Embracing It

When I first started Embracing It I didn't know what I was doing or where it was going to take me. It started as a coping mechanism, a place where I could share my journey with the World Wide Web. In the early days, for months my only follower was my little brother and I questioned if all of the effort I was putting into posting was worth my time. But I pursued and Embracing It has evolved to be big part of my life.

I’m very excited to share with you my new website and say goodbye to Tumblr. But please continue to follow me on Facebook and Instagram and head over to www.embracingit.co.nz for regular recipe and blog posts. You’ll be able to find everything I’ve made on here too. It even has a search bar!!

I have lots of exciting things planned for Embracing It’s future and want you – my initial followers, to be a part of it.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup of fresh/frozen mango 1/2 cup of fresh or tinned pineapple 1/4 cup of coconut flour 3/3 cup of almond flour 1 serving of vanilla protein powder (optional) 3/4 cup desiccated coconut 1 teaspoon of baking powder 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda 2 teaspoons of cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon of salt 4 eggs 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk 1 tablespoon of golden syrup 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to bake 170. 

Mix all ingredients except mango and pineapple together in a large bowl or your food processor.

Mix until well combined. 

Chop mango and pineapple into bite sized pieces and gently fold into mixture.

Pour into a lined tin and bake for 40 minutes or until the cake is golden brown.

To celebrate Endometriosis awareness month today I have an interview with the lovely Katie from Katie in the Kitchen - the creator of the delicious smoothie pictured above. I met Katie back in 2010 when I was studying at Massey University in Palmerston North. As we both suffered from endometriosis we had lots in common and plenty to talk about. Since completing her Bachelor of Communication Katie has gone on and studied to be a midwife. In her spare time she enjoys creating new recipes, which she adds to both her online blog, Facebook and Instagram.

Katie is going to talk to us about how being diagnosed with Endometriosis has affected her lifestyle and her journey to living life to the fullest. 

Tell me a little bit about yourself…

I have just finished studying to become a midwife – something I have been passionate about for a long time. I am really interested in women’s health, pregnancy and birth. A woman’s body is amazing and I believe that all women have the strength to give birth normally and I feel that it is a midwife’s job to encourage and support physiological and natural birth. Prior to doing this, I did a degree in Media Studies and PR but knew my true passion was in midwifery. I am a keen foodie, with a large following on Instagram and Facebook. I am also a regular contributor to Healthy Food Guide’s Online Women’s Health blog and enjoy creating and sharing anti-inflammatory, mostly plant based recipes. I don’t follow a strict vegan diet, but enjoy creating food without using animal products as that is so often the cause of inflammation in our bodies.

When people ask you what endometriosis is what do you tell them?

I tell them that endo is a common disease and they need to be aware of when thing aren’t normal. I want all women to know that it is not ‘part of being a woman’ to suffer debilitating period pain, and there is a number of treatment options that can help this. I have spent so many years coping with this disease and I do anything I can to make sure people know that they need not suffer it out without seeking help. I also tell people about the ‘silent’ nature of this disease, you cannot tell who has it by looking at them – you cannot begin to imagine what it is like to live with this disease unless you do it yourself, please don’t brush it off as a normal part of life. It isn’t. It’s not ok, and it is often really hard to deal with whilst trying to lead a normal life. Support those around you that have this disease, don’t sweep it under the rug.

Tell me about your journey to living a healthy lifestyle… Including your health issues (if you don’t mind)

I have suffered from fairly severe symptoms of endometriosis since I got my first period 12 years ago. I have seen multiple doctors, been on multiple medications, has multiple surgeries – some of these things have helped, some haven’t – there are lulls and there are flare ups. My journey to living a healthy lifestyle came from an absolute physiological desire to lead a normal life. I was so sick of being in constant pain, having awful, debilitating periods and feeling revolting all of the time. Whilst a lot of this is out of my control, I can control parts of it – and that include the foods I put in to my body and the importance I place on a healthy lifestyle. I believe my body is a temple, it needs the best care and if any aspect of my health is in my control, I must use that control and make things better. Knowing what I eat and what makes my body perform best is important, so my journey towards knowledge of food started with a personal desire to feel well. I am not going to lie and say that I manage without medical treatment, I don’t. But I do feel so much better than I did, say, 5 years ago – this is mainly in regards to my weight, my energy and my general wellbeing.

How have your health issues affected your ability to lead a healthy lifestyle?

When I am struggling with my endometriosis, it makes it difficult to stay motivated. Being in pain affects what I feel like eating, whether I sleep, whether I can exercise – so that is how it affects my healthy lifestyle. In saying that as far as eating goes, it is very rare and certainly infrequent that I will eat unhealthy foods.

You have some beautiful recipes on your blog, would you care to share one of your favourites with us?

My absolute favourite recipe is for my black forest smoothie – it can be found on my blog. Not that tasting healthy is a bad thing, but sometimes you just feel like something decadent – so this one certainly doesn’t taste “healthy”, it’s gorgeous and chocolatey, like eating cake!  

INGREDIENTS

1 cup of cashew milk 2/3 cup of frozen cherries  2 scoops of chocolate nicecream 1 banana 1 tbsp cacao 1 tsp agave nectar or honey

It can be distressing to live with a chronic condition like endometriosis. What is your number one tip for those living with it?

Seek help. Don’t be fobbed off. One of the worst parts of this disease is that so many people (including health professionals) just don’t understand. Being made to feel like a hypochondriac is probably the worst feeling ever – especially when all you want is to feel well. If this happens, seek a second opinion, then a third, then a fourth – don’t stop! There are people out there that understand. I have fabulous, amazing and understanding doctors and it certainly took me awhile to get there.

What are your favourite healthy living blogs/websites or tools?

I absolutely love Healthy Food Guide (who I blog for also), I love raw/vegan/paleo foodies on IG. IG would be my best or most favourite tool, it’s so inspiring to see other people’s amazing journeys and foods. Also, if you post regularly it helps maintain accountability for what you eat plus gives you a bit of a boost as you get a little following and they give you support. It’s really nice.

How has endometriosis made you the person you are today?

It has hardened me to the harsh realities of the world, that no matter how hard you try, sometimes things aren’t going to change easily and you have to work very hard to get where you want to go. It has given me the ability to empathise, it has given me a high threshold to pain, it has inspired me to not only care about women’s healthy but to speak out about it. It has given me a sense of shamelessness – I will be that voice for someone who feels they haven’t quite got their own yet. It has also made me own my problems, if you don’t take care of yourself and don’t be an advocate for yourself, nobody will fill that void.

Why do you think endometriosis awareness month is so important?

Because it is still widely unknown – at least in the capacity it should be known. People just don’t understand the debilitating effect that this disease can have on a woman’s (and her family and friends) entire life. Sometimes it is all consuming, and people need to know that. Enough with the “oh that is just part of being a woman” crap. No, that is part of having endometriosis. Sometimes. Also, it’s really important the women/girls no that there is help out there.

What is your long term health/fitness goal?

At the moment I’m actually quite unfit. Truth be told, I actually can’t stand exercising and usually do anything I can to avoid it. So my long term goal is to get fitter – so for me, realistically, that is to exercise lightly 3-4 times a week i.e. walk, yoga, gym class etc.

Any last words?

Follow me! Katieinthekitchen on IG and Katie In the Kitchen on FB =)

Thanks so much for sharing your story with us Katie! If you aren’t already I highly recommend following Katie through her channels:

Instagram - https://instagram.com/katieinthekitchen

Blog – http://katiehawkey.wix.com/katieinthekitchen

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/katieinthekiitchen

Check out Katie’s recent blog post on food and endometriosis on Healthy Food Magazine’s website - http://www.healthyfood.co.nz/blogs/katie-hawkey/2015/february/04/endometriosis-can-food-make-a-difference

INGREDIENTS

½ cup of walnuts ¼ cup of almond meal ½ cup of dates (soaked in hot water for 10 minutes) 1 serving of vanilla protein powder (I used NuZest) 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence 1 and ½ teaspoons of crushed ginger 1 tablespoon of peanut butter

DIRECTIONS

Blend ingredients together in your food processor until a sticky dough has formed.

Roll into bite sized balls.

Leave in the fridge to set for 1 – 2 hours.

My family recently indulged in The Collective's new limited edition Jaffa Orange and Choccy Yoghurt. It looked amazingly tasty, with multiple layers of chocolate and orange goodness. Unfortunately due to my food intolerances I was unable to try it out (my family reassure me that it's delicious). I felt like I was missing out - so decided to create something jaffa flavoured. With the CrossFit Open just around the corner I wanted to make a snack for athletes - so here it is, a Jaffa Protein Bar. 

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup of chocolate protein powder 1/3 cup of peanut butter 15 dates soaked (for at least 30 minutes) 1/4 cup of almond meal 1 cup of rolled oats 1/4 cup of olive oil 1/3 cup of shredded coconut Pinch of salt Juice from one orange Zest from one orange

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 180 bake.

Leave dates to soak in boiling hot water for 30 minutes. 

When dates have finished soaking mash with a fork to form a paste. 

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl or food processor.

Be sure to mix until the ingredients are well combined.

Press mixture evenly into a lined baking tray.

Bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until golden. 

When I was at high school my mum and I enjoyed stopping in at McCafe whenever we were out and about, and in need of a caffeine fix. We’d each get a coffee (a mocha was my drink back then) and go halves in a lemon citrus slice and a raspberry and white chocolate muffin – they were both so good we could never decide on one. Deciding which one to eat first was another big decision. I’d usually savour the citrus slice, nothing beats lemon!!

As I am home for the long weekend and we have a luscious looking lemon tree I thought I’d try and recreate a clean version of our favourite lemon slice, which has ended up with a bit of a tropical twist to it. Mum made the coffee on the espresso machine, and it was just like old times.

INGREDIENTS

Base:

2 cups of almond flour/meal 1 cup of shredded coconut 1 cup of dried apricots (diced finely) 1 cup of sultanas Juice of ½ a lemon 1 tablespoon of lemon zest ½ teaspoon of ginger Pinch of salt

Topping:

1/3 cup of coconut oil (melted) ¼ cup of golden syrup ½ cup of lemon juice ½ cup of shredded coconut 2 ripe bananas (mashed) 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence

DIRECTIONS

Put base ingredients in your food processor and blend until a cookie dough like mixture has formed.

Please firmly into a lined baking tray.

Put the base in the freezer and leave for 2-3 hours to set.

When the base has set you can prepare the topping. To do this put all topping ingredients together in your food processor and leave blending for 2-3 minutes, allowing the mixture to thicken.

Pour the topping evenly over the base.

Put back in the freezer and leave overnight.

Take out and slice into square sized pieces with a sharp knife.

Keep in an air tight container in the freezer. If you keep in the fridge the top will go gooey.

Notes: I got 16 pieces out of mine.

NUTRIONTIONAL VALUES

Per mixture: (To figure out values for each piece, simply divide these numbers by how many pieces of cake were cut)

Calories = 2980 Carbs = 364g Sugar = 260g Fat = 163g Protein = 54g

Divided into 16 slices:

My younger brother Simon rates my baking on a scale. The scale goes from – would not be paid to eat, to edible, and would pay for in a café. The good news is, that these peanut butter nutter muffins hit the top and hewould pay for them in a café. This is a first from him, which means they must be a goodie! They must be if I caught him stealing the last one to take to work for lunch.

I asked him what I should call these muffins and he suggested “Peanutter Muffins,” I decided against it for obvious reasons and kept the nutter concept for him.

INGREDIENTS ½ cup of peanut butter 1 banana (mashed) 1 egg ¼ cup of maple syrup 2 tablespoons of almond flour ½ cup of rolled oats 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence ½ teaspoon of baking soda ½ cup of raw cashews 1 cup of dates (finely diced)

DIRECTIONS

Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl/food processor.

Add in wet ingredients and mix/blend until well combined.

Spoon mixture into a lined/oiled muffin tin.

Bake at 170 for 15 - 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Leave to cool for 10-15 minutes.

Why do you judge and criticize yourself for eating certain foods or eating too much? Why do youalways need to know exactly how many calories you're eating? What would happenif you stopped trying to lose weight? – A question I always ask myself and a question asked by the lovely Lulu who runs the health and wellness website Body Meets Mind.

I first met Lulu at my old CrossFit gym in Wellington. Lulu’s passion project to help people be at ease in their bodies. Something that a lot of people; including me, struggle with. So when she asked me to take part in a challenge she was running, I was in!! The challenge was called “The No Diet Diet.” It goes off the idea that most people follow some kind of diet. Or at least identify themselves as a particular kind of eater. I myself follow a paleo and primal diet and try to stick to three meals and two snacks a day. The No Diet Diet challenge appealed to me because I struggle with feeling bad about eating something that it is not considered healthy. Although I enjoy it at the time, soon after I start to feel guilty and beat myself up. Lulu sums this up perfectly by saying that “the common denominator in all diets is creating a “good” and “bad” list in your head. Certain foods will make you feel good and righteous, while others will make you feel like a failure who's fallen off the wagon.”

The challenge aimed to take the mental judgment and charge out of food choices and banish them from tainting your personality and character. Meaning you will connect with your body above your mind. As Lulu says “rather than letting your mind do all the talking and jumping moodily between applauding or berating yourself, just eat what your body feels like. Enjoy food without self-judgment. Enjoy feeling free.”

The challenge was guided by Lulu through her website. Participants were set up with an account that we could log into and we received emails every week, with a link to an informative video telling us what we needed to do. The first challenge was my favourite and the biggest eye opener for me -writing a food autobiography. Reflecting on how we’ve grown up eating and what we think about food. Here are a couple of snippets from mine (which was a novel):

I’ve grown up eating a well-balanced diet, well at least I think I have. We had your typical kiwi kid lunches with luncheon sandwiches, a piece of fruit, a yoghurt and a muesli bar. Every Friday we were allowed to order our lunch from the school canteen – I’d usually opt for a chicken and apricot panini, a cookie time cookie and a chocolate milk. We had vegetables and meat for dinner and treats were treats. Treats like Gran’s lolly jar or Grandma and Grandpa taking us to McDonalds for lunch. I was a greedy child – when no one was looking I’d take extra lollies from the jar, or I’d offer to serve everyone ice-cream so that I could eat spoonful’s whilst serving. If we ever had a block of chocolate in the fridge – I’d sneak pieces and say it wasn’t me (I’m pretty sure they knew it was). Things got worse when I had an eftpos card, my friends and I would buy bags of lollies on bike ride to school each morning! I never ever considered this to be wrong.

I never thought about dieting and losing weight until high school when two of my best friends were obsessed with FAD diets – they tried fasting, the lemon detox and healthy inspirations. During the lemon detox diet they both went home sick – so I was quick to realise that starving yourself was a stupid idea. Although I didn’t eat fantastically at school I was so active with sports and dancing that I was able to maintain my weight. I knew I wasn’t skinny, I didn’t feel great next to all of the girls at ballet who were sticks, but I never felt bad enough to change what I ate/I didn’t have any goals/aspirations to do anything. I was just enjoying being young, food was far too good.. My favourite thing to eat was a mocha and a raspberry and white chocolate muffin from McCafe. I also worked in an ice-cream parlour – I’d eat ice-cream for breakfast. Ice cream in a waffle cone with cream and chocolate sauce! Sometimes I’d even have two in one day. Man that is absolutely gross thinking about it now. My family knew I was greedy, my younger brother who was a stick would always say “Emma, do you really need that?!” whenever I went for seconds.

When I started working at Glassons I became more concerned with my weight and body image and started more of a “diet” approach. But I didn’t really know what was healthy, and I’d eat things and then skip meals to make up for it – like a counting calorie approach. During this stage, I thought frozen yoghurt was healthy and I’d have massive bowls of porridge with dried fruit on top. I’d also always have sauces on my dinner and eat a lot of bread and sugary smoothies from cafes.

I moved to Auckland and met Alvaro whilst working at Glassons and Hallensteins Head Office. He was a CrossFit freak and had just done a transformation challenge. I spoke to him about how I wanted to lose weight and how I wasn’t making any progress. He taught me about the world of paleo, gave me a protein cookie and took me to CrossFit. It was a great journey, I was becoming more and more interested with the world of food. I got down to 70kg but I wasn’t in a good state of mind. I was restricting myself and feeling hungry all the time! I would drink up to 3 coffees a day to try and fill up on this and source energy from the caffeine. In an attempt to make up for the lack of sweet foods I was no longer consuming, I was eating a bunch of protein bars and shakes that are laced with a mixture of toxic chemicals. I’d get afternoon headaches and feel pretty crap.

I started free from refined sugar healthy baking and grew my blog embracing it. But my relationship with food got worse, I’d say to myself that I could eat one piece of baking…and I’d end up eating the whole cake. I’d feel sick and miserable but think, I’ve eaten badly why stop here. I’d rummage through the pantry to find anything I could – usually my flatmates chocolate. Then I’d cry and get angry at myself for what I had done. It was a horrible state to be in.

I kept baking because it was therapeutic, but I’d taste test something and spit it back out. At this point I was also weighing myself every day, my day was ruined if I had gained from the day before.

When I re-read over this I was able to see how far I have come and how far I still have to go. Which is where the next challenge really helped. I had to write down my beliefs about food and observe my behaviour, to see if it reflected on those beliefs. For example, I believe that you should be allowed cheat meals and eat food that is good for your soul. Yet I struggle to do it myself. I also believe that you shouldn’t restrict yourself from food, yet I follow a meal plan. I spent time thinking of where the beliefs came from and how they were bringing negativity into my day to day activities. Lulu helped me recognise the limiting beliefs, spend time with the beliefs and let go of those beliefs. Something I have been needing to do for a long time. Not only do you get support from Lulu, you get to do the challenge with a friend! When you sign up, your friend gets a free pass.

The challenge gave me the chance to reflect on myself, something that I have always been too scared to do. Although, at times I still feel guilty after eating something naughty, my mind has shifted. I have been eating more food, like coconut ice cream and enjoying it. I highly recommend partaking in the “The No Diet Diet” as it will open your eyes to your relationship with food and give you the mind shift necessary to distinguish the difference between a happy and maintainable lifestyle, and dieting.

I was recently told by my nutritionist that I should add more brown rice to my diet. Although I do not usually eat grains, brown rice is full of calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, fibre and magnesium. Eating it should help aid my digestion troubles. Because brown rice is so boring by itself - I've vamped it up and made a delicious creamy coconut combination. 

Serves 5 people.

INGREDIENTS

1 and 1/2 cups of brown rice 3 cups of water 1 can of coconut milk (400ml) 1 egg 2 tablespoons of honey 1/2 teaspoon of salt 1/2 cup of raisins 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

I used my rice cooker to make this - it made life so easy and was just a matter of pouring things in and keeping an eye on it. 

Put brown rice and water in your rice cooker and turn it to cook. 

After 20 minutes stir in the coconut milk, egg, honey and salt. 

Leave to cook, be sure to check and stir every 10/15 minutes until it has cooked. 

Once cooked leave to cool for 10 minutes, then add in raisins and cinnamon. 

INGREDIENTS

Balls:

2 cups of rolled oats 1 cup of almond flour 1/2 cup of coconut sugar 1 cup of crunchy peanut butter 6 tablespoons of coconut oil

Chocolate coating:

1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips 1 tablespoon of coconut oil

DIRECTIONS

Mix ball ingredients together until well combined (by hand or in your food processor).

Roll into decent sized balls and place in the fridge to set for at least 2 hours.

When balls have set melt chocolate chips and coconut oil on your stove top on a low heat. 

Prepare a lined tray/plate to place coated balls on (if you put them on a plate they will stick). 

Roll each ball in the chocolate coating until it is fully covered. 

Place the chocolate covered balls in the freezer and leave to set for at least 3 hours (preferably overnight).

Before serving move to the fridge for 15 minutes, allowing the balls to soften. 

My goal with this muesli was to make something that still has flavour and tastes sweet without any form of sweetener - including honey or coconut. 

INGREDIENTS

Base:

1 cup of sunflower seeds 1 cup of pumpkin seeds 1/2 cup of sultanas  1/2 cup of raisins 1 cup of chopped dates 1 cup of sliced almonds 1 cup of walnuts 1/2 cup of brazil nuts

Coating:

1/2 of a cup of coconut oil 1/4 cup of LSC and cacao powder 

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 100 degrees on thermowave.

Mix base ingredients together in a large bowl.

On a low heat on the stove top melt the coconut oil, slowly mixing in the LSC and cacao powder. 

Take off the stove and stir through the bowl of base ingredients. 

Spread the mixture evenly on a lined oven tray/dish. 

Put in the oven and toss every 8-10 minutes for the next 40 minutes. 

Leave to cool.

If the muesli is too oily for your liking use a paper towel to drain some of the excess oil. 

Serve with fresh fruit, coconut cream and almond milk. 

INGREDIENTS 

1 bag of fresh nectarines (approx 8 -10) 1/3 cup of coconut cream 1 tablespoon of honey  1 teaspoon of vanilla essence (both honey and essence are optional)

DIRECTIONS

Slice nectarines, lie flat on a lined tray and place in the freezer for 3 - 4 hours.

Put frozen nectarines in your food processor with other ingredients. 

Blend until mixture is well combined and of a smooth consistency.

Pour mixture into an ice cream container and place in the freezer. 

This is a special feature recipe from my lovely boyfriend Ben, who is currently doing the Whole30. Due to some of my health conditions I was unable to participate! But it hasn’t stopped me enjoying the delicious creations he’s been preparing in the kitchen. Take it away Ben…

Who loves nachos? My childhood favourite! Messy and delicious. You can now have nachos without all the guilt of eating half a bag of corn chips, and all that sour cream! Kumara chips, mince cooked with a can of tomatoes, tomato paste, and few spices. Topped with homemade guacamole, is all you need for a delicious and nutritious dinner. Eating healthy doesn't have to be boring!

Kumara Chips

As much Kumara as you want (orange, purple or gold are all fine to use) Olive Oil Mixed Herbs

With a potato peeler, peel Kumara width ways (not the length of the kumara, but the face of it) into ‘chips’. When you have the desired amount, place in a bowl and drizzle lightly with Olive Oil and add in mixed herbs. Place on an oven tray lined with baking paper, and grill until crispy at 150-180 degrees. Cook until golden and crispy. *You want the chips to be in the oven long enough to lose the moisture and crisp up. There is a fine line between under cooked and soft, perfect, and burnt. So keep a close eye on the chips.

While the chips are cooking, prep the remainder of the meal; Nacho Mince and Guacamole…

Nacho Mince

500g Prime Beef Mince (any mince will work including chicken or pork) 400g Can Tomatoes 1 TBSP Tomato Paste 1 Tsp Ground Coriander 1 Tsp Paprika 1 Tsp Cumin 1 Onion 2 Cloves Garlic, Crushed 1 Chilli (if you want some spice) 1 TBSP Olive Oil or Coconut Oil (for cooking)

In a large pan, add oil of choice and brown mince, but don’t cook through. Add in all remaining ingredients and simmer on a low-medium heat until mince is cooked.

Guacamole

1-2 ripe Avocados (depending on size) 2 TBSP Lime Juice Salt and Pepper

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until thick and creamy. *You can add other spices to give extra flavour. Diced spring onion is also nice with this.

INGREDIENTS

1 banana 1/2 an avocado 1/8 cup of cocoa powder 1/8 cup of coconut sugar 1/2 cup of peanut butter Fresh cream Cacao nibs for topping

DIRECTIONS

Blend all ingredients (except cream and cacao nibs) in your food processor until smooth.

Place in the freezer for 20 minutes to set.

Whip the cream.

Take mousse mixture out of the freezer and stir. 

Get you mason jar/glass and carefully spoon layers in - starting with the mousse and finishing with cream.

I scream for Peanut Butter!! If you haven't guessed already, I am peanut butter obsessed…how do I know this? Well, I add it to any food I can, I put it in all of my smoothies, I always have multiple jars of it in my pantry and there is never an inappropriate time to have a spoonful. It's such a versatile thing and the best thing is that it’s also good for you. Despite its high calorie and fat content peanut butter is a staple that is healthy. The fats contained in it are of the “good” variety (think avocados) and it’s really high in protein, helping keeping you full and energized longer. Anyone else getting hungry reading this? Now you can put it in a delicious clean cheesecake.

INGREDIENTS

Base:

1 cup of cashews 1 cup of almond flour 2 cups of dates (soaked for ten minutes in boiling hot water) 4 tablespoons of coconut oil (melted) 4 tablespoons of dark chocolate chips 2 tablespoons of cacao or cocoa powder 2 teaspoons of vanilla Pinch of salt

Filling:

1 cup of smooth natural peanut butter (I used Pic’s) ¾ cup of cold water ½ cup of coconut oil (melted) ½ cup of honey maple flavoured syrup Pinch of salt

Garnish (optional):

Handful of dark chocolate chips Teaspoon of melted coconut oil 

DIRECTIONS

This recipe takes a little bit of preparation, but it is worth the wait!

First up you need to prepare the base and leave that to set. To prepare the base…

Mix cashews and almond flour in blender.

When the dates have been soaked and drained, add the remaining base ingredients and blend until mixture sticks together nicely.

Press firmly and evenly into a nice dessert plate and place in the fridge to set and leave for at least 3-4 hours (use baking paper to allow easy removal of the cheesecake).

Put all of the filling ingredients in your blender and mix until you get a very smooth consistency.

Pour the filling over the set base and chill in the freezer for at least 4 hours. 

To make the chocolate garnish melt the dark chocolate chips and coconut oil on a low heat on the stove top.

Pour the mixture into a small plastic bag and use it like a piping bag - making whatever swirls you wish and leave it to harden (approx. 10 minutes).

Serve and enjoy!!

Keep any left overs in the freezer. Let it sit out for 10 minutes before serving.  

NUTRITIONAL VALUES

These are for the mixture. To figure out values for each piece, simply divide these numbers by how many pieces of cake were cut.

Summer is the season for socialising with family and friends and the typical kiwi way is usually over a BBQ in the backyard. This kumara, date and cashew salad was introduced to me by my Aunt, whilst we were staying at their beach house in Pauanui. It went down very well after a day of paddle boarding.

Originally made with mayonnaise and salted cashew nuts I have altered it to be that little bit better for you. This recipe makes for a stress free BBQ and is guaranteed to impress. 

INGREDIENTS

8 medium sized kumara 1 cup of raw cashew nuts 1 cup of chopped dates 1/3 cup of plain unsweetened/Greek yoghurt 1 teaspoon of curry powder DIRECTIONS

Peel and cut kumara into bite sized pieces.

Boil kumara on stove top in hot water for 8 minutes.

Once cooked, spread the kumara so that it is lying flat and leave to cool.

Chop dates and combine with cashews in a small bowl - put aside.

Mix yoghurt and curry powder in a small bowl. 

Put the kumara in the serving bowl you are going to use and mix through the dates and cashew nuts and yoghurt and curry powder combo.

Cover and put in the fridge to chill before serving.