Lime and Ginger Almond Balls

 

Goji Balls

These were a little bit of accidental perfection. I wanted something stable at room temperature to share with my work colleague's and of course I can't forget my husbands beautiful work mates as well. I thought they were satisfactory but turns out I had a lot of people that were quite excited about them and I had plenty of requests for the recipe. The challenge was remembering what I threw in! Here is a rough guestimate of the successful Goji Balls.

Ingredients (makes 50-60 small balls)

• 1 cup almonds
• 1 cup of dates 
• 1 cup cashews
• 1 cup coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/3 cup cocoa/cacao
• 3 TBS honey or pure maple syrup
• 3 TBS coconut oil
• 1 cup goji berries

Instructions

Depending on the power of your blender or food processor you may need to blend the ingredients individually and then combined at the end. Leave the goji berries whole and stir in at the end.

• Blend almonds in a high powered blender, food processor or thermomix
• Add the cashews and dates and blend until combined
• Add the sunflower and pumpkin seeds and blend until combined
• Add the remaining ingredients except the goji berries and blend until combined
• Stir in the goji berries
• Form balls with the batter.
• Goji balls will store in the fridge for a week and in the freezer for a couple of months - if they last that long ;)

When will you eat you goji balls?

Blueberry Lime Iceblocks

To be honest this is probably not one for your toddler. I learnt this the hard way. A lovely fresh treat on a hot day but as you can imagine the drips stain so be careful who you trust with this little beauty :)

Chocolate Mousse Slice

I have been trying make a slice that is more stable in the fridge and will not melt so quickly at room temp. This little beauty was a hit very first go. The topping is the perfect mousse consistency and the flavour just melts in your mouth. I hope you enjoy, there will most certainly be more made in our house!

Homemade Almond Milk

 Now I have to admit, I haven't had a glass of milk, regardless of its source for a long time now so this healthy alternative may or may not be for you if you take your milk in a long tall glass. I do however use milk in baking, in my coffee and as an alternative source of milk for my toddler. I either don't notice the difference or I prefer the flavour. So if you suffer from acne, eczema, asthma, sinus trouble, an autoimmune disease or are just looking to improve your all-round health I would strongly suggest a 3 week dairy free trial to see the benefits in your life and what better transition than to have some creamy almond milk in your fridge.

Homemade Nut-Butter

Homemade nut-butter is so much cheaper than the store bought stuff, you can control the quality of the nuts, the type of nuts and there is no added nasties to your favourite condiment. I make a double batch each week, one for my pumpkin pie pancakes and the other to use in other meals or as a dip for snacks. Nuts are high in protein and rich in good fats so are a fantastic satisfying snack, nut-butter is the perfect way to bulk up a meal.

Pumpkin Pie Power Pancakes

These pancakes are rich in proteins and good fats. They are the perfect breakfast, snack on the run, or for kiddies lunchboxes because they are also filling and super delicious! Not only are they dairy, gluten, grain and sugar free the are suitable for the strict GAP's diet that our family is following to heal our damaged guts. I make a big batch of batter and keep it in the fridge to save time in the mornings so its just a few minutes of cooking the pancakes.

Paleo Muesli Bars

This is such a fantastic refined sugar, dairy, gluten, grain and egg free snack that we make it weekly and also have a back up in the freezer. It is perfect for dessert, a high protein afternoon snack, breakfast on the go or any time you a looking for a tasty satisfying treat. This is made by my husband so is user friendly and meets his tick of approval for taste, it is also loved by our fussy 13month old daughter. Its great to know if she doesn't eat much in the day she is getting a good hit of healthy protein, fats and carbs when she has a nibble. Feel free to play around with recipe to suit your own taste or work with the ingredients you all ready have in your cupboard. You can substitute the last 5 ingredients with shredded coconut, raisins, chia, sunflower seeds or other nuts or seeds. I like to activate the nuts and seeds first by soaking them overnight this makes it easier on digestion.

Avocado and Lemon Gluten Free Muffins

On my journey to a sugar free life I have struggled to find sugar free snacks that satisfy. I also have been reducing wheat and gluten so these gluten free muffins have been a great snack on the go that tick all my health food boxes at the moment, they are also delicious so give them a go!

Berry Ripe Slice

This recipe was inspired by my love of Cherry Ripes that no longer form part of my diet. This is a healthy alternative to the sweet treat however I must emphasis that even natural sugars should be a treat on the odd occasion as they still can cause a number of health issues short and long term. So make this pretty looking slice and share it with your friends and family so you are not tempted to eat the lot! :p

Curry Crackers

In our journey of reducing sugar in our lives it has been a challenge finding quick and easy sugar free snacks. These crackers are great for sitting on the desk at work, or in the pantry at home for when you are feeling peckish or cravings are niggling. Keep a back up in the freezer also to save time during the week!

Banofee Slice - Refined Sugar Free, Paleo, Gluten Free and Vegan

Ingredients

Base
1 cup activated almonds ground to a flour
6 dates
1/3 cup shredded coconut
A handful of cashews
3 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 TBS high quality cocoa powder
3 TBS of almond milk

Banofee cream
2 ripe bananas
3 tbsp high quality peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 TBS maple syrup

Instructions

• For the base, blend all the ingredients in a food processor or blender until it starts to clump together, add more milk if necessary 
• Spoon the mixture into a loaf tin sized dish lined with baking paper
• Push the the base mixture down firmly into the dish.
• For the banofee cream, add everything to a clean food processor or blender, and blend until smooth
• Layer the cream on top of the base
• Put the dish in the freezer for a couple of hours, and remove 5mins before serving

Healthy Easter Eggs

These little beauties are about the healthiest treats you can make, ticking all the boxes for vegan, gluten free, paleo, raw and refined sugar free - not to mention they are delicious. As with any form of sugar I recommend them only as a treat, but hey its Easter and these are a guilt free alternative to the toxic Easter eggs in the store.

Vegan Chocolates

A rich dessert with only 3 ingredients and super easy to make, what better way to prepare for a busy Easter than whipping up these vegan, refined sugar free chocolates. I popped mine in mini muffin trays but why not get creative with festive molds and use them for any season.

Paleo/Grain Free/ Gluten Free Pizza Base

Ingredients (makes 5 saucer sized pizzas)
3 eggs
1 clove garlic diced
1 cup almond milk
1/2 cup coconut flour, sifted
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp thyme

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 175 degrees
• Line a tray with baking paper
• Add all the ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix until combined. The dough will be liquidy but just stir and wait a few minutes until the coconut flour absorbs the liquid. 
• When you have a dough that is like a pancake mix consistency, pour two table spoons onto the baking paper and spread it around until you have a thin layer with no holes. I like to do two saucer sized pizzas on one tray but feel free to do 4 TBS and make one large pizza
• Bake for 10 mins one side, flip and do 10 mins the other side.

All Natural Mango Sorbet

Its mango season and I am loving it! Here is a quick an easy recipe for a healthy dessert alternative.

Dairy Free Cashew Cheese Sauce

I have had to give up dairy while breastfeeding as it affects my daughters reflux and I have found it super challenging finding some good replacements for all forms of cheese. This recipe is a dairy free cheese sauce, its soooooo easy and super yummy, you can add it to your lasagna, vege bake or even your macaroni cheese! Try it for a healthy alternative to your normal cheese sauce you will never look back!

Mixed Quinoa Salad

My beautiful mother in law bought this salad to a family house warming a few weeks back and it was amazing! It was so good I had to steal the recipe to make for my mum while I am back in New Zealand. I have made a couple of adjustments to the original but you can too to suit your own taste or in season vegetables. Why not add it to your list of dishes for Christmas Day!

Pumkin and Spinach Brown Rice Penne

I have been trying to move away from the pre-packaged 'gluten free' brands of pasta due to a lot of unnecessary ingredients and I have been playing in the bulk bins at the organic store. My newest find has been brown rice pasta. As with most gluten free pasta it is still a little fragile, but when you get it right it is just delicious. Here is a simple recipe to add as a side to your salad. Remember brown rice is slightly acidic so you want to team it with a big plate of greens so you meal is alkaline :) Try it with my Tomato Quinoa Salad as seen in the picture above.

Tomato Quinoa Salad

This is a great side either on its own or on a bed of spinach or kale. You will see in the pic I have teamed it with the yummy Pumpkin and Spinach Brown Rice Penne.