Immunity March: Mint Cacao Bliss Balls

March is here and people are getting colds left, right, and center! For the body’s natural defenses to work smoothly and make sure you’re not next to get sick, your immune system has to be working properly. Choosing foods rich in the right vitamins and nutrients will help keep your immune system strong and you healthy!

Throughout the month of March we will feature easy to make recipes, which are aimed at boosting your IMMUNITY. As always, we’d love to hear from you about what types of recipes you’d like to see next!

Our first recipe of the month are mint cacao bliss balls! To understand why we would select a chocolate recipe as our first recipe, it is important to first understand the difference between cacao and cocoa. Although both start from the same place (the beans from the cacao tree’s seed pods), the process they undergo means they have very different benefits to offer. Cacao, which is very minimally processed at low temperatures, is full of nutrients like magnesium, iron, potassium, calcium, zinc, copper, and manganese. Some of the known health benefits are protecting your heart, lowering your insulin, as well as other antioxidant effects, which protect your cells from damage. Cocoa, on the other hand, is heated to much higher temperatures where sugars and other sweeteners are usually added. The heating process means that some of the more powerful antioxidant effects and health benefits are lost as compared to cacao*.

When you make your food from scratch, you can decide what ingredients you’re feeding your body! So while these mint cacao bliss balls might look like naughty treats, the ingredients have been very carefully selected to boost your immunity and fill you up with the good stuff. Wishing you all a very healthy, happy March!

Mint Cacao Bliss Balls (makes approx. 30 balls)
Immunity March: Mint Cacao Bliss Balls

30 – 45 minutes (including time to roll the balls)  

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup cashews from the Fruitful Day Box
  • ½ cup desiccated coconut
  • ½ cup cacao powder
  • pinch salt
  • drop of mint extract
  • 1 cup dates
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 2 tbsp peanut butter

METHOD

Immunity March: Mint Cacao Bliss Balls

  1. Roast cashews for 10 minutes on a baking tray at 180 degrees C for 10 minutes or until browned. (This step isn’t necessary, however, roasting the nuts does improve the flavour).
  2. Combine all dry ingredients; cashews, coconut, cacao powder and salt in a food processor and pulse until evenly chopped.
  3. Add wet ingredients; dates, coconut oil, peanut butter and mint extract and process until a dough forms.
  4. Remove from the food processor and roll into balls. Store in the fridge.

 

 

*Source: https://blog.paleohacks.com/cacao-vs-cocoa/

Energy February: Upside-Down Orange Cake

If you’ve been following our blog this month, you’ll know we’ve been focusing on foods that can help you boost your energy levels. Choosing your ingredients carefully is the difference between the right kind of sugar, carbohydrates, and fats, which boost your energy levels and the wrong kind, which will leave you feeling tired and hungry a short time later.

Our last recipe of the month is an upside-down orange cake. Many people love to eat cake mid morning or mid afternoon as an energy boost when they are hitting a low. However, traditional cake made with flour and sugar is high glycemic which means it will spike your blood sugar levels quickly and sharply, however, make you feel tired and hungry later in the day. This cake made with almond flour and maple, is much lower on the glycemic index and will be sure to satisfy your sweet tooth without playing havoc with your blood sugar levels and appetite. 

If you’ve received blood oranges in your box this week, we recommend swapping out the oranges for blood oranges in the recipe for a stunning finish!

Upside-down Orange Cake (one 20cm cake)

INGREDEINTS

  • 3 tbsp coconut sugar
  • 3 tbsp grass fed butter 
  • 1/3 cup (65g) ghee/butter
  • 1 ¾ cups (175g) almond flour
  • ¼ cup (30g) arrowroot flour or any gluten free flour blend
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 3 eggs
  • ½ cup (120ml) maple syrup/honey
  • 2 tsp vanilla powder/extract
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 2 Oranges from the fruitful day box

METHOD

Upside-down Orange Cake (one 20cm cake)

  1. Preheat oven to 165 degrees C. Grease or line a cake tin and set aside.
  2. Zest the oranges and then slice into 1cm slices. Cut the peel off each slice leaving a slither of the pith to hold the orange together.
  3. Heat the coconut sugar and butter in a pan on low heat until the sugar is melted. Pour this mixture into the bottom of the prepared cake tin and spread evenly.
  4. Arrange the orange slices over the butter and sugar mixture.
  5. In one bowl mix the almond flour, arrowroot, salt and baking soda.
  6. Separate the egg whites from the yolks and in another bowl mix the yolks, maple syrup, melted ghee, vanilla, lemon juice and orange zest.
  7. Beat the egg whites with a hand mixer or kitchen aid until they form soft peaks.
  8. Mix the egg yolk mixture into the flour mixture and then fold in the egg whites.
  9. Pour this cake mixture over the oranges in the cake tin.
  10. Bake for 30 – 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Check the cake after 8 – 10 minutes and cover if it has began to brown. As soon as you see browning you need to cover for the remainder of the cooking time.

Energy February: Mango Chicken Salad

FAT.  Yikes that’s not a word anyone likes to hear, but before you jump to any conclusions hear us out! There is such thing as healthy fats, In fact, healthy fats in the form of foods such as avocados, olive oil and feta will help keep you fuller for longer and therefore actually keep you from indulging in unhealthy fats later in the day like chips or chocolate bars.  

Although ‘fat’ has been demonized in the past, many people are now realizing how important it is to facilitate many body functions. In fact, roughly half of our cell membrane structure is composed of saturated fat. Saturated fat can be found in good quality animal products such as cheese and ghee or butter, as well as avocados, which contain a huge amounts of fat-soluble vitamins like K2, A and D, among others. Although these foods have been vilified for being calorific, the nutrient density of them allows us to stay fuller for longer.

A lunch salad like our chicken mango and avocado salad with zesty mango dressing will sustain you through the afternoon without that mid-afternoon energy dip we often have to fight off. As with any kind of eating, it’s about listening to your body and being mindful about your choices. If you are still feeling hungry later in the afternoon, our antioxidant date balls, which can be made ahead of time for the week are always a good choice.

Remember eating well is a form of self respect.

Chicken Mango & Avocado Salad with Zesty Mango dressing. (serves 2)

INGREDIENTS

Chicken Mango & Avocado Salad with Zesty Mango dressing

For the salad

  • 2 organic chicken breasts
  • 1 sweet potato
  • 1 block of feta cheese
  • 1 handful of cherry tomatoes
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 cucumber
  • 2 handfuls rocket or baby spinach
  • Mango from the Fruitful Day Box
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 4 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp ghee or coconut oil

For the dressing

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tsp minced ginger
  • ½ cup mango from the Fruitful Day box
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • ½ cup coriander

 METHOD

Chicken Mango & Avocado Salad with Zesty Mango dressing

 For the salad

  1. Crush the garlic, add olive oil and 2 tsp salt and marinate the chicken breasts for at least 10 minutes. Preheat over to 170 degrees C.
  2. Peel and slice the sweet potato into wedges.
  3. Place a griddle on medium/low heat and brush with ghee or coconut oil.
  4. Place chicken breasts on the griddle and allow to cook slowly for 30-40 minutes, turning half way through.

* alternatively you can cook them on high heat for less time, however, I prefer to do it this way and prepare the rest of the salad while the chicken is cooking.

  1. Put the sweet potato wedges on a roasting tray in the oven with the ghee and 2 tsp salt and allow to roast for 20 – 30 minutes or until browned.
  2. Slice cherry tomato, cucumber and avocado and set aside. Squeeze some lime on the avocado to stop it browning.
  3. Cube feta cheese and wash rocket/spinach leaves and set aside.

For the dressing

  1. Blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor.

 To assemble

  1. The grilled chicken and sweet potato should be ready at the same time. When the chicken is ready, remove from the oven and slice into strips.
  2. Assemble chicken with all other ingredients on a plate and drizzle over the dressing.

Energy February: Mint Chocolate Chip Nice Cream

Our Valentine’s gift to you is a recipe for mint chocolate chip nice cream! You’re probably thinking, how the heck can this be healthy?! Well this nice cream is made with bananas, which are a great source of essential vitamins and minerals, including potassium, magnesium, and fiber. They are a great food for working out as they contain quick-acting carbohydrates, which increase energy levels.  In addition, they have nutrients to help with muscle repair and balance water retention so can also be eaten post-workout. Yes, bananas do have sugar, but at the end of the day they are still a much better choice than traditional dairy and sugar filled ice creams. Besides, if you have kids you’ll know ice cream is the best way to ‘hide’ nutrients such as spirulina since they’ll be so distracted by those chocolate chips on top! We hope you’re enjoying this months recipes focused on ENERGY, in case you missed them we have also shared a passion fruit cheesecake and an apple compote & granola with yoghurt recipe.

Mint Chocolate Chip Nice Cream

INGREDIENTS

Mint Chocolate Chip Nice Cream

For the mint nice cream 

  • 2 frozen bananas
  • ½ cup coconut cream
  • ½ cup soaked cashews
  • 1/8 tsp mint extractt
  • 1 tbsp cacao nibs
  • ½ tsp spirulina powder
  • 1 tbsp cacao powder

 METHOD

Mint Chocolate Chip Nice Cream

  1. Blend all ingredients except the cacao nibs and cacao powder. You may need to add more coconut cream if the blade is not spinning and the mixture is too thick. However, don’t add too much as it will become too thin.
  2. Once blended pour half the mixture into a bowl.
  3. Add 1 tbsp cacao powder to the remaining mixture and blend.
  4. Layer the green mint and brown chocolate ice cream in a bowl or glass and top with the cacao nibs.

 

 

Energy February: Passion Fruit Cheesecake

Passion Fruit Cheesecake (makes 12 mini 6cm cakes or one large 20cm cake)

We’re continuing our focus on energy with a passion fruit cheesecake recipe, which uses dates in the base. Most of us know that dates are higher in sugar than many other fruits, however, they are high in natural, useful sugars like fructose, glucose, and sucrose.  These sugars are easily processed and utilized by the body for energy. So instead of reaching for a pre-packaged dessert, try to make this dessert from scratch and you’ll not only taste the difference, but feel the difference as well! 

INGREDIENTS

For the base

  • 1 cup almonds
  • ¾ cup dates
  • 1/3 cup cacao powder
  • ½ cup dessicated coconut
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil

For the filling  

  • 2 cup soaked cashew 
  • 6 tbsp coconut oil
  • 6 tbsp cacao butter
  • 8 tbsp coconut cream
  • ¾ cup passion fruit
  • 6 tbsp maple syrup
  • ½ tsp vanilla

METHOD

  1. Soak cashews in water overnight or for at least 4 hours.
  2. Put dry base ingredients; almond, cacao powder, coconut and salt in a food processor and blend until the nuts are finely chopped.
  3. Add the dates to the processor and blend. If the mixture comes together well in your hand, then there is no need for coconut oil. This will depend on how dry the dates are; drier dates will call for more coconut oil.
  4. Press the base into the bottom of your moulds until it is ½ – 1cm thick.
  5. Drain and rinse cashews from their water and then blend all filling ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth.
  6. Pour filling over the base and allow to set in the freezer for 2 – 4 hours.

Garnish options:

  • fresh passion fruit
  • dehydrated passion fruit
  • nuts & seeds
  • edible flowers
  • Coconut cream – put a can of coconut cream in the fridge overnight. Open and scoop out the top half of the can which will be thick and separated from the water. Whip with a hand whisk or kitchen aid. It will now be thick enough to use as a garnish.

 

 

 

Energy February: Apple Compote & Granola with Yoghurt

Hello February! This month we’re focusing on foods that can help you boost your energy levels and keep you feeling strong and motivated throughout the month of February.  Our first recipe of the month is an yoghurt, apple compote with homemade granola.

Next time you’re eating what you might consider a ‘healthy’ breakfast, take a look at the ingredient list on your yoghurt tub and granola box. It’s likely you’ll find ingredients such as processed sweeteners (corn syrup, fructose), sugar, thickeners (xanthan gum, corn starch), artificial colors and flavors. Even the granola’s marketed as “healthy” will be predominantly grain based and will almost always contain sugar. These ingredients are inflammatory and disruptive to blood sugar levels as well as being generally lacking in nutrients. Putting a large batch of granola together takes less than 30 minutes and can become your breakfast for the week. This granola combined with an organic, live culture and sugar free yoghurt will greatly improve your morning energy levels to take you through to lunch!

Apple Compote & Granola with Yoghurt   (serves 2)

INGREDIENTS

 For the compote

  • 2 apples from the Fruitful Day Box
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp ginger
  • ¼ tsp all spice
  • ¼ tsp clove powder
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

 For the granola (makes a batch)

 200g mixed nuts from the Fruitful Day Box

  • 200g gluten free oats
  • 100g pumpkin and sunflower from the Fruitful Day Box
  • 100g desiccated coconut
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 3 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 200g mixed raisins, cranberries and dates

 METHOD

 METHOD for the compote 

  1. Preheat the over to 170 degrees C.
  2. Peel, core and chop the apple into large cubes.
  3. Place apple and all other ingredients on a roasting tray and mix together until apples are coated.
  4. Roast for 20 – 30 minutes for until the apples are soft and a little browned.

 METHOD for the granola

  1. Preheat the over to 170 degrees C.
  2. Mix nuts, oats, seeds, coconut and cinnamon together.
  3. Add honey and coconut oil and mixture evenly together.
  4. Bake for 20 – 30 mins, however, turn every 5 minutes to make sure the granola doesn’t burn on one side.
  5. Remove from the oven and stir in the dried fruit.
  6. Leave to cool before serving.

To assemble

  1. Spoon any organic yoghurt or non dairy yoghurt into a bowl. Add compote and granola as desired.
  2. Garnish with any Fruitful Day Fruits, cacao nibs, peanut butter and honey.

Detox January: Antioxidant Date Balls

If you’re one of our Staples box customers, you’ll know we send you a cup of different nuts every week! You can turn these nuts into awesome antioxidant date balls without too many ingredients and too much effort. Date balls a great snack to take with you on the go to ensure you’re not grabbing junk and are staying energized throughout the day! Leave us a comment if you’ve enjoyed January’s recipes and let us know what you’d like to see more of next month.

INGREDIENTS (makes 20 date balls

  • 1 cup nuts from the Fruitful Day box
  • ½ cup desiccated coconut  
  • 1 cup pitted dates
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp matcha powder
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp maqui powder
  • Zest of 1 orange

METHOD

  1. Place nuts, coconut and cinnamon in a food processor and process.
  2. Add coconut oil and dates and process again until a dough forms.
  3. Remove date mixture dough and split into thirds.
  4. Add 1/3 to the food processor and add the matcha powder. Process until matcha is combined and then remove and set aside.
  5. Add 1/3 to the food processor and add the turmeric powder. Process until turmeric is combined and then remove and set aside.
  6. Add 1/3 to the food processor and add the maqui powder. Process until maqui is combined and then remove and set aside.
  7. Roll each mixture into balls. Each flavour should make 6/7 date balls.

 

 

 

Detox January: Pomegranate and Quinoa Salad

We’re wrapping up detox January with a pomegranate and quinoa salad with the yummiest of citrus dressings. Grab your Fruitful Day pomegranate and this won’t take you long to prepare at all! We hope you’ve enjoyed this month of recipes and we’re looking forward to shifting focus next month on ENERGY!  We’ll give you some food ideas that will fuel you with energy and help you to keep those New Years Resolutions going past January!

INGREDIENTS

For the salad

  • ¾ cup of quinoa
  • 4 spring onions
  • 1 carrot
  • 2 radishes
  • Handful of almonds
  • ½ cup pomegranate
  • 1 small cucumber
  • Handful of cherry tomatoes

For the dressing

  • 1 shallot
  • ¾ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp orange juice
  • Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD

For the salad

  1. Place quinoa along with 1 ½ cups water in a saucepan and bring to boil.
  2. Cook for 14 – 15 mins and set aside.
  3. Slice carrots thickly and then place in a roasting tray with the spring onions, coconut oil and salt.
  4. Roast at 200 degrees C for 20 – 30 mins or until soft and browned – you may need to cover if they become too brown.
  5. Thinly slice radish and roughly chop cucumber and almonds.
  6. Put quinoa into a bowl and add the roasted carrot, roasted spring onion, radish, cucumber, tomato, pomegranate and almond.
  7. Add dressing as needed.

 

Detox January: Apple and Celeriac Soup

Brrrrr it’s cold outside and we’re craving warm soup! This apple and celeriac soup is a great way to sneak both fruits and vegetables in your diet.  As part of our #fruityfridays in January, we will continue to bring you recipes throughout the month that are healthy, tasty, and help you to detox and kick-start your healthy habits for the year.  If you missed it, please check out our chia pudding and granola cup recipes.

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 small red onions
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 celery stalk
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 celeriac
  • 4 apples from the Fruitful Day box
  • 4 sprigs of thyme
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 800ml stock

Optional toppings

  • Apple (thinly slices and sautéed to brown)
  • Baby spinach (sautéed to wilt)
  • Flax seeds
  • Almonds (toasted)
  • Radish (thinly sliced)
  • Alfalfa sprouts

METHOD

  1. Roughly chop onion, garlic and celery.
  2. Place these in a large saucepan on medium heat and sauté. Add salt, cinnamon and thyme leaves.
  3. While the onion, garlic and celery are sweating peel and chop both the apple and celeriac into cubes.
  4. Turn up the heat a little and once the veg are sizzling nicely add the apple cider vinegar.
  5. Add the apple and celeriac and allow to saute for some time before adding the stock.
  6. Bring the stock to boil and then lower heat to simmer for around 30 minutes or until the celeriac is cooked through.
  7. Pour the soup into a blender and blend until smooth.

Detox January: Chia Pudding

Last week, we launched detox January here and promised to share a new #fruityfriday recipe with you each week. This week we’re continuing our focus on breakfast with a delicious and healthy recipe for chia pudding. Most of the work can be done the night before so it’s ideal for those busy mornings before work and school. We love the idea of topping the chia pudding with different fruits each and every time to keep it fresh and interesting!

CHIA PUDDING (serves 4)

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups coconut milk/almond milk
  • ½ cup chia
  • ½ tsp vanilla
  • ¼ cup maple/honey
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • 1 cup raspberries
  • 4 dates
  • 1 tbsp shredded coconut
  • ¼ cup mixed nuts and seeds from the Fruitful Day box
  • 1 cup chopped fruits from Fruitful day box: strawberry, blueberry, kiwi, pear, pomegranate, pineapple and mango.

METHOD

 

  1. Blend coconut milk, vanilla, maple, cinnamon and raspberries.
  2. Stir in chia, cover and leave to soak overnight.
  3. Chop fruit, nuts and dates and sprinkle them along with the shredded coconut over the chia pudding.