Raw chocolate cake with raspberry ice cream

Today I made a new jug of almond milk, and always feeling so guilty about throwing out the almond pulp (you get this from straining the milk through a mesh bag), I decided to try and use it. I was inspired by one of Alison Andrews recipes (Simple Raw Food Recipes) with my own twist on hers.

I soaked 2 cups of almonds overnight, drained the soaking water then blended the almonds with 4 cups of water, 3 dates, and a teaspoon of vanilla extract. After blending for about a minute, I poured the milk into a mesh bag to strain the pulp (I use a sprouting bag from the health food store and it works perfectly).

Chocolate cake

2 cups almond pulp
2 cups dates
2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
1 tsp agave syrup (if you like it sweeter)

Blend the dates till they form a thick caramel-like sauce (I added a little almond milk to help it along). Add the cacao and continue to blend to form a thick chocolate paste. Remove from the blender with a spatula and stir into the almond pulp to form a thick, very moist chocolate cake.

Raspberry Ice cream

2 cups frozen raspberries (you can use any frozen berries of your choice)
1 cup raw cashews

Blend till smooth, but still thick and easy to scoop into balls from the blender. Serve with the chocolate cake and enjoy!

My 2-year old absolutely loved this recipe and it's something I don't mind her having too much of!

Pumpkin Soup

I love pumpkin soup, and most weeks I buy a whole pumpkin from the farmers' market to make it with. I tend to slow roast my chopped (unpeeled) pumpkin for an hour or 2 before transferring it to a pot with some stock. I find that roasting it brings out its natural sweetness, and gives the soup a really full flavour. Also, roasting the pumpkin this way allows me to make use of the skin in my soup, which is full of nutrients and fibre.

This week's pumpkin is a hybrid - it is a cross between a butternut and a kent pumpkin, and it it beautiful! So, give it a good wash with cool running water, then chop coarsely, drizzle with olive oil and put onto a tray to bake at about 180C till soft and caramelised slightly.

This week I also am experimenting with adding spouted soup mix to my soup... why? Normally I add a variation of dried legumes such as lentils, chickpeas, peas and beans, but this week I wanted to sprout them first. When a seed begins to sprout, it is a richer source of protein for the young shoot to grow from, and so I thought this would translate nicely to a protein-rich pumpkin soup.

I got a small bag of soup mix and a sprouting bag from the health food store, and it took 2-3 days for them to sprout.

So, to get started... roast your pumpkin. When that's almost done, peel and chop a couple of onions and some garlic. Fry them in a little olive oil until they become translucent.

Add your pumpkin and sprouts, and enough water or stock to cover the contents of the pot. Bring to the biol and then lower the heat and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes. Season to taste, or add fresh herbs for extra flavour. Fresh thyme works really well.

I like to blend my soup with a stick blender, but that is up to you. I also like to add a can of drained and rinsed beans or chickpeas at the end, for a little added texture and fibre.

Enjoy!

Green drinks

I love starting the day with a green juice - and the ingredients vary all the time, depending on what's in the fridge and my mood!

I have 2 favourites that I made up, and they are very nice and green without tasting like you're drinking a spinach leaf! Studies have shown that including colours into your diet are vital to maintaining good health, and green is the first I get out of the way in a day... it is becoming easier and easier to do too. I now catch myself looking at the fresh produce at the farmer's market or the supermarket and getting hungry! It must be working... :)

Don't get too hung up on ingredients, I have a pile of books on green smoothies that I started out with and have progressed to designing my own... get creative!

Lean & Green

1/2 a cucumber
Handful of spinach
Handful of wheatgrass
1 cup green grapes
2 cups apple juice
ice

Blend together and drink immediately. You can blend your apples if you choose to, but if you like your drink a little smoother and less thick then use juice.

Green Sweetie

4 kiwi fruits, peeled
Handful of wheatgrass
Handful of spinach
1 banana
2 cups pear juice
ice

Yum! This one was really lovely and quite sweet. Again, feel free to experiment and switch up your ingredients to create new flavours and textures - these are my more palatable experiments (ask my husband and he'll tell you how hard some have been to drink! :))

Rainy Day Breakfast

Good morning!

It was rainy and cool this morning, so I felt like something warm for breakfast. I've been meaning to try a recipe by The Healthy Chef, Teresa Cutter (www.teresacutter.com) and this morning was the perfect opportunity. It's high in protein, filling, and it tastes delicious.

1  cup almond milk (or your choice of preferred milk)
2 green apple (cut into quarters with the skin and seeds included)
4 - 5  tablespoons LSA (ground linseed, sunflower, and almond)
pinch cinnamon
Fresh fruit to serve

Combine the almond milk and apple into your vita-mix container and secure the lid. Select variable 1.Turn machine on and quickly increase speed to variable 10 and then to high. Blend for 30 seconds then pour the combined mix into a  small pot along with the LSA and cinnamon. Cook porridge over a low heat for a few minutes until heated through and thickened. Serve topped with fresh fruit. 

This makes enough for 2 generous portions, just half it if you're breakfasting solo.

I was very fortunate to get a vita-mix blender for Christmas, which I use every day for just about everything. If you get into your cooking and nutrition, then it's definitely worth the investment, as you need a powerful blender to make some of these recipes. Also, a higher-powered motor allows you to process skins, seeds and stalks which is where there is a valuable source of extra nutrition. However, if you look around there are many cheaper options available, just compare and do your homework - it's worth your time!

Raw Cashew & Passionfruit Tart

Hello there! So I've finally got round to starting my own blog after numerous requests for my recipes and ideas for healthy food... here goes!
I am a thirty-something mother of 2 little girls, a part-time yoga instructor and I have a passion for healthy living and nutritious food. I like nothing better that a few hours on my own in my kitchen, trying new recipes and techniques, exercise, and good books.

Today it poured with rain, so after an early morning visit to the organic farmer's markets, I spent the afternoon in my kitchen, bliss! I made fresh almond milk, a green juice, and a raw cashew & passion fruit tart.

Here is the recipe for the tart... enjoy!

Raw Cashew & Passionfruit tart

Filing:

1.5 cups raw cashews, soaked
1 cup almond milk
5 passion fruits
3 lemons, plus rind
1/2 cup coconut oil
agave syrup

Crust:

1 cup organic nuts
1 cup desiccated coconut
1/2 cup dried apricots, soaked
3 dates

Blend all the ingredients for the crust together till they form a coarse mixture. Gently press into a spring-form pie tin to cover the base and press up the sides.

Blend all the ingredients for the filling together for about a minute at high speed till creamy and smooth. Gently pour into the pie base and allow to set in the fridge for a few hours.