Tropical Chia Pudding with Mango Sorbet

Super easy and refreshing and perfect for breakfast, a snack any time of the day or even for a light dessert!

I topped mine with passionfruit pulp, coconut flakes and blueberries but you could use whatever you have on hand (some granola might be nice... just saying).

 

 

 

Tropical Chia Pudding with Mango Sorbet

For the Mango sorbet:
1 banana, thinly sliced and frozen
flesh of half a mango, frozen
1/4 cup coconut milk

For the Chia Pudding:
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 tbsp maple syrup (or other sweetener)

Optional Toppings:
passionfruit pulp/juice
coconut flakes
blueberries


To make the mango sorbet, simply blend the mango, banana and coconut milk in a food processor until smooth. Spoon into a container and place in the freezer to stop it melting.

For the chia pudding, mix all ingredients in a glass and refrigerate until the liquid has been totally absorbed (about 1 hour). 

Spoon the sorbet over the top of the chilled chia pudding and spoon/sprinkle over your desired toppings.  

Rosewater and Pistachio (a.k.a Turkish Delight) Ice Cream

I don't have much to say about this behemoth of banana and rosewater goodness except:  

"BEHOLD!"

and maybe a little 

"BASK IN ITS MIDDLE EASTERN MAGNIFICENCE!"

If anyone ever tells you that being vegan or vegetarian is "depriving yourself" again, shove a big bowl of this mother-chucker in their faces and watch as all their previously held misconceptions  battle with the delicious reality dancing on their taste buds. They may need to sit down a minute so be ready to just hold their hand, maybe get them a glass of water and have some towels ready to clean up when their poor minds are eventually blown. 

Messy but necessary I'm afraid! 

Now in all seriousness this was a bit of an experiment, born from my personal love of rose water and other middle eastern flavours. Typically a light touch is required when using rose water as it has a very strong aroma but subtle flavour: to little and you won't be able to taste it all over any competing flavours, to much and it will taste like you've been sprayed in the mouth with your grandma's favourite perfume. Neither option is preferable, so I added it a little at a time, tasting until I had the strength of flavour I liked. Perfume chuggers aside, I suggest you do the same!    

I also sprinkled it with some homemade beetroot powder... because sometimes I like to spend my weekends making beetroot powder and it added a really cool colour. #singlepringlelife  If your life is less depressing than mine feel free to leave this part out!

  

 

Rosewater and Pistachio (aka Turkish Delight) Banana Ice Cream

 
6 ripe bananas, finely sliced and frozen
1/4 cup nut milk (I used macadamia! Yuuummmm!)
1/4 cup rose water
1 cup pistachios, roughly crushed
1/2 cup dried rose petals 

2 tablespoon melted coconut oil

2 tablespoon cacao powder

2 teaspoon agave syrup (or preferred sweetener)

Optional: Freshly ground beetroot powder flavoured with tears of loneliness. 



Blend the banana in a high speed food processor, adding a little nut milk at a time until it is totally smooth and creamy. Add in the rosewater, a couple of teaspoons at a time, until you have the desired flavour. Spoon the ice cream into a dish lined with baking paper and stir through the pistachios and half of the rose petals.

Mix the coconut oil, cacao and agave (or other sweetener) to make a chocolate sauce and drizzle over top of the ice cream. Sprinkle with the remaining rose petals, extra nuts, beetroot powder or whatever else your devious little mind can think of and enjoy!

    

Raw Vegan Chocolate Ice Creams

The warm summer days are quickly coming to an end here in WA, but that's no reason not to indulge in a little frozen deliciousness especially when it tastes just so damn good! Oh, and they are also dairy free, gluten free and egg free. So there's that...

I am a confessed lover of banana 'nice cream' (see earlier posts here and here... and also a little bit of here) and recently I made the inevitable leap from giant bowls of the stuff to its more appropriately portioned pop stick form. 

Super quick. Super Easy. Super Dooper Delicious! 

All you need is a basic blender and a cheap popsicle mold you can pick up for a couple of dollars... and some similarly cheap pop sticks! 

Also, if you find you're having trouble getting the ice creams out of the moulds dip the bottom of the mold in a bowl of warm water just to start softening it (not so much that it melts though!) and they should be able to slide right on out. They are also fully customisable! Change up the flavour of the ice cream by adding berries, other fruits etc. and sprinkle them with whatever you little pixie hearts desire. I went with some chopped nuts this time but I'm already dreaming of rolling them in coconut... *drool*.

 **********

WARNING: THESE BAD BOYS MAY RESULT IN YOU LEARNING SOME DISTURBING FACTS ABOUT YOUR FRIENDS AND LOVED ONES. DISCOVERING THAT PERSONS (I.E. YOUR OWN MOTHER) ARE ICE CREAM 'BITERS' MAY RESULT IN INTENSE SHOCK, DISBELIEF AND THE FEELING THAT YOU MAY NEVER BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THEM THE SAME WAY AGAIN. DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

**********

Green Smoothie #2015

Happy New Year!


I realise its been a while since my last post, but with Christmas, New Years, work etc I just haven't had the time!

Previously where I have uploaded anything to this blog it has been the result of many hours of cooking, setting up camera angles, trying to style the food as best as my limited abilities will allow etc etc... Not a quick process!

Thanks to the magic of technology and apps like the ever-fabulous Instagram (check out my account here!) I still snap and upload pictures of what I'm cooking up on a day to day basis with just the click of a button. So, in the interests of keeping this blog chugging along, I have decided that where I simply don't have the time to to create highly detailed, multiple angle, step-by-step style posts; I will simplify the posts so that you still have the recipe and whatever quirky observations I feel like throwing in, just with less focus on having multiple pictures. Though some may see this as me compromising on the blog's aesthetic quality, I feel like this is a worthwhile trade off if it means I am able to post more often and get more recipes out into the world for you to enjoy!

So what better time to start this little shindig than right now?!

See below for said shindiggery.

Refreshing Green Smoothie

Start your 2015 on the right foot with this super refreshing drink! If you're already on board the green smoothie train: I like you, lets be friends. If you haven't tried them yet: It's not to late! The train to deliciousness is still boarding!

Ingredients:

1/2 large banana
1/2 cup frozen mango
1 tsp chia seeds
1 cup almond milk (or other non-dairy milk or water)
1 packed cup of spinach leaves
Few ice cubes

Simply blend everything except the fruit until well processed and then add in the fruit and continue blending until totally smooth. Super easy!

(Side note: I rimmed my glass with some honey and dessicated coconut, optional but yummy!)

Choc-Mint Nice Cream!

  

 Well hi there! I hope your having as good a weekend as I am! Oh wait, your can't possibly be because unlike myself you haven't been enjoying this summery delight!

It's Choc-Mint Nice Cream y'all!

Now I have posted about banana ice cream (a.k.a 'nice cream') before (check it out!) but this time I decided to mix it up a bit and add one of my sister's all time flavour combos to the equation. The result, the perfect treat to munch through on this glorious spring day.

 FYI I decided to top mine with a drizzle of raw chocolate sauce (simple mix of cacao, melted coconut oil and maple syrup) and some crumbed chocolate 'biscuits' (process some walnuts, dates, oats, cacao and maple syrup then shape into flat disks and bake or dehydrate until just crisp on the outside).

But now, on to the star of the show....

Choc Mint Nice Cream

4 small bananas 

Dash of milk (almond, dairy, soy, whatever!)

3 tsp Stevia (or your preferred sweetener)

2 tsp vanilla

Small bunch of mint, roughly torn up

3 tbsp cacao 

Start by slicing your bananas and placing them in a single layer in a zip lock bag. Freeze overnight or at least until fully frozen. 

Pop your frozen banana slices into a food processor with a small splash of your chosen milk and blend until it looks like soft serve. add the sweetener and vanilla and process again to combine. 

 

Split your banana mix in half and stick one half back into the food processor with the mint. Process the other half of the blended banana with the cacao until totally combined. 

Voila! If necessary you can stick your two mixes into plastic containers and freeze until they firm up to your liking or just alternate dollops of your nice cream into a hip-tastic mason jar and enjoy on the spot!   

 

 

 

Be it brought on by 'that time of the month', a bad breakup or a good old sweet tooth; sometimes you crave the sweet things in life. Often times this involves ice cream. 

But should we let these cravings ruin all our hard work in the gym for a few minutes of sugar-induced satisfaction?! Will you be regretting every mouthful as soon as you down the spoon?!

There is only one thing we say to gym-defying deserts: Not Today! 

What up Game of Thrones reference!

What you should have instead is a serving of 'Nice Cream', a healthy ice cream alternative sweeping rawists, vegans and the hippy instagram community. 

 

As the name suggests, this 'desert' is both delicious and nutritious! 

The ice cream is simply frozen banana blitzed in a food processor and layered with whatever fruits, nuts and flavours your sensible-yet-hungry heart desires.

 

Banana, Date and Coconut 'Nice Cream' 

 

You Will Need: 

3 Bananas

Handful of pitted dates

Large handful of dried, flaked coconut

Large handful of raspberries (or blueberries, chopped strawberries etc.)

Handful of pecans (or another type of nut)

Peel and slice the bananas into bite sized pieces and place on a tray lined with baking paper. Stick in the freezer for an hour or so until the banana slices are well frozen. 

Blitz the frozen banana in your food processor for about 10 minutes or until it becomes smooth and creamy (don't worry if it just looks chunky at first, just keep blending!). If the banana is too soft stick it in the freezer for 10 min or so until it firms up a little.

Grab your most hipster-ish mason jar and spoon a little nice cream into the bottom. Add a layer of berries, nuts, dates and coconut and continue filling your jar, alternating between banana and the flavourings. 

Voila! 

Enjoy your sweet fix guilt free!

I Scream, You Scream...

We all scream for ice cream!

Yes, the dessert favoured by children and heartbroken, chick flick watchers is something with worldwide appeal. The perfect snack on a hot summer day... unless you are lactose intolerant or wanting to watch your weight.

If like me you fall into either of these latter exceptions I have the perfect alternative to a creamy, sugary cone. So move over Mr. Whippy. Hit the road Baskin and Robin! There is a new dairy free, raw "ice cream" in town.

The Raw Nutty- Choc Ice Cream

 

No it is not technically ice cream... what with having no cream in it at all... but it is the next best thing! 

Some may even go so far as to say it is BETTER (*gasp*) given the lack of binge's remorse it induces, leaving you with nothing but a full tummy and a plan to make another batch straight away 

 

 

   

 Raw Nutty-Choc Ice Cream

Makes one small tub  

1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight

2 cups unsweetened almond milk (or water)

20 pitted dates

6 tbsp cacao powder

2 bananas, frozen and chopped

Extra dates and raw cashews, chopped.

 

Soak the dates in the almond milk for 15min. 

 
Process the cashews in a food processor until as smooth as possible and then add the dates, almond milk and banana pieces . Process until the mixture is smooth and as lump free as possible.

Add the cacao powder and process until the mixture is combined.

Chill the mixture and then churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Once churned stir in the extra dates and nuts and pour into a plastic container

Freeze the ice cream until its ready to be eaten (you may want to let it thaw for about 10 minutes before eating it though)

And that's it!

 

 

Banoffee Tarts

  



There is something special about a banoffee tart.

The name alone sends my mind racing to an era when the hair was big; the music was legendary and pasta salads, beef stroganoff and frozen yoghurt were at the height of the food fad wishlist! Despite originating in the UK, I can't help but feel that there is also something inherintly 'American' about these little beauties. Don't ask me why!

As far as deserts go, Banoffee Tarts really are about as simple as they come. A simply tart shell naturally balances with  overt sweetness of the caramel filling and the freshness of a ripe banana. There isn't even any fancy folding, scraping or slicing skills involved! Simply decorated with a dollop of cream and the nostalgic simplicity of the humbly sliced banana, what could be better?

Individual Banoffee Tartlettes

Makes ~ 10 individual sized tarts

 

  Ingredients:

   

200g plain sweet biscuits 
60g me lted unsalted butter 
125g unsalted butter

1 tin condensed milk

3 tbsp golden syrup

 

2 bananas

whipped cream

30g caster sugar

 

   

  Method:

 

1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees C.
2. In a food processor (or placed in a plastic zip-lock bag and using a rolling pin) blitz the biscuits into fine crumbs and stir through the melted butter until the mixture resemles the consistency of wet sand.
3. Press the mixture into the base and up the sides of 10 individual tart cases and place in the refrigerator. 
4. To make the caramel filling: place the butter, condensed milk and golden syrup in a saucepan over a low heat and stir until melted. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to allow the mixture to cool for 10 minutes.
5. Pour the caramel mixture into the chilled tart cases and bake for approx. 20 minutes or until the caramel is well browned (don't stress if the caramel bubbles up rather than sitting flat! It will flatten when it comes out of the oven and will be covered with bananas and cream anyway!)
6. When cooked, take the tarts out of the oven and allow to cool completely. Remove from the tart cases and top with whipped cream and thinly sliced banana

 

 

Extra Tips and Tricks:

 

•  I made a a simple caramel sauce to drizzle over the top of the tarts using a cup each of caster suagr, water and cream  (cook sugar and water in a saucepan over low heat until sugar melts and mixture browns and then whisk in warmed cream). This just gives it a little extra visual attraction. 
• If your having trouble removing the tarts from the cases place them back in the oven (it should still be a little warm even through you have turned it off) for a minute to allow the butter in the shell to soften and then try to remove the tarts whilst slightly warm.