Roasted Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup

Picture a dark, gloomy, rainy day....  How satisfying to know that you could have this thick, sweet, filling soup for your next meal.  Roasting the vegetables takes away all the fuss from the preparation and gives it a delicious flavour. 

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, skin in tact
2 brown onions, cut in half
½ butternut pumpkin, peeled and roughly chopped
½ jap pumpkin, peeled and roughly chopped
1 small sweet potato, peel and roughly chopped
6 cups vegetable stock
salt and pepper, to taste

Method:
Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees.

Place pumpkin, sweet potato, onions and garlic on a tray lined with baking paper. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake in oven for 45-60 minutes until vegetables are soft and charred.

Remove vegetables from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a blender. Add vegetable stock and seasoning and blend until smooth.

Serves 4-6

Superfood Trail Mix

3pm hits and you are scrounging around the kitchen looking for something to eat.  Keeping a jar of this trail mix in your fridge will you overcome reaching for that chocolate biscuit or packet of chips. High in protein and good fats a small serve will keep you going until its time for your next meal  

Ingredients:
½ cup pumpkin seeds
½ cup sunflower seeds
½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
½ cup goji berries
2 tablespoons cacao nibs

Method:
Combine all ingredients and store in jar in the fridge.

Serves 4 (1 serve = ½ cup)

Salt and Pepper Crackers

Do you get bored of eating veggie sticks and dip all the time? If so, then you will love these crackers as much as I do. They make a fabulous alternative to any processed cracker you buy from the store and are so filling and nourishing. They taste great with tahini, hummus, avocado and nut butters. Be adventurous and top them with anything you desire. Being made from almond flour, you will find that they are filling and you won’t need to eat more that 2-3 at a time.

Ingredients:
2 cups blanched almond flour
1 large egg
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

Method:
Place almond flour, egg, salt and pepper in food processor. Pulse until dough forms. You may need to add a little water. Place dough between 2 pieces of baking paper and roll out dough to 2mm thick. Cut into 5cm squares and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake in oven for 12-14 minutes at 170 degrees.

Makes 20 crackers

Healthy Natural Muesli Bars

I love versatile recipes and these muesli bars are exactly that. Making them is as easy as taking some of the already prepared muesli (which I generally have a batch sitting in my fridge so breakfast is ready to go) adding a few additional ingredients and baking to end up with sweet, chewy bars of goodness.

Ingredients:

350g Natural Muesli (get the recipe here)
50g LSA
3 free-range eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ cup cold-pressed olive oil
¼ cup honey

Method:

Preheat oven to 160 degrees. Line baking tin with baking paper.
Combine muesli, LSA, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, oil and honey.
Spoon mixture into pre prepared tin.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden.
Allow to cool before cutting.
Store in glass container in fridge.

Makes 16 bars

Apple and Cinnamon Loaf

I found this recipe in The Healthy Chef cookbook and immediately fell in love with it. It's so easy to make and I always have some pre-sliced in the freezer to pull out when I (or my kids!) feel like having a snack or an alternative breakfast option. You can swap the spelt flour for almond meal to make it gluten free, making it suitable for many dietary needs.

Ingredients:

450g red apples, grated
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp sea salt
3 free-range eggs
¼ cup cold-pressed olive oil
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
2 cups wholemeal spelt flour (or replace with 200g almond meal)

Method:

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees and line a loaf tin with baking paper on the bottom and sides.
Combine grated apple, baking powder, salt, eggs, oil, cinnamon and vanilla into a bowl and mix well.
Add wholemeal spelt flour and mix lightly. Make sure not to over mix so that the bread does not become too hard.
Spoon the mixture into your loaf tin.
Bake for 1 hour or until cake tester skewer comes out clean. Baking times may vary so check after 45 mins and cover with foil if necessary.
Remove from the tin and allow to cool for 1 hour.

Makes 1 loaf
Adapted from The Healthy Chef

Raw Muesli

With breakfast being the first meal of the day, you really want to make sure that you have a meal that is nutritious and complete.  This grain free cereal option has the right combination or protein, simple carbohydrates and good fats that will keep you feeling full and satisfied for hours.  You can keep it as simple as the recipe or you can include some extra nuts and additional fruit on top.  The choices are endless. 

Ingredients:
2 cups coconut flakes
1 cup mixed sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and chia seeds
1/3 cup goji berries
½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Method:
Combine all ingredients and keep stored in an airtight container in fridge.

To serve add ½ - ¾ cup milk of your choice. For a little sweetness you can drizzle one tablespoon of honey on top.

(Makes 4 cups. ½ cup equals 1 serve)

Zucchini and Dill Soup

There is always a soup of some kind in my fridge especially during the colder months.  Apart from it being comforting and warming, it is an easy way to get some additional vegetables into you.  

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil1 leek, sliced and washed
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 large zucchinis, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
6 cups vegetable stock
salt & pepper to taste
¼ cup fresh dill, chopped

Method:
Heat oil over medium heat in heavy based saucepan. Add leek and sauté for 5 minutes. Then add garlic and stir for 1-2 minutes, making sure it doesn’t burn.

Add zucchini and carrots, stirring for a couple of minutes. Pour in vegetable stock and season to taste.

Cook for about 20-30 minutes until vegetables are tender. Add fresh dill and then blend soup until nice and smooth.

Serves 4-6

Sweet Potato Zucchini and Carrot Fritters

Fritters are so multi-functional.  They are great to have as a side dish to a meal, to be eaten as a snack or even in replacement of toast for your eggs. Any vegetable combination works.  The sweet potato and carrots in these fritters provide a little sweetness which my kids absolutely loved.  Although these may be a 'little naughty' because they are fried, choosing coconut oil is a really healthy option as the body readily uses the oil as energy and does not store it as fat.... a win, win.

Ingredients:
1 small sweet potato, peeled and grated
2 zucchini’s, grated
1 carrot, grated
1 garlic clove, minced
2 eggs, beaten
¼ cup almond meal
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon cracked pepper
Coconut oil or olive oil for shallow frying

Method:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees

In a food processor, grate vegetables then transfer to a strainer and squeeze excess moisture.

Transfer to a bowl and add other ingredients, mixing well.

Heat preferred oil on medium heat and add 1 spoonful of the mixture for each fritter, flattening with a spatula. Allow to brown on one side (approx. 2-3 minutes) before flipping.

Once browned, remove onto a paper towel to allow excess oil to be drained.

Transfer onto tray and finish off in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

Makes 12 fritters

No Bake Salted Chia Bars

I love entertaining and it's important for me to be able to offer a selection of foods that I am comfortable and happy to provide.  These bars are so quick and easy to make and taste delicious.  Being raw they are always an option for me especially when I don't have much time.

Ingredients:
1 cup pitted Medjool dates, packed
5 tablespoons raw cacao powder
1 cup raw almonds
2 tablespoons chia seeds
½ cup walnuts
½ teaspoon salt (more for sprinkling)
¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 tablespoon water (if needed)

Method:
Line an 8 x 8in pan with parchment paper or plastic wrap and set aside.

Place all ingredients in a large food processor and process for a couple minutes until the “dough” forms a ball. If it’s too crumbly, add 1 tablespoon water. You want the nuts in small pieces, so you may need to move everything around with a fork and keep blending.

Remove dough from food processor and press into lined pan until smooth and even. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Freeze for at least two hours before cutting into 8-10 bars. Store bars in fridge or freezer.

Vitamin C Booster Smoothie

Everyone can do with a good dose of Vitamin C, especially during these winter months when colds are prevalent. This smoothie will help boost your immunity and keep you feeling energised whilst providing you with all the macronutrients you need for a complete meal.

Ingredients:

1 orange, peeled and chopped
1 red apple, cored and chopped
2 large handfuls of spinach
¼ avocado (adds a lot of creaminess)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons hemp seeds
1 tablespoon flaxseeds
½ tablespoon maca powder (optional)
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 serve.

Serves 1

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