Easy Coconut Biccies

April 22, 2015 · 13 Comments

I am loving these Easy Coconut Biccies.

They are perfect for lunchboxes as they have no nuts! Also great when you have a bare pantry – you only need four ingredients and they are so, so easy to throw together.

Feel free to add in your own bits and pieces – I have made them before with a mixture of dried fruit and some healthier choc chips would be yummo too. You may want to add in a little drizzle of honey and maple syrup if you like a really sweet biscuit, but I think the sultanas make them sweet enough.

Easy Coconut Biccies

Vital Stats: grain free, gluten free, dairy free, nut free, refined sugar free, paleo

Okay, this is what you need:

2 cups organic dessicated coconut

2 organic eggs

1 cup organic sultanas

1 teaspoon organic cinnamon

1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract

HOT TIP: Using organic coconut and fruit means you don’t have to worry about added sulphur dioxide. Read more here.

Okay, this is how you do it:

Preheat your oven to 180°c on a gentle setting. Fan force is too harsh for these little babies.

Mix everything together – I like to get my hands in there and give it a good massage to distribute the egg properly.

Squeeze into round biccies, about the size of a walnut. It will make about 15.

Whack on your baking paper lined tray and fling into the oven for about 15-20 minutes or until they are just set and lightly brown. Keep an eye on them!

Leave to cool on the tray to firm up. Enjoy!

HOT TIP: I love the If You Care Baking paper to cook with. It is unbleached and 100% chlorine free. I even wash it and reuse if it’s not too yucky. Your regular baking paper can contain chromium (a heavy metal).

Macadamia Chocolate Fudge

December 11, 2014 · 4 Comments

This fudge is so quick and easy to make.

Once you have the base sorted, you can top it with anything you like! Try all different types of nuts, coconut, goji berries, ginger or any dried fruit. For a supercharged nutrient boost, add some Superfoods for Kidz powders.

It’s not sickly sweet and it’s packed full of nutrients. Enjoy!

Macadamia Chocolate Fudge

Vital Stats: Gluten free, grain free, dairy free, egg free, refined sugar free

This is what you need:

2 cups sulphur-free dates ( I like the Honest to Goodness brand)

2 cups organic cashews

1/2 cup organic raw cacao

2 tablespoons organic maple syrup

1 vanilla pod, scraped or 1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 cup organic macadamias, chopped

This is how you do it:

Soak the dates in some boiling water for ten minutes or so. Squeeze the excess water out.

Place into a food processor or thermomix with all the other ingredients (except the macadamias).

Pulse or turbo until smooth and well combined. I like it with a little bit of cashew still showing, but do it to your preference.

Using wet hands, press into a small slice tin that is lined with baking paper.

Sprinkle the chopped macadamias over the top and press down gently into the mix.

Refrigerate until firm. Cut into squares to serve. Keep refrigerated or freeze.

10 Healthy Winter Desserts

August 12, 2014 · 8 Comments

10 Healthy Winter Desserts

One of the best things about winter is tucking into a hot, comforting, delicious pudding!

This round up features healthier recipes – refined sugar free, wheat free, additve free and some are gluten free, dairy free and egg free as well. Enjoy them with hot custard, grass fed cream or homemade icecream for a treat that is oh so good for the soul!

Here are 10 healthy winter desserts from some of Australia’s most fabulous wellness bloggers (and me). You are going to want to use the PIN IT feature for these!

My Easy Gluten-Free Apple and Fig Crumble

Berry and Vanilla Clafoutis by Eleanor at Petite Kitchen

Apple Rose Tart from Hungry Cub

Sticky Date Pudding by Jen at Living on Little

Lemon Meringue Pie by Marinya Cottage Kitchen

Gingerbread Pudding Cake from Jude Blereau’s Wholefood Cooking

Lemon and Elderflower Honey Puddings from Homegrown Kitchen

Chocolate Self Saucing Puddings from Well Nourished

Creamy Coconut Vanilla Rice Pudding from Jo at Quirky Cooking

Flourless Mandarin Cake with Honey Thyme Syrup and Nutmeg Cream by Kelly Gibney

What is your favourite winter dessert?

Choc Berry Mousse Tart

May 19, 2014 · 8 Comments

Making your own healthy desserts does not have to be complicated.

Keep it simple and you are more likely to make this than reach for a chocolate bar!

The lovely Emily from Conscious Foodie is sharing one of her raw desserts with us today to show you just how easy and delicious it really is.

Choc Berry Mousse Tart

Vital Stats: gluten free, grain free, vegan, dairy free, egg free, nut free

Serves 1

Ingredients:

1 large avocado

1 tablespoon raw cacao powder (can adjust depending on how rich you like it)

2 teaspoons maple syrup (can adjust depending on how sweet you like it)

Raspberries, blueberries (any berries you have) and shredded coconut to garnish

Method:

Blend the avocado, raw cacao powder and maple syrup in a blender until shiny and smooth. Spoon mixture into a small tart tin and set in the fridge for a couple of hours. Sprinkle with berries and coconut. Enjoy! This mousse keeps for a couple of days in the fridge. Feel free to use any sweetener – honey and dates would work well. Maybe double the mixture so you have extra, it’s pretty tasty!

About Emily:

Emily is a Wellness Coach, the creator of conscious-foodie.com and the author of Transform Your Life in 8 Weeks. She is on a mission to spread the word about natural wellness and health, nutritional wholefoods, clean organic living, a sustainable future, self love, gratitude and kindness. When she’s not writing you can find her juicing her greens, meditating, walking barefoot, sitting in the sun, drinking peppermint tea and making raw desserts.

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Anzac Biscuits – Six Healthy Recipes

April 22, 2014 · 6 Comments

Anzac Biscuits – Six Healthy Recipes

Anzacs are arguably Australia’s favourite biscuit.

They are named after our Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. During World War 1, wives and mothers of our soldiers came up with these nutrient packed biscuits to send to the soldiers. As there was no refrigeration, food sent had to have a long life.

In Australia now, it is traditional to make Anzac biscuits on Anzac Day, the 25th of April. It’s a wonderful way to remember our history and honour those who served their country.

The original ingredients of Anzacs are rolled oats, sugar, plain flour, coconut, butter, golden syrup, bicarb and boiling water. Here are some recipes that have been healthified up. Enjoy.

Really Healthy Anzac Biccies from Natural New Age Mum

Nourishing Anzac Biscuit from Well Nourished

Healthy Anzacs from Brenda Janscheck

Vegan Anzac Biscuits from Quirky Cooking.

Gluten and Sugar Free Anzacs from Tarryn Rucci

Gluten Free Quinoa Anzacs from My Darling Lemon Thyme

Do you make Anzacs on Anzac Day?

Zucchini Hash Browns

March 24, 2014 · 67 Comments

Is your family gluten-free?

You are going to love this fabulous cookbook from Tracey Black, Gluten Free Real Food Recipes for Kids! Actually, even if you aren’t gluten-free you will still love it!

Tracey has kindly let me share one of her yummy recipes with you and she is giving away two copies of her cookbook. But let’s talk about the food first.

This recipe is so, so easy but so tasty. I did tweak Tracey’s recipe to make them dairy free as well (and because I didn’t have any parmesan cheese in the fridge!). I used nutritional yeast flakes (sometimes called savoury yeast flakes) instead and they still tasted nice and cheesey! Yeast flakes are also a great source of B vitamins. These would be fabulous served with a dollop of cashew sour cream and some homemade salsa (if I also had that stuff in the fridge!)

Tracey says “Pre-packaged hash browns in the grocery store are often laden with fillers and artificial ingredients. Make your own using zucchini to cut out the processed ingredients for a yummy breakfast (or anytime) side dish that’s nutritious and gluten free.”

[box] Tip: Replace zucchini with carrots, sweet potato or potato – or try a combination of your favorite root vegetables. You can also replace the gluten-free flour with coconut flour to make this dish grain free[/box]

Zucchini Hash Browns

Vital Stats: Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Nut Free, Vegetarian

So, this is what you need:

• 2 cups (about 3 medium) organic zucchini, grated
• 2 tbsp onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/8 tspn of Himalayan Pink salt (I used Herbamare)
• Fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup organic Parmesan cheese, grated (or 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes)
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp plain gluten-free flour (Tracey has a recipe to make your own)
• 5 tbsp organic coconut oil (for frying)

So, this is what you do:

1.Remove excess water from grated zucchini either with a cloth napkin or drain for a few minutes – squeezing
the zucchini to get the water out.
2. Heat a large frypan (cast iron is good) to medium and add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. Cook the onions until soft and remove from heat. Return frypan to stovetop and heat remaining coconut oil.
3. In a medium-sized bowl, add egg, flour, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix well.
4. Add zucchini, onion and cheese to egg and flour mixture. Mix well.
5. Scoop a spoonful of mixture and place in frypan. Repeat as needed to fill frypan with about 2 inches between each hash brown.
6. Cook about 3-5 minutes on each side, and then set aside on a wire cooling rack so the hash browns don’t get
soggy.
7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 until all hash browns are cooked.

Tracey’s cookbook, Gluten Free – Real Food Recipes for Kids is fast becoming a family favourite around here. The kids are keen for me to make the Almond Butter Choc Chip Cookies, but I want to try out the Probiotic Ranch Dressing (how cool)!

There are over 70 family friendly recipes. No artificial ingredients or processed foods are used. Tracey has kid-tested all the recipes on her own three boys! Recipes include kid-favourites such as Pizza and Chicken Fingers – as well as more modern cuisine such as Quinoa, Feta and Tomato Salad and GrainFree Fish Tacos.

All the recipes are gluten free and there are many vegan, vegetarian, grain-free, dairy-free and egg-free options. Tracey has included everything from snacks to drinks, breakfasts, main meals, lunchbox ideas and sweet treats.

But it’s not all just recipes, Tracey has some great information for you as well. Discover which foods and ingredients are toxic and should be avoided – as well as real foods your family needs for real nourishment. There’s also an extensive section on how to decode food labels, all about real food nutrition, kitchen staples and tips to get kids to become better eaters.

[box] Special Offer! Until the end of March, all my readers can purchase Gluten Free – Real Food Recipes for Kids for just $9.99 instead of the regular price of $22.95. Just use the coupon code: SPRING. Go here. [/box]

Giveaway:

This giveaway has now closed. The lucky winners are Sarah Titmus and Kate Dillon.

Would you like to win one of two copies of Gluten Free, Real Food Recipes for Kids?

♥ Be a blog subscriber (add your email to the box on the right)

♥ Be a Natural New Age Mum liker on Facebook (go here)

♥ Comment on this blog post, telling me the first thing you would make from the cookbook if you won!

[box] Terms and conditions: This giveaway will close at midnite (AEST) on Monday the 31st of March. Winners will be chosen using random.org from those fulfilling the entry requirements correctly. Winners will be emailed and announced on this blog post. Open to everyone, including those outside Australia. Good luck![/box]

Hosted by Kellie O’Brien Media

Choc-Hazel Bliss Balls

March 18, 2014 · 22 Comments

Choc-Hazel Bliss Balls

Now I am a bit of a bliss ball addict, but these are something really, really extra special.

After I made up this variation, I had to get everyone to come running and try them and officially declare me a genius!

Yes, they are that good. Think nutella, think ferrero rocher but healthy!!

Choc-Hazel Bliss Balls

Vital Stats: raw, vegan, gluten free, dairy free, egg free, refined sugar free

Okay so this is what you need:

1 cup pitted sulphur free dates

2 tablespoons Crio Bru (I used the new flavour, Maracaibo)

2 tablespoons organic raw cacao powder

2 teaspoons Heilala Vanilla Bean paste (secret ingredient)

1 cup hazelnuts, skin removed

Okay, so this is how you do it:

Process the dates, crio bru, cacao and vanilla until well combined in a food processor or thermomix. Add hazelnuts and pulse or turbo until they are finely chopped. Use damp hands and roll them into balls. Store in the fridge or freezer.

Exclusively for NNAM readers, you can use this code to get 10% off everything in store: CHRISTMAS10 until 15 December 2016 at Crio Bru here.

(sponsored)

Carrot Cake (but it’s a slice)

March 10, 2014 · 40 Comments

I had a heap of organic baby carrots in my crisper, so I thought it would be a perfect time to make a carrot cake. Except it sort of turned into a slice! It’s so much easier to pack into lunch boxes when cake is cooked in a slice tin.

This recipe at the Paleo Mom inspired me to use tapioca flour with the coconut flour instead of just coconut flour like I usually do. I must say I do like the texture and mouth feel it gives. So if you are not keen on coconut flour, try it with the tapioca. Our co-op gets an organic tapioca flour from Organic Road.

I hope you love it.

Carrot Cake (but it’s a slice)

Vital Stats: Gluten Free, Grain Free, Dairy Free, Vegetarian, Thermomix

Okay, so this is what you need:

150g (1 cup) organic carrot

5 organic eggs

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup tapioca flour

1/2 cup coconut flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 tspns organic cinnamon

1/4 cup maple syrup (or honey/rice malt syrup)

1/4 cup organic sultanas

1/4 cup organic walnuts (optional, leave out if you need nut free)

Okay, so this is how you do it:

Put the oven on medium – 180ºc.

Peel your carrots, roughly chop and whack into the thermomix.

Blitz on speed 5 for 4 seconds.

Scrape down and add in all the other ingredients except the sultanas and walnuts.

Whizz on speed 5 for five seconds. Scrape down. Add the sultanas and walnuts.

Mix on reverse, speed 4 for 5 seconds.

Whack it all into a baking paper lined slice tray.

Bung it in the oven 25-30 minutes or until cooked.

Cool on a wire rack and slice into squares to serve.

You might like to try some of these icing recipes or just spread with a nice smear of organic butter.

If you don’t have a thermomix: Grate the carrots, whisk the eggs and then mix all ingredients together gently in a large bowl.

HOT TIP: You may like to double the maple syrup. My kids thought it wasn’t sweet enough, but I thought it was!

Gluten-Free, Nut-Free Muesli Bars

January 21, 2014 · 50 Comments

This is such an easy and tasty recipe that is perfect for lunch boxes.

I guess they aren’t really ‘muesli’ bars as they don’t contain oats! But you can certainly use oats instead of quinoa if you like.

Quinoa (pronounced KeenWah) is incredibly nutritious – it’s very high in protein. Combined with all the seeds and eggs, these bars will have you fuelled up and ready to go!

HOT TIP: You can use any combination of dried fruits,nuts and seeds – as long as the mixture you add to the eggs equals 5 cups.

Gluten-Free, Nut-Free Muesli Bars

Vital Stats: gluten free, grain free, dairy free, nut free, refined sugar free

Okay, so this is what you need:

1/2 cup organic quinoa, dry

1 cup dried apple

1 cup organic sultanas

1/2 cup dried organic figs

1/2 cup organic sunflower seeds

1/2 cup organic pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

1/2 cup organic shredded coconut

1/4 cup organic chia seeds

1/4 cup organic sesame seeds

3 organic, free range eggs

2 tablespoons organic maple syrup or honey (optional)

2 teaspoons organic ceylon cinnamon

2 teaspoons organic vanilla extract

Hot tip: choose organic dried fruit where you can, as it doesn’t contain preservatives.

Okay, so this is how you do it:

Preheat the oven to 160° celsius. Line a slice tray with a non-toxic baking paper.

Rinse the quinoa really well (I soak for a bit and then rinse). This is really important as quinoa has a bitter saponins that coat it and need to be removed.

Cook the quinoa in a saucepan with 1 cup of filtered water. It will take about ten minutes. You will know it’s cooked because it becomes translucent.

HOT TIP: Make extra quinoa and store it in the fridge or freezer. It’s fantastic added to a salad or used instead of rice.

Cool the quinoa right down (you don’t want scrambled eggs)!

Chop the apple and figs. You can use the food processor or thermomix to do this.

Mix all the ingredients together well. I like to get my hands in and give it a good massage!

Press it firmly down into the slice tin and bake for 25-30 minutes or until cooked.

I cover the slice halfway through the cooking time with some baking paper so it doesn’t burn on top.

Cool on a wire rack before slicing with a bread knife into bars.

These freeze really well, so make a double batch and you will always have some on hand!

Makes about 12 large bars.

Want more?

Check out my 10 Healthy Muesli Bar recipes.

30 Super Healthy Lunch Box Snacks

January 18, 2014 · 67 Comments

30 Super Healthy Lunch Box Snacks

If I could encourage parents to do one thing, it would be to take a little time to make some real food snacks for their children’s lunch boxes. Less packet food and more whole food makes a huge difference to kid’s health.

I hope you find some inspiration with these 30 super healthy lunch box snacks!

I would love you to add to the list, so please leave me comments and links!

Okay, let’s go…..

1. Fruit Kebabs.

Because everything is more fun when you put it on a stick! Use paddle pop sticks for littlies to avoid accidents with pointy skewers! If your kids are really fussy, some fun shapes might be needed.

2. Popcorn.

It’s a wholegrain and surprisingly healthy! Just don’t buy the microwave packets – buy an organic popcorn and pop it in some coconut oil or use a popcorn machine. Jazz it up a bit with Herbamare, organic spice mixes or try my Salted Caramel Popcorn.

3. Trail Mix.

Have fun with the kids making up your own combos of dried fruit, seeds, coconut and nuts (if allowed). Make them into Quirky Cooking’s Trail Mix Clusters. Just make sure the dried fruit you are eating is safe.

4. Apple Snax.

Soooo cool! Use a little lemon juice to stop the apple from browning, sandwich together for ease of transport and use seed butters or homemade nutella if your school is no-nuts! Inspired by Justina Blakeney.

5. Custard.

Homemade custard with a healthy sugar and organic ingredients is so much better for your kids than the supermarket variety! Try this dairy-free Strawberry Coconut Custard recipe from Iwa at Additive Free Bites. Yum!

6. Bliss Balls.

A powerhouse of nutrition in a single bite (or two)! Check out my Amazeballs! 10 Amazing Bliss Balls post for recipe inpsiration. The Apricot Muesli Balls are pretty good too!

7. Cheese Puffs.

A totally brilliant recipe from Vegie Smugglers for the kids who like savoury stuff. Add in a heap of vegetables and some Vital Veggie Power and the kids are eating super healthy!

8. Crackers.

Be wary of store-bought crackers. They are a minefield of canola oil, additives (including msg) and refined salt. We love the easy seed crackers recipe – easy to make and nut free!

HOT TIP: If your school has a nut-free policy, try substituting seeds for nuts in recipes. Sunflower seeds make great ‘butter’ and flour!

9. Muffins.

Who doesn’t love a muffin? Make sure they are homemade though, to avoid all the nasties! I have 10 Healthy Muffin recipes for you on the blog to get you started.

10. Yoghurt.

Again, homemade is best – make a big batch, add some fresh fruit puree and pop it into reusable containers or squeeze pouches. If you are dairy-free, it’s easy to make your own coconut yoghurt at home!

11. Apple Slinkies.

One of the best inventions ever! Why fruit is more appealing in a slinky shape, I have no clue. But, hey, whatever works. Lisa from Happy Tummies says she keeps the core in and skin on and they don’t go brown.

12. Banana Bread.

So incredibly tasty, healthy and popular with kids. I have heaps of banana bread recipes for some inspiration.

13. Vege Sticks and Dip.

Kids like a dip! Choose the veges your kids will eat or cut them into shapes if you need too. Baby qukes, snowpeas and cherry tomatoes are all sweet and tasty. Add a healthy, homemade dip and away you go. You could try my Easy Green Dip or the Wholefood Mama’s Carrot Hommus. For easy transport, pop the dip in the bottom of a small jar and fill with veges!

14. Scrolls.

So, a scroll is basically a scone dough, rolled out into a rectangle shape, sprinkled with toppings, rolled up, sliced and baked in a hot oven. Adapt the flours and ingredients to suit your needs! Make them savoury with veges, tomato paste and cheese or sweet with homemade nutella or fruits. Try these Pumpkin Cheesymite Scrolls from Lisa at Happy Tummies.

15. Muesli Bars.

Making your own muesli bars at home is so economical and tasty! Try my Blueberry Breakfast Slice, Easy Muesli Bars, Date and Oat Bars or my Gluten Free, Nut Free Muesli Bars.

16. Kale Chips.

They are all the rage and they are incredibly nutritious. Find out how to make them at my Kale Chips… what’s the go? post. My Sweet Potato Chips are also pretty good cold if the kids won’t come at anything green.

17. Pikelets.

Yum. Try these Blueberry Buckwheat Pikelets from the always delicious Veggie Mama. They are gluten-free! Or if you know how to market it right, the green pancakes are also fantastic!

18. Smoothies.

Great for kids who struggle to eat lunch. Pop a smoothie in a small jar or thermos and your kids get a whole lot of nutrients in a drink! Make a green smoothie or try my Choc Banana Protein Smoothie.

19. Apricot Coconut Slice.

A tasty little morsel for kids – the real food version of thehealth food aisle packet snack! It’s a quick, no bake snack you can make in a hurry. Apricot coconut slice is a winner in our house!

HOT TIP! Save yourself a heap of time and energy by making double or triple batches of healthy snacks and freezing them. Pop them in the lunch boxes straight from the freezer.

20. Cake.

Let them eat cake. Seriously. But don’t buy it, make it with whole foods.

21. Roasted Chickpeas.

Just soak a packet of organic chickpeas overnight. Rinse well, add some coconut oil or macadamia oil and your choice of seasoning. Roast in a moderate oven for about an hour or until really crispy. Very yummy!

22. Biscuits.

There is such a thing as a healthy biscuit! Try my Coconut Biccies or the 2 Ingredient Biscuits for inspiration.

23. Granola.

Granola is simply muesli that you whack in the oven with a little honey or maple syrup until it’s nice and crunchy. You can make it with all sorts of yummy things and it makes a great little snack.

24. Boiled Eggs.

A perfect snack for little hands! If you want, you can make them into fancy shapes with bento tools or just a wooden spoon!

25. Jazzed Up Dates.

Get medjool (fresh) dates or dried dates, spread with nut or seed butter or homemade nutella and then roll in coconut. Wedge a few almonds into a date and it will look like a cute turtle!

26. Raw Popcorn/Cauliflower Bites.

A super healthy snack – cheesey, dehydrated, raw cauliflower pieces from Sarah at The Raw Food Mum. Get the recipe here.

27. Apple Thins.

A brilliant recipe from Jane at Marinya Cottage Kitchen. Part cracker, part biscuit, all yum. They are free from grain, gluten, egg, dairy, nuts and refined sugar! Win.

28. Mini Fritters.

I’ve seen many vege-hating kids happily hoover up a vege fritter! Make them according to your tastes – they are easy to make gluten and dairy free. I love the fun face presentation of these ones at Taste. Just press on your veges to make cute faces before you flip them. If you have a thermomix, Taryn shows you how simple and quick they are to make with her Very Veggie Fritters recipe.

29. Homemade Banana Chips.

These taste like lollies! Sooo good! Just pop a little fruit juice or coconut oil onto banana slices and bake in a low oven or dehydrator until dried out. Store in an air-tight container.

30. Packet Snacks

Sometimes you just need a packet snack when time is short or the kids want a treat. There are some great crap-free superfood bars on the market now – have a read of the ingredients first though!