Path to Wellness

I loved shepherd’s pie as a kid and would always request it for dinner. I was probably 8 years old when I last had it and never thought to add it to my recipe repertoire. But when I stumbled across the beautiful Lee Holmes Shepherd’s Pie recipe I was so excited. This recipe is an adaptation from her amazing book Supercharged Food (which I highly recommend). I have tweaked and added in a few of my own bits and pieces to make it my own.

Here’s how you do it:

What you need:

• 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 500g grass fed, grass finished organic beef mince
• 2 large carrots, chopped
• A handful of beans, chopped into quarters
• 4 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon turmeric

Cauliflower mash

• 1 cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of flaxseed oil
• Sea salt (to taste)
• Pepper (to taste)

What you do:

1. Preheat the oven to 222ºC.
2. Heat coconut oil in large frying pan. Add onion and garlic, sauté until onion is golden brown.
3. Add beef mince and cook for a further 5 minutes.
4. Add carrots, beans, tomatoes, salt, pepper and turmeric. Turn the heat down and cover for 20 minutes.
5. Steam cauliflower until soft then add to blender or food processor. Add the olive oil, flaxseed oil and sea salt and pepper to taste. Puree until smooth.
6. Transfer the mince mixture into 18cm baking dish (even out with a spoon).
7. Pour over mash and again even out with a spoon. Gently scraping a fork over the top.
8. Place in oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the top of the mash has a crispy golden layer.

You can serve this up with a fresh green garden salad or just on it’s own.

Enjoy!

I come from a very traditional Italian family where everyone expects me to eat loads of pasta and or make Italian food extremely well. That couldn’t be further from the truth! I don’t eat gluten and try and stay away from complex carbohydrates, however I do miss the idea of pasta. This is why I created a raw, super healthy, gluten, sugar, dairy and meat free ‘3M Raw Zucchini Spaghetti.’ The 3M’s stand for Mint + Mango + Mustard.. YUM

Let’s get started:

Raw Spaghetti


What you need:

• 3 Zucchinis

What you do:

1. Wash the zucchinis and slice them with whatever tool you have. I used a peeler.

Mint + Mango + Mustard Sauce


What you need:

• 1 mango medium size
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of (good guilty) mustard
• 15 leaves fresh mint
• Juice and zest of 1 lime
• 1 inch fresh red chili
• 2 inches fresh ginger
• A pinch of salt & pepper
• 10 leaves fresh mint (for garnish)

What you do:

1. Peel and remove the stone from the mango.
2. Add olive oil, mustard, mint, limejuice and zest, chili, ginger, salt and pepper to processor and mix until smooth.
3. Pour mint + mango + mustard marinade over zucchini spaghetti. Work in with tongs.
4. Arrange the spaghetti on dish and garnish with fresh mint.

Enjoy!

I quickly whipped these delicious balls together last night in my desperate need to feed my chocoholic boyfriend. Rummaging through my pantry this is what I came up with.

What you need:

• 9 pitted medjool dates
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons desiccated coconut
• 1 tablespoon soaked chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon unhulled tahini
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

What you do:

1. Add dates, cocoa, coconut, chia seeds and tahini to food processor and blend until combined.
2. Roll into bite size balls, then into sesame seeds.

Easy as that!

These are great for a healthy treat throughout the week. Make a whole batch and freeze them even (they taste like ice cream). YUMO

As the weather heats up here in Oz there is an even greater excuse to eat ice cream. However, most conventional ice creams are packed with preservatives, additives, artificial sugars and loads of other naughties. I went on a quest to create a healthy, dairy free and sugar free yet mouth-wateringly, delicious coconut ice cream. And to be honest this turned out WAY better than I expected.

I love recipes where you only dirty one appliance and all you need for this is a high-speed blender (no expensive ice cream machine needed here). This recipe is so easy and super quick for dinner parties when you want to ‘whip up’ (pardon the pun) a quick dessert.

Here’s how it’s done……..

What you need:

• 2 cups coconut flesh
• 2 cups raw cashews (soaked over night)
• 3 pitted dates
• 1 tablespoon vanilla bean powder
• ¼ cup extra virgin coconut oil
• 1 cup filtered water
• 1 teaspoon organic honey
• 1 ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

What you do:

1. Add all the ingredients into the blender and puree on high (give the blender a little snake if needed).

2. Place in a container and freeze for 2 hours.

Enjoy!

For all the chocoholics out there this is for you, a healthy alternative to a chocolate brownie or fudge. Again like most of my dessert recipes this is grain, gluten, egg, diary and sugar free..BOOM.

Here’s how you do it!

What you need:

• 1/2 cup organic extra virgin coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons unhulled organic tahini
• 1 cup cacao powder
• 
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup desiccated coconut
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
 and macadam nuts (you can use both or one or the other)
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• 1/2 cup date paste (see below)
• 1-2 teaspoon organic maple syrup or raw organic honey (only if needed)
• 1/3 cup goji
 berries

How To Make Date Paste:

Place 9 pitted dates, in food processor with 1/3 cup

water and process until creamy. If dates are dry and hard you can pre-soak them in the 1/3 cup of warm water for 1-2 hours and then blend the dates with the soaking water.

What you do:

1. Measure out all ingredients and set aside (this is so your chocolate doesn’t go hard).
2. Over very low heat, melt coconut oil and tahini in pan.
3. Remove from heat and add cacao powder, vanilla, coconut, pecans, macadama, ginger and date paste, stir till well combined.
4. Adjust sweetness with maple syrup or honey – only if needed.
5. Pour in to an 8″x8″ parchment lined pan (bottom only).
6. Spread evenly and sprinkle with coconut and goji berries, gently pressing the goji’s so that it will stay put.
7. Chill until firm.

Tip:

Use a sharp knife to cut into bite size pieces or bars.  Keep chilled for optimal firmness. You can also heat in the oven and add cream when serving.

Enjoy!

This delicious cake is gluten, diary, sugar, egg and grain free. When thinking about all the sweets that were going to be on offer on Christmas day, I wanted to make sure there was something for the more health conscious.

This cake is super quick and easy to make and is perfect for any occasion.

Here’s how you do it!

What you need:

For the Crust


• 1 1/2 cups raw almonds soaked over night (you can also use walnuts or hazelnuts)
• 
1/2 cup raw, shelled sunflower seeds
• 2 tablespoons hemp seeds (optional)
• 
12 fresh medjool pitted dates
• 
2 tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil
• 
1 teaspoon celtic sea salt

For the Filling

• 
1/3 cup extra virgin coconut oil
• 1/3-cup raw organic honey or maple syrup
• 
2 cups raw cashews (soaked for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours
)
• Zest and juice of 1 large lemon
• Zest and juice of 1 orange
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

For the Topping


• 2 cups of raspberries (or any other frozen berries)
• 
Juice of 1/2 lime

Topping

• 2 Tablespoons desiccated coconut
• 2 Tablespoons cocoa nibs
• 2 Tablespoons goji berries
• 1 fresh cherry

What you do:

Special equipment: An 8”-diameter nonstick spring form pan

For the Crust 

1. Blend the almonds, sunflower and hemp seeds in the food processor for 1 minute.
2. Add dates, oil and salt and puree until mixture comes together.
3. Place mixture in 8in nonstick pan and make sure mixture is even across the bottom of the pan.
4. Put in freezer whilst you get the filling started.

For the Filling

1. Heat oil and honey in small pan over low heat, whisking, until liquid.
2. Place mixture in the processor; add soaked cashews, lemon juice and zest, orange juice and zest, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom.
3. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; discard bean.
4. Purée until very smooth, about 2-3 minutes.
5. Pour filling over crust and chill in freezer until set, about 30 minutes.

For the Topping 

1. Place raspberries and lime juice in food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Pour topping over cashew filling and even out.
3. Chill in freezer until solid, 30–60 minutes.
4. Let stand at room temperature 10–15 minutes before serving. Run a sharp knife under hot water to make it easier to cut the slices.
5. Add any toppings you like. I used desiccated coconut and cocoa nibs with one fresh cherry.

This cake is so great because you can keep it in the freezer and just have a little slither whenever you fill like something sweet. Just remover from the freezer and let is stand for about 20 minutes before serving.

Enjoy.

x

Ok guys are you ready for this! This Healthy Cheesecake is gluten, dairy, egg, sugar, yeast and any other naughty FREE! It’s packed with nothing but 100% deliciousness and is guilt free.

Here’s how it’s done.

For the Crust

Ingredients:

• 2 cups raw macadamia nuts, soaked overnight
• ½ cup fresh medjool dates, pitted. If you can’t get fresh date and they are really dry, put them in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes, discard water.
• ¼ cup desiccated coconut or coconut flakes
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil, to grease cake tin

What you do:

1. Add macadamia’s, dates and coconut to food processor and mix.
2. Grease cake tin with coconut oil and place mixture into tin.
3. Evenly spread the mixture into the tin with a spoon or your hands. Tap gently.

For the ‘Cheese’

Ingredients:

• 3 cups raw cashews, soaked overnight
• Juice of 1 large lemon
• ½ cup raw organic honey or maple syrup
• ½ cup coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon organic vanilla bean powder
• ½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
• ¼ cup desiccated coconut or coconut flakes

What you do:

1. Add the cashews, lemon juice, honey, coconut oil, vanilla and salt to food processor, and blend until smooth texture.
2. Sprinkle coconut over ‘crust’ mixture before you pour the ‘cheese’ mixture on top.
3. Carefully tap the cake tin on the counter to release any air bubbles and smooth out with a spoon.

For the Topping

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups frozen blueberries (any berries are fine)
• 2 fresh medjool dates, pitted
• Filtered water (add if mixture is too think)
• ¼ cup desiccated coconut or coconut flakes

What you do:

1. Add berries and dates to food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Add water if needed.
3. Sprinkle coconut over the ‘cheese’ mixture before you pour ‘topping’ mixture down.
4. Smooth out topping with a spoon until flat, and carefully tap the cake tin on the counter to release any air bubbles.
5. Place in the freezer for at least three hours.
6. Before serving let sit on the counter to thaw slightly.
7. This is best served semi frozen, soft enough to run a serrated knife through.
8. Garnish with fresh pomegranate and desiccated coconut.

I used to cook the same old boring things time and time again. I would rotate 3 or 4 dishes and would never break out of my box. I was too scared of stuffing up a new recipe. So I just stuck with what I knew..HOW BORING.

These days I try and make something new every day or put a slightly different little spin on a familiar recipe. Not only to keep me inspired but also to impress the socks off my partner

I threw together this amazing mango + fresh lime salad last night, it was so delish I had to share with you. It’s packed with loads of in season fresh ingredients and is really light and refreshing. Perfect for this time of year.

What you need:

• 1-cup of lettuce, chopped
• 1-cup of watercress, chopped
• 2 cucumbers, peeled and diced
• 1 large ripe mango, peeled and chopped
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper (to taste)
• ¼ cup blanched, slivered or sliced almonds (or sunflower seeds)
• 2 cups of cooked black quinoa (optional)

Dressing Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• ¼ tsp turmeric
• Juice of 2 limes
• 2 Tbsp chopping fresh coriander
• Salt and pepper (to taste)

What you do:

1. Add lettuces, watercress, cucumbers, mango, onions, salt, pepper and cooked quinoa into large bowl.

2. Pour dressing over the salad, and toss.

3. Garnish with almonds or sunflower seeds.

Enjoy!!

I love christmas so much, the tinsel, food, warm hugs, fimilar faces, the smell of fresh mangos. But especialy for Mum’s turkey stuffing.

This year she will be using my stuffing recipe.

Check it out!

What you need:

• Coconut oil
• 2 medium brown onions, finely chopped
• 4 cups gluten free breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup finely chopped dried apricots
• ½ cup dried raisins
• 1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh sage leaves
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• salt and peper (to taste)

What you do:

1. Add coconut oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add onion. Cook, stirring, for 10 to 12 minutes or until onions are golden.

2. Transfer to a large bowl.

3. Add breadcrumbs, cranberries, apricots, raisins walnut, sage and egg. Stir to combine.

4. Season with salt and pepper.

For those of you who wont be drinking over this festive season a warm spiced Christmas tea is a great alternative.

You can also make this an iced tea but seems though it’s actually cold in Sydney keeping it warm is perfect.

What you need:

• 500 ml filtered water
• 5 cm fresh ginger
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 6 cardamom pods
• 6 cloves
• 4 cups fruit juice (unsweetened) – I used Organic Anti-Oxidant Force
• 1⁄2 cup Red Wine or Liquor (optional)
• 50g walnuts (and/or almonds, pecans, etc)
• 100g raisins
• 1 orange (thinly sliced)!

What you do:

1. Boil water, ginger, cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods and cloves for 15 minutes to make a spiced water infusion. Store in the fridge over night.

2. Add the fruit juice (and alcohol if using), boil for 5 minute then simmer for 30 minutes, remove the spices.

3. Add chopped nuts, raisins and orange pieces and serve with or without straining the solid ingredients.

4. The proportion of fruit juice to alcohol can also be altered according to your preference.

5. Tea can be served warm or chilled with ice.

(Makes 1 bottle)

Nutritional notes:

Ginger not only has a beautiful aroma but also helps with nausea, digestive problems (great for the over eaters) circulation and arthritis.

Organic Anti-Oxidant Force Juice is a highly nutritional juice, made from goji berries, acai, blackberries &

more.

Cinnamon is packed with anti-oxidants, it also balances blood sugar levels, perfect in dishes such as this one that contain high levels of sugars (even if they are natural!)

Cloves are known to have one of the highest anti-oxidant level ratings on the ORAC scale.

Enjoy x