Balsamic, Beetroot, Fetta and cashew dip

Recently we got a dip from the shop that was really good so I have tried to replicate it and it was pretty easy but tasted better cause it was fresh!

Ingredients
1 medium Fresh beetroot
150g Danish Fetta cut into cubes
1-2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar more if needed to make it smooth
1/4 cup Raw cashews
Salt to taste

What to do
Cut the beetroot in half and remove the ends and wrap in aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 40 minutes until soft. Remove from oven and cut into smaller pieces, allow to cool a little.
In a food processor place raw cashews and pulse until chopped. Add the Danish  Fetta and the beetroot. Add a little balsamic vinegar to help pulse the ingredients together and to smooth out. Add a touch of salt for taste. I even left my cashews a little chunkier for a bit of texture.
You can use this dip with fresh vegetable sticks, crackers, we even put a little on some scotch fillet steak. Other ideas is to use in a wrap with a salad.

Banana Bread Wheat Free

I originally made this using wheat but have tweaked the recipe to make it a wheat free and a few other healthier options.

Ingredients
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup lupin flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup rapture
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
125g organic coconut oil
3 eggs
4 bananas mashed

What to do
Turn oven to 180 degrees or 170 if fan forced, grease a loaf tin and place baking paper inside so it overhangs.
Combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, and cinnamon in a bowl.
Place the coconut oil in the microwave to melt then set aside to cool slightly, once cool add the eggs and whisk together. Put the oil egg mix and the banana in with the flour and stir to combine. Place the wet mix into the tin and cook for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes then place on a wrack to cool, or serve warm.

William loved it served warm with a little hazelnut spread! 

Angela's Anzac's

Ok so I decided to have a play around with a new recipe today and incorporate some more healthy options into the making of Anzac biscuits and here is the result!

1 cup plain flour
1/2 cup organic coconut sugar
1/2 cup organic rapadura
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup desiccated coconut
120 grams tasteless coconut oil
1 tablespoon golden syrup
2 tablespoons boiling water
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda ( add a little more water if mixture is too dry)

1. Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees or 170 degrees for a fan forced oven.
2. Put grease proof paper onto biscuit trays or use a silicone reusable mat.
3. In a large bowl mix all the dry ingredients together.
4. In a microwave jug put the tasteless coconut oil and golden syrup and heat until coconut oil is melted.
5. In a small bowl add the boiling water and bicarbonate soda.
6. Add the bicarbonate of soda water mix to the golden syrup and tasteless coconut mix and stir until it froths up.
7. Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and stir in well and is not too crumble, if the mix crumbles add a small amount of water to make it stick more together.
8. Using a teaspoon size amount of mix roll into balls and place onto the prepared trays. The biscuits will spread so leave a good amount of room between each spoon mix.
9. Place in the oven and cook for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
10. Remove from oven and let cool slightly on trays before transferring to cooling racks.
11. Allow Anzacs to cool then eat and enjoy!

Note:
For those who don't know rapadura is a form of sugar that is the dehydrated juice from the sugar cane. It is whole and unrefined with only the water removed. To read more about the health benefits of rapadura click  HERE.

To read more about the benefits of raw organic coconut sugar click here.

Are you feeling like your always hungry???

Do you often find yourself eating a lovely meal through out the day and then fins an hour later your tummy is rumbling again??? Well if this is you it could mean you are not eating enough  protein!

The University of Sydney did a study that found people who skimped on protein in their meals in fact ate more calories than those who did. It discovered that people who were on a 10% protein diet ate more calories overall, with 70% of these coming from snacks, when compared to people on a 15% protein diet.

Therefore is has been suggested that we should aim to get 15-20% of our daily calories from protein rich foods, which include things such as lean meat, fish, legumes and nuts.

Are you feeling Foggy!!!!

Do you often feel a little afternoon foggy and want to reach for the chocolate???? I know I do BUT instead of the chocolate, which is the not so health option you reach for the scrambled egg! Yes that's right how about some scrambled eggs or hard boiled eggs. Eggs contain amino acids which activate orexin cells in the brain, that will help the brain to wake up according to a report from the University of Cambridge scientists. So not only is eating eggs a great source of protein BUT you are also able to help get rid of that foggy feeling! So why not keep a hard boiled egg in the fridge for those moments!

Calcium are you getting enough?

So do you know how much calcium you need in a day?

If your a woman aged 19-50 you will need 1000mg per day and women over 50 need 1300mg per day!

So how can you get that amount?

200g plain low fat yoghurt contains on average 420mg
40g cheddar cheese contains 327mg
1/2 cup tofu contains 285mg
15 almonds contains 40mg
100ml fortified orange juice contains up to 80mg
100g cooked spinach contains 100mg
250ml skim milk contains 320mg
1/2 cup canned salmon contains 402mg

So next time your planning your day perhaps you might think of your calcium and if your getting enough as a lack of calcium for women can cause such things as osteoporosis!

Easy Home Made chicken Sausages

Last night I made the yummiest chicken sausages that were easy as!

500g chicken mince (if you have a mincer you can do your own using chicken breasts)
1 stem of spring onions cut up really small
1 tablespoon dried Italian Herbs
2 cloves of fresh garlic (minced)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or if you like it hot add more)

Mix all the ingredients together and roll into sausages. I made mine into small chipolata size as I was putting them into wraps.
Lightly spray a non stick fry pan and cook over a medium heat until cooked through.

Serving ideas:

I actually put mine into a wrap and had lettuce, tomato, little BBQ sauce, some sweet potato home made chips, red onion, and a shaving of parmesan cheese. Was very yummy and low in fat.

Also could roll the chicken mix into mini meat balls and serve over some pasta with home made or jar pasta sauce. Instead of putting the mince into wraps could just serve over a salad or with some vegetables.