All posts by holisticwellnessforlife

Holistic Nutrition and Wellness Coach with a focus on food as medicine and life balance. My website is a reflection of the health journey l have been on and the importance that l place on achieving wellness in life. I am a Primal Blueprint Certified Expert and have a special interest in Paleo Nutrition and Primal Living. A clean eating diet and lifestyle where your health is at the centre of everyday decisions. I am sharing this passion and journey with like minded people who are empowering themselves with knowledge and challenging the traditional medical system and health model and who desire to contribute whole heartedly to their own wellbeing.
Recipes, Wellness

Sensational seed and nut bars!

Leave a comment

A delicious healthy snack bar that will add some sweetness to your day!

2014-08-01 21.15.52
Eat them straight from the freezer or pack them into the lunch box.

Having healthy snacks on hand is vital if you are going to avoid making poor food choices. Being on a restricted diet is hard enough without feeling hungry or as though you are missing out. These bars are healthy, sweet, paleo, gluten, dairy and processed sugar free. They are filled with natural goodness and are a favourite snack of mine. The recipe is flexible and you can change them to suit your own preferences such as leaving out the nuts, using different seeds or changing some of the quantities. All of the ingredients l use are organic and the nuts and larger seeds are activated which means l have soaked them in filtered water and sea salt for a day, rinsed them well and then dehydrated. This process helps to remove the anti-nutrients and support good digestion.

Ingredients:

1 cup activated organic sunflower seeds

1 cup activated organic pumpkin seeds

1 cup organic sesame seeds

1 cup black chia seeds

1 cup activated mixed nuts (e.g almond, walnut, and brazil)

A generous 1/2 cup organic shredded coconut

8 Medjool Dates seeded and chopped (roughly chop just to make it easier for the food processor)

A good 1/2 cup raw organic honey (use organic or regular honey if that is what you have)

A good 1/2 cup organic coconut oil

2014-07-10 12.39.26
These ingredients add a delicious flavour to the bars.

Place the nuts, seeds, shredded coconut and dates in the food processor and chop until roughly chopped. Gently warm the honey and coconut oil in a saucepan and pour into the food processor. Pulse until all there is a good consistency and all the nuts and seeds have been broken up.

2014-07-10 12.40.32
Be careful of the very sharp blade.

Have a tray ready which is lined with baking paper. Run your finger around the edge of the tray so there is a crease in the paper. Pour the ingredients onto a tray lined with baking paper. Now is a good time to have a taste test. The mix should be sweet and delicious.

2014-07-10 12.49.48
The mix is ready to be flattened.

Use a spatula to flatten the mix and make sure it is quite even across the whole tray and give special attention to the corners.

2014-05-24 10.49.41
Ready for the oven

I have tried a few different oven temperatures and times but basically you don’t want the oven too hot as you will burn the seeds and lose lots of nutrients, and you want to just cook it until the edges are going golden. I cooked mine today in a Fan Forced Convection Oven at 170 Degrees Celsius for 30 minutes. You will be able to check this after your first batch.

2014-05-24 11.21.01

Remove the tray from the oven and let cool until cold. Another option is when it is slightly cool to place it in the freezer for an hour whilst still on the tray. This is what l do now as l don’t like to wait.

2014-05-24 13.29.13
Remove from the freezer and cut.

Use the edges of the baking paper to carefully remove the bars as a whole from the tray and lay it on a flat bench. Cut the bars while still on the baking paper into whatever size suits you using a very sharp knife and wiping clean after cutting a row.  Another option is to use a pizza cutter and it helps to give it or the knife a wipe after each row. I think it is better to have the bars quite small as then you have more of a choice over serving size.

2014-05-24 13.31.59

Carefully lift each bar into the container for freezing unless you are going to eat them all fresh, but they are very nice eaten when they are just out of the freezer and such a handy snack to take to work or when you are out.

2014-05-24 13.45.14
Store in an airtight container in the freezer

The best part of the whole cooking experience is eating the crumbs. Scrape them off the baking paper and into a bowl. Enjoy! You could dip something into these crumbs such as a banana or use them as a topping.

2014-05-24 13.44.14
I love this part!

Something to be aware of when eating these bars is that the chia seeds can get stuck in your teeth. This is really a cosmetic issue, so it is best to do a quick tooth check after you have eaten them and you may need a tooth pick to remove them as they can be a bit stubborn.

2014-07-20 20.15.47

If you have enjoyed this post please share with a friend. You can follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Pinterest and Tumblr.

Wellness

Apple and cinnamon cake-A Paleo friendly recipe.

Leave a comment

Since l have adopted the Paleo diet this cake has become one of my favourite snacks, being gluten, dairy and processed sugar free.The mix of coconut, cinnamon and apple is really enticing and satisfying. The picture below shows that this cake is very versatile and you can make one cake or easily double the recipe so that one or two can go into the freezer.

2013-10-13 16.05.36
Such a delicious gluten and dairy free cake.
2013-11-04 16.41.38
I made a double recipe and used square tins.
2014-08-10 14.54.09
A doubled the recipe and made 3 smaller cakes.

A change in thinking:

Most cakes eaten in my life before adopting the Paleo diet had as ingredients butter/margarine, wheat flour, milk and white sugar. Thinking about ways to make a cake that tasted good not using those ingredients has been a challenge but also exciting. This recipe is so flexible and there are other variation on the website such as sweet potato/walnut, banana/coconut, beetroot/pumpkin and banana/coconut/lemon/poppy seed. All of these cakes are so nice and have the same basic ingredients with just a switch in the spice and fruit/vegetable added.

Ingredients:

2 green apples (diced finely or coursely, skin on/off)

2 cups almond meal

1/4 cup organic coconut flour (no need to sift, just squash the lumps))

6 free range eggs (600g or 5 eggs for 700g)

1/4 cup organic coconut oil

1/4 cup raw organic honey

1 teaspoon organic cinnamon

1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda (Bob’s Red Mill Aluminium free ).

Method:

2014-08-10 14.04.58
Both sets of ingredients just before mixing them together.

Chop up the apples into small pieces and it is personal preference as to how finely you dice the apples. It is your choice as to whether you leave the skin on or not. The skin will add additional fibre and nutrients, but often there is a wax on the skin which you don’t want to eat. Place the apple in a saucepan with the organic coconut oil and cinnamon and bring to a gentle boil then simmer until the apples are soft. The smell in your kitchen will be amazing. If your honey is solid because the weather is cold you can also add it into the saucepan to melt.

While the saucepan mix is cooling add all of the other ingredients into a bowl, then add the contents of the saucepan to the bowl and mix together gently.

2014-08-10 14.06.19
Everything in the one bowl.
2014-08-10 14.12.34
The mixture after a good stir with a spatula.

Place mixture in a greased and lined loaf tin or tins depending on whether you doubled the recipe. Sometimes l add flaked almonds to the top of the cake and this is a nice touch. Bake in a 180 degree celsius oven for approximately 40 minutes or until the middle of the cake is firm.

2014-08-10 14.12.51
I grease my tins with coconut oil and line with baking paper.
2014-08-10 14.15.55
I used three smaller tins with double the recipe here. Smooth the top of the mixture with the spatula before placing in the pre-heated oven.

You will know when the cakes are almost done as your house will be smelling amazing. Remove the cakes from the oven and cut around the edges with a knife to gently separate from the tin. Gently turn onto a cooling rack, remove the baking paper and flip over to cool. This is a good time to have a piece as it is so delicious when warm. I use a serrated knife to cut the cake and this works better than a regular sharp knife.

2014-08-10 15.07.59
The piece on the end is always the most popular as it is extra crunchy.

Hint:

When cool, l slice this cake into single portions, wrap in glad wrap and freeze. When l am working and pack a lunch l just pop a piece into my lunchbox. Now my husband has realised how delicious it is l make double batches every few weeks to keep up the supply.

2014-08-10 15.26.21
What a delightful cake!

If you have enjoyed this recipe please share it with a friend. Please also follow me on Instagram at holistic_paleo.

Wellness

Golden rissoles with a colourful mash

Leave a comment

A healthy twist on some old favourites in a recipe which is gluten, dairy and processed sugar-free. There are so many wonderful ingredients in this meal and the cooking methods of almost dry baking and steaming are very healthy and help to retain the nutrients in the food. I have used quinoa flakes in this recipe and if you are a strict Paleo follower you can leave them out, but l don’t mind having them now and again.

2014-08-09 18.40.29
There is so much goodness in this meal.

These golden rissoles were so crunchy and delicious. I made them early in the day and had them ready on the tray so that when dinner time came l just had to place them in the oven and steam the vegetables for the mash. I didn’t coat the rissoles in anything such as a flour before baking as is normally the custom and just drizzled a tiny amount of olive oil on them. They turned the most beautiful golden colour when cooked and had a delightful flavour from the spices, herbs, nuts, seeds and vegetables. The mixed vegetable mash is a new favourite of mine and had some crunch from the addition of pumpkin seeds and a lovely spicy taste as well.

Golden rissoles:

2014-08-09 14.22.56
The processed mixture should look like this. It sticks together well, but isn’t overly wet or dry.

Feel free to add or delete any ingredients that you don’t have as rissoles are very flexible in what can be used in the mix. You can also make them spicier or use more meat than l have depending on your tastes. This particular mixture was amazing in that it stuck together, and when cooking, the rissoles held their shape and didn’t split in half or have bits breaking off which is often the case with rissoles, especially ones that don’t have a lot of meat in them. The spices used in this recipe are all the dry ground versions and try to use organic versions if you have them. I also used activated almonds which are quite moist, and if you use raw almonds you may need to add another egg to compensate.

Place the following into the food processor (this mixture made 12 rissoles)

1 washed and roughly chopped free range chicken breast

1/4 teaspoon organic curry powder

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon ginger

A pinch of paprika

1/4 teaspoon pink rock salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 finely grated carrots

1/2 cup flat leaf parsley

1/4 cup quinoa flakes

1 tablespoon black chia seeds

2 free range eggs

2 spring onions roughly chopped (I don’t use the white parts)

1 cup of activated almonds.

2014-08-09 14.31.33
The mixture was just sticky on my hands, but l was able to roll each rissole easily.

Once the mixture is processed, form into small balls using your hands and flatten slightly as you place them on a tray lined with baking paper.

Drizzle a tiny amount of olive oil onto each rissole and cover the whole tray with Aluminium foil. I let mine set in the fridge for a few hours and this may have contributed to them staying in shape so well. Place in a pre-heated 200 degree celsius oven until the tops look golden, then turn over and give them a few more minutes.

2014-08-09 18.38.46
These will be amazing cold the next day.

Making the vegetable mash:

While the rissoles were in the oven cooking l steamed the vegetables for the mash. Into the steamer l placed roughly diced sweet potato (1 medium), beetroot (1/2 of one large or a whole small one) and carrots (2 medium carrots). Steam the vegetables until just done to preserve nutrients and them place into the food processor with a cup of activated pumpkin seeds, pink rock salt, black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon organic cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon organic curry powder (or similar). Process until it all looks blended but not smooth as this is a rustic mash with lots of texture.

2014-08-09 18.41.04
I served the meal with steamed brussel sprouts but you could have any vegetable on the side. The green is a nice contrast to the colours in the mash though.

This is a lovely family meal and l love it when there are left overs for the next day. I used to always think a mash had to be potato and then on the Paleo diet l switched to sweet potato mash, and now l just think the possibilities are endless and that l can have a rainbow of vegetable mash!

If you have enjoyed this post please share with a friend. You can now also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Flickr.

Wellness

Eat a fresh rainbow everyday!

Leave a comment
Better than medication
Let nutrition be the focus of our eating habits.

There are so many ways to add colour to your meals, but the best way is to include a variety of fresh fruit and vegetables in your daily diet. The health benefits of eating a diet filled with a rainbow of colours is well known, but as l have tried to incorporate more vegetables into every meal, l have discovered the joy of eating food that is a range of bright colours. Not only are the range of flavours so amazing, but eating fresh colourful food is exciting, motivating and makes me feel happy.

2014-08-05 08.02.34
A green pancake for breakfast. Paleo recipe, gluten, dairy and sugar free filled with loads of parsley, bok choy, spinach and kale. Topped with activated almonds, organic coconut flakes and organic maple syrup. Served with fresh avocado and a daily magnesium drink.
2014-07-31 08.09.14
Breakfast pancake topped with fresh fruit, activated walnuts, coconut flakes and organic maple syrup.

A food as Medicine approach underpins my nutritional motivation, and everything l eat has a purpose and a high nutritional value. Eating a rainbow of fresh, healthy food will ensure you are consuming healthy vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and fibre that will help you on your wellness journey.

2014-08-04 13.50.13
Lunch: A beautiful fresh raw salad.

If your daily rainbow consists of peas, carrots and corn then it is time for a change. Our taste buds can get a bit lazy and are a victim of our comfort zone just like the rest of our habits are. Trying new foods can be challenging and it can take a number of goes at eating a food, or preparing it in a variety of ways before we become accustomed to its taste, texture and how it feels in our mouth when eating. There is also the challenge of learning how to prepare new foods, but if you add one in at a time then it can be exciting and an adventure.

2014-08-05 11.46.15
Lunch: Spiced beetroot & vegetable cauliflower rice, with tuna, avocado, tomato and seeds.
2014-07-30 13.05.40
Lunch: Poached free range eggs & bacon with fresh avocado and carrot strips.

The first step after deciding you want more colour in your food is to buy a selection so it is available for you when preparing meals. If you need guidance, use a recipe that appeals to you as a starting point. I have found Instagram to be an amazing source of inspiration as l can visually see what other people are cooking and eating which helps my motivation to try new foods.

2014-08-05 16.55.28
Cold pressed green juice made from bok choy, celery, green apple, lime and ginger.
2014-07-27 16.00.00
Amazing red juice of beetroot, celery, pear, carrot & fresh ginger.

Take ownership of your food intake and start experimenting with new ingredients. It can be fun and rewarding to sit down to a meal that you have lovingly prepared for yourself and family, especially if it has an array of lovely stimulating colours that gets the family talking about what you have made.

2014-07-24 19.05.24
Dinner: Baked fish on a bed of beetroot noodles with a vegetable stir fry.
2014-07-09 19.31.21
Dessert: Banana, apple & mandarin ice-cream made with the cold pressed juicer and an avocado based chocolate mousse.

I try to make my meals interesting, flavoursome, paleo friendly and highly nutritious. It takes planning, thought, time, motivation and a strong commitment to staying on track when life inevitably throws a few challenges into the mix. I live in a busy household with a husband and three children who are mostly non-paleo. This is a major challenge for me and l am educating them, but this nutritional and lifestyle path that l am following is not without its challenges.

Top tips:

  • Take an interest in what you are eating. Help with the shopping and cooking and plan your meals.
  • Be prepared. Have a plentiful supply of fresh fruit and vegetables in the house.
  • Try to incorporate colour into every meal, ideally by using mostly vegetables and some fruit with a focus on raw or lightly cooked where possible.
  • Have a positive attitude to trying something new and do some research by looking at magazines, online or speak to a friend who inspires you. Better still, study Nutrition as l have done!
  • Take it slowly. Change is difficult and our old habits are comfortable and easy to fall back into when a challenge comes our way. Slowly form new habits and incorporate them into your daily life.
  • Have fun with it! Go to local markets and explore. Experiment in the kitchen with the fresh ingredients.
  • Have a good attitude. See it as a diet of abundance rather than a diet of deprivation.
  • Think of your short and long term goals and make every bite you take a nutritious one.
  • Eat because you are hungry! Cut out the emotional, social, bored or habitual eating.

Follow these tips and you will be on the road to a healthier you!

If you have enjoyed this post please share it with a friend. I post daily on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook with pictures of the food l prepare and eat, as well as a few wellness tips and healthy resources. Thank you Carolyn

Recipes, Wellness

Sesame snaps with poppy seeds and cinnamon

Leave a comment
2014-08-02 11.54.24
A lovely snack and easy to make!

A favourite snack that you can make at home! This is a twist on the popular sesame snap but the recipe is easily modified to have a more traditional flavour. The original recipe is from ‘The Merrymaker Sisters” website and l have modified it by adding in poppy seeds and cinnamon.

This is a very quick and easy snack to make and they can be kept in the freezer to add to lunch boxes.

Ingredients:

1 and 3/4 cups of organic sesame seeds

1 cup of organic almond meal

1/2 cup raw organic honey

1/4 cup organic coconut oil

2 tablespoons poppy seeds

1 generous teaspoon cinnamon

Note: If you want a traditional sesame snap leave the poppy seeds and cinnamon out and use 2 cups of sesame seeds. 

Method:

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Place half of the mixture onto a piece of baking paper and cover with another piece of baking paper. Roll out carefully to flatten.

2014-06-20 16.53.43
Gently roll the mixture so it is even.

Roll the mix to about 1/2 a centimetre. Remove the top paper and use a knife to straighten the edges and then re-roll. Do this for the other half of the mixture.

2014-08-01 20.51.53
Life the baking paper and flattened mixture onto the baking tray

Bake the sesame snaps in a 180 degree celsius oven for approximately 10 minutes or until golden.

2014-06-20 17.07.53
Golden cooked sesame snaps.

Let the sesame snaps cool for a short time and then lift off the tray by grabbing the edges of the baking paper. Place on a flat surface and using a sharp knife cut the edges off and then cut into rows and then smaller pieces.

2014-06-20 17.38.16
Use the edges to taste test your cooking.
2014-06-20 17.39.47
These are the plain sesame snaps. Once cooled they can easily be stored in the freezer and are a handy snack.

It is a good idea to make your own snacks if you can as this ensures that you know exactly what is in the food you are eating. There are no nasty additives, colours or flavours in these bars, and this is a great way to eat healthier.

I hope you enjoyed this recipe. I post daily on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter and the links are on the bottom of the website. Thank you Carolyn

Wellness

Cauliflower rice: A healthy alternative

Leave a comment

Cauliflower rice is a great alternative to real rice, and you will be amazed at how similar it looks and tastes.

2014-07-10 17.49.21
A beautiful fresh cauliflower.

Why would you want to eat cauliflower rice when you can eat actual rice!

Following the Paleo diet does mean that grains in general are excluded from the diet as they contain a nutritional profile that we are not genetically designed for which can wreak havoc on our digestive systems and overall health. For me the main reasons why cauliflower rice is a better choice than white or brown rice focus on: 1/Gut health -for those of us with issues such as a leaky gut, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, irritable bowel syndrome and food intolerances, 2/Nutrition-more readily available nutrients and no anti-nutrients, 3/Weight management-lower in kilojoules, 4/Balancing blood sugar levels-rice is a very concentrated form of carbohydrate.

Cauliflower is an amazingly nutritious vegetable that is low in fat and carbohydrates and has some wonderful vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin C and the B complex vitamins which can help to keep you healthy, protect against certain cancers, boost your immune system as well as lots of wonderful minerals such as manganese, copper, iron, calcium and potassium.

Cauliflower has a glycaemic index (GI) of just 15 making it a very low GI food which helps to slow down its digestion and maintain healthy blood sugar levels. The GI is from 1 to 100 and white rice is on the high end of the scale with a GI of 65 and brown rice slightly lower at 55. Rice, especially white rice is a high starch food and will break down and covert to glucose very quickly in the body causing blood sugar peaks unless it is used immediately as an energy source as for example in very active people. For everyone else this can be a problem as the body needs to deal with the influx of glucose into the bloodstream.

Brown rice has an outer casing of bran and husk which takes longer to break down but this can in itself cause problems in the digestive tract as the brown rice is hard to digest and irritating to the gut lining. The outer layer of the brown rice contains anti-nutrients called phytates and lectins which bind to minerals such as copper, zinc, iron, magnesium and calcium so that they are unable to be absorbed. This can therefore reduce the nutritional value of the brown rice and impact the absorption of other nutrients being consumed.

Cauliflower is also lower in kilojoules than rice, with one cup of cauliflower having just 104 kilojoules compared to one cup of cooked rice which has 804 kilojoules. Cauliflower is also much quicker to cook than rice, especially brown rice and is very versatile in how it can be used.

All of the reasons l have discussed are important to me as my health issues are centered around my gut health and issues regarding malabsorption of nutrients. Cauliflower rice is a good choice for me as a healing diet is one which enhances health and wellbeing and over the past two years l have slowly been adapting my diet to support my wellness goals. I take a lot of nutritional supplements daily as well which are very costly and l do not want to be eating any foods which would impact the absorption of these vital nutrients.

How to make cauliflower rice!

My favourite way to make cauliflower rice is to cut the fresh cauliflower into smallish pieces and then blend it in the food processor.

2014-06-25 18.38.33
Wash the raw cauliflower and cut it into pieces that will fit into the food processor.
2014-06-25 18.39.10
Process the cauliflower until it resembles rice and is an even consistency. The rice is now ready to use in your favourite dishes.

The cauliflower rice can now be added to a pan and lightly cooked such as in a stir fry.

2014-07-10 18.27.59
Place fresh vegetables into the pan with the cauliflower rice. The whole dish will be ready in minutes.

The cauliflower will soak up any spices that are added and change colour.

2014-07-10 18.30.55
Add spices to the pan such as cumin and tumeric and watch the rice change colour.

Another method is to steam the cauliflower pieces first and them process them in the food processor and then you can have it plain or just give it a quick cook in the pan with the fresh ingredients.

2014-07-10 17.52.06
The cauliflower is in the steamer. It can also be mashed with a fork using this method if you don’t have a food processor.

Some lovely colours can be created with the cauliflower as it soaks up the juices and spices. Below is a dish l cooked with the first photo showing the raw ingredients and then the development of the colour once the dish is cooked in the second photo.

2014-07-14 19.12.16
The uncooked cauliflower with the raw vegetables including beetroot

 

2014-07-14 19.11.50
A beautiful colour has developed from the combination of the tumeric and beetroot.

Sometimes the cost of cauliflowers can be quite high but when in season this cruciferous vegetable can be purchased very cheaply which is a good time to experiment with this dish. It is very easy to use a whole cauliflower if you are making enough for the family, or if you want to take some for lunch the next day. The smell of just cooked cauliflower is so delicious, and this is especially true when steaming it. I hope that you give the cauliflower rice a try and think about whether rice as a staple food in your life is a good idea, or that maybe it is a sometimes food and best eaten with lots of healthy vegetables as part of a balanced meal.

If you have enjoyed this post please share with a friend. I am on Instagram at holistic_paleo and Twitter at Holistic Paleo@carolynlgray

Recipes, Wellness

Chocolate, coconut and strawberry balls (Paleo recipe)

1 Comment

A raw frozen treat free of gluten, dairy and processed sugar. 

2014-07-17 17.17.35
Morning snack: fresh strawberries, raw organic dark chocolate and the frozen chocolate, coconut and strawberry balls.

These little balls of sweetness are a delightful raw frozen treat to have at any time of the day and the combination of chocolate, fresh strawberries and coconut is very nice. They are quite soft at room temperature which is why they are best eaten frozen, but if a firmer ball is desired the avocado can be left out.

Ingredients:

2014-04-12 12.54.53
Fresh strawberries!
2014-07-02 16.13.22
I actually used fresh coconut, but shredded coconut is excellent.

8 medjool dates (seeded)

1 dessert spoon organic raw cacao

3 tablespoons organic coconut oil

2 cups of mixed raw nuts (I used brazil and walnuts)

8 fresh strawberries (washed and the green top removed).

2 tablespoons black chia seeds

1/2 cup organic shredded coconut (plus a bit extra for rolling the balls in)

1 small avocado (optional)

Instructions for making the balls:

Place all of the ingredients in the food processor and mix until well blended.

2014-07-02 15.57.56
Place all of the ingredients in the food processor and blend.

Use a spoon to form balls of mix and roll in the extra shredded coconut.

2014-07-02 16.07.47
Roll the balls in the extra coconut.

Place the balls in a container and place in the freezer.

2014-07-02 19.00.03
Serve the balls with some fresh strawberries.

As these balls are raw they are really quick to make and filled with wonderful nutrients. Store the balls in an airtight container in the freezer and grab one when you need a healthy snack.

If you have enjoyed this post please share it with a friend.

Recipes, Wellness

Beetroot and pumpkin cake (gluten and dairy free)

Leave a comment

The smell of a cake baking in the oven is really lovely and the anticipation builds as the cake is almost cooked. This recipe has a lovely combination of fresh beetroot and pumpkin in a paleo friendly, gluten and dairy free recipe.

An afternoon delight!

Ingredients:

2014-07-13 13.27.57
Fresh beetroot and pumpkin

Fresh beetroot and pumpkin as shown in the picture. I used one medium sized beetroot. Grate them in the food processor using a fine grating disk or hand grate if you don’t have a food processor.

1/4 cup coconut flour

2 cups almond meal

6 free range eggs

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda

1/4 cup organic coconut oil (gently melted)

1/4 cup (generous) raw organic honey (gently melted)

Place all of the ingredients into a bowl and mix well. 

2014-07-13 14.24.36
Mix the ingredients well ensuring there are no clumps of beetroot or pumpkin.

Place the mix into a greased and lined loaf dish.

2014-07-13 14.28.00
Use a spatula to ensure the top is smooth and even.

Decorate with pumpkin seeds.

2014-07-13 14.30.32
The pumpkin seeds add a lovely crunch to the top of the cake.

Bake in a pre-heated 180 degree celsius oven until well done. It is quite a heavy cake so will have a very golden brown appearance when cooked. Remove from the baking dish and let cool on a cooling rack. Slice and eat. Freeze any leftovers for the lunch box.

2014-07-13 15.47.35
A lovely moist cake with an interesting sweet flavour!

If you have enjoyed this post please share with a friend. Thankyou Carolyn

Instagram: holistic_paleo and Twitter: Holistic Paleo@carolynlgray

Recipes, Wellness

Raw lime and cinnamon bars

Leave a comment

My first raw bar and the flavours are lovely!

2014-07-11 11.02.40
A perfect snack!

The lime and cinnamon infuse through the bars which are firm, wholesome and delicious. I eat these straight from the freezer and they are a real treat.

2014-07-10 14.40.14
You will be able to stock up the freezer and pack these in the lunch box.

Ingredients:

2 cups of nuts (I used raw activated walnuts and brazil nuts)

2 cups of seeds (I used 1/2 cup each of pepitas, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and chia seeds)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

10 medjool dates that have been deseeded and soaked in warm water for 15 minutes then drained

The juice and zest of one large or two small limes.

1/2 cup raw organic honey (slightly warmed)

1/2 cup organic coconut oil (gently melted)

Extra pepitas to put on top of the mixture 

2014-07-10 13.13.06
Everything goes into the food processor.

Place everything into the food processor and pulse to the desired consistency. The soft dates, coconut oil and honey should be blended in well and the nuts broken into small pieces.

2014-07-10 13.21.37
Everything is blended well.

Press the mix into a baking dish lined with baking paper. Mine was approximately 22cm and was a glass dish. Use the spare pumpkin seeds (pepitas) to decorate the top of the mix.

2014-07-10 13.32.58
Push the pumpkin seeds into the top of the mix to decorate.

Place the mixture into the freezer for about an hour.

2014-07-10 14.36.55
This is the fun part!

Lift the slab out of the dish by grabbing the edges of the baking paper. Using a sharp knife cut the mix into long bars and then squares. After you have had a taste test, place the rest of the bars into a container and store in the freezer.

2014-07-10 14.43.14
Ready for the freezer

I have found that the lovely lime flavour is enhanced over time, and the bars l have eaten from the freezer have had a very enticing hint of lime, which reminds me of the feeling l get when l am drinking a beautiful herbal tea.

If you have enjoyed this post please share with a friend. Thankyou carolyn

You can follow me on Instagram: holistic_paleo and Twitter; holistic paleo@carolynlgray

Recipes, Wellness

Having fun with your smoothies!

Leave a comment

I have been experimenting with my smoothies lately and it has been great fun. I am alternating the smoothies with juices and love how the flavours change with the addition of a different ingredient and am amazed at the colours that can be produced from using fruits such as berries or vegetables like Bok Choy. I like to use the fruits and vegetables which are in season and l only add filtered water to my smoothies as l don’t drink any kind of milk.

2014-06-14 17.21.59
Colourful, delicious and nutritious.

I have been layering my smoothies to make them look more attractive and experimenting with different ingredient combinations. The smoothie above has three layers that l mixed around with the straw. The red layer is frozen raspberries and water, the green layer is cos lettuce, pineapple, green apple, banana, black chia seeds and water. The yellow layer is cantelope and mandarin. All of the layers were really nice.

2014-06-07 15.28.40
Love the colour!

The ingredients in this one are spinach, cos lettuce, pineapple, banana, green apple, black chia seeds, mint and filtered water.

2014-07-08 15.52.12
A fun looking smoothie!

This smoothie needed to be mixed to drink, but the layers added some fun to it. The green layer is cos lettuce, spinach, mint, green apple and water, while the yellow layer is mandarin, black chia seeds and water.

An interesting smoothie!
I love the layers!

This smoothie was so much fun to make and l had to mix this one to drink it also. The green layer is cos lettuce, green apple, mint and water. The yellow layer is orange, banana, chia seeds and water, and the top layer is cherries, raspberries and water.

2014-07-10 11.45.19
Both the colours had an amazing flavour.

I made this smoothie today and it was a joy to drink as both of the colour combinations had a divine flavour. The green half is cos lettuce, green apple, parsley, banana and water. The red half is blueberries, blackberries, pineapple, black chia seeds and water.

Have some fun with your smoothies and experiment with different flavours. Add in fresh ginger, herbs from the garden, lemons and limes. They are filled with so many nutrients and lots of fibre. Try to have a mix of green vegetables and fruit so the sugar load isn’t so great and just one glass is a good amount. Enjoy!

I am on Instagram at holistic_paleo and Twitter at Holistic Paleo@carolynlgray

Wellness

Orange and poppy seed cake with whole oranges (gluten and dairyfree)

Leave a comment

This is a lovely moist cake which uses whole oranges to give it a beautiful flavour and texture. I don’t normally cook with stevia but l had some in the cupboard and thought it would add a nice sweetness to the cake and used it in conjunction with Rice Malt Syrup which worked well.

2014-07-06 14.04.51
A moist and lovely cake-gluten free/dairy free

This recipe makes 12 cupcakes and 1 cake so it could be halved if desired. To make this cake all of the wet ingredients plus a few extras are placed in one bowl and the dry ones in another.

2014-07-06 09.29.10
The wet ingredients plus the poppy seeds

Ingredients:

Place these ingredients into one bowl and mix together.

2 whole Navel oranges chopped and blended-skin left on (Navel oranges are so sweet. Just chop them into smallish pieces and place into the blender until a smooth consistency).

3/4 cup filtered water

4 free range eggs

1/2 cup stevia granules

1/2 cup organic coconut oil gently melted

1/3 cup poppy seeds (more or less depending on your preference)

1/3 cup rice malt syrup

1/2 teaspoon organic vanilla essence

In another bowl mix:

2 cups almond meal

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/2 teaspoon Bicarbonate Soda (Bob’s Red Mill)

 

Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix gently. If making cupcakes place spoonfuls into patty pans as below.

2014-07-06 09.35.40
Ready for the oven!

If making a cake pour half the mix into a greased and lined cake tin. Bake both in a 180 degree celsius oven until firm to touch. The cake will take quite a lot longer than the cup cakes.

2014-07-06 10.07.50
A cute cupcake display. Add some orange pieces to compliment the cupcakes.

Let the cake cool in the tin for a few minutes and then place on a cake cooling rack. I drizzled the cake with some fresh orange juice and topped with sliced orange. I admit to having a cupcake and a piece of cake and my preference is for the cake as the extra juice and orange slice really added to the flavour.

2014-07-06 11.01.10
Drizzle the cake with fresh orange juice and freshly sliced Navel orange.

This is a delightful cake and the flavour turned out really delicious and it is a wonderful treat for those of us living on restricted diets.

If you enjoyed this post please share with a friend. You can follow me on:

Facebook: holistic wellness for life

Twitter: holistic paleo @carolynlgray

Instagram: holistic_paleo

Recipes, Wellness

Chocolate mousse extreme!

Leave a comment

   Oh, what a decadent treat this is! Except it is made from all healthy ingredients!

2014-07-03 07.46.49
Strawberries and chocolate. What a combination!

This mouse will last a few days and is better after it has set, although a taste as soon as it is made is definitely advised as it is so delicious! This recipe is taken from the latest edition of ‘Wellbeing’ magazine but mine looks a lot darker and richer probably because l added a bit more raw cacao.

In the top picture l used the mousse to top a chocolate tart (see recipe in dessert section) and added in a chocolate ball also (see recipe section). The strawberries add so much colour to the dish and l topped it all with some finely sliced Loving Earth Organic Raw Chocolate.

2014-07-04 08.48.01
Chocolate and berry pancake.

In this picture l added the mousse to my morning berry pancake which was made using Buckwheat & Coconut flours, eggs, water, chia seeds and berries.

The ingredients for the Mousse are:

2 ripe avocados, peeled and stone removed

40g raw organic cacao powder (I used a generous tablespoon as l couldn’t wait to measure it)

2 tablespoons raw organic honey

85g medjool dates, pitted & soaked in warm water for 20 minutes, then drained (I couldn’t wait the 20 minutes as l was desperate to taste the mousse, so l just used the pitted dates without soaking and draining).

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 vanilla pod, split lengthways & seeds scraped (I used organic vanilla essence-1/2 a teaspoon)

Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. That’s it. Now taste test!

2014-07-02 16.54.36
Pure chocolate mousse!

I have called this chocolate mousse extreme because for me this is an extreme taste sensation and indulgence. Living with food intolerances, sensitivities and a limited diet is a daily challenge and a dish like this can brighten up my whole world.

If you have enjoyed this post please share with a friend. I am on Twitter at Holistic Paleo@carolynlgray and Instagram @Holistic_Paleo. Thanks Carolyn