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.  

Raw Chocolate and Orange Jaffa Cheesecake

 

In this new age of Instagram obsession, #foodporn and an increasing fascination with healthy eating its hard to believe there are still people out there who haven't drooled over a picture of some sort of raw or vegan food, even if they didn't know it was raw/vegan/healthy. 

Yet there are still those who turn their noses up at the suggestion of a chia pudding or a raw vegan cheesecake ("Its not even a cheesecake if it doesn't have cheese in it!") - well to them I say sit your butts down and cram some of this Choc Orange Cheesecake in your facehole! See how pessimistic and gastronomically naive you are when your mind is being blown by the creamy textures and rich flavours of this mother chucker. 

Still complaining about the lack of 'real cheese' over there are you Gary? Didn't think so... (and if you are then there is no helping you and I pity you).

In all seriousness this cheesecake is the bee's knees. The cat's pyjamas. Some other nonsensical saying which translated to 'The Bomb!'. 

It's creamy, decadent, raw, vegan, gluten and dairy free and basically all the good things you want in a healthy dessert. Give it a go and show that poor, clueless Gary in your life what he's missing!   

Lemon and Ginger Raw Cheesecake Slice

This cheesecake is a bit of an homage to my lovely mother (aka. 'Love Chunks', aka 'Mother Bean' etc.). Lemon and ginger are two of her favourite flavours and being the conniving little scamp that I am I decided to use this to my advantage in my life quest to 'hippify' her.

Throw a bunch of ginger and lemon into a sweet and creamy filling, spoon it onto a crispy but also chewy base (also dusted with ginger) and let the magic happen... mwahahaha how could she resist?!

I am actually also a huge fan of lemon and ginger, especially in the summer where the flavours and a bit lighter and more refreshing than something like chocolate. This slice is very rich given the high nut/fat content but it is also sweet, tart and refreshing - the perfect snack for a summer afternoon! 

Give it a go and let me know what you think!

Lemon and Ginger Cheesecake Slice

Makes between 12-16 serves

For the Base:

1 1/4 cup oats
1 cup desiccated coconut
1 cup pitted dates
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 buckwheat grouts
1 tbsp coconut oil

For the Filling:

4 cups raw cashews, soaked overnight in water (don't discard the water!)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup maple syrup
zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 cm piece of ginger, peeled and finely grated
1/2 tsp mixed spice (optional)


To make the base simply throw all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until becomes combined and dough-like. Press into the base of a square 20cm tin lined with non-stick paper and refrigerate while you make the filling.

For the filling, wipe out your food processor and blend all the filling ingredients. If you think the mixture is to thick add a some of the cashew soaking water (or normal water if you forgot to save it...) until you get the right consistency. It should be thick and stick to you spoon but also loose enough to be spreadable. 

Pour over the top of the chilled base, smooth the top and refrigerate until set. 

Eat as it is or decorate with lemon rind, glace ginger, raw nuts or whatever else tickles your fancy! 

Beet and Bean Burgers

 

I'm not really sure why, but lately I have been having pretty intense cravings for burgers. 

Now I'm not really the kind of person who gets many food cravings, though if I physically see and smell something delicious you'd better believe it is taking all of my willpower to not take down who ever is in possession of said delicious item and cram it into my face hole. But the feeling usually passes pretty quickly and I am free to continue on with life.

Not so lately. For whatever reason my mind has become clouded with dreams of chunky patties, crisp lettuce and creamy sauce. I have been dreaming of rolling on the floor making burger angels as I laugh like a demented person. Whenever I enter a restaurant I quickly flick to the burgers/sandwiches section and by god there had better be a veggie burger on there or a whole storm of negative yelp reviews are going to be raining on that poor, unsuspecting establishment. 

Whatever the cause (hakuna your tatas Mum! it is most definitely not one of THOSE sorts of cravings!), when I found my self thinking "Oh, that Krabby Pattie looks pretty good..." I knew something had to be done.

Enter the Beet and Bean Burger.

If you look up vegan burger recipes you will find that many of these feature beetroots and some variety of beans and for good reason. Beans provide the perfect burger base, giving body and protein to the pattie which would usually be played by the role of Mr. meat. As well as giving it a kick-ass colour, beetroots provide a huge amount of moisture to keep that pattie succulent even while the outside is being crisped and just seems to add an earthiness and enhance all the other flavours you are adding in. 

I happened to stumble across this recipe from The Minimalist Baker  which sounded (and looked) ammmmazing so I decided to create my own version, changing up the flavours and adding a few extra bits and pieces. 

Let me tell you: my burger cravings = 100% satisfied!

So tasty and full of veggies, I served my pattie with the usual burger accompaniments - think wholegrain bun, fresh salad, creamy avocado and crispy potato chips! 

I would 100% recommend you give it a go and let me know what you think and if you have ever considered turning tricks to Mr. Krabs for a burger bite. 

Beet and Bean Burgers

(Makes about 6 patties)

1/2 zucchini, grated

1/2 raw beetroot, grated

1/4 cup corn

1 cup cooked quinoa

425g black beans, crushed with a masher or fork

1/2 brown onion, very finely chopped

1/2 cup kale, finely chopped

 1/4 cup almond meal (may need more or less depending on moisture)

 1 tsp ground cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

Thrown everything into a large mixing bowl and use your hands to mix and bring together until well combined. 

If you feel the mix is to wet to hold together add a little extra almond meal to soak up some of that excess liquid. 

Take large handfuls of the mixture and form into patties. Spread them over baking trays lined with non-stick paper and bake at 180 degrees Celsius for about 30 minutes or until crispy on the outside, very gently flipping at about the halfway mark (they are fragile and will break if you try an aggressive, pancake style flip so COOL YOUR JETS and be gentle!). 

Eat are they are, served with a salad or sitting atop a burger buns crammed with salad and topped with some creamy mashed avocado (plus crispy baked potato chips/fries because CARBS).

  

  

The Big JO! (a.k.a Jaime Oliver's Moorish Crunch Salad)

I had several great loves growing up...

Leonardo DiCaprio circa Romeo and Juliet  and Titanic was a big one! With that floppy 90's hair and looking down the camera like you just kicked his favourite puppy... swoon! 


As I got a little older we drifted apart (*I'm sorry Leo my love, can we still be friends?*) , my tender heart was eventually claimed by another. Like so many other girls (and lets be real, grown married women too!) at the time, I was seduced by the blue eyes, gelled hair and fennel fondling hands on Mr. Jamie Oliver.

Teen crushing aside, the man formerly know as the Naked Chef is still one of my favourite tv personalities to this day (and as someone who swings between total fangirling obsession to an audible snort of the nose and maybe a lazy 'meh...' in the space of a few months, this is kind of a big deal!).

And guess what all you fellow veggie loving, non-meat eaters?! He has a ton of vegetarian and vegan recipes on his website and posts a new one every week for Meat-Free Monday. #Legend. 

To be honest, I'm not really one for following recipes others have written. I will for sure take bits and pieces and inspiration, but it usually ends up being some Frankenstein of its original self as I stamp my own personal flavour on it. And by that I don't mean I go flicking drops of my sweat and tears into thing.

Don't be gross guys. I know your brand. 

Swiftly jumping back upon my train of thought, one sunny afternoon I decided to break my usual trend and actual follow one of the recipes I had found on jamieoliver.com - spoon for spoon, raisin for raisin! It was one of those rare, wonderful decisions I make from time to time.

This Moorish Crunch Salad delivers what it promises. Its crunchy, its moorish. Its what you would generally call a salad.

It even converted a recipe-phobe like me. Sometimes colouring within the lines and actually following a recipe can be a good thing, who would have though?! Give this one a go and let me know if you loved it as much as I did (or if the temptation grew to much and you threw half a pineapple and a handful of mustard seeds in there just because...).   

Recipe from jamieoliver.com

Moorish crunch salad

300 g carrots, peeled

150 g radishes 

2 crunchy eating apples

1 small handful raisins or sultanas

1 handful fresh parsley, roughly chopped

1 handful fresh mint, roughly chopped

4 tablespoons sherry or red wine vinegar

8 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon tahini

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted in the oven

Finely slice your carrots into matchstick-sized batons. 

Finely slice your radishes – you can leave a little of the tops on if you like. 

 
Quarter your apples, remove the cores and finely slice. 

Add all these to a bowl with the rest of the ingredients, apart from the sesame seeds. Toss together, carefully checking the seasoning, and serve with the sesame seeds sprinkled over the top. Eat straight away.

Vegan Hot Chocolate / Magic Milkshake

Maybe its a spin off of the whole introvert thing.

Perhaps a craving for relief from the usually scorching Australian sun.

Maybe I just enjoy a good knitted snood. 

Whatever the reason, I am without a doubt one of those 'winter people'. I enjoy comfy boots, scarves and beanies. I like curling up on the lounge in my trackies with a hot drink and a good book (or TV marathon if we're being honest, it just doesn't sound as Pintresty...). I even prefer battling the rain and wind-inverted umbrellas over the uncomfortable sweating and sunburn I get just from thinking about stepping into the actual sunlight.


 

And what goes hand in hand with winter and cold nights? Why the classic hot chocolate of course! Rich, warm and comforting to fight of the chill, yet typically full of fat, sugar and a gluttony of dairy. Not so much my style. So, like many vegans and health bloggers before me, I decided to have a go at whipping up my own version!  Preferably one which wouldn't leave me feeling bloated, sluggish and just generally 'blah' (how I missed my calling as a wordsmith and/or poet I'll never know). 


Mission accomplished folks! 

Admittedly I was kind of lazy and really just thinned out a chocolate shake recipe and heated it up to see what would happen... and it was glorious! I may or may not have drunk half the mix before I got around to heating it up (hence why I added the 'magic milkshake' into the post title!) but I choose to see this as a testament to its chocolate deliciousness rather than my personal glutton issues.

The nuts and dates can be omitted if you want to keep the calories a little lower but they really do add a richness and added flavour so just keep that in mind, personally I think its worth the extra few km's on the treadmill! Other than that it is really just your favourite non-dairy milk, a little cacao and your preferred sweetener to tie it all together.

Grab your cup.

Grab a book/remote.

Grab a snuggle buddy/unwilling pet to small to escape your desperate clutches.

Enjoy the bliss! 
 

    

Vegan Hot Chocolate

 

1/3 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight if possible

7 pitted dates, soaked overnight if possible

2 tbsp cacao

2 tbsp maple syrup (or preferred sweetener)

2 cups nut milk (macadamia hey-oh!)

Blend it all together in a high powered blender and (if you can resist drinking it down cold!) heat over a low heat until warm and generally froth-inducing.

Serve as is, topped with an extra sprinkle of cacao or even dunk in some vegan marshmallows! 

 

Just Beet It!

Ahh beetroots... 

The perfect vehicle for puns (they will make you feel 'up-beet'!) full of the goodies your bodies craves like folic acide, fibre, calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron - what's not to love?!

There are a million and one ways to chow down on it; roasted, sauteed, steamed, raw and  even sliced into thin chips. Plus, as you have probably guessed by this stage, chopped and added to your favourite juice blend or smoothie! 

Naturally sweet yet also earthy and refreshing, just one beet in your smoothie will give you plenty of nutrients plus a super awesome colour! Get on it folks!   

Refreshing Beetroot Smoothie

1 small-med sized beetroot, roughly chopped

1 cup chopped pineapple

1/4 cup frozen blueberries

large handful of baby spinach

1 cup chilled water

handful of icecubes

Just blend everything up and enjoy! Clean and simple folks.