Saturday, January 16, 2016

Exciting News!

I have exciting news! After having my blog viewed over 1000 times in the first month of its existence I've bitten the bullet and built my own website. You can now find me here. Thank you so much for visiting my blog and I hope to see you over at the new (much prettier) site.

Lots of Love,
Ellie Eats xoxo

Monday, January 11, 2016

Cacao Fruit and Nut Bars

I'm here to let you in on a little secret. Remember when they told you that if it tasted really good it's probably bad for you? Well, they lied. This is great news, because I don't often feel like eating sweet things, but when I do I tend to catch the next express train to Crazy Town and throw my self-control out of the window on the way there. It's normally when I'm feeling highly emotional (pretty much every four weeks), and I'm sure that chocolatey goodness has to be up there with laughter as far a good medicines go, right? 

I came across this recipe in another great cookbook - The Medicinal Chef. These nut bars (or 'Fabulous Fridge Cakes' as they are called in the book) are sweet, rich and chocolatey and exactly what you need on those days when all you want to do is lay on the couch, eat something decadent and watch trashy TV (or is that just me?).

Ingredients (makes 8 pieces)


8 tablespoons of pepitas and sunflower seeds (with extra set aside for the top of the bars)
3 handfuls of goji berries (with extra set aside for the top of the bars)

1 handful pitted dates
4 tablespoons cacao powder (found in the health food aisle of most grocery stores)
1 teaspoon desiccated coconut
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoon of melted coconut oil
4 tablespoons of pecans and walnuts, chopped
1 tablespoon of dried apricots, chopped


Place the seeds, goji berries, pitted dates, cacao powder, desiccated coconut and cinnamon in a food processor or high-powered blender and pulse a few times to create a stiff coarse mixture. 

Add the melted coconut oil to the rest of the ingredients in the processor and blend at full speed until they have combined thoroughly into a firm paste.

Line a 20cm rectangular cake tin with baking paper, turn the mixture into the tin and press down firmly 
so that the mixture completely covers the base of the tin. Sprinkle the reserved seeds and goji berries  over the top, along with the chopped nuts and apricot, and press down lightly. Place in the freezer for about an hour, or until set firm. Slice into about 8 even pieces. 




Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Orange and Pepita Granola


Christmas is over, a new year is here and I feel more exhausted than I did before the holidays began! Did I eat far too much of my mother in-law’s delicious Christmas Pudding over the Christmas break? Yes (I regret nothing). Did I drink a little more red wine than I intended because my family’s Monopoly session started to get a little too serious? Possibly (It was a fight to the death/bankruptcy). Do I now feel like I’m carrying my own little Christmas pudding around my middle? Perhaps. No one can be perfect all the time, but everyone can eat a breakfast that tastes like perfection. I found this granola recipe in one of my favourite cookbooks - YumUniverse. I replaced some of the sweetener with orange juice and ended up with a granola that is crunchy, zesty and so tasty that I often eat it dry as a snack. 

Ingredients

Wet
  • 1/4 cup of Blackstrap Molasses - found at most grocery stores (or sweetener of your choice)
  • 3/4 Cup orange juice

Dry

  • 3 cups rolled oats
  • 1 cup shredded coconut
  • 1 cup pumpkin seeds
  • 1 cup almonds, roughly chopped
  • Zest from 2 navel oranges
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • Pinch of ground cardamom
  • Pinch of cinnamon


Preheat oven to 150°C or 350°F.


Stir together wet ingredients in a small bowl.

Throw the dry ingredients into a large bowl and toss to combine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well to combine (you can use your hands).

Pour the mixture evenly onto two trays lined with baking paper, ensuring that they aren't overcrowded (the granola won't toast evenly otherwise). 


Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until the granola is golden brown and toasted.

Remove from the oven and allow the granola to cool and harden. Enjoy with your favourite non-dairy milk or by itself.