Pomegranate, Lime and Mint Fizz

December 15, 2017 · 1 Comment

Pomegranate, Lime and Mint Fizz

We got a Soda Stream last year for Christmas and it’s the best thing ever!

As we don’t drink alcohol anymore (too many health issues) and we are keeping our sugar intake low, sparkling mineral water with lots of ice and fresh lime makes us feel like we are having a bit of a special drink.

It’s also much more eco-friendly and economical to make your own mineral water at home, so there are wins all round.

I created this fizzy drink quite randomly – I had some pomegranate juice leftover from a recipe and I wondered what it would taste like mixed with some lime and mint. Ta da – it tastes delicious.

I love that it’s not sweet and sickly, but it is very refreshing and tangy. For those who want a bit of a kick, I reckon a dash of vodka would go more than alright.

I found an organic brand of pomegranate juice at Woolies – Nuris. It has not been reconstituted and it’s not too expensive. You could do fresh pommy juice too if you have a juicer.

This is what you do:

For each glass you are making add….

a generous portion of ice

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice (about half a small lime)

2 large mint leaves, finely shredded

4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) pomegranate juice

top up with sparkling mineral water (about 200mL)

If you want to be extra-fancy, you can muddle (bartender lingo for mashing with a wooden stick thingo) the lime wedge and mint in the bottom of the glass first.

You can also decorate with some lime wedges and mint sprigs. A reusable straw is also fun – my kids love using straws!

It’s such a festive drink and really quenches your thirst.

I hope you love it as much as we do!!

Get Soda Stream here >>

Quinoa and Pomegranate Salad

November 15, 2017 · 3 Comments

My parents came down for a visit a few months back and we tried out a cafe that had heaps of great reviews. The Golden Pig is in Newstead in Brisbane and if you get the chance to go, you won’t be disappointed! The food is sublime.

Mum and Dad has this yummy quinoa salad with some slow cooked lamb and we were blown away by the flavours. Of course we had to then try to recreate it when we got home. Sadly, it’s not quite as good as the original but it’s pretty close.

I have served the salad to a few visitors and they all really love it. I hope you do too.

Quinoa and Pomegranate Salad

Vital Stats: gluten free, grain free, dairy free, egg free, vegetarian, vegan, paleo

What you need:

5 cups cooked white quinoa

1 cup finely shredded baby spinach

4 finely chopped small green shallots

1/2 cup finely shredded parsley

1/2 cup finely shredded mint

1 large pomegranate, deseeded

1/2 cup roughly chopped pistachios

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup olive oil

2 crushed garlic cloves

salt and pepper to taste

How to do it:

Whisk up the lemon juice, oil, garlic, salt and pepper together or shake in a glass jar. Add to the rest of the ingredients and gently mix. I like to leave it to sit for a few hours in the fridge for the flavours to develop.

This salad will serve about eight to ten people as a side. We serve this with slow cooked, marinated lamb and a generous dollop of home-made hummus. Divine!

*Hot Tip

A lot of people tell me they hate quinoa!! You do need to give it a really good wash before you cook it as the outside of the grains have saponins which can be quite bitter. I soak it for a bit in some water and then rinse really well. I find adding a little salt to the cooking water also helps bring out the flavour.

This would make an awesome salad for the Christmas lunch menu! Find some more whole food Christmas recipes here.

Crio Mac… a chewy chocolate treat!

March 11, 2013 · 39 Comments

Crio Mac… a chewy chocolate treat!

We can’t stop eating this! It is seriously good. Chewy, chocolatey, nutty and healthy.

Heaven.

It’s a bit like those chewy caramel lollies in texture, but with a rich dark chocolate flavour and the crunch of the nuts. Drooooool!

Crio Bru has so many health benefits (as well as tasting amazing). The cocoa bean (also known as the cacao bean) is one of nature’s most amazing superfoods, offering high antioxidant value, mineral benefits and natural energy. If you don’t have any Crio Bru, you could try making it with water and cacao.

Research has shown that macadamias can help lower blood cholesterol levels,reduce the incidence of heart disease, are high in fibre and contain vitamins, minerals and protein essential in a healthy diet. Read more here.

The vital stats: gluten-free, egg-free, easy to make dairy-free, vegetarian.

Crio Mac

Okay, so this is what you need:

1 1/2 cups filtered water

5 tablespoons Crio Bru (any flavour, but I used Vega Real)

3/4 cup organic honey

2 tablespoons organic butter (I think it would work just fine with coconut oil too)

300g macadamia nuts (or your favourite nut!)

Okay, so this is what you do:

Add the Crio Bru to the water in a saucepan with a lid and gently brew for about ten minutes.

While you are doing that, add the honey and the butter to another saucepan and measure out the macadamia nuts.

You can also prep a tray with some baking paper and a light smear of coconut oil.

When the Crio Bru is finished, strain it into a glass measuring jug and check you still have 1 1/2 cups of liquid. You may need to add a bit of water.

Add the Crio Bru to the honey and butter. On a medium high heat, mix in well and let boil.

Stir it occasionally and keep an eye on it. At about the 20-25 minute mark, it will start to foam and get thicker.

Keep going, stirring all the while, until it gets darker in colour and will coat the back of a spoon.

Quickly add the nuts, stir and pour onto your tray.

Let it cool down and set until you can break bits off (about an hour).

If it’s too soft, throw the whole lot back in the saucepan and cook it a bit more until you get the right consistency.

Try to keep sticky fingers away (I had to hide it well so I could take photos this morning!).

This recipe was inspired by A Girl Worth Saving – a very awesome blog.

Fun and Healthy Edible Christmas Trees!

December 5, 2012 · 21 Comments

Fun and Healthy Edible Christmas Trees!

Christmas food can be fun and healthy.

There are some very clever people out there who come up with these mostly easy but incredibly cute ideas. I have put them all together in a blog post so you can see them too.