RECIPE – Page 7 – KATIE MORGAN

NUT FREE BANANA GRANOLA BARS

Published on January 16, 2015 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.

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

BANANA BREAD

Published on January 16, 2015January 26, 2019 by Katie morgan4 Comments

Banana bread has seriously got to be one of the best things going around. Perfect for lunch boxes, morning teas or ‘bring a plate’ style picnics. It is so simple to make and without all the added butter and sugar of a regular loaf, this clean healthy recipe means you can toast it, microwave it or spread some peanut butter on it, totally guilt free anytime of the day.

BANANA BREAD – makes 1 loaf

3 large over ripe bananas mashed

3 eggs

3 Tbs honey or maple syrup

1/4 cup coconut oil melted

1tsp bi-carb soda

1tsp baking powder

3 Tbs dedicated coconut

2 cups almond meal or spelt flour

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp vanilla extract

Extra: shredded coconut or banana sliced for decoration

METHOD: Combine all wet ingredients in a bowl. Add the dry ingredients and pour into greased or lined loaf tin. Place in preheated 160 degrees oven for 50 – 60 minutes until nice and brown. Keeps in fridge for 1 week.

Remember that it is a ‘bread’ so it is supposed to have a nice dark crust.

HOT TIP – I love to eat my banana bread microwaved and smeared with 1 Tbs peanut butter and 1/2 banana sliced topped with cinnamon. Heaven!

Slice up and freeze for morning tea!

COCO-NUTS FOR COCONUTS

Published on January 15, 2015 by Katie morganLeave a comment

Is it just me or is everything these days coconut based? Coconut milk, coconut water, shredded coconut, desiccated coconut, coconut flour, coconut nectar, coconut oil, coconut chips, coconut cream, coconut butter, coconut syrup, coconut sugar and coconut yoghurt. And there’s good reason for it too. Coconuts are a ‘wonder food’ and have so many health benefits that all humans need in their daily diet. In our western world, the coconut is an ‘health’ food consumed by the health conscious people. However, in other parts of the world people have thrived off coconuts for many generations. And it is no surprise that these people live for many more decades than us.

Straight from the tree as mother nature intended, coconuts have the highest concentration of electrolytes than any other fruit which makes it a superb source of hydration.

The oil from the coconut contains a unique combination of fatty acids with powerful medicinal properties. Previously, coconut oil has had a negative view as it contains saturated fat. (Post on the different types of fats HERE) Coconut oil is one of the richest sources of saturated fat known to man and also 90% of the fatty acids in it are in fact saturated. However, coconut oil doesn’t contain the regular saturated fats which you find in steak and cheese, and they are metabolised differently. Coconut oil is not only great for consuming, but can be used for cosmetic purposes to improve hair and skin appearance or be used as a toothpaste and mouth wash alternative. Fun fact; it is also proven to block 20% of the suns UV rays.

Because of the coconuts antioxidant properties and high nutrient content, they can be used to:

Lower cholesterol
Improve digestion (yes please)
Maintain youthful skin
Stabilise glucose levels
Increase your metabolism
Fight infections and viruses
Kill bacteria
Improve your memory
Regulate hormones
Lose weight
Increase thyroid function

Most things I bake contain some form of coconut and they are a great substitute for dairy or wheat ingredients. Although there is potential to go over board and make everything taste like coconut. I personally LOVE the flavour of coconut and don’t usually go a day without some form of coconut intake. However, I do understand that some people don’t like the taste and find it quite disgusting. There are so many ways to spice up your taste buds with some coconut, not to mention the added health benefits too. Coconut muffins, cakes, bliss balls, pancakes, slices, granola, topping for smoothies and for general munching on. Sarah Wilson author of I Quit Sugar, likes to have a teaspoon or two of coconut oil straight from the jar when she has sweet cravings or is a tad too hungry before dinner. Great idea. Spoon for the frying pan and a spoon for my mouth! It will only make you look younger and speed up that metabolism so what do you have to lose? Other than weight of course!

Here are 5 interesting ways to use the wonderful coconut fruit

Bake with coconut flour. See my peanut butter and coconut pancake recipe HERE

Rub coconut oil into your hair to improve the moisture content and protect its health and appearance.

Use coconut milk or coconut water in your smoothie. Smoothie recipe HERE

Add shredded or flaked coconut to your next granola batch. Recipe HERE

Make your own yoghurt with coconut cream. Recipe coming soon on the blog! Stay tuned!

Unfortunately for some, the office life stops me from sitting on the beach and cracking open a fresh coconut – but that doesn’t mean I can’t get the same antioxidant and health benefits from a coconut just minus the sun tan!

5 BEST CHRISTMAS SALADS

Published on December 24, 2014December 24, 2014 by Katie morgan4 Comments

When it comes to a Christmas feast you cannot go wrong with a big colourful fresh festive salad. They can be a lot easier to whip up then you imagine – and far less time consuming than roasting a turkey. If you have to ‘bring a plate’ this silly season, then whip up one of these amazing salads.

The following recipes are taken from my favourite 5 famous foodies! All of these women give me inspiration daily and have helped me achieve the healthy life that I live today. Trust me – they know their stuff and they seem to have one thing in common – festive colour, feta and beetroot! Tis the season!!!

1. TERESA CUTTER – Beetroot salad with pomegranate and pistachio (RECIPE HERE)

2. SWEAT AND ORANGES – Classic Greek Salad

A classic mix of diced cucumber, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, feta, red onion and capsicum tossed with some balsamic vinegar, lemon and oil.

3. HEALTHY FRENCH WIFE – Healthy Christmas Salad (RECIPE HERE)

4. KAVISHA JEGA – Massaged Kale and Mango Salad

This winning recipe includes massaged kale (massage with you hands in olive oil to remove that tough kale texture) tossed with diced mango, avocado, feta and walnuts.

5. JESSICA SEPEL – Green Beans and Roast Beet Salad (RECIPE HERE)

PLATE UP

Published on December 8, 2014December 8, 2014 by Katie morgan3 Comments

Monday morning!! A new week means new health and fitness goals. A lot of people spend more time worrying about what they ‘shouldn’t’ be eating and rather than focusing on fueling their body with nutritious wholesome super foods. It has taken my a very long time to get my diet right to suit my body, health and fitness goals and overall digestion. Everyone is different – portion sizes, food types, gluten vs no gluten, taste buds and snack frequency so there is no point copying the person next to you as what they eat may not be doing you any benefit. However, let’s not get too precise about what we should and shouldn’t eat and focus on trying to pack as much nutrient rich wonders onto our plate everyday.

Once you build your diet around healthy wholesome foods, you create a strong health platform for your body long term and leave less time for slip ups and binges or poor nutrition. Especially with summer and the bikini season about to hit (even though Canberra lacks in the beach department) now is as better time as ever to get our nutrition right!!

“DON’T EAT LESS – EAT RIGHT” Try adding these nutritional powerhouses to your plate daily!!

1. BERRIES; make friends with berries, and not any particular type – all of them! They are bright, super sweet, low in sugar and have a super high content of antioxidants and vitamins. You can eat them frozen, blended into a smoothie, on your oats, in muffins or with yoghurt. Make sure you have berries today!

2. COFFEE; hallelujah baby!! Not only is coffee exceptionally high in antioxidants there is also evidence that it can speed up our metabolism and promote fat loss and anti aging – sounds good to me.

3. YOGHURT; packed full of prebiotic goodness for overall gut health you cannot go past yoghurt. It can reduce bloating, constipation (yep I said the C word) and digestive imbalance. For a strong overall immune system and healthy bacteria include yoghurt into your daily diet.

4. PEANUT BUTTER; I’ve said it once and I will say it again – get spooning that peanut butter!! Full of so many health and weight loss benefits, you cannot go wrong with PB. 2 Tablespoons a day will speed up your metabolism, give you energy to work out, keep you full and not to mention taste amazing. 2Tbs Peanut butter and banana bread for morning tea? CHECK!! (pictured)

5. TOMATOES; full of beta-carotene and vitamin c, cooked tomatoes will give you a better daily dose of the nutrient lycopene, another powerful antioxidant with anti-cancer properties. So whose adding a tomato based pasta sauce or yummo lasagna stack into next weeks meal planning?

6. WALNUTS; all nuts have great over all health benefits to our skin, hair, body and metabolism but walnuts have the richest polyunsaturated fat content (this doesnt mean the ‘fattiest’ nut thought) which reduces cholesterol levels and has powerful anti-inflammatory benefits. Grab a large handful to chuck on your salad, oats or in your next baking session. Choc-walnut brownies anyone?

7. OILY FISH; tuna and salmon give the body a massive dose of omega 3 polyunsaturated fat much the same as walnuts. And you can grab a few cans to store in your work draw, handbag or pantry so there is no excuse not to get your daily dose.

8. BROCCOLI; rich source of folate and phytonutrient content well above other greens, broccoli makes for a perfect vege! Soups, dips, pastas, salads, stir fry’s or quiche – its a pretty versatile cute little tree so get plating it up!

9. APPLES; the old saying still goes ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’ and ain’t that the truth. Apples are packed full of soluble fiber, vitamin C and can satisfy hunger therefore promoting weight loss. Great for heart health, protecting against metabolic syndrome, dried apples (in particular) can boost exercise endurance, lower cholesterol and aid fat metabolising. Reach for that daily apple – especially teamed up with some PB for a super snack!

10. DARK CHOCOLATE; now this is the one sweet treat that I suggest eating frequently and nutritionists can back that up. If you are going to devour the block – make it dark chocolate with a high cocoa percentage. The higher the cocoa = the higher the antioxidants and more health benefits. Another great example of Kale and the Kettlebell’s health rule – the darker the better!

So NO MORE counting calories, restricting portions, crazy diets or binges. Eat right and eat more of the above foods daily – your body will thank you for it!

NN DAY 27 – FERRERO ROCHER SLICE

Published on November 27, 2014 by Katie morgan3 Comments

Feature recipe on Kale and the Kettlebell today by Rachael Attard @rachael_attard, one of my favourite healthy raw foodie instagram accounts. She produces the most insane recipes and I just had to share this one for those of you who are Nutella or Ferrero Rocher crazy!! It is super easy – and all you need is some basic fresh ingredients and a good ol’ food processor!!

FERRERO ROCHER SLICE – raw, vegan, gluten free, grain free, dairy free, sugar free and paleo friendly!!

BASE:

1 cup hazelnuts

12 medjool dates

1 Tbs cacao powder

3 Tbs water

FILLING:

1 cup cashews soaked overnight

1/2 cup maple syrup

3 Tbs hazelnut butter (the brand Mayvers have an awesome one)

1 Tbs cacao powder

1 Tbs maca powder

3 Tbs coconut oil

pinch of sea salt

handful of hazelnuts

METHOD:

Blend base ingredients in a food processor and press into base of pan.

Blend filling ingredients EXCEPT WHOLE HAZELNUTS in a food processor until thick and smooth. Add the handful of hazelnuts and stir in with a spoon so they stay whole.

Pour over base. Set in freezer for 6 hours!

Slice up and serve – makes 8 large or 16 small

ENJOY!!! and thanks Rachael for the awesome recipe!!

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 5 – GRAB ‘N’ GO SNACKS

Published on November 5, 2014November 12, 2014 by Katie morgan2 Comments

(above) Lunch box packed for the flight back to Perth last week – all the goods!!

If there is something that I excel at in life… it is snacking! Road trips, aero plane flights, weekend escapes, movie dates… you name it, I’ve got the snacks covered. I am honestly like a child. The only way to keep me happy is occupying me with food. When it comes to planes, boats and cars I blame this on my motion sickness. For some reason the only way to keep the nausea away is by eating. Literally as soon as I finish chomping my last mouthful, the motion sickness sets in. So that’s why I always have food handy!

And my draw at work. Well that is another whole kettle of fish. Unlike the limited space of a woman’s handbag my draw is STOCKED full of the essential snacks to keep that HANGRY feeling away. Nothing gets me in quite a rage like being so insanely hungry that it turns to anger. Admit it – we have all been there.

Here are my 5 favourite grab-and-go snacks kept on hand to avoid the “hangry” stage;

1. Rice cakes with nut butters, fruit, cottage cheese or avocado. (photo sourced from @mb_motivation)

2. Banana and handful of nuts/trail mix

3. Protein bars or homemade muffins (banana date muffin recipe HERE)

4. Carrot sticks with hummus

5. Medjool dates with peanut butter or almonds

Try and combine healthy fats, protein and carbohydrates into the one snack for optimum nutrition. That’s why you cant go wrong with the above snacks!!