Good stuff Smoothie

After a busy morning at my daughter's school, and doing a pretty strong yoga practice, I felt like I needed to refuel my body but I wasn't quite ready for lunch yet.

I wanted something a little more substantial than green juice, that would keep me going for a while longer.

And this is the result. A creamy and delicious smoothie that has all the good stuff - alkaline greens, good fats and protein.

I got 2 small mason jars from this recipe (one for now, one for later!)

Ingredients:

1/2 banana
2 large leaves of silver beet (you can substitute spinach here)
1 or 2 dates (depending on how sweet you like it)
2 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp protein powder (vanilla works best)
1 tbsp nut butter (I used almond)
2 - 3 cups milk (I used oat milk)

Method:

Place all the ingredients into a blender and process till smooth and creamy. Enjoy! x

Sweet & Spicy Nuts

I have tried various versions of this recipe, and I think this might be the best so far... but beware, you won't be able to stop at just one or two. 

Feel free to use whatever nuts you like most, and play around with the ingredients - we like them very spicy, but you may prefer a little less.

These are the perfect accompaniment to a tall, very cold drink... or just on their own...

Ingredients:

500g raw almonds and cashews

1-2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup honey

1-2 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 - 1 tsp salt

Method:

Preheat your oven to 200C (180C fan-forced)

In a frying pan over low heat, gently melt the ingredients together, stirring to get it smooth and lump-free. Add the nuts and stir to coat them evenly.

Place onto a lined baking tray and spread evenly. Roast for 10 - 15 minutes, keeping an eye on them all the time to prevent burning. We leave them in a little longer as we like the nuts crunchier, so make sure you keep checking them.

Allow to cool completely before separating and storing in an airtight container.

Raw caramel

So I was in the kitchen today with the idea of making some chocolate, when I got very sidetracked and ended up making caramel instead. And, oh boy, was it worth the detour...

I did end up making chocolate caramel cups, but I used silicone moulds that were a little too small, so it's back to the drawing board. I have enough caramel left to make something else with, so I think I might perfect my raw caramel slice. Tough job, but someone's got to do it, right?

 Ingredients:

10-12 pitted medjool dates, soaked in boiling water for 10 minutes and drained
6 tbsp cocoa butter, melted (you could use coconut oil in a pinch, but I think this is the key to making this caramel so good and gives it that slightly thicker texture)
2 tbsp raw honey
2 tbsp almond butter

Method:

Pop all the ingredients into a food processor or blender and whizz till smooth and thick. I found that the longer I blended (5 - 10 minutes or so), the better it got.

Store in the fridge and use however you like - just try not to eat it all in one sitting!