Caramelised Banana Pancakes

dairy-free - refined sugar free - whole-foods - clean eating

These pancakes have a delicious, light and fluffy texture! Using a slightly over-ripe banana, diced finely, can counteract a less sweet batter, making it easy to reduce the amount of sweetener that you use. The whole batter contains just 3 teaspoons of maple syrup, yet it still tastes sweet.

Serves: Makes approximately 5 large pancakes

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup of wholemeal, unbleached flour

- 1/2 cup of coconut flour

- 1 tablespoon of maca powder (optional)

- 1.5 teaspoons of baking powder

- 1 teaspoon of mesquite powder (optional- this adds the caramel flavour)

Wet Ingredients:

- 1 organic egg

- 1 tablespoon of chia seeds

- 1/2 cup of rice milk or other non-dairy milk

- 3 teaspoons of melted extra virgin, unrefined, cold pressed coconut oil

- 3 teaspoons of maple syrup

- 1.5 teaspoons of vanilla essence

- extra water to adjust consistency of batter

- 1 large, over-ripe banana (spotty), diced finely

Method:

1. In a large bowl, add the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.

2. In another bowl, add the egg, rice milk, chia seeds, coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla essence and whisk with a fork until well combined. Leave for a few minutes to allow the chia seeds to thicken.

3. Mix the wet ingredients in to the dry ingredients and stir until well combined and smooth.

4. Gradually add the extra water whilst mixing until a cake-batter like consistency is achieved (not too runny, not too thick).

5. Fold in the sliced banana.

6. Spray a medium sized, non-stick fry pan with olive oil and allow it to warm up on the hot plate (low to medium heat).

7. Once the pan has heated, add 1/3 of a cup of mixture to the pan. I usually lift the pan and gently shake it from side to side to allow the mixture to evenly disperse.

8. Cook on a low/medium heat, pushing the sides down with a spatula to prevent the edges from sticking or burning. Flip the pancake with a turner when bubbles start to appear on the surface, and the batter has become more solid. Once turned, cook for another 1 minute.

9. Serve with freshly sliced banana and a drizzle of maple syrup. Alternatively, avocado chocolate mousse also tastes delicious with these pancakes.

Intense Cacao and Hazelnut Protein Muffins

Vegan | Dairy-Free | Gluten-Free |Quick & Easy

Makes: approximately 12 cup-cake sized muffins

Ingredients:

- 1 cup hazelnut meal

- ½ cup gluten-free, plain, multipurpose flour

- ¼ cup brown rice protein powder

- ¼ cup raw cacao powder

- 2 teaspoons of gluten-free baking powder

- 60g of dairy free chocolate chips (I used Lindt 70% dark block, chopped which may contain traces of dairy.)

- ¾ cup nut milk (I used Almond Breeze ‘unsweetened almond coconut milk,’ which is calcium enriched.)

- ½ cup coconut sugar

- ¼ cup vegan butter, melted (I used Nuttelex ‘olive’ spread)

- 2 x chia-seed eggs (2 tablespoons of chia-seeds, mixed with 6 tablespoons of hot water, left to thicken for 15 minutes)

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 170°C.
2. Line cup-cake trays with patty pans.
3. Prepare the chia-seed eggs.
4. Mix the hazelnut meal, flour, brown rice protein powder, raw cacao powder, baking powder and chocolate chips together in a large mixing bowl.
5. In a smaller bowl, mix together the nut milk, coconut sugar, vegan butter and chia seed eggs until well combined.
6. Add the wet ingredients in to the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
7. Spoon mixture in to cup-cake trays.
8. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
9. Remove from oven and leave in trays to cool and set.
10. Enjoy on their own or warm with a dash of vegan butter and melted raspberries.

Note: If you prefer a less intense cacao flavor, use diary-free milk chocolate instead of dark chocolate.

Vegan Sticky-Date Cupcakes with Mesquite Caramel Frosting

Gluten-Free | Vegan | Dairy Free | Easy

Makes 12 Cupcakes

Cake Mixture Ingredients:

- 1 cup pitted dates

- 1 ¼ cup boiling water

- 2 flax-eggs (consists of 2 tablespoons of ground flax-seeds, mixed with 6 tablespoons of boiling water, set aside for 5 minutes to gelatinise)

- 1 cup multipurpose gluten-free plain flour

- 1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder

- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda

- ¼ cup coconut sugar

- 1 teaspoon organic vanilla essence

- 2 tablespoons organic, extra virgin, unrefined coconut oil

- 1 tablespoon Nutellex Pulse (you could use any Nutellex spread or vegan margarine)

Mesquite Caramel Frosting Ingredients:

- ¼ cup Nutellex Pulse spread

- ¼ cup mesquite powder

- ½ tablespoon coconut sugar

- 1 teaspoon organic vanilla essence

- walnuts to decorate - optional

Cake Mixture Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C.

2. In a separate bowl, place the pitted dates and boiling water and set aside to soften.

3. To make the flax-eggs, mix together the ground flaxseeds and boiling water in a small bowl and set aside to gelatinise.

4. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate soda and set aside.

5. In a food processor, cream together the coconut sugar, vanilla essence, coconut oil and Nutellex Pulse spread until creamy.

6. Add the flax eggs (which were set aside earlier) in to the food processor with the creamed sugar, oil and Nutellex mixture and blend until well combined.

7. Add the dates and water in which they were soaking in to the food processor and blend until evenly combined with the other ingredients.

8. Add the flour mixture in to the food processor and blend until smooth.

9. Spoon mixture evenly in to a lined, cup-cake tray.

10. Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes (depending on the size of your cup cakes), or until a skewer comes out clean after being inserted in to the middle of a cupcake.  

11. Turn out on to a wire rack to cool. Allow to cool completely before icing.

*Please note that these cupcakes may not peel out of their cupcake cases properly until fully cooled.

Mesquite Caramel Frosting Method:

1. Place the Nutellex Pulse spread, mesquite powder, vanilla essence and coconut sugar in to a small food processor bowl and blend until combined and creamy.

2.  Using a butter knife, spread a teaspoon amount on to each cup-cake in a circular motion.

3. Decorate with walnuts (optional). 

Clean Watermelon Sorbet and Watermelon Ice-Blocks Recipe

Clean Watermelon Sorbet

- no added sugar - gluten free - vegan – whole foods -

Even though summer has left us, and we are now transitioning in to winter, the days can still be quite hot and so I still find myself craving cool, frozen summer treats. After the overzealous purchasing a 10kg watermelon last week, I decided to get creative in the kitchen so that the delicious fruit did not go to waste and formulated a very easy and simple watermelon sorbet recipe. This recipe does not require the addition of sugar syrups or ice-cream churning machines. All you need is a high powered blender or food processor and two simple, nutritious ingredients. This sorbet also serves as an interesting and tasty way of getting fussy children to up their intake of fruit.

Serves: 5

Ingredients:
- 4x cups of frozen, diced watermelon
- freshly squeezed juice from 2 oranges

Method:
1. Dice the fresh watermelon in to small squares (it is important that the watermelon is cut in to smaller cubes so that it is easier on your food processor’s motor).
2. Place the diced watermelon in to a container and place in the freezer until fully frozen. It is important that you only freeze the watermelon in single layers so that the pieces don’t freeze together in large clumps, thus undermining the whole point in dicing the fruit finely.
3. Meanwhile, squeeze the juice from the oranges and set aside.
4. Place the watermelon in a food processor or high powered blender, with a small amount of the orange juice and pulse until the melon has broken down slightly.
5. Add a little more juice and pulse again for another 30 seconds. Keep repeating this process until the watermelon has completely broken down and is thick and icy, just like sorbet! Depending on variables such as how frozen your watermelon is and how powerful your blender is, you may or may not need to use all the orange juice you have squeezed and this is why I suggest  you add it to the mixture in a gradual manner.

Please note:
- It is important that the watermelon is cut in to smaller cubes so that it is easier on your food processor’s motor.
- I find that initially using the pulse setting on my food processor is easier on my machine when first breaking down the frozen watermelon chunks.
- If you prefer a sweeter flavor you can experiment with different fruit juices. Pineapple juice would also work well.
- This watermelon sorbet also makes great ice-blocks (method below)!

Watermelon Sorbet Ice-Blocks 

- no added sugar - gluten free - vegan - whole foods - 

Ingredients: 
- mixture from watermelon sorbet recipe

Method:
1. Pour mixture in to ice block mould and insert the ice block sticks.
2. Gently and carefully, tap the moulds on the bench to remove any air bubbles in the mixture.
3. Place moulds in freezer, on a flat surface, over night or for at least 8 hours.
4. When you are sure that your ice blocks are fully frozen, gently run the moulds under warm water before gently easing them out of the moulds.

Jaffa Protein Balls

Egg Free - Nut Free - Gluten Free - Vegan

In this recipe, I used oats instead of nuts as they are not only cheaper, but also less kilo-joule dense.  This also means that the recipe can be replicated on a large scale for social events or gifts in an affordable manner!                                                                                                                             Finally, as this recipe is nut free, egg free and gluten free (if you use gluten free oats/oatmeal), it is also suitable for allergy sufferers.

Makes:  12

Preparation time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

For the mixture: 

-         -  2 cups of pitted dates

-          - ¼ cup oats or oatmeal

-          - ¼ cup cocoa powder

-          - ¼ cup brown rice protein powder

-          - 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice (Navel orange)

-          - 1 tablespoon freshly grated orange rind (Navel orange)

For assembly and decoration:

-          1 tablespoon extra virgin, cold pressed coconut oil

-          the zest of 1 large navel orange

Method

1. Place the dates in a heatproof bowl and cover with hot water. Set aside to soak. This step is important because it softens the dates, ensuring that they are easy to process and thus should not burn out the motor in your food processor.

2. If using oats, place them in the food processor and blend until they have turned in to a powder. It does not have to be perfect, so do not worry if you still have a few residual oat flakes. If using oatmeal, skip this step and move to step 2.

3.  Add the cocoa powder and brown rice protein powder to the oatmeal/oats and blend for 2 seconds, until the powders are mixed.

4. Drain the dates using a colander. Allow them to sit for a few minutes so the excess water can drain away. You can do this whilst preparing the oranges.

5.  Add the dates along with the navel orange zest and juice to the food processor and blend until the mixture forms a ball. This is probably the trickiest part of the process because you do not want the mixture to be too dry or too wet. If the mixture is too dry (crumbly), add a few softened dates or a tablespoon of orange juice. If the mixture is too wet (sloppy), add some more oatmeal. If you need to correct the mixture, do so in a very gradual manner as it usually only takes a small amount of ingredients to bring the mixture back in to balance.

6. Place the mixture in the fridge for  10-15 minutes, until slightly chilled as this will make the mixture less sticky and more manageable.

7. Meanwhile, grate the rind of 1 large Navel orange and spread it out on to a chopping board or large plate. 

8. Rub a small amount of coconut oil on to your hands. This will prevent the mixture from sticking to your hands when rolling it in to balls.

9. Scoop, roughly 1 tablespoon sized amount of the mixture in to the palm of your hands and roll in to a ball shape.

10. Once you have rolled all the mixture, lightly roll each ball on to the orange rind.

11. Place in a sealed container and store in the fridge. Alternatively, you could also store them in the freezer if you prefer a firmer texture.

Hints

-          If the mixture is too dry, (crumbly) add a few softened dates or a tablespoon of orange juice. If the mixture is too wet (sloppy), add some more oatmeal. If you need to correct the mixture, do so in a very gradual manner as it usually only takes a small amount of ingredients to bring the mixture back in to balance.

-          If you do not enjoy a strong orange flavour, you could roll the balls in quick oats (oats which have been partially blended so that they are smaller and thus quicker to cook), or even regular oats, instead of the orange rind.

-          Protein balls also make great gifts for health-conscious loved ones! You could place them in a glass jar, with a ribbon tied around the lid and also add a tag with the recipe or a special note.  You could also make them as a gift for Valentine’s Day instead of buying chocolates.

*This is my own original recipe to which I own the rights. 

Hearty Zucchini Pasta with Basil Pesto

- vegetarian, gluten-free, grain-free and high in healthy fats –

Today, pressured by the vast amount of unused vegetables in my fridge (I tend to get a little too excited at the green grocer), I decided to experiment with my two favourites; zucchini and basil pesto. Whilst the finished product may look fancy and time consuming, I can assure you that this meal took me less than 20 minutes to whip together!  

Whilst this dish tastes great on its own as a main meal, it would also work well as a side to a piece of salmon or a chicken breast. Alternatively, you could also make it ahead of time and serve it cold as a salad at a dinner party.

Finally, you could easily turn this vegetarian dish in to a vegan dish by using cashew cheese instead of cottage cheese, or alternatively, you could omit the cheese all together.

Ingredients

Pesto:
- the leaves from 1 bunch of basil
- a handful of crushed walnuts
- 1 clove of garlic, crushed
- the juice of half a lemon
- roughly  1/8 of a cup of extra virgin olive oil
- Himalayan salt and black pepper to taste

Other Ingredients:
- 2  extra large zucchinis (about 3 cups worth)
- 2 teaspoon of olive oil
- 3 tablespoons of cottage cheese
- 1 small avocado, diced
- 4 tablespoons of crushed walnuts- to decorate

Method

To make the pesto:
1. Place the garlic, lemon juice, basil and a drizzle of the olive oil in a food processor and blend until well combined.
2. Add the walnuts and blend until the pesto reaches your desired consistency (I prefer mine slightly grainy).
3. Gradually drizzle in the rest of the olive oil and blend until the pesto is thick and sauce like, but not runny (you may require more or less than the 1/8 of a cup as specified in the ingredients list).
4. Scrape the pesto in to a jar and place aside for later.

To make the zucchini pasta:
1. Using a peeler, remove the skin from the zucchinis and then cut off the stalks with a knife.
2. Cut the zucchinis in to quarters, long ways.
3. One at a time, lay each quarter flat side down on to the chopping board and slice thinly. Your aim is to create long slithers, about double the size of fettuccini pasta, however, it’s not really a big deal if they turn out uneven and rough.
4. Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a fry pan before sautéing the freshly sliced zucchini. The goal is to cook the zucchini until it is soft and more flexible, but not soggy.

To assemble the dish:
1. In a larger mixing bowl, place the zucchini pasta, 2 tablespoon of the cottage cheese and the pesto and mix with a spoon until well combined.
2. Share the pasta between two bowls and top each with ½  the avocado, ½ a tablespoon of cottage cheese and 2 tablespoons of crushed walnuts.
3. Enjoy!

Banana and Chia Protein Muffins

(Lactose free, gluten free, naturally sweetened, no added sugar, nut free, whole foods)

Yesterday, whilst cleaning out the fridge I discovered a bunch of bananas that needed to be used pronto and so I decided to try and make some muffins that would be not only delicious, but also a nutritious and filling alternative to traditional cake!
Now, I know that some of you may be skeptical about the taste of these muffins due to the absence of any sweetener (especially if you are planning on making them for your children), however the beautiful thing about bananas is that they seem to get sweeter, the riper they become, which means that you won't need to add anything else!

Some of nutritional benefits from the ingredients included in this recipe:

- Protein from eggs and brown rice protein powder: Protein helps curb hunger, meaning you are less likely to snack and overeat.                                                                                                           Recently, a study by University of Sydney's Charles Perkins Centre, ‘published online in Obesity Reviews’ indicates that ‘humans' instinctive appetite for protein is so powerful that we are driven to continue eating until we get the right amount of protein, even if it means consuming far more energy than we need’ (Szittner, 2013).

- Buckwheat:  Buckwheat is thought to lower blood glucose levels:
‘A study from the Jilin Agricultural University in China investigated the blood glucose lowering potential of buckwheat protein, pitting it against a toxic glucose analogue called alloxan. This insidious chemical selectively destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, causing characteristics similar to type 1 diabetes when found in rodents and many other animal species. Different doses of buckwheat protein were administered, and researchers discovered that the blood glucose levels of test subjects were indeed lowered when compared to the control group’(Journal of Jilin Agricultural University, 2009; 31(1):102-4) as cited in The Whole Grains Council).

Serves: Makes roughly 10 large muffins | Store: Best stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Ingredients:
- 1 cup organic buckwheat flour
- ¼ cup Bioglan Superfoods brown rice protein powder
- 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
- ½ a teaspoon of nutmeg
- a pinch of Himalayan salt
- ½ a teaspoon of baking powder
- ½ a teaspoon of bi-carb soda
- 4 overripe bananas (brown/ spotty) mashed
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon of organic vanilla essence
- 1 ½ tablespoons of black chia seeds
- 1 heaped teaspoon of organic, virgin coconut oil (melted and cooled)

Method:
1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C and line 2 muffin trays with paper muffin cases. As this recipe includes a large quantity of banana, it is essential to use muffin cases as otherwise the muffins will stick to the trays (even if you grease them).

2. Sift the buckwheat flour, brown rice protein powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking powder and bi-carb soda in to a large mixing bowl.

3. Mix the dry ingredients until evenly distributed, leaving a well in the middle.

4. In a smaller mixing bowl, whisk or beat the eggs until light and fluffy, before mixing through the mashed banana, vanilla essence, chia seeds and coconut oil.

5. Pour the wet ingredients in to the middle of the dry ingredients (in to the well) and mix with a wooden spoon until well combined.

6. Spoon mixture in to lined muffin trays and place in oven for 10- 15 minutes until they are browned on top and a skewer can be inserted in to the middle and come out clean.

7. Remove from trays and allow to cool on a wire rack.

8. Best served warm with your favorite spread e.g. butter or peanut butter.

References:

1. Journal of Jilin Agricultural University, 2009; 31(1):102-4) as cited in The Whole Grains Council. (N.d) . Buckwheat Health Benefits. Retrieved 24/11/2014 from http://wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101/buckwheat-health-benefits 

2. The Universtiy of Sydney, as cited by Szittner, K. (2013). Lack of protein drives overeating. Retrieved 24/11/2014 from  http://sydney.edu.au/news/84.html?newsstoryid=12632