Veggie & Fruit sticks with dips!

Sometimes we get caught up in superfoods and fancy recipes we forget the the most simple snacks can be the healthiest. We all have 5 minutes to slice up some fruit & veggies, they make a great snack for on the go or at home. pair them with some dips for added protein, healthy fats & flavour.

ingredients

• Cucumber

• Carrots

• Capsicum

• Snow peas

• Celery

• Berries

• Melons

• Apple/Pear

• Grapes

  You can really use any fruit & vegetables I’m just giving you some ideas

  Then try dipping them in these tasty dips:

• Hummus

• Taziki

• Greek Yoghurt

• Cottage Cheese

• Nut Butter

Mountain Bread Chips

Warning these are dangerously delicious!

Ingredients

• 1 packet of mountain bread wraps

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• Sea salt

• Optional - dried herbs/sesame seeds/parmesan cheese/spices

Instructions

1. Lightly drizzle mountain bread with olive oil

2. Season with salt & your seasonings or herbs if using.

3. Take a pizza cutter or sharp knife and cut lavash bread into chip size triangles

4. Transfer cut lavash bread to baking tray

5. Bake 5 minutes or until edges of chips turn lightly brown - watch them they can cook quickly!

6. Let cool

7. Delicious with the “healthy mexican’ meal under Dinner recipes or with hummus or guacamole.

Creamy Berry Popsicles

Only a handful of ingredients & delicious on a hot summers day!

Ingredients

• 2 cups coconut milk

• 3 cups strawberries (or any other soft fruit - (berries/mango/kiwifruit/watermelon)

• 2 tablespoons honey

• Optional teaspoon probiotic powder

Instructions

1. Add strawberries to a blender and puree on high for a few minutes

2. Add honey & coconut milk (+ probiotics if using)

3. Pop a few whole berries into the moulds

4. Pour mixture into popsicle moulds & freeze for at least 6 hours.

Loaded Rice Crackers

The most common question I get asked from the women is this village is “what should I have for lunch?’

How many of you pack all the lunch boxes for the family but dont make anything for yourself? I’m guilty of this too!! Lunch doesn’t have to be complicate but I encourage you to have a source of protein, good fats & complex carbohydrates.

Loaded rice cakes are great, gluten free & your only limited to your imagination. Look for organic, unflavoured rice cakes.

Topping combinations:

• Avocado/Tomato/Chicken/Salt & Pepper

• Hummus/Cucumber/Cheese

• Avocado/Smoked salmon/Cucumber

• Cottage cheese/Sprouts/Tomato

• Tuna/Cucumber/Squeeze lemon

• Peanut butter/Strawberries

• Tahini/Banana

Libido Enhancing Smoothie

It happens to the best of us girls, but adding a few key nutrients into our diet can really help get the zing back into the bedroom tango.

The ingredients in here are high in vitamin B6, magnesium & will promote serotonin our feel good hormone. The brazil nuts are high in selenium to support thyroid function, and don’t skimp on the maca powder… this key ingredient will help get you in the mood.

Ingredients

• 1 cup drinking coconut milk

• 1 cup water

• 1 small frozen banana

• 1 date

• 1 teaspoon maca powder

• 1 teaspoon cacao powder

• 1 Tablespoon chia seeds

• 3 Brazil nuts

• 1/2 zucchini

• Optional serve protein or collagen powder

Instructions

1. Blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy

Perfect Pesto

High in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, this is a brilliant addition to crackers, veggie sticks or to jazz up a pasta dish.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup almonds

• 1/4 cup (pine nuts)

• 8 cloves chopped garlic

• 5 cups fresh basil leaves, packed

• 1 teaspoon sea salt salt

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 1/2 cups good olive oil

• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instruction

1. Place the almonds, pine nuts, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade.

   Process for 15 seconds.

2. Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thoroughly pureed.

3. Add the Parmesan and puree for 30 seconds.

4. Use right away or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top. If pesto is exposed to the air it will tune a dark colour so top it with a little extra olive oil to avoid this.

Whole Foods Platter

Just 1 in 10 adults meet the recommended daily intake of fruit or vegetables in Australia & New Zealand. If you can do one thing for your health start eating more vegetables, they provide you wit an abundance of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals & fibre.

They don’t have to be boring either, pair them with a beautiful piece of cheese or dip veggie sticks into hummus.

Picture here is one of my favourites - Fresh basil, Cherry Tomatoes & Mozzarella Cheese.

Other delicious combinations are

• Cucumber, Olives & Camembert

• Cos lettuce, Cucumber, Tomato & a shaving of Parmesan

• Cucumber, Tomato & Apple Cider Vinegar

• Avocado, Tomato & nitrate free Ham

• Celery & peanut butter

Anti Oxidant Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 cup organic berries

• 1/2 frozen banana

• 1 cup milk of choice

• 1 cup water

• 1/2 small cucumber (washed & diced)

• 1 stalk celery (washed & diced)

• 3 brazil nuts

• 1 tablespoon chia seeds

• 1 tablespoon flaxseeds

• Optional addition of plant based protein powder or collagen

Instructions

1. Place all ingredients into the blender and blend until smooth & creamy.

Paleo Lemon Biscuits.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted.

• 1/3 cup honey

• 1 tablespoon lemon zest

• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

• 1 1/2 cups almond meal

• 2 tablespoons coconut flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• pinch sea salt

• 1/4 cup slithered almonds

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine coconut oil, maple syrup, lemon zest and lemon juice. Add the almond meal, coconut flour, baking soda and salt. Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes, the coconut flour will absorb the liquid.

2. Preheat the oven to 180 deg c and line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.

3. Roll mixture into balls and flatten with your hand.

4. Top with a few slithered almonds.

5. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until slightly golden

6. The cookies will still be very soft when you remove them from the oven. Let them cool on the tray completely before eating (this is the hard part).

7. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Peanut butter & Jelly chocolate!

Ingredients

• 100g 70% dark chocolate

• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter

• 1/4 cup refined sugar free jam

Instructions

1. Line 12 mini muffin trays with cupcake liners

2. In a double boiler or microwave, melt dark chocolate till thin & glossy.

3. Pour 1 teaspoon of chocolate into each cup, tilt the tray from side to side so the chocolate covers the sides, put the tray in the fridge for 30 minutes - set aside the left over chocolate, we will use this soon.

4. Bring chocolate cups out of the fridge and add 1 teaspoon of peanut butter & 1/2 teaspoon jam to the choc cups.

5. Now pour the left over chocolate on top of the peanut butter & jam.You may need to melt the chocolate a little more if it has gone hard.

6. Place back in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before treating your self.

7. Hide them from your husband & the kids.

Pear & Nut butter

This is not so much of a recipe as such but an example of getting a very quick macronutrient balanced snack. As Mum’s we are often time poor & baking or cooking everything we eat is just not practical.

In clinic I see a lot of very carbohydrates dominated meals & snacks, this plays havoc on our blood sugar levels & hormones. When I talk about getting macronutrient balanced meals & snacks I’m wanting to see a source of protein, good fats and complex carbohydrates.

Pear - Carb

Nut butter - protein & good fats.

Simply slice up a pear & spread peanut butter, almond butter, tahini or cashew butter.

Roasted Chickpeas

Crispy, salty, savoury snack that offers so much nutritionally…. yes please.

Ingredients:

2 cans of organic chickpeas

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 big teaspoon ground sea salt

Optional but delicious spices - curry powder, cumin, chilli powder, dried herbs

Instructions

1. Drain & rinse chickpeas then dry thoroughly between paper towels. If you can leave them to air dry out a little the better.

2. Heat oven to 180 deg c

3. Mix chickpeas, olive oil & salt in a bowl to event coat the chickpeas.

4. Roast in the oven for 20-30 minutes, give them a little shake every 10 minutes or so.

5. Once cooked add any additional spices.

6. Serve while the chickpeas are still warm and crispy. They will gradually lose their crispiness as they cool.

Vegan Chocolate Tart

Base Ingredients:

2 cups nuts cashews, walnuts or almonds

1 cup coconut flakes

½ cup dates pitted

2 tablespoons cacao powder

1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted

2 teaspoons ginger powder

2 pinches coarse sea salt

Base Method:

Place nuts in food processor and blend till they become a fine meal.

Add coconut flakes and blend till fine.

Add cacao, ginger, salt and coconut oil, blend to combine.

Add dates last, one by one as motor runs, blend till well combined.

Transfer base mixture and press into tin. Use your fingers to press the mixture right into the grooves, take time to get into the scalloped edges for the best end result. Set in freezer.

Chocolate Filling:

1 cup raw cashews, soaked a minimum of one hour, longer great!

½ cup coconut oil

⅓ cup full fat canned coconut milk or homemade thick and creamy nut milk.

90g Chocolate, melted

¼ cup rice malt syrup

2 teaspoons vanilla

¼ teaspoon salt

Filling Method:

Process all ingredients until silky smooth.

Taste and add more sweetener if you prefer,

Spread/Pour into the awaiting crust, and refrigerate or freeze until it firms up!! Heaven!

Serve with a dollop of whipped coconut cream or greek yoghurt.

Hormone balancing Hot Chocolate

I harp on about how too much coffee has an impact on our hormones, (a lot) but if you’re going to take liquid gold out of your diet then find something delicious to take its place or else you'll feel desperately deprived.

I've been making this for years & drink it almost daily. Its delicious & has so many food as medicine properties.

-Cacao is a fabulous source of iron & magnesium, great for period pain.

-Cinnamon is brilliant for balancing blood sugar levels, balanced insulin levels equals happy hormones.

-Maca powder, containing 31 different minerals and 60 different phytonutrients, Maca is a nourishing food for the endocrine system, aiding the pituitary, adrenal, and thyroid glands (all involved in hormonal balance.) Also fab for the libido!

-Collagen is a protein that is found in our bodies – our muscles, our bones, skin and our tendons. As we get older collagen depletes and this leads to both sagging, aging skin and aches and pains in our joints and muscles. Collagen is a great source of amino acids (arginine, glutamine, glycine and proline). We need amino acids to produce healthy levels of hormones.

-Coconut milk, fabulous fats to support the synthesis of hormones. .

-Optional teaspoon coconut sugar or honey.

1. Heat 1 cup of drinking coconut milk & 1 cup of water in a sauce pan or milk frother.

2. Add 1 heaped teaspoon cacao, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon collagen, 1/2 teaspoon maca & a teaspoon coconut sugar depending on taste.

   *Leave out the maca if pregnant or breastfeeding.

Tahini Choc Chip Cookies

INGREDIENTS

1 cup almond flour
1 cup unhulled tahini
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 egg
1 tsp baking soda
1 heaping cup of dark choc chunks

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INSTRUCTIONS

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a medium size bowl, mix together the almond flour, tahini, maple syrup and chocolate chips! *The dough should be thick. If it's not, add a little bit more almond flour.

3. Mix to ensure everything is coated well, and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Do not skip this step! 

4. While the dough is chilling, preheat oven to 180 deg C.  

5. Remove bowl from the refrigerator, and add the egg and baking soda. Mix together until fully incorporated.

6. Using a spoon, scoop dough and form cookies. Depending on the size of your cookies, you will get 10-12. 

7. Bake for 10-11 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the cookies settle before eating!
   The key with these cookies is to slightly undercook them, so that they are nice and crispy on the outside and SUPER CHEWY on the inside. 
   
   Enjoy!

Tamari Almonds

So hard to stop at a handful, tamer almonds definitely satisfy when the craving for something salty strikes. They also make a simple yet special appetizer to put out when company arrives.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups almonds

• 3 tablespoons tamari

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Spread the plain almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake until lightly toasted, 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven but keep the oven on.

2. Transfer the hot almonds to a bowl and drizzle the tamari sauce overtop. Stir to evenly coat.

3. Spread the almonds in an even layer on the same parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes, and then stir the almonds. Return to the oven for a couple minutes more (2-5 depending on the oven) or until the almonds are dry. (A little bit of moisture is fine; this will dry as the almonds cool.) Watch the nuts carefully after the first 5 minutes so they do not burn.

4. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. The nuts will firm up as they cool. For an optional spicy kick, you may sprinkle the almonds lightly with cayenne pepper while they are still warm.

*Tamari is a wider class of soy sauces, and is made with no (or very little) wheat, while traditional soy sauce does contain wheat. 

• Tamari: Little to no wheat (always double-check if avoiding gluten)

• Soy Sauce: Includes wheat (not gluten-free)

Healthy Lemon Slice

Healthy Lemon Slice

Ingredients
1 cup desiccated coconut
1 cup ground almonds

1/2 cup rolled oats
4 Tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
4 Tbsp honey
Zest of one lemon
Juice of one lemon
1 tsp pure vanilla bean paste
A pinch of sea salt

Method
1. Add all of the ingredients to a food processor. 

2. Pulse 3-4 times, or until the mixture starts to come together like a dough.

Press into a lined baking dish & refrigerate for at least 1 hour before slicing.

Home-made Muesli Bar

Home-made Muesli Bar

Recipe

• 3 cups of pitted chopped dates

• 3 cups of oats

• 1/4 cup chia seeds

• 150g of butter or coconut oil

• 1 Tablespoon honey

1. Line a 25 cm square cake tin with baking paper

2. In a food processor add dates, oats, chia seeds & 4 tablespoons of hot water & process until it resembles a crumb texture. Add soft butter & honey to the mixture & process again until combined.

3. Press into the lined tin and place in fridge for at least 2 hours before cutting into bars.

Home-made Gummies

Gummies - (Your kids will love these)

Recipe

• 1 cup of liquid, (coconut water, coconut milk, 100% juice or pureed fruit)

• 1.5 Tablespoons of gelatin, (I use Nutra Organics Gelatin)

• 2-4 tsp of sweetener of choice, or none if sweet enough for your tastes.

1. Put liquid, sweetener and gelatin in a saucepan and heat over a low heat, whisking until fully combined. Cook for another 5 minutes until simmering at the edges. Do not boil!

2. Pour into molds & pop in the fridge to set for 1hour depending on the size of your container or moulds.

Gelatin is a fabulöus source of protein, that helps to heal leaky gut, improve immunity, aid sleep, reduce inflammation & joint pain.

It is a fun little activity to make with your kids and you can get creative with the flavours. We love lemon & honey, kombucha, & berry. When I use pureed fruit I like to double the recipe & use 1 cup pureed fruit mixed with 1 cup coconut water.

Mini Egg Cups

Mini egg cups

Recipe

• 8 eggs, beaten

• 1/4 cup frozen peas

• 1/4 cup milk

• 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

• 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

• Salt

• Pepper

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1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees, grease a mini muffin pan.

2. In a mixing bowl, crack eggs and beat until yolks are broken and well mixed. Add in milk and whip until fluffy. Add a dash of salt and pepper.

3. In the muffin pan, layer the shredded cheese, peas and bacon into the cups so that they are about 1/3 of the way full.

4. Pour egg mixture into each cup, until cups are about 2/3 full.

5. Bake for 10-12 minutes until egg muffins are solid. No liquid should remain.

6. Allow to cool before popping out of pan.