Coconut Moons

PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES    SERVES: 8

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I love serving these 'moons' for a simple dessert at a dinner party or at a picnic. Kids and teens love them too and you can breathe easily knowing they are a healthy sweet fix; the fibre from the dates and unsweetened coconut plus the protein from the nuts will slow down the absorption of the fructose = less mood swings and naughty kid behaviour! 

NUTRITIONAL BITES

Brazil nuts are a rich source of selenium and according to Harvard Health publications, this mineral plays a role in the prevention of prostate cancer. 

Medjool dates are high in dietary fibre which helps to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol - especially important for heart health

INGREDIENTS

1 cup of Brazil nuts  
1 1/4 cups of unsweetened shredded coconut plus extra for the topping
8 Medjool dates
Zest and juice of one lemon 
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Pinch of Celtic sea salt

LET'S COOK!

1. Put all the ingredients into a food processor (not a blender) and grind up until a rough ball of dough has formed

2. Pinch the dough making sure it sticks together in your fingers and If it is too dry and falls apart, simply water a teaspoon at a time until it sticks together. If it is too wet, just add more shredded coconut, a teaspoon at a time

3. Scrap the dough out of the blender onto a clean surface and tear off about a tablespoon amount and roll into a moon shape

4. Finally, roll each moon around in the extra shredded coconut and then find a pretty bowl to display your lovely coconut moons on

One-Bite Wonders! Chocolate Orange Truffles

PREP TIME: 25 MINUTES     SERVES: 6 (2/3 truffles each) 

These decadent chocolate truffles are a quick treat to whip up for your family, friends and 'pop'-in guests over the holiday season. I always make a double batch because the first batch doesn’t make it out of the kitchen…!

NUTRITIONAL BITES

Cacao, a prized food of the early Mayan empire, is an unprocessed form of chocolate and one of the richest sources of antioxidant foods in the world. Happily for us it is an excellent source of magnesium, helping relax sore muscles and frayed nerves over the hectic holiday season!

INGREDIENTS

15 Medjool dates
1½ cups raw walnut pieces
¾ cup cacao powder
1½ tablespoons honey
Rind of orange
1 -3 teaspoons orange juice, depending on moisture level and for a festive treat, add a splash of brandy but cut back on the orange juice! 
Pinch of sea salt

LET'S Mix!

1. Take the pits out of the dates making sure you have removed one pit for each date - sounds silly I know, but it can really wreck one's food processor blade!

2. Toss the pits in the bin

3. Place walnuts in a food processor and grind for several seconds until it has formed a coarse powder

4. Add the pitted dates, cacao powder, honey, orange rind and salt to the processor and process until the mixture comes together into a moist dough

5. Add the orange juice, one teaspoon at a time, until you can ‘pinch’ the dough in your fingers and it sticks together

6. Fill a small bowl with warm water and put on one the side

7. With clean hands, use your fingers to take about a small walnut size piece out of the processor and put in the palm of your hand.

8. Now roll your palms together to form a ball, continuing to wet your palms as they become sticky

9. Place each ball on a tray and chill before serving (Warning: They may not make it past the fridge)

Happy Bars!

PREP TIME: 20 minutes     COOLING TIME: 1-2 hours

These bar are full of amazing antioxidant and plant protein ingredients for beastly power and strength!  In addition to being nut-free (great for lunch boxes, camps and sports events), they are also dairy-free, refined sugar-free and gluten-free. Now that's GOT to make you happy! 

Nutritional Bites

Eating oats, seeds and dried fruit will increase fibre consumption which may help with blood sugar control since fibre helps to slow down our body's metabolism of carbs and the absorption of sugar. 

Ingredients

Sauce
½ cup coconut oil
½ cup brown rice syrup
½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
¼ teaspoon Celtic sea salt

Dry ingredients
2 cups rolled oats
½ cup pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon hemp seeds
1 tablespoon either flax OR chia seeds (whole, not ground)
1 cup total of dried fruit such as apricots, figs, raisins, dates - cut into small bit-size pieces
1/3 cup goji berries
1/3 cup bittersweet cacao nibs or dairy free, nut free chocolate chips (I love Camino brand)
1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Let’s Prep!

1. Line a square baking dish (8x8") with parchment paper (preferably unbleached and chlorine-free).

2. In a small pan on very low heat, gently melt together the 'sauce' - the coconut oil, brown rice syrup, cinnamon powder and salt, then turn off the heat - we want to keep this bar raw!

3. Meanwhile in a large bowl add the oats, pumpkin, hemp and flax (or chia) seeds, chopped fruit, goji berries and shredded coconut.

4. Pour the sauce onto the dry ingredients, mixing it up well so everything gets a good coating.

5. Lastly, add the chocolate chips - they will start to melt. If you would like them to remain whole, cool the mixture for 15 minutes before adding the chocolate chips.

6. Spoon the mixture onto the parchment paper and press down REALLY HARD with the back of a clean large spoon or spatula to make an even condensed layer – about ½“ thick. BRIT BEET TIP: I like to fold the edges of the parchment paper back over the mixture to create a clean edge.

7. Then using clean hands, press down firmly with your palms, making sure you press down all around the edge. This step is VIP as it helps ‘hold’ the bars together.

8. If you need the bars in a hurry, slide the dish into the freezer for 30 minutes otherwise place them in the fridge for 1-2 hours to cool down and firm-up

9. Once set, remove and cut the bars into the size you want to dig your teeth into!

5 Star Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

5 Star Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

PREP TIME: 25 minutes     COOK TIME:  50 minutes to 1 hour

NUTRITIONAL BITES

Buckwheat, commonly thought of as a grain, is in fact a fruit seed, closely related to rhubarb. It contains nutritious components that protect against disease by extending the action of vitamin C and by acting as an antioxidant. 

It took me a long time to tweak this recipe – I wanted a truly tasty banana bread with healthy fats, no refined sugar, dairy and gluten free. I usually double up this recipe and freeze one for later as it’s very popular! A good tip is to use up all your overripe bananas; I put my overripe bananas in the freezer and pull them out a few hours before starting to bake so they come up to room temperature. 

Wet ingredients

½ cup coconut sugar  
¾ cup coconut oil
5 large bananas
3 organic egg

Dry ingredients

3/4 cup each of buckwheat flour and brown rice flour (1.5 cups in total)
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup good dairy-free quality chocolate chips (I like ‘Camino’ brand)

 LET'S COOK!

1. Set the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf tin with coconut oil, or use unbleached parchment paper to line the tin, I find this makes it easier to lift out!

2. In the food processor, mix together all the wet ingredients well, then add the dry ingredients in (I never bother to sieve the baking soda and flour together before I add it and it comes out perfectly fine).

3. Pulse to combine – don’t over mix at this point

4. Cook for 50-1 hour in the middle of the oven or until a skewer comes out clean. (Note: it can take up to one hour and 15 minutes to cook, especially if you were using frozen bananas that have not fully defrosted!)

5. Leave it to cool down on a wire rack before taking it out of the loaf time. Be ready for the hordes!

Sweet Maple Cashew Cream

PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES   BLEND TIME: 3 MINUTES   SERVES 6 as a side 

Nutritional Bites

Cashews are a wonderful choice for our heart health as they are low in unsaturated fat.

Although maple syrup is a natural sweetener and should only be eaten sparingly, it is high in the minerals zinc and manganese that support our immune system, so there are minor health benefits to cheer about!

Ingredients

I cup soaked organic raw cashews (soak for about 4 hrs or overnight, drain and rinse before using)
1 - 2 tablespoons of water or almond milk
2 teaspoons maple syrup or to taste
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon Celtic grey sea salt
Cinnamon to sprinkle like fairy dust on top!

Let's Blend

1. Drain and rinse the cashews and pop them into a blender or food processor.

2. Add just 1 tablespoon of water (or almond milk), plus all the other ingredients and blend together.

3. If you find the mixture is too stiff, add more water (or almond milk) - a tiny bit at a time until you reach the right consistency - you don't want to end up with a soup. It should be like double cream – sorry, that’s English cream – I mean, Canadian whipped cream! Taste it and see if it is sweet enough for you - maybe a tad more maple syrup? If not, you have just created your own sweet cashew cream! Sprinkle a little cinnamon on the top and then you’d better give yourself a helping before you hand it around, as there won’t be any left.