Showing posts with label macadamia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label macadamia. Show all posts

Macadamia & Goji Delight





Macadamia & Goji Delight
Sometimes sweet cravings come at the worst times, or you want something gorgeous for when friend are coming over so you NEED recipes that are quick, easy and delicious!

  • 1 cup coconut oil (I use JT's Coconut Essence)
  • 1 cup rice malt syrup (can use less if too sweet for you, I use Pure Harvest)
  • 1 cup nut paste (use a pure nut paste i.e. just nuts! I use Nutworks and the Chocolate Factory macadamia paste)
  • 2 tablespoons Nutra Organics vanilla protein powder (I love this stuff, all organic and it is also high in vitamin D, you get this HERE and enter codeword nutrafriends for 10% off for the next few days too!) {OPTIONAL}
  • 1/2 cup goji berries
  • 1/2 cup semi smashed raw macadamias
Method
  • Add runny coconut oil to a bowl, stir in rice malt syrup and mix together with a wooden spoon until it looks lovely and mixed.
  • Stir in nut paste and vanilla powder.
  • When well mixed add in nuts and goji berries.
  • Pour into a container and put in the fridge to set.
  • Leave for 1- 2 hours.
  • Remove, cut up and enjoy!!
Toddler Tip
  • Cut into small pieces as a little healthy treat, great fun for an afternoon tea party!
Tips

  • I take runny coconut oil and put the bowl in the fridge for about 10 minutes or until I just see a light crystallization around the edges and then mix, it seems to blend together much creamier!
  • we found this beautiful but also really sweet so you only need a small amount to satisfy those sweet cravings!
Eat Beautiful!
Bek xxx

Mango Macadamia Honey Ice Cream and a visit to Maleny Dairies


Nestled in the green mountains of the Sunshine Coast Hinterland is a beautful local producer and farm, Maleny Dairies
A family run farm with strong ethics and care for their animals and a factory that is at the heart of its community. They believe in what they do and in quality products. As a cook I have never used a cream as real, rich and thick as the Maleny Dairies cream.
It is so natural it is almost yellow and it whips in seconds.
It truly makes the best ice cream, my kids know if they see Maleny Dairies cream in the fridge there is a good chance ice - cream is on the menu!
And my latest creation!


Mango, Macadamia & Honey Ice-cream!
Ingredients

  • 1 x 600ml container of cream, (I always use Maleny Dairies rich and natural cream)
  • 2 ripe mangoes
  • 2 tabelspoons raw honey (or to taste)
  • 2 droppers of sweat leaf vanila stevia drops ( you can get these from most health food shops and many supermarkets, I know the Maleny IGA stocks them OR use a good vanilla paste in its place and increase your honey to taste if needed.
  • 2 teaspoons dark coconut sugar (optional you could also you raw cane sugar) 
  • 1/2 cup raw macadamia's
Method
  • Pour the cream into a large bowl, add the honey, liquid stevia drops ( or vanilla paste/essence), coconut sugar.
  • Carefully whip the cream, making sure not to over-whip it.
  • Taste it for sweetness. Drizzle carefully with some extra honey.
  • In a blend blend both mangoes worth of flesh until it smooth and runny.
  • Arrange some ice-cream moulds, plastic cups or a tub for your ice-cream on a bench.
  • Pour into each mould a layer of the cream.
  • Drop in some loose macadamia's.
  • Top with a layer of mango, then  more cream, nuts and mango again etc until containers are filled.
  • You can now either freeze as is OR use a paddle pop type stick to swirl the flavours together a bit for effect and flavour.
  • Place a paddle stick into each one.
  • Freezer covered with cling wrap or similar for at least 4 hours.
  • Enjoy!
Notes
  • You can also make this tub style and pour the ingredients into a tub on top of each other and then use a spoon to swirl them into each other and top with a drizzle of honey and macadamias.
  • If you have a dairy allergy but still want to make these swap the cream for:
    the equivalent in Coyo coconut yoghurt (do not whip), Sanitarium vanilla ice-cream (allow to soften slightly at room temperature so easier to work and do not whip) or with a tin of full fat organic coconut cream (yum) - still absolutely delicious, may take a little longer to set, still give a light hand whip and chill in the fridge for 2 hours before using. 



Visiting Maleny Dairies.
I have always believed it to be very important that kids get to know where all foods come from that they are going to eat, so whatever your chosen diet for your children they should become familiar with where everything they put into their bodies comes from, I think it gives them a more down to earth appreciation for food and their bodies.
I recently took the kids for a fun filled day out to the dairy to do their farm tour.
 The kids had the best time! What a fantastic day out and so much for kids to do. They get to feed baby animals, ride the toy animals, see the cows coming in from the field to be milked, see all the amazing machines filling the milk bottles and even watch a hilarious Moovie!
It is a fun and also peaceful day out and after your tour everyone gets to taste some dairy deliciousness, buy goodies farm direct and relax on tables and chairs while the kids run around on the green, green grass with happy chooks cruising around, a giant chess set and toy animals they all race to ride.





Kale, Basil & Macadamia Pesto Roulades

Kale, Basil & Macadamia Pesto Roulades
Delicious canapé, snack, school lunch or dinner party entree with the goodness of kale.

I LOVE pesto and I love changing it up and making it lots of different ways, one of my current favourite ways is using some beautiful, healthy kale in it, being one of my all time favourite vegetables to grow and eat for family health.

This recipe using the kale, basil and macadamia pesto in tasty egg roulades was featured in Sunshine Coast publication  WHY Fitness magazine, in their Christmas issue as a perfect delicious canape that is healthy too!

Ingredients
1 cup fresh basil leaves {pesto}
1 cup fresh kale leaves {pesto}
½ cup macadamia nuts {pesto}
¼ cup freshly grated parmesan {pesto}
½ cup olive oil {pesto}
4 free range eggs
200 g feta cheese (as needed)
Pink Himalayan salt
Toothpicks

Method
To make the pesto: in a blender or processor blitz the macadamias, kale, basil, parmesan, a pinch of himalyan salt and olive together to make a smooth but still textured pesto.
Whisk the eggs together in a bowl.
Heat a frying pan with some olive oil, swirl the olive oil so the pan is well covered.
Pour the egg mixture into the frying pan so it makes a large and thin omelette. Depending on the size of your frying pan you may need to make 2.
Flip to make sure it is cooked and nice and golden on both sides.
Carefully remove from heat and drain on paper towel.
Cut the omelette into long rectangular strips about 2 cm wide.
Spread each strip with the pesto and crumble feta over the top.
Roll up into swirl shapes and cut off at desired thickness, you should get 3 -5 swirls per strip depending on your omelette size. You can also cut the now rolled segments in half width wise again to make them nice and thin.
Skewer with a toothpick.
Serve.

Notes
Kale is a sensational power vegetable and the combination with fresh basil and a great Parmesan and feta is beautiful.
This is a beautiful, healthy, gluten free canapé perfect for entertaining.
Make a nice big batch of the pesto as it can also be thrown through really lovely pasta, on crackers, in wraps, in muffins and OK I'll admit it, I love pesto and if I make some or buy a great one I just have to eat it!
Kale (Brassica Oleracea) is a green leafy vegetable considered to be one of the highest in nutrients with many health benefits including it is said, to have anti – cancer effects so it is well worth tracking down or growing your own. There are many varieties available and it is also excellent in things like juicing, green smoothies, all kinds of fresh salads, spinach and kale feta sausage rolls, spinach and kale cheesey scrambled eggs and often made into kale “chips”. I also put it fresh, shredded in my kids wraps.

Not a new thing kale was in fact a very popular vegetable in the middle ages and is a popular food source in many parts of the world. During World War II it was also in the Dig for Victory imitative in the UK because of its nutrient content, where everyone was encouraged to grow it in there gardens.
Kale is extremely good for you and is a source of beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, and rich in calcium.
It is also a source of two carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin and has other properties which are said to have anti cancer and DNA repair in cells properties.
Basil (Ocimum basilicum) is also a fantastic fresh and healthy ingredient, with potent antioxidant, antiviral, and antimicrobial properties.
(c)rebeccamugridge2013

Bek XX

I'd love to connect with you on facebook too!
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Chocolate Love - Sour Cherry Spelt Chocolate Biscuits

I love chocolate.
The trouble is it doesn't always love my waistline me back!
So while I keep my store bought chocolate to occasional treats I love to make home-made choccy goodies for me and my children, especially for my kids as I try to keep the chemicals in their life to a minimum.
These are our latest love...
Sour Cherry, Spelt Chocolate Biscuits

Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil ( I use Jt's Coconut Essence )
  • 2 tablespoons rice malt syrup ( or raw honey or stevia - you can increase the amount to suit your personal sweet tastes, this worked well for our family, if you do increase it will change the mixture as it is a liquid so you will need to tweak accordingly )
  • 1 teaspoon organic vanilla paste
  • 1 &1/2 cups wholemeal spelt flour ( I got mine from coles )
  • 1 & 1/2 cups of macadamia meal ( I use Nutworks ) 
  • 1/4 cup sour cherries ( I used the Morello brand in a jar - but if you can find dried sour cherries ( I seem to have a lot of trouble on the Sunny Coast!) they would be lovely in this - just tweak the mixture if needed so it is not too dry)
  • 2 tablespoon cacao ( if you want them super chocolately increase this)
  • Tiny pinch Pink Himalayan Salt
  • Optional > 1 tablespoon SuperFoodsForKids Choc Berry Chunk (because why not and it's yummy and organic!)

Method
  • Preheat oven to 180'c
  • Your coconut oil should be really soft or lightly melted, if it's not gently and on a low heat melt it to a pliable consistency.
  • Combine coconut oil and rice malt syrup in a large bowl.
  • Blend in the vanilla paste, cacao and salt.
  • Mix through the spelt flour and macadamia meal mixing until it looks like a biscuit dough. (I would recommend tasting at this point to make sure it is sweet enough for your liking - if not add some more sweetener and then tweak the dry ingredients as needed.
  • Drain well and then stir through the sour cherries. 
  • Line baking trays with baking paper - (I use if you care - chemical free, ethical baking paper
  • Roll mixture into balls and arrange on baking trays.
  • Press down the balls with a fork and if desired press in some sour cherry pieces and loose macadamia meal for decoration purposes.
  • Bake for approximately 10 minutes depending on your oven. I would stay close and keep and eye on them.
  • Remove from oven and cool on wire racks.
Toddler Tips
  • I like to make really tiny ones for little hands.
  • You can mix in some choc chips or cacao nibs if desired.

Notes
  • To make these even more decadent, we dipped the bottoms of ours in homemade cacao chocolate. There are so many gorgeous home-made choccy recipe getting around on the internet, we have tried and tweaked many, some we liked, some we really didn't. We finally came up with this and love to use it:
Easy Cacao Chocolate

Ingredients:
  • 1/4 cup cacao butter ( I got mine in a large container from Maleny IGA)
  • 2 tablespoons rice malt syrup
  • 3 tablespoon cacao
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
  • tiny pinch pink Himalayan salt
Method:

  • Melt the cacao butter very gently on a low heat or as you would chocolate with double saucepans over boiling water. 
  • Remove from heat and in a bowl mix the cacao butter and rice malt syrup, stir in the vanilla paste, cacao and salt, make sure it is well blended.
  • Allow to cool a little but so it is still runny.
  • Dip the bottoms of cooled biscuits into the chocolate, you may want to spread a little on as well. 
  • Place the biscuits chocolate side up on a tray and place in the fridge to set.
  • Keep the chocolate biscuits in a really air tight container in the fridge - if they last that long!
If your finding yourself in choccy love right about now - let me tempt you further into the wonderful world of healthier, alternative chocolate.

The absolutely incredible Natural New Age Mum - aka Sonia who is one of my absolute favourite bloggers and healthy lifestyle advocates of all time on all things living natural and healthy put together the most incredible post Healthy Home-Made Chocolate Bars
Yes many of your favourite chocolate bar indulgences in healthier, preservative free taste bud loving yum!
Isn't she gorgeous doing that!

And another of my favourite healthy living and food bloggers, who takes food pictures that literally make you drool, made these......

To me I see these and a organic wine pot of herbal tea and Mr Darcy on TV would be a rather lovely night in .Visit her foodliscious blog HERE and check her out on Facebook too and say HI!

And of course I have lots of  chocclisciousness for you like:

You can also enter the word CHOCOLATE in the search this blog feature on the top right hand side of this blog and then scroll through, you will find LOTS, yes, I do have a bit of chocolate love going on!

Happy Cooking
Bek XXX




Bek's Banana Bread - Gluten Free


Bek’s Banana Bread
Banana bread is such a classic delight and there are so many classic recipes and ways to make it.
This is my moist, gluten free version made using coconut flour, no refined sugar and delicious macadamia meal. It is soft, sweet and nutty deliciousness sweetened with banana.


Ingredients
  • 4 very ripe bananas ( yes you can absolutely use those mushy black looking in ones in the fruit bowl!)
  • 3 free range eggs
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup dark coconut sugar, powdered or finely grated (see notes)
  • 2 cups macadamia meal
  • 1/4 cup coconut flour
  • 1/4 cup shredded coconut
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk (or almond, soy)
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon himalyan salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or 8 drops vanilla stevia
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • Extra shredded coconut & cranberries to sprinkle top of cake

Method

  • Pre heat oven to 180'c
  • Grease and line a loaf tin with baking paper, I use If You Care baking paper - ethical and safe 
  • Mash the bananas, adding in the cinnamon
  • Whisk the eggs and mix in with the banana
  • Stir in the oil, mix together and then the milk
  • Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and pour the banana mixture in mixing together to form a batter
  • Pour into the loaf tin
  • Top with extra shredded coconut and some cranberries
  • Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until cooked through and a skewer comes out clean
  • Leave in tin to cool slightly for ease of slicing
  • Slice into bread slices or into snack friendly sliced cubes (pictured)
  • Serve warm as is or with butter


Notes
  • Lovely warm or cold
  • Perfect for lunchboxes and afternoon or to use up very ripe bananas
  • Coconut sugar - look out for the dark brown coconut sugar at your local health food store, supermarket or Asian grocery store where you can usually buy it in a hard log for under $5 and sometimes already ground.
Toddler Tips
  • Banana bread is such a hit with kids and they often especially like it served warm with cold butter on top.

    Happy Cooking

    Bek XX
    Recipe and photography (c)Rebeccamgridge2013

RAW energy Date, Pecan & Macadamia Slice

Raw Energy Date, Pecan & Macadamia Slice
As seen in HOLISTIC BLISS magazine

I love chocolate so I love creating healthy chocolate recipes! This raw slice is easy to make and absolutely delicious, it does not last long in our house at all!


Ingredients
½ cup Nui organic coconut flour
2 tablespoons organic Power Super Foods Maca/Cacao blend powder
1 cup mixed raw unsalted macadamias and pecans
¼ cup raw macadamia’s extra
¼ cup dates extra,( not soaked), chopped
¼ cup raw, unhulled tahini
¼ cup Niugini Organics raw organic coconut oil
1 teaspoon organic vanilla pod extract
1 &1/2 cups pitted dates, soaked overnight in a little water.

Method
Line a slice tray with baking paper.
Blitz the cup of raw nuts until crumb like texture.
Blend dates to make a paste.
Combine the tahini, coconut oil and date paste together in a large bowl.
Add in the coconut flour and maca blend powder, combine well.
Stir through the extra macadamia nuts and dates
Spread mixture out onto the lined tray, press down.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until really firm.
Cut into slices.
Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for firmness.

Notes
You could add raw agave, raw honey or even stevia for extra sweetness if desired.
Make it really chocolaty by increasing cacao powder and adding some drops of liquid chocolate stevia.
Great for a sweet, sugar free, raw snack, afternoon tea with the kids.
You can read the issue of Holistic Bliss Magazine this recipe is featured in HERE it was a raw food special so lots of gorgeous recipes and articles in it X
And you can also check out all the magazines my recipes have been in and read them online via My ISSUU Stack

Happy cooking!

Rebecca XX


Recipe and photography (c) Rebecca Mugridge2013


Nuts about Nutworks & Macadamia IceCream


I have always been a big fan of nuts. 
How could I not? They are delicious, healthy, nutritious, have a million cooking possibilities and (mostly) grow on trees too and I love trees.
Of course botanically not all nuts that we call nuts are actually nuts, in fact many seeds and kernels are referred to in cooking as "nuts" that are not technically "nuts". But that is another post altogether...



Where I live on the gorgeous Sunshine Coast, Qld, Australia we have so many fantastic food producers and one of my favourites is NUTWORKS


They are a really exciting local producer AND a great foodie destination on the Sunny Coast.
You can also LIKE them on FACEBOOK here
Not only do they make all these gorgeous products and have a range that is almost beyond belief, you can actually take the children and watch them making chocolates and processing nuts in their factory as they do it. I am such a big fan of showing kids where food comes from, how it is made and processed so Nutworks really impressed me, and my kids! My oldest of whom by the way is a HUGE macadamia fan. In fact every Christmas she asks on her wishlist for her own big giant bag of macadamias!
So you just imagine her excitement visiting the factory!
 Lily loved watching them processing nuts
And reading and learning
 It didn't take her long to find her favourite chocolate covered macadamias!
 And taste testings
They even recently had a community family fun day! Complete with Fun and Funky Sand Art another really great local Sunshine Coast business and a petting zoo.

This below is the beautiful, nothing added, real macadamia paste that you will find in lots of my RECIPES
(You can get this in store, both sizes at the Maleny IGA too - they deliver right across the Sunshine Coast now with their online shopping as well)
Here I have used it to make 
Macadamia Icecream
You can collect this free recipe card in store along with all the ingredients to make it at the Maleny IGA

Macadamia Chocolate Ice Cream
Your family will be impressed when you serve up this delicious home-made ice cream. The macadamia flavours just melt in your mouth and it is made with the beautiful, rich Maleny Dairies cream and Moorish Nutworks macadamia paste.

Ingredients
·         1 cup Nutworks Macadamia paste
·         1 x 600 ml Maleny Dairies cream
·         ½ cup unsalted macadamia nuts
·         ½ teaspoon pure vanilla paste
·         1 tin condensed milk (if you have a thermomix check out Quirky Cooking's homemade alternative HERE)
·         200g milk (or dark) chocolate
·         Air tight freezer-safe container

Method
·         Using an electric mixer whip the cream in a deep bowl until soft peaks form.
·         Melt the milk chocolate in a bowl on top of a saucepan of hot water, making sure the water doesn’t touch the bowl with the chocolate in it, do not leave unattended, stirring constantly. When chocolate is melted, remove from heat. Allow to cool slightly.
·         Mix the chocolate into the condensed milk, add vanilla.
·         Fold the chocolate mixture and macadamia nuts gently through the cream mixture.
·         Pour into a flat freezer-proof container, smooth evenly down and seal with an air tight lid.
·         Freeze overnight.
·         To serve, remove from the freezer and allow to sit at room temperature for a few minutes or until it has softened slightly.
·         Serve as you would normal ice cream.

Notes
·         Use dark chocolate instead of milk for a richer flavour, look out for organic chocolate if you can.
·         The Nutworks macadamia paste is just divine and really adds texture and flavour to this ice cream.
·         You could optionally add chocolate covered sultanas or blueberries to the ice cream mixture when you add the macadamia nuts to make it really decedent.
·         In winter serve this ice cream with a hot dessert like pie or pudding.

Toddler Tips
·         Freeze into icypoles by pouring the mixture into popsicle moulds.
If you don’t have popsicle moulds you could do it with chop sticks and plastic cups. I would advice sealing the top with something like cling wrap and you will need to freeze for around 30 minutes before removing and adding the stick or until mixture can hold the popsicle stick in place and then  returning to the freezer overnight.


RECIPE - Macadamia Mustard Potato Salad


Potato salad is always a hit and this one is just delicious. Using local Sunshine Coast macadamia mustard created by Country Harvest that you can find at the Maleny Supa IGA. This mustard is seriously AMAZING and has the most beautiful flavour, making this dish come alive. Perfect to bring to a bbq, serve at a dinner party or great as a side dish with dinner.

Ingredients
1kg new or chat potatoes, quartered
1 cup baby spinach leaves
¼ cup fresh coriander leaves
¼ cup macadamia nuts, toasted
1 lemon
¼ cup low fat mayonnaise
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons honey
2 tablespoons macadamia mustard (Country Harvest – Terra Australis)
Salt and freshly cracked pepper

Method
  • In a saucepan place potatoes and fill with cold water until all potatoes are covered. Bring to the boil and then simmer until potatoes are just cooked, drain
  • In a bowl combine olive oil, mustard, lemon juice, honey and mayonnaise, whisk together.
  • Line a serving dish with the fresh spinach and coriander leaves
  • Toss the potatoes gently through the dressing in the bowl and arrange on top of the leaves
  • Sprinkle with the macadamia nuts
  • Serve
Notes
  • You can intensify the flavour by increasing the mustard and lemon juice. Add some finely sliced and cooked bacon or vegetarian sanitariam rashers for a different twist.
  • Through some freshly chopped spring onions and thinly sliced red capsicum through the potatoes before placing onto the dish for some extra colour.
  • Use sweet potatoes instead.
Toddler Tips
  • Make them a toddler appealing version using whole baby potatoes and serve with boiled free range eggs, cherry tomatoes, capsicum slivers and fresh greens.


This recipe is from the collectible Maleny Supa IGA Local Product Local Recipe - recipe cards.
You can pick up the recipe cards in store from their stand by the trolleys.
These recipe cards promote and celebrate local Sunshine Coast products, producers and our region.


Maleny IGA makes it easy for you to support locals.
*Maleny IGA has in-store local supplier shelf labelling.
*Online shopping & home delivery across the sunshine coast with easy local supplier tags.
*Weekly local recipe card using local ingredients by local Author Rebecca Mugridge available in-store & on our website.
*Regular local product demos & tastings.
*CBC Program - 2012 raised $144,000 for local charities.
Maleny Supa IGA • 26 Maple St, Maleny • Ph: 5494 2257
Recipe & Food Image Photography ©RebeccaMugridge2012
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