This easy little concoction was put together from an experimental elimination diet I was trialling for the clinic. It was so delicious however that I have continued to use it. The combination of the creamy white beans and the tang of the spinach with the lemon works so well on its own, or with fish or chicken. I love to serve it warmed on a buckwheat pancake with smoked salmon, or as a side to roast chicken. It is super tasty eaten smeared onto some crackers (or straight from the pan as I did with the last batch!).

Spinach is a great vegetarian source of iron and chlorophyll. The beans add protein and fibre, and the garlic added has antimicrobial benefits which help ward off unwanted bacteria.

This dish is low salicylate, gluten free, diary free, nut free and soy free. 

ingredients

1 can of cannellini beans, washed

4 cubes of frozen spinach (or 1 cup of firmly packed fresh spinach)

juice of 1 lemon

1 garlic clove, crushed

3-4 tbsp of grapseed oil or safflower oil

pinch of salt

method:

Heat a pan and add all ingredients. Stir till combined well and mash the beans with the back of your spoon to create a rustic mash or ’smash’. When warmed through, serve as desired or store in a container in the fridge till needed.

Note: lasts for 1 week in the fridge.

These cookies were inspired by a lazy Sunday morning with two peckish tummies looking for something to enjoy with a hot dandelion tea. My friend, who has recently been diagnosed as egg intolerant (along with dairy and gluten) inspired the adaption of this recipe to something that we could not only enjoy hot from the oven, but could be used through the week for an easy snack on the go.

 These cookies could also be adapted to be nut free by using seeds instead. I would use ground pumpkin and/or flaxseeds, or for a low salicylate cookie, you could use ground sunflower seeds and cashews.

A further note worth mentioning is that the batter of these cookies tastes quite good raw! If you wanted to experiment, you could leave out the baking powder, reduce the oil slightly (or use coconut oil as it will set well), then roll into balls that could be eaten as ‘energy balls’.

Ingredients

2 cups of freshly ground nuts (almonds, macadamia and walnuts used here)

1/2 tsp of baking powder

1/2 tsp of salt

1/3 cup of grape seed oil (or rice bran oil for low salicylate)

1/3 cup of maple syrup

1tsp of vanilla extract

1 cup of organic dried fruit, chopped ( raisins and figs used here)

Method:

Combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add wet ingredients and mix to a wet batter. Form into small 2-3cm balls and place on baking tray lined with baking paper. Push down to flatten cookies with a fork. Bake in a moderate oven for 7-9 minutes. Allow to cool once removed from the oven as cookies are quite moist when hot. Transfer to wire wrack to cool.

Raw desserts are becoming the new black right now. There is a good reason for it. They taste delicious, and are packed with minerals from loads of lovely blended nuts and seeds. Raw desserts are vegan, so they are naturally egg and dairy free. They are also devoid of any flours making them a great gluten free alternative. Raw desserts are still quite calorie dense, so enjoy them in moderation!

Ingredients:

 1 cup of walnuts

½ cup of almonds

1 cup Medjool dates, pitted

1/2 cup raw cacao

1/2 cup  extra of chopped walnuts

pinch of sea salt

Method:

Place walnuts and almonds in food processor and blend to a finely ground nut meal. Add the cacao and salt and blend till combined.

Add dates one at a time while food processor is still running. When finished, the mixture should stick together and look a little like crumbled cake. If it is not sticky enough, then simply add more dates.
Combine the brownie mix with the chopped walnuts.  Press firmly into a lined square cake tin. Place in the fridge for at least 3-4 hours or freeze. Once cold, cut into squares and store in the fridge (or freezer). Dust with raw cocao to serve.

Vegan Brown Rice and Nori Balls

After receiving many suggestions for savoury snack ideas, I thought it time to develop a savoury addition to the ‘protein ball’ family which has become the current rage. Often our snacks border on the sweet side, therefore it is a nice change to inject a different spin. Furthermore, the more we move away from sweet foods, the more our palette adjusts to the natural sweetness in root vegetables, nuts and seeds. This recipe is adapted from Jude Blereau’s Wholefood Cookbook

Ingredients

 1/4 cup of wakame or other dried seaweed

1 garlic clove, crushed

2 cups of grated carrot

3 cups of cooked brown rice (or quinoa or millet)

150gms of diced tempeh (use chickpeas if soy intolerant)

1/2 cup of sunflower seeds

1/4 cup of hemp seeds (optional)

2 tbsp of tamari

1 tsp sesame oil

 1 cup of cooked, mashed sweet potato

1/4 cup of sesame seeds (extra for rolling)

Method:

Soak the seaweed in water for 15 minutes, or until soft. Rinse and chop finely. Heat a dash of oil in a fry pan and add garlic and carrot. Cook for around 5 minutes until carrot is softened.

Place all remaining ingredients in a bowl, add carrot mixture and seaweed and mix to combine. Need mixture well to make sure it all holds together. Now, take dough and roll into balls, around the size of a small apple.  Roll balls in sesame seeds the pan fry gently in olive oil to create a crunchy outer edge. Once sealed well place in oven for 30 minutes to bake.

These balls can be kept in the fridge for 4-5 days or frozen wrapped in cling film.

Buckwheat Vanilla & Coconut Porridge

 This porridge is a relatively quick and easy gluten free alternative. Buckwheat provides a great nutty texture and marries well with nuts and seeds for breakfast. It is also rich in minerals and vitamins, providing a nutritious alternative to the bland rice flake for those who are gluten intolerant and coeliacs - or for those who just want something a little different!

Ingredients;

1/3 cup of buckwheat, raw

1/2 cup rice milk

1/2 tsp of vanilla extract

1 tsp of coconut oil

1 tbsp of pumpkin seeds

4-5 pecan nuts

dsp of shredded coconut, dried

fruit to top

Method:

Wash buckwheat well then place in a pot to boil with a enough water to cover. Boil for 5 minutes until softened, then drain. Rinse buckwheat again, then place back in pot with rice milk, vanilla and coconut oil. Bring to boil and simmer away for another  3-4 minutes allowing the grain to soak up some of the rice milk.

When ready to serve, pour hot buckwheat into a bowl. Top with pumpkin seeds, crumbled pecans, fruit of choice and a sprinkle of dried coconut. Top with remaining hot rice milk if any is left in bottom of pot, or heat more if desired.

This dish would also be lovely with coconut milk instead of rice milk. Try a variety of seed and nut blends to top, or add a spoonful of nut paste whilst cooking such as cashew or macadamia nut spread.

Free from: gluten, dairy and soy.

Once in a while it is nice to treat yourself to something a little special. This dish does just that whilst still remaining relatively low in sugars and saturated fats. The other fact I simply love about this dish is that it is made to share. Simple serve the Meringue up in the middle of the table and hand everyone a spoon to tuck in!

This dish is a variation on Jamie Oliver’s  recipe Basically I have taken the foundations of the recipe and then adjusted the toppings. The dish featured here is topped with cashew cream (recipe below), cherries, dark chocolate sauce and praline encrusted hazelnuts. Praline hazelnuts are as simple as making a sugar caramel and then tossing the nuts through to coat.

If you cannot eat eggs, perhaps serve the cashew cream up as your base, then top with more fruit than presented here. Figs would be divine!

Cashew Cream

1 1/2 cups raw, unsalted cashews

1/2 cup of boiling water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup maple syrup or agave syrup

1 dsp of coconut oil

Method:

Soak cashews in boiling water for around 2 hours, or until doubled in size. (You could also soak them overnight). Drain and then place in the blender with the remaining ingredients. Blend well, until smooth and creamy. If your blender does not create a smooth enough cream, then transfer to a bowl and use a stick blender as this will create the fine paste you are after.

These cookies are a crunchy and wholesome snack for that time of the afternoon when your palette desires something with a little sweetness. The chocolate should be a good quality dark chocolate with a low sugar content. These cookies can also be made nut free by using a mix of seeds instead of the nuts. Try sunflower, sesame and pine nuts for instance. You could also omit the chocolate and add shredded coconut or organic dried figs. They would also be lovely with some added cinnamon and nutmeg.

Recipe

75g nuttelex or organic butter or coconut oil

45g sunflower spread or tahini

2 eggs

100g of GF flour mix (or a mix of brown rice flour, arrowroot and besan flour)

100g of buckwheat flour

1/3 cup of maple syrup

1/2 tsp of salt

1 heaped tsp of baking powder

125g mixed pecans, pumpkin seeds and hazelnuts

80g of roughly chopped 85% dark chocolate

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180c. Combine the nuttelex or oil with the seed paste and mix well. Add eggs  and maple syrup and mix well again. Sift in the flour, baking powder and 1/2 tsp of salt then fold into the mixture. Pulse the nuts and seeds in a blender or smash up in a mortar and pestle. Fold into the mixture with the chocolate. Line baking trays with baking paper and then place around 1 tbs of the mixture at regular intervals. Take a fork and press the mixture down to flatten. Bake in the oven for 15-20minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Recipes -  Snacks

Protein Packed Banana Cupcakes

These tasty little cupcakes are perfect for the sweetness your palette often searches for in the afternoons. High in protein they help keep you going, and being grain free they are great for those on a gluten free diet. Enjoy them after dinner if you need a little something extra.

Happy New Year! 

The Nutrition Clinic is back in full swing for 2012! This year promises to bring exciting new food ideas, recipes and health tips to keep you super healthy! This year aims to introduce and offer some new concepts to the clinic to make nutritionally balanced eating even more fun and easy! (Yes, FUN!)…

Expect to see…

• Cooking demonstrations and classes on offer
• Video demonstrations of cooking and preparation of healthy meals and snacks
• Regular ‘out and about’ in Brisbane updates on foodie hot spots for health eating when dining
• Easier access to consultations for your friends and family through Skype

Looking forward to seeing you soon in the clinic or sharing food and health tips with you all online through the Facebook and Twitter!