Moroccan Spiced Cauliflower Salad

I’m a crazy for cauliflower kind of girl. I love it steamed, roasted, pan fried, riced, mashed… you name it, I’m all over it. Last summer I wanted to create a Cauliflower salad that used Cauliflower rice because since cutting back on carbs, I missed having couscous or rice in a salad. I also love Moroccan flavours so decided to combine the two. This is an easy and cost effective salad that is easy to throw together and it looks great on a bed of spinach or greens. Perfect if you need to take a plate or for a dinner at your place.

This recipe was featured in Issue 4 of Mood Magazine. Enjoy!

Moroccan Spiced Cauliflower Salad

Moroccan Spiced Cauliflower Salad & Quick and Easy Raw Salad

1 head of cauliflower

2 tsp olive oil

1 + ½ tsp ground coriander

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp paprika

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

Zest of 1 lemon

5 tbsp dried fruits ( I used dried cranberries + apricots)

4 tbsp nuts (I used chopped almonds + pine nuts)

Pomegranate seeds, coriander and mint to serve

1. Cut cauli roughly into florets and place into blender

2. Pulse until the cauliflower takes on a couscous like appearance.

3. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and add the couscous, allow to cook for 5 to 7 minutes stirring frequently.

4. Transfer the couscous to a large bowl and set aside to cool.

5. Once cooled add the spices, lemon zest, dried fruits and nuts.

6. Add finely chopped herbs 

7. Stir well and season

8. Top with pomegranate seeds, fresh mint and drizzle of tahini & lemon dressing

Raw Lemon & Raspberry Mini Cheesecakes

I have absolutely saved the best for last team! This is a recipe I created from scratch and it’s my all time fave. These perfect little cheesecakes are delicious – you will never want to eat regular cheesecake again!  It is perfect for a summer treat and made with wholesome ingredients. They are gluten free, vegan and refined sugar free.   Just remember to soak your cashews the day before, but otherwise a very easy recipe.

Male these for your family for Christmas and they love you for it!

Ingredients

Base:

1 cup cashews

1 cup almonds

½ cup coconut

½ cup soaked dates

1 TBS maple

Lemon Filling:

2 cups of cashews, soaked overnight

400 grams coconut cream

½ cup pure maple syrup

½ cup cacao butter, melted

Juice of 1 lemon

Zest of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Pinch of salt

Method:

For the base, soak your dates in boiling water for 10 mins. 

Combine the nuts and coconut in a blender and blend until fine.
Drain the dates and add to the blender along with the maple syrup and blend until combined.  The mixture should hold together well and be sticky.

Spoon one table spoon at a time into silicon cupcake trays, press down with the back of the spoon and then pop in the fridge while you make the fillings.

Make the filling:
To make the filling, add all of your lemon filling incredients into the blender and blend until smooth and glossy, approx 3-5 minutes.

Pour into molds to about half way, leaving room for the raspberry layer on top. Return to fridge.

To make the raspberry layer, add 1 cup fresh or freeze dried raspberries to your lemon filling and blend for a minute, or until completely blended.  Pour into your molds, filling to the top. Sprinkle freeze dried raspberry on top. 

Set in the freezer up to 4 hours, or overnight. 

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Raw Chocolate Tart

And we have a winner. When I think about yummy Christmas food, I think of chocolate. Am I right? I have always loved baking for my family at Christmas time and usually something with chocolate is in the mix. When coming up with my menu for this baking series, I knew there needed to be something in there for chocolate lovers everywhere.

This recipe is gluten free, dairy free, vegan & refined sugar free. Oh, and also surprisingly easy.
Remember to soak your cashews at least 4hrs in advance of making! The longer you soak them, the creamier the mixture will be.

Serve with fresh strawberries or raspberries.

Ingredients:

Base
2 cups natural cashews
1 cup almonds
1/2 cup pitted dates
3 TBS cacao
2 TBS pure maple

Chocolate Filling
2 cups (250g) raw cashews (soaked for minimum 4 hrs)
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ cup coconut oil, melted
50g cacao butter, melted
1 teaspoon maca powder (optional)
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
100ml (about 7 tablespoons) nut milk of choice
¾ cup raw cacao powder

Method:

The cashews for the filling need to be soaked for a minimum of 4 hours (recommend longer).

To make the base, place all of the dry ingredients (nuts and cacao) into your blender and blitz until crumbly. Add your drained, soaked dates and maple and blitz again until the mixture is combined. Mixture will be sticky. Pop your base into a tart tin and press into the base and up the sides. Place in the fridge while you make the filling.

To make the filling, place all ingredients back in your blender and mix until smooth, this will take anywhere from 3-7 minutes depending on your blender. Pour the filling over your base and place in the freezer to set.

Serve with strawberries or raspberries along with some plain coconut yogurt.

Can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Kumara & Pumpkin Superfood Salad

We are coming into salad season (YAY) and I am so excited to start upping my salad game! While we wait for summer to fully arrive, my absolute fave Spring salad mixes winter roast veg, with some fresh summer greens and salad veg coming into season.

Nothing beats this delicious combo of warm roasted vegetables with spinach, tomato, avocado and pumpkin seeds for some crunch. I almost always add a free range poached egg, it adds a great creaminess.

Roast the following at 180 degrees for 25-30 mins in olive oil or coconut oil, turning every 10 mins:Then

1 cup diced kumara 
1 cup diced pumpkin 
1 red onion 
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, roasted in the last 10 mins

Then In a bowl combine;
1 cup spinach 
Handful cherry tomatoes 
Dressing of choice (I used a creamy avocado dressing)
1/2 an Avocado 
Feta cheese

Add your roast veges & pumpkin seeds to the salad and top with a poached egg if desired. 
You can easily add a protein like chicken or beef to this too. 

Enjoy!

Delicious spring salad featuring roast veg!

Roast veggies with pumpkin seeds

Peanut Butter Cacao Bliss Balls

I made these Peanut Butter & Cacao Bliss balls to accompany the Raw Peanut Butter Cheesecake I made on Friday, but they are so good I made an extra batch the next day to keep in the fridge.   

They are peanuty, chocolatey and sweet. WIN! Plus of course, super easy as everything goes in the blender and you just blitz until you get the right consistency. 

I suggest also blitzing up about 1/4 cup peanuts to use to coat them once you've done rolling them into even sized balls. 

Peanut Butter & Cacao Bliss Balls

Ingredients

1/2 cup peanuts
1/2 cup raw cashews or almonds
1/4 cup coconut
1 heaped TBS Pics peanut butter
1 TBS cacao powder
1 TBS cacao nibs (optional)
1 TBS pure maple syrup
6 large medjool dates, soaked in boiling water for about 5 mins

Drain your dates but keep the water in case you need for consistency.
Add everything into a blender and blitz until well mixed.  Test mixture to see if ok to roll, if not not sticky enough, use water from the dates 1 TBS at a time until you get the right texture for rolling. 
Roll into balls and roll one half into some blitzed peanuts (to make a peanut crumb).  I had some chocolate ganache which I drizzled over as well. 
Pop into the fridge in an airtight container to set. 

Raw Peanut Butter & Chocolate Cheesecake

I've been wanting to attempt a raw / vegan cheesecake for ages. Whenever I have them out somewhere I always think they taste incredible, but for some reason they intimidated me.
Lets break it down though. Really, all we have here is a base (all in the blender), filling and a simple ganache on top, not dissimilar to all the other slices I make.  

With friends coming over tonight it was the perfect excuse. The hardest part was actually deciding on flavour - next time I will go for blueberry, but for my first try I decided on Peanut Butter using my fave PB from Pics. I spotted this recipe on Julia & Libby's website a while back, all I did was make a few adjustments with the topping, opting for a chocolate ganache layer on top.   I also made some peanut butter and cacao bliss balls to go on top, which I will post the recipe for tomorrow. 

It gets all the ticks from me - it's refined sugar free, choc full of protein with all of those nuts, it's vegan (completely dairy free) and gluten free. 

So lets do this!  Honestly, it was easy and it's SO SO decadent and delicious, perfect for a special occasion or slicing and popping in the freezer to eat piece by piece!

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Cheesecake

Crust

• 1.5 cup almonds

• ½ cup raw peanuts

• 8 medjool dates, pitted and soaked for half an hour in warm water.

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted

• 1 tablespoon cacao powder

• Pinch of salt

Filling

• 2 cups of cashews, soaked overnight

• 400 grams coconut cream

• ½ cup maple syrup

• ½ cup peanut butter, melted

• 1/2 cup cacao butter, melted

• Juice of 1 lemon

• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

• Pinch of salt

Chocolate Ganache

• 3/4 cup coconut milk

• 1 block dark Ghana whittakers chocolate chopped into chunks

Instructions

1. Line spring form tin with baking paper. Place all crust ingredients into food processor and pulse until grainy-mixed texture. Press crust down into cake pan evenly and place into the freezer.

2. Place all cheesecake ingredients into food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. Spread evenly on top of base using a knife or spatula. Place in the freezer for 3 or more hours.

3. Once the cake is set, make your ganache. Place your coconut milk in a pot and heat on low until it starts to steam - don't let boil.  Once hot, take off the heat and mix in your chocolate which will melt slowly. Fold until the ganache goes glossy

4. Pour your ganache over top of the frozen cheesecake. I used a squezzy bottle but you can do this however you like. 

5. Cake is best stored in the freezer.

 

Chocolate Dipped Date & Peanut Butter Bites

This honestly could not be easier and it feels so decadent. I like to make up around 10 and pop them in the fridge for an after dinner treat with my peppermint tea. 

Chocolate Dipped Date & Peanut Butter Bites

10 large medjool dates
Some Pics Peanut Butter
2 rows Whittakers dark ghana chocolate

Split your dates in half if they aren't already, and with a knife, fill it with peanut butter.
Put aside.

Meanwhile, in a pot, melt down your Whittakers dark chocolate. You can melt in the pot or use a double boiler, if using just the pot be very careful not to burn the chocolate. 

Once melted, take one date at a time and dip one side or as much as you can get in there without burning your hands!

Pop in a container and into the fridge to set. 

Boosted Berry Coconut Yogurt

You all know I'm a mad, crazy smoothie fan. To me, it's the number one way to get a whole lot of amazing ingredients all in one meal that tastes half decent.  But I understand we don't always feel like smoothies all year round, or every day.  Unless your me, of course.   I have recently started thinking outside of the box when it comes to boosting meals.  Add spinach to things that maybe you wouldn't normally (what could go wrong?), the amazing overnight oats recipe featuring chia seeds, fruit and LSA mix, or just packing in loads of grated veges into meatballs, patties, egg slices etc. You get the message.  

My latest trick is boosting my coconut yogurt, or just plain unsweetened if that's what you like.  I love my nutra bullet and have a tendency to blend everything in sight, so today I got busy experimenting with upping the nutrition in one of my fave things - coconut yogurt. 

The recipe below is really yummy and turns it from being a snack into a meal, I turned it into a bowl so I could add a bunch of toppings, but you could use it as the topping on your oats, granola or dessert - it's that good. 

Think of things that are good for you and experiment with blending them in to the yogurt. I popped in some chia seeds, a banana, some blueberries and topped with a nutty cacao blend and some more blueberries + chia seeds.  I also included some of The Wholesome Co immune health tub blend, which has a berry flavour and was so perfect for this and I know it has so many incredible ingredients to help boost my immunity at this time of year. 

These health tubs are basically natural blends of different ground ingredients designed to help different areas -  she has designed a hormone balancing one, glowing skin, breastfeeding, pregnancy and immunity.  I love this idea because it is just using natural foods to help boost your system and they are so easy to add to your diet via smoothies, baking or as a topping.  I am trying to do this more and more and am on a journey of learning about what different foods can do for you - it's a big wide world!  Of course, you can create these blends yourself or buy specific items to help you with whatever you need, I just like the convenience of getting directly from The Wholesome Co AND ranging from $29.99 and $39.99 I am not sure you could buy all the ingredients for that!

Here's my recipe for my boosted coconut yogurt, feel free to omit the immunity blend, or if you'd like to try, use 'balanceproject' as a code for 15% off.  This is not a sponsored blog by the way, I just love this stuff!

Boosted Berry Coconut Yogurt
1/2 cup coconut yogurt (I used Raglan Strawberry & Acai flavour)
1 banana
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup ice
1 TBS chia seeds
1 heaped TBS immune health blend (see above)
a few TBS almond milk to add moisture for blending

Pop everything in the bullet and give it a whiz!   Add to your fave granola, or top with your fave granola - whichever you prefer. 

The Ultimate Green Smoothie

Give your body what it needs with this sweet & delicious smoothie filled with green good stuff.
A great intro to Green Smoothies.

Serves 2

1 cup almond or coconut milk
1 x banana
1 x pear
5 x green grapes
1 x golden kiwifruit
1 cup kale & spinach blend
1 tsp chia seeds
1 tsp LSA mix
1 cup ice

Blend until completely smooth and top with some delicious crunchy granola or nuts.

Pancake Sunday! A DF/GF/SF Recipe to Save.

We love pancakes in this house. It's been a long standing tradition to have pancakes (or waffles) on Sunday.  We had a great recipe for good old fashioned pancakes with white flour & sugar.

When I started changing my lifestyle and eating, pancakes disappeared from the menu for a while - until I decided to experiment with some healthier versions.   I consulted Google and found a recipe by The Paleo Running Momma and decided to try my own from scratch. Instead of white flour, a tapioca flour and coconut flour mix is used, along with mashed banana, eggs and coconut milk.   SUCCESS!   These Paleo banana coconut flour pancakes are so perfectly fluffy, moist and sweet that you won't believe they're grain free, dairy free, and refined sugar free!

They were light, fluffy, rose well and absolutely delicious. The boys downed them pretty quick, I was so happy with them. Below is the recipe, which is the original from Paleo Running Momma with only 1 small change (I used rice malt syrup instead of maple).

Please don't assume that just because these are 'Paleo' that they aren't as good as 'the real thing'. Give them a go. It's a great alternative if you're GF or are trying to stay away from white flour - or even if you're not.

I get creative with toppings - some of our faves are fresh cut fruit salad with coconut yogurt, frozen berries heated in a pan for 10 mins and poured on top (YUM) and todays experiment was banana, pear and peanut butter.  They are wonderful plain with maple syrup too.

Here's the recipe!

Paleo Banana Pancakes

Ingredients

• 3 eggs

• 2 small/med overripe bananas mashed well

• 1/2 cup almond or coconut milk

• 1-2tbsp pure maple syrup

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 6Tbsp coconut flour

• 3Tbsp tapioca flour (buckwheat flour also works well)

• 1/2tsp baking soda

• Pinch salt

• coconut oil for greasing pan/griddle

Instructions

1. Whisk together all wet ingredients. Combine the dry ingredients separately, then add them to the wet mixture and stir until well combined and smooth.

2. Heat a fly pan over med low/med heat. These pancakes will cook more evenly if they cook on a lower setting for a bit longer.  They will burn if too hot!

3. Coat the pan with a thin layer of coconut oil, no too much, since you will add more after each batch.

4. Spoon the batter by about 3-4 tbsp carefully into the hot pan and smooth into an even circle, 3-4 inches in diameter. Do not crowd! You can keep the cooked pancakes on a parchment lined baking sheet in 200 degree oven until ready to eat.

5. Allow each pancake to cook on one side until edges are dry, bubbles form on the surface and the bottom is deep golden. Carefully flip and cook the second side until golden. Repeat for all pancakes, greasing the pan lightly with coconut oil between batches and adjusting the heat as necessary.

4 Must Try Chia Pudding Recipes!

There are a few things that have become absolute staples in our house over the past 9 months, and chia pudding is one of them. So simple, easy and yummy.  Plus, did you know Chia seeds are higher in Omega 3 that Salmon? Super duper good for you. They also absorb liquid, so you can pretty much create any flavour you want with liquid - and then just add the chia seeds to give it bulk.

I have made many renditions of Chia Pudding, you can literally do anything, and I have.

I've come up with a few absolute favourites that I'm going to share below, but first things first - I'm going to give you a recipe for a basic, plan vanilla pudding, and then you can use that as a foundation to build on.   You can't go wrong with Blueberry or Chocolate Peanut Butter, plus I've just made a special edition pud using Misty DayPlant Potions tonic powder.

Which will you try first?

Basic Chia Pudding

2 cups coconut milk (unsweetened)
1/2 cup chia seeds
1/2 tsp maple syrup or rice malt syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Blitz or whisk together everything except the chia seeds. Once blended, add the chia seeds and whisk again.
Pop in a jar and refrigerate for an hour.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Chia Pudding (my fave)

2 cups coconut milk (unsweetened)
1/2 cup chia seeds
1/2 tsp maple syrup or rice malt syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 TBS cacao powder
1 TBS natural peanut butter

Prep your jar(s) by putting a little peanut butter in the bottom.
Blitz together coconut milk, syrup, cacao, vanilla and peanut butter.
Add chia seeds and mix with a whisk, pour into jar on top of the peanut butter.
Refrigerate for an hour

Blueberry & Vanilla Chia Pudding (Aiden's fave)

2 cups coconut milk (unsweetened)
1/2 cup chia seeds
1/2 tsp maple syrup or rice malt syrup
1 tsp tsp vanilla
1/2 cup blueberries

Prep your jar(s) by putting a 1/4 cup blueberries in the bottom.
Blitz together coconut milk, syrup, vanilla and and 1/4 cup blueberries. Save a couple to go on top!
Add chia seeds and mix with a whisk, pour into jar on top of the whole blueberries.
Refrigerate for an hour

Misty Day Chia Pudding with Strawberries

2 cups coconut milk (unsweetened)
1/2 cup chia seeds
1/2 tsp maple syrup or rice malt syrup
1 tsp tsp vanilla
1 TBS Misty Day tonic
* I used 'Moxie Brew' which is cacao, beetroot & asparagus
1/4 cup frozen strawberries
Blitz together coconut milk, syrup, vanilla and the tonic.
Add chia seeds and mix with a whisk, pour into jar and place some strawberries on top - they will sink, this is fine.
Refrigerate for an hour