vegan

Raw Chocolate Balls

November 28, 2013 By Meg With 5 comments

BallPopsHand Bliss Balls, Chocolate Balls, ‘Rum’ Balls, Tuffles; whatever you like to call them – they are delicious! There are approximately 4 million recipes online for different versions of these, and here’s why I like mine.

1. My recipe uses no dates. I don’t really have a problem with dates eaten in moderation, they are delicious and a natural fruit. They are however extremely sweet, and I find can often take over the flavour of raw desserts.

2. These balls are PACKED full of protein, good fats and nutrition from the nuts, seeds and tahini.

3. They are not overly sweet, and make use of the wonderful cinnamon, not only for flavour but to help with balancing blood sugar.

4. They are incredible easy to make, versatile, and use ingredients that you most likely have hanging around in your cupboard.

5. They are delicious and family friendly! If you need them for school lunches, just sub out the nuts with extra seeds.

BallPopIvy

So there you have it. Five great reasons to try out these balls. We have a birthday party coming up!!! (very exciting – any ideas welcome!) and so I fashioned them into ‘pops’ with the use of a fancy straw – kid appeal – very high – job done.

½ cup sunflower seeds

¼ cup hemp seeds (or quinoa flakes or pepitas)

¼ cup brazil nuts (or macadamias, cashews etc)

¼ cup tahini or almond butter (I used black tahini)

2 tbs chia or flax seeds

¼ cup coconut–desiccated, plus extra for rolling

2 ½ tbs raw cacao powder

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ cup of rice syrup or honey, or to taste

A pinch of sea salt

Up to a tbs water – depending on consistency

Blitz the nuts and seeds in a food processor or blender. …

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Best Acai Bowl Ever

October 17, 2013 By Meg With 11 comments

acaibowl1

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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Vegan Breakfast Pancakes For The Whole Family

September 11, 2013 By Meg With 9 comments

bfpancakefromtop Who 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!

bubbfpancake

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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Cauliflower ‘Coucous’ – a cleansing, grain-free delight.

June 20, 2013 By Meg With 3 comments

cauliflower

Aaah cauliflower. Growing up I would argue with my sister that is was pointless and beige, and so began the broccoli vs cauliflower saga. Well I am happy to eat my words! As the years went by, I have discovered not only the amazing nutritional benefits, but flavour profiles that cauliflower can provide. If you haven’t tried roasted cauliflower, you really have to – right now – you won’t regret it. Chop it up, drizzle with a little oil, salt and maybe some turmeric, paprika or your favourite spice, and roast until some nice golden edges appear. It is SUCH a treat. Really!

But back to nutritional benefits. Vitamin C, loads. Vitamin K, yep. Folate, tick. B vitamins, got it. Plus sprinklings of choline, potassium, manganese and magnesium. Who knew?! Vitamin C in particular we tend to associate with brightly coloured veggies, cauliflower – you dark horse! And not stopping there, how about a big whack of sulfur. Sulfur is involved in stacks of important processes in the body, but my favourite is its involvement in the making of glutathione – one of our MAJOR antioxidants. Glutathione is a free radical annihilating, completely awesome antioxidant that also plays a huge role in helping the liver to process toxins. I could go on, but the main point – more cauliflower = more glutathione = excellent! Oh and it’s also anti carcinogenic.

So, let’s get cauliflower-ing! Boiling – just don’t go there. Aside from losing half the nutrients, you will end up with a soggy mess that our guinea pigs wouldn’t even eat. Quick cooking is the go. Roasting, grilling, steaming, and sautéing.

But today’s adventure was cauliflower couscous. Pretty much the same as cauliflower rice, but it actually does taste like couscous. And for those with wheat and gluten sensitivity, or …

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