DATE, OAT & ORANGE GRANOLA

There's usually not much variety in my breakfasts, as I rush out of the house most mornings at 4:45am and need to grab something really quickly from my kitchen. I've been experimenting with making my own granola and muesli recently on Sundays and here is my latest creation. I am what some would call seriously obsessed with Medjool dates and have recently been using them in most sweet creations. If you keep the quantity of fresh dates that you use low, you will keep the calorie count and the sugar content minimal. I love added quinoa flakes to granola & muesli, as well as buckwheat (which has no traces of wheat in it), chopped nuts and oats (which you can buy gluten-free if you have an intolerance). The orange zest and orange juice adds a beautiful flavour to this simple granola. Serve with a generous dollop of natural yoghurt or with 1/4- 1/3 cup of the milk of your choice. 

Ingredients

• 150g fresh Medjool dates, pitted & roughly chopped
• 2 1/2 cups rolled oats (225g)
• 45g raw buckwheat
• 50g quinoa flakes
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 15g chia seeds
• 50g cashews, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons orange zest, finely grated 
• the juice of 1 medium orange (around 70ml)

Cooking 

1. Preheat a fan-force oven to 150 degrees celsius, then line a large baking tray with baking paper. 

2. Combine all of the ingredients together in a large bowl, stirring well. 

3. Spread the granola in a single layer on the prepared tray. Bake for 10 minutes in the oven, then remove and stir well, returning the granola to a single layer. Continue to bake for around 20 minutes, or until the granola is a light golden brown, repeating this stirring process every 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely. 

Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Serve topped with 1/4-1/3 cup almond, rice, oat milk. 

Makes / 8 servings
Total Preparation time / 20 minutes 
Total Cooking time / 30 minutes plus cooling time 
Approx calories / 263 per serving 

x Emily 

POTATO, SPINACH & ROSEMARY FRITTATA

I love making frittata's as you can throw into a pan whatever is left over in your fridge, pour some eggs & milk over the top and voila, you have yourself a filling meal. I always use almond or oat milk in my frittata's as I am allergic to dairy and I never add cheese, instead opting for dried herbs, spices and vegetables to add the flavour. As a result my frittata's are not buttery, creamy or fatty; rather they are light, stuffed to the brim with vegetables and are almost peasant-like in their simplicity. My method for cooking frittata's was adopted from Gywneth Paltrow's cookbooks and it is fool proof, therefore be precise with the cooking times! 

Ingredients

• 500g sebago potato, peeled & chopped into 3cm pieces
• 6 free-range eggs (52g each = 312g total)
• 100ml unsweetened almond milk
• 1 tablespoon rice bran oil
• 2 large garlic cloves (8g), finely chopped
• 60g baby spinach, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon dried rosemary 
• Optional - fresh chives, finely chopped or other spices or herbs 

Cooking 

1. Preheat a fan-force oven to 190 degrees celsius. 

2. Place the chopped potato into a medium saucepan of water and bring to the boil. Once boiled, cook for 5 minutes or until the potatoes are just tender. Remove from heat and drain in a colander until cold running water. 

3. Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, almond milk, 125ml (1/2 cup) of water and a generous pinch of ground black pepper and sea salt. 

4. Heat the oil in a large, deep frying pan over medium heat and swirl to coat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Add the potatoes to the pan and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. If the potatoes stick to the pan, add a few splashes of water to the pan instead of more oil. Add the baby spinach and cook, stirring, until the spinach just wilts. 

5. Pour the egg, milk & water mixture over the vegetables and sprinkle the dried rosemary on top. Leave to cook on medium-high heat for 5 minutes. 

6. After 5 minutes of cooking on the stove the outside of the frittata should be quite solid, however the inside will still be runny. Transfer the frittata to the oven and cook for exactly 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve warm, accompanied with a pinch of sea salt & ground black pepper, if desired. 

Serves / 2 

Total Preparation time / 10-15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 25 minutes 

Approx calories / 514 per serve 

x Emily 

DATE, SEED & NUT BLISS BALLS

I love bliss balls as a snack, as an after dinner treat or as a middle of the day indulgence with a cup of herbal tea. I like to use fresh Medjool dates, as they are lower in sugar and calories to dried. I only try to use 1 fruit in my bliss balls to minimise the sugar levels. I also like to use a relatively small amount of seeds and nuts, and instead let the other ingredients shine; in the case of the recipe below, cacao and tahini (sesame seed paste). I have no doubt that everyone of you can throw whatever you have on hand into your food processor and make amazing tasting bliss balls; I'm just urging you to think of the percentage of sugar in each individual bite. If you love lots and lots of ingredients in your bliss balls, make smaller balls so that you do not consume as much sugar and as many calories. 

Ingredients

• 2 cups raw Medjool dates (300g), pitted & roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup raw, unsalted cashew nuts 
• 1/2 cup almonds
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 2 tablespoons raw cacao 
• 1/2 cup unsweetened desiccated coconut 
• 1 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste) or if you do not have substitute for 1 extra tablespoon maple syrup 
• 1 tablespoon organic maple syrup 

Method 

1. Place the chopped raw dates in a food processor and process until smooth. You may need to add a few little splashes of water to stop the dates concealing into one big ball. 

2. Add the rest of the ingredients to the processor and process until well combined. Add ¼ cup water, a tablespoon at a time, if the mixture is too dry.

3. Mould the mixture into approximately 25 even sized balls.

Place in the refrigerator for a minimum of 1 hour before eating. 

Makes / 25

Total Preparation time / 20-25 minutes 

x Emily 

PASTA with PUMPKIN, SPINACH & ALMONDS

Not every healthy meal plan allows one to eat pasta, however I believe in moderation. Deprivation of all the foods you love often results in some pretty intense binging. Luckily, Michelle Bridges allows a few pasta recipes throughout her body transformation program. This recipe was kept quite simple to its original, however I used gluten-free pasta as I find it less heavy than regular pasta. No cheese was used in my dish as compared to the original (which allowed for 115g ricotta), which gave way to slightly more pasta per serve for the same calorie amount. Roasted sweet potato would also go wonderfully here in the place of pumpkin. I've made this dish three times in the last few weeks and the only problem I've encountered with it is that you want to eat more than your serve! 

Ingredients

• 300g peeled pumpkin, cut into 1-2cm cubes
• 5g (1 teaspoon) olive /rice bran oil
• 150g gluten-free pasta shells/spirals
• 30g almonds, chopped in half or flaked
• 2 large garlic cloves (10g), peeled & thinly sliced
• 50g baby spinach
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 

Cooking 

1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 210 degrees celsius. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. 

2. Toss the chopped pumpkin with 1/2 of the oil (1/2 teaspoon) and a pinch of sea salt & ground black pepper. Spread the pumpkin in a single layer on the prepared tray. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes or until the pumpkin is golden and soft. 

3. Whilst the pumpkin is roasting, bring a small saucepan of water to the boil and add the pasta. Lower the heat slightly and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes or until the pasta is just tender (or al dente (slightly hard) if you prefer). Remove from the stove and drain the cooked pasta under cold running water. Reserve (keep) a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking water to use in step 5.  

4. Meanwhile, toast the almonds over low heat in a small frying pan for a few minutes until they become fragrant. Shake the pan frequently to allow all almonds to toast evenly. No oil is required. 

5. Once the pasta is cooked, use the same pan to add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of oil and stir to coat over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring often, until just soft. Add the baby spinach and the reserved pasta water to the pan and cook, stirring, until the spinach is just wilted. 

6. Combine the pumpkin, the pasta, the almonds and the garlic & spinach in a large serving bowl. Drizzle balsamic vinegar on top and toss well. 

Serves / 2 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 25 minutes 

Approx. calories / 515 per serve 

x Emily 

KALE & QUINOA MIX UP

I want to avoid calling this recipe Kale & Quinoa ‘salad’ as I know a lot of men won’t eat such a dish. Whilst my Chris did poke around this dinner searching for the ‘dead animal’ (he’s so charming) he did assure me that he was very full after his bowl of quinoa, kale chips and a serving of sweet potato chips. Whilst this recipe was a bit more fiddly than most of the others I have blogged about recently, it was well worth it. It is a fresh, filling meal and all the different colours on the plate really excite me. As the saying goes, the brighter the vegetables the more healthy they are for you!  

Ingredients

• 30g cashews, roughly chopped
• 160g (1 regular bunch) kale, torn into even sized leaves & stalk removed
• 2.5g (1/2 teaspoon) olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/2 cup quinoa (any type) (85g)
• 200g green beans, washed, trimmed & roughly chopped
• 155g red capsicum, deseeded & roughly chopped
• 125g tomatoes, diced 
• 1 lime, juiced

Cooking 

1.  Preheat a fan force oven to 180 degrees celsius. Line a small to medium baking tray with baking paper and scatter the cashew pieces on top. Bake in the oven for 5-7 minutes or until slightly golden & toasted. Remove from oven and set aside. 

2. Whilst the nuts are toasting, line a large baking tray with baking paper. Toss the kale, oil, garlic and a pinch of sea salt in a large bowl until well combined. Place the kale in a single layer on the large tray. Bake in the oven for around 8 minutes or until the kale is crispy but not burnt. Remove from oven and set aside. 

3. Meanwhile, rinse the quinoa twice in a fine sieve under cold running water. Use your hands to remove all the grit. In a small saucepan, bring the quinoa and 1 1/2 cups water to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes or until all the water is absorbed and the quinoa is tender. 

4. Place the cooked quinoa in a large serving bowl and add the beans, capsicum, tomatoes, lime juice and a sprinkling of ground black pepper. Toss well to combine and scatter the cashew pieces on top. Serve the kale chips alongside this salad with a serving of sweet potato chips with lime (yesterday's recipe) if desired. 

Serves / 2 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 20-25 minutes 

Approx. calories / with the serving of sweet potato chips 546 / without sweet potato chips 275 

x Emily 

SWEET POTATO CHIPS with LIME

I’ve made sweet potato chips numerous times since I first started cooking. The problem is that I usually make way too many and then proceed to eat the equivalent of 4 servings. This recipe serves 2 as a side dish and is approximately 188 calories per serve. These delicious chips accompanied tomorrow’s recipe, Kale & Quinoa Mix up. I’ve never made sweet potato chips with lime rind before, instead opting to use spices such as ground coriander, cumin, chilli, lemon pepper, etc…I was pleasantly surprised by how well the tangy lime flavour complimented the sweetness of the potato. My poor sweet potato chips look a tad deflated, as they were cooked about 4 hours prior to this photo being taken, however I urge you not to judge a book by its cover, or in this case, a side dish by someone’s tardy photography.

Ingredients

• 600g sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1cm-thick chip shapes
• 1 free range eggwhite (33g)
• 1 tablespoon lime rind, finely grated
• pinch of sea salt & ground black pepper

Cooking 

1. Preheat a fan force oven to 200 degrees celsius. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. 

2. In a large bowl, toss the potato, egg white, lime rind and salt & pepper until well combined. 

3. Place the chips in a single layer on the prepared tray. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until the chips are golden. 

Serves / 2 as a side 

Total Preparation time / 15-20 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 35-40 minutes 

Calories per serve / 188 calories approx. 

x Emily