New Beginnings

It feels like such a long time, even though it's only been just over a month.  I have to say, i've been feeling a little bit less motivated to do the blog, not because I don't enjoy it, it just takes forever to write up all the recipes.  For this reason, I've decided to change the structure a bit.  After this post, I will be posting recipes on a more regular basis.  

This will mean shorter posts but you will get the recipes sooner rather than waiting for me to get my ass into gear.

So much has happened since I last posted.  We sold our little home, we're in the process of moving to another (temporary) little home, which I've nicknamed the smurf house because it's tinie tiny, has blue windows and doors and a little picket fence.  Really reminds me of something out of the smurf village.  If you grew up in the 80's or were are raver at some stage in your life (i am/was both), you will know what I'm talking about.  

I always did want to live in those little mushrooms.....but I digress.  

Ok, so June was full on, but not full on enough to stop making delicious meals!

Here are some recipes that I hope you like.  Some are raw, some are cooked, some are a mixture.  Try what you like, experiment, and let me know how you go.  Been loving everyone's creations of the meals on IG, so awesome.  There's so many recipes so I will post some of the ones that I think people will like.  If you see a recipe on IG that isn't here and you want the recipe, let me know and I'll post it.

Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

Serves 1

Ingredients

2 frozen bananas

1 cup cooked pumpkin 

1/8 tsp ground cloves, nutmeg, ginger 

1/2 tsp cinnamon 

Method

Blend in high powered blender until ice cream consistency.

I had this for breakfast with some fresh fruit and activated buckinis.

Pumpkin Pie Granola with Goji

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients

1 cup GF oats (or regular if you're eating gluten)

1 TBS pumpkin puree

1 TBS rice malt syrup

1 TBS maple syrup

1 TBS water

2 TBS goji berries

2 TBS pumpkin seeds

1 tsp coconut oil

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Method

Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees Celsius.  Place the syrups, coconut oil, water, pumpkin puree and cinnamon in a small saucepan and heat until combined and coconut oil is melted.

Pour over dry ingredients and mix well.

Place mixture on a tray lined with baking paper and place in over for about 10 minutes.  Turn oven off and let it cool in the oven.

Serve with your favourite milk or on top of ice cream.

Cherry Ripe Ice Cream

Serves 1

Ingredients

3 frozen bananas

1/4 cup of frozen cherries + a couple extra

1 TBS shredded coconut + 1 tsp

Raw chocolate(recipe here)

Method

Blend the bananas in a blender until it forms ice cream consistency.  Add some of the cherries and pulse.  Do this until you get the desired mixture.  I like to leave a few chunky and be able to see a swirl of colour.

Once done, stir through the coconut.

Top with extra cherries, melted raw chocolate (it will harden like ice magic!) and coconut.

Banana & Strawberry Ice Cream Parfait

Serves 1

Ingredients

2 frozen bananas + 1 extra

1/2 punnet of strawberries + 2 extra 

1/4 cup activated buckinis

cashew cream (recipe here)

goji (optional)

Method

Place bananas and strawberries in blender and process until it looks like ice cream. 

Layer with fresh banana, strawberries and activated buckinis. 

Add some cashew cream on top and a sprinkle of goji or any other little deliciousness you want.

The following recipe calls for horchata.  I fell in love with horchata on my trip to the states last year.  As I love everything cinnamon, this was totally up my alley.

Basically, it's a drink made from almonds and rice, and flavoured with cinnamon.  It's deliciously served cold and is very refreshing.  It originated in Spain but is very popular in Mexico, to the point that it's basically recognised as one of their national drinks.  Apart from tequila that is!

I made my version using brown rice but you can use white rice if that's all you have.  I don't recommend using basmati rice as this is quite strong in flavour.

Horchata

Makes 1 L

Ingredients

2/3 cup brown rice

1 1/4 cup blanched almonds

1 cinnamon stick

4 1/2 cups of water

4 medjool dates, seeds removed

Method

Place all ingredients in a jar and leave in the fridge over night for the flavours to develop.

The next day, place all the contents of the jar in a powerful blender and blend until it's as smooth as it's going to get (there will still be some grit).  Adjust sweetness by adding some more dates if required, or sweetener of choice.

Strain through a milk bag (or clean stocking) and place contents into a container.  Keeps in the fridge with a tight fitting lid for about 3 days.  Serve cold.

Horchata Chia Pudding Parfait with Papaya, Caramel Pears & Cinnamon Buckinis

Serves 1

Ingredients

1 cup of horchata

3 TBS chia seeds

1/2 cup pear cubes

1/2 cup papaya cubes

1 tsp of mesquite powder

2 TBS activated buckinis

3/4tsp ground cinnamon

Method

Make your chia pudding by mixing the chia seeds and horchata in a jar with a tight fitting lid and placing it in the fridge.  Leave for 30 minutes or overnight if possible.

Place the pear in a bowl, sprinkle wit mesquite powder and stir until all the cubes are coated.  Set aside.

Mix the buckinis and 1/2 tsp of the cinnamon and set aside.

One your pudding is set, you can build your parfait.

I put the papaya on the bottom, added 1 TBS of the buckinis, added the chia on top, pears, chia, papaya, more buckinis and the left over cinnamon.

Vanilla Pudding with Spiced Quince

Serves 2 (pudding) 2 cups (quince)

Ingredients

Pudding

1/4 cup chia seeds

1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)

3 TBS of maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

Spiced Quince

2 medium sized quinces

2 cups of water

1 stick of cinnamon

10 whole cloves

1 star anise

5 pepper corns

1 piece of lemon peel

2 TBS of sweetener of choice (i used coconut sugar)

Method

Pudding

Place all ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid, shake it well to combine and leave to set in fridge over night or for at least 30 minutes.

Once ready, blend until smooth and fluffy, adjust sweetness if required.

Spiced Quince

Place spices, lemon and water in a heavy based saucepan.  Bring to a gentle boil.

Add the quince as soon as you peel and cut them into wedges, to prevent from discolouring.  Don't worry about removing the seeds, this is what gives it the red colour you see.

Cook on a soft boil with lid off until they are soft and the liquid has reduced to make a bit of a syrup.  It won't be as syrupy as if you used sugar, but you can take the lid off and reduce it that way.

Stir in the sweetener and adjust to taste.  Place in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid.  Should keep for about a week or a little bit more.

To make the dessert, just spoon pudding into desire glasses and top with quince wedges and a little bit of the syrup.

Banana Peanut Butter Loaf with Choc Chips

Makes 1 loaf (about 8 slices)

Ingredients

2 1/2 cup gluten free oats ground to flour

3 small ripe bananas + 1 extra

1/2 cup natural peanut butter

1/2 cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar)

2 tsp gf baking powder

1/2 cup dairy free choc chips + 1 TBS extra

Method

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius and line a loaf tin with baking paper.  Set aside.

Blend bananas, peanut butter, sugar & baking powder together, than add flour and mix until smooth (or throw it in the blender). Add some water if too thick, I added about 1/2 cup. It was still very thick but it produces a beautiful dense loaf. 

Stir in 1/2 cup of vegan/dairy free choc chips to the batter and put in baking tin. Top with the extra banana and choc chips. 

Bake in moderate oven for 45-50 minutes. I started checking it after 40 mins, remember all ovens are different.

I served mine with some blueberry and chia jam.

Matcha Ice Cream Cookies

Makes 2

Ingredients

Ice Cream

4 frozen bananas

1 tsp matcha green tea powder*(or more to taste)

Cookie

6 dried figs

6 medjool dates

1/3 cup shredded coconut

Method

Process cookie ingredients until it resembles fine crumbs and mixture can hold together. Spread on to a flat surface covered with baking paper. You want it about 1 cm in thickness. If you don't have enough, just make some more.

Place in freezer to harden whilst you make the ice cream.

Place bananas into the blender and process until resembles soft serve. Add powder, adjust to suit taste. Place in a bowl and stick it in the freezer.

Get your cookie base out, cut it into circles using cookie cutters. Top with ice cream, and then another cookie.

Roll them in whatever you want or leave them as is. I rolled them in buckinis for some added crunch.

Ok, enough of the sweetness!! NO never enough!  But seriously, let's get our savoury ON.

Spanish Cauliflower Rice

Serves 2

Ingredients

Rice

500g cauliflower florets

1/3 cup red capsicum diced

1/4 cup coriander chopped

1/3 cup celery diced

1/3 cup zucchini diced

1 tomato diced

4 olives, pitted and sliced

Dressing

Flesh of 1 medium avocado

1 lime juiced

1 TBS fresh basil

1 TBS paprika

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

1 tsp Himalayan pink salt

1 garlic clove

Method

Rice

Place cauliflower in food processor and pulse until it resembles rice grains.  Place in large bowl and toss through the rest of the ingredients.

Dressing

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Add to cauliflower mixture, stir through to mix and serve.

I've also been making lots of simple but delicious meals so here are some that take little to no time to prepare.  Just using fresh ingredients and minimal fuss.  No extensive recipes required.

Just grate/chop your fave veggies and serve with quinoa and a tahini/lemon dressing

Cos lettuce wraps filled with mango, kiwi, capsicum and celery

Vietnamese noodle salad:  sliced cucumber, mushrooms, bean sprouts, herbs and other veggies with rice noodles, almonds and a lime/tamari dressing.

simple lunch: rocket with strawbs, capsicum, avocado, zucchini & sundried tomatoes.  Drizzled with coconut vinegar and dates for dessert!

Kale, broccoli & raspberry salad with coconut vinegar and a side of beet, parsnip and sweet potato chips

Lettuce sushi:  iceberg lettuce filled with my mango, enoki, tomato and avocado

Radicchio boats filled with mango, strawbs, spinach, avocado and macadamia nuts

Snake beans with roast pumpkin, kale, crunchy asian slaw and topped with homemade cucumber pickles

There you have it friends, hope you like and please, if you want any more detail regarding how to make any of the above dishes, please contact me.

Now with July here, I'm putting myself through a fitness challenge.  My aim is to build some lean muscle, get strong and increase my stamina.  Have  you set any goals?  If you have, good luck achieving them and remember, where the mind goes, the body will follow.  So, think positive and go out and kick some ass (in the nicest possible way)!

Peas, love and mungbeans

xxb

Half way there.....

Such an exciting time! Half way through our challenge, or experiment as I now like to call it.  

Who's still in? Who's out? Whatever, I'm sure each and every individual is doing what feels right for them right now so no judgement.  

Just lots of yummy, healthy clean food and good feel vibes.

Like I said in my last post, I have a special treat for y'all. 

I managed to convince a very lovely and extremely talented lady to do a guest spot on the blog.  

I first came across her through Instagram because i just LOVE the look of her dishes and the combination of ingredients she uses.  

Her meals, are the only ones that actually make me want to eat cooked food again!

One day, I hope to get to sunny California and have a macrobiotic vegan fest with this girl.

I've asked her to answer a few questions and she's also very generously provided us with a clean dessert recipe you'll love.  I know I can't wait until the month is over so that I can try it out.

Here she is, in her own words :)

Hello everyone! My name is Diem Ly and I am stoked to be a part of Brenda's Clean Eating March! Let's see... I am a recent college grad from Berkeley who now lives in San Jose, California, tutoring elementary school kids and applying to law school. I love cooking, taking photos of the food I cook, hiking, yoga-ing, Instagramming, and traveling while Yelping for the newest vegan restaurant to try. I also listen to NPR a lot.

1.  What is your eating philosophy?

My eating philosophy is to enjoy eating. Sounds simple enough, but I enjoy my food most when it satisfies not just my palate but also my emotional, mental, and physical needs. When eating makes me feel good in all of these ways, that's when my heart really sings. Over the 4 years since I reinvented my diet, I've found that the kind of food that consistently does this is generally plant-based, whole, organic, seasonal, balanced, and made well. Not all my meals check all these boxes, but I try my best to encompass all these elements in my everyday cooking/eating.

2.  When and why did you decide to eat this way?

I tried going vegan once in high school after reading an article about animal testing, but gave up after a week because I didn't know how to cook and my mom convinced me that all I could ever eat was tofu (sadly, there are so many people who still think that!). The second time I tried going vegan was under entirely differently circumstances. I was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia during my second year of college and after fortunately going into remission, I gained a whole new perspective on life, especially health. To be perfectly honest, the most painful thing about being sick wasn't being sick at all. One can get used to the physical pain, but not so much the fear of never being able to achieve your dreams, and definitely not the sight of the people you love most wrought with worry. So more than anything, I wanted to take control of my health and well-being. My doctors, as lovely as they were, actually told me that it was all up to chance if the disease would return. I refused to believe it, initially out of stubbornness. But after doing my own research and hearing/reading the stories of literally hundreds of people, I refused to believe it because of the sheer facts and science that demonstrate just how much of an influence our diet has on our health. This led me to practice a macrobiotic diet with the help of a Vietnamese Buddhist monk and later, a macro counselor from the Bay Area. Soon, I was able to get off any medications that were prescribed for the side effects of the treatments, to the pleasant surprise of my doctors.

I am thankful everyday for my health, and attribute much of it to how I eat. But my diet has become more than a cure for physical illness; it is also one way I practice what I believe in. My last two years at Berkeley were especially insightful, as I delved into the other dimensions of food both in and out of the classroom. I learned about, and was appalled by, the current conventional farming practices that harm the environment, the treatment of workers, especially the undocumented, in the food industry, the treatment of animals, and the inequitable distribution of power between corporations, farmers, and consumers. I don't think eating a macrobiotic/vegan diet will make everything better, but I believe not doing so does make it worse. 

3.  Have you noticed any changes since changing your eating philosophy (if any)?

I've never felt better physically, mentally, and emotionally. It's hard to describe what exactly this feels like and I really don't think you can understand until you've experienced it. In short, I will never go back to eating the way I used to! 

4.  What is your favourite dish to cook?

This is a nearly impossible question to answer!  Lately though, I've been having a blast experimenting with different sauces/dressings for raw and boiled salads! I just made a super simple pumpkin seed dressing that was seriously out of this world.

5.  What ingredients are a must-have for your fridge/pantry?

I'm going to self-impose a limit of 10 items for my answer because the list would go on forever otherwise! 

Brown rice, kale, miso, seaweed (I never run out of nori or wakame), beans (adzuki is my favorite), a seasonal fruit (tonsss of blueberries if they are in season. I could pretty much live off the stuff), brown rice syrup, sesame oil, tamari (soy sauce), and sesame seeds!

6.  Juices or smoothies?  What do you prefer and what combination?

Smoothies! Coconut water, kale, blueberries, peaches, mangoes, and chia seeds.

7. Sweet or savoury?

mmm....Savory

The recipe I'd like to share with you today is one of my favorite desserts, and I picked it because I thought it would be perfect for the summer in Australia. Though I wouldn't necessarily call this dessert macrobiotic, it does embody the macrobiotic principle of "balance". It is tart and sweet, cold and warm, and creamy but with a kick from the ginger. The ingredients are also good for you! I apologize in advance if any parts of the recipe are unclear. I usually don't cook with or write down my recipes. Please ask for clarifications!

COCONUT-LEMON PANNA COTTA with MAPLE-GINGER SYRUP

(serves 1-5, depending on portions :D)

Ingredients

Panna Cotta

1 cup (about half a can) of coconut milk

1.5 teaspoons of agar flakes

1/4 cup of water

1 tablespoon of maple syrup

a few drops of vanilla extract

2-2.5 teaspoons of lemon juice (I like mine more tart)

Maple-Ginger Syrup

1 teaspoon of unrefined coconut oil (optional but highly recommended)

1/2 cup of water

1/4 cup of maple syrup

3 teaspoons of fresh ginger juice

Toppings (optional)

toasted coconut 

sliced mango, or caramelized bananas/ripe plantains.

Method

PANNA COTTA

1. Place agar and water in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let the flakes completely dissolve. (It's okay if it does not completely dissolve, but you'll get jelly bits in your panna cotta).

2. Add in the coconut milk, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Bring to a boil and let simmer for about 5 minutes. 

3. Turn off the heat and add in the lemon juice. This is a good time to taste the mixture and adjust before you transfer it to your molds.

4. Pour the mixture into small ramekins or any kind of molds you'd like. (I like to use my ceramic cupcake mold or when I'm lazy, I just pour it into a big ol' bowl).  Remember to lightly oil the mold with coconut oil. This will help the panna cotta slide out later. 

5. Let cool and refrigerate for at least four hours. (I usually leave it overnight).

SAUCE (If preparing before the panna cotta is served, reheat when you're ready to serve)

1. Add the coconut oil, water, maple syrup to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. 

2. Add the ginger juice and let the mixture simmer and reduce for about 5-10 minutes, depending on your preferred thickness. I prefer it more runny.

3. Taste your sauce and adjust it to your liking. 

TO SERVE: Carefully remove the panna cotta from your ramekins and place on a serving dish. Drizzle the syrup on top of the panna cotta and top with toasted coconut and a slice of mango, caramelized bananas, or any other fruit you'd like.

ENJOY!

Okay, am I the only one who is drooling all over this right now?!

Like I said, the lady is amazing, so please check out her IG @dltvo and follow her already, you won't be disappointed!

I have also roped a few other ladies to do guest spots so I will keep them coming every fortnight if I can.  I think it's important to stay connected with like minded individuals, and each and every person I have asked so far is an inspiration to me.  I hope they inspire you too and that you get something out of their offerings.
A big THANK YOU to Diem for being the first lady to kick off what will hopefully be a monthly occurrence following #cleaneatingmarch.  Yeew, I'm excited!!!

Now for some more recipes to keep you going.  Hope you enjoy these, I've definitely had so much fun creating them, and much more fun gobbling them up :)

Smashed Avocado, Lime, Coriander and Pomegranate Sandwich
Serves 1

Ingredients

2 large field mushrooms
1/2 avocado
2 TBS pomegranate seeds
1 TBS coriander (cilantro for my USA friends)
Squeeze of lime juice
Seasoning to taste
1/4 cup baby spinach
1/4 cup grated carrot
3 slices of tomato
5 slices of cucumber

Method

Clean your mushrooms and remove the stalks (you can keep the stalks and used them in salads).
Mash your avocado with a fork so it's chunky, not smooth.
Fill one mushroom with the avocado, top it with pomegranate seeds, coriander and squeeze of lime.  Add your seasoning on top if desired.
Stuff your other mushroom with the salad materials and serve.

This is a really filling meal and reminds me of the big breakfast I used to have on sundays in my previous life.  If you are eating eggs, you can pop a soft boiled egg on it.  If you are eating cooked foods, you can also pop the mushrooms in a sandwich press and cook it that way. No need for oil.

I made this for my sister, with a sprinkle of chilli flakes and a simple baby spinach and red onion salad with lemon juice.
Easy peasy lunch or breakfast.  No grains, no added fat, plenty of veggies, SO much flavour.  DO IT!

Mexican Salad
Serves 1

Ingredients

Salad

2 medium zucchini
2 cups baby spinach
1 large tomato
1/2 avocado
1/4 small red onion
Handful of kalamata olives
1/4 cup coriander leaves
1/4 cup red capsicum
1 TBS hemp seeds (optional)

Mexican Mayonnaise
Makes approx. 2 cups

1/2 red capsicum
1/2 yellow capsicum
1/2 cup soaked and rinsed cashews
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 cumin
1 eschallot clove(or garlic)
1 tsp Himalayan pink salt
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
3 TBS apple cider vinegar
1 TBS nutritional yeast
1/2 cup of water

Method

Spiralize the zucchini on the spaghetti setting.  Set aside.
Make the mayo by blending all ingredients together, taste and adjust seasoning.  Add to zucchini, enough to cover and coat (about 1/2 cup).  Store rest in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Place your zucchini noodles in a medium bowl and arrange salad ingredients on top.
Sprinkle on hemp seeds and serve.

I really love avocado, coriander and tomatoes so i used the sauce from above and threw this next dish together for dinner.  I was specially rushed that day and this was just such a quick meal.
Kind of like a deconstructed version of the above with some minor substitutions.

Corn Salsa and Mexican Noodles on Lettuce Cups
Serves 1

Ingredients

4 cos lettuce leaves
1 medium zucchini
1 medium corn ear
1 cup diced cucumber
1 tomato diced
1/4 cup red capsicum diced
3 TBS red onion diced
3 TBS fresh coriander chopped
1/2 lime juiced
4 slices of avocado
1/3 cup Mexican Mayonnaise

Method

Spiralize your zucchini on spaghetti setting and mix with Mexican mayo.  Set aside.
Cut the kernel of your corn and mix it in a medium bowl with the rest of the veggies, coriander and lime juice.  Season to taste.
Arrange the cos leaves on a plate and top each with the salsa and noodles, alternately.
Place the avocado slices on the plate and serve.

Nori Rolls with Cauliflower Rice and Veggies
Serves 1

Ingredients

Rice

1 1/2 cups of cauliflower florets
1 tsp Himalayan pink salt
3 sprigs of coriander

Nori

1 nori sheet
1/2 carrot julienned
1/4 medium beetroot julienned
1/4 avocado, thinly slice
1/4 red capsicum thinly slice

Carrot and Red Cabbage Salad

1 carrot grated
1 cup red cabbage thinly sliced
1 tsp sesame seeds
1/2 lime juiced

Method

Rice

Add all ingredients in a food processor and process until it resembles rice.
Set aside

Nori

Place your nori sheet on bamboo rolling sheet.  Add your cauliflower rice and pat down, should be about 3mm in height.  Leave a 2-3 cm gap at the edge.
Add your veggies and roll away from you.  Make sure you tighten as you roll otherwise it'll be too lose and the fillings will fall out.
Wet the edge with water and remove any rice that may be overflowing before you press down to seal otherwise it won't work.
Once sealed, cut into bite sized pieces.

Salad

Mix your ingredients together with the lime juice, season if you like and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

Arrange on a plate, with salad in a little bowl of it's own and serve.

Orange and Pomegranate Salad with Citrus Cumin Dressing
Serves 1 (or 2 as a side)

Ingredients

2 oranges (I used navel)
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
1 cup baby spinach
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp Himalayan pink salt
1/2 lime juiced
2 TBS orange juice (freshly squeezed)

Method

Peel and slice your oranges thinly, making sure you remove the pith as it can be bitter.
Arrange them on a plate with the baby spinach and sprinkle on the pomegranate seeds.
Mix juices with seasoning and cumin and pour on top.
Serve.

This would also go really nice with a grilled piece of fish if you are eating animal protein.

Dessert time!!

Pecan Ice Cream with Peach, Papaya, Prickly Pear and Pitaya
Serves 1

Ingredients

2 frozen bananas
1 tsp organic vanilla extract
5 pecans
1/3 cup of each fruit, chopped

Method

Blend the bananas, pecans and vanilla extract in a high speed blender or food processor until it resembles ice cream.
Layer a glass with each fruit and ice cream.
Stuff your face!

p.s, this was breakfast!

Cinnamon Mousse with Fresh Figs
Serves 1

Ingredients

1/3 cup raw cashews, soaked and rinsed
1/2 cup water
2-3 medjool dates (depending on how sweet you want it)
1/4 tsp organic vanilla extract
1/4 tsp of ground cinnamon
3 fresh figs quartered

Method

Blend cashews, water, vanilla, dates and cinnamon in a high speed blender until super smooth and creamy.  I would add the water a bit at a time so you can control how thick it is.  You don't want it runny but a fluffy mousse like consistency.
Layer your mousse in a pretty cup with your figs and serve with fresh figs on top.

Lime and Strawberry Mousse with Almond & Date Crumble
Serves 1

Ingredients

Lime Mousse

1 avocado
1 lime juiced
zest of half a lime
1/4 cup coconut nectar (or 100% pure maple syrup)

Strawberry Mousse

1 banana
1 cup strawberries
1 date

Crumble*

1/2 cup raw almonds
6-8 dates

Method

Lime Mousse

Use a hand held blender to blend all the ingredients until smooth and creamy.  Set aside

Strawberry Mousse

As above

Crumble

Process all ingredients in a food processor until they can be rolled into a ball and hold it's shape.
*you will have some left over.  I made them into bliss balls and keep them in the fridge or freezer.  My girls love them and they're a great energy hit pre-work out.  Just don't eat too many though, they are meant to be an every now and again treat!

Construction!

Place some crumble on the bottom of a glass, add lime mousse, leaving a spoonful for the top. Add another layer of crumble, add strawberry mousse, add the left over lime mousse and top with crumble and a couple of fresh raspberries if you have any around.
LOVE in a glass :)

And last but not least, a smoothie combination that had me weak at the knees when I tried it.

Persimmon and Cinnamon Smoothie
Serves 1

Ingredients

1 frozen banana
2 small very ripe persimmons
1 pear
1 cup coconut water
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Method

Blend and serve with a sprinkle of raw cacao nibs, flax meal and crushed pecans.
Mmmmmmmmm!

Do you ever get left over smoothie? I always make so much I end up drinking about a litre and a half of the stuff!
Whilst I'm not complaining, it occurred to me that I could freeze the leftovers instead of drinking until I'm overflowing, and have them as a healthy treat when I'm too lazy to make ice cream.  So there's an idea you may want to keep in mind for next time.

Wishing you another amazing week in Clean Eating March awesomeness.

Peas, love and mungbeans

xxb

follow the yellow brick road....

We're here! Well and truly into our March Clean Eating Challenge.  

For those of you who are taking part, congratulations and well done.  For those of you who haven't, the fact that you're reading this is testament that maybe you are ready to take the big step. Don't let the fact that we've already started put you off, at the end of the day, there's no better time like the present to make some changes.  Doesn't matter how big or small that change is, everything adds up and hopefully, you'll be feeling better for it.

I have to tell you, trying to keep to the very strict 80/10/10 philosophy has it's challenges.  Most of them revolve around seasonings.  I'm a Peruvian born girl, and anyone who knows Latin Americans, knows that they like their seasonings.  It just ain't a dish without the salt!  Some days are better than others, but every now and then I find myself reaching for the salt without even thinking about it.  Definitely a work in progress.

Luckily for me, 80/10/10 primarily focuses on fruit and that my friends, I can eat for days, happy happy days :)

So here are some fruit based recipes which you may find useful as breakfast ideas.

Peach, Apple & Vanilla Porridge with Strawberry Sauce
Serves 1

Ingredients

2 apples

1 golden queen peach

1/2 tsp organic vanilla extract

1 cup of strawberries

1 medjool date

Chopped up fruit of choice

Method

Blend apples, peach and vanilla extract until mostly smooth but with some small chunky pieces or until it has reached porridge like consistency.  Pour into bowl.

Separately, blend strawberries and medjool date until very smooth.  Pour over apple and peach porridge.

I served it with some chopped up prickly pear on top.

If I don't have a green smoothie, I always make up a green juice to go with whatever I'm having.  I just feel incomplete if I don't have something green at the beginning of my day.  So energising.

Orange Fruits Smoothie

Ingredients

2 frozen bananas

1 medium orange

1 medium carrot

1 mango

1 pear

1 TBS of lucuma powder

250 mls water

Method

Blend and serve topped with some fruit if desired

With summer on it's last legs, I whipped up this smoothie in an attempt to capture those last sunny days.  It was a summer beach party in my mouth! It also has a healthy dose of vitamin C to help keep pesky colds at bay with the coming chilly months.

Beet Berry Heaven

Ingredients

1/2 medium carrot

1/2 medium beetroot

1 orange

4 frozen bananas

1 cup frozen blueberries

1 cup strawberries

1/2 lime juiced

250 mls water

Method

Blend and serve

I love beetroot but some people find it a bit earthy.  I can guarantee that everyone will love this smoothie.  The lime and orange cut through the earthiness of the beetroot so you're left with this delicious berry taste and THAT colour! Antioxidants anyone?

Whilst I don't normally mix fruit with protein, sometimes I just can't help it.  Chia seeds are one of nature's highest plant based sources of complete proteins, they also add a healthy dose of omega 3 fatty acids which is important for those of us who follow a plant based diet.

Here's a few recipes which contain chia seeds.  They can be used for breakfast or as an afternoon pick me up when you're in a serious need of a healthy energy boost.

Mango and Coconut Chia Pudding

Serves 1

Ingredients

2 TBS chia seeds

1/2 cup of water

1 mango 

1 date

1/4 cup coconut flesh

1/2 cup coconut water

Method

Make chia gel by mixing chia seeds with water and put aside for at least 15 minutes or until chia soaks up water and turns into gel.  Make sure you stir the chia seeds or they will clump together.

Using your hand held blender, process the flesh from the mango with the medjool date.  Set aside.

Next, do the same using your coconut flesh and water.  Set aside.

Once chia gel is ready, stir through the coconut milk until incorporated.

Layer your coconut chia mixture with your mango mixture to your preferred liking.

Top layer should be mango, which you can top off with mango pieces you cut away from the seed.

I topped mine with an almond, date and coconut crumble that I make by processing them together until they resemble a crumble consistency.

Serve and enjoy in a sunny spot :)

This next recipe was featured by #veganfoodshare on IG and was a hit so please give it a try and let me know what you think.

Neapolitan Dream

Serves 1

Ingredients

Chocolate layer

2 TBS chia seeds

1 cup of water

1 TBS raw cacao powder

2 medjool dates

Vanilla layer

1 pear

1 tsp organic vanilla extract

Strawberry layer

1 cup of strawberries

1 medjool date

raw cacao nibs (optional)

Method

Prepare your chia gel the same as above recipe using 1/2 cup of the water.

To make the chocolate sauce, blend dates, remaining water and raw cacao powder until smooth.

Once the chia gel is done, stir through the chocolate sauce until well incorporated.  Leave about a quarter for decorating later.

Make your vanilla layer by blending the pear and vanilla together. Set aside.

Do the same for the strawberries.  I find it easier using a hand held blender when blending strawberries or for smaller quantities of soft fruit.

Now you just layer the layers and top with chocolate sauce and some cacao nibs. Yum!

Coconut Banana Chia Porridge with Papaya and Mango Sauce

Serves 2 (depends on how much water your coconut gives ya)

Ingredients

1 young coconut

2 frozen bananas

2 TBS chia seeds

1/2 cup of water

1 date

1/2 mango

1 cup of papaya cubes

goji berries (optional)

Method

Make chia gel by combining chia seeds with water and mix well.  Leave for about 10-15 minutes until it turns to gel.

Open your coconut, remove some of the flesh and all of the water.  Set aside.

In a high speed blender, place your frozen bananas, chia gel, date and all of the coconut water and blend until smooth.

Use a hand held blender to puree your papaya and mango separately.

Pour you chia porridge into the coconut shell, add a few tablespoons of both the papaya and mango sauce and swirl.  Top with chopped fresh coconut flesh and some goji berries.

Serve with a green juice.  I had the other serving for afternoon tea :)

This next recipe is so easy, it's almost unfair!  But beware, you do have to work fast as it starts to melt quickly.

Vanilla Ice Cream with Blueberry Swirl

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 frozen bananas

1 tsp organic vanilla extract

1 cup blueberries

1 date

Method

Puree the blueberries with a hand held blender until smooth.  

Process the bananas and vanilla in a food processor until it resembles soft serve. Pour blueberry puree into the banana vanilla ice cream and process for a few seconds.  You want to be able to see the different colours.

I made this for my girls and served it to them in cones to make it feel like more of a treat.

Here are some savoury dishes I've been having, not completely 801010 but definitely clean.  Some you could make completely 801010 by removing the seasonings but have a play and see what you come up with.  It's all about experimenting :)

Caesar Salad with Field Mushrooms

Serves 1

Ingredients

1 baby cos lettuce

1 tomato

1/4 cup red onion thinly sliced

1 cup baby spinach

1 field mushroom chopped in to bite sized pieces

1/4 alfredo sauce (recipe here)

1/4 tsp dijon mustard

Method

Wash and chop your salad ingredients.  Mix the alfredo sauce with dijon mustard.

Use your hands to smother your salad ingredients (except a few mushrooms) with the alfredo sauce.

Top with the left over mushrooms and serve.

This is a great salad to take to work.  Just take your veggies and sauce on the side and make just before you eat.  Quick and easy and tastes SO good!

Kale & Avocado Salad with Pomegranate seeds

Serves 4 as a side or 2 for a meal

Ingredients

1 bunch of curly kale

1 large avocado

1 lime juiced

1/2 pomegranate, seeds removed

Himalayan salt 

Freshly ground pepper

EVOO* (optional)

Method

Wash your kale carefully.  I find curly kale can sometimes have tiny slugs hiding in the little curly bits so be meticulous!

Once washed, shake of excess liquid or better yet, throw it in a salad spinner.

Thinly slice the kale and place it in a large bowl.  

Slice your avocados whichever way you like and add to kale.

Add your seasonings and oil if you are using.

Use your hands to mix the salad.  The avocado will break down a little bit.  This is cool, you want this.  It gives the salad a beautiful creamy taste.  Make sure you don't squish all of the avocado though, you still want some chunks in there.

Once mixed through, add your seeds and give another gentle toss, using a wide spoon this time.

This is definitely one of my favourite all time salads.  I eat it all the time.  I just love the textures and the flavours, specially when the little pomegranate seeds pop in your mouth. yum!

*I personally don't use oil because I find the fat from the avocado is enough to make it silky and creamy but whatever rocks your boat.

Summer Salad

Serves 4 as a side or 2 as a meal

Ingredients

2 cups of baby spinach

1/2 bunch of tuscan cabbage (type of kale)

1 large nectarine

4 figs

1 cup strawberries

1/2 a medium red onion

1/2 red capsicum

1 TBS balsamic vinegar

Himalayan pink salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 TBS hemp seeds (optional)

Method

Wash your leaves and kale.  Place the leaves in a large bowl.  

Remove the thick middle vein from your kale and slice the leftover leaves thinly.  You can keep the stalks for juicing.

Add to spinach.  Thinly slice your nectarine, quarter your figs, and halve your strawberries and add to bowl.

Thinly slice the red onion and capsicum and add to bowl.  Season well, add balsamic vinegar and mix through, being careful not to squish the figs.

Top with hemp seeds and serve.

If you've never tried fruit in your salad then this is the one to try it with.  It's so delicious and everyone knows balsamic vinegar and strawberries go together like a dream.

If you don't have hemp seeds, get some, they're really good for you, but in the meantime, feel free to add sunflower seeds or pepitas.

Zucchini Pasta with Parsley Pesto

Serves 1

Ingredients

2 medium zucchini

1 cup of baby spinach

1/2 cup broccoli florets

1/2 bunch of parsley, leaves only

1/2 clove of garlic

1/4 cup chopped brown onion 

1/3 cup cashews pre soaked and drained

3/4 cup of water

1 TBS nutritional yeast

1/4 tsp of chilli flakes or to taste

Himalayan pink salt and pepper to taste

1/2 TBS hemp seeds

Method

Spiralize your zucchini into pasta and place in a bowl with the baby spinach and broccoli florets.

In a high speed blender, process your soaked cashews, water, garlic, onion, seasoning, nutritional yeast and parsley leaves until very smooth.

Use your hands and mix the parsley pesto through the zucchini pasta.

Top with chilli flakes and hemp seeds.

Hey presto!

Zucchini & Carrot Noodles with Spicy Curry Sauce

Serves 1

Ingredients

2 medium zucchini

1 medium carrot

1 cup of baby spinach

1/2 tomato chopped

1/4 cup chopped coriander

Flesh of 1 young coconut

3/4 cup of coconut water

1 tsp of curry powder

1 tsp of Himalayan pink salt

1 tsp of chilli flakes

1/2 clove of garlic

Method

Spiralize your zucchini and carrot.  Place in a bowl along with baby spinach, chopped tomato and coriander, mix gently.

In a high speed blender, add the coconut flesh and water, with the curry powder, chilli flakes, garlic and salt.

Process until you get a very smooth sauce.

Serve your noodle mixture and top with the curry sauce and some coriander sprigs.

Zucchini Spaghetti with Creamy Beetroot Sauce, Broccoli & Walnuts

Serves 2

Ingredients

4 medium zucchini

1 cup broccoli florets

handful of walnuts, chopped

1/3 cup raw cashews soaked and rinsed

1/2 medium beetroot

1 small carrot

1/4 red onion

1 garlic clove

2 TBS nutritional yeast

1.5 tsp raw unpasteurized brown rice miso

1 tsp dried dill

1/2 lime juiced

Himalalyan pink salt and pepper to taste

Method

Spiralize zucchini on spaghetti blade.

Place in bowl with 1/2 the broccoli florets and half the walnuts.

In a high speed blender, add the rest of the ingredients and process to form a smooth paste.  Adjust seasoning if required.

Pour sauce over pasta and mix thoroughly, top with the remainder of walnuts, broccoli and serve.

Field Mushroom with Cauliflower Rice and Avocado Cucumber Salsa

Serves 1

Ingredients

1 large field mushroom, stalk removed

Rice

2 cups of cauliflower florets

1/4 cup raw corn kernels

1 TBS chopped parsley

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp Himalayan pink salt

Salsa

1/2 cucumber chopped

1/2 avocado chopped

1/4 red capsicum chopped

1/4 yellow capsicum chopped

1/4 red onion chopped

1/4 cup coriander chopped

1/2 lime juiced

Himalayan pink salt and pepper to taste

Method

Rice

Place all ingredients except corn and parsley in a food processor and process until it resembles rice grains.

Stir in corn and parsley.  Set aside.

Salsa

Mix all your ingredients together and set aside.

On a plate, place your field mushroom, fill with the cauliflower rice and serve it with a side of the salsa.

Now to add some sweetness!  Whilst I love fruit on it's own, sometimes I want to add something a little indulgent.  

Enter cashew cream. 

Cashew cream is one of those wonderful things that you can adapt to suit whatever taste you're craving.  

I just love it, but beware, it's highly addictive so best to enjoy occasionally.

Fruit Platter with Caramel Cashew Cream

Serves 4 as a share plate

Ingredients

1/3 cup of cashews soaked and rinsed

3/4 cup of water

4 medjool dates

1 TBS raw mesquite powder

Fruit of choice

Method

Chop up your fruit and arrange on a plate.

Place all other ingredients in a high speed blender and process until smooth.  Add water slowly as you may want to add less to make it thicker or more if you want a more liquid consistency.

You can also adjust sweetness with more dates or a splash of 100% pure and organic maple syrup or coconut nectar.

Place in a serving dish and serve.

First week complete and we've done it like troopers! I hope everyone has been having fun in the process, I know I have.

If you're struggling with what to take to work, my suggestion is you just keep it simple.  On my days to work I just throw a heap of veggies in a mason jar and take some dressing or a lime on the side and have that.  It's a great way to do it as you won't have to prepare anything.   Just dump in a bowl and eat!

If you're looking for snack ideas, you can't go past fruit.  Keep it interesting, don't be afraid to try new fruits you've never had before.  Some you'll like, some not so much, but at least you'll know.  Who knows, you may discover a new favourite.

Pitaya and prickly pear

So there we are, hopefully the above recipes will get you thinking about what dishes you would like to experiment with or if you have any good ones, please feel free to share.

One more thing before I sign off. I went to see an iridologist last week and without me saying anything, he told me about my hair loss.  He said it's because my hormones are out of whack which is caused by one of my ovaries doing strange things and not a zinc deficiency as was suggested by my doctor.

He also told me that I should never drink milk as it's no good for my digestive system!!!  

He's given me some tonics to take to help with the hormones and also my digestive system so I'll keep everyone posted on what happens when those are finished.

I was kind of waiting for him to tell me that I was deficient in something but he never did, so I'm happy about that.  Makes me feel like I'm on the right track.  I'm due for a repeat blood test so I'll know for sure in a couple of weeks.  Been putting it off because I despise needles.  Ironic really since I'm a nurse and have to give them to people all the time.  Oh well, will just have to suck it up, yikes!!

I have a really exciting guest posting next week so be sure to check back.  She will be sharing a clean dessert recipe that will knock your socks off, I know I'm dying to give it a go!

Wishing everyone another amazing week of clean eating.

Peas, love and mungbeans

xxb