CHOCOLATE (COCO POP) GRANOLA

This granola has been adapted from Sarah Wilson's 'I Quit Sugar for Life' cookbook. This is my 3rd attempt at this granola and I think I have the ingredients and their quantities pretty down pat. I love serving this with fresh fruit and almond milk, however a dollop of natural yoghurt would be beautiful as well. If I have a big morning I eat 3/4 a cup of this granola, for a smaller morning I consume 1/2 cup. After making my own granola I doubt I will ever go back to store-bought. Perhaps you won't either after tasting this Chocolate 'Coco Pop' granola. You can buy puffed corn & rice from major supermarkets and health food stores. Alternatively you can use rolled oats, however I have made it with both and prefer this granola gluten-free. 

Ingredients

• 2 cups puffed corn
• 4 cups puffed rice
• 1 1/2 cups mixed nuts (I used a mixture of almonds, cashews & walnuts), roughly chopped
• 1 heaped teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 heaped tablespoons cacao powder
• 2 tablespoons rice malt syrup or honey 
• 4 tablespoons coconut oil

Method

1. Preheat a fan forced oven to 140 degrees celsius. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. 

2. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Mix really well so that all the ground cinnamon and cacao powder is combined. 

3. Spread the granola on the prepared baking tray, trying to make a single layer if possible. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, then remove and place back in the oven for another 20 minutes with the tray turned 180 degrees so that the granola bakes evenly. 

4. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely. Serve with fruit and milk or yoghurt if desires. 

Makes / around 7-8 cups

Total Preparation & Cooking time / 45 minutes (plus cooling time) 

x Emily 

SIMPLE HOMEMADE POPCORN

Who doesn't love popcorn? I love eating it as a snack, especially as it tricks my brain into thinking I am consuming something akin to 'junk food', such as chips. I like making my own popcorn as it is so much cheaper than buying the packaged bags from stores. In addition, making your own means that you can control the amount of salt and oil that goes into it. The recipe below is very simple and makes a whopping 13 cups of popcorn! I put the popcorn in small zip lock bags so I can control my portion size. 

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons rice bran oil or coconut oil, melted
• 2/3 cup popping corn
• a small pinch of sea salt & ground black pepper

Cooking 

1. Heat the oil in a medium to large saucepan over medium-high heat, covered with a tight fitting lid. Swirl to coat the oil and add just 3 kernels to the oil.

2. When all 3 kernels have popped, add the remainder of the popcorn to the pan. Cover and shake the pan well so that all the kernels are coated with oil. Continue cooking the popcorn until you can no longer hear the kernels pop (this will take between 2-4 minutes, depending on your stove). 

3. Remove the kernels from the stove, place in a large serving bowl to cool and sprinkle salt & pepper on top. Toss well to combine. 

Makes / 13 cups 

Total Preparation & Cooking time / around 6 minutes 

x Emily 

ROLLED OAT & CACAO BLISS BALLS

I often fail miserably to have just one of these bliss balls a day, however I try never to go over two a day. Thess balls were inspired from a delicious batch a lovely client gave me to sample a few weeks ago. If you do not have a food processor handy, not to worry. Instead you can just mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl; your bliss balls will take on a chunkier texture that is equally as nice as a smooth consistency. I often find myself doubling the recipe so I have lots of these treats in the fridge! You could use puffed rice or puffed quinoa instead of oats. 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats (or gluten-free rolled oats if celiac)
• 2-3 heaped tablespoons raw cacao (depends on how chocolatey you want it!)
• 1/4 cup organic maple syrup or honey 
• 2 heaped tablespoons natural peanut butter (contains only peanuts)
• 1 heaped tablespoon hulled tahini (or substitute for another tablespoon of peanut butter)
• pinch of sea salt
• 1-2 tablespoons coconut oil (in liquid form)
• 1/4 cup water 
• Optional- 2 heaped tablespoons of protein powder (I use rice or pea protein powder) 
• Desiccated coconut - to roll balls in 

Method

1. Process all the ingredients in a food processor until well combined. If the mixture is too dry, add additional water; 1 tablespoon at a time to the processor and stir. (Without a food processor: stir all the ingredients in a large bowl until well combined. Add more water if needed). 

2. Pour a layer of desiccated coconut on a serving plate. With wet hands roll each ball then roll in the coconut. Place in an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to eat. 

Makes / 12-13 medium balls 

x Emily 

GRATED BEETROOT, EDAMAME & BROCCOLI SALAD

Another grated salad for this week, this time featuring one of my favourite vegetables: Beetroot. I used to think that beetroot was a bit of a bitch to cook, however the health benefits of this root vegetable make its cooking time well worth it. 

Beetroot contains magnesium, iron, potassium, fibre, protein, antioxidants, vitamins A, B6, C and folic acid, among other vitamins and minerals! This purple vegetable plays a part in reducing blood pressure and the risk of heart attacks and strokes due to its high content of nitrates, which create a gas called nitric oxide in the blood that increases the size of blood vessels and lowers blood pressure. Beetroot also reduces the risk of osteoporosis, as it contains the mineral silica that supports the body to use calcium. This wonderful vegetable is basically fat free, low in calories and has a very low GL index, which means that it transforms into sugars very slowly in the body, hence stabilising blood sugar levels. Beetroot is comprised of soluble fibre, which has been shown to lower cholesterol. Beetroot also contains carotenoids and flavonoids, which prohibit bad cholesterol from accumulating in arteries. And an astounding benefit: a recent study revealed that the immense amount of nitrates in beetroot may be responsible for fighting the advancement of dementia, as one of the functions of nitric oxide in the blood is to increase blood flow to the brain.

So after that considerable list of only a few of beetroot's numerous health benefits, I suggest you get some in you!  

Ingredients

Salad

• 2 medium beetroot, skin peeled and cut in half
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• al foil
• 1 broccoli head, chopped into even-sized florets & stalk chopped
• 200g edamame, shelled & pods discarded
• 20g coconut flakes, toasted or raw
• 15g sunflower seeds
• 15g pepitas

Tahini Sour Dressing

• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 heaped tablespoon tahini
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped or crushed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• sea salt 

Cooking 

1. Preheat a fan forced oven to 200 degrees celsius. Wrap each beetroot half in foil and place in a medium deep baking tray with 2-3cm of water and 1 tablespoon olive oil in it. Roast in the oven for 35-45 minutes or until the beetroot halves are tender (that is, a knife can easily slide through them). Remove from the oven, remove from foil when cool enough to handle and leave to cool for a few more minutes. Once the beetroot is cool, grate the beetroot using gloves. 

2. Whilst the beetroot is roasting / cooling, make the dressing by combining all of the ingredients and whisking well. If the tahini is still clumpy after whisking, add a splash or two of water. 
ng the broccoli and steaming it; bring a medium half full saucepan of water to the boil and place the broccoli florets and stalks in a sieve or colander on top of the pan. Steam for around 5 minutes, covered, or until the broccoli is just tender but not soggy. Remove from heat. 

4. Place the grated cooked beetroot, cooked broccoli, edamame, coconut, sunflower seeds and pepitas in a large serving bowl and toss to combine. Drizzle the tahini dressing over the top. 

Serves / 4 as a light meal
Total Preparation & Cooking time (as the preparation can be done whilst the cooking is happening) / around 1 hour. 

x Emily 

TERESA CUTTER'S HEALTHY CARROT CAKE

This is by far the most delicious carrot cake I have never had the pleasure of eating. It is filled with half a kilo of vegetables, low in sugar and gluten & dairy free. It is also incredibly easy to make, as it does not require any electric mixing or any icing. I served this cake on father's day to eight people (myself included) and we all loved it. Looking past the moistness and lightness of this cake, it is also very good for you. The 500 grams of carrots in this cake contain lots of vitamin A and carotenoids that assist with a healthy immune system. Almond meal is always a foundation in the cakes that I bake, as they take the place of flour beautifully, create a moist texture and are choc-full of protein. 

Ingredients

• 500g grated carrots
• 3 free-range eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or essence
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• 300 g almond meal
• 50 ml macadamia coconut oil, plus extra to grease
• 160 g organic maple syrup, honey or rice malt syrup
• 1 cup sultanas
• 2 teaspoons gluten free baking powder
• Optional- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or other nut 

Cooking 

1. Preheat a fan forced oven to 160 degrees celsius. Line a 18-20cm baking tin with baking paper and grease lightly with coconut oil. 

2. Combine carrot, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, almond meal, oil, sweetener, sultanas, baking powder and nuts, if using. Stir well until all ingredients are combined. 

3. Bake in the oven for 60-90 minutes, checking every 5-10 minutes after the 60 minute mark to see if the cake is cooked through. Cover with foil if the top of the cake starts to really brown. 

4. Remove the cake from the oven, leave it to cool completely in the tin and then gently turn the cake out. 

Serves approx. 16. This cake is tasty enough to serve without icing but you can top with natural yoghurt if you desire. 

Total Preparation time / 15 - 20 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 60-90 minutes plus cooling time. 

x Emily 

VIETNAMESE GRATED & SHREDDED SALAD

This is the type of food that I love to eat. Fresh, filled with vegetables and light. My family often jokes that I (and most of them) were Asian in a past life as we could eat Vietnamese and Japanese cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The idea for this grated / shredded salad was born from the Sarah Wilson 'I Quit Sugar for Life'. She has dedicated 2 pages to grated salads and I thought to myself 'what a great idea; I can feed these types of salads to Chris (my fiancé) without him really catching on that they are in fact salads, due to the various textures and potential for meat in the dishes. If you are looking for a heartier meal, toss in some rice vermicelli noodles. 

Ingredients

Salad

• 2 x 250g (or similar size) chicken breasts
• 3 cups finely shredded red cabbage
• 2 cups finely shredded wombok
• 2 medium carrots, finely grated
• 3 tablespoons white sesame seeds
• Optional- a generous handful of finely chopped coriander, mint, chives and/or green shallots

Dressing

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• the juice of 1 large lime
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped or crushed 
• 2 tablespoons water

Cooking

1. Place the chicken breasts in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, covered, then simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the stove and let the saucepan stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Remove the poached chicken from the pan and leave to cool for a few minutes. 

2. Meanwhile, make the dressing by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl and stir well. 

3. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred into small pieces. 

4. Combine the chicken pieces, cabbage, wombok, carrot, sesame seeds and herbs if using in a large serving bowl. Drizzle the dressing on top and toss well to combine. 

Serves / 4 as a light meal

Total Preparation time / 10 - 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 25 minutes approx. 

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 

POLENTA, PUMPKIN & TURKEY MUFFINS

These muffins are an adaptation of Sarah Wilson's 'Mexican Beef Nacho Muffins' found in her 'I Quit Sugar for Life' cookbook. I wanted to make a savoury turkey muffin equivalent using different spices and ingredients. I also used her Pumpkin Puree recipe which is incorporated below into the muffin recipe. If you have her cookbook or access her website you will see that several of her other recipes call for this prepared pumpkin puree. You could also use the leftover puree in brownies, as a pizza sauce or make it into a very simple mash by adding a few splashes of almond milk. These muffins are delicious for a breakfast on-the-go, a filling snack, or for lunch and/or dinner with a side of vegetables. 

Ingredients

Muffin

• 1 large pumpkin, deseeded, peeled & cut into small even pieces
• 3 teaspoons coconut oil, plus extra to grease
• sea salt & ground black pepper
• 60g piece of leek, finely chopped
• 500g lean turkey mince
• 2 free-range eggs
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground chilli
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 100g sweet potato, peeled & grated
• 1/2 cup polenta, plus extra to dust 

Topping

• 1 small avocado
• 1 tablespoon lime juice

Cooking 

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

2. Toss the pumpkin pieces with 2 teaspoons of the coconut oil and a generous pinch of salt & pepper. Place the pumpkin in a single layer on the tray and bake for 20 minutes or until tender but not burnt. 

3. Remove the cooked pumpkin from the oven and mash by hand (or use a blender) to make into a puree. You will need 1/2 cup of puree for this recipe. You can store the remainder (which should equal 2 - 2 1/2 cups) in zip-lock bags or containers in 1/2 cup quantities in the fridge or freezer. 

4. Meanwhile, heat 1 teaspoon coconut oil in a small to medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the leek and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring, until soft but not burnt.

5. Lightly grease a 12 hole tin muffin tin with coconut oil. 

6. Mash the avocado until smooth and stir in the lime juice. 

7. Combine the 1/2 cup pumpkin puree, cooked leek, turkey mince, eggs, spices, mustard, sweet potato, 1/2 cup polenta and a pinch of salt & pepper in a large bowl (mixing by hand works best!). Divide the meat mixture evenly into each muffin mould (you should be able to get 11-12 muffins out of this batter). Sprinkle a few teaspoons of polenta on top of the muffins. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the top of each muffin is lightly browned. Use one muffin as the test muffin to check that the meat has cooked through and no pink flesh remains. 

8. Cool the muffins in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack to cook completely. Serve with a small dollop of avocado topping. 

Makes / 11 

Total Preparation time / 20 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 60 minutes / 1 hour (not including cooling time) 

x Emily 

EASY VEGETARIAN RICE

I have tried to keep this fried rice as simple as possible, hence why the ingredients list is quite short; usually for an Asian dish many more ingredients would be listed! Feel free to add finely chopped garlic and/or grated ginger to the wok after adding the oil and before the vegetables if you would like to. If you have different vegetables on hand, use them! Bean shoots, bean sprouts and/or green beans could be substituted and herbs such as fresh coriander could be added. Broccoli could also be used, however it must be placed in the wok before the other vegetables as it will require more time to cook. I find that the flavour from the cooked egg, the several vegetables and the soy sauce is perfect for me, hence no fiddly sauce has been mentioned. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup brown rice
• 1 teaspoon rice bran oil 
• 2 free-range eggs, beaten
• 200g red cabbage, finely shredded
• 150g wombok, finely shredded
• 150g red capsicum, cut into 2cm pieces 
• 150g carrot, grated 
• 2 tablespoons salt-reduced soy sauce 
• 1 shallot, finely chopped 

Cooking 

1. Combine the rice and 2 1/2 cups of water in a medium saucepan over high heat and bring to the boil, covered. Once boiled reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, for 20-25 minutes or until all the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove from the heat. 

2. Meanwhile, prepare all the vegetables. Whisk the eggs and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl. 

3. Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in a wok or large deep frying pan over medium-low heat and swirl to coat. Pour the egg into the base of the wok/pan and leave to set for a few minutes. After the edges of the egg have set, fold one side over into an omelette.  Cook for another minute or so and then remove from the heat when the omelette has just has set. When the omelette has cooled slightly, chop into small pieces. 

4. Pour the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of oil into the now empty wok and add all the vegetables. Cook the vegetables with 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Stir the vegetables initially and then place a lid on top, cooking for 4-5 minutes or until tender. Add the remaining soy sauce to the vegetables and stir to combine. 

Divide the cooked brown rice into 4 bowls, top with vegetables, the chopped omelette and sprinkle some shallots on top. 

Serves / 4

Total Preparation time / a few minutes (as you can prepare the vegetables whilst the rice cooks) 

Total Cooking time / 30-35 minutes 

x Emily 

MEXICAN PORK with APPLE COLESLAW & CORN

I have recently started eating pork, which I used to associate with being full of fat, until recently discovering that lean pork mince and fillets are actually lower in fat than both beef and chicken mince. This recipe was adapted from a Michelle Bridges recipe titled 'Cajun Pork'. I used apple cider vinegar to make my coleslaw, whereas Bridges (or her dieticians) opt for light sour cream. I love the sourness of apple cider vinegar. In addition it is low in sugar (much lower than balsamic vinegar) and assists in correcting acid issues in the body, essentially making your body digest food better. Give it a try by replacing white/red or balsamic vinegars with apple cider. 

Ingredients

• 1 large carrot (120g), grated
• 1 cup red cabbage (80g), roughly chopped
• 1 1/4 cups white cabbage (100g), roughly chopped
• 1 medium red apple (80g), grated
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 1 large corn on the cob (250g), husks & silks removed, cut into 4 even pieces
• 1 teaspoon rice bran oil
• 2 teaspoons taco seasoning 
• 450g lean pork fillets

Cooking 

1. Bring a medium saucepan of water to the boil over high heat. Add the corn pieces and cook for 5-7 minutes in boiling water until tender. Remove from heat and drain. 

2. Meanwhile make the coleslaw by tossing the carrot, two types of cabbage and apple together in a medium bowl. 

3. Stir the apple cider vinegar and dijon mustard in a small bowl. Sprinkle some ground black pepper and a few tablespoons of water to thin out the dressing. Stir 3/4 of the dressing into the coleslaw. 

4. Heat the oil over medium heat in a medium frying pan and swirl to coat. Brush or rub the taco seasoning on both sides of the pork fillets. Place the pork in the pan and cook for 3 minutes each side. After this time turn off the stove and leave the pork to continue cooking in the heat for at least 2 minutes. Remove from heat and slice the pork thinly. 

5. Arrange each plate with 1/2 of the coleslaw on the bottom, 1/2 of the pork slices on top, 2 corn pieces on the side and the 1/4 of the remaining dressing drizzled on top of the corn and/or pork. Serve warm. 

Serves / 2 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 20 minutes 

Approx calories / 510 per serve 

x Emily 

BAKED BROWN RICE with PUMPKIN MASH

This is one of my favourite recipes in the entire Michelle Bridges program. It is wholesome, filling and packed to the brim with goodness. I love pumpkin and broccoli together and here is no exception. I have altered the recipe slightly by adding and changing a few ingredients. Just a splash of almond milk will do to bring out the sweetness of the pumpkin in the mash. I have added garlic and removed ginger as I am a sucker for garlic and soy sauce together. The extra egg on top of the brown rice assists in helping the loaf to hold its shape (which it does extremely well). Definitely a recipe I will make again and again and many more times after that.  

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup brown rice (150g)
• 1 head of broccoli (around 150g) cut into florets and stalk roughly chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• 3 teaspoons soy sauce
• 2 free-range eggs, lightly beaten
• 300g pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and cut into 2cm pieces
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened almond milk
• 30g baby spinach 
• 60g avocado, scooped into small pieces

Cooking 

1. Place the rice and 2 cups of water (500ml) in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil, covered. Once boiled reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, for 25 minutes or until the rice is absorbed. Add the broccoli florets on top of the rice for the last 5 minutes of cooking. Remove from heat. 

2. Whilst the rice is cooking, grease a loaf tin (with a base of approx. 20cm x 10cm) with oil and line the base and sides with baking paper. Once the rice is almost cooked preheat a fan-force oven to 180 degrees celsius. 

3. Remove the broccoli from the rice and finely chop. Transfer the rice to a large bowl to cool. 

4. Combine the broccoli, garlic, 2 teaspoons of the soy sauce, 1 egg and ground black pepper with the rice, stirring well. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, smoothing the surface with a wet tablespoon. Pour the other egg on top and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the top is just golden. Remove from the oven and let stand for a minimum of 5 minutes to cool. 

5. Whilst the loaf is cooking, bring the pumpkin pieces and enough water to cover them to boil over high heat. Continue cooking for 5 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender. Remove from the stove, drain the pumpkin and mash until smooth, adding the almond milk as you mash. 

6. Toss the baby spinach, avocado and 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce in a small bowl as a side salad. 

7. Once the rice loaf has cooled slightly, carefully remove it from the tin and cut into 4 slices. Drizzle the 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce remaining over the top of the loaf. Serve 2 slices of brown rice loaf with half of the pumpkin mash and half of the salad. 

Serves / 2 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 65 minutes 

Approx. calories / 515 per serve

x Emily