RECIPES – Page 15 – KATIE MORGAN

NN DAY 11 – GO BANANAS

Published on November 11, 2014November 12, 2014 by Katie morgan4 Comments

Bananas have always been one of my favourite fruits. If you think bananas are just for monkeys… think again. But hey we are part monkey after all right? And a banana was probably the first solid food that you ever ate as a baby.

HAVE YOU HAD YOUR BANANA TODAY??

Bananas are great for maintaining healthy digestion, lowering blood pressure and curbing appetite. They are dubbed natures energy snack and are great brain food to help keep you alert at work. Because they are rich in potassium, bananas are good for heart and kidney health as well as bone density. They nourish healthy bacteria in the digestive system and help the body to absorb nutrients and resist bacterial infection.

Nutritionally, a banana is a powerful package. The number one quick source of carbohydrates for many athletes or people working out, a banana will give you a sustained and substantial energy boost which is quickly digested and converted to muscle fuel, great for pre or post workout nutrition. They are easy to transport in your handbag (just don’t forget about it), backpack, work draw or car so they make the perfect on the go snack.

How can you look at a banana the same way again after discovering the amazing health benefits and many reasons to add them to your diet DAILY! and why wouldn’t you when they GO WITH ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING! Smoothies, ice cream, healthy slices, muffins RECIPE HERE, mug cakes RECIPE HERE and pancakes RECIPE HERE. In fact I don’t think there are many of my clean living recipes that DON’T use a banana.

CONVINCED YET? TRY THIS CREAMY BANANA AVOCADO SMOOTHIE BELOW.

CREAMY BANANA AVOCADO SMOOTHIE RECIPE – serves 1 (simply double recipe for 2 people)

1 ripe banana (fresh or frozen)

1/2 avocado

1 cup dairy, soy or almond milk

1tsp cinnamon

1Tbs raw honey

1Tbs chia seeds

1Tbs peanut butter

Handful of ice

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Enjoy!!

NN DAY 10 – THE CHOCOLATE FIX

Published on November 10, 2014November 12, 2014 by Katie morganLeave a comment

Chocolate is just one of those things that makes us happy. FACT! It’s actually scientifically proven too!! OH YOU BETCHA. Chocolate is a very nutritious source of antioxidants which are good for our inner health, skin, brain function and hormones. Personally I don’t need much more reason than that and that’s why I rarely go a day without some form of chocolate. And why should we?

As someone with an ‘all or nothing’ streak in their body I am not the greatest at self control (or portion size mind you) and the more ‘artificial’ the chocolate… the more addictive it is. Our body gets a taste of the sweet sugar and we simply cannot stop. Ever gone to the pantry to have ‘just one piece’ and ended up demolishing the whole block? yeahhhhh about that!! This is why a lot of health magazines and websites/blog recommend dark chocolate because the higher the cocoa content the lower the sugar and therefore the better it is for us. Lindt dark coconut intense anyone?? YUM or any of the intense dark Lindt range for that matter. Although the lime flavour… hmmmm interesting!!

Here are my 5 favourite chocolate fixes for ANY TIME of the day. Any one of them is going to make you feel all gooey inside and satisfy the chocolatey goodness you are craving without causing a blood sugar insulin spikes followed by a lethargic slum.

1. Banana-choc coconut smoothie (RECIPE HERE FROM NN DAY 08)

2. Luvju organic raw chocolate by the amazing company Loving Earth. Website HERE. YOU HAVE GOT TO TRY THIS!!! I bought a whole box and then some – it was the most exciting (and healthy) delivery package I have ever received!!! Hello work draw!

3. Homemade cacao chia cookies – Recipe to come in the near future! stay tuned!

4. Instant avocado cacao mousse – recipe will be posted in a couple of days

5. Homemade cacao protein balls RECIPE BELOW

CACAO PROTEIN BALLS

2 cups medjool dates (soaked overnight is best)

2 scoops protein powder (chocolate or vanilla)

1/2 cup shredded coconut (plus extra for rolling)

1/2 cup coconut oil

2Tbs honey

2Tbs cacao powder

1/2 cup nuts (almonds, cashews or brazil)

1/2 cup Goji berries (optional – but a wonderful little addition if you have them handy)

Place all ingredients into a food processor or Vitamix and blend.

Roll into medium sized balls and cover in extra cacao powder or coconut if desired. Refrigerate until firm! Can store in fridge for up to 4 weeks and freezer for 3 months! Trust me – they WONT last that long!

2-3 of these sweet chocolatey bliss balls make for the perfect after work or after dinner snack with a cuppa and are completely guilt free!! Happy Baking!!!

REMEMBER CHOCOLATE IS NOT AN ENEMY! IT CAN BE YOUR BEST FRIEND!!!

NN DAY 8 – GROOVY SMOOTHIE

Published on November 8, 2014November 8, 2014 by Katie morgan4 Comments

Soggy spinach? Bruised mangoes? Spongey apples? Brown bananas? PERFECT!! Don’t throw them out. Throw them into a blender instead for the perfect groovy smoothie! They taste delicious and are jam packed with nutritious vitamins, minerals and fiber. Smoothies are a great on the go snack and are super quick and easy to make. And considering most things go into the one blender – there isn’t much mess to clean up after. (Unlike a juicer with its million parts)

If you chose to have a smoothie as a ‘meal’ ie for breakfast, then make sure you add substantial protein and healthy fats to keep you going. A simple scoop of protein powder, a raw egg, 1Tbs LSA, chia seeds or a handful of cashews are bound to do the trick! Cashews, macadamias and other nuts give smoothies a real creamy texture – so why not chuck a few in next time you blend!

To blend or juice? Unlike juicing – where you extract only the water and nutrients from the vegetable/fruit, smoothies include the whole content, fiber and all. When you remove the fiber from the produce, the liquid juice is absorbed into your blood stream quickly. If you are only juicing fruits, this would cause a rapid spike in blood sugar and unstable blood sugar levels can lead to mood swings, energy loss, memory problems and more! Fiber is also filling and without fiber in the juice, some people tend to get hungry again quickly. If you do however prefer a pulp free ‘juice’ over a thick smoothie, make sure you don’t throw out the pulp. Use it to make vegetarian patties, burgers or add it to your next spaghetti bolognaise.

MY TWO FAVOURITE SMOOTHIE RECIPES BELOW – THE GREEN GODDESS AND THE BANANA-CHOC COCONUT

GREEN GODDESS SMOOTHIE – serves 1

1 frozen ripe banana (doesn’t have to be frozen but it makes it more creamy if it is)

1 cup frozen mango or pineapple diced

1 handful of spinach or kale

1TBS chia seeds (extra for topping)

1TBS LSA or protein powder

2-4 Medjool dates

2tsp vital greens or spirulina powder

1/2 cup milk (almond, dairy, coconut or soy)

1/2 cup coconut water (add extra if desired based on texture)

BANANA-CHOC COCONUT SMOOTHIE – serves 1

1 frozen ripe banana

2TBS shredded coconut (extra for topping)

2TBS cacao powder

1TBS chia seeds

8-10 cashews or macadamia nuts

2-4 Medjool dates

1/2 cup coconut milk (can use almond, dairy or soy)

1/2 cup coconut water (add extra if desired based on texture)

HAPPY BLENDING UP THESE GROOVY SMOOTHIES !!!

NN DAY 2 – SUNDAY BRUNCH

Published on November 2, 2014November 3, 2014 by Katie morganLeave a comment

Sunday is my favourite day of the week closely followed by my Friday nights in. Sunday for us means walks, coffee, sleep ins, food shops, yoga, brunch and catching up on things to prepare for the week ahead. And nothing like a large indulgent dessert (like my instant chocolate mug cake, recipe HERE) or a glass of wine on a Sunday night to celebrate a week of good health and nutrition, knowing that you can start a clean slate on a Monday morning. But before we get too carried away in indulgent desserts lets skip back to the MOST important meal of the day… BREAKFAST!!! If your daily breakfast routine consists of an alternating cycle of PB banana toast one day and soaked oats the next – then you will appreciate the enjoyment of making a nice exciting breakfast without a time limit. Yep I am talking smoked salmon, poached eggs and avocado on toast or a quadruple layer stack of peanut butter coconut pancakes, recipe HERE. It’s the simple things like actually sitting down and setting the table instead of scoffing my oats whilst making my other half’s smoothie or shoveling my toast down whilst walking out the door.

A few of my favourite Sunday brunches are;

1. Peanut butter coconut pancakes. Recipe on the blog HERE

2. Smoked salmon, soft boiled eggs and avocado on toast

3. Jumbo mushroom omelette

4. Smoothie bowl with granola

5. Fresh Bircher muesli. Recipe below

FRESH BIRCHER MUESLI RECIPE – serves 2

1 cup oats

3Tbs chia seeds

1tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

1-2 oranges freshly squeezed

Milk (enough to cover the oats)

1 large apple grated

½ cup coconut shredded

1/3 cup honey or maple syrup

½ cup goji berries

1 cup greek yoghurt

½ cup mixed nuts

2Tbs pepitas

Blueberries and 1/2 banana sliced for topping

Extra cinnamon, coconut and honey

The night before in a large bowl combine oats, chia seeds, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange juice, apple, coconut, honey and goji berries. Stir until combined and pour enough milk so the ingredients are comfortably covered. Cover with cling wrap and leave in fridge overnight.

In the morning remove cling wrap and add the yoghurt. Pour in the nuts and seeds and stir until combined. Serve up 2 bowls and top with the cinnamon, honey, coconut, berries and banana. Get creative and enjoy!!

The most important part about healthy eating is enjoying what you eat. I personally get excited lying in bed at night thinking about what marvelous creation I am going to whip up for breakky in the morning!!

So get planning and make this Sunday a special ‘healthy’ brunch to kick off a fit, healthy and nutritious November.

MUGCAKE MONDAY

Published on October 15, 2014November 3, 2014 by Katie morgan8 Comments

Ok, yes it’s not Monday but “humpday mugcake” just didn’t have the same ring to it aaaaaaannnndddddd whilst you were all getting on with your Monday evening routines, I was sitting up in bed inhaling the most amazing healthy quick chocolate peanut butter cake post dinner. Not only does this perfect little creation only take about 2 minutes to make but it is high in protein, low in carbohydrates and so damn fine on the lips!

Chocolate cake in bed – Yep you read correctly. Eating healthy has never been so fun! These mug cakes are very simple and easy and you will probably have most of these ingredients in the pantry/fridge already. They don’t require knives or electric blenders or mixers so they can be a fun little after school experiment for the kids too. Much better than any Coles chocolate cake that’s for sure.

Now beware – I have had a lot of Monday’s in my life which also means I have attempted many mugcake Mondays. Just a simple google search will give you millions of variations of the microwave mugcake however i have managed to fine tune a recipe that works and will avoid any explosions (as fun as the explosions are – it is definitely better to eat the cake out of the mug or bowl and not scraping it off the microwave plate… yes grosse I know)

So here is 2 slightly different variations – a chocolate protein mugcake and a fresh blueberry banana variety to serve both taste palettes.

CHOCOLATE PROTEIN MUGCAKE – Nut Free

Serving size: 1

1 egg

1/2 ripe banana

1 scoop protein powder (chocolate preferred)

1tsp stevia or honey

1tsp baking powder

1Tbs cacao powder

1Tbs psyllium husks

3-4Tbs milk of choice (dairy, soy, rice or almond)

1-2 Tbs peanut butter

1/2 Tbs greek yoghurt

METHOD:

In a bowl mix together protein, cacao, psyllium husks, stevia and baking powder. Mash banana, add egg and milk and stir into dry ingredients until thick cake batter consistency. May need to add extra Tbs milk.

Spray a large mug with oil and pour in the cake mixture. Place in microwave for 2 minutes – stopping after 1 minute to check it.

Tip the mug upside down onto a plate or shallow bowl and give it a small shake or tap to make the mugcake fall out.

Peanut butter sauce: Whip the peanut butter and yoghurt in a glass adding milk to thin it out as desired. Simply pour over the chocolate mugcake and top with shredded coconut, chia seeds and a dusting of cacao or cinnamon. Or slice up the other half of the banana! Get creative!!

HOT TIP: Once poured into the mug, place a large spoonful of peanut butter/nut butter/nutella in the middle of the mugcake prior to cooking for a melted runny peanut butter lava centre. Seriously HEAVEN!!

BLUEBERRY MUGCAKE – Protein powder free

Serving size: 1

1 egg

1 ripe banana (use 1/2 for topping)

1/2 cup frozen blueberries (use 1/2 for berry sauce)

3Tbs LSA/coconut flour/oat meal

1Tbs psyllium husks

3-4Tbs milk of choice (dairy, soy, rice, almond)

1tsp stevia or honey

1tsp baking powder

1-2 Tbs Greek Yoghurt

METHOD:

In a bowl combine LSA, stevia and baking powder. Mash 1/2 banana in a bowl. Set aside other half for topping. Add egg and milk and stir until combined. Add to dry ingredients and stir until thick cake batter consistency. Add 1/4 cup blueberries and stir gently.

Spray a large mug with oil and pour in the cake mixture. Place in microwave for 2 minutes – stopping after 1 minute to check it.

Tip the mug upside down onto a plate or shallow bowl and give it a small shake or tap to make the mugcake fall out.

Berry whip sauce: Mash the other 1/4 cup of thawed berries in a bowl and add greek yoghurt. Whip until combined. Add milk to thin sauce if desired and pour over mug cake. Top with 1/2 banana freshly sliced and shredded coconut.

And the best part is… you don’t need to wait until next Monday to try. Make one tonight !!

BANANA DATE MUFFINS

Published on September 30, 2014 by Katie morgan11 Comments

Fair to say that I was a busy little bee in the kitchen for most of the long weekend baking up an absolute storm! and a yummy storm at that. Yep – you guessed it, I am the number one culprit of ‘tasting’ whilst you cook and adding ‘one date for the blender and one for my mouth’ … “pickers wear big knickers” as my mum used to say but what’s a good cook who doesn’t taste their food right?? Ok yes I agree having spoonful after spoonful straight from the peanut butter jar and nibbling on dates isnt quite taste testing the mixture but it tastes good!!

Muffins are one of my favourites and absolute MUST HAVES in the freezer. Not only are they a great sized high protein, high fibre and low carb/sugar snack but they are great for quickly grabbing something on your way out the door rather than reaching for chocolate, lollies or chips. Ever racing out the door without breakfast? Fading away at your desk with a boring apple for morning tea? Nothing but processed LCM bars to put in the kids lunch boxes? Inhaling a whole block of chocolate when you get home from work (we have all been there)? or having a drumstick ice cream for dessert because you can’t find a healthy substitute? If you answered yes to any of these then you have got to get baking!!

Some of my favourite muffin flavours are banana date, apple cinnamon, raspberry white chocolate and traditional blueberry. You can really add anything you like and mix it up often so you never get bored. I like to eat them straight from the freezer because not only are they super dense and hard but it also means I have to breath between mouthfuls and eat slower. Alternatively heating it up for 30 seconds in the microwave and spreading some fresh butter, mashed banana or nut butter on each half is just as divine! Just don’t forget a little cinnamon sprinkle too!

So back to my baking weekend – after looking over at the fruit bowl and seeing some rather brown spotty sad-looking bananas I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to get muffin making. We had just spent some time out at my partner’s mums property and was lucky enough to bring home 18 freshly laid farm eggs – so BOOM … apron and oven on!

This particular recipe uses a food processor although I am sure with some serious elbow grease and a more ‘chunky’ outcome you could do without. Bananas are a fantastic source of potassium and good carbohydrates for energy. Combined with the added fibre and essential nutrients from the dates and the omega 3 and protein content of the chia seeds these power house muffins will keep you feeling full for longer and avoid any 3pm sugar crash.

HEALTHY BANANA DATE MUFFINS – SUGAR FREE, DAIRY FREE, GLUTEN FREE AND PALEO FRIENDLY*

INGREDIENTS:

3 ripe bananas

3 large eggs

10-12 pitted medjool dates (I added a few extras because they taste delicious)

1Tbs vanilla extract

1/2 cup coconut oil – or similar

1/2 cup LSA (linseed, sunflower seeds and almonds ground)

1/2 cup walnuts or other nuts (optional)

1/2 cup orange juice or water (I used coconut water)

2Tbs chia seeds

1.5 cups almond meal

1 cup wholemeal flour or gluten-free flour (again can substitute as you wish)

1tsp baking powder

1tsp baking soda

1/4tsp salt

METHOD:

Pre heat the oven to 160 degrees and line a 12 cup muffin tin with patty pans or oil. You might need 2 trays depending on the depth/size. I used a friand tin and a silicone muffin tin so what ever is going is good!

Place the bananas, dates, eggs, vanilla, coconut oil and juice/water in the food processor and blend until smooth (about 2-3 minutes).

In a large mixing bowl combine the all dry ingredients except the walnuts. Make a well in the centre of the mixture and pour the banana mixture from the food processor slowly into the bowl. Carefully fold the walnuts in and stir until combined. If you want a more ‘chunky’ texture you can add a few roughly chopped dates into the mixture now.

Once combined spoon the mixture evenly into the patty pans about 3/4 full.

Place in oven for 15/20 mins or until the skewer comes out clean.

Note: I topped some of the muffins with a large brazil nut (for my other half). Brazil nuts are rich in selenium which is great for protection against heart disease and prostate/breast cancers. They also have high antioxidant enzymes that boosts the immune system and it makes the muffins look super cute!

Make sure you keep an eye on the muffins and check them after 15 minutes to avoid drying out/over cooking. Leave to cool on a wire rack and then put some aside to eat and place the rest in snap lock bags and store them in the freezer for up to 6-8 weeks (if they don’t all get eaten sooner)

Enjoy