BLUEBERRY & MILK ICE BLOCKS

Since spring hit Brisbane, I have been experimenting with creating homemade ice blocks. Theres something about an ice block that makes me think 'treat'. This recipe initially had 2 layers; the first layer was the blueberry & almond milk and the 2nd layer frozen banana, ice cubes and vanilla extract. I actually found that the blueberry flavour was nicer and more refreshing than the banana, hence why I settled on pure blueberry. I highly recommend that you invest in some ice block moulds (they usually come in a package of 6) for summer, as there are infinite ice block and ice cream flavours you can make! I have personally tried my hand at banana, mango, watermelon and now blueberry. Watch this space for more healthy ice block / ice cream recipes...I feel a raspberry ice cream coming soon! 

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cup frozen blueberries
• 1 3/4 cup reduced fat cow's milk (or lactose-free, soy or unsweetened almond milk if dairy intolerant) 
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup 

Method

1. Place the ingredients in a blender and blend until the mixture is soft and combined. Carefully pour the mixture into 6 ice block moulds, filling each mould to the top. 

2. Place in the freezer for a minimum of 45 minutes- to 1 hour to freeze. Remove from the freezer a few minutes prior to eating them or run the ice block moulds until hot water to loosen them from their moulds. 

Makes / 6 
Total Preparation time / 5 minutes, plus freezing time 

x Emily 

QUINOA & DATE BANANA BREAD

I have baked numerous different banana breads over the past few years. This recipe has been the cumulation of learning from those previous recipes as well as a bit of a Lola Berry influence. I like to make my banana bread gluten-free, lactose-free and low in sugar so that it is a completely acceptable snack or dessert. Hope you enjoy my take on it! 

Ingredients

• 6 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 2 free range eggs, beaten
• 1 cup quinoa flakes
• 1/2 cup almond meal
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla paste or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus extra to dust 
• 1 teaspoon bi-carb of soda
• 1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
• pinch of sea salt
• 3 tablespoons organic maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil, plus extra to grease
• 5-6 large Medjool dates, pitted & roughly chopped 
• Optional- a handful of chopped nuts, such as walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts. 

Cooking 

1. Preheat a fan forced oven to 180 degrees celsius. Lightly brush the base and sides of a loaf tin with melted coconut oil. 

2. Combine the mashed bananas, beaten eggs, quinoa flakes, almond meal, vanilla, cinnamon, bi-carb, baking powder and salt and stir well to combine. Add the maple syrup and coconut oil and stir well. Fold in the chopped dates and nuts, if adding. 

3. Pour the banana batter into the prepared loaf tin, evening out the top of the batter with a wet large spoon. Bake in the oven for 55 minutes for a moist, soft banana bread or for over 1 hour for a harder bread. 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 55 minutes minimum 

x Emily 

GLUTEN FREE & LACTOSE FREE BANANA MUFFINS

Adapted from the amazing glutenfreescallywag.com this recipe was a banana birthday cake for a loved one on Friday night and a tray of muffins on an idyllic Sunday afternoon. I love making gluten and lactose free treats, as they are difficult to get right, but when you do you feel like you have really accomplished baking. I suggest using maple syrup as you can really taste this delectable flavour in the finished product. Hopefully these muffins last me all week!! 

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup liquid coconut oil, plus extra to grease muffin holes
• 1/2 cup gluten free flour
• 1 cup gluten free self-raising flour 
• 1/2 teaspoon gluten free baking powder
• 2 heaped teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup almond meal 
• 3 free-range eggs
• 1/4 cup stevia or natural sweetener of your choice
• 1/4 cup maple syrup 
• 2 teaspoons vanilla essence 
• 1 heaped cup mashed banana (2 large ripe bananas)

COOKING / BAKING 

1. Preheat a fan force oven to 160 degrees celsius. Lightly grease a 12-hole muffin tin with coconut oil. 

2. Sift the two flours, baking powder and cinnamon into a medium-sized bowl. Add the almond meal and stir to combine. 

3. In a separate large bowl add the eggs, stevia and syrup and whisk well until the sugar has dissolved. Add the vanilla and mashed banana to the bowl and stir well. 

4. Fold the flour mixture into the egg, sugar and banana mixture gently. Evenly spoon the batter into the 12 prepared muffin holes and bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until cooked. 

Makes / 12

Total Preparation time / 10-15 minutes 

Total Baking time / 25 minutes 

x Emily 

HOMEMADE CACAO, PEANUT & MACADAMIA FUDGE

This fudge idea came from a decadent smoothie I saw on Instagram. I’ve been suffering from a bit of a sweet tooth recently, however I did not want to buy myself anything processed to satisfy this craving. Hence the homemade dessert! 

This fudge is extremely rich and bitter (due to the ample amount of cacao in it), however the peanut butter and salt cut through that bitterness in a very delightful way. Because of the richness of this raw treat, you actually cannot eat too much of it in one sitting, which is a big positive for all of us (have a think about how much milk chocolate you can devour before the flavour becomes too intense…perhaps a whole block?!). You do not need to include any fudge filling if you do not want, however I find the different texture a filling provides quite nice. Cornflakes may sound like a funny filling, but I loved it! Any type of nut is great too.

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup dates (preferably Medjool dates, pitted & roughly chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, to taste
• 1 1/2 cups firmly packed cacao powder
• 3/4 cup coconut oil, liquid form
• water 
• 1 cup organic or no added sugar peanut butter
• Optional fillings; a handful of macadamias, chopped in half or any type of nut, a handful of cornflakes, a handful of dried fruit, etc

PREPARATION 

1. Soak the dates in hot water for around 20 minutes or until they are soft. Drain well. 

2. Place the dates, salt, cacao coconut oil and peanut butter in a high speed blender until well combined. You may need to add a few splashes of water to blend all the ingredients together, but do so sparingly so as not to make the fudge consistency runny. 

3. Pour your filling, if using, into the blender and stir to combine to keep the texture. 

4. Spoon the fudge into a small baking tin or container evenly, using a wet spoon to spread evenly. 

5. Put in the refrigerator for 1 hour or until the fudge has set (that is, you can slice the fudge without it losing its shape). Cut into slices or blocks or small pieces. Keep in the fridge until ready to eat. 

Makes / A huge amount of servings! 

Total Preparation time / 1 hr 30 minutes (including the soaking of the dates and the setting time) 

x Emily 

MILLET, ORANGE & LEMON MUFFINS

Whilst this photo is crystal clear (no filter on instagram required) I couldn’t for the life of me figure out how to import the original photo onto my computer. So I have to be satisfied with an instagram one. 

Moving on...these muffins are adapted from another Heidi Swanson specialty and are incredible for a gluten and dairy free treat. They are fluffy, bright and the zest of the orange and lemon is very prominent in the flavour. You almost feel as if you are eating a fruity cornbread when treating yourself to one of these muffins. It’s also a great way to consume some millet, which is an ancient seed (often mistaken for a grain) that can be cooked similarly to how quinoa, brown rice, oatmeal and farro is cooked. Millet’s popularity has risen in recent years due to the fact that it is gluten free and due to its nutritional benefits. This little seed contains ample amounts of magnesium (which assists in lowering blood pressure, decreases the risk of heart disease and eases muscle cramps and tightness), is full of fibre which slows down digestion and leaves you feeling fuller for longer, is high in alkaline (which helps our body pH to stay balanced) and is easy to digest.

INGREDIENTS

• coconut oil, to grease muffin tin 
• 1 heaped cup gluten-free plain flour
• 1 heaped cup gluten-free self raising flour
• 1/3 cup raw millet
• 1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda / bi-carb of soda 
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup lactose-free yoghurt
• 2 free-range eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup almost melted nutalex 
• 1/2 cup organic honey
• the grated zest of 1 medium lemon and 1/2 a large orange
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon orange juice 

BAKING 

1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to just above 200 degrees celsius and place a rack in the top third of the oven. Lightly grease a 12 hole muffin tin with coconut oil (using baking paper to grease creates the least amount of mess). 

2. Stir together the flours, millet, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. 

3. In another large bowl, whisk the yoghurt, eggs, nutalex, honey and lemon & orange zest and juice until well combined. 

4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredient bowl and stir gently until the flours are just stirred through. 

5. Divide the batter into the 12 prepared muffin holes, filling the batter to the rim or just below. To ensure that the muffins rise evenly, wet a tablespoon with water and run the spoon along the tops of the batter in each hole to even the muffin tops. 

6. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until the muffin tops are golden and you can just start to see cracks forming on the top of the muffins. Leave in the tin for five minutes, then transfer the muffins onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely. 

Makes  / 12

Total Preparation time / 15 - 20 minutes 

Total Baking time / 20 - 22 minutes 

x Emily 

DATE & ORANGE COOKIES

If you ever seen a professional cook or chef being interviewed they will frequently talk about ‘failures’ they have experienced in the kitchen. I’ve had many, which I will happily share; once I left rice boiling on the stove for not one but TWO hours (needless to say my pan was almost incinerated), another time I served hard as a rock spaghetti (how you screw pasta up I don’t even know) and on a few occasions I have made cookies for my fiancée only to burn them to an absolute crisp. All these failures have been imperative to my cooking journey, however, as I have learnt vital lessons, such as which ingredients never ever go together and that you should always watch the stove and not walk away and get absorbed in another task. All invaluable experiences and not always common sense to all.

 The reason why I bring up this topic is that these Date & Orange cookies were my third attempt at making gluten-free, dairy-free cookies from scratch. First I tried a chia & poppy seed combination which was basically tasteless (although my gorgeous fiancée ate them all). Secondly I baked a cacao orange dough which was extremely dry and inedible (again they were consumed in a few days by Chris). Lastly came the date & orange mixture. I hope you enjoy it. 

And most importantly; don't sweat the failures in the kitchen. My beautiful friend Dani assured me after my second failed cookie attempt that the next batch would be a hit and it was. Keep experimenting with recipes and flavours - you will constantly be rewarded with new knowledge if not always edible dishes;)

INGREDIENTS

•  2 cups almond meal (150g)
• 100g dried dates, processed finely
• 2 eggs, preferably free-range, lightly beaten 
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, in liquid form
• 1 heaped teaspoon of finely grated orange zest
• 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice 

BAKING 

1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 160 degrees celsius. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. 

2. Combine the almond meal and dates in a large bowl and mix well. Create a well in the middle of the bowl and pour in the remaining ingredients (the eggs, syrup, baking powder, oil, orange zest and juice) and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. 

3. With wet hands handle about 2 tablespoons of the cookie mixture and roll into a ball. Place the ball onto the tray and then gently press your palm into the ball so that the dough becomes a circle. Continue this until no dough remains, making sure to place the cookies a few centimetres apart on the tray. Place the tray in the oven for around 25 minutes or until the outsides of the cookies are lightly golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack before eating. 

Makes / around 15 

Total Preparation time / 20 minutes 

Total Baking time / 25 minutes 

x Emily