KATIE MORGAN

HOME-MADE SMASHED TOMATO SAUCE

Published on February 18, 2015February 18, 2015 by Katie morgan3 Comments

Growing up with an Italian best friend I was always excited when I heard of the upcoming ‘tomato sauce day’. All I could imagine was my friend, her Nonna and huge Italian family standing in buckets of tomatoes squashing them with their feet. Although she constantly reminded me that this was NOT the case and that they had machines to squash the tomatoes now, I always wondered. No where near as fun if you ask me but much more hygienic!!

Alas you don’t have to be Italian or have a Nonna to have your own delicious hand made organic tomato sauce. This recipe is so easy and can be used for soups, pasta sauces, baked eggs, meatballs, gnocchi, pizza sauce and plenty more. Give it a go…

HOME-MADE SMASHED TOMATO SAUCE

1.5kg fresh tomatoes

1 brown onion

3 garlic cloves

small handful of basil or oregano

large pinch of salt and pepper

1 tsp sweetness (honey, maple or stevia)

2 Tablespoons of butter

METHOD: In a large pot fry up the onion, garlic and herbs in butter. Add the tomatoes whole and sautee for 5 minutes. When they are soft and starting to peel themselves, smash them with a fork or potato masher. Or carefully pour mixture into a food processor and blend until smooth.

Leave to cool before transferring to a large jar/jars. You will have lots of tomato sauce to put some into takeaway containers and freeze for later.

CLASSIC CHOC-MINT SMOOTHIE

Published on February 16, 2015February 16, 2015 by Katie morgan1 Comment

CHOC – MINT SMOOTHIE – serves 1

1-2 frozen bananas

Handful of mint leaves

3 Medjool dates

2 Tbs cacao powder

1 Tbs chia seeds

1 tsp vital greens or spirulina powder

1 cup almond milk

ice

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth and creamy. Pour into jar or glass and top with shredded or flaked coconut. Add straw and you are good to go !

CHOC-BANANA PROTEIN CHIA MOUSSE

Published on February 8, 2015February 10, 2015 by Katie morgan3 Comments

Bananas are FANTASTIC and such a versatile fruit. They make smoothies thick and creamy, can be used to make ice cream or sorbet, mashed into home made fro-yo, mugcakes and delish pancakes and just taste damn good one their own straight from the peel (with a little spoon of peanut butter too). *Links to the recipes mentioned above at bottom of page. They are packed with fiber, potassium and magnesium and make the perfect go-to pre or post workout snack. They will keep you fuller for longer and help maintain bowl regularity. Bottom line – eat a banana a day to keep the doctor away!!!

I was peckish after dinner last Saturday night and wanted a quick-ish healthy dessert.. preferably chocolate thanks. I had my usual Friday Fro-yo the night before so thought I could adapt some of the ingredients and make a choc banana protein mousse. I used the chia seeds to add extra fiber, protein, essential healthy fats to the mix and also to help with the ‘mousse’ consistency without using gelatin or other artificial ingredients. Give it a go…

CHOC-BANANA CHIA PROTEIN MOUSSE – serves 1

1 scoop protein powder (chocolate or vanilla)

1 Tbs cacao powder

1 Tbs chia seeds

1 Banana mashed

2-3 Tbs milk or yoghurt

Simply mash and combine all ingredients in bowl or container (handy hint: put the lid on and shake it all around to combine). Pour into a smaller bowl or ramekin and place in fridge for up to 1 hour. The longer the better to allow for the chia seeds to expand and ‘set’.

Take out of fridge, top with granola, chocolate buckinis, sliced banana and cacao nibs and scoop away. This dessert it PACKED full of protein so it wont leave your tummy unhappy pre snooze either… aaaaaaand it tastes delicious!!!

ENJOY

PS. More recipes that contain the amazing BA-BA-BA-BA-NA-NAAAAA below:

Peanut butter pancakes recipe >HERE, Mug cake recipe >HERE, Nut free banana granola bar recipe >HERE, choc banana smoothie recipe >HERE, Choc-mint smoothie bowl recipe >HERE, strawberries and cream smoothie recipe >HERE, Banana bread recipe >HERE, Banana Date Muffin recipe >HERE

COCO-ALMOND BITES

Published on February 6, 2015 by Katie morgan2 Comments

FEATURE FRIDAY – Sarah Bambey the lovely healthy foodie behind the instagram account @pretendhealthfreak provides me with so much inspiration and healthy raw treaties to get excited about. This one in particular caught my eye. I love anything and everything coconutty and who could resist the cute little raspberry on top!

The best part about this recipe is that it is simple yet delicious. It isn’t time consuming, doesn’t involve waiting hours for layers to set AND you are bound to have the ingredients in your pantry or fridge already! Give it a try !!

COCO-ALMOND BITES

BASE

2 cups shredded coconut

1/4 cup coconut oil

2 Tbs coconut yoghurt (could use greek yoghurt too)

sprinkle of stevia

TOPPING

raw almond butter with a fresh raspberry

Process base ingredients until smooth and press into square pan. Spread almond butter on top and refrigerate. Cut and place raspberries on each square. Freeze or refrigerate.

Thanks Sarah!! Happy Friday all

AFTER DINNER TUMMY GRUMBLE

Published on February 5, 2015 by Katie morgan3 Comments

Ever just have those days where no matter WHAT you eat for dinner, you are still hungry and in particularly craving something sweet? Yes we have all been there, especially us lovely ladies with hormones, moods and cravings that just cannot be explained right. Well it is okay to snack on something to kill the cravings and keep you satisfied. Let’s be honest – if you tell yourself you ARE NOT allowed to eat anything after dinner you will spend the whole evening craving something and then most likely smash an entire block of chocolate or in my case a solid 6 cookies or bliss balls from the freezer!!

Here are my 5 top recommendations for after dinner nibbles and treats. These foods are high in protein so will kill the cravings without ridiculous sugar highs that will keep you tossing and turning and counting sheep all night. They are also easy to digest to that stomach of yours can rest too and you wont wake up feeling full or bloated. Sounds good to me.

TOP 5 AFTER DINNER NIBBLES – BECAUSE SOMETIMES WE JUST NEED SOME

1. 3 Medjool Dates filled peanut butter and almonds; Take the pips out of 3 medjool dates. Spoon a teaspoon of peanut butter into each date followed by 3 almonds. Perfect little high protein sweet treat packed with fiber to fight artificial sugar cravings.

2. Greek yoghurt, fruit and frozen blueberries; full of protein and antioxidants this is the perfect little combo to assist with some youthful beauty sleep.

3. Protein microwave mug cake; this is the perfect high protein snack when you are craving a large slice of CAKE! It only takes 3 minutes all up and is packed with highly nutritious wholesome ingredients, protein and fiber. Bananas are a wonderful pre sleep snack and won’t keep your digestive system awake either. >>RECIPE HERE

4. Avocado chocolate mousse; creamy and delicious you won’t believe it’s avocado and not packed with artificial crap. Full of essential healthy fats and protein this is a wonderful post dinner snack and is easy to digest. >> RECIPE HERE

5. Homemade banana date muffin; high in potassium, magnesium and fiber, bananas help to relax overstressed muscles. They also contain serotonin and melatonin which are the brains key calming hormones. >>RECIPE HERE

So next time you have a little sweet craving post dinner – don’t beat yourself up about it and instead of having artificial sweetened lollies or chocolate indulge in one of these high protein quick fixes and enjoy a good nights sleep!!

ZUCCHINI PASTA

Published on February 3, 2015 by Katie morgan5 Comments

Growing up spaghetti bolognaise was my staple meal. When we went out for dinner, mum would make sure they had the good ol’ spag on the menu (either spag or lasagna) and I would be one happy chappy.

After having ongoing problems digesting wheat and grains over the last few years I went off pasta with the exception of whole meal or spelt versions. After investing in a vegetable spiraliser / julienne peeler I have been able to reunite with my spaghetti bolognaise and pasta love and let me tell you – it’s life changing!

Super simple and effective, zucchini pasta is becoming a bit of a fad around raw kitchens and wholefood healthy conscious cafes – with good reason. It means that us unfortunate type with a stomach that hates me more than life itself, can still enjoy twirling that pasta around my fork and splashing red Napolitano sauce all over me.

A favourite in our kitchen at the moment is my pesto pasta topped with a fillet of crispy skin salmon. Perfect combination of protein, essential fats, omega 3’s and greens.

ZUCCHINI PASTA WITH FRESH BASIL PESTO AND SALMON – serves 2

2 fillets of salmon with skin

2-3 large zucchinis

1 cup of grape cherry tomatoes

6 asparagus spears

4 heaped tablespoons of my pesto sauce >> RECIPE HERE

1/4 cup walnuts

Fresh basil leaves and parmesan cheese for garnish

METHOD: Using the spiraliser/julienne peeler, peel the 3 zucchinis until you hit the core. Don’t peel the core/seeds. Set aside for later.

Finely chop the zucchini cores up and place in fry pan with some olive oil. Add chopped asparagus and the cherry tomatoes and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the pesto sauce and stir until combined.

In a second fry pan – fry the salmon pieces in some olive oil until nice and crispy. I like mine to be slightly undercooked so just cook it until you are satisfied. Set aside.

Pour some olive oil in a hot pan and add the zucchini pasta for 2-3 minutes. Add the diced zucchini, asparagus, tomatoes and pesto mix. Stir until well combined. Don’t over cook the zucchini noodles otherwise they will be soggy.

Divide the pasta into two bowls and top with the fillet of salmon and some extra parmesan cheese and walnuts. Garnish with a fresh basil leaf and serve! They wont believe its zucchini!!

FRESH SPINACH + BASIL PESTO

Published on February 2, 2015February 3, 2015 by Katie morgan5 Comments

This fresh spinach and basil pesto recipe is bursting with amazing flavours and it so easy to make and store. An absolute Italian herby staple in my fridge – especially if you are able to get your hands on some freshly grown organic basil.

FRESH SPINACH + BASIL PESTO

1 cup spinach

1/2 clove garlic

large bunch of fresh basil

1 cup walnuts/pine nuts

1/2 cup cashews

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup olive oil

squeeze of lemon juice

sea salt and pepper

METHOD: Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until well combined. Add extra olive oil if needed. Freeze portions in snap lock bags for later or store in a jar in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

RAW ZUCCHINI Pesto Pasta recipe HERE>>

BLUEBERRY COCONUT AND PISTACHIO TART

Published on January 30, 2015 by Katie morganLeave a comment

Ever get home from work and just feel like devouring cake? I hope you said yes because I am like this 90% of the time! Thankfully I have plenty of cakes, tarts, slices and balls stored away in my freezer for sweet emergencies or when guests come over unannounced and I need a healthy sweet treat to go with a cuppa. Our household often indulges in raw vegan sugar-free tarts for dessert in front of a Saturday night movie.

This Raw Blueberry coconut and pistachio tart I whipped up in no time over the summer holidays for the family and they were all very impressed. There was 4 pieces left over which mum kept in the freezer and pulled out for dessert when entertaining a couple of weeks later and once again… happy faces!

This recipe can be both raw or baked. It is more of a texture preference or whether you would prefer it serves hot or cold. However, all the ingredients used are ‘raw’ and unprocessed so it is considered and raw tart. I chose to bake the base and serve it hot with some Salted Caramel ice cream. Divine!

BLUEBERRY COCONUT AND PISTACHIO TART – 1 tart 8 slices

TART BASE

1 cup pistachios

1 cup almonds

1/2 cup coconut oil

8-10 medjool dates

2 Tbs honey or coconut nectar

Pre heat oven to 180 degrees. Place all ingredients into a food processor and whizz until combined. Press base into lined or greased tart tin. Tins with removable bases work best. Place in oven for 15 minutes until the almond pistachio base is nice and brown. Do not over cook otherwise it will be too crumbly. Set aside to cool

BLUEBERRY FILLING

2 cups cashews (soaked for 4 hours/overnight if possible)

3 Tbs honey or coconut nectar

1 cup frozen blueberries

200mls coconut cream or coconut yoghurt

Meanwhile, place all ingredients into cleaned food processor and whizz for 2-3 minutes until the cashews and blueberries are soft and creamy. Pour into tart tin and set aside.

COCONUT TOPPING

1 cup shredded coconut

1/4 cup melted coconut oil

1 egg white (optional – omit for vegan option)

In a bowl mix the shredded coconut with the oil and egg white. Once well coated top the blueberry filling with the coconut and place in hot oven for 10 minutes until the coconut is toasted and slightly brown. For raw option just top the blueberry layer with plain shredded coconut and set in freezer for 3-5 hours.

Store in fridge or freezer.

SERVE HOT: When you are ready to serve it – place the whole tart or selected slices on a baking tray and put in the oven for 15 minutes. Serve hot topped with ice cream or yoghurt. Highly recommend Murray river salted caramel connoisseur !!

SERVE COLD: take it out of the freezer and leave it to thaw for 10-15 minutes. Serve on a plate with some fresh berries or cream.

HANDY LITTLE TIP- If you have left overs or excess of any of the layers whilst making it – don’t throw it away. Make some small pieces or slice with the layers and cook it exactly the same. Perfect little bite size high antioxidant sweet treats.

PEPPERMINT CRISP CHOCOLATE STICKS

Published on January 30, 2015 by Katie morganLeave a comment

This recipe is by the incredible Adriana Harlan, author of “Living Healthy With Chocolate”. If anyone knows a thing or two about healthy clean chocolate treats it’s Adriana – and so I wanted to share this amazing recipe with you as choc mint is one of my serious weaknesses!! You will love it! P.s Mum – when you get back from your travels you MUST make this for Dad!!

PEPPERMINT CRISP CHOCOLATE STICKS – Paleo, GF, SF, DF

6 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

4 tablespoons raw cacao powder

4 tablespoons almond butter

2 tablespoons raw honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon peppermint extract

pinch of salt

½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

½ cup pecans

METHOD:

In a large bowl stir together the coconut oil, cacao powder, almond butter, honey, vanilla, peppermint extract and salt
heat the mixture slowly on low heat over simmering water for 5 to 10 minutes until all ingredients are combined
chop the pecans in a food processor
add the chopped pecans and shredded coconut to the melted chocolate mixture and stir together
pour in a brownie/slice tin lined with baking paper
freeze until chocolate is set then cut into sticks. Store in airtight container in freezer.

Happy baking

STRAWBERRIES AND CREAM SMOOTHIE

Published on January 27, 2015 by Katie morgan1 Comment

Simple, quick and delicious. This thick and creamy smoothie is packed full of healthy fats and nutritious antioxidants for glowing skin. The perfect snack or add a 1/2 cup of oats for a quick breakfast on the go. The oats will keep you full and give you energy to attack the day. Happy blending!!

STRAWBERRIES AND CREAM SMOOTHIE – serves 1

1 cup frozen strawberries

1 frozen banana

1 cup coconut milk/cream

1/2 cup oats

optional: extra milk or coconut water if desired

Place all ingredients in blender and whizz until smooth. Add some extra milk or coconut water if you don’t want it as thick. Simply pour into a jar and start slurping! Top with coconut flakes and chia seeds if desired!