorts of meals including additions to salads and pastas. Here's another simple way you can utilise your mung beans.

Ingredients:

4 field mushrooms, peeled
4 tablespoons cooked mung beans
6 cherry tomatoes, diced
6 olives, chopped
1 tablespoon coconut aminos balsamic vinegar

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Line tray with baking paper and set aside.

Combine the cherry tomatoes, olives, mung beans and vinegar. Mixing well. Place mushrooms on prepared tray and then carefully fill the cup of the mushroom with the mung bean filling.

Place in oven for 25 minutes until mushrooms become a little soft.

Can be enjoyed as a side to any protein or as the main component of your meal on a bed of sauteed greens or with a salad.

Serves 2

Creamy Coconut Mango Yogurt Bowl

You can now enjoy your mango frozen yogurt at home and ditch the powdered yogurt you get at the commercial stores. This bowl is so creamy and delicious that you are going to want to make sure that you have sufficient time to enjoy every mouthful.

Ingredients:

1 frozen mango cheeks, chopped
4 tablespoons natural coconut yogurt
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup almond milk

Method:

Place all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend for 60 sec until smooth and creamy. Pour into glass and enjoy.

Serves 1

Rice Cakes

Rice cakes make great snack options and mixing up the toppings keeps it interesting for you. Whether you chose sweet or savoury, a couple of these will be perfect for a mid-morning or afternoon snack.

Ingredients:

Hummus and veggie
1 brown rice sprouted rice cake
1 tablespoon hummus
a few slices cucumber
2 cherry tomatoes

Avocado
1 brown rice sprouted rice cake
¼ avocado, sliced

Sweet
1 brown rice sprouted rice cake
1 tablespoon almond butter (or you can use sunflower butter or tahini for nut free alternatives)
Sprinkle cacao nibs
Sprinkle goji berries

Method:

Prepare your rice cakes by topping them with the ingredients listed.

You can be as creative as you like with these adding whichever condiments and veggies you choose.

Makes 3 cakes

Apple Slices with Nut Butter

Here is a really easy snack that can be thrown together in a couple of minutes. Pairing up the apple with almond butter or tahini will make a complete meal for you as it has fibre, fats and protein. This will keep you going until your next meal.

Ingredients:

1 red or green apple, cored and sliced into 1/8ths
2 tablespoons of almond butter (sunflower butter or tahini can be used for nut-free alternatives)

Method:

Prepare apple and spread small amount of nut butter on each piece.

Serves 2

Date Mint Slice

After-dinner mints used to be such a treat for me. With no baking required, this recipe is really quick and easy to make, and can be enjoyed at any time with a nice hot cuppa.

Ingredients:

½ cup sunflower seeds
½ cup pumpkin seeds
½ cup coconut flakes
8 dates
2 tablespoons raw cacao
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup coconut nectar (or raw honey)
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
¼ teaspoon peppermint essence
1 tablespoon cacao nibs
1 tablespoon chia seeds
Desiccated coconut, for topping

Method:

Blend seeds, coconut, dates, cacao and sea salt.

Transfer into bowl and add coconut nectar, coconut oil and peppermint essence. Stir until well combined.

Add cacao nibs and chia seeds and mix.

Spoon mixture into lined 8x8 inch tray. Top with desiccated coconut and place in fridge for 60 minutes to set before cutting into bars. Transfer into well sealed glass container and keep in fridge.

Makes 12 bars

Chocolate Seed Roughs

We all have our moments when we are looking for something sweet to settle that craving especially when we are lacking in some energy. During these moments it is very easy to resort to blocks of chocolates or packets of biscuits which will just continue to feed that need for something sweet. Having these chocolate seed roughs in your fridge, ready and waiting will mean that during those moments you can reach for something that will give you that sweet hit you are looking for without the refined sugar but with the additional benefit of good sources of protein and fats that will keep you satisfied.

Ingredients:

½ cup sunflower seeds
½ cup pumpkin seeds
3 tablespoons raw cacao powder
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup

Method:

Melt the cacao powder, coconut oil and maple syrup together until smooth.

Add the seeds to the chocolate mixture and mix well.

Smooth out mixture onto a tray lined with baking paper. Place in fridge for 30 minutes to set and then break it up into bite sized pieces.

Makes 10 serves (approx.)

Chocolate Crackles

You can’t have a kids party without the chocolate crackles, but you can have the chocolate crackles without the sugar rush and hyper kids to follow. I guarantee you that your kids will still get the delicious chocolate and coconut flavour that is what a chocolate crackle is all about.

Ingredients:

½ cup coconut oil, melted
½ cup raw cacao powder
¼ cup tahini
¼ cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
pinch sea salt
2 cups puffed brown rice
1.5 cups desiccated coconut

Method:

Place the coconut oil, cacao powder, tahini and maple syrup, vanilla essence and salt in a blender and combine until smooth.

Place brown rice and desiccated coconut in a bowl. Add the chocolate mixture and mix until well combined.

Spoon into patty cans and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to set.

Makes 12 crackles.

Green Rice

Looking to add some more greens to your meal, but you’re sick and tired of the same old boring steamed broccoli and bok choy? Here is a really delicious way to get a variety of greens into your meal with lots of flavour too.

Ingredients:

2 cups uncooked brown rice
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ white onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 bok choy, chopped
100g baby spinach, shredded
½ cup fresh or frozen peas
2 tablespoons tamari

Method:

Cook rice as per instructions and set aside.

Heat olive oil on medium heat and add onion, sautéing for 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and stir well.

Add vegetables and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Pour in prepared rice and tamari and mix well until all the vegetables and rice are coated in the sauce.

Makes 6 serves

Zucchini and Carrot Fritters

It can become boring having the same old vegetables day in, day out. This is where I like to be a little more creative and change things up a little. Fritters are so delicious as a side to any meal, or can even be used as a replacement for bread… mmm poached eggs on fritters….. Don’t forget you can choose any vegetable combination you like. Experiment! Try sweet potato, parsnip, pumpkin, anything you desire.

Ingredients:

1 zucchini, grated
2 carrots, grated
1 egg, whisked
1/3 cup arrowroot powder, sifted
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
Extra virgin coconut oil, for frying

Method:

Place all ingredients together in a bowl and mix well until all combined.

Heat some coconut oil in a pan on medium heat.

Add a spoonfull of the mixture to the pan, making sure not to overcrowd and cook too many at the one time. Cook fro approximately 3-4 minutes until golden brown and then flip to cook for a further 3-4 minutes until it is golden brown.

Continue this process until all the mixture has been used.

Makes 8 fritters

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