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GF, Vegan & Raw/ Healthy Eating/ Sweets

Sugar Free Raw Chocolate Brownie Bites

RAW-CHOCOLATE-BROWNIE-BITES

{A recipe from our Raw Foods Contributing Author, Teniel Moore.}

Oh how I love the combination of chocolate, nuts and peanut butter. To me, its like a match made in heaven, so this super fast brownie bite seemed the perfect thing to whip up when I was feeling like a quick sweet treat.

This slice is super rich and not meant to be overly sweet.  It is perfect for those wanting to cut back on sugar or who are on a candida diet.

If you love this combination as much as I do, I’m sure you are going to enjoy this one!

 

Sugar Free Raw Chocolate Brownie Bites

1/2 cup melted Organic Coconut Oil

1/4 cup Natural Peanut Butter (homemade is even better)

1/2 cup raw Cacao Powder

generous dash of  Himalayan Pink Salt

3/4 cup  organic walnuts, slightly crushed, but still chunky

Stevia to taste – around 6 drops, but taste as you go

 

Mix all the ingredients together and press into a small slice container lined with wax paper.

Pop into the freezer for at least 30 minutes to an hour if you can wait that long.  Slice into small squares.

Option:  Replace the stevia with some coconut nectar to make a sweeter version.

 

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Raw Foods Contributor
GF, Vegan & Raw/ Healthy Eating/ Meals/ RECIPES

Asian Raw Noodles

ASIAN-RAW-NOODLES
{by Teniel Moore-Raw Foods Contributor}
I adore asian flavors, so I was so happy to come up my raw version of asian style noodle salad. This is a delicious and refreshing salad using kelp noodles as the base.
Salad Ingredients:
1 pack kelp noodles (see below)
1 zucchini spiralled
1 carrot spiralled (optional)
1/2 corn cob raw
1/4 red capsicum sliced finely
lots of fresh coriander/ cilantro stem and all chopped finely
red chilli for garnish
1 large spring onion sliced on an angle
crushed cashews for garnish
black sesame seeds for garnish
Sauce Ingredients:
1.5 tbsp of almond butter
 1 tbsp of miso soaked in a little water to make runny
1/2 large lime – this was a very juicy lime so you might need more
Stevia to taste  or coconut nectar to taste
1 small garlic clove minced
1 tsp of grated ginger minced
1 tbsp of water to make the sauce go further

 

Mix all these sauce ingredients together really well and pour all through noodles. Mixing well
with tongs to combine. Serve piled high on a nice serving plate.
Garnish with crushed cashews, black sesame seeds, cilantro and chilli slices & a wedge of lime.
Makes 2 generous servings

 

Spiralizer-raw-noodles
One of my favorite tools in my raw food kitchen is my spirooli.
The brand I use is Chef Avenue. This makes great noodles out of vegetables.
I used my spirooli to make the zucchini and carrot noodles for this recipe.
It makes eating veggies so much fun.
Raw-Veggie-Noodles_Collage
Kelp Noodles:
Kelp noodles are a wonderful ingredient. They really have no flavor so can be very versatile in raw food uncooking.
They are actually a sea vegetable in the form of a noodle. Made from only kelp, salt and water.
Kelp noodles do not need to be cooked.
My Tip:
Soak your kelp noodles in filtered water with the juice of a lemon for at least a couple of hours.
This is recommended as it helps make the noodles softer. Give it a go it really works.
Then drain well and they are ready to go.
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GF, Vegan & Raw/ Healthy Eating/ How-Tos/ RECIPES

DIY Coconut Butter

DIY-COCONUT-OIL

{by Teniel Moore-Raw Foods Contributor}
 
Who doesn’t love coconut butter? It Is rich, decadent & delicious.

Are you one of those people spending a fortune on gourmet brand coconut butter?  Then let me show you how you can save yourself a fortune and make your own in under a minute or so for under $4.00!
 
WHAT YOU NEED
 
All you are going to need is a high speed blender
3 cups of dried coconut (or more– this will make approximately 1 cup of coconut butter.)
 
HOW TO
 
~Pour at least 3 cups of dried coconut into your high speed blender
~Turn on and start blending. My vitamix blends it down in 30 sec on high speed. 
~Then turn it off for about 20 sec to rest and blend it again for another 30 sec.
DIY-COCONUT-BUTTER-3
Done! Its that easy. Depending on how good your blender is what will determine the time it takes to get the consistency you like. Make sure to give your blender a little rest in between if you feel like its struggling a bit.
 
Now you can pour your coconut butter into a cute little glass bottle and store in the fridge or in your cupboard depending on how hot it is at your place.

Or… you can do what I love to do and pour it into cute little chocolate moulds and keep them in the freezer. I eat them striaght from the freezer, just like a little white chocolate treat.

No guilt, all I’m eating is coconut. Delicious, good- for- you healthy fat. Remember, good-quality healthy fats are nothing to be afraid of. 
 
DIY-COCONUT-BUTTER-2
 
Coconut butter can be used to spread on toast or pancakes or add to your cooking. 

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GF, Vegan & Raw/ Sweets

Carob Almond Joys

{by Teniel Moore-Raw Foods Contributor}

Looking for something a little sweet to go with your cup of tea? How about my Carob Almond Joys? These delicious balls are great for those looking to quit sugar. They are sugar free!

Did I mention they are super easy to make? 

So put the kettle on, because before you know it you will be devouring these with your cup of tea.



Carob Almond Joys

Ingredients

2 spoons*  raw carob powder

2 spoons*  almond butter (home made is best)
4 spoons* water
1 spoon* hemp seeds
1 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut + some extra for rolling
Generous squeeze of stevia (date paste would work well instead) 

In a bowl mix all ingredients well, roll into balls and roll in extra coconut. Store in the fridge or freezer.
Makes approximately 9 balls. Double the mix to make more.

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Brunch/ GF, Vegan & Raw/ HEALTH/ RECIPES

DIY Probiotic Coconut Yogurt

{by Teniel Moore-Raw Foods Contributor}

Who loves coconuts as much as I do?

They are so versatile, there is so much you can make with them, and they are so good for you.

Today I’m going to share with you my super easy, DIY coconut yogurt, that will have you asking yourself why you have not been making it yourself before this

Why make your own?

Well, why pay a fortune for some gourmet coconut yogurt in the shops when you can DIY?

Plus the fun bonus of making it & flavoring it, however, your heart desires.

This is a great substitute if you are on a dairy-free diet or perhaps you’re vegan. It is also great for some extra probiotics, without all the extra sugars the store bought ones contain. So let’s get started.

What you will need:

~ Sterile glass jar with lid (mason jar works well)

~ 2- 3 Thai young coconuts

~ 2 probiotic capsules

~ Some muscle for opening your coconut

~ High-speed blender

~ dehydrator (optional) this will speed up the process but is not necessary

Directions

~ Open up your young Thai coconuts, however, works best for you. I love to throw them down hard on our cement drive till they crack open. The kids always want to get involved in this part. Or you could be more civilized and use a clever to open them up. A little tip is to have a container handy so that you catch any coconut water that might run out as your cracking it open.

~ Drain all the coconut water out of the coconuts and set aside.

~ Scoop out all the coconut flesh (sometimes called coconut meat)

~ Place all of the coconut flesh from 2 – 3 coconuts into your high-speed blender along

   with 1/4 cup of the coconut water and the 2 probiotic capsules. Just break them open

   and pour them in.

~ I like my coconut yogurt thick so I only add 1/4 cup of the coconut water.  Start with that amount and add more if needed. If you are using 3 coconuts you might need to add a little more coconut water.

~ Blend until smooth thick & creamy

~ Pour your coconut mixture into a sterilised glass bottle with the lid on. Sit out on the counter in a warmish spot for at least 8 hours or overnight.   (If you have a dehydrator pop the glass jar with lid into the dehydrator ((taking out all the trays so it can fit in nicely))  This works like a charm on 100 degrees for 5 hours.)

~ You will know your coconut yogurt is ready as it will have that slight tart taste to it that yogurt has.

~ Keep in the fridge & add what ever flavourings your heart desires. I like to keep

   my plain.

 

Also, you can make your coconut yogurt savoury by adding things like chili sauce or garlic, lemon & dill. Like I always say ” your only limited by your imagination” so go for it.

I hope this has inspired you to try something new and get making your own dairy- free, sugar- free yogurt. Get the kids involved, they will love it

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GF, Vegan & Raw/ RECIPES/ Sides/ Sponsored

Grape Jelly Meat-Less Balls + Heinz Happy

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Heinz Ketchup for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

If you have been reading this blog long enough, you know I like to say “Makes Me Happy!”

You know what Makes Me Happy?  Heinz Ketchup.

Why?  Because they offer organic ketchup with no high-fructose corn syrup!

I make a lot of things homemade to avoid unhealthy ingredients, but I draw the line at having to make my own ketchup, and thanks to Heinz, I don’t have to!

Heinz ketchup put together a Heinz Super Bowl spot for this year’s game that is sure to make YOU happy.  I got to preview it and it made me chuckle.  It made me very happy to have a commercial that the whole family can enjoy.  You can Watch the Heinz Super Bowl spot  below, then tell me if it made you happy.

Heinz is also running a photo promotion where you can share a photo of you and your family showing off your love for Heinz.  It is called Show Us Your Heinz.  When I first read about this, I was reading too fast and thought it said “show us your hiney.”  That, too, made me chuckle.  Leave it to Heinz to make me happy that people are not showing us their bums.

On to this awesome recipe.

Lentil Meatless Balls

The happiness theme continues.  I was super happy to see a sauce made from just 3 ingredients. Ketchup (Heinz of course!) lemon juice, and grape jelly.

You can make this simple sauce and toss your favorite meatballs in it.  To make it even more simple for those Super Bowl Games & parties, you can buy frozen meatballs and just whip up the sauce.  Throw it all in a slow cooker and keep a jar of toothpicks nearby for guests to serve themselves.

I used the sauce with this great Lentil Meat-less Balls recipe.  They were delicious.  We didn’t miss the meat one bit!  A great little snack with a nice punch of plant protein–now THAT makes me happy!


Lentil Meat-Less Balls
2 Cups Cooked Lentils
2 Eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 Cup Ricotta (I used pureed cashews, add water until ricotta-like consistency)
1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese (I used nutritional yeast)
1 Large Garlic Clove, minced
1/2 tsp. Fennel Seed, crushed
2 Tbsp. Finely Chopped Fresh Parsley
Hefty pinch of Dried or Fresh Thyme
1 tsp. Each Sea Salt and Pepper
2/3 Cup Breadcrumbs (fresh or panko, preferably)

Sauce:
1 cup Heinz Organic ketchup
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup grape jelly ( look for jelly with no high-fructose corn syrup in it!)

Meat-less Balls:
In a food processor or high speed blender, pulverize the lentils into mush.

Add the rest of the ingredients except the breadcrumbs.  Mix well.
Add the breadcrumbs. Mix and let sit for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Check the lentil mix by rolling a 1″ round ball between your palms, it should hold together fairly well.  If it seems pretty wet and is falling apart, stir in another Tbsp. or two of breadcrumbs until the ball will stay together. (I had to add quite a bit more breadcrumbs)

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease well.  Roll the mix into balls and line them up on a baking sheet (they don’t need lots of space between, they won’t spread). If you like a bit more of a crust, brush them with  oil.

Bake on the middle rack for 15-20 minutes until the tops are golden brown, gently turning the balls over halfway through baking.  Remove to cool slightly.

Sauce:
Melt sauce ingredients in a pan, stirring constantly.  Pour over meatballs. Can keep it all warm in a slow cooker with toothpicks nearby for serving at parties!

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GF, Vegan & Raw/ Healthy Eating/ RECIPES/ Uncategorized

My Kitchen Staple – Sprouted Buckwheat

{crunchy sprouted cinnamon buckwheat with stevia in almond milk with a dollop of coconut yogurt.}

*post by our Contributing Raw Foods Author, Teniel Moore

I have a long list of food staples I have on hand every week to make my life easier.

~Chia seeds
~Coconut flour
~Almond milk
~Freshly washed veggies
~Pre packed green juice bags, one for every day of the week
~Goodie balls
~Raw chocolate

I could go on so I’ll stop there.

But the number one thing I make every week is sprouted crunchy buckwheat.

Why?
Because it’s so easy to sprout

Buckwheat is such a versatile seed. Yes that’ right its a seed, not made from wheat as the name suggests. 

~Its also gluten free.
~Its cheap to buy
~Its nutritious – a great source of easy-to-digest protein

What you will need:

Filtered water
Large bowl for soaking
Raw buckwheat 
Large strainer
Dehydrator – not essential but keeps it raw and makes them crunchy

How to:

First of all you will need to give your grains a really thorough rinse. You will see a pinkish slim as you rinse them well. You want to rinse until the water runs clear.

Now soak your grains in a large bowl filled with filtered water and cover. I do this overnight.

In the morning drain your grains and rinse really well and leave out to sit well drained in a large strainer or dehydrator mesh tray. Anything that allows water to strain through and breath will be fine. 

Then again at night rinse again and drain well. 

In the morning you will start to see the cutest little baby tails growing from your buckwheat. You can repeat the process another day if you like or else give a final rinse and your buckwheat is sprouted and ready to go.
{Pictured above is my buckwheat sprouting in a large mesh strainer. 
I got this strainer especially for sprouting buckwheat.}

Next Step:

You can store this raw sprouted buckwheat in the fridge for a few days just as is. Its great to make raw tabouli with or use as a sprinkle on salads. It is however soft.

If you want to make it crunchy which is how I love it, you will need a dehydrator or oven.

In your dehydrator, lay the buckwheat evenly over the sheets and dehydrate on 105 till crunchy. This will only take around 4 hours or so and this will keep it still raw.
If using the oven bake for a short time only. Keep an eye on it. It will burn and become very crunchy quite fast. This will not keep the sprouts raw but is handy if you don’t have a dehydrator. I’ve only used this method once. I prefer the dehydrator.

Allow to cool and store in a glass jar in your pantry indefinitely. My container is often left out on my kitchen counter because I use it so much.

To make buckwheat flour all you need to do is grind the crunchy buckwheat in a high speed blender. Easy right? 


 Images above are some of the great things ways I use sprouted buckwheat.


Buckwheat pancakes


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