Autumnal Spiced Fruit Buns - Gluten and Dairy Free

Apple and Blackberry cake recipe:

There is an abundance of apples and blackberries at the moment. I aim to eat seasonally and locally, not to mention it's free food! Zero air miles, zero carbon footprint and as fresh as can be. From tree to cake in under an hour.

Ingredients:
Makes 12
4 free range, organic eggs beaten
1/2 cup of cane sugar/honey/maple syrup
200g (1 and 1/4 cups) of ground almonds or other gluten free flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
2 dashes of Olive oil
Teaspoon of cinnamon
Teaspoon of nutmeg
Pinch of salt
Chopped apples and blackberries 

Method:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees/gas mark 4
Mix eggs, oil and sugar together well.
Add in flour, salt, baking powder and spices.
Line a baking tray and fill the bottom of each case with mixture.
Sprinkle in chopped seasonal fruit
Cover with mixture so cases are about 3/4 full
Bake for 15 mins at 180 degrees/gas mark 4
Allow to cool on a wire rack.
Enjoy!

Dietary Information:
These buns are gluten free, high in protein (for a cake!), dairy free, vegetarian.

Storage Instructions:
If they last you can keep these in the fridge for a day or two.

Protein Balls - low in sugar

I made these Protein balls for my Food and Yoga Trail in Cork City recently (more details here) and they went down a storm. Many protein ball recipes contain artificial or refined protein powder and are often high in natural sugars using dates and sweeteners. So I wanted to create ones that were high in protein naturally and sweetened naturally. 

As always I didn't follow a specific recipe just made it up as I went along but below is what I've figured to be the best combination.

Ingredients:
1.5 cups of Irish, Organic Oats
2 heaped tablespoons of chia seeds
3 heaped tablespoons of milled flax seeds
3 heaped tablespoons of local, organic honey
3 heaped tablespoons of nut butter
3 heaped tablespoons of roasted buckwheat
3 heaped tablespoons of Cacao nibs
Some oat milk/water to get consistency

Method:
Put all of the above in a bowl and mix well. 
Roll into balls and place in the fridge. I've found it helpful to wet the hands slightly to make this easier.
Optional to dip in dark chocolate or sprinkle. You could also roll them in coconut or other chopped seeds/nuts when wet.

Prep Time:
These take just a few minutes to measure and mix the ingredients and then some time to roll into balls. 

Dietary Information:
These are naturally gluten free, sugar free, vegan (use agave syrup instead of honey), raw and tasty I swear!
The flax, chia and nut butter are high in proteins.

Storage Instructions:
These will keep well in the fridge and so handy for a snack or treat on the go, that's if they last!
Enjoy!

Paleo BBQ Chicken

It's coming close to pay day, you're into single figures in the bank account and you need to eat. We've all been there. It's not easy but it doesn't have to mean omelettes every night either (although Omelettes are a cheap and healthy way to make the pennies stretch! Check out my recipe HERE). Keep reading to see how you can make €2-3 go a very long way!

We've become a nation who want to eat only certain parts of the animal. The meaty, muscle parts are usually expensive and although lean, not always the healthiest choice. Go back 50 years to past generations and they didn't waste a thing. You couldn't buy 10 chicken breasts in a super market! Oh no. You bought a whole chicken and used every part of it, right down to the juices for gravy, made a stock with the carcass and only then was it thrown out. Not only was this more economical it was healthier too.

Eating a variety of foods is so important. It gives the body more nutrients and different types of protein that are needed to repair natural wear and tear in the body. Eating meat close to the bone contains ligaments, tendons and blood vessels that help repair those said parts of our body. Eating the skin means you get good fats and collagen to help repair skin damage and prevent ageing. Eating the brown meat close to the bone ensures you are getting meat packed with micro nutrients, vitamins, minerals and connective tissue to make your body healthier and happier.

You can read more on this topic of eating the whole animal HERE

This is where the Wings and Drumsticks come in. You can easily get these on offer for about €1 or €2 in the supermarkets. The meat is tastier and juicer not to mention healthier. I've also seen Chick Thigh fillets for relatively cheap. These are basically the meatiest parts of the drumstick with no bone. Perfect for stirfrys and casseroles. The meat may appear brown in parts when cooked but remember this is ok. This is healthy! So read on to try my Paleo friendly BBQ marinade that will have you licking your lips (and fingers!) while saving you money and making you healthier.

Ingredients:

5 Chicken Drumsticks or 10 Chicken Wings (or a mix of both!)

1 heaped teaspoon of Cumin

1 heaped teaspoon of Paprika

1 heaped teaspoon of Ginger

1/2 teaspoon of Turmeric

1 teaspoon of Salt

1 teaspoon of freshly ground black Pepper

3 table spoons of Olive Oil (more if you want to make the sauce more liquid and sticky as opposed to dry and crispy)

1 heaped tablespoon of Honey (more if you want to make them stickier!)

1 teaspoon of Tabasco

1 teaspoon of Balsamic vinegar

Method:

Mix your dried spices together and make a well.

Add all the wet ingredients into the well and mix thoroughly. You can add more oil or honey as you go to make the mix more liquid and less dry. This will determine if the marinade is more dry and crispy or sticky and liquid.

Taking your drumsticks or wings (or a mix of both!) coat them in the marinade and leave them in a bowl covered in cling film for as long as you can. I typically make this up the night before or that morning to give all the spices time to absorb into the chicken but if you are short on time 30 minutes to an hour is plenty!

Spread the coated chicken onto a foiled baking try (saves having to scrub the sticky, cooked sauce from it otherwise!) and cook at 190 degrees Celcius or Gas Mark 4/5 for 20 minutes or until the chick is thoroughly cooked.

Serve with any sides you fancy. See below for some serving suggestions.

Enjoy!

Prep Time:

5 minutes to make marinade

Cooking Time:

20 minutes

Dietary Information:

Paleo

Gluten Free

Wheat Free

Sugar Free

Olive Oil is full of good fats, Omega 3s and excellent for hair, skin and nails

Ginger is good for digestion issues, nausea, it is a natural anti-inflammatory and boosts the immune system. 

Paprika is high in Vitamin A, E and Iron. It also has anti ageing properties, prevents hair loss and promotes sound sleep

Cumin aids digestion, lowers blood sugar and prevents hypoglycaemia (excellent for people with diabetes), fights viral infections, is rich in Iron and has many other benefits 

Turmeric - too many benefits to mention. Check them all out on my post HERE

Serving Suggestions:

I served these with boiled rice mixed with a tablespoon of coconut oil, teaspoon of turmeric and salt and pepper to taste. (note Rice is NOT Paleo but is the best non paleo carb to have if you're going to have one!)

I also made some non paleo dip. Using some yoghurt, cream cheese, chives and oregano to cool down the spice.

You could also serve it at a BBQ with my Red Cabbage Slaw (Recipe HERE)

Or with my Sweet Potato Wedges (Recipe HERE)

Best served straight from the oven!

Red Cabbage Slaw

Eating a variety of colours in your diet doesn't just make your plate look appealing, it is healthy too. That's why I love Red Cabbage! It isn't red so I don't know why this name has stuck but the vibrant purple colour only means one thing. It's packed with nutrients! Particularly flavonoids which are cancer fighting, Vitamin C and K and it also has lots of fibre and minerals. 

You can check out another of my Red Cabbage Recipes HERE

Ingredients:

1/2 head of Red Cabbage (a full one if it's a small size)

1 large carrot

1 apple

4 tablespoons of yoghurt

2 teaspoons of honey mustard

Method:

Using a sharp knife slice the red cabbage into strips, having removed the outer layers and de stalked it.

Grate the carrot and apple.

Mix all the veg together.

Add the yoghurt and mustard.

Mix well. 

Serve!

Dietary Information:

Paleo(ish) - minus the yoghurt. So Moo-Paleo if you will!

Gluten Free

Wheat Free

Sugar Free

Vegetarian

2 of your 5 a day

Red Cabbage is packed with flavonoids which are cancer fighting, Vitamin C and K and has lots of fibre and minerals.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away! 

Mustard is high in magnesium and selenium which help fight asthma and chest congestion, slows ageing, are anti-inflammatory (can even be rubbed onto joints!), stimulates hair growth and relieves constipation.

Serving Suggestions:

This will keep for at least a week in the fridge. I make up a batch and put it in a sealed container to add to any meal as a great healthy side.

This would be delicious as a side for a BBQ or Burger. Check out my recipes HERE and HERE for Paleo BBQ and Paleo Burger recipes.

Chocolate Bark - Paleo (ish!)

So last week I made this chocolate bark for a party I was having. It's coming up to the Christmas Season and so I wanted to have nice and tasty nibbles that weren't going to be leaving people feeling stuffed, over indulged or sick.

I have seen chocolate bark on lots of blogs and recipe sites but never actually made it. I didn't follow any recipe for this and, like most of my recipes, just made it up as I went along using items I had in my house!

For once this actually worked out perfectly first time and it was a massive hit at the party! People couldn't get enough of it. In fact I'm having another dinner party this Thursday and I'm making it for dessert again.

Here's how you can make it too:

Ingredients:
400g of Dark Chocolate (ideally 70% plus)
1 dash of Olive Oil or teaspoon of Butter (real NOT margarine) or Coconut Oil
1 tablespoon of Raw, Organic Honey
1 teaspoon of Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper
1 dash of Vanilla Essence or some real Vanilla bean
Toppings which can include - Dessicated coconut, dried fruits (no added oil or sugar - I used Figs), chopped nuts (I used sliced almonds), seeds (I used chia seeds), freshly ground sea salt (I used Pink Himalaya Rock Slat)

Method:
Melt the chocolate gently in a pan with the fat of choice (Oil, Butter or Coconut Oil)
Once it is melted add the vanilla, cinnamon and honey and stir well.
Using a flat tray line it with some greaseproof paper.
Spread the chocolate mix evenly on the paper using the back of a spoon or spatula.
Sprinkle on your selected toppings - Fruit, nuts, seeds, salt etc
Allow to cool and place in the fridge to set.
Break into pieces and enjoy!

It really is that simple. It takes minutes to make and I often make a double batch and keep some in the fridge for when I'm feeling like a treat.

I must say it's the combination of the figs and salt in this that really make this. It's almost like salted caramel.


Prep Time:
5-10 minutes

Cooking Time:
None! Just leave to harden in the fridge.

Dietary Information:
Paleo (ish!) the higher % chocolate the better with this
Good fats - from the oil and seeds/nuts/coconut
Full of antioxidants from the high chocolate content
Full of natural sweetness from the fruit and honey
Vegetarian
Vegan (if you use coconut oil and dairy free chocolate)
Gluten Free
Wheat Free

Storage Instructions:
I keep this in a sealed container and it will last weeks in the fridge - provided you don't eat it all.


OK now I need to publish this post fast as I've eaten 4 pieces already writing this as it keeps reminding me of how good it is!

Enjoy!

Tuesday's Change Week 46 - Green Goodness

I'm sure you always hear people harping on about how Green food is so good for you. But, if you are like me, it's not the most appealing food and certainly not the one you reach for first when you are hungry. However, the benefits of green leafy vegetables are so vast they should be a staple in every diet.

First let me outline what I mean by Green Leafy Vegetables. These include:

Kale

Chard

Lettuce

Mustard

Collards

Parsley

Spinach

Beet greens

Sweet potato leaves

Arugula/Rocket

Baby greens

Endive

Try and get these fresh and Organic where possible but frozen and Organic is still beneficial if convenience and budget dictates.

Now why should you eat them? Everyone knows greens are good for you but did you know why?

- Iron - Green Leafy Veg is packed full of iron. It's what made Popeye strong and it helps transport oxygen around the blood. 

- Magnesium - You need Magnesium to produce ATP the body's energy currency. It aids muscle recovery, swelling and inflammation.

- Calcium - We all know Calcium is essential in the building of bones. And this doesn't just apply for children, it is vital in adults also as your bones are constantly being rebuilt and reparied. Whether you eat dairy or not, leafy greens are essential as a good source of Calcium.

- Potassium - This is essential in regulating blood pressure and is responsible for the proper function of cells, It is also an important electrolyte that regulates the electricity in the body.

- Manganese - Is responsible for making some potent anti-oxidants which help to detox the body from damage, it also aids in the prevention of stroke and brain clots.

- Betaine - This helps to maintain liver health.

 

So now you know why you need to eat them, what if you don't like the taste? Well fear not! I've included some of my recipes here that will help you seamlessly add leafy greens into your diet without even noticing!

Have you tried:

My Smoothies

Spinach Pesto

Omelette

Spicy Sweet Potato Stew

Paleo, Italian, Summer Salad

Click on the links above to check out these tasty recipes. You won't even notice you are being healthy!

So that is this week's Tuesday's Change folks. Add as many leafy green vegetables to your diet as you can. You will soon start to notice the difference in your body as it begins to function better, look better and feel better.

Smooth Operator - Healthy and Tasty Smoothies for all the family

Smoothies have been around a long time now and at first I wasn't that convinced by them. They seemed packed with sugary foods that taste good but weren't actually that good for you.

However, I have slowly come around to them as a way to pack a lot of nutrients into one meal or as a way to mask some not so tasty ingredients that you know are just so good for you! So long as you make them yourself and don't add too much fruit or lots of fruit juices they are just fine as part of a balanced diet.

This is especially useful for children. I know parents are constantly trying to get as much nutrition into kids as possible without them realising what they are eating is healthy! I was the fussiest eater when I was a kid and I know my mum used to tear her hair out trying to get veggies into me! If you sell these to your kid as a treat, something exciting and fun like a milkshake then they won't even notice you are nourishing them from the inside out! Put them in a fun glass with a cool straw and they will love it.

So I've put together a few smoothie recipes here for you to try out. If you aren't a morning person then these can be made the night before and stored in a sealed container in the fridge. However, like most things in life!, these are best served fresh. 

If you don't have a blender or Nutri-Bullet (which I don't so hint hint family! Christmas is coming!) then you can get relatively cheap hand held blenders in most shops and trust me it is worth the investment!

Black Forest Smoothie:

Ingredients:

1 Banana

Handful of frozen spinach
Handful of frozen berries
1 teaspoon of Spirulina
1 teaspoon of Cinnamon
1 teaspoon of Raw Honey
Milk (dairy or non diary such as Almond, Rice milk etc) or water/Coconut water added to achieve your desired consistency.

You could also add protein powder if desired to make a great pre or post work out shake.

Or if you are on an intense work out programme or just started exercising and have very sore muscles then some cherries or cherry extract would not only taste delicious but also aid with that muscle pain! You can read more on how cherries aid muscle recover here.

Method:

Blend and enjoy!

Storage instructions:

This will keep for about 24 hours in the fridge in a sealed container. But it is best eaten fresh.

Dietary Benefits:

Full of iron, potassium, antioxidants, minerals and vitamins.

Good for the skin, nails and hair.

Gluten Free

Sugar Free

Dairy Free

Paleo

Vegetarian

Vegan

Raw

Breakfast Berry Delight

Ingredients:

1/2 avocado‬

‎1 banana‬
Handful of ‪‎berries‬
Handful of ‎spinach‬
‪‎2 table spoons of chia seeds‬
‪‎1 teaspoon of cinnammon‬
‪‎Coconutwater‬ or water/milk/almond milk etc added until you reach your desired consistency.

You could also add protein powder if desired to make a great pre or post work out shake.

Method:

Blend and enjoy!

This is a great one for kids as it's naturally sweet and looks like a strawberry milkshake but is packed full of ‪greens‬ and goodness. You could even make it the night before and have it ready to go for the morning school dash! You or your children could drink this in the car on the way to work/school in the morning.

Storage instructions:

This will keep for about 24 hours in the fridge in a sealed container. But it is best eaten fresh.

Dietary Benefits:

Full of iron, potassium, antioxidants, minerals and vitamins.

Good for the skin, nails and hair.

Gluten Free

Sugar Free

Dairy Free

Paleo

Vegetarian

Vegan

Raw

So there you have it Jeanies. I'd love to hear from you if you have another super smoothie recipe and I will feature it on the blog. Stay healthy.

Guacamole and Salsa Bruschettas

Avocados are so good for you and reasonably priced and so I try to eat as many as possible. I recently made some #EatClean bruschettas for a tapas evening in my friend's house and they went down a treat. Check out the recipe here:

Guacamole Ingredients:
1 - 2 ripe Avocados peeled and de-seeded
1/2 teaspoon of Sea Salt/Himalayan Crystal Salt
1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lime
Freshly grated black pepper to taste
2 cloves of finely chopped or grated garlic
Optional - chilli flakes or freshly chopped chilli to taste

Method:

Mash the Avocados in a bowl Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. It's as simple as that!

Preparation Time:
Less than 5 minutes!

Dietary Information:
Paleo
Gluten Free
Wheat Free
Sugar Free
Egg Free
Brain Food
Vegan
Vegetarian
Good Fats
One of your 5 a day
Antioxidants
Great for skin, hair and nails
Garlic is antibacterial and antiviral so excellent for fighting colds and flus

Storage Intructions
Keeps in a sealed container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Maybe more once it hasn't turned brown.

Serving Suggestions:

This is fantastic in salads, in sandwiches, on top of burgers, on oat cakes or rice cakes. Or see below for my healthy Bruschetta idea.

Healthy Bruschettas:

Check out my recipe here for healthy Oat Bread. I used this bread and cut it into small slices, laid it under the grill and lightly toasted it.

I then spread on some guacamole and some homemade salsa (recipe here) to make a tasty, healthy tapas for guests or a Saturday night treat dinner! Healthy, tasty and home made. Delicious!

Pancake Tuesday!

Ah the day where we gorge ourselves and compete to see who ate the most pancakes! Memories of my childhood!

So how does one stay healthy and on track on such a binge-filled day?

Check out my two recipes here and here for some alternative recipes that taste just as good. And remember these can be eaten any time not just on Pancake Tuesday! They taste just as nice on a weekend morning or for any lazy breakfast you have.

Also here are some alternatives to traditional toppings. You can replace

Nutella  with Almond Butter

Chocolate Syrup with Melted 85% chocolate

Marshmallows with whipped Coconut cream

Sugar with Honey and Cinnamon

Jam with Homemade fruit compote

Jam with Fresh Fruit

Sweet Pancake with Savoury ones (Parma Ham, Parmesan and Rocket is my fave!)

Mayple Syrup and Bacon with ....Yay this is OK, just as a treat though!

Cook them in Coconut Oil, Olive Oil or on a non-stick Cermanic Pan with no oil!

Enjoy!