Tag: raw

Bite-Size Chocolate Caramel Maca Bars

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Bitesize Snickers

Please don’t get scared – these are way easier to make than they look! It kind of takes a while only because of waiting for each layer to freeze, but the making itself is easy. They are pretty similar to our Raw Snickers bars but I added maca powder for extra energy and vitality. I also wanted to cut them smaller as I am needing small snacks more often now my pregnancy is progressing.

These are amazing to have around to give the kids if they want a sweet treat, and you don’t even have to feel guilty about giving it to them – they are full of goodness!

Ingredients

1 and half cups medjool dates, pitted then soaked in water for a couple of hours)
2 heaped tbsp organic, natural peanut butter (I use Meridian)
1 tsp maca powder (I use Organic Burst)
1 tbsp coconut oil
Pinch salt (I use Oryx desert salt)
2 x amount of our chocolate sauce recipe or if you don’t have the time, you can melt bittersweet or vegan chocolate in a bowl over a pan of boiling water until melted. You need enough to fill about 1 mug.
Half cup almonds, soaked overnight

Method

Prepare a square baking tray with baking paper and spread some coconut oil over it to grease.

Pour half the chocolate mix at the bottom and put in the freezer for 20 minutes.

Drain the dates well, then put them in the food processor and blitz until a paste forms.

Once it is smooth, add the peanut butter, maca, coconut oil and salt and blend again.

Take the tray out the freezer and pour the date mix on top and spread evenly. Leave in freezer for 40 minutes.

Crush the almonds in a pestle and mortar, then sprinkle them on top of the ‘caramel’ date layer, then pour the rest of the chocolate on top and smooth to even it out.

Put back in freezer for a further 20 minutes. Remove, slice into bite-size chunks and enjoy!

If you can stop eating after just one, you deserve a medal!

Love,
Lauren

White Chocolate Mulberry Fudge

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White Chocolate Mulberry Bars

This is such a simple recipe and so healthy. Dried white mulberries contain less than half the natural sugar of raisins and other dried fruits. They are high in fibre and in protein – just 1/3 cup contains 4 grams of protein and 20% of your daily fibre needs. They also contain powerful antioxidants which help to protect your heart from damage from some toxins. Raw cacao butter is a source of healthy fats, which optimise organ function.

I’ve added no sweetener as the natural sweetness of the mulberries is enough for me. However if you would prefer it slightly sweeter you could add a bit of raw honey or organic maple syrup.

Ingredients:

100g raw cacao butter
100g organic dried white mulberries
1/8 tsp Oryx Desert Salt
1/4 tsp organic vanilla powder
2 tbsp almond butter

Method:

Gently melt the cacao butter over a very low heat. Be careful not to raise the temperature too much as this will destroy the nutrients found in raw cacao products. I normally turn the stove on for a few minutes, then turn it off and put the saucepan on the plate – the residual heat is enough to melt the cacao butter.

Place the mulberries in a food processor and process until they are broken up into a meal. Alternatively you could grind them in a coffee or spice grinder. Add the remaining ingredients and process to combine.

Spread into a dish lined with baking paper or clingfilm and allow to set, then cut up into blocks. It can be kept at room temperature if it’s not too hot – you might want to put it in the fridge if you have temperatures over 30 C.

Health & happiness!

Love,
Raine

Raw Grasshopper Pie

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Grasshopper Pie

Grasshopper Pie is an American favourite, using Oreo cookies for the crust with a mint cream filling. While I’ve never had the original version I’ve always liked the sound of it so I came up with this raw recipe.
Not only is it free of all the bad stuff like refined sugar and flour, it’s packed full of nutritious goodness in the form of avo, coconut and almonds. My son loves it and I love watching him eat something so healthy and yummy!

I’ve used agar (also called agar agar) to set the filling. It is made from a Japanese seaweed and is a very strong setting agent, so be sure to be precise with your measurements. Also be aware that agar powder and agar flakes require different measurements, so you would have to convert if using flakes (1tsp powder is equal to 1tbsp flakes.)

Ingredients

For the crust:

2 cups raw almonds, soaked for four hours, rinsed and layed out to dry (while this step is not necessary for the recipe to work, it’s always good to soak your almonds to release the digestion-inhibiting enzymes)
1/4 cup raw cacao powder
1/4 tsp Oryx Desert Salt
150g fresh medjool dates (about 8 dates)
2 tbsp organic virgin coconut oil

For the filling:

400ml organic coconut milk
2ml agar powder
200g avo flesh (ie. weighed without skin or pip) this is about 1 1/2 Avon
40g organic virgin coconut oil
pinch of Oryx Desert Salt
120g raw honey
8 drops organic peppermint essential oil
1/2 tsp spirulina or wheatgrass powder (this is optional – it simply gives you a more intense green colour for your filling)
15g raw chocolate

Method:

Place the almonds, cacao powder, salt and 2 tbsp coconut oil in a food processor. Remove the pips from the dates and roughly chop them. Add to the food processor. Process until you have a fine crumb which sticks together when pressed. Turn the mixture into a loose-bottomed pie dish or a pretty glass serving dish and press to about 5mm thickness. Refrigerate.

Place the coconut milk in a saucepan and sprinkle the agar powder over the top. Whisk thoroughly. Bring to a simmer, and simmer for 3 minutes exactly. Agar needs to boiled to be activated, but its setting properties are destroyed if it is brought to too high a temperature, so use a timer! Allow to cool to room temperature.

Place all the ingredients for the filling, except the chocolate, into a blender and blend until completely smooth. Taste to see if you are happy with the sweetness and the mint flavour, which you can adjust if you like. Pour into the crust. Grate the chocolate over the top, and refrigerate until set (at least 4 hours.)

Health & happiness!

Love,
Raine

Pomegranate & Fennel Salad

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Pomegranate & Fennel Salad

Pomegranate always makes for an impressive addition to any dish when you have guests. These beautiful little ruby-like jewels are bursting with flavour and packed with health. Over 8000 years ago they became one of the first cultivated fruits, and ever since have been a symbol of prosperity and abundance in many cultures.
They are rich in vitamin K, potassium and antioxidants – specifically punicalagin, a polyphenol unique to pomegranates, and anthocyanins, which are responsible for giving pomegranate juice its rich red color.

Ingredients (serves 3-4 as a side dish)

1 medium-sized bulb of fennel
1 pomegranate
2 handfuls baby spinach
1 handful fresh mint
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp organic maple syrup or raw honey
Oryx Desert Salt to taste

Method

If you have a mandolin use it to finely slice the fennel. Alternatively a sharp knife will do the job with a bit more effort!
Cut the pomegranate in half, and gently remove the arils (seeds), trying not to burst them. Discard any bits of white membrane, and add the arils to the fennel.

If the spinach leaves are large you can roughly chop or tear them, otherwise leave them whole. Remove the mint leaves from the stems and roughly chop them. Add to the fennel and pomegranate.

Whisk together the olive oil, lemon and maple or honey. Pour over the salad. Season to taste with salt and toss thoroughly.

Health & happiness!

Love,
Raine

Spicy Kale Chips

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Spicey Kale Chips 2

This is a variation of my regular Raw Kale Chips. By adding dried onion and tamari you get more of an umami flavour and the cumin seeds give them a middle eastern twist. Healthy snacking!

Ingredients

150 – 200g kale leaves, weighed once you have removed the tough centre stem
70g raw cashews
45ml fresh lemon juice
60ml water
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 tbsp dried onion
10ml organic tamari
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp Oryx Desert salt

Method

Tear the kale leaves into pieces about 5cm square, making sure that there are no tough stems remaining.

Place the remaining ingredients except for the cumin seeds into a blender, and blend until smooth. You may need to add a little extra water to get a dressing-like consistency which can be poured over the kale. Add the cumin seeds and blend just for a couple of seconds, so that you don’t grind them completely but still have bits of seeds.

Pour over the kale leaves and use your hands to “massage” the dressing into the leaves, making sure that it gets into all the frilly bits of the leaves.

Spread the leaves out on dehydrator trays and dehydrate at 46 C overnight. If you don’t have a dehydrator you can dry them in your oven on its lowest temperature.

Store in an airtight container.

Health & happiness!

Love,
Raine

Coconut & Cacao Ice Cream

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Coconut Cacao Ice Cream

Yes it’s ice cream, but I had it for breakfast. Ice cream for breakfast?? When it’s healthy, why not? It’s simply bananas, raw cacao, coconut cream and a drop of maple. That’s it! Indulge why don’t you 🙂

Ingredients

2 frozen bananas (freeze the night before in slices
The creamy part from the top of a can of coconut milk (save the watery part for a curry or something)
1 tsp raw cacao powder
1 tsp organic maple syrup
Desiccated coconut

Method

Put all the ingredients into a high speed blender and blend until smooth. Top with the coconut and enjoy.

Love,
Lauren

Blueberry Chia Pudding with Coconut Cream

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Blueberry Chia Pudding Coconut Cream

Antioxidants, fibre, protein, omega 3, all plant-based and easy to make. This recipe needs no further introduction!

Ingredients

Chia Pudding
250ml almond milk
Handful frozen blueberries
1 ripe banana
1 tsp maple
1 acai berry capsule
1 tsp maca powder
1 tbsp almond or peanut butter
4 tbsp chia seeds

Coconut Cream
1 mini tub of coconut cream or the cream from the top of one can of coconut milk, chilled in fridge overnight
1 tsp maple syrup

Toppings
I used granola and blueberries, you can choose whatever you like!

Method

Put all the chia pudding ingredients apart from the chia seeds into the blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a tall cup and mix in the chia seeds. Cover with cling film and refrigerate overnight. At this time you can put the coconut cream in the fridge also.

The next morning, take the coconut cream out the fridge, scoop it into a bowl and whisk for 3-5 minutes until stiff. Add in the maple and stir gently.

Stir the chia pudding in its glass, then pour however much you want into a bowl, mason jar or glass, top with the coconut cream and toppings.

Enjoy!

Love,
Lauren

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Mousse Mini Pies

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peanut butter pies 2

These are a bit of a strange invention, I have to say! But they’re pretty decadent and yummy and I was totally happy with the outcome 🙂

You will need to prepare the day before by soaking the cashews overnight, putting the top layer of peanut butter in the fridge and putting the coconut cream in the fridge to chill. Read the recipe thoroughly before starting…

Ingredients

Chocolate Mousse layer bottom layer:
1 cup cashews (soaked overnight)
2 tbsp cocoa powder
4 tbsp organic maple syrup
1/3 cup ground almonds
5 tbsp almond milk.

Peanut butter cream middle layer:
The cream from the top of two tins of coconut milk or 1 can of coconut cream
1/3 cup natural peanut butter
1 tsp maple syrup

Peanut butter pies 1

Top layer:
Spoon about 10 tbsp peanut butter into a bowl and keep in the fridge overnight.

Method

Start by adding all the bottom layer ingredients to the blender and blend well. If it is too dry add some more almond milk. It will either go like a crumble or like a mousse depending on your blender, each is fine. Add more milk depending on your preference.

Place muffin cases in a cupcake baking tray and scoop out about a tablespoon and a half per muffin case. Once they’re all filled and the mixture is all finished up, place in the freezer for about 45 minutes or until fairly hard.

Once they’re in the freezer you can take the coconut cream out the fridge and whip it with an electric whisk until stiff, then mix in the peanut butter and maple. Put it in a bowl and place in the fridge until your bottom layers are ready to come out the freezer.

Once the mousse mixtures are ready, take them out the freezer and spoon a heaped tbsp of the peanut butter cream mixture on top of each one then put back in the freezer for an hour.

Once ready, wash your hands thoroughly then spread a bit of the peanut butter that has been in the fridge overnight over each of the pies.

Remove them from the cupcake tray and place them in a large container in the fridge. They will be too hard if you leave them in the freezer but the fridge will give them a mousse-like consistency.

Peanut butter pies 3

Enjoy!

Love,
Lauren

Banana Crunch Smoothie Bowl

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Banana Smoothie Bowl

Breakfasts don’t need to be just cereal or toast! I love making up new smoothie ideas for a yummy, filling and nutritious breakfast. Check out our other smoothie bowls on our breakfast page.

Ingredients

1 and a half frozen bananas (slice and freeze the day before)
1 tbsp almond butter
2 medjool dates
Splash of almond milk
Tsp chia seeds
Homemade granola or organic store bought
Some puffed brown rice

Method

Put all the ingredients except the granola and puffed rice into the blender and blend until smooth.

Pour into a bowl and top with the granola and and puffed rice (or puffed quinoa) and enjoy!

Love,
Lauren

Garlicky Citrus Carrot Salad

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Carrot Salad

A great accompaniment to any meal, or as a meze starter…

Ingredients

3 carrots, grated
Handful sultanas
Half a clove of garlic, crushed
Juice of one orange
Drizzle of olive oil
Himalayan salt & black pepper

Method

Grate your carrots into a bowl, then crush your garlic into it. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well, then serve.

Enjoy!

Love,
Lauren