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Tumeric glow balls

I was at my local cafe the other day, and in my usual fashion, didn’t have enough coins for my coffee, and had to meet the $10 EFT minimum to pay for my precious cappuccino….usually in such a predicament, I would find this to be the perfect excuse to buy a chocolate brownie….but instead, I decided to try a bright yellow “glow bar” displayed neatly on the front counter…. the yellow “glow”, comes from tumeric, so says the delightful barista…. so I gave it a whirl, and it was delicious!!

I decided to try and make my own version (to save me $4.50 a pop)!! These are free of sugar, dairy and wheat, but were seriously delicious!! The addition of pineapple makes them naturally sweet and gives a tropical flavour!!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup pitted dates, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup tinned pineapple (you could use fresh if you want to also…I just couldn’t be bothered chopping one up!! Or you could use dried pineapple, but if you do, use less almond meal!!)
1 cup almond meal (for more texture, you could also use crushed macadamias or cashews instead)
1/2 a cup dessicated coconut
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon vanilla protein powder (optional)
An additional 1/4 cup dessicated coconut for rolling the balls

Method:

In a food processor, blitz the dates and pineapple
Add in tumeric, and , coconut powder and protein powder and blitz again.
Gradually add in almond meal, stirring to combine
To make the balls, scoop out approximately two tablespoons of mix, and roll into balls, dipping into the extra coconut to form a coating on the outside.

These little balls were absolutely delicious, and make the perfect mid morning snack (especially when you’re avoiding chocolate brownies!). Have you tried tumeric in your smoothies or protein balls?

Chocolate Chia Pudding

Chia seeds…..apparently they’re really good for you etc…BUT, did you know, you can also make delicious, low carb desserts with them!? The consistency may appear alarming, but I assure you, this is a delicious and guilt free dessert or breakfast….so much so, that I’m now making them all the time!! Yes, that’s right….and this is coming from someone who previously thought a Nutella Cronut constituted a super food (“you’ll always be super to me cronuts!”)

Chia seeds absorb liquid, and form a pudding like consistency if you leave them soaking for an hour or so.

These are really easy to make! Recipe below makes 2 servings!!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup chia seeds
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons honey (you can add more or less honey depending on your desired sweetness)
1 cup almond and coconut milk (or whatever milk you would like – I used Almond Breeze Coconut almond blend)
Raspberries and flaked almonds (or any fruit, nut etc) for topping

Method:

Combine chia seeds, cacao powder and cinnamon,, and pour into the bottom of an empty jar or glass
Pour in almond milk and stir to combine
Add in honey and continue stirring
Cover your container or jar, and leave to set in the fridge for at least one hour, or up to overnight
Remove from the fridge, stir, and top with your desired toppings!!

You can add any other flavour combination to this, such as vanilla bean paste, pureed mango or berries, banana etc. You can also puree the entire pudding to make a smooth and creamy consistency if you’re not a fan of the seeds – keep in mind you may need to add some additional sweetener if you do this!! Try dates, or additional honey or maple syrup!

A simple, easy and guilt free dessert!! A great option for when you’re craving some chocolately, but attempting to avoid actual CHOCOLATE!! Are you on the chia seed bandwagon yet!?

Dairy free cacao thickshake

So it’s taken me several attempts to spell “Cacao” correctly….no, it isn’t a spelling error, it’s just a healthier and less refined version of our good friend cocoa (Who knew!?).

Now that I’m taking a temporary break from my good friends butter, saturated fat and refined sugar, I’m on a quest for heathy but delicious recipes. If you’ve read my blog for a while now, you’ll be well aware that I do enjoy a good unhealthy treat, but it’s time for me to put the mod in moderation!!

After one too many Nutella milkshakes, topped with Nutella Donuts (Yes, they exist), I’m off the baked goods (hell, for a good few days at least!!). Today I made this delicious alternative, which is dairy free, contains no refined sugar or sweeteners, and is naturally sweet and creamy!! Perfect as a post workout shake, or as a healthy desert!!

Ingredients:

Two tablespoons Cacao powder (I used Blackmores – it’s not cheap, but you only need a small amount per serve)
1 large banana (frozen)
2 tablespoons almond butter
1 cup coconut almond milk (I used Almond Breeze) – you can use plain almond or the milk of your choice if you prefer.
1 handful of ice

Blend to combine – the consistency should be nice and thick!!

This was legit delish! Do try it!! 🙂 Do you have a favourite healthy smoothie recipe? I would love to hear it!!

Almond Butter and Chocolate Energy Balls

So as you know, the majority of the recipes on Pop Therapy contain ample quantities of sugar and butter….so today you will be surprised to see a refined sugar and butter free recipe!!

“Jem, what’s become of you!? You’ve changed man!” I hear you say…..but don’t you worry, it’s the delicious sweetness of DATES that make these babies delicious!! They’re healthy, and completely addictive….and don’t worry…I still dipped them in chocolate to finish, so they’re not too healthy, in case you’re thinking of tuning out right now.

To make these completely dairy free, you can leave out the chocolate, or use dairy free choc chips!

I used this recipe from the Butter Half, worlds punniest food blog!

Ingredients:

1 cup dates, pitted
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 cup almond butter
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips (for melting)
1/2 cup crushed coconut flakes

Method:

1. In a food processor, blend the dates and coconut oil together until smooth. Add in almond butter, dark chocolate, vanilla, and cinnamon and mix until smooth and the mixture resembles dough.

2. Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls. Place on a cookie sheet or plate covered with parchment paper.

3. Melt the chocolate in a heat proof bowl, over a simmering saucepan of hot water, being careful that your bowl does not touch the water. Dip the top half of the energy bite into the melted chocolate, then dip into the crushed coconut. Allow to set for 10 minutes, then chill in refrigerator in a sealed container.

Whilst they’re not the prettiest, I assure you, they sure taste good!! What’s your favourite healthy treat recipe?

How to…make almond milk!!

Is anyone else on the almond milk bandwagon!? I’ve been drinking almond milk for two months now, because I’m following a dairy and soy free elimination diet.

I’ve found out which local cafes do almond milk coffees, and have really become used to the taste!! I’ve been buying almond milk for home, but sometimes even the unsweetened stuff still tastes sugary. (Just an aside – my pick of the best almond milk coffee in the inner west is a tie between the Marrick on Marrickville Rd, or Wolf and Stone in Dulwich Hill!!)

Sadly, you do pay big $$ for almond milk coffee!! $4.20 for a small coffee seems to be the going rate, arg!!! So I decided to give it a whirl and make my own!!

Step 1 – I needed to buy….a nut bag!!! Yes, a nut bag – it’s a thing – as I typed “buy a nut bag” into google with trepidation, I was relieved to see that you can buy these things (it’s basically a muslin cloth bag for draining the milk) for a few dollars. If you can’t be bothered buying a nutbag, some muslin cotton or even a stocking can be used.

So once I had my nutbag, I was all ready to prepare a delicious batch of almond milk!!!

Beaker - Freedom

This is how you do it…

Activate those almonds!! Pete Evans Style!! (For the lay person, this means soak some almonds in water, and BOOM, they activate into a superfood!!!) So for one cup of almonds, soak them in 3-4 cups of water depending on how creamy you would like the consistency. Soak them for at least 8 hours, or even longer!!!
Put the almonds and water, along with a generous pinch of salt into a high powered blender (I used my trusty Magic Bullet!!) and blitz the hell out of them under the water looks milky and frothy and the almonds have broken down to pulp.
Place your trusty nut bag over a glass jug or container and pour the milk through the bag to strain. Slowly raise the bag, and squeeze to strain the remaining milk from the bag.
If you want some extra flavour you can add a dash of vanilla, some cinnamon or whatever you would like. I added the tiniest bit of cinnamon to mine!!

Voila, delicious almond milk for all!!!