Double Chocolate & Peach Brownies

We get our organic fruit and veggies delivered fortnightly and so we always get a pretty good variety of fresh produce.  Sometimes though we get some items which don't get eaten as quickly - I had a few peaches in the fridge and thought that a good way to use some of them might be to make something lunchbox friendly that I could include some peaches in - so here it is!  The kids are pretty impressed and I hope you like it too!

Ingredients:

- 1 cup whole spelt flour

- 1/2 cup buckwheat flour

- 1/3 cup cacao powder

- 1/3 cup rapadura sugar

- 1/2 cup choc chips

- 2 tbsp chia seeds

- 1 tsp baking powder

- 1 free range egg

- 1 cup coconut cream

- 1/3 cup coconut oil

- 1 tsp vanilla

- 1 large or 2 small peaches, sliced

Method:

1.  Preheat oven to 180 degrees and grease and line a 20cm x 30cm baking dish.

2.  In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and stir together.  Add the wet ingredients (except peach slices) and stir until just combined.  

3.  Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish and arrange peach slices on top.  Bake for about 15 minutes or until just cooked through (you don't want to overcook it or it will be too dry).

4.  Allow to cool completely and cut into slices to serve. 

Body Butter

I am super excited to be delving into the world of making my own body products.  I've been fascinated by aromatherapy for quite a while (and at some point I would love to study it) and have accumulated quite a stash of essential oils over the past couple of years.  I love coming up with new ways of incorporating their use into everyday life and with Christmas coming up, what better way than adding them to some homemade body products for Christmas pressies?  This recipe for body butter required a little experimentation.  It doesn't whip into a butter-like consistency but when you let it set for a few hours, it ends up with the most gorgeous, fluffy, butter-like texture then!

Ingredients (makes about 250ml which I used to fill 2 glass jars):
- 180g shea nut butter (I purchased mine in a big tub from the Sydney Essential Oil Company)
- 30g coconut oil
- 30g macadamia oil
- 1tsp vitamin E oil (this acts as an antioxidant)
- 30 drops of pure essential oil - I used 10 drops each of lavender, chamomile and orange

Method:
1.  Melt the shea butter, coconut oil and macadamia oil on a very low heat, stirring constantly.  Transfer into a glass bowl and pop into the fridge for about 15 minutes or until the mix starts to solidify around the edges and has cooled right down.

(Thermomix - add shea butter, coconut oil and macadamia oil into the TM bowl, chop for 5sec/sp6, melt for 3min/50deg/sp2.  Pour into a glass bowl and pop into the fridge for about 15min or until mixture starts to solidify).

2.  Add the remaining ingredients.  Whip for a few minutes with an electric mixer until the mixture is creamy.  Transfer to glass jars, pop jar lids on and allow to set at room temperature for a few hours or overnight.

(Thermomix - pour the mixture back into the TM, add the remaining ingredients, put in the butterfly and whip for 3min/sp4.  Pour into glass jars, put the lids on and allow to set for a few hours or overnight at room temperature). 

Pineapple & Cinnamon Jam

I was told this jam flavour sounded a bit odd but I don't know.... I thought it sounded summery and exotic and delicious!   And it certainly turned out that way.  I'm still in my study period and exam period starts next week.  Making these preserves and things for Christmas pressies is certainly a welcome distraction from studying!  

Ingredients (makes about 400ml):

- 1 pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into chunks (I had about 650g of chopped pineapple)
- 1 green apple, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
- 1 cinnamon quill
- 200g raw sugar
- Juice of 1/2 lime

Method:

Add all ingredients (except lime juice) to a pot and cook on a low heat, stirring frequently, for about an hour or until the jam sets when tested.  Stir through the lime juice, remove the cinnamon quill and then put the jam into sterilised jars.

If making this in the Thermomix, follow the above method but cook on 100deg/sp1.

Strawberry & Chocolate Cupcakes

I always go out of my way to ensure that our fridge is fully stocked with a variety of wholefoods because one of my kids (yes, only one of my 2, much to my frustration) loves to have a large variety of fruit and veg in her diet.  So I may or may not have gone a bit overboard with buying berries in the past week.  With a large stash of strawberries, I decided to cook something lunchbox friendly with some of them!

Ingredients (makes 12):
- 1 cup light spelt flour
- 1/2 cup whole spelt flour
- 1/2 cup rapadura
- 1/2 cup cacao powder
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1 free range egg
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 1/2 cup choc chips
- 100g strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 2 tsp baking powder

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees and line a 12 hole cupcake pan with cupcake cases.

2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cacao powder, milk, coconut oil, egg and vanilla.  Stir to combine.

3.  Fold in the remaining ingredients.

4.  Bake for about 20 minutes or until cooked through.

White Bean & Roasted Garlic Dip

Well it feels like summer is here already in Brisbane although it's still on the beginning of November!  Hot weekend days mean easy lunches and today we thought we would have a plate of dip with veggies, cheese and crackers.  The only thing to remember with preparing legumes is if possible, please use dried legumes which you just need to soak, rinse and cook ahead of time.  I always find that preparing legumes this way, as opposed to using the tinned varieties, results in less chance of bloating due to the fact that the phytic acid has been neutralised through the soaking process.  

Ingredients (makes about 2 cups of dip):
- 1 cup dried white beans (I used haricot beans), soaked overnight and then rinsed well and cooked until tender - this resulted in about 400g of cooked beans
- 3 cloves garlic, roasted in the skins in a hot oven for 10 minutes, then cooled and peeled
- Juice from half a lemon
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp Herbamare
- Few leaves of fresh basil
- Couple of sprigs of fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Method:
Pop all ingredients into Thermomix or food processor and process until the desired consistency is reached (about 30 seconds on speed 4 in Thermomix).  Serve.

Choc, Coconut & Chia Brekky Pudding

My Tuesday mornings are a tad hectic!  Kids have to be at school by 7am and I have to be at uni not long after.  So hectic mornings call for brekkies on the run... and this chia pudding is my new obsession!  With just a couple of minutes of prep time last night, my brekky was all ready and waiting for me in the fridge this morning when I needed to grab it and race out the door!

Ingredients (serves 1):
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 3/4 cup coconut cream (or coconut milk or other milk)
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp cacao powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp vanilla
- Fresh fruit to garnish (I used strawberries, blueberries and a couple of mint leaves)

Method:

Mix all the ingredients (except garnish) together in a small bowl, cover and pop into the fridge overnight.  In the morning, garnish with fresh fruit and an extra sprinkle of cinnamon.

Lemon & Almond Balls

My my, it has been a long time since I have blogged!  Life has just been so busy so far in the second half of this year thanks to my studies and life in general.  On a positive note though, at the end of this year, I will officially be halfway through my degree! It's been a big 4 years so far and I'm hoping it will take a lot less time to finish the second half.  Anyway, in between studying for an exam last week, I made a batch of these yummy treats.  A healthy snack to have in the fridge for when I need it!

Ingredients (makes 16 balls):

- 1 cup almond meal

- 1/2 cup activated mixed nuts

- 1 tsp chia seeds

- Zest from half a lemon

- Juice from 1/4 lemon

- 2 Medjool dates, pitted

- 1 tbsp coconut oil 

- 1tsp vanilla essence

- Organic desiccated coconut for rolling 

Method:

Add all ingredients to a food processor or Thermomix and pulse a few times until the mixture starts to come together and the contents are well chopped.  Roll into balls and then roll in coconut.  Store in an airtight container in the fridge.