Category Archives for Recipes

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

Coco-berry Delight

Smoothies are definitely my ‘go-to’ breakfasts. I love being able to pack in so much goodness and create lots of different flavour combinations. The chocolate, coconut and raspberries go so nicely together that it really feels like you are having dessert for breakfast.

Ingredients:
¼ cup activated almonds
1 cup frozen raspberries
1 tablespoon raw cacao
2 tablespoons desiccated coconut
2 Medjool dates, seeded
1 tablespoon chocolate pea protein powder
1 cup coconut water

Method:
Place all ingredients in a high speed blender for 60 seconds until smooth and creamy. Serve immediately.

Serves 1

Cauliflower Zucchini Falafels

I love, love, love middle eastern food. A meal of salads, dips and falafel balls is always a great quick weekday, vegetarian option or even a nice spread to put on when you are entertaining. Knowing that there are options out there where you can still enjoy the foods that you love without the additional nasties is so comforting. What I love about these balls, apart from the flavour, is the added bonus of including more vegetables into your meal. They are crispy, they are tasty but they are not dripping in oil!

Ingredients:

 1 brown onion, roughly chopped
 3 garlic cloves
 ½ cup fresh parsley
 ½ cup fresh coriander
 ½ cauliflower, cut into florets
 1 zucchini, roughly chopped
 2 teaspoons cumin
 ½ teaspoon turmeric
 zest of 1 lemon
 1 egg, beaten
 ½ cup almond meal
 salt and pepper to taste




Method:

 Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees and prepare a tray with lined baking paper.

 Place onion, garlic, parsley and coriander in a high speed blender and blend until it resembles a paste (don’t worry if you cant get it super smooth). Transfer into a large bowl.

 Place cauliflower and zucchini into blender and process until they have been finely chopped. Add this to the bowl with your onion mixture.

Add all other ingredients and mix until well combined.

 Roll mixture into balls (squeeze out excess liquid) and place on pre-prepared tray. Bake in oven for 40-50 minutes until crispy, turning half way. Serve with hummus or tahini dip and a chopped salad.

 Makes 12 balls

Coconut Bliss Balls

Coconut seems to be the latest fad and it's no wonder why when you look at it more closely.  The saturated fat in coconut oil is very rare and beneficial in that it helps to promote weight loss, posses antioxidant properties and supports your immune system.  The oil properties convert easily into energy and therefore very little is stored as fat, promoting weight loss.  So at 3pm when you are hitting that energy slump, these little balls of guilt-free awesomeness are a fabulous pick me up and best of all will leave you feeling very satisfied.

Ingredients:
1 cup finely shredded coconut
3 tablespoons coconut oil
3 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups dark chocolate chips
sea salt

Method:
Combine coconut, coconut oil, maple syrup (honey), and vanilla extract in a blender or food processor. Blend until well combined into a thick ‘crumb’.

Use your hands to mould the coconut crumb into bite-sized balls. They should stick together nicely. Place the balls on a piece of wax paper.

Melt chocolate chips and use a spoon to gently drizzle the melted chocolate over each coconut ball. You want enough to fully cover the top and sides of each ball, but not so much that it makes a large pool around the base.

Sprinkle each ball with a bit of sea salt while the chocolate is still moist.

Refrigerate for two hours (to harden) and enjoy!

Makes 8-10 balls

Leek and Kale Frittata

Frittatas are such a great way to fuel your body.  They are packed with protein and fibre rich vegetables that will keep you feeling full and satisfied for several hours.  You can adapt them to include any vegetables you have at home and are so versatile you can have them for breakfast, lunch or dinner.  They are a great meal that the entire family can enjoy.

Ingredients:
 1 tablespoon olive oil
4 eggs, 3 egg whites & 1 yolk
1 garlic clove, minced
2 leeks, rinsed and sliced
½ onion, diced
2 cups kale, washed and sliced
1 cup baby spinach
2 tablespoons sundried tomato, chopped
1 red pepper, diced
10 Kalamata olives, sliced (optional)
2 tablespoons milk or almond milk
salt and pepper to taste

Method:
 Preheat oven to 175 degrees.

Cook spinach and kale in ¼ cup water in a covered saucepan until just wilted. Drain and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and almond milk. Add the chopped sundried tomatoes and peppers and sprinkle with salt and pepper (add olives here if using). Set aside. Heat olive oil over medium-low heat in an oven proof skillet. Sauté leek and onion for about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute.

Spread spinach mixture evenly over bottom of skillet. Pour egg mixture over the top. Use a spatula to lift the spinach mixture along the sides of the pan and tip slightly to allow the egg mixture to flow underneath.

When the mixture is about half set, put the whole skillet in the oven. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes until the frittata is completely set and golden.

Serves 2

Alternatives: add any vegetables you like to mixture. Mushrooms and zucchini also make very good frittatas.

Raw Almond Butter Brownies

Sweet, chocolately and crunchy is the best way to describe these delicious brownies.  They will always hit the spot when I am craving something sweet and having no added refined sugars makes every bite completely guilt free.   

Ingredients:
 Brownie:
 3 cups almonds
 2 tablespoons almond butter
 25 medium, soft dates, pitted (or 20 soaked Medjool dates)
 3 tablespoons cacao powder

 Almond cacao frosting:
 3 tablespoons almond butter
 1 tablespoon coconut oil
 ½ tablespoon cacao powder
 1 date (optional)

Method:
Grind almonds in a food processor until flour. Add in the cacao powder and the almond butter, then blend a little longer. Add in the dates and process until everything sticks together. Press the batter out in a lined tin and set aside.

Blend together all ingredients for the frosting in a blender (or in the food processor). When the mixture is smooth (it will be a little runny), frost the brownie and let it sit in the fridge for at least an hour or so before slicing and serving.

Makes 16 brownies

Coconut Fluffy Pancakes

Pancakes are definitely a food that brings me back to my childhood days. Sleepovers, lazy mornings and the famous ‘Alice in Wonderland’ from the Pancake Parlour. These pancakes are inspired from a recipe I saw by Dani Valeni. They are light, they are fluffy and they are very tasty.

Ingredients
5 eggs
70g coconut flour
30g macadamia oil (plus extra for frying)
300ml coconut milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon bi-carb soda
pinch of sea salt

Method
 Combine all ingredients together and either mix well by hand or use a blender to combine.

Heat oil in frypan and then pour in the batter (approx. 1/8th cup’s worth). After about to 2-3mins the pancakes start to bubble. At this point flip them for a further 2 minutes of cooking. Continue this process until all the batter is finished.

Top the pancakes with whatever you desire…. honey, maple syrup, chocolate sauce, fruit, shredded coconut or chocolate nibs.

Variations:
Add ½ cup of blueberries to mixture once combined prior to cooking.
Add ½ cup of chocolate chips to mixture once combined prior to cooking

Makes 12 pancakes

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