Paleo zucchini pasta with avocado and basil pesto and turkey meatballs

Paleo zucchini pasta with avocado and basil pesto and turkey meatballs

I have wanted to try this for SO long after seeing people create these amazing dishes that trick you into thinking its a huge plate of pasta but it is actually the super healthy super-vegetable, zucchini!
I finally bought myself a julienne peeler on the weekend for about $13 (later to see one for $8 :| ) and it is proving to be a very worthwhile investment :).

I have done some research and have seen a number of different techniques people use to prepare their zucchini pasta once sliced. The one I ended up choosing worked really well so I will explain it below.

Basil is allllways delicious and paired with avocado, the sauce is incredibly creamy and smooth with a perfectly spiced mild chilli flavour. While the ingredients list looks long, I think it is safe to say that these are ingredients many of you might have in the fridge already. More importantly, this dish is well worth a trip to the shops on the way home.

I believe this pasta could either be served raw (obviously minus the turkey meatballs) or cooked (as mine was).

Before we start, here is the full list of ingredients: (separated into parts later on)

8 green zucchini's
Himalayan Crystal Salt
2.5 ripe avocados
3 cloves of garlic
3 small red chilli's
Juice from 1 lime
2 cups of fresh basil, loosely packed
Small handful fresh parsley
Small handful of fresh chives chopped
1/4 cup almond milk
1 brown onion, finely chopped
1 whole egg
2 tbs almond meal
500g turkey mince
1/4 cup olive oil
Extra olive oil for cooking meatballs
Salt and pepper to taste


Preparing my zucchini pasta


8 green zucchini's - makes 4 big servings of pasta
Himalayan crystal salt


First, wash the outside of the zucchini's under running water.
With each zucchini, start peeling length ways with your julienne peeler to create spaghetti-like strands.
Peel until you reach the seeds in the middle and then begin on the other sides!
Place the zucchini pasta in a large bowl and grind some the salt over the top.
Toss the pasta with some tongs and grind more salt to ensure it is well spread through.
Leave this while preparing the rest of your meal and then in batches, rinse the salt off under cool running water in a sieve - let drain.
The purpose of the salt is to "sweat" the zucchini and you will find that quite a lot of moisture is released from the zucchini during this process.
Place the pasta in batches on paper towel in order to soak up the liquid as much as possible. You may need to discard of the wet towel and start with fresh towel to make sure maximum liquid is collected.
You want to get as much liquid as possible so that the sauce does not become to watery.
Leave the pasta to sit until it's time to add it to the sauce.

Now on to the rest of the dish!

Avocado and basil pesto

2.5 ripe avocados
2 cloves of garlic
2 small red chilli's
Juice from 1 lime
2 cups of fresh basil, loosely packed
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup almond milk

Combine all ingredients except almond milk in a food processor until well combined.

The texture should resemble a thick smooth paste.

Turkey meatballs

1 brown onion, finely chopped
1 small red chilli, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 whole egg
Small handful of fresh chives chopped
2 tbs almond meal
500g turkey mince
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients well in a bowl - I find it easiest to use my hands :).
Roll the turkey mince into small balls.
This mixture makes approximately 25 small balls. Make them as small of large as you like.
Place the meatballs into a lightly oiled fry pan and fry on all sides on medium heat until cooked through - approx. 10 minutes.

Assembly

Place the sauce in a saucepan and add the zucchini pasta. Toss through the sauce and add the almond milk.
Simmer over low-medium heat with the lid in place for approx. 10 minutes to soften the pasta.

Once pasta is ready, serve onto separate plates or bowls and top with your desired number of meatballs!

Enjoy!

Sweet Carrot Bread

Sweet (grain-free and refined sugar free) Carrot Bread

*Big Sigh*

I am home!

The boyfriend and I have been travelling for the last (almost) 3 weeks throughout parts of South East Asia, which was absolutely amazing and definitely gave me some much needed time away from the daily grind. I thought I would miss cooking.. but for some reason, I really didnt! I think I had gotten to a point that my love for cooking and baking had meant that I was spending all day, every day thinking about what I would cook or bake next and then spending every night, before bed sampling everything as if it was my last meal.

I would go to sleep feeling so full every night.. and then regret it the next morning. Of course everything I make is maximally healthy however I firmly believe that too much of anything is bad and also that the major issue creating the obesity epidemic is over-eating.

While away, not only did I venture out and eat things that I wouldnt usually eat at home, such as; pasta, noodles, rice, baked goods made with "normal" ingredients, ice creams, milkshakes etc. but I also found that I was eating less and less frequently because I had become more lenient on myself. I think the psychology behind this is that if I have mentally decided that I am "allowed" to eat whatever I feel like, I dont feel deprived and I dont feel that I have to gobble down all the delicious food in sight right now!

SO! I was eating less, but eating things that are usually on the banned list... yet I felt more lean and confident in a bikini than I have in a long time!

In addition to this I did unfortunately end up with food poisoning toward the end of our holiday which made food the enemy for a good few days but the point of what I am saying is that my attitude toward food has definitely changed.

Since returning, I have reverted to many of my old eating habits (mostly paleo) largely because the foods I ate previously were foods that I genuinely enjoyed but instead of forcing myself to say no to a slice of "farewell cake" at work or making something different when the family has crumbed fish, I have eaten these things, brushed it off and gotten straight back to my normal eating. Of course I wouldnt have that piece of cake every day or even every week (and probably wouldn't feel like it every day/week) but on occasion, these things are ok. It sounds like the oldest trick in the book but moderation really is the key!

I could be very wrong and I may well start ballooning in a few weeks time, but I can say that before we left for our trip I was exercising more than ever and eating almost 100% "paleo-approved" foods but I was just eating too-much and had reeeally low self esteem. Too many "paleo" baked goods, too much coconut butter - I couldnt stop when I was full and lacked the strength because the evil half of me would say "but it's healthy!".

So - my return to baking happened yesterday (even though I said I would wait until June :| ) and the below recipe was inspired by a piece of carrot cake I ate in Ho Chi Minh City! It was delicious... and it got me thinking about a healthier version and how the flavours all work together to make carrot taste deliciously indulgent.

The experiment started with two bowls and whatever ingredients I had on hand, an oven and the desire to make a delicious warm bread for what was our coldest day yet this winter season.

Paleo Carrot Bread

Ingredients

Wet

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 tsp almond essence

3 tbs organic Honey (I used Organic Australian Rainforest Honey)

1/2 cup almond milk

2tbs coconut oil (melted)
1 medium sized carrot (grated)

Dry

255g almond meal (this was one packet for me)

1.5 tsp baking soda

Salt (I used Pink Himalayan Crystal Salt)

1tsp cinnamon

Method

Preheat oven to 160 degrees celcius.

Pre-prepare a loaf pan with baking paper.

Combine dry ingredients in one bowl and wet ingredients in the other.

Once the contents of each bowl are well combined, pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mix well and then pour into pre-prepared loaf pan.

Place in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour (depending on your oven) or until the loaf has browned, springs back when lightly touched and also when a cake tester comes out clean from the middle.

Allow the cake to cool before removing!

This loaf is delicious served both warm, cold and at room temperature! It does not have an overpowering carrot taste by any means and is deliciously sweet without being too rich. Try it with some honey, almond spread or unsalted butter depending on your dietary preferences!

Bon Appetit!

Paleo Anzac Cookies

Hi everyone!

Anzac Day in Australia is held on the 25th of April every year and is a day to celebrate and acknowledge the hard work and sacrifice of our Australian and New Zealand diggers. Traditionally, the focus of Anzac Day is the battle in Gallipoli in World War 1 between the ANZACS (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) and the Turkish soldiers however these days, Anzac Day also recognises those who fought in other past wars or are currently fighting for a brighter future in the War on Terror.

 

Anzac Cookies which are traditionally made of oats, butter, sugar and coconut symbolise this day as I believe they were often sent overseas to our diggers during World War 1 due to being simple, cheap and deliciiouussssss.

These below are a Paleo take on those traditional flavours and only use 4 ingredients also!

The texture of these cookies is the most amazing texture I have ever gotten out of a home made cookie, and to know that they are super healthy just makes them even more satisfying!

Please read the notes before baking.

Paleo Anzac Cookies

1 cup almond meal
1/2 cup shredded coconut (processed to make it more fine*)
3 tbs coconut oil (melted)
2 tbs organic honey (I used Australian Organic Rainforest Honey)
1 tbs water

Method

Preheat oven to 150 degrees Celcius.
Line baking tray with baking paper.
Combine almond meal and coconut in a bowl.
Add honey, oil and coconut oil to the bowl and mix well with hands - you will be able to feel for texture this way!
Separate the mixture into 6 and roll into balls then flatten and place on the baking tray.
Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until browning.

Note:

- These cookies do not expand much while baking, so you should shape them fairly close to the way you would like them to turn out before baking.
- If cooked correctly, the cookies will be a little soft when first removed - this is good as it means that once they cool, they will not be too dry and they remain soft and chewy in the centre.
- If the mixture does not roll into balls and hold together easily, add a small amount of water until they do.


*You could probably use desiccated coconut but may want to reduce the amount to 3/4 cup as the coconut may pack easier when measured if already fine.

 

 

Not only can these be eaten to celebrate Anzac Day but I look forward to experimenting with additions such as raisins and dark chocolate chips as these are a wonderful base recipe for any cookie!

 

Enjoy. x

Paleo Chocolate Brownies

Paleo Chocolate Brownies

So it was Saturday morning and boyfriend and I were supposed to be heading to the Health and Fitness Expo in Sydney but as nature would have it, the heavens had well-and-truly opened and it was pooouurrrinngg with rain!

We were all ready to go when we looked at each other... noted that it was also very chilly, and decided to retreat to bed :). After all - the expo was continuing tomorrow and sunshine was forecast.

Unfortunately while my better half is wonderfully talented when it comes to sleeping, I do not have such a well developed (and practiced) talent - so instead of rolling over for a little bit more shut-eye, I answered his request for muffins and brownies and decided to get baking.

The specific request was "Banana and Raspberry muffins" which I answered, but unfortunately I feel that they could be better. The winner of the day however was these delicious chocolate brownies! This was a true impromptu baking session whereby I threw random amounts of things in the food processor and various bowls and I'm so happy with the result.

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Paleo Chocolate Brownies

 

2 cups almond meal
4 tbs cocoa
1 tsp bi carb soda
1/2 tsp Himalayan sea salt
2 tbs coconut oil (melted)
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 tbs almond butter
2 eggs
4 medjool dates (pitted)
1 tbs honey*
500g dark chocolate, chopped. The darker the better - I used Green and Blacks Organic 85% cocoa.

Method

Preheat oven to 160 degrees celcius
Line a square cake/brownie tin with baking paper. Use coconut oil to help the baking paper to stick.

Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl and combine with wooden spoon.
Combine coconut oil, almond milk, almond butter, eggs, dates and honey in a food processor and combine.
Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir until smooth.
Add chopped dark chocolate and stir until evenly mixed through batter.
Pour batter into a square cake/brownie tin and spread evenly.

Place in the oven for approximately 30 minutes or until the top springs back and a cake tester comes out clean.

Let the brownie sit until slightly cooled before removing from the pan otherwise it may break.

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But seriously.... these are so good.

 

 

Would be amazing served warm with some coconut ice cream but they are also amazing eaten directly from the fridge!

*I used Organic Australian Rainforest Honey. I did a bit of an experiment with honey - between this honey < and the supermarket "home" brand honey. The taste is vastly different and is extremely overpowering in the cheaper supermarket brand. I recommend spending and extra dollar or so on your honey and enjoying a more natural, mild honey taste.

Raw Paleo Banana Choc Ice Cream with Chocolate Crumble

HI ALL!

I hope you're all having a fabulous Tuesday and I truly hope that this recipe is able to make your Tuesday (and Wednesday and Thursday etc etc etc) even better.

While I wont say that im the first to come up with the base of this recipe - frozen bananas, I will say that this combo was a total "throw-it-all-together" job. I made the "crumble" to put on top of a raw acai bowl the other day and almost fell in love, so I decided that it would work perfectly with almost everything I eat in the future. Hence the following recipe.

Tuesday night, 2 days of work down - 3 to go, its warm and im feeling chocolately so - behold...

Raw, Paleo Banana Chocolate Ice Cream with Chocolate Crumble

(Suitable for those adopting a paleo, raw, vegan, vegetarian, sugar-free, low carb, low fat, and/or HEALTHY diet : ) .. as well as no diet!)

Banana Chocolate Ice Cream (Serves 1)

1 whole banana, peeled, wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen (for a few hours or overnight)
1 tsp cocoa
1 tsp almond butter (optional)
A good few splashes of almond milk (or your milk of choice)

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and BLENNNDDDDD.
Add almond milk in small amounts until the mixture resembles soft serve texture - this should take no longer than 20 seconds.
If you want your ice cream more solid, place in freezer after combining.



Chocolate Crumble (Serves 2-3)

1 handful of raw natural almonds
1 tbs cocoa
2 fresh pitted medjool dates

Combine all ingredients in a food processor until combined (approx 15 seconds).
> The mixture will most likely seem powdery, however this is PERFECT. It has a rich chocolatey flavour with a delicious crunch from the crushed almonds.



Sprinkle a good few spoonfuls of crumble over the fresh banana chocolate ice cream and you might just have the easiest, most satisfying and delicious dessert ever.

 

 

For added nutrients and deliciousness, top with fresh or frozen berries of choice.

.... Feel like dessert for breakfast, maybe? This is your answer ;)

Crunchy Chocolate Fudge

The No Added Sugar Challenge that I am taking part in through Instagram (explained in my post below) has forced me to try out some new recipes which still taste good, while omitting all sugars - including natural sugars - other than a moderate amount of whole fruit. I am oh-so glad that it did :).

The recipe below is possibly the simplest I have ever made. It requires no baking, no particular sequence of ingredient additions, very little cooling time and only 5 ingredients!

This fudge is super firm and gives that satisfying crunch which makes it the perfect healthy substitute for chocolate for me! I wont pretend that it tastes exactly the same or that the texture is identical - it has a very natural and rich taste which is perfect for dark chocolate lovers as well as the course texture of very fine coconut. I will claim that it has a melt-in-your-mouth effect which is something that draws most people to chocolate in the first place!

Now for the recipe...

Crunchy (Paleo and Sugar-Free) Chocolate Fudge

Ingredients

5 tbs coconut butter*
1 tbs coconut oil, melted
2.5 tbs cocoa
2tsp vanilla essence
2 fresh medjool dates, pitted

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.
Line a small loaf pan with foil and ensure that it is flattened to the bottom and sides.
Put mixture in the loaf pan then pack and flatten.
Place loaf pan in the fridge and wait for it to set!

Remove from loaf pan by lifting the sides of the foil carefully. It should be very solid so I don't think it's going anywhere : ).

Place the fudge on a flat chopping board and chop into squares!

The hardest part will be to try and not eat it all in one sitting :|

The good thing is;

Coconut Butter and Oil
Contain healthy medium chain saturated fatty acids which are resistant to storing within the body and instead promote the use of fat as the bodies primary source of energy. Coconut products also have a range of other benefits such as benefits for healthy skin and hair amongst many other things.

Cocoa
Contains magnesium
Reduces LHL cholesterol
Increases HDL cholesterol
High antioxidant content which can reduce the risk of Cardiovascular disease.

Vanilla essence
Believed to have anxiety reducing effects
Can regulate menstruation (sorry gentlemen)

Dates
High in fibre
Contain a range of vitamins and minerals
Contain Iron
Good source of potassium

...to name a few!

 

 

*Coconut Butter: You can buy coconut butter from many health food stores but firstly, I don't see it everywhere and secondly it seems to be fairly expensive. My way - grab a few bags of shredded coconut, place as much as will fit into the food processor and switch it on! You will have to leave it for at least 10 minutes but very possibly longer depending on the strength of your food processor, until it reduces to a buttery and creamy consistency. Voila! There are so many things that can be done with this : ).

Raw Paleo Chocolate, Coconut and Walnut Fudge

Raw Paleo Chocolate, Coconut and Walnut Fudge

 

 

 

 

I am a little bit of an Instagram addict and I find it one of my biggest motivators when it comes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle and diet. There are so many great people on there aiming for the same results; to be as healthy as they can possible be in the most natural and healthful way possible.

 

On Instagram I am currently taking part in the 'No Added Sugar' Challenge which has been set up by 3 extremely fit, healthy and focused IGers whom I encourage everyone to follow - @fitnessfoodandstyle, @tonedtannedandfit and @littlemissnutrition.

 

 

You can read about the challenge here.

 

I usually spend my weekends baking and creating new delicious healthy treats but I often use natural sweeteners such as stevia, honey and coconut nectar. For this 14 day challenge however, I have chosen to be a part of Team Fruits of Life, members of which are to omit these natural sweeteners from their diet to "Quit Sugar" completely. For the most part, these sweeteners are something that I will continue to consume as they are still natural however for the challenge I will try to refrain : ).

 

Instead, I will be only using whole fruit to sweeten anything I make, and trying to stick to a total intake of 3 servings of fruit per day.

 

Due to my craving for chocolate emerging on day 2 (!!) of the challenge, I decided to get creative with an extremely healthy chocolaty treat. Here goes!

 

Recipe makes approximately 17 pieces

 

You will need

 

2 cups shredded coconut

2 tsp cocoa

tsp almond butter

2 tbs coconut cream*

4 fresh medjool dates, pitted

1/2 cup raw walnuts

1tbs coconut oil - melted

 

Method

 

Place the shredded coconut in your food processor and process for approximately 10-15 minutes until it becomes a thick liquid. You will need to scrape down the sides every few minutes to ensure it all gets churned up. Once it is a liquid, you have Coconut Butter!! (which is generally really expensive to buy in health food stores : ).

 

 

 Once the coconut butter has formed add the cocoa, almond butter, coconut cream and 1 medjool date. Process until all combined and the consistency should be fairly thick but should stick together when pressed.

 

 

 

Line a small loaf pan/small slice pan with foil and make sure it is as flat as possible. You will need to foil to lift the fudge out of the pan without difficulty later on. I used my loaf pan as my slice pans are too big and for the amount of mixture, the loaf pan gave me the right thickness.

 

Empty mixture from the food processor into the lined pan and flatten. You should notice that the mixture is shiny when flattened and I could see some oil from the coconut emerging as I pushed it down.

 

Place bottom layer in the fridge.

 

Clean up your food processor and add the remaining ingredients (3 dates, walnuts, coconut oil) and process until combined which should only take about 30 seconds.

 

Place this mixture on top of bottom layer and flatten. Return the mixture to the fridge (or freezer if you're in a hurry). Once hardened, which should take no longer than 10 minutes, remove the fudge from the pan and slice.

 

 

 

Now I would have taken a nice picture of the "one" I ate on the plate... but I didn't put it on a plate because it didn't make it there and I didn't exactly eat just one either :| :). The good thing is.. These are so wonderfully guilt free (the real kind of guilt free) that having more than 1 is not doing me anything but good :) .. happy taste buds included.

 

 

 

 

*Place a tin of full fat coconut milk in the fridge for a few hours or overnight (I tend to always have one in there in case I want to use it), open the tin and scoop the cream of the top which will have separated from the coconut water. You will now have a thick creamy coconut cream to use!

 

Mel x