Tag: ORGANIC

FEATURE FRIDAY – HEALTHY VEGAN CARROT CAKE

Published on by Katie morgan3 Comments

Another week another feature Friday on the blog and I find myself scrolling through one of my favourites Sarah Bambey once again. Not only is she lovely and down to earth and her recipes ARE INSANELY gorgeous and delicious but most of all I just love her natural zest for life and ‘no bullshit’ attitude. Her blog is called ‘Pretend Health Freak’ because she is exactly that. She is not a qualified nutritionist, PT, chef or yoga professional – Just a girl pretending to be an expert on all things health. (with google these days aren’t we all?) Continue reading “FEATURE FRIDAY – HEALTHY VEGAN CARROT CAKE” →

ORIGINAL FROYO

Published on by Katie morgan1 Comment

I am sure I have spoken about this PLENTY of times before but here is the OFFICIAL Froyo recipe page. What’s Froyo? Frozen yoghurt … and boy is it delish! Especially this home made version. Frozen yoghurt might sound like the healthier option to ice cream or soft serves but beware some varieties are laden with sugar and nasties. There is a reason it tastes to sweet… Continue reading “ORIGINAL FROYO” →

EATING BEFORE AND AFTER A WORKOUT?

Published on by Katie morganLeave a comment

When it comes to eating healthy and working out, I rarely fall off the bandwagon. My daily routine consists of leafy greens, my morning coffee, sweaty gym sessions, stretching (and of course sitting on my bum 9-5… yes it’s not all lululemon and relaxing) But despite being a health nut/gym rat, there is one thing that has always stumped me… What to eat before and after a workout? and when? Continue reading “EATING BEFORE AND AFTER A WORKOUT?” →

BOLOGNESE RAGU SAUCE

Published on by Katie morgan1 Comment

I have said it once and I will say it again – growing up I was the ultimate spag bol kid. Totally addicted to spaghetti bolognaise (and lasagna) and would order it every time we went out for dinner otherwise I am pretty sure there was tears.

I have MASTERED a really, really good Bolognese recipe and will let you in on my secrets. Firstly – it is going to be on the stove for a while!! Just like my pesto pasta recipe >> HERE this is a great week night meal that allows for plenty of left overs which are easy to freeze and it is tasty, filling and cheap!

The preparation itself doesn’t take too long and it is loaded with hidden veggies which are great for the kids. The key to this recipe is in the fresh herbs and spices – Little bit of sweetness, saltiness and spice.

To get a rich, thick sauce it is vital to let it simmer for 3 hours until most of the liquid and juices are evaporated. Slow cooking and thickening also enhances all of the flavours so make sure you leave yourself enough time for this to simmer away on the stove for up to 3 hours. It is going to make the house smell amazing.

 

BOLOGNESE RAGU SAUCE

4TBS olive oil

1 kg grass fed free range mince – can be a combination of 1/3 pork 2/3 beef. But use the normal meat to fat ratio. No need for extra lean mince.

2 large brown onions diced

4 garlic cloves diced

4 rashers of free range bacon diced

1 tsp cumin ground

1 tsp chili flakes

1 tsp cinnamon ground

1 tsp star anise ground

1 tsp nutmeg ground

1 tsp sea salt

3 bay leaves

1 tsp paprika ground

1 cup red wine

2 TBS Worcestershire sauce

1TBS sugar substitute – raw honey, stevia or coconut sugar

fresh handful oregano, parsley and/or thyme diced

800gms of Tomato Pasta Sauce >> Homemade recipe HERE (can use 2 400gms tins of crushed tomatoes or large jar of passata)

3 TBS tomato paste

2 grated carrots

1 grated zucchini

1 cup of sliced mushrooms

 spag

METHOD:

In a large pot/saucepan heat HALF the oil with the spices. Add the bacon, onion, garlic and vegetables and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Add the other 2TBS of oil to the pan along with the mince. Break it up so it isn’t in clumps and sautee for 5-8 mins until it is no longer pink. Add the sautéed vegetables back to the pot.

Pour in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, red wine, Worcestershire and honey. Bring to the boil. When boiled drop to a low heat and simmer WITH THE LID ON for up to 2 hours. Remove the lid and cook for another 1 hour or until thick and ready to serve. Stir occasionally.

Serve with whole meal/spelt/GF spaghetti or make some zucchini noodles*. Top with some parmesan cheese, a squeeze of lemon, drizzle of olive oil and some fresh herbs.

pasta

*ZUCCHINI NOODLES:

2-3 large zucchinis peeled with a julienne peeler or a spiriliser machine. In a hot fry pan with 2 Tbs coconut oil, toss the zucchini with some squeezed lemon juice and fresh sea salt. Don’t over cook or you will end up with soggy noodles. Ain’t nothing ‘al dente’ about sog.

food-paleo-17

This sauce is also great for homemade lasagnas, shepherds pies and eggplant stacks. Recipes to come!!

K

CLASSIC CHOC-MINT SMOOTHIE

Published on 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

choc mint 2

 

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 !

K

ZUCCHINI PASTA

Published on 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 pasta1

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.

pesto sauce

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!!

zucchini pastapaasta

K

BLUEBERRY COCONUT AND PISTACHIO TART

Published on 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!

slice

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

blueb tart

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.

blurb tart

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.

blueb tart 2

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.

tart slice

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.

blurb tart slice

K

 

NUT FREE BANANA GRANOLA BARS

Published on by Katie morgan2 Comments

There are so many healthy alternatives to sugar coated LCM and muesli bars on the market although many of them contain nuts making them a no-no for school lunch boxes and some work places due to strict allergy control.

Try these nut free banana granola bars. They are perfect to freeze and make for a wonderful lunch box idea. Not only are they nut free, but they are also gluten, dairy, refined sugar and soy free AND paleo friendly. Yep, these healthy bars tick all the boxes.

slice

BANANA GRANOLA BARS – NUT FREE

3 cups old fashioned oats

3 large ripe bananas

3/4 cup shredded coconut

1/4 cup pepitas/sunflower seeds

1/4 cup goji berries

1/4 cup diced dried apricots

1 Tbs chia seeds

2/3 cup apple sauce

3 Tbs honey or maple syrup

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp sea salt

 

METHOD: Spread oats, coconut and seeds out on a baking tray and lightly spray with olive oil. Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly toasted. Meanwhile mash bananas and add all other ingredients. Fold in toasted oat mix and pour into a lined brownie/slice tray. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 45-50 minutes until brown. *varies between ovens so just watch carefully after 35 mins. Cool in tin for 5 minutes before transferring to wire rack. Cut into about 18 bars and store in the fridge. Great for freezing too!

 

Happy baking all

K