Tag Archives: dairy free

Best Acai Bowl Ever

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Voted in my house anyway. Enter my latest obsession – ACAI BOWLS! These babies have been around for quite some time, I have just been a little slow of the mark with them.

Acai (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) is a berry native to Central and South America. It has a super fabulous list of nutritional benefits, including a ridiculous antioxidant status, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and has protein, essential fatty acids, fibre and a host of other vitamins and minerals. Acai bowls are more common place in Brazil, California and Hawaii, and having not been lucky enough to visit these places yet, I will have to be content with my home made number. I have also supercharged this version with a nice whack of protein, healthy fats, and a fabulous array of super foods, and kale of course (ha) which is also a superfood!

You can buy acai as powder or frozen in sachets. It is not the cheapest thing in the world, but you don’t need a massive amount. My local health food shop is wonderful enough to sell it in bulk, which is perfect if you have that option. Alternatively, you can substitute it with any other superfood powder of your choice. Even if you left it out all together the recipe would still be ace. Freestyle this one as much as you like, the recipe below is just a guideline and is a little unconventional. I do like the addition of protein and good fats such as the avocado, seeds and nut butter, as often they are just a blend of mixed fruit. A fruit only version is delish, but a few extra ingredients and you can totally pass it as a legitimate meal! It’s also a huge hit with kids!

acaibowls

Makes 2 bowls

1 cup frozen berries (any kind)

1/2 …

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Fast {Whole} Food, and a little announcement.

omeletteThese last few weeks (okay maybe months) have been all about the quick meal. A snack on the go, a meal when you can’t be bothered, or something you can throw together in a pinch. I LOVE cooking, but when time and circumstance don’t afford you the luxury of blissful kitchen creativity, you need to get a little business like. Organisation is definitely key here: planning, meal prep, making large batches and freezing for later – but I have to admit, I am not wonderful at this. I prefer a day-by-day, let’s see what’s at the market for inspiration kind of approach, which is great when you have a little time, but wheels start falling off when you don’t. Normally this may mean take away, removing something from a box and putting it in the oven, or becoming re-acqainted with your sandwich press. I wanted to put forward some more options for consideration. All fast, all whole food, all nourishing and delicious.

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I wanted to start with a little thing called an egg. So simple, but a complete powerhouse of nutrition. Chock full of all the amino acids, eggs are a complete and fabulous protein. Eggs from chickens that have been pasture raised also contain vitamins A, D E and K, calcium, zinc, iron, magnesium, selenium, beautiful carotenoids and fully formed omega 3 fatty acids. They also boast ALL of the B vitamins. It’s quite the resume. Apart from poaching, boiling and frying, here are a couple of things you can do with them.

Actually it can be any time of day, but this is so easy and adaptable to anything you have in your fridge. I love to get turmeric in anywhere I can due to it’s amazing anti-inflammatory quality.

2 eggs

1/4 tsp ground turmeric

1 small clove …

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Vegan Breakfast Pancakes For The Whole Family

bfpancakefromtopWho doesn’t love pancakes?! My brother-in-law makes excellent pancakes, and I have been known to have them with butter and vegemite….yep, don’t judge me. These little lovelies are a little different though. They are thicker, almost erring on the side of pikelets, but that’s just semantics. The point is that they are secretly a nourishing breakfast all wrapped up in a cute pancake! Plus they’re delicious.

Packed with quinoa they supply your morning protein boost along with magnesium, B vitamins and iron. Round that out with nourishing and sustaining healthy fats, topped with some extra vitamins, minerals and antioxidants in the form of fruit – perfect!

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I have made many versions of these. My daughter likes them straight up, whereas I prefer them layered fancily and adorned with extra berries and maple syrup. Whatever your preference, I hope you enjoy them. They are gluten, egg, dairy and nut free (and yet still delish), and so extremely allergy friendly and make good little lunch box treats if needed. They are simple to make, and extremely adaptable. If you don’t have an ingredient, sub in something else, or if you don’t quite have enough banana for example, they are forgiving enough not to care – just make with what you have. I have made chocolate versions by adding cacao powder, and vanilla is also a good idea. Another fabulous quality of this recipe is that you can mix it up the night before and pop it in the fridge for an even speedier result. And if that wasn’t enough – they freeze beautifully, so make more and keep some to whip out on a whim next week!

Makes 8 small pancakes

2 tbs chia seeds

1 cup quinoa flakes (or rolled oats blitzed up in a blender for a few seconds)

1/4 …

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Fancy a Cleanse? How about this 21 day reboot!

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So, I have been working away for the past few months on this project with the wonderful Jadah and Jen from Simple Green Smoothies. The end result is this beautiful, gentle but powerful cleanse to nourish, refresh and reboot your system. I am really proud of this, and our fabulous test group have had fantastic results.

I know, it’s the end of winter in Oz, not typically the most popular time for cleansing and rebirth. But this cleanse is a bit different. No starving or deprivation, or complicated meal plans with crazy ingredients (although I do love a crazy ingredient – don’t get me wrong!) The intention is to gently cleanse and then set you up on the right path to wellness-town.

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This cleanse is simple, effective and empowering. Simple and delicious recipes with step by step instructions and printable shopping lists. Effective in removing junk from your system and leaving you with more energy. And empowering in the way that you will reconnect with the food you eat. Bring that on! There are 40 recipes, meal plans, extra green smoothie recipes, and a whole lot of fabulous, thoughtful and relevant nutritional information (if I do say so myself) to help you understand the whys and hows of it all.
Another great thing about this cleanse is that you have access to a private Facebook group to be able to ask any questions, share your experiences, and hold yourself accountable!

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I feel like I should be throwing in steak knives or something at this point… ha! I did just want to share this with you though, and I’m really pleased with the results. Something I didn’t consider, but am thrilled to hear, is how this cleanse has given people the confidence not only to cook, but to enlist their own …

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