Pomegranate Pear Passion Smoothie

September / October is always a special time of the year for me. Apart from it being the start of Spring, which is accompanied by warmer weather and beautiful blossoms, there are lots of religious festivities during these months with pomegranates being a very symbolic fruit. It is said that the 613 seeds in the pomegranate corresponds to the 613 good deeds in the bible. So with each mouthful of this beautiful smoothie, it is a beautiful way to take some time and reflect on your life from a spiritual perspective.

Ingredients:

½ cup pomegranate seeds
1 pear, cored and cut into chunks
2 tablespoons natural Coyo coconut yoghurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup cashew 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

Broadbean Hummus Dip

Hummus is always a staple in our fridge but it doesn't always have to be chickpea based. This version is made from fresh broadbeans and is a delicious alternative to your traditional dip whilst still providing you with lots of protein. It is great to have as a snack with veggies, as a spread in your wrap or simply add a dollop to your salad.

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh or frozen broadbeans
2 tablespoons unhulled tahini
½ lemon juiced
½ cup water reserved from cooking broadbeans
1 garlic clove, minced
pinch sea salt

Method:

First prepare the broadbeans by placing them into a pot of salted boiling water. Return the water to a boil, reduce heat, cover and allow the beans to simmer for 4-5 minutes. Drain the beans, reserving ½ cup of the water to be used later.

Place the beans and all other ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.

You may wish to adjust the seasoning as per your taste

Makes 1 cup

Berry Nut Puff Slice

With just 10 ingredients, and five easy steps, you can have your own 'mock' rocky road made and ready to eat in just over 30 minutes. The kids will love the chocolately sweet taste, and you'll love the fact that there's no added processed sugar! Everyone wins!

Ingredients:

2/3 cup coconut oil, melted
½ cup raw cacao powder
5 Medjool dates, pitted
Pinch of sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup mixed nuts (or seeds)
¼ cup shredded coconut (plus extra for topping)
¼ cup goji berries (plus extra for topping)
½ cup puffed quinoa

Method:

Prepare a 9cm x 9cm baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine nuts, coconut, berries and quinoa.

In a blender, mix together the melted coconut oil, cacao, dates, salt, cinnamon and vanilla until it is a smooth consistency. Pour this over the dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Sprinkle with extra coconut and goji berries.

Pour mixture into prepared tray and place in freezer for 30 minutes. Cut into slices and serve. Keeps well in a well sealed glass container in the fridge for 2 weeks.

Makes 12 squares

Chocolate Peach Nectar Smoothie

Coconut nectar made from the sap of the coconut, is a great sweetener. It has a lower impact on our blood sugars with a low GI, it contains Vitamin C, Vitamin B, minerals and 17 amino-acids. It is a raw product and therefore has all of it's enzymes alive to assist with digestion. Together with the pea protein, this smoothie is going to keep you feeling full for ages and the addition of.... why not, chocolate just makes everything taste so good!

Ingredients:

12 macadamia nuts
1 peach, chopped
2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
2 tablespoons coconut nectar
2 teaspoons flaxseeds
1 teaspoon Ashwaganda powder (optional)
1 scoop chocolate pea protein powder
1 cup 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

Pineapple Cucumber Smoothie

Let this smoothie take you away on a tropical holiday. The pineapples are so deliciously sweet at this time of the year that you will completely forget that you have even included a cucumber (your greens) in this smoothie. Adding your hemp seeds will provide you with a good source of protein which is balanced really nicely with the good fats from your coconut and nut milk.

Ingredients:

1 cup frozen pineapple, chopped
½ Lebanese cucumber, chopped
½ frozen banana
2 tablespoons hemp seeds
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup cashew milk
½ cup coconut 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

Orange Mango Smoothie

Your mango lassi without the dairy.... this smoothie has the creaminess coming from the activated cashews. Not many ingredients required for this one so it really is a quick and easy smoothie to throw together when you are short for time.

Ingredients:

¼ cup activated cashews
2 frozen mango cheeks, chopped
1 tablespoon flaxseeds
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup fresh orange juice
½ cup 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

Middle Eastern Shakshuka

This dish is a trip down memory lane for me. The delicious aroma of the spices cooking off when preparing this dish definitely reminds me of the fabulous food I ate whilst visiting Israel a couple of years ago. It's a very quick and easy dish to prepare and can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
½ red onion, diced
1 large garlic clove, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 red capsicum, seeded and diced
1 yellow capsicum, seeded and diced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon Mingle ‘Sofia’ spicy seasoning or pinch chilli flakes
salt and pepper to taste
3 truss tomatoes, diced
½ cup tomato passata
4 eggs
Fresh coriander (optional for garnish)
Pinch sumac (optional for garnish)

Method:

Heat a pan (that has a lid) on the stove with olive oil on a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, celery and capsicums and sauté for 5-8 minutes until the vegetables are soft and tender. Add the seasonings and mix to combine.

Add the tomatoes and stir for a couple of minutes until they are soft. Add the passata and mix so that all vegetables are well covered. Bring sauce to a simmer.

Crack the eggs one at a time on top of all the vegetables. Place the lid and allow to simmer for 5 minutes until the eggs have been cooked.

Sprinkle with fresh coriander and sumac. Serve with a side salad.

Serves 2

Honey Tahini Smoothie

This smoothie was inspired by seeing the bees on the beautiful flowers in this photo. Raw honey is packed with over 80 substances important to human nutrition. Most processed honey today has been filtered, heated and stripped of it's nutritional value, therefore raw honey is the best one to use. You will find this smoothie to be quite sweet in taste and creamy in texture thanks to the tahini. It has the perfect balance of protein, good fats and fibre.

Ingredients:

1 frozen banana, chopped
2 tablespoons hulled tahini
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 tablespoon raw honey
1 tablespoon goji berries
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup cashew 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

Orange Melon Smoothie

Not your most common mix of ingredients, but in the summer months with cantaloupe being so sweet and refreshing, it is a magnificent hydrating combination. Adding coconut cream instead of the milk will make your smooth, thick and creamy, almost like a mousse. This can be used as a dessert on a hot summer's night.

Ingredients:

1 cup cantaloupe
½ cup fresh orange juice
¼ cup activated cashews
1 tablespoon flaxseeds
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup coconut milk / cream

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

Veggie Packed Chicken Nuggets

Chicken nuggets is an all time favourite dinner for kids (& adults). Here is a version that has 4 different veggies added to it and will make this meal extremely wholesome for everyone. They have that beautiful crispiness and crunch from the panko crumb coating. Mix and match whatever veggies your kids enjoy!

Ingredients:

500g chicken mince
1 carrot, grated
1 zucchini, grated
¼ cauliflower, cut into florets
½ broccoli, cut into florets
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon sweet paprika

Coating
½ cup brown rice flour
1 egg + 2 tablespoons water
1 cup panko crumbs
seasoning (I used 1 tablespoon Mingle Garlic & Herb seasoning)

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees. Line tray with baking paper and set aside.

Place rice flour in a bowl and set aside.

In a separate bowl lightly whisk egg and water together and set aside.

On a plate, combine panko crumbs and seasoning and set aside.

Place the cauliflower and broccoli into high speed blender and process for a few seconds until it is cut into fine pieces.

Place chicken mince, all vegetables, garlic powder and paprika in a bowl and mix until well combined.

Shape 2 tablespoons of the mince mixture into nugget shapes. Coat it in the rice flour, then dip into egg wash, making sure all sides are covered. Toss them gently in the panko crumbs so that they are well coated. Bake for 40 minutes, turning after 20 minutes.

Serves 4-6

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