Well I can't believe that the summer holidays are over and the kids are all back at school! It's not been much of a summer, although we have made the most of it! We are now the proud owners of an old classic VW Camper Van called Bruce and I just love him. Its so much fun, its like camping but all nice and cosy with a pull out cooker, a really comfy bed, an excellent cool box and loads of storage for all our stuff.
I have decided to extend my holidays until October to make the most of Bruce before the weather changes and the nights are shorter! I'm so good to myself!
We are going to a 3 day Festival in Inveraray at the beginning of September which I'm most excited about!
I'm also heading back to Wales to another Vegan Cooking Retreat run by my cool dude buddy Lee Watson of Peace & Parsnips fame, my favourite vegan cookery book!
So lots to look forward to and enjoy, lucky me!! 

I have a blessed life indeed.

So back to sharing some healthy recipes with you lovely people!

Another of my healthy obsessions is cookery books and the latest addition to my collection is; 

                               Veggie Desserts and Cakes by Kate Hackworthy

so for my first blog post in a while I thought I'd share a really simple recipe from her book.

I love veggies and eat shed loads of them so this book appealed to me big time!

I think we are all familiar with Carrot Cake, but this book takes the use of veggies in cakes to new levels! Parsnips, beetroot, cauliflower, kale, peas, sweet potatoes, aubergine, spinach, swede, and sweetcorn all get a mention!

I'm all for using sweet veggies in cakes but I'm yet to be convinced by cauliflower and kale!!

I once made a chocolate and cauliflower cake for the BBC Kitchen Cafe Programme which I was a guest on. The very smell of it was awful and was not improved  by the most luscious chocolate frosting. I couldn't even try it, the cauliflower smell was so strong and off putting! Maybe I just used a particularly strong cauliflower but I thought at the time that some things are just wrong and cauliflower and cake is one of them!! So needless to say I won't be trying that again!

On the plus side, there are many lovely recipes to try, so I thought I'd start  with these Beetroot Seedy Squares! I'm a big fan of beetroot and always have a few vacuum packs in the fridge.  
I adapted the recipe a bit, I used half the amount of beetroot and rolled them into balls instead of cutting them into squares. Beetroot although sweet has a strong earthy taste which can be overpowering and I didn't want to make a whole batch then discover that no one liked them! I can't stand waste so I played it safe and I'm delighted with the results.  These wee bites are a lovely colour so I decided not to roll them in seeds or coconut. I like them bare!! The beetroot flavour is very subtle and perfectly balanced by the sweetness of the dates. Mixed seeds, ( I used sunflower, pumpkin, sesame and linseeds ) add texture, loads of good fats, protein and minerals, oats contain soluble fibre and dates are just packed with everything a body needs!
So these wee nutrient dense power bites make a delicious healthy snack at any time of day or when you feel in need of an energy boost!
Also great for packed lunches and hungry kids!!
So overall verdict for these wee bites is a big thumbs up!  Next on my list are Pea and Mint Cupcakes, Sweet Potato and Pecan Blondies and Cucumber and Lemon Cake with Gin Icing!! I was sold at the Gin icing!! 

Kate also has a blog which is well worth checking out.

​So here is her recipe, slightly adapted...
BEETROOT BLISS BITES
Ingredients
Makes 25 wee bites

• 100g (2 small beets) cooked beetroot (I used vaccuum packed)
• 150g, 2/3 cup of pitted dates
• 150g, 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 215g, 1 1/2 cups, unsalted mixed seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, linseeds, chia, etc)
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Method

1.  Add the beetroot, dates, oats, vanilla extract, half the seeds and the coconut oil to a food processor and blend until well mixed. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides a couple of times to get it fully combined.
2.  Put the mixture into a large bowl and add the rest of the seeds, mixing well with a wooden spoon to evenly distribute the seeds.
3. Wet your hands and take spoonfuls of the mixture and roll into balls. You should get around 25 depending on how big you make them! 
4. I left mine bare but you could roll them in desiccated coconut, powdered seeds, sesame seeds or raw cacao powder.
5. Store them in the freezer and eat them at your leisure! They will keep for ages.
6. You could replace some of the seeds with nuts and some of the oats with coconut for a wee change.

​

Now that the weather is finally warming up and thoughts turn to long summer days filled with fragrant flowers, summer berries and al fresco meals, I'm craving delicious berries!
I'm very much a seasonal person and love the different foods that each season brings and for me raspberries, strawberries, blueberries and blackberries invoke lovely memories of warm summer days, eating delicious salads!

I made this jam at my Lighten Up for Spring Workshop and the ladies all loved it, especially when they found out how simple it is to make and how healthy it is, compared to shop bought jams, which are sometimes more sugar than fruit!

All berries are a great source of vitamins and antioxidants which protect us from oxidative damage & keep us looking young. 
Purple berries are particularly high in anthocyanidins, a group of flavanoids with many proven health benefits.
Blueberries contain the highest concentration of these and can protect against age related macular degeneration, protect the brain from oxidative damage, promote urinary tract health in a similar way to cranberries and improve digestion due to the soluble and insoluble fibre content.
That's pretty impressive and they taste delicious too!
Lidl were selling lovely blueberries last week for only 59p per pack so I bought loads of them, washed them all then froze them for adding to smoothies, making jam and jellies.
I quite often use frozen fruit, which is almost as healthy as fresh. Its generally frozen soon after picking preserving the vitamins and antioxidants.
I also bought Chia Seeds from Lidl for only £1.99. This is a great deal and its well worth stocking up at that price.
Chia seeds are tiny black seeds that pack a real punch in the nutrition department! They are really high in fibre, a great source of protein, omega 3, iron, calcium and magnesium They have the unique ability to absorb lots of water and form a gel so are very useful for making jam and keeping you feeling full. They really don't taste of anything so are ideal to sprinkle liberally on porridge, smoothies, salads, soups or desserts.

So back to the jam! It  only has 3 ingredients. Berries, chia seeds and sweetener of choice and it only takes 20 minutes!

A quick note, I used xylitol and rice syrup to sweeten my jam.
Xylitol is a pretty good sugar alternative with 40% less calories than sugar, and a lower GI making it useful for diabetics. It's actually a sugar alcohol and can have laxative effects so I only use it occasionally. It is also toxic to dogs so please don't feed it to your pets, unless you want to kill them!!
Maple syrup and brown rice syrup are my sweeteners of choice but as I said xylitol can be a useful alternative to sugar for occasional use. 
So here is the very simple recipe... enjoy...!

MAGICAL CHIA JAM
Ingredients
500g fresh or frozen berries
2 tablespoons chia seeds
3 or 4 tablespoons maple syrup, rice syrup or xylitol
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method
1. In a medium pan, combine the berries with 3 tablespoons sweetener and bring to a gentle simmer over a medium  heat, stirring frequently for 5 minutes.
2. Stir in the chia seeds and cook stirring frequently until the mixture thickens, around 15 minutes.
3.Once the jam has thickened a bit, remove it from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Add more sweetener to taste.
The jam will thicken more as it cools and will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for a few weeks.

I've been enjoying my magical jam on my morning porridge with homemade coconut kefir. Its just delicious!
Its also lovely on Coconut Scones, stirred into yoghurt or drizzled on pancakes or ice cream!

                   .....your health in your hands.....

I've been rather busy trying out new recipes. I had my lovely juicing buddies over for dinner with a few dietary restrictions between them,! Gluten, nuts, fish, lentils and beans to name a few! Considering I don't eat meat or dairy that presented a bit of a challenge! 
Anyway I put on a delicious tapas spread and for dessert I made these absolutely delicious, I'm talking SERIOUSLY OMG DELICIOUS totally raw caramel slice.without any nuts!

The original recipe was from the lovely folks over at Food Matters, which I adapted slightly!

They are extremely healthy and packed full of incredibly nutritious ingredients, including dates, tahini, maple syrup, raw cacao, coconut oil and buckwheat, my genius alternative to nuts!


Some of you may be unfamiliar with buckwheat which is a gluten free grain, containing all 8 essential amino acids.a great source of complete protein.  Its contains fibre, magnesium and high levels of rutin and quercetin, which strengthen the blood vessels, lower cholesterol and blood pressure and enhance the action of Vitamin C. 


The other ingredients are all nutritional superstars, which I have mentioned in various other posts so a quick summary will suffice!

• Dates are just fabulous and although deliciously sweet and fairly high in sugar they are also packed with fibre, protein, vitamins and antioxidants. Both fibre and protein slow the rate at which sugar is absorbed into the blood so has a much lower effect on your blood sugar levels, which is exactly what we are aiming for in the health stakes.

• Tahini is a fantastic source of calcium and magnesium and its alkaline so great for strong bones, a much better source than dairy! It also has fibre, protein and good fats. Its made from sesame seeds, another of my favourite ingredients.

• Raw Cacao is the best source of antioxidants on the planet and will boost your mood, provide you with magnesium, iron and a multitude of other nutritional goodies!

• Coconut Oil is antifungal, antiviral, antibacterial, immune boosting, metabolism boosting and supports every body system including your brain and digestion. Its a miracle in a jar, what more can I say.

You can use almonds instead of the buckwheat and just melt some dark chocolate with a tablespoon of coconut oil for the topping, if you don't have raw cacao. You can also use cocoa powder instead in the base but you lose all the associated health benefits and it won't be raw!

These keep really well in the freezer and are a fantastic treat when sugar cravings hit!

So without further ado here is the recipe.

​

RAW CARAMEL SLICE

Base
3/4 cup buckwheat or almonds
3/4 cup medjool or deglet noor dates (pitted)
1/4 cup raw cacao powder

Simply put all the ingredients into a food processor and blitz until well combined. When you pinch a piece it should stick together. If its not holding then add a teaspoon of warm water. Line a square baking tin with clingfilm, to make it easier to get out of the tin. Press the mixture evenly into the tin. A spoon dipped in hot water is a good way to smooth the base down.
Put it in the freezer.

Caramel
1 cup of medjool dates
1/2 cup coconut oil melted
4 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
good pinch of Himalyan sea salt

Process in a food processor until smooth and creamy. Pour over the base layer and put it back into the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes.

Top Layer 
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup of maple syrup
1/4 cup raw cacao

Put all the ingredients into a glass bowl  simmering  over a pan of boiling water and stir until melted and well combined. Pour over the caramel and put back in the freezer until set.
Cut into small squares and keep in a covered container in the freezer.
Remove 5 minutes before serving.

         

I've had a lovely week, it was my birthday and I was spoilt rotten with flowers, chocolate and Prosecco, three of my favourite things!
I have to admit the after effects of too much chocolate and wine are not great but sometimes worth it!  

So I thought I'd share one of my favourite healthy chocolate truffle recipes. These truffles are delicious, pretty much free of everything bad for you, incredibly quick and easy to make. In fact they are so delicious it's hard to believe they are packed full of healthy ingredients.
They are a perfect wee sweet treat to end a meal, and make a fabulous last minute Christmas gift for a health conscious friend.!

These truffles are vegan so dairy free, contain no saturated fat or added sugar.  All the sweetness comes from the dates and coconut, both natural ingredients with health benefits.

I love dates, they are deliciously sweet and although they are fairly high in sugar, they more than make up for it with the dazzling array of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre, supporting health on so many levels.
The walnuts and sunflower seeds add protein, fibre, minerals and omega 3 fats so these truffles can definitely be enjoyed guilt free!

Medjool dates are the king of dates and are sweet, caramelly and moist and are always my first choice. Deglet Nour Dates are also delicious. Lidl are selling them for £1 a bag just now and they are also pitted which saves you precious time!  It's well worth having a few bags on standby. Some of the dates are really quite dry and need to be soaked before you can use them and they are never sweet or sticky enough, don't buy them!
You really need a food processor to make these. The dates need to be blitzed to a paste, although I guess at a push you could use a hand blender. Dates are so sticky though you would have to do it in batches and blitz the nuts and seeds first. Always make sure there are no stones in your dates, that could wreck your processor. Another point to note, for those of you lucky enough to own a Vitamix, don't use it for dates! They are just too sticky and there was a horrible burning smell from mine when I tried it
You have been warned!
If you have any sweet superfood powders like lacuma or maca, you can add a spoonful to up the health benefits even more. Chia seeds are also a good addition!
These truffles are best kept in the fridge to firm them up. I'm not too sure how long they will keep, ours are always scoffed within a few days, but I guess they would be fine for a week or so!
 
Preparation: 30 minutes
Makes: 20  bite size truffles
 
Ingredients

• 240g  pitted dates, Medjool or Deglet Nour
• 4 tbsp cocoa powder plus more for coating the truffles
• 4 tbsp desiccated coconut
• 50g sunflower seeds (if you don't have sunflower seeds just double the quantity of nuts)
• 50g walnuts or any other kind of nuts

 
Method

1. Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until well mixed
2. Take spoonfuls of the mixture and shape into bite size balls.
3. Coat the balls in cocoa powder or desiccated coconut
4. Put in the fridge to firm up for an hour or so
5. And enjoy :)

.                         ......your health in your hands......