breakfast bowls – trying new things in the morning.
Viper eats the same thing every.day. for breakfast. His home made cereal mix and milk. Maybe he refills his bowl a few times, but it’s always that – no real variation in his first meal of the day. So boring.
Actually, I admit I used to be the same. It would always be a morning bowl of porridge in Winter, and maybe yoghurt & muesli in the warmer months. Yes, I used to be a boring-breakfaster. I think my morning-creativity has come about mainly because I have more TIME in the mornings – I’m not usually rushing off anywhere, just hanging with Misty. I appreciate the fact that the morning is a hectic time for most, so the ideas I’m going to share with you today are actually super quick to whip up (if you do a little planning & preparation). When I get a spare minute in the kitchen, I always try and cook extra to stash away in the fridge for quick meals during the week – preparing a pot of quinoa, soaking buckwheat, roasting sweet potatoes and so on. It really makes life easier.
If you follow me on Face Book – you would have seen me posting my breakfasts for the past few days. I’m really into breakfast “bowls” at the moment – a sort of cereal-esque style meal, but with way more exciting ingredients, and a few interesting not-of-the-norm breakfast foods.
I have left these recipes pretty “loose” if you get what I mean – customise to your own likes/what ingredients you have on hand – makes for creative breakfasts, that’s for sure. Read through for a variety of options.
Sprouted Buckwheat Porridge (raw)
Sprouted Buckwheat Porridge (raw)
(Vegan: gluten/wheat/nut/refined sugar free)
- 1C soaked, sprouted buckwheat groats*
- 1/2C coconut milk kefir (or any other milk of choice – almond, soy, plain coconut etc)
- 2t rice syrup (or any liquid sweetener – 1/8 to 1/4t liquid stevia if you are that way inclined)
- Pinch sea salt
- 1/2t vanilla extract
- Whizz all the ingredients together in a food processor until (relatively) smooth – the buckwheat will retain a slight texture, which is all part of the charm.
- Top with some of the following Slow Cooker Apple-Nana Butter, or with dried fruit, chopped fresh fruit, nut butter – whatever you like.
Slow Cooker Apple-Nana Butter
(Vegan: gluten/wheat/soy/seed/nut/refined sugar/grain free)
- 6 medium apples – cored and roughly chopped (you can peel if you like, but I am lazy and like fibre)
- 6 small bananas – roughly chopped into chunks
- Juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 1/8t sea salt
- 1t vanilla bean paste (optional)
- 2t ground cinnamon (optional)
- 4C water
- Throw everything in your slow cooker/crock pot and cook on low for about 24 hours, or until the mix has reduced by half, and it super thick, syrupy and sweet.
- You could puree the whole lot now, if you prefer a smoother texture to your butter – but I like a little texture (and again, I’m lazy).
*Chuck a couple of cups of raw buckwheat groats in a bowl – cover with water and leave overnight to soak. Rinse in the morning (the liquid tends to go a little gooey. Leave drained buckwheat groats to sprout for about another 12 hours or so (depending on the temperature) making sure you rinse the groats a few times during this sprouting process.
Quinoa with Sweet Potato Custard & Cacao Nibs
Sweet Potato Custard
Vegan: gluten/wheat/grain/refined sugar/corn/soy/nut free (depending on milk choices)
Makes 3-4 serves
- 1C cooked sweet potato (Roasting your sweet potato whole will give you the best – sweetest – flavour. Plus the skins make for great snacking).
- Full fat coconut milk - the amount will depend on the consistency of custard you like, whether you want it very fine & runny, or so thick you can stand a spoon in it. Add little by little. starting with 1C until you reach your desired custard -this can use over 2 cups of milk easily. Almond milk, soy, or cow milk are all good substitutes – just remember that the higher fat milks will give a creamier texture. I also love to use coconut milk kefir here.
- 3T maple syrup (or any other liquid sweetener to taste)
- 1/8t sea salt
- 1t vanilla extract (optional)
- 1t ground cinnamon (optional)
- Whizz everything together in a food processor until super smooth – add milk gradually until you reach your desired “custard” consistency.
This custard is delicious on top of porridge, in a bowl with chopped banana, walnuts and raisins, added to a smoothie, poured over banana “soft serve” – or as pictured - 2/3C cooked quinoa, 1C sweet potato “Custard” and 2T cacao nibs.
Creamy Cacao Bean Bowl
I really love beans. It’s sad, because they don’t really feel the same way about me. I have figured out that I had our romance all back-to-front. It is NOT a good idea to eat a whole can of beans at 9pm, and then wonder why I could not sleep for crippling stomach cramps. Beans for breakfast though, suit me (and my stomach) just fine. I find if I eat beans at the start of the day, they keep me full for ages – without the tummy troubles. You may find it hard to get your head around the idea of (sweet) beans for breakfast, but I really encourage you to give this a go – the following “recipe” is my method for making a delicious bean bowl – pick and choose the ingredients you prefer/have in your pantry:
Basic Bean Bowl
See the options listed below, so you can cater to your own tastes/what you have on hand. Vegan.
- 1 & 1/2C cooked beans (equivalent to 1 can of beans)
- 3T nut/seed butter
- 2T liquid sweetener (OR 1/4-1/2t stevia liquid for a low sugar option)
- 1/4-1/2C non dairy milk
- Pinch of sea salt
- 2T cacao/carob powder
- 1/2t vanilla extract (optional)
- Toppings: (optional) Chopped nuts, cacao nibs, dried fruit, fresh fruit slices, fruit-only jam, additional nut/seed butter.
Options:
Beans…. Kidney, cannelini, butter, chick peas, black turtle.
Nut/Seed Butter…. tahini, coconut butter, almond butter, peanut butter, cashew butter, walnut butter.
Sweeteners…. maple syrup, agave, rice syrup, raw honey, barley malt, coconut nectar. You can even use things like date paste/mashed banana in place of liquid sweeteners, but I would use MORE of these – for example 4T date paste, or 2 large very ripe bananas.
Milk…. almond, soy, rice, coconut, oat, kefir.
The bean bowl pictured above is made with kidney beans, cacao, tahini, coconut butter, rice syrup and almond milk – delicious!
It’s probably quite obvious that I don’t eat “normal” food – whatever that means. Sweet beans sound weird, but they taste good – I promise…. the photo above is one of my favourite desserts using beans (and tofu AND popcorn, but that’s just me). I like to be a little adventurous and try different flavour combinations and ingredient pairings…. sometimes they work, and sometimes things get spit into the sink. If you don’t try, you don’t know, right?
Do you stick to your tried and true meals? Or are you a little adventurous when it comes to trying out new taste-ideas?
an Ode to Las Vegas (through vegan food – inspired by insomnia)
The sparkling lights, the gambling, the shows, the parties. I admit it, if you asked me where I would go in the world RIGHT NOW (expense being no worry) I would have to go with Las Vegas. Viper and I are obsessed with all-things-American, and even if I should be saying Europe (for the culture!) or India (for the spiritual enlightenment!) I would be off drinking cocktails and putting it ALL on 26 red before an Elvisn impersonator could pronounce myself and Viper, “hound dog and Lisa Marie.” Seriously, although my wedding last year was lovely – there is still a teeny tiny part of me that wished we had gone with our original “Vegas Elvis Elopement” plan. One day.
Photo courtesy of Wayfaring Chocolate
At the moment though, I have to live vicariously through the tales of other bloggers. Hannah recapped her Vegas adventure here and here, and the very brave Bethaney did it with her toddler in tow (not sure I’m game enough for that!) We all know, however, that I am slightly obsessed with vegan food – so while on my insomnia-spurred-Vegas-trawl I began researching into the foodie options available. Paul Graham from Eating Vegan in Vegas really covers all the bases when it comes to compassionate cuisine.
Photo courtesy of Flash Packer Family
While Viper would be (oh so predictably) tempted by the promise of celebrity chefs cooking up all sorts of meaty-glory…. Vegas is actually turning into a bit of a hub for vegan dining, which gives the place even more appeal. During the witching hours of insomnia (oh the joy) I have been perusing different restaurants/menus for inspiration…. although I love reading food blogs, I never really try out recipes – just reading the title of a dish can really get the creative cogs in my brain turning – I find recipes way too restrictive. I saw the Sweet Potato Soup with Roasted Almonds on the menu at Mesa Grill, and then that little inspirational tidbit turned into my “Ode to Vegas.” I know America has a real fondness for mayonnaise, and while I can’t stand the traditional stuff in any way, shape or form, this vegan/root veggie version is quite the delicious variation. I couldn’t have possibly dedicated a recipe to Las Vegas and NOT include some sort of Elvis-ingredient either – hence the “Bacon” almonds, which are given a sweet/salty/smoky marinade which is a pretty stellar addition to this salad.
The whole orange/spinach combination reminds me of my Mum, who always made me make sure I was eating a little vitamin C (orange) whenever I ate an iron-rich vegetable (spinach) – thanks Mum – and it just so happens they go great with sweet potato and fake bacon – who would have thought?
Spinach & Orange Salad with Sweet Potato Mayo and Smoky Baked Almonds (aka “Bacon” bits)
(Vegan: Gluten/wheat/refined sugar/grain/soy/corn free)
Makes 4 large serves
“Bacon” Bits (Sweet Smoky Almonds)
- 1C almonds
- 4t tamari
- 3T maple syrup
- 2t smoked paprika
- Combine all ingredients except almonds in a small mixing bowl and whisk well.
- Throw almonds in and toss to coat.
- Roast at 180 degrees C for 8-10 minutes…. careful they will catch and burn quickly.
- When dry (they will almost be like a cluster of toffee) roughly chop.
Sweet Potato “Mayonnaise”
- 2C cooked sweet potato (roasting will get the best flavour)
- 3T nutritional yeast
- 3T tahini
- 3T olive oil
- 2t wholegrain mustard
- 2t apple cider vinegar
- 1C water (up to 1 & 1/2C to achieve desired consistency)
- 2t lemon juice
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Combine all ingredients in a food processor, adding water bit by bit until you reach your preferred “mayo” consistency.
- Season (S&P) to taste.
Salad Assembly……
(Ingredients for each person – you are making 4 serves)
- 1 navel orange, cut into segments, free of pith.
- 1 good handful (2C) baby spinach leaves
- 1/4C “Bacon” almonds
- 1/4C Sweet Potato Mayonnaise
- Place spinach leaves on plate, arrange orange segments.
- Sprinkle over chopped almonds, and drizzle with the mayo – putting the mix in a squirty bottle is the best idea (an old ketchup/mustard bottle is perfect for this).
So now I shall eat this salad and pine for the parties, lights and loose times that Las Vegas seems to promise. One day I will get there. How about you? Where in the world would you LOVE to visit? Your dream escape? Your ultimate adventure?
birthday treats and chilli eats
It’s so good to finally have a decent yoga mat – not a “Slip & Slide.” Super sweaty hands and feet + shitty yoga mat = Lou looking pretty stupid most of the time. Thanks, Viper, you’re a star.
Also, Misty loves Chaturanga.
Birthday cake (?) Tasted good (to me) looked terrible (to everyone else) needs tweaking (a lot). Potential? Yes. Especially good looking presented in tupperware.
Mother in Law to the rescue with dessert.
Slightly obsessed with chillies in a jar. I just ate about 6 whole ones while making the following recipe. They are definitely NOT “hot” though. It’s either false advertising, or my sense of taste has gone thanks to the boogie-illness Misty kindly gifted me. These chillies have a nice heat, but don’t burn your taste buds off; the water/vinegar salt mix that they are marinated in is great to add to dips/spreads like the following for an extra flavour punch. Chose a variety of chilli that suits your heat-preference.
Sweet Potato Chilli Spread:
(Vegan, gluten/wheat/corn/soy/nut/seed/refined sugar free)
- 1 + 1/4C cooked sweet potato
- 1/4C nutritional yeast
- 1/2t sea salt
- 3t apple cider vinegar
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1/2 large avocado
- 1T olive oil
- 2T chopped marinated chilli + 2T chilli water (marinating liquid) – you can add more if you like chillies (like me) I added about 4T chopped chillies in total.
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Blend all ingredients in a food processor until silky and smooth, season with freshly ground black pepper.
Creamy, tangy, spicy. If you use mild chillies, this is a great smooshy dip for toddlers… plus it gets them used to a tiny bit of heat in their food.
I’m feeling good… another birthday, another year – more adventures to come I just know it…hopefully starting things off right tomorrow night with a few sparkly cocktails and a little break from my tiny yogini friend.
a fail and then a pie (actually, 2 pies)
Yesterday’s “using up pulp experiment“…. ? I tried to make another sort of sweet “bread” with it.
Not good, not bad, not great. Not a fail, but not really a massive win. Not worth the typing to share, basically.
Pretty good mixed into a spirilina banana soft serve and peanut butter bowl of moosh though.
No wonder Viper likes to describe my breakfasts as “alien poo.”
Turns out someone has decided he likes his Mama’s weird experiments, AND unsweetened dark chocolate (I’m taking 100% cocoa here). He’s eaten about half of the loaf already. Champ.
I didn’t get round to Viper’s chicken pie last night. Bad wifey. I am onto it today though… a kind of red curry based chicken thing – plus something for the vegan:
Brown Rice Crusted Sweet Potato and Brussel Sprout “Pie”
(Vegan, gluten/wheat/soy/corn/refined sugar free)
Crust:
(Make this ahead… pre-bake it, then store in the fridge until ready to fill and eat)
- 1 1/2C cooked brown rice
- 1/4C chick pea flour
- 2T ground flax seed
- 1/4t salt
- 1t coconut oil
- 1/8C water
- Pulse everything together in a food processor. Transfer to a bowl, and let the mix chill for about an hour.
- Set oven to 180 degrees C.
- Using wet hands, press into a greased pie dish (I used 2 small 10cm spring form pans) as evenly as possible…. push it up the sides of the dish too, to create space to fill inside.
- Bake for 15 minutes… it will puff up a little, but will deflate on cooling.
- Let the baked pie shell rest for at least 15 minutes before filling with:
Filling:
- Scoop spread into pre baked pie shells… filling to about a cm below the top of the shell.
- 1C brussel sprouts… pre steam them to get the cooking process happening, so they caramelize quickly when cooked on top of the pie. Cut off the stalk of each sprout, remove the outer leaves and cut in half length-wise. I zapped mine with a splash of water in the microwave for about 5 minutes… just until they turn that brilliant green hue. Toss steamed sprouts in 2t maple syrup, 1t coconut oil and 1/4t sea salt.
- Scatter as many sprouts on top as you wish… I put heaps, pushing them down well.
- Bake again for 20 minutes at 180 degrees, or until sprouts go all crispy and caramelized.
vegan musings and then some non vegan cooking, oh my.
So I thought I would check in with you all about my recent foray into the realm of veganism. Wow, it sounds so dramatic and exciting.
It is, rather. I am very excited about discovering what it truly means to be a vegan… not just the food. I was really concerned about giving up my ‘Trifector of Glory’ – yoghurt, salmon and honey. Those 3 kept me teetering on the edge of being a vegan for years. I thought I couldn’t possibly live without them in my life.
Wrong.
It’s been surprisingly easy not eating the glorious 3 – I don’t miss any of them. It’s all about finding alternatives – I may go as far to say that I have sourced some superior ones at that.
Tofu puddings, chickpea puddings, brown rice syrup, agave, tempeh, nut creams, tofu steaks… they aren’t the same, no, but they satisfy me quite nicely without questioning my conscience.
Another thing is, I feel amazing. I have energy, my skin is super clear; no signs of the pesky eczema or dryness that used to plague me. Clear skin, clear conscience, double whammy of awesome right there.
So after a bit of a rant on veganism, here’s a totally non-vegan dish. Ha. At least it doesn’t involve meat I suppose; wouldn’t that be a kick in the teeth? Anyway, I reiterate the fact that although I am a vegan, I buy and cook meat/dairy/fish for Viper and Misty. I try my best to buy organic, free range and local fare; although this is a total ‘fridge scrape’ of a recipe.
You could call this dish many things. Hopefully one of them being Yummo… frittata, potato bake, a Spanish Tortilla… we don’t need to get technical, basically it’s leftover vegetables bound together with egg and cheese. It’s a fantastic way to use up bits and pieces in the fridge, is good hot or cold, as a main dish or a side. Fail safe fridge scrapings.
Basic Fridge Scrapings Frittata:
(Vegetarian, gluten free)
- 2 + 1/2C cubed potato
- 1C sweet corn kernels
- 1/2C grated cheese
- 1/3C crumbled feta
- 1 grated zuccinni (squeeze out excess water)
- 1T sweet chilli sauce
- 3 eggs, lightly whisked together
- 1/4t sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Chilli flakes
- 1/2C chopped fresh herbs (parsley, basil or coriander would all be delicious)
- Pre heat your oven to 180 degrees C on bake ***
- I always par-cook my potatoes so the cooking time ends up much quicker… depending on what type of potatoes you use, peel or scrub and dice into cubes of around 1cm square (you don’t need to be too exact!)
- Place in a microwaveable bowl, cover with water and zap on high for 6 minutes. Otherwise simply par-boil in a small pot.
- Combine all other ingredients with par-cooked potato except the eggs.
- Once the potato mix has had a chance to cool slighly, add in your 3 eggs that have been whisked together lightly.
- Spoon into a lightly greased (or lined) baking dish and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the egg has ‘set.’ You will know, as the dish will be evenly firm to the touch and golden brown.
*** I usually cook this ‘low and slow,’ I just ran out of time today… if you want to multi-task (as I always do) chuck this in the oven for 1 hour at 140 degrees while you have a batch of granola or something similar going***
I topped this with some of the Savoury Granola that I made the other day for a bit of crunch.
(Getting a bit fancy) Pumpkin Feta and Walnut Bake:
- 2 + 1/2C cubed and roasted pumpkin
- 3/4C crumbled feta cheese
- 1/3C toasted and crumbled walnuts
- 1/4C sun dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1/4t sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3t wholegrain mustard
- 3 eggs, lightly whisked together
- 1C roughly chopped baby spinach leaves
- 1/3C fresh basil, roughly chopped
- Follow the same directions as above.
With a crisp green salad, a selection of condiments and whatever else you may fancy, this is a pretty awesome meal. It’s a great thing to take to a pot-luck or picnic too… cut into slabs and enjoy. It would be rude of me not to come up with a vegan version, no?
savoury granola
Not another granola recipe… I know that’s what you’re thinking.
I’m over boring oats… let’s change things up a bit here, shall we? I’m on a roll after my re-make of the overnight variety, so let’s kick on, seeing it’s Australia Day and all, let’s go crazy.
Me at 6am with a sleepy bung eye and oats on my face. Seriously, try this and your face will be thanking you (or me, whatever).
- 1T oat flour
- 1/2t ground flax seed
- 1/2t raw, organic honey
- Splash of water to make a spreadable paste
- Mix into a goop, spread on face.
- Leave on your face for as long as you can handle it… maybe 10 minutes.
- Either lick off, or wash off with water.
- Rejoice in your amazingly vibrant and glowing appearance.
Savoury Granola:
(Vegan, nut, gluten and cane sugar free)
- 2T sunflower seeds
- 2T pepitas
- 2T raw buckwheat groats
- 2T chia seeds
- 2T raw quinoa
- 1/2C certified gluten free oats
- 2T tamari sauce (or soy sauce)
- 1T brown rice syrup (or honey, agave or even sweet chilli sauce would be great)
- 1t apple cider vinegar
- 2t coconut oil (liquid)
- 1/4t sea salt
- 1/4t chilli flakes (optional)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Combine all ingredients together.
- Spread out on a lined baking tray.
- Bake at 150 degrees C for 20 minutes, lower oven to 130 degrees for a further 20 minutes. Keep an eye on the granola, stirring regularly to ensure even cooking.
- Turn oven down to 100 degrees C and cook for a final 30 miuntes (or until golden brown and crunchy).
- Store in an air tight container.
Vegan Sweet Potato ‘Pesto’
- 3/4C cooked sweet potato
- 1/2C fresh basil leaves
- 3/4C white beans
- 1/2C nutritional yeast
- 1 + 1/2T apple cider vinegar
- 2t lemon juice
- 3/4t sea salt
- 1/4c water
- 3 cloves crushed garlic
- 3/4t whole grain mustard
- 1/8C olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Blend everything together.
Today’s ‘Aussie Classic,’ for Australia Day (hooray!) is probably one of the best things in the world to eat after a long day of fishing, hiking, mission-ing around some beautiful part of Australia…. I’m talking about DAMPER.
Returning to your campsite, and after a few glasses of red, try this on for size:
Sitting around a camp fire, drinking vino, and eating hot ‘bread’ doused in butter, jam, honey, or all of the above. Yip, definitely a True Blue Aussie Classic right there.
lessons for lou
- Don’t think that juggling an 11 kg child while trying to fill out 2 separate customs forms (including a lot of passport referrals for stupid numbers) is an easy feat. It’s not. Especially when the 11kg beast does not want to be pinned down.
- Don’t let Misty out of your sight for even 3 seconds, as that is all the time it takes for him to (almost) get through the security door and onto the tarmac. Also, don’t think that the security guard will be amused – he won’t. Not even a cheeky smile and a bat of the eyelashes will help.
- Don’t expect your 1 year old is going to sleep during a 3 1/2 hour international flight, just because it’s his normal bedtime and he should just nod off. Oh no, don’t expect that at all.
- Never dismiss the humble paper cup as an awesome toy – entertained Misty far longer than a newly purchased whizz-bang baby toy.
- Never put limits on expectations – when you think something already awesome cannot be improved on – it still can (see above).
- Even though you never believe products when they claim to be “really good,” sometimes this can be true. Oh so true. Oh so good (see below).
- Old favourites never go out of fashion.
Kumara, I’m so glad that we are friends again.
Yip, it’s good to be home.
no meat for Misty
- 1/4C breadcrumbs (I used millet bread but any bread is fine)
- 1/2C vegetable puree (something starchy works best, I used carrot and sweet potato)
- 1/4C pureed corn kernels
- 3T brown rice flour
- 1/4t curry powder
- 1/8t aluminium free baking powder
- 1/8C sesame seeds
- 1/8C raw cashews
- 1 egg (or 1 flax “egg”)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2t fresh or dried herbs (I used fresh chives and mint)
- Combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl.
- Heat a fry pan with a little oil or butter.
- Drop teaspoons full of batter in, and cook for 2 minutes each side or until golden brown.
- Serve with a dollop of yoghurt, sour cream or mashed avacado.
a not so dangerous dinner
The kitchen is quite a dangerous place. Sharp blades, steam, hot plates, gas – really, it’s not the best place for an accident-prone, impatient, careless, and dangerously silly person like myself. Over the years I have sustained many injuries from my experiments. The top of the blender popping off as I was blending up boiling hot soup (let it cool down first, Lou – I’m so impatient) was a particularly good one. Burns are not fun. Porridge (oatmeal) burns are the worst, it’s so gluey that it sticks to your skin and just keeps on burning. Great.
My finger tips will never be the same. Bits chopped off, multiple singes from using them to turn stuff on the hot plate (tongs, Lou, tongs) it’s all part and parcel. One bonus nowadays is that my hands are kind of de-sensitised, so I can just shove them into the oven with reckless abandon. Makes me look so tough.
I think it was Anthony Bourdain (man I love that dude) that said the sign of a cook was ugly hands – it was his mission as an aspiring chef to get that knarled and disfigured look which equates to kitchen kudos.
I didn’t even notice that I sliced the top off my finger this morning as I was hacking up a bit of beef for Boosty’s weekly meals. All the red stuff over my shopping list was a little clue. Gross.
I’m not the most careful cook – my technique, although fast is not exactly “safe.” My Mum would always cringe watching me use a knife.
What’s been your worst cooking related injury?
Seeing HEAB‘s post on homemade apple and sweet potato purees, I remembered I had some of each in the fridge that needed using up. Misty doesn’t really dig the whole ‘puree’ thing – he’s an independent man, and likes to feed himself. Balls seem to be the way to go (and get good distance as a tasty chaser for Boosty).
Having purees on hand is kind of useful – they add a certain something (yeah, the M word) to baking, extra flavour to sauces and soups, and are great mixed in with cereal or yoghurt. If you have too much, just freeze and use at your leisure, what could be easier? I also think eating pureed food is quite comforting in a ‘reverting back to childhood’ kinda way. Maybe that’s just me.
I’m still on my sweet potato kick, so made these to involve Misty in the madness.
Misty’s Millet Munchies
(Gluten free, nut free, egg free, dairy free, soy free, vegan)
- 1/4C sweet potato puree
- 1/4C apple puree (or just use all sweet potato)
- 1/4C millet
- Pinch of ground cinnamon and ginger (approx 1/8t of each)
- 1/2C water
- 1/2C rice milk
- 2T ground flax
- Sesame seeds for coating (substitute with wheat germ, coconut, quinoa flakes, whatever you have).
- Combine everything except ground flax in a small saucepan.
- Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer and wait until almost all of the liquid has been absorbed (around 20 minutes, it may be longer).
- Turn off heat and stir in flax seed. Let it sit for 10 minutes or so, and let the flax work it’s magic.
- Roll into balls, and coat in sesame seeds.
No injuries were sustained in the making of these balls.
a surprise inside
Can you guess what’s inside this little gem?
I’ll give you a hint
No, it’s not a sinfully rich cream, butter and sugar concoction (heart attack anyone?)
It actually contain both fruit AND vegetable, if you can believe it.
It can also be served like this: (with Spiced Pumpkin Granola)
It is suitable to feed one of these:
If you can catch him.
Give up?
Ok, ok it’s:
Sweet Potato Custard
- 3/4C soy milk (dairy/almond/coconut would work)
- 2 Medjool dates
- 2T maple syrup
- 1/2t cinnamon
- 1/2t vanilla extract
- 1/3C cooked sweet potato (or pumpkin)
- 1/4t guar gum
- 1/4t sea salt
- Chop up your dates finely, and place in the food processor with maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, sweet potato and sea salt. Use a little of the milk for lubrication and process until smooth.
- Transfer into a small saucepan with the remaining milk.
- Bring to the boil.
- Reduce to a simmer, and add the 1/4t guar gum. Stir until thick.
- Spoon into bowls, either eat warm or let it set into more of a ‘pudding’ in the fridge.
- 1T coconut oil
- 2 1/2 t maple syrup
- 1t organic cacao powder
- Pinch of sea salt
- Chopped nuts for sprinkling
Viper would LOVE this. Geek. Star Wars. Yawn.
- 1/3C sweet potato puree (can sub pumpkin instead)
- 1T nutritional yeast
- 1t tahini
- 1/2 t wholegrain mustard
- 1t apple cider vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 4T water
- 1/2t lemon juice
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Vegan. Stay at home Mum of Misty. Yoga teacher in training. Passionate about REAL food - creating it, eating it, sharing it. I can never stick to a recipe.
