Superfood Fruit & Nut Chocolate Bars

Chocolate love with good for you,
 Superfood Chocolate Fruit & Nut bars.
Once you start making your own raw chocolate there is just so many combinations you can make. One of my favourite is a healthier twist on the classic fruit and nut bars.
Simple. Healthy. Delicious.

Ingredients
1 cup coconut oil, runny room temperature

1 cup organic rice malt syrup  (I often use less as we don't like it too sweet)

6 tablespoons cacao powder

2 heaped tablespoons Nutra Organics Super Greens Plus Reds (oh yeah all that goodness! Optional)

2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
*1/2 teaspoon pink himalayn salt 

*1/2 cup peanut or macadamia butter

*1/2 cup sunflower seeds
*1/2 organic raisins
*1/2 cup walnuts
*1/4 sultannas
*1/4 cup macadamias
*1/4 cup goji berries

Now my biggest TIP is you want your coconut oil but for the best consistency when mixing for a smooth chocolate I put mine in a bowl and place in the fridge for about 10 minutes or so until it is just crystallizing around the edges, when it reaches this point it will blend with the other ingredients beautifully with a wooden spoon, no fancy equipment needed.

Mix the coconut oil and rice malt together well.
Then add cacao and greens powder, salt, then the nut paste.
Mix together very well.
Stir in all the nuts, seeds and dried fruit, stir through.
Line a baking tray or dish with baking powder.
Pour the chocolate mixture into the tray, smooth down.
Place in the fridge until set, (usually at least 3 hours depending on the thickness you make it), remove, slice up into chocolate bar shapes on a chopping board, place in a sealed container and store in the fridge ready to eat!
I do recommend putting on a high shelf otherwise your kids will slowly but surely shorten your supply when you are not looking! Haha ;P
If you are REALLY desperate for a choccy fix, (like need right now) and I "may" have done this, you can set it super fast in the freezer hehehe!

Bek Xx

Delicious Avocado & Coconut Muffins

I still remember the very first time my mother made me avocado muffins. I remember thinking she was mad, until I ate one! The delicious, nutty flavour was so nice and they were not too sweet like muffins can sometimes be.
It is drizzling with rain here where I live on the Sunshine Coast so a batch of these warm from the oven is a just perfect for filling the house with warmth and oh so yummy smells this morning X

Avocado & Coconut Muffins

These healthy, nutty flavoured muffins are packed full of goodness.

·        2 ripe avocado’s

·        ½ cup coconut oil, softened (or use butter)

·        1 free range egg

·        ¼ cup LSA mix

·        ¼ cup hazelnut meal

·        ¼ cup desiccated coconut

·        ¼ cup honey

·        1 teaspoon chia seeds

·        1 cup soy, dairy, almond or rice milk

·        1 & ½ cups organic self raising flour

·        ¼ cup shredded coconut

·        ¼ cup dark coconut sugar

·        muffin cases

Method

·        Pre heat oven to 180`c.

·        Line a muffin tray with muffin cases.

·        Blend avocado, coconut oil and honey together until smooth.

·        Pour into a bowl and add in LSA, chia seeds, hazelnut meal, desiccated coconut, milk and egg, mix together.

·        In a separate small bowl combine the shredded coconut and coconut sugar together

·        Gently mix flour through avocado mixture, being very careful not to over mix it, add a little extra milk if needed.

·        Fill muffin cases approximately ¾ full of muffin mix.

·        Top each muffin with a little of the coconut/sugar mix.

·        Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until golden on top and springs back lightly to the touch.

Notes

·       * Easily made Dairy Free for allergies/vegan
*Swap coconut oil for organic butter for a richer flavour

·        *You can add almond, walnut or macadamia pieces for a really scrumptious muffin

·        *When losing weight make these into mini muffins using a miniature muffin tray, great to have for afternoon tea

Avocado’s are a great natural source of vitamin c, are high in fibre, wonderful for skin and eye health, are a source of vitamin e and powerful antioxidants, are very beneficial during pregnancy and an important part of a healthy, balanced diet.

Recipe and photography © RebeccaMugrigde2013
This recipe was featured in WHY Fitness magazine
www.authorrebeccamugridge.com

Healthy and Hearty Home-Made Baked Beans

I have so many memories of being curled up on a cold Wintery night or after a long day out as a child with hot baked beans and freshly buttered toast.
It is such a comforting meal and full of protein and fibre.
While tinned baked beans may have there place it is the lovely, delicious and so nutritious home-made varieties that really shine for me.
After quite a few attempts, versions and tweaks this recipe for home-made beans has become my family's favourite version!

Hearty and Healthy Baked Beans

This recipe makes a large batch to feed a family or to give you leftovers - feel free to make a smaller amount 

Ingredients

• 3 x tins organic cannelloni beans OR soak the equivalent in water overnight and then cook until tender.
• 1 onion, chopped (if you have young kids/toddlers chop it finely so they don't notice it)
• 6 large cloves of Australian garlic, finely chopped
• 1 stalk of thyme (or 2 teaspoons dried)
• 1 tin of organic chopped tomatoes
• 1 large bottle of organic tomato passata sauce
•  1 teaspoon of a great mustard ( I use a lovely local macadamia mustard made where I live)
• 1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar 
• 1/2 cup good virgin olive oil
• 1/2 litre vegetable stock ( I use either Campbells or Massel)
• 2 teaspoons of a nice but mild curry powder ( I promise the kids wont notice!)
• 4-6 semi dried tomatoes chopped 
• 2 tablespoons or raw honey OR for a vegan version natvia, agave etc (to taste)
• dash pink Himalayan salt
• fresh crusty wholemeal bread with organic butter and some freshly chopped parsley to serve!

Method

• Fry the onion and garlic in a little of the olive oil until they are transparent.
• Add in the drained and washed cannelloni beans and thyme, stir together until mixed well.
• Pour in the tinned tomatoes, mustard, vinegar, stock, passata sauce, remaining oil and sweetner, mix well.
• Simmer the bean mixture over a medium low heat slowly for at least 25 minutes or until it has thickened, beans are tender and flavours are to your liking.
•  Serve.

Notes

• These beans go really lovely with a nice dense sour dough bread.
• Make a large batch so you have leftovers, great in pies!
• Add some chili for a different twist

Toddler Tips

• Serve with toddler soldiers, (long thin pieces of toast) or on top of a baked potato.
• Optionally leave out the onion

De-stressing and nurturing myself with a Comvita Antioxident Challenge & Olive Leaf

Health is Wealth -Virgil

Such a profound saying.

One of the most important things I have learnt in life is just how important it truly is to take care of yourself and your health, and even more so when you become a mother.

As mothers we so easily put ourselves last and let our health not be a priority without for a moment realising just how important and vital our health truly is.
We can sometimes feel it is selfish to spend time and/or money on ourselves but after all if we suffer bad health through stress, illness or disease how can we truly care for our families then?

We live in busy times, we have busy lives and more and more we are exposed to toxins all around us even in our work and home environments.

We need to take our selves but we also need simple ways of doing so. Ways we can actually stick too and see real benefits from.

I am doing a few things for myself at the moment, yes, things just for me and my health because I have seen and felt the face of bad health and it is terrifying and not a road I want to go down in my life if I can help it. And I am not waiting for New Year's Eve to start taking great positive steps either.

I starting right now and I am loving being a part of the really fun Super Antioxident Challenge With Comvita

Each day I am:

• Taking the Comvita's Olive Leaf Extract ( and this olive leaf extract has no unpleasant taste, sickly mint flavour or artificial sweeteners - making it wonderful in my book!)
• Taking 5 minutes to myself to sit in silence out in the garden and just let the world get real quiet as I
  allow myself to just be, and to just feel and relax.
• I am turning off electronics during the day for short periods to have a break, yes, even my phone!
• Having a nature outing with kids every Sunday at least where we will go out into a forest, go bushwalking, climb a mountain, go look at a waterfall, swim in the ocean. 
• Eating real, beautiful food.
• Mindfully being CALM
• Making myself at least one meal or snack a day that I have spent time making it just because it is something I will enjoy, something that will fit in with the great benefits of the Mediterranean theme.
• Going for a walk, a pram walk with my kids and getting out into that great fresh air. 
• Indulging a passion in some small way be it some writing, art, dancing, music, cooking...

The challenge I am thrilled to be taking part of is based on the very successful and healthy Mediterranean diet and taking lessons from the recognized ' blue zones' around the world, whereby people are living longer and experience less disease by using the properties of the olive plant in their diets to maintain a healthy, fulfilling and energetic lifestyle.

Anyone that has been following my blog, facebook and recipes would know how much I LOVE Olives so

Comvita Olive Leaf Extract -find out more about it HERE

you can imagine how perfect this challenge fits into my lifestyle and I am really looking forward to sharing with you how it goes!

You can find out all about this fun health challenge here:

http://go.comvita.com/super-antioxidant-challenge-AU

AND by being a art of the challenge you could WIN a YEARS supply of Olive leaf extract, books and more!
It is absolutely worth checking out.

Here is to health.
Don;t forget to take care of YOU this Christmas! XXX

RECIPE - Healthy Chocolate Maca Balls

Chocolate Maca Balls

Delicious, easy to make and healthy. Have one or two a day to help satisfy the chocolate/sweet cravings and give yourself a boost of goodness too. These are also really good "mojo" boosters - if you know what I mean!!!

Ingredients

·         1 tablespoon Maca Powder

·         1 tablespoon Organic Natural Cocoa powder (I like Planet Organic) or cacao

·         1 cup almond meal

·         ¼ cup smooth pure peanut, macadamia or cashew butter (or sunflower paste for nut free)

·         ½ cup desiccated coconut

·         ¼ cup dark Agave  

·         10 drops sweet leaf  vanilla stevia (or vanilla paste)

·         ¼ cup stevia (or honey/maple syrup/agave/rice malt syrup)

·         8 prunes, chopped

·         8 dried apricots, chopped

·         1 banana, mashed

·         ¼ cup extra desiccated coconut

·         ¼ cup sesame seeds

Method

·         In a large bowl combine agave and vanilla stevia drops.

·         Mix in the banana and peanut butter. Combine well.

·         Add in the apricots, prunes, desiccated coconut, maca powder, cocoa, stevia and almond meal.

·         Mix together well.

·         Pour the extra desiccated coconut onto a plate and the sesame seeds onto a second plate.

·         Roll mixture into balls and then roll each ball into either the coconut or sesame seeds.

·         Place all balls in an air tight container and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

·         Enjoy.

Notes

·         Keep in an airtight container in the fridge.

·         For extra flavour, sweetness and a real chocolate hit add an extra 10 drops of chocolate liquid stevia as well as the vanilla.

·         Dried fruit can be varied according to personal preferences.

·         Add crushed nuts and swap smooth for crunchy Pressed Purity Peanut Butter for a different texture.

·         A beautiful satisfying sweet treat that you can enjoy for afternoon tea without the guilt!

Toddler Tips

• This is a wonderful little treat for kids that they truly will love and you know exactly what is in it.

This recipe is from my professional portfolio and was created by me for the Maleny IGA Local Product Local Recipe - recipe cards, on the Sunshine Coast.

Recipe & Food Image Photography ©RebeccaMugridge 2013

RECIPE Mango & Rockmelon Mousse

Beautiful Mango &Rockmelon Mousse

This recipe has NO added sugar and uses AgarAgar.

A beautiful, creamy mousse with no animal gelatine instead using Agar Agar, so suitable for vegetarians, Agar Agar is a natural gelatine from seaweed with many health benefits. This is a really pretty and tasty guilt free dessert. Serves 4-6 depending on glass sizing.

Ingredients

·         1 bar of Spiral Foods Agar Agar.

·         1 rockmelon, chopped

·         2 mangoes, chopped

·         1 passionfruit

·         2 tablespoons honey (or to taste) SWAP for rice malt syrup for a vegan version

·         250g yoghurt, I use Maleny dairies, Jalna, Qld yoghurt, or Coyo coconut yoghurt for a vegan version. look for a full fat yoghurt that does not have sugar or artificial sweeteners in it!

·         ½ rockmelon extra to decorate, cut into long thin strips or cubes.

·        1 mango;  ½ mango extra to decorate, cut into long thin strips or cubes, ½ mango sliced for layering in the serving dishes.

·         6 Fresh cherries (or to taste)

Method

·         Soak one bar of the Agar Agar in 3 cups water, until soft.

·         Place the water and Agar bar into a saucepan and bring to the boil, then continue to boil slowly for 15 minutes, lowering the heat a little but so it is still hot, stirring, do not leave.

·         Blend the rockmelon and flesh from 2 mangoes.

·         Pour the mango/rockmelon mixture into a large bowl and add in the yoghurt.

·         Sweeten the mango mixture with the honey, using less or more to taste.

·         Pour the Agar Agar mixture into the mango mixture.

·         Combine well.

·         Pour the mixture into decorative serving bowls, glasses or large serving bowl.

·         Layer with the Agar mixture and then the mango from the ½ cup set aside, finishing with Agar mixture.

·         Decorate with the extra mango and rockmelon.

·         Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

·         Garnish each glass with a fresh cherry (when in season – optional)

·         Serve.

Notes

·         Sweeten the mousse to personal taste with the honey, using less or more as desired.

·         Honey could be swapped for stevia for fewer calories.

·         Great dinner party dish or for a low fat delicious dessert for the family.

·         Can be made the day before a dinner party and kept in the fridge.

·         If cherries are out of season use an alternative like a strawberry or fresh raspberry to garnish.

Toddler Tips

·        Pour their servings into clear plastic decorative glasses or bowls or very little cups like plastic shot glasses and drop cubes of rockmelon and mango through the mixture.

·         Kids tend to like theirs really fruity so add plenty of chopped melon and mango into their mixture. You could also include a small one of these in a school lunch box with an ice brick to keep it cool.

This recipe is from the commercial work I did for the Maleny Supa IGA Local Product Local Recipe - recipe card series

©RebeccaMugridge2012

Check out my facebook page and business Making Food Beautiful Styling and Photography - I am available for many types of commercial work and I also offer services for bloggers, cafe's and restaurants where you send me your recipe and I will make it, style it and photograph it for you in high resolution and print or publish ready.

RECIPE - Lentil Tomato Pasta Sauce

You are going to love this one!

Lentil Tomato Pasta Sauce

A nutritious homemade pasta sauce, beautifully served here with gluten free locally made CT Fine Foods Carrot Fettuccine Pasta, and enhanced with the local gorgeous Noosa Chili Jam! I know the Sunshine Coast is awesome!.  

Ingredients

·         1 kilo tomatoes

·         1 cup brown lentils

·         1 litre vegetable stock

·         1 onion, chopped

·         3 cloves Australian garlic, finely chopped

·         ½ cup tomato paste

·         ¼ cup Chili Jam (optional) I used local Noosa Chili Jam

·         1 tsp dried marjoram

·         1 tsp dried thyme

·         Karom Pink Himalyan salt, to taste

·         Cracked black pepper, to taste

·         1 packet pasta, I used here CT Fine Foods, Gluten Free Carrot Fettuccine Pasta

·         1 cup water, if required

Method

·         Cut tomatoes with an x on the bottom.

·         Place tomatoes in a bowl and cover with boiling water for 3 minutes.

·         Drain and allow to cool, skin should remove easily, discard skin.

·         Bring vegetable stock to the boil in a saucepan.

·         Add in lentils and reduce to a simmer.

·         In a frying pan fry onion until lightly translucent add in garlic, thyme and marjoram, stir together over a medium low heat for 2 minutes.

·         Chop up the tomatoes or put through a food processor.

·         Add tomatoes to onion mixture.

·         Stir through tomato paste, and Chilli Jam, season to taste with salt and pepper.

·         Simmer on a low heat for 45 minutes, stirring.

·        When lentils are cooked add them into the tomato mixture, add a little extra water if needed.

·         Simmer all together for 2- 3 minutes on a low heat to allow all flavours to combine.

·         Serve.

Notes

·         This is a fantastic recipe when you have plenty of tomatoes growing in the garden.

·         Tomatoes can also be de-seeded prior to chopping.

·         Make a big batch and freeze it! Great also to use in a lasagne, home-made pies and more.

·         High in protein.

Toddler Tips

·         Break fettuccini into smaller toddler friendly pieces before cooking.

·         Top with a little grated cheese and serve with crusty whole meal bread.

·         Kids love this dish but be prepared for them to get a little messy!

This recipe was a twist on an old family favourite in a recipe creation commercial project for supermarket Maleny Supa IGA and a 52 recipe card series I did.
I am available for commercial, print ready recipe creation work, with or without taste testing events, cooking demonstrations - contact me to find out more.