 The hot weather is here...............
How are you spending your time cooling off. For my family it is all about ice poles, but we don't run for the supermarkets to cool us down, we make simple and delicious homemade versions without all the sugar, colorings and flavourings. With just 2 ingredients you can make healthy homemade ice poles in minutes. Did you know that the standard ice pops contain the following ingredients: Water, Sugar, Acid: Citric Acid, Fruit and Vegetable Concentrates (Apple, Carrot, Safflower, Hibiscus, Blackcurrant, Lemon), Stabilisers: Cellulose Gum, Glycerol, Flavouring, Preservative: Potassium Sorbate, Sweetener: Acesulfame K I don't know about you but I don't want to give my 2 year old all of these chemicals and preservatives when making your own versions are so easy. What do you need: - 2 cup so frozen cherries, raspberries or tropical mix (pineapple, mango and papaya) - 1 cup of coconut water or coconut milk if you like your ice poles a bit creamy Take your desired fruit out of the freezer and add it to your high speed blender. Top it with your liquid and then combine until smooth. If your blender isn't that powerful wait until the frozen fruit defrosts slightly so that it is easier to blend. Then pour into your ice lolly moulds, store them back in the freezer until ready for a hot summer day to enjoy in the garden with family and friends.
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 When it comes to salads, they can be a bit boring if you don't have a lovely dressing to add to your mixture of veggies, healthy fats and proteins. So here are some simple suggestions to spruce up those greens and keep you feeling radiant without all of the added nasties found in store bought dressings.
Ingredients 1/2 cup of olive oil 4 tbsp. raw honey 4 tbsp. dijon 2 lemon juiced Combine in a jar and shake well, then store in fridge for up to 2 weeks.  I am always in search of quick, simple and delicious recipes to try out and this one ticked all the boxes. It can be mixed into one big bowl, cooked and then served with your favourite vegetables or salad. For those of you who are on the go, too busy to cook an elaborate meal, this is the recipe you need to try. It can also be frozen for during the week when you need something quick and easy. Give it a try and let me know what you think. Adapted from www.vegkitchen.com INGREDIENTS
1 block of tofoo organic tofu 1 1/2 cups of gluten free oats (not the large ones) 1-2 shallots grated 1-2 carrots grated 4-6 leaves of swiss chard chopped finely 1/2 cup of passata 1/4 cup of gluten free tamari 1/4 cup of maple syrup 1/4 cup of dijon mustard DIRECTIONS Crumble the tofu into a bowl, then add in all the other ingredients until well combined Preheat the oven to 175C and line a loaf tin with parchment paper Then press the ingredients into the loaf tin and drizzle with a bit of passata and maple syrup to form a glaze once cooked. Cook in the oven for 30 minutes, remove and allow to cool slightly. Then slice into 8 pieces. Serve with steamed vegetables or a side salad. Enjoy.  LEMON BLUEBERRY LOAF (GLUTEN FREE, VEGAN)
Serves 10-12 Ingredients ¼ cup of coconut oil 200ml of unsweetened coconut milk Juice of ½-1 lemon Rind of ½-1 lemon 8 tbsp. of maple syrup 150g of homemade gluten free flour mix (1 ½ cups of brown rice flour, ½ cup of arrowroot powder, ¼ cup of white rice flour, ¼ cup of tapioca flour) 150g of ground hazelnuts 2 heaped tsp. of baking powder (gluten free) ¼ tsp. baking soda ½ cup of fresh blueberries Directions Preheat the oven to 180C (fan) Grind the hazelnuts in a food processor or blender until a flour forms Then combine the gluten free flour, ground nuts, baking soda, baking powder in a bowl In another bowl combine all the wet ingredients (not the blueberries) and then combine this with the dry ingredients and fold through the blueberries Line a loaf tin with baking paper and place the mixture into the tin Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick or knife comes out clean Leave to cool off then slice into 10-12 pieces (can be frozen) Adapted from rhiansrecipes.com  GLUTEN FREE PEAR OAT BAKE (VEGAN)
Serves 6 Ingredients 2 ½ cups of gluten free oats (250g) 1/4 cup of desiccated coconut 1 tbsp. cinnamon 2 pears grated 2 tbsp. maple syrup 2 cups of coconut milk (unsweetened) 2 ground flaxseed eggs (2 tbsp. ground flax mixed with 90ml of water) Handful of chopped nuts/seeds of choice (optional) Directions Preheat the oven to 180C (fan) Combine the flax and water in a bowl and let sit for 5 minutes Add the oats, cinnamon, grated pear, maple syrup and milk to a bowl and then add in the flax eggs and combine until a batter forms. Then line a dish with parchment paper 10 x 8 and place the mixture in, flattening it out Bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned, remove from the oven and allow to cool. Serve with ¼ cup of coconut yogurt and raspberry chia jam (1 cup of raspberries blended and then add 2-3 tbsp. chia seeds and 1 tbsp. maple syrup and allow to thicken then store in a jar for up to a week in the fridge) Adapted from littlegreenspoon.com  Savoury breakfasts are one of my absolute favourites. Although I love various types of eggs I wanted to try a new spin on an omelette - japanese style.
This omelette doesn't contain any eggs and is more like a savoury pancake, packed with various types of vegetables. Serves 2-3 INGREDIENTS 2 cups of courgettes grated and then drained of their moisture 1 large carrot peeled and grated 2 shallots chopped long ways (or spring onions) 3/4 cup of gluten free flour 1/2 cups of water fresh coriander Avocado DIRECTIONS 1. Mix the flour and water in a bowl, set aside 2. Heat a medium sized pan add the onions and slightly cook until translucent, then add in the carrots. Cook until they are softened. Then add in the courgettes. 3. Mix the vegetables into the batter and then pour the batter back into the heat pan and spread to cover the whole bottom (10-12" pan) 4. Cook until browned on one side, then flip and continue to cook on other side. 5. Remove from pan and cut into 2-3 portions and serve each with 1/2 sliced avocado and fresh coriander Adapted from: www.closetcooking.com  Banana Bread is one of those desserts that I absolutely love and so it was just a matter of time until I found the best gluten free version that is also healthy....yay.
If you are looking for an afternoon treat or after dinner dessert this would be a great choice. Serves 12-14 slices INGREDIENTS 1 cup of gluten free flour mix 1 1/2 cups ground almonds 4 bananas 1/4 cup of coconut oil or rice bran oil 1/4 cup of maple syrup 2 free range/organic eggs 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. baking soda 2 tbsp. unsweetened almond or coconut milk 1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips or chopped 85% dark chocolate (into chunks) DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 175c (fan) 2. Mash the bananas in a bowl and add in all the wet ingredients and mix well to combine 3. Next add in all the dry ingredients and combine then add in the chocolate chips 4. Pour mixture into a parchement paper lined loaf tin and bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes until a knife comes out clean (may vary depending on your oven) 5. Remove from the oven and allow to cook, remove from the loaf tin and slice into 12-14 pieces. This loaf can be frozen and reheated when you feel like you need a quick snack or healthy treat.  A delicious alternative to a grain based pizza
(gluten free, yeast free, egg free, dairy free option) Serves 2 INGREDIENTS 1 1/2 cups of grated courgette 1/2 cup of grated carrots ½ cup of ground almonds 1 chickpea egg substitute (4 tbsp. chickpea flour + 4 tbsp. water) 1 tbsp. coconut oil, rice bran oil ½ tsp. oregano Fresh basil Passata Goats/Sheeps Feta (or vegan cheese optional) Any other veggies you would like DIRECTIONS
Adapted from www.glutenfreehomemaker.com  Since going gluten free and yeast free it is often times difficult to find a really good bread recipe and something that you can snack on and not feel guilty about. When searching through the internet I found this amazing recipe called the 'Life Changing Loaf' and like the author mentions it also changed my life. It is so easy to prepare, only requiring one bowl to mix everything through and then you have a gorgeous hearty loaf that you can serve with homemade soup, as a snack, or sliced with fresh avocado and sea salt. Give it a try you won't be disappointed. INGREDIENTS 1/2 cup sunflower seeds 1/2 cup sesame seeds 1/2 cup flaxseeds 1/2 cup almonds 1 1/2 cup of organic oats (not jumbo) 2 tbsp. ground chia seeds 4 tbsp. psyllium husks 1 tsp. himilayan sea salt 3 tbsp. rice bran oil (because I had it on hand) but you can use coconut oil or ghee melted 1 1/2 cups filtered water DIRECTIONS 1. Add all dry ingredients to a large bowl and mix through 2. Then add in the wet ingredients and combine until it forms a wet mixture 3. Line a small loaf tin with parchement paper or use a silicone loaf tin and pour the mixture into the pan 4. Smooth down the top surface and allow to sit for 2 hours or overnight 5. Then preheat your oven to 175C 6. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from the tin and flip upside down on a rack and continue to bake for an additional 30-40 minutes. 7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool 8. Slice and enjoy with your favourit topping (you can also slice and freeze for later) A delicious alternative to bread packed with omega 3, 6, fibre, magnesium, potassium, calcium, manganese, iron, zinc, selenium, protein, B Vitamins, Vitamin E, and much more. Adapted from: My New Roots  I love gnocchi....it is such a nice alternative to pasta with a much more filling consistency. The great news is that it is so simple to make at home with only 3 ingredients. Now I must admit that I haven't always made my own gnocchi at home, having purchased 'healthy' gluten free alternatives (which still contain many additives and preservatives). But this week I decided it was time to dive into homemade gnocchi to see what it would be like.
The results were wonderful. They were so simple to make and be mixed with any ingredients that you would like. I decided to mix mine with some pesto, wild alaskan salmon and fresh spinach. HOMEMADE GNOCCHI Serves 4-6 INGREDIENTS 2 large sweet potatoes (peeled, chopped and steamed) 2 cups of gluten free flour (I used doves farm) 1 tsp. himalayan sea salt DIRECTIONS 1. Steam the sweet potato until soft 2. Add to a large bowl and mash with a fork or masher 3. Add in half the flour and mix through, then add in the second half of the flour and mix. You should have a soft dough consistency. 4. Add in the sea salt and mix, you may need to add a bit more flour if the consistency is still too sticky. 5. Next take small pieces of the dough and roll them into small oval shapes and set them aside. 6. Once they are all rolled out heat a pot of water until it is boiling 7. Add in the gnocchi 10 at a time and cook until they begin to float towards the top of the pan 8. Remove them and continue to cook the rest of the gnocchi 9. Then heat a pan over medium heat, add your cooked salmon, spinach and pesto, toss through you gnocchi and enjoy. This recipe does make quite a lot of gnocchi so if you want to freeze some of it for another meal in portions that may be a good idea. We just had the leftovers the following day. I hope you enjoy these. Adapted from: Madelaine Shaw |