Rhubarb & Raspberry Tart

Rhubarb is really in right now. Especially since it's winter here in Australia. So I made a rhubarb and raspberry tart to celebrate (healthy style of course!). Here's how I did it.

Ingredients - Makes one delicious tart

Base 1 ½ cup oatmeal ½ cup shredded coconut ½ cup almonds or macadamia nuts 3 tablespoons coconut oil (or 2 ½ tbsp. almond/macadamia/olive oil) 2 tablespoons maple syrup

Filling 5 stalks rhubarb (chopped) 1 cup frozen raspberries 1 large pear (chopped) 3 tablespoons honey/maple syrup/agave (or stevia equivalent for sugar-free diets) 2 tablespoons arrowroot 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping ¼ cup shredded coconut 2 tbsp. coconut sugar 2 tbsp. chopped walnuts

Method Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Using a food processor, lightly process the oatmeal, coconut, and nuts until the nuts are just broken. Add the oil and syrup and pulse until the mixture is combined enough to stick together. Press the mixture firmly into a tart tin using clean fingers. Place in a hot oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until slightly golden.Meanwhile, heat a saucepan on medium heat and add raspberries and chopped pear. Using a potato masher, squash the fruit to release juices. Stir in the syrup and vanilla until combined. Add the rhubarb and cook for approximately 10 minutes, stirring the contents to prevent it from burning. Once the rhubarb becomes soft and starts to disintegrate take off heat and add the arrowroot to thicken the mixture. Cool slightly.

Pour rhubarb mixture into tart base and spread evenly to cover pastry. Place in the oven and reduce heat to 180 degrees Celsius. Combine the ingredients for the topping and sprinkle over tart after 20 minutes of baking. Bake for another 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and eat warm with coconut ice cream. Heaven!!

This one was eaten with Greek yoghurt, crushed berries and honey, but the flavours in your mouth turn into a party when paired with some homemade or store-bought coconut ice-cream.

Are you licking your screen yet? Go and make it NOW! :)

Healthy Lemon Slice

I gave the classic lemon slice a make-over. No butter or sugar here...

Just old-fashioned deliciousness and amazing flavour. I can pretty much guarantee you won't want to make the old version again. Even my husband agreed this is as good as what his grandma used to make - and he is a connoisseur in desserts.

Ingredients:

Makes 9 small square slices
159 calories per slice (667 kilojoules)

Crust
Half a cup shredded coconut
Half a cup wholemeal spelt flour
2 Tablespoons melted coconut oil
1 Tablespoon honey

Filling
4 eggs
3 egg whites
One third (1/3) of a cup sweetener (honey/maple syrup) 
Juice and zest of 2 large lemons (or 3 small/medium)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2/3 cup wholemeal spelt flour

Method:

1. Preheat oven on 180 degrees.
2. Combine shredded coconut, flour, oil and honey in a blender until well mixed.
3. Press dough evenly into bottom of prepared baking pan (~20x15cm) and bake until light golden brown (10-15 min).
4. Whisk egg, egg white, and the honey-syrup mixture in a large bowl until blended. Grate zest and squeeze juice from lemon; add to egg mixture. Add baking powder and flour. Mix thoroughly.
5. Pour lemon mixture over cooled base. Bake until just set and edges are light brown (about 20 minutes). *be careful to overcook here as you will lose the gooeyness characteristic of a lemon slice
6. Cool and lightly dust with icing sugar using a mesh strainer. Slice into squares.

For an extra bit of fancy, you can combine ricotta with some maple syrup and lemon zest to serve on the side. Greek yoghurt would also be divine!

Go do yourself a favour and make a batch of these. Then hurry right back and come and tell me how you liked them. I will be a very happy girl.

Would you like more recipes like these?

Crunchy Choc Almond Butter Cups

I've been wanting to make these for sooooo long...and finally Easter seemed like the perfect opportunity!

These are so delicious and 100% satisfying - I devoured 2 or 3 the day I made them (...oops!).

What better way to enjoy chocolatey goodness on Easter than these little beauties!?

This is the perfect treat for when you feel like something naughty but don't want to be naughty...it is a wholesome treat you can enjoy (in moderation) without the guilt.

Ingredients: Half cup cacao powder Half cup coconut oil 2 tablespoons maple syrup or stevia equivalent 1 tbsp cacao nibs (optional - makes it crunchy!) Quarter (1/4) cup almond butter slivered almonds

Method: Combine the cacao powder, coconut oil, and syrup together in a bowl and stir vigorously until the mixture is thick but pourable. Pour the chocolate mixture into small cupcake moulds, only filling them halfway. Refridgerate. Once set, top with a small amount of almond butter. Add the cacao nibs to the remaining chocolate mixture and pour over each mould. Top with slivered almonds. Refridgerate until set. Take the chocolates out of the moulds and store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Yum yum!

I think these are my new favourite way to enjoy chocolate the healthy way!

What is your favourite healthy sweet treat?

Sprouted Buckwheat Granola

ooohhhhh granola...

...there's something about the crunch that makes you want to go back for more. And why wouldn't you? This one is super duper nutritious with loads of flavour!

 

Buckwheat is a wonderous little grain-like seed that is not related to wheat at all so its naturally gluten-free and wheat-free (yay for all our gluten intolerant friends)!

It is really high in fibre and has a low Glycaemic Index (GI) which means you have sustained energy throughout the day and you'll feel fuller for longer - great for weight loss or maintenance!

 

Ingredients: 2 cups buckwheat groats (soaked and sprouted) 2 bananas 1/4 of a cup chia seeds 2/3 of a cup almonds 2 tbs acai berry powder (optional) 2 tbs agave syrup 1/2 cup of shredded coconut 1/3 of a cup goji berries 1/2 cup macadamia nuts 1/4 cup sultanas

Method: Soak 2 cups buckwheat groats and let them do their magic by sprouting! There is a really helpful tutorial on how to sprout buckwheat here.

Next, combine the chia seeds, almonds and acai berry powder in a blender and blend to a fine consistency. Add the banana and agave syrup and blend until a paste is formed. If the mixture is too thick you can add a little water to make it thinner (you dont want the consistency to be too thin, but it needs to be thick enough to hold together when mixed with the buckwheat to form clusters when dried). Scoop mixture into a bowl and add sprouted buckwheat, shredded coconut and goji berries. Mix well.

 

Spread evenly onto an oven tray and dehydrate the mixture in a food dehydrator or in an oven (set at the lowest temperature) for around 8-10 hours or until the mixture is dry to touch. Let cool and add the macadamia nuts and sultanas. You're done!

 

You're set for breakfast for the next 2 weeks! Hooray!

 

These little clusters are of course delicious with some fruit and yoghurt for your morning food! A perfect start to the day.

 

How much do you want to dig into this? yummmm

 

What is your favourite morning food?

Tropical Dream Ice Cream

This is a dream in a bowl. A TROPICAL dream! From the taste you'd never think it is 100% goodness and dairy free. No added sugar. Low in fat.

         

When you eat this it takes you to your summer happy place. Mine is lounging in a hammock on a picture perfect beach in the maldives with my toes dipped in the luke-warm tropical water, colourful fish swimming by, gentle breeze...it is a holiday in the form of food. So why wouldn't you want to try this?

Tropical Dream Ice Cream Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 frozen mangoes (cut into small cubes) 4 ice cubes of frozen coconut milk 8 small fresh strawberries

Method:

Place the frozen mangoes and coconut milk into a heavy-duty blender and blend, blend, blend until you get the creamy consistency of ice cream. Depending on the type of blender you use, you may need to stop the blender and scrape the contents off the side of the blender and then start again. Once you reach the consistency of ice cream, scoop into a bowl and stir through the chopped-up strawberries. Tadaaaa....a tropical summer dream in a bowl!