Date Balls

I love a little something sweet especially at around three thirtyitis but finding the thing that hits the spot but which is also good for you is hard. 

These date balls are a great answer to that predicament. They are completely natural, raw and so easy to make.

I buy a date paste in bulk and have used it here but it is just the same with whole dates.

Variations: add some goji berries and nutmeg... Or replace cashews with almonds. Cocoa nibs are great for choc-heads. Experiment and have fun!

Love

River

Mushroom n' Fennel Salad

A good salad is quite an art. I have been disappointed so many times eating out at cafe's that think they can throw any vegetable together with some oil and balsamic and us vegetarians will be happy.

There are three main things that need to be thought about when making a salad.

1. Texture
2. Acidity VS Sweet
3. Dressing

There must be a variety of textures... something soft, something crunchy. 

There must be a good level of acidity and a back flavour of sweet

And the dressing must bring all the flavours together harmoniously.

Quite a task indeed!!

Well here is the first salad... with a crunchy nut, a soft mushroomm; an acidic lemon and a sweet dressing and; a nutty dressing that brings is all together.

Love

River

Butter Bean Veggie Burger

This is a really easy veggie burger concept. In theory you could combine any vegetables you have lying around with the butter beans and besan flour. Here I've used carrot, mushroom and celery. 

It's super quick to make, filling, and a sure fire winner even for the carnivores.

Enjoy!

x River

Hummus

Hummus hummus huuuumus. How i doth love thee. 

I eat so much hummus it's bazaar this is my first time making it. I was pretty darn excited and the result is so good, and so very cost effective! For about the same cost of a little tub in the store you can make about four times that. The levels of acidity and so forth took a little playing around with but that is half the fun.

Well enough banter, here it is!

Love River

Spicy Tomato Relish

Tomato relish is one of my favourite condiments. It brings to life so many things. Great on sandwiches, burgers or  eggs n' toast. I love chili so i made a spicy one with some red jalapeno peppers on our tree. But if you don't like heat, just leave it out. Be careful also because different chilies have a relative heat ratio. My advice is to put in a little, try it and then add more.

This makes a whole pot full so bottle it in some sterilised jars and keep it for latter or give it to friends. It just keeps getting better and better with time as the flavours settle too. Mmmmmm... 

I've noted that most, if not all relish brands on the market have a heap of sugar in them. I'm trying to stay away from refined sugar so this uses the natural sugar in apples to sweeten, helped along with a table spoon or two of honey.

I also like to roughly puree my relish to give it an even consistency but if you like the bits omit this step. I would advise however to grate the apples instead of chop.

Have fun!

Love River

Freedom Pear and Almond Cake

This is the easiest, quickest cake I've ever made and it's totally gluten free (yey for happy tummies!) Not only that but it is also diary free and refined sugar free. 

It's no mess because you only use one pot and it looks and tastes divine.

Enjoy

Love River

Coconut, Rockmelon and Rosepetal Pudding

I whipped this up in about 5 minutes spontaneously and was mighty pleased with the result!

I love going to specialty food stores and finding interesting, fancy-pants ingredients to be creative with. I had these rose petals that i hadn't used yet and thought they would go lovely with a creamy desert. The great thing about this is that you don't need to cook it or put it in the fridge for hours but the texture is really puddling-like. Plusss psyllium husk is a great fiber addition that helps with digestion.

If you don't have rockmelon you could easily use pineapple or strawberries or any kind of berry for that matter. Oh goodness it would be great with fresh blackberries... 

Enjoy this desert you can feel good about!

x River

Poached Egg and Green Bean Lunch

This is a nice light lunch and the sauce is so tasty there will certainly be some left over to use on pasta or sandwiches.

For anyone that has concerns about poaching eggs here are a few tips:

• Make sure the eggs are fresh. The fresher the egg that more it will stick together. If you've had the eggs in the fridge for a week it will probably not work so well
• Don't let the water boil. Keep the water on the verge of boiling, the little bubbles that hang around the sides, but never a rolling boil.
• Give it a good dash of vinegar. A good splash of white vinegar, the cheap stuff is quite alright, in the water will make it all come together.
• How do i know if it's cooked? With your utensil, bring the egg to the top of the water and gently poke the yolk with your finger. If it wobbles its runny, if it's soft but not wobbly it's just set and if it's firm then it's firm! Makes-a the sense-a!

Enjoy

x River

Beetroot Bean Dip

This is a super quick and easy dip recipe when you're feeling a bit peckish. It is also great on sandwiches and it super duper healthy. What's not to like! Oh oh... it's also a great colour. There you are. Sold.

Here it is.

Rosemary and Turmeric Crackers

I had never made crackers before but a shortage in the cupboard and an imminent spontaneous twilight picnic prompted a foray into cracker land.

I did have some besan flour, which is made from chickpeas thus gluten free, in the cupboard however. I came across this recipe but wanted to give it my own spin.

Turmeric is wonderful aesthetically for it's bright yellow colour but it also has some amazing healing properties. It has been used in eastern medicine for centuries in helping the liver, heart and skin and aiding in digestion and inflammation. 

This recipe is easy and quick. The tip about rolling out the dough between two pieces of baking paper is tops! Saves much flying flour and messiness. 

Enjoy 

x River

Real Hot Chocolate with Coconut And Spices

I think this must be the BEST hot chocolate i have ever had. It is a little more work that just throwing some milk on a powder and nuking it but oh Lordy is it worth it!

As i don't drink cows milk i wanted an alternative that was still rich and creamy. Coconut milk is the perfect thing and as we all know chocolate and coconut are a match made in island-style heaven.

Chocolate originated in South America where they consumed it with spices and chili and it's just so good with these added flavours. Really you could use any you like - star anise, lavender, rose, orange but here I've used some of my favourites.