Chocolate Protein Fudge

27 05 2012

I love fudge, it is sweet and delicious and chewy…. This fudge isn’t the ‘would-you-like-Diabetes-with-that’ sweetness of regular fudge but it is much higher in protein, low sugar, full of antioxidants and vitamins and minerals! The flavours can be altered depending on how you feel. Today I was feeling “gingery”… Is that a word? It is now. Ginger is an awesome anti-inflammatory- especially for those with arthritis, great for gastrointestinal upsets (especially motion sickness and morning sickness), and has many immune-boosting properties.

1/2 avocado
1/4 cup raw cacao
1 tbs coconut oil, melted
1 heaped tbs nut butter (I used ABC)
1 cup plain protein powder (unflavored, unsweetened) – you can use almond or flaxseed meal instead I you like
1 tsp fresh grated ginger (optional, but I love ginger)
1 tbs agave or maple syrup (OPTIONAL- leave this out if you want a sugar-free option or you can add some Stevia to taste or a couple of fresh dates)

Add avocado, ginger, cacao, agave and coconut oil to a small food processor and blend until smooth? Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix really well for about 5 minutes until everything is combined. It should have the consistency of unset fudge. It will be quite sticky. Pour into a small tray/container lined with baking paper and use more baking paper on top to press it down. Pop in the fridge, or if you are really impatient like me, the freezer, until it sets. Cut into squares and store in the fridge or freezer.

You can make some variations by adding some raspberries to the mix at the end or some shredded coconut or chopped nuts. You could add some finely chopped fresh chilli and make chilli chocolate fudge? Or some peppermint essence and have mint-Choc fudge! What about 1/2 a mashed banana and have Choc-Banana Fudge! Coffee? Or hazlenuts and make Nutella-Fudge. Ahhh so many options to explore! I have gotta go, more fudge to make!

20120527-191451.jpg





To Salt or Not To Salt, that is the Question?

24 05 2012

Salt is something that everyone has an opinion on. I personally don’t use it very often at all but I am not judging you if you love the stuff. If I do use it, I use Himalayan pink crystal salt to ensure that I am getting the most nutrients. Trav has some interesting facts on common salt in his blog about nutrition, you can read it HERE.

Common table salt is composed of 97.5% sodium chloride and 2.5% chemicals like iodine and absorbents. So, excellent for cleaning wounds, not so great for ingesting. White table salt is devoid of the full spectrum of minerals and other nutrients that protect and enhance your health. The table and cooking salt found in most homes, restaurants, and all processed foods, is empty of any nutritional value. It is lacking in the precious trace minerals that make salt good for us. After processing, salt is basically sodium chloride, an unnatural chemical type of salt that our body actually sees as a foreign toxic invader! When we ingest this type of salt, our body cannot dispose of it in a natural, healthy way. This can lead to inflammation of the tissues, water retention and high blood pressure over time.

The term “sea salt” is essentially meaningless. White processed salt can still be called “sea salt” even though it is devoid of full-spectrum sea minerals. The way to tell if your salt is really full-spectrum salt is to look at the color. If it’s pure white, it’s not full-spectrum. White salt is just like white sugar: It’s missing the key supporting minerals and nutrients your body needs.

Full-spectrum salt always has a non-white color. Celtic Sea Salt, for example (which is really good salt) has a brownish sandy color. Pink Himalayan salt is a sort of sandy rose color. All the truly natural full-spectrum salts are sandy or brownish in color.

Himalayan Pink Salt has a rich mineral content that includes over 84 minerals and trace elements such as: calcium, magnesium, potassium, copper and iron. This salt is recognized for its beautiful pink color, high mineral content, and its therapeutic properties. Regular consumption of Himalayan Pink Salt provides essential minerals, trace elements, balances electrolytes, supports proper nutrient absorption, eliminates toxins, balances the body’s pH, normalizes blood pressure, and increases circulation and conductivity. It can also assist with relief from arthritis, skin rashes, psoriasis, herpes, and flu and fever symptoms.

So, if you are going to use salt, at least try and go for something that has some sort of nutritional value as well as adding flavour to your food. Rant end. Over and out :)

20120524-143414.jpg





Savoury Sweet Potato Muffins

24 05 2012

Sweet potato is a rich source of flavonoid anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber that are essential for optimal health. The zucchini you cannot even taste in here so it’s great if you need to hide it from a certain “someone”….. Perhaps I should try this with Kale and see if Trav notices :) These savoury muffins are a great brekkie-on-the-go, snack during the day or would be pretty good with a nice hot soup too! You can add some grated carrot instead of the zucchini too, or as well as just to jam lots of veges in!

1 cup almond meal
½ quinoa flour (omit and use an extra 1/2 cup almond meal if Paleo)
1 tsp baking powder
1tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 onion, chopped finely
3 cloves garlic, crushed
¼ cup sage, chopped, keep a dozen leaves aside whole for decorating.
2 cups sweet potato purée (can use pumpkin if you prefer)
1 zucchini, grated
¼ cup coconut oil or olive oil
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

In a pan cook the garlic and onion until the onion is translucent.

Mix all the dry ingredients till well combined. Chop the sage into small pieces and throw it into the dry mixture. Add the puree, zucchini, garlic & onion mix, oil and vinegar and stir well. Do not over mix the dough.

Scoop it into the muffin tray and bake in a preheated oven at 160C. Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes or till the toothpick inserted comes out clean.

20120524-133636.jpg

20120524-133643.jpg





Breakfast Bars

24 05 2012

Another great snack when you’re on the run or if you need brekkie-on-the-go. Packed full of essential vitamins, minerals and beneficial omega fatty acids, this is a great start to the day. Like a muesli bar, but without all the added rubbish.

1/2 cup quinoa flakes or amaranth (if you want to go Paleo- omit this and add an extra 1/2 cup almond meal or coconut flour)
1 cup almond meal
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup walnuts
1 cup mixed seeds (I used sunflower and pumpkin, but buckwheat, poppyseeds, chia seeds, sesame seeds and linseeds are great too)
1/2 cup dried fruit OPTIONAL (dates, apricots, cranberries, goji berries)
3 tbs coconut oil
2 tbs nut butter
1/4 cup honey (leave this out if you want a sugar-free bar)
1 tbs cinnamon
2 egg whites (sub this for some extra nut butter and coconut oil if vegan)

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl then, melt the coconut oil and nut butter together, add all the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well. It should be wet enough that you can roll it into a ball without it crumbling everywhere. Press into a baking paper lined baking dish and bake on 160C for 20-30 mins until browned on top. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Slice into bars. If you want a crispier bar you can pop the sliced bars back into the oven for about 10 mins on 180C. Store bars in the fridge or freezer.

20120524-140922.jpg

20120524-140929.jpg





Chia Yoghurt Cups with Granola

23 05 2012

This is a really easy brekkie-on-the-go recipe or a great snack. Both the yoghurt and the granola can be made in bigger batches and kept in the fridge until you need it. Coconut milk yoghurt is a great option for dairy-free people and it is seriously delicious!!

Yoghurt-
1 cup coconut milk yoghurt (you can use natural yoghurt or plain Greek instead)
1 tbs chia seeds

Granola-
1 cup shredded coconut
2 tbs flaxseeds
1 cup chopped nuts (I used brazil, almond, cashews and pistachio)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 pumpkin seeds
1 tbs cinnamon
1/2 cup honey (OPTIONAL- leave this out if you are wanting low sugar)
1 cup oats (OPTIONAL- leave this out for Paleo or gluten-free options)
Berries to serve

Mix yoghurt and chia seeds together and put aside in the fridge. In a bowl place all the granola ingredients and mix well. Pour into a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake on 160C for about 20 mins or until crunchy. Remove and allow to cool.

In a bowl or cup spoon the yoghurt mix, top with berries and sprinkle with granola. Store leftover granola in a container in the fridge.

20120523-201005.jpg

20120523-201013.jpg








Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 1,738 other followers

%d bloggers like this: