Category: Recipes

Nut Butter Cups

It’s the weekend so little indulgences are definitely allowed.  Afterall, life is about balance.

Today’s recipe is for homemade nut butter cups. Step aside Reese’s peanut butter cups, we have a healthier version for you! By making it yourself, it will leave you more satiated as you can add in healthy fats such as coconut oil and peanut butter.  Instead of 5 nut butter cups, you’ll only feel the need to grab 1 of these babies!

This recipe is quite easy to make and if you’e short on time you can even buy pre-bought nut butter to cut the time down to 15-20 minutes.

If you want to make it vegan, simple replace the honey with maple syrup.

We hope you’re enjoying our week of recipes. As always, we’re here to make a healthy lifestyle easier and more accessible to all.

Nut Butter Cups (makes 12 nut butter cups) 

Nut Butter Cups

1 hour (including setting time)  

INGREDIENTS for the nut butter 

  • 1 cup mixed nuts from the Fruitful Day Box.
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil

INGREDIENTS for the chocolate 

  • ½ cup coconut oil
  • 3 tbsp cacao butter
  • ¾ cup raw cacao powder
  • ¼ cup honey / maple syrup (or less if you prefer it to be less sweet)
  • ¼ tsp salt

Nut Butter Cups

METHOD for the nut butter

  1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees C.
  2. Place nuts on a baking tray and roast for 6 – 8 minutes or until browned.
  3. While still hot, place nuts in a high speed blender with the coconut oil and salt. Depending on how powerful your blender is, you may need to add coconut oil to help the blades spin.
  4. Place in the fridge to harden while you make the chocolate.

METHOD for the chocolate

  1. Place the coconut oil and cacao butter in a bain-maire (a glass bowl over a pot of simmering water) and stir until melted.
  2. Add honey/maple syrup and stir.
  3. Remove from the heat and add cacao powder and salt. Stir until combined.
  4. Line a cupcake or muffin tray with paper baking cups.
  5. Pour approximately 2 tbsp of chocolate mixture into the base of the paper baking cup and place in the fridge to set. This should take 10 – 15 minutes.
  6. Once set, spoon 1 – 2 tsp nut butter on the set chocolate base. If the nut butter is too runny it will run to the edges rather than sitting in the centre.
  7. Pour the melted chocolate mixture over the peanut butter until it’s totally covered.
  8. Return to the fridge to set. This should take 15 – 20 minutes. Once set, the paper should peel off very easily.

Raw Vegan Lime & Cherry Tart

We promised you 7 recipes in 7 days and we think you’ll love this 2nd one!  Desserts are a weak spot for many of us, but they don’t have to be a guilty indulgence. If you plan ahead, you can actually fill your desserts with whole foods that will enrich you in some way.

Our Raw Vegan Lime & Cherry Tart is inspired by LA’s well-known vegan Cafe Gratitude.  What makes it different than a typical vegan cheesecake is that the crust is made primarly with fresh grated coconut rather than nuts.  There are also NO filler ingredients like potato starch, thickeners like guar gum or alcohol sweeteners that are hard on your stomach.

In case you missed our first recipe in the series, click here to learn how to make apricot and orange granola bars.

Raw Vegan Lime & Cherry Tart (makes one small 12cm tart – you can double the recipe to make a large tart) 

30 minutes (not including chilling time)

Raw Vegan Lime & Cherry Tart

INGREDIENTS for the crust 

  • 3/4 cups of soaked cashews (soaked overnight or for at least 4 hours) from the Fruitful Day Box
  • ½ cup desiccated coconut
  • ¼ cup macadamia nuts
  • 28g dates from the Fruitful Day Box
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt

INGREDIENTS for the filling 

  • 3/4 cups of soaked cashews (soaked overnight or for at least 4 hours) from the Fruitful Day
  • ¼ cup fresh shredded coconut
  • Juice of 3 limes from the Fruitful Day Box
  • ¼ cup of maple syrup
  • 1/8 tsp turmeric
  • 1/8 cup coconut milk
  • 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 7 tbsp melted coconut oil
  • 1 tbsp melted cacao butter
  • Two handfuls of cherries from the Fruitful Day Box

Raw Vegan Lime & Cherry Tart

METHOD for the crust 

  1. Process all ingredients except the dates in a food processor.
  2. Add dates and process until the mixture comes together to form a dough.
  3. Line your tart dish with cling film or grease with coconut oil.
  4. Press crust into the base of the dish until it forms an even curst that rises up the edges by about 2cm.
  5. Leave to set in the fridge.

Method for the filling

  1. Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender until they are smooth. You may need to add more coconut oil or cacao butter depending on how strong your blender is.
  2. Pour the filling into the pie crust.
  3. Remove stems from cherries, slice in half and pit.
  4. Use these cherries as a garnish on top of the tart.
  5. Set in the freezer for – 2 hours.

Apricot & Orange Granola Bar

7 days, 7 recipes!

It’s the middle of the summer and we totally get how difficult it is to be stuck inside for most if not ALL of the day. However, it’s the perfect time of year to practice your cooking skills so for the next 7 days we’re going to share a recipe every day with you that is both HEALTHY and DELICIOUS.

First up is a homemade granola bar!  Most supermarket granola bars contain sugar, corn syrup, wheat or canola oil and by making it yourself you know exactly what is going inside. These apricot and orange granola bars are perfect to take to work or if your kids don’t have nut allergies, they can be a great afternoon snack before anyone gets hangry.

As an aside, we have just discovered the most delicious apricots from Uzbekistan. You have to try them out! Available in our discovery box here.

Happy snacking.

Apricot & Orange Granola Bar 

(makes one square tray of 20cm x 20cm)  

Healthy Granola Bars: Apricot & Orange

45 minutes

INGREDIENTS for the crust 

  • 100g walnuts from the Fruitful Day Box
  • 120g gluten free oats
  • 100g apricots from the Fruitful Day Box
  • 50g pumpkin/sunflower seeds from the Fruitful Day Box
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp nutmeg
  • Zest of one orange from the Fruitful Day Box
  • 90g peanut butter
  • 50g honey
  • 30g cacao butter/coconut oil/grass fed butter

METHOD 

Healthy Granola Bars: Apricot & Orange

  1. Preheat oven to 160°C
  2. Roughly chop walnuts
  3. Finely chop apricots
  4. Add all dry ingredients to a bowl; walnuts, oats, apricots, seeds, spices and salt.
  5. Add wet ingredients; orange zest, peanut butter, honey and oil.
  6. Combine until this mixture forms a dough.
  7. Press mixture down into a lined baking tray and bake at 160°C for 20 – 30 minutes or until browned.
  8. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

                                                           

Dehydrated Apples with Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt

Football fever is everywhere and there’s definitely some competition in our office! How about yours?

As much fun as 3 football games a day are, it also inevitably means A LOT of snacking. That’s why we thought that for today’s recipe we would encourage you to stay on your top game with a great healthy snack alternative that is both sweet and savory.

Roll on dehydrated apples with dark chocolate and sea salt! They’re as easy to grab and snack on as chips, but without all the nasties added. Now back to football… we all know Germany is going to win, right?! Only comment if you agree… we’re kidding mostly! Continue reading Dehydrated Apples with Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt

Peach & Nectarine Cobbler

Just like that it’s almost the end of Ramadan already. Where has the time gone?! Despite the heat, we have very much enjoyed the Holy Month. It is always a beautiful time of year to meet friends and be introduced to new and inspiring people. As we head into the summer, we have some exciting plans as always.  Watch this space!

In the meantime our Eid gift to you is a delicious gluten and sugar free cobbler recipe. Don’t worry – it’s not difficult and it doesn’t matter if it’s not perfect when you make it. It’s an impressive dessert that is still light and simple. Bring it with you this weekend to wherever you are heading and gather around and enjoy the holidays!
Eid Mubarak from us at Fruitful Day. 

Peach & Nectarine Cobbler (makes one 25cm round dish cobbler)

(Serves 4)                                     

45 minutes

INGREDIENTS for the filling

  • 3 peaches from the Fruitful Day Box
  • 3 nectarines from the Fruitful Day Box
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp nutmeg

INGREDIENTS for the crust

  • ½ cup of coconut flour
  • ½ cup of gluten free flour 
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 3 tbsp grass fed butter
  • 3 tbsp honey
  • 1 egg

METHOD

Peach & Nectarine Cobbler

METHOD for the filling

  1. Slice all the nectarines and peaches into 5mm slithers.
  2. In a large bowl, toss the sliced nectarines and peaches in the lemon juice and spices.
  3. Arrange the fruit in your baking dish – in a smaller dish, the slices may layer on top of one another.

METHOD for the crust

  1. Preheat the oven to 160 °C
  2. Melt butter and set aside.
  3. Mix together all dry ingredients: flours, cinnamon, baking powder and salt.
  4. Whisk the egg in a bowl and set a small splash aside for the egg wash later.
  5. Add wet ingredients: butter, honey and the rest of the egg.
  6. Combine ingredients and bring together to form a dough.
  7. Lightly flour a clean, flat surface and roll the dough out to 3-4mm thickness.
  8. Using cookie cutters, cut out the desired shape. Place this cut out shape on top of the layered peaches and nectarines.
  9. Continue until all the dough is used – there may be some left over depending on the size of the dish.
  10. Using a brush or your finger, paint the dough cut outs with a layer of egg wash.
  11. Place in the oven and bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until dough is browned and the peaches are caramelised.
  12. Serve hot or cold with yoghurt or ice cream. 

 

 

Smoothie Bowl

In Ramadan, we always try to do something special with our discovery boxes to celebrate the Holy Month. For those of you who are customers, we hope that you have been enjoying the extra nuts, seeds, and dried fruits! If you haven’t tried our discovery box yet, this is one of our favorite time of the year not only because of the extras, but also because stone fruit season has just started and that means lots of yummy fruits like cherries, plums, nectarines, and apricots.

Today’s smoothie bowl recipe is perfect for Suhoor or even if you’re not fasting something to keep you going for a little longer.  In particular, coconut and cashews are both packed with healthy fats that help you feel satiated for longer. From your Fruitful Day box you can use your cherries, bananas, and pretty much any nuts and seeds in the box to craft these beautiful bowls of goodness.

 

Until next time and Ramadan Kareem!

Smoothie Bowl

(makes 2 large smoothie bowls)

5 – 10 minutes                                                         

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 frozen bananas from the Fruitful Day Box (this requires you to peel, chop and freeze the bananas the night before)
  • 1 cup frozen sour cherries
  • ¼ cup fresh coconut
  • 2 tbsp cacao powder
  • 2 tbsp cashews
  • ¾ cup coconut milk  

* optional toppings of cacao nibs, granola, berries, bee pollen, edible flowers, coconut chips

From the Fruitful Day Box: dried banana chips, nuts, seeds and dried fruit.

METHOD

  1. Blend all ingredients and pour into a bowl.
  2. Add toppings

* To get the colour variant you see in the photo:

  1. Omit the cacao powder and blend. Pour a little out and set aside.
  2. Add the cacao powder and blend again.
  3. Pour dark smoothie mixture into a bowl and then use the pink smoothie mixture to create patterns on top.

 

Lemon & Grapefruit Curd

With Ramadan fast approaching, we are committed to sharing as many recipes with you as possible.  Whether you’re fasting or not, these recipes are easy to make ahead and fuel you for the day. Today’s recipe is a lemon and grapefruit curd, which is delicious on toast, hot cross buns, or even as a tart filing. Best of all, it is free of any refined sugar!

A word about grapefruit, admittedly it’s not the most popular fruit in our boxes, but it has so many health benefits it’s still important for us to include! To begin with, a grapefruit contains the average adult’s full daily vitamin C requirement. Several studies have also shown numerous other benefits such is helping with weight loss, boosting immunity, and fighting cellulite. We’re pretty sure even if you’re not a grapefruit lover, you’ll love this curd as a healthy alternative to your usual jam.

Come back soon for our Ramadan recipes! One of our favorites is an apricot and orange granola bar free of sugar, corn syrup, wheat or canola oil. Next time you’re in the grocery store check the ingredient list of the granola bars on the shelf and you’ll realize just how much better is to make these on your own.

Lemon & Grapefruit Curd
(makes 1 cup curd)

Lemon & Grapefruit Curd

 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

  • ¼ cup lemon juice from the Fruitful Day Box
  • ¼ cup grapefruit juice from the Fruitful Day Box
  • ½ cup honey
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 2 eggs
  • Pinch of salt
  • 6 tbsp ghee

METHOD

Lemon & Grapefruit Curd

  1. Place a small amount of water in a saucepan on medium heat. Let the water simmer but not boil.
  2. In a glass bowl mix the lemon juice, grapefruit juice, honey, egg yolks, eggs, salt and ghee. Whisk until combined.
  3. Place the bowl over the saucepan creating a bain-marie.
  4. Continuously stir the mixture until it reaches 76 degrees C. If you don’t have a thermometer just keep stirring until the mixture thickens. This will take up to 10 minutes. It may seem as though it will never thicken, however, at the point where the eggs are cooked it will suddenly thicken and this is when you’ll know it’s ready.
  5. Pour the mixture through a sieve to strain out any lumps and chill.
  6. This curd can be used on toast, hot cross buns, as a tart filling or poured over a vanilla cake.

Sweet Potato Slices with Lime Avocado and Goats Cheese

We can’t believe it’s May already! Ramadan is just around the corner and we’re still busy putting our final touches on our gifting range. Check out our Ramadan gift shop here and give the gift of health this holiday season!

When you’re busy, it’s always important to fuel yourself with the right food to keep you going. For that reason, we’ve decided to focus on an avocado based recipe this month. Avocados make a filling addition to any meal or snack providing both nutritious heart-healthy fats and about half your day’s fiber, folate, potassium, and Vitamin A*.

Move over avocado toast, we have an even healthier alternative for you! Sweet potato slices with lime avocado and goats cheese. We chose to add lime not only because it enhances the flavor, but also because the acidity stops the avocado browning from oxidation keeping it looking fresh for longer.

We hope you enjoy this afternoon snack and we’ll be sharing some Ramadan inspired recipes with you soon! Wishing you all a happy and productive May.

Sweet Potato Slices with lime avocado and goats cheese

Sweet Potato Slices with lime avocado and goats cheese

(makes 16 – 20 potato slices)

40 minutes

 INGREDIENTS

  • 1 large sweet potato (try to choose one that will cut into shapely sizes)
  • 1 tbsp ghee
  • 2 avocados from the Fruitful Day Box
  • 2 tbsp goats cheese
  • 1 lime from the Fruitful Day Box
  • Salt & pepper
  • Edible flowers, micro greens, spring onions and dried chilli flakes to garnish.

METHOD

Sweet Potato Slices with lime avocado and goats cheese

  1. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C.
  2. Peel and slice the sweet potatoes into 1 cm slices.
  3. Coat with ghee, sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast for 20 minutes on a baking tray. Turn them after 10 minutes for even browning.
  4. While the potatoes are roasting, peel the avocado and put them a bowl with the lime juice, salt and pepper and smash into chunks.
  5. Once the potatoes are cooked, remove from the oven.
  6. Layer a spoon of avocado, crumbled cheese and then your garnishes of choice on each one.

 

*Source: Dr Axe, https://draxe.com/avocado-benefits/

Overnight Oats

We’ve been a little quiet on our blog as we’ve been busy preparing for Ramadan! We have been working on the most beautiful Ramadan platters that are the perfect hostess gift for Iftar or a healthy dessert option if you’re planning a function at your house. Take a little sneak peak of one of our platters here.

Anyway, with the beauty of the Holy Month around the corner, we were inspired to include a healthy breakfast influenced by the flavors of Ramadan on our blog. Overnight oats with pistachio, rosewater and pitaya stained yoghurt is literally one of the most beautiful recipes we’ve ever featured, but what makes it extra special is that it actually allows you to recycle the skins of your dragon fruit that you might otherwise throw away.

Still not convinced? Well did you know that rosewater actually has a number of health benefits? It can help keep you hydrated, which keeps your skin looking younger plus it’s said to have other anti-aging properties such as reducing wrinkles and tightening pours*. In addition, it’s known to be a mood booster. A recipe that helps you stay beautiful on the inside and the outside! You can’t beat that. 

Overnight Oats with pistachio, rosewater and pitaya stained yoghurt

(makes 2/3 portions)                

Overnight Oats with pistachio, rosewater and pitaya stained yoghurt                                                

30 minutes (not including soaking overnight)

INGREDIENTS

Overnight Oats with pistachio, rosewater and pitaya stained yoghurt

INGREDIENTS for the yoghurt

  • 1 450g tub yoghurt (full fat or dairy free)
  • 1 dragon fruit from the Fruitful Day Box

INGREDIENTS for the rosewater

  • ¼ cup dried rose petals (make sure they are organic and pesticide free)
  • 1 ½ cups water  

INGREDIENTS for the oats

  • 1/3 cup oats
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 2 tbsp raisins
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp clove + cardamom + nutmeg
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1-2 tbsp honey or maple syrup (depending on how sweet you want it)
  • 3 tbsp thinly sliced pistachio
  • 1 tbsp rosewater

METHOD for the yoghurt

  1. Wash and peel the skin off the dragon fruit. Eat the fruit or use for smoothies or salads.
  2. Place the skin in a bowl with the yoghurt and mix it around.
  3. Leave overnight to allow the skin time to stain the yoghurt. Stir once or twice while soaking.

METHOD for the rosewater

  1. Place the rose petals and the water in a saucepan and simmer for 10 – 15 minutes or until the colour has faded from the petals. Some water will evaporate so you can add more if the flavour is too intense.
  2. Set aside in the fridge.

METHOD for the oats

  1. Place all ingredients except pistachio and rosewater in a bowl. Allow to soak overnight.
  2. In the morning you may need to add more coconut milk depending on how thick the milk is and what type of oats were used.
  3. Stir in the rosewater.
  4. Garnish with the stained yoghurt and pistachios.

 

*Source: 7 seasons to drink rose water, https://www.mnn.com/health/fitness-well-being/stories/7-reasons-drink-rose-water

Birthday Blueberry Cheesecake

It was our 3rd birthday yesterday so we wanted to celebrate with a blueberry cheesecake recipe to end the week!  Don’t worry though, we haven’t gone too crazy, this cake recipe is a vegan, refined sugar and gluten free recipe.  If you skip roasting the cashews, it’s even raw too.

We’re still a young business, but we’ve already learned so much in our 3 years.  When we started the business, it was only going to be a Corporate fruit box delivery service, but it’s turned into so much more. We’ve expanded into homes, gifting, and even events!  Along side the business growth, we’ve also added 3 beautiful children to the Fruitful Day family. We still have a long way to go, but we know that with such amazing customers and supporters by our side, this is just the beginning of a fruitful journey.  A big THANK YOU to each and every one of you who has been there for us along the way.

Now back to our recipe… blueberry cheesecake!  We just want to quickly mention some of the health benefits of blueberries as they’re always a favorite in our discovery box. As one of the most nutritious, antioxidant-rich types of fruit in the world, here are 7 reasons to include more blueberries more in your diet*:

  1. High In Antioxidants
  2. Helps Fight Cancers
  3. Amps Up Weight Loss
  4. Boost Brain Health
  5. Alleviates Inflammation
  6. Supports Digestion
  7. Promotes Heart Health

 

So now you can have your cake and eat it too GUILT-FREE.

Blueberry Cheesecake

Birthday Blueberry Cheesecake

(makes one square or round cake of 20cm)

30 minutes (not including soaking and setting time)

INGREDIENTS for the crust

  • 1 cup cashews
  • ¾ cup dates
  • ¾ cup cacao powder
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 tsp coconut oil

INGREDIENTS for the filling

  • 2 cups cashew
  • 6 tbsp coconut oil (melted)
  • 6 tbsp cacao butter (melted)
  • 8 tbsp coconut cream
  • 2 cups blueberries from the Fruitful Day Box
  • 6 tbsp maple syrup

METHOD

Birthday Blueberry Cheesecake

  1. Soak filling cashews in water for at least 4 hours or overnight.
  2. Roast crust cashews for 8 minutes at 160 degrees on a baking tray. (You can omit this step for a totally raw cake, however, it does add great flavor to the crust.)
  3. Blend all the dry crust ingredients in a food processor.
  4. Add the dates and coconut oil and blend until a dough forms.
  5. Line your cake dish and press the crust mixture into the base evenly.Blend all filling ingredients except for a handful of blueberries which you can use as blueberry chunks in the filling. Pour the filling over the crust, sprinkle the extra blueberries over the top, stir them in and then smoothen the top with a spatula. (For a white and blue layer – blend all filling ingredients except the blueberries. Pour half this mixture over the crust and smooth out evenly with a spatula. Add the blueberries to the remaining half of the mixture and blend. Pour this mixture over the white layer and smoothen out with a spatula.)
  6. Set in the freezer for 4 hours or in the fridge overnight.

 

*Source: Dr Axe, Top 7 Health Benefits of Blueberries