Choc chip cookies

Choc chip (Chick pea) cookies

It is so remiss of me not to have this on the blog, given how often we make them. I kind of thought everyone knew of this recipe – I can’t claim it as mine because it is ALL over internet land. But it turns out not everyone does!

So quick, I better post this so we can spread it even further around internet land. It really is a healthy, nutritious take on an age-old favourite. And I make double the recipe now because they disappear too quickly!

Ingredients:

2x 400g tins chick peas, rinsed and drained

1 cup peanut butter (100% peanuts )*

1/2 cup brown rice syrup

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

2 rows dark chocolate, chopped

Blend all ingredients except dark chocolate together in a food processor (I do the chick peas first then add the rest). Then stir through dark chocolate pieces.

The mixture will be sticky but I still roll into a ball and press flat onto baking paper on a tray. Alternatively you can just “drop” teaspoons onto the paper. Whatever shape they are on the baking tray is what they will remain (they don’t grow or flatten with cooking).

Bake at 180 deg C for 15 minutes or until browning.

* As always i recommend 100% peanuts for your peanut butter. FYI, the health food shop I go to has  a peanut butter machine – you bring a bucket, and pull the handle, and it will grind the peanuts into peanut butter straight into your bucket. It’s brilliant! Check out if yours does it too?

Apple, walnut and dark chocolate crumble

Apple and chocolate crumble

If only I had a picture to actually match the heaven that is this dessert. It is one of the easiest desserts imaginable and is a  different take on the oat-butter-brown sugar type apple crumble. Oh my, it is moorish. The apple and dates are warm and sweet and soft, matched with the crunchy, flaky top that is walnuts, and the chewy, sweet dates and dark chocolate.

Ok, so the dark chocolate is not a whole food choice. But in tiny bits of joy we can cope, can’t we. And I’m told it’s good for your health in moderation.

 

Ingredients

5 green apples, peeled and chopped

6 dates, pitted and diced

1 cup walnuts

1 row dairy free dark chocolate

sprinkling of ground cloves and cinnamon

 

Preheat oven to 180 deg C. Steam/boil the apples, spices and half of the dates for a few minutes until softened. Drain, and place in a casserole dish. Grind the walnuts down in a food processor, stir in the remaining chopped dates and chopped dark chocolate. Sprinkle mixture over the top of the apple/date mix.

Bake for 15 minutes or until heated through and crispy on top.

 

And then make some more for breakfast the next day 🙂

 

Cilantro tomato salsa

 

Cilantro tomato salsa

Some days just call for a light, fresh, zesty salsa. You can serve this on top of anything really or as a side. Or use it as a bruschetta – or as pictured, a salsa served with organic corn chips.

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

2 large ripe tomatoes, chopped

1/2 spanish onion, chopped

juice of 1 lime

1 small garlic clove, minced

small splash of balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper

Mix together and enjoy. Chopped avocado adds a lovely softener if you prefer it a little less zingy. I don’t think oil is necessary but it is commonly used to splash olive oil through salsas so that’s an option too.

Tropical ice blocks

Tropical ice blocks

These are amazing. And so incredibly simple. The kids have not always liked coconut cream-based ice blocks but these were demolished! Excellent to have for the hot weather coming up!

Ingredients:

1 tin coconut cream

1 tin pineapple pieces

1 orange, rind removed

2 T rice malt syrup

Puree in a blender, pour into moulds and freeze! Enjoy!

Caramel fudge

Caramel, the healthy way

I have noticed that my blog followers are total caramel freaks. Sweet freaks generally but definitely caramel lovers and hey, I can’t blame you.

I remember as kids we used to make caramel (the burnt butter/sugar kind of caramel) and OMG how delicious was that as a teenager, scooping spoonfuls of caramel out of the fridge. I remember hoping no one would notice how MUCH of it I was eating 😉

Today…same issue but a much different version of caramel! So many of you have commented on how YUMMY the caramel is in the slice or the cheesecake so I thought it time just to serve it up direct! Yes. You can thank me later 🙂

Ingredients:

25 pitted medjool dates (presoaked in hot water for 10 minutes and drained)

1/2 cup almond spread

1 T coconut oil

And that’s it. You can add a tsp vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. But the reality is, the caramel is caramel already. You could also add some peanut butter.

And I drizzled melted dark chocolate on top of mine to make it pretty 🙂 But all in all, that’s just dressing. You just need dates and almond spread (which is 100% almonds).
It’s soooo good. I just had a spoonful after dinner and trust me, it is SOO sweet that’s all you need!

 

*NB this is a gooey caramel. If you like it a little firmer, add in some blended macadamias or tahini and freeze.

Vegetable tomato gratin

Tomato vegetable gratin

Ok, so I can’t be sure that this qualifies as a gratin. Perhaps you have another suggestion? But it is a casserole-y vegetable bake-y thing that goes a little bit crunchy? So that’s probably a gratin, right? It’s so simple and easy and delicious. I served this with a green/avocado/olive/dill salad. Perfection.

Ingredients

1 zucchini

1 potato

1 sweet potato

5-6 squash

handful of baby spinach leaves

Use the appropriate blade on the food processor to finely slice all vegetables.

Create a tomato sauce – and you can do as I did and simplify it. I just used mushrooms, capsicum, onion and grated carrot with garlic and passata. Simple, delicious. With a bit of balsamic and seasoning thrown in.

Use some dried or fresh basil. Add some tomato sauce to the base of a casserole dish and layer the sliced vegetables around the base.

Gratin base

Continue until full, and spread tomato sauce on the top.

Gratin base

Bake for 45 mins at 200 deg C. Yum!