All posts filed under: Healthy Treats

Breakfast Crumble Bars & Herbal Infusion

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What a great way to start the day! ‘It’s like having pudding for breakfast!’  This recipe is so beneficial for maintaining and supporting digestive health and they certainly pack a punch!! Read on after the recipe to find the health benefits.  I’ve paired the Crumble Bars with a herbal infusion (‘tea’) containing a soothing blend of herbs, also great for hydrating the gut. Certainly not exclusive to breakfast you can enjoy these crumble bars anytime.  A perfect mid morning or afternoon snack, great as a pudding or you could even wrap one up for a packed lunch or as a great healthy snack for the children to take to school. If you need to follow a gluten free diet just make sure to use gluten free oats. Makes 9 pieces 3 eating apples 1tsp ground cinnamon 6 Medjool dates, pitted, about 100g total weight 75g coconut oil 3tbsp maple syrup 100g ground almonds 100g rolled oats 50g pumpkin seeds 50g sunflower seeds 50g ground flaxseeds salt Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Wash, quarter, core and coarsely grate the …

Berry & Toasted Chocolate Granola Pots

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  These delicious little pots make a perfect start to the day. All the preparation can be done the day before, making it a very quick and easy breakfast to put together. You could even layer it in a jar and take your breakfast with you. I love having a jar of the granola ready made, in the cupboard, it keeps well stored in an airtight container or jar. I like the fact that it gains its sweetness from a small amount of dark chocolate and the natural sugars in the berries. A perfect summer breakfast or brunch! Make this a perfect gluten free breakfast by using gluten free oats. This recipe formed the first part of a days menu I had to design for the module on the Heart & Circulatory System in my Diploma in Culinary Medicine. Read on, at the end, to find out why the ingredients I’ve included are heart healthy and how they can benefit the body. I’m lucky enough to be writing this as I sit overlooking Mylor Creek, one …

Creamy Cashew Pancakes

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These pancakes are so good!! Please don’t just think of them as a ‘gluten free’ pancake recipe…..yes, they are gluten free…..but, in my opinion, they’re way more delicious than regular wheat based American style pancakes and will have all the family asking for more! They are rich and creamy in texture, bursting with flavour and because they are packed full of nuts and eggs are nutritionally dense. Served with goji berries, fresh berries and yogurt they are the perfect immune boosting breakfast. How good is that, to have pancakes that can help fight off a cold?!! The combination of good fat and protein will also help to keep you fuller longer so will help ward of those mid morning munchies!! This recipe was developed as a breakfast dish for the immune system module of the Diploma in Culinary Medicine that I’m currently studying. I’ve included the ingredients write up at the end of the recipe if you’re interested in knowing about the nutritional benefits of each ingredient. Don’t forget to serve with the goji berries and live yogurt if you …

Spiced Orange Friand

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A Friand is a delicious, moist, little French cake make with butter and almonds. I often make Lemon Friand which are really good. This time I used orange, and plenty of it, which to me is an evocative aroma and flavour of Christmas. Combined with a little mixed spice, your kitchen will begin to smell so good! I’ve also spiced them up with a little dried crushed chilli flakes which gives the cake a gorgeous warmth and depth of flavour and leaves a warm tingle on your tongue long after the cake has been eaten. Don’t worry though, it doesn’t make them spicy, its a bit like having strawberries and black pepper, it only enhances the flavour! I make no apologies for including a recipe that contains sugar and butter on my  blog! The butter adds a massive amount of flavour and I’m a strong believer in using good quality butter and not processed fats when needed. Having the occasional treat is OK and if you can’t at Christmas then when can you?!! The icing sugar …

Mocha Truffles, Brandy Truffles & Orange Truffles

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These little balls of deliciousness won’t fail to satisfy the need for a festive treat! They are so good!! You can relax slightly in the knowledge that they’re packed with dates and nuts, so definitely a much healthier option than a tin full of sweets!!  I’ve used cashew nuts here as they are so creamy, making the final texture so deliciously indulgent and smooth that its hard to believe they don’t contain tons of cream and sugar! I have used a tiny amount of chocolate to dust them so if you prefer to avoid it then use the raw cacao powder or coconut options instead. I couldn’t stop at one flavour, so there are 3 for you to try! I love mocha, the warm smokiness of coffee mixed with a satisfying chocolate hit.  Subtle in flavour, these are dusted very lightly in raw cacao powder….pure and simple! Then….Brandy! I’ve always had a bit of a weakness for Brandy Butter and when growing up would always try to get away with having more Brandy Butter than pudding!! (Some will …

Ginger Banana Bread

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We all like a sweet treat every now and then, and some of us more than others! But what if that sweet treat became a nutritious snack that delivered benefits to our bodies as well as instantly satisfying that sweet craving? Having tried other gluten free cakes I’ve often been disappointed either by a dry solid texture or discovering that the wheat flour alternatives will have your blood sugar levels reaching sky high! It makes it all the more exciting to share this Ginger Banana Bread, it has an amazingly moist texture and great flavour. This really is so quick and easy to make and I don’t think anyone will realise its gluten free! So these nutritional benefits? Well it doesn’t contain any refined sugars (no blood sugar peak and slump to deal with), is gluten free and can be dairy free if you opt for the coconut oil in place of the butter.  We get added fibre from the flax seeds, good fats and protein from the nuts and antioxidants from the cacao. Buckwheat flour …

Blueberry, Spinach & Chilli Smoothie

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This is the Autumn version of my Feel Good Smoothie! It’s such a great way to start the day, grab a quick nutritious snack after some exercise or maybe even a quick lunch! I’ve packed it full of goodness with a warming hint of chilli to kick start my metabolism in the morning. Don’t worry this doesn’t make a spicy smoothie, the warmth kind of creeps up on you very slowly and gently!! I’ve tried to create a smoothie that contains a good amount of protein to keep me full, isn’t too sweet and is packed full of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals as well as some good fats to keep me healthy as the days get shorter and weather cooler. Having spinach for breakfast isn’t everyones cup of tea (sorry!!) but its a great way to increase your daily vegetable intake alongside the banana and blueberries. I also add a generous half teaspoon of broccoli powder for an extra boost but this is completely optional. Maca powder is a great to include in your diet …

Roasted Strawberries (& Figs)

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Not a throw back to summer but rather an attempt to make it last longer! My aim with this recipe was to try to jazz up some end of season strawberries that are beginning to lose their flavour and colour, then I noticed a couple of ripe figs in the garden. Now I’m not usually very lucky at timing picking the figs as most of them get eaten by birds and insects before I realise they’re ripe! But having picked them I was determined they weren’t going to sit on the fruit bowl, so they became the perfect addition to the strawberries in this recipe, adding some valuable fibre too. This is completely optional so please don’t go hunting around for figs to include here as the recipe is perfect with just strawberries. I think the whole family was amazed by the result of roasting the strawberries for such a short time. The secret ingredient, a sprinkling of balsamic vinegar, helps to caramelise the juices into a rich syrup and adds an amazing flavour. There is no …

Feel Good Smoothie

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I’ve been really enjoying this delicious smoothie on holiday, especially after a quick yoga session and a dip in the pool! The colour is amazing, thanks to the spinach. It not only looks good but also packs in an early dose of vegetable into your day! Actually you can’t taste the spinach but its great for all the nutrients its supplies! Use the ripest melon you can find for a really full summer flavour. The seeds add good fats and the cashew nut butter increases the protein level further, keeping you fuller longer and also help to make a deliciously creamy smoothie. You could also try coconut water instead of water for extra great flavour. I’m going to make this whenever I feel like a pick me up or quick breakfast. It would also be great to take out on the move or as a post workout snack! I bought my Nutribullet away with me which whizzes everything up so smooth. If you don’t have once you could use a blender but maybe try the …

Festival Bars

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With the festival season in full swing and everyone beginning to enjoy even more time outdoors, I was inspired to make a bar that I could take out in any weather and enjoy a natural energy treat with no guilt! I wanted to create a bar that had great taste, massive health benefits to refuel long days and nights and colour to remind me of the vibrance of a festival. I’ve added plenty of nuts and seeds for protein, good fats, minerals and vitamins. Flax seeds for fibre. The dates add a good natural energy kick which shouldn’t spike your blood sugar levels. Ginger for a real zing on the taste buds as well as the benefits it gives in supporting digestion and settling the stomach! Goji berries which are great for supporting the immune system and add the most amazing specks of vibrant orangey red and finally the cacao is packed with great essential minerals, antioxidants and also contains some caffeine! So these bars certainly pack a punch. They’re great as a breakfast bar, a …