Cashew & Oat Jam Drops

Today I thought I would share another recipe – Cashew & Oat Jam Drops.

I saw this recipe in the paper. It is from a book called ‘The 16:8 Intermittent Fasting Lifestyle Plan’ by Jaime Chambers. They are so easy to make and require only a few ingredients.

I looked at the ingredients and thought I had everything in my pantry. I jumped right in and started. That’s when I realised I did not have enough of some of the ingredients required, so I had to improvise.

The result was still a success and that is the recipe I will share with you.

Cashew & Oat Jam Drops

Makes 16-18

Ingredients

2 cups of oats

1 cup raw, unsalted cashews

1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup maple syrup

100 gms butter (melted)

pinch of salt

jam (preferably one without added sugar)

 

Method

Preheat the oven to 180’c and line a baking tray with baking paper.

– Pulse the oats in a food processor till they are a fine crumb, then transfer to a large mixing bowl.

– Then do the same with the cashews and add to the bowl.

– In another smaller bowl, whisk the honey, syrup and butter together.

– When combined, add to the bowl with the dry ingredients with the salt and mix well.

– Using a tablespoon, place spoons of the mix onto the tray and press lightly into shape.

– I used a teaspoon to push depressions into the biscuits to hold the jam.

I then baked them for 15 min, took the tray out and put ½ a teaspoon of jam onto each biscuit before putting the tray bake into the oven for 5 min.

When golden remove the tray from the oven. Let the biscuits cool on the tray for a while before transferring to a wire rack. Allow the biscuits to cool completely before eating.

I hope you enjoy these homemade treats.

 

Till the next post,

Live clean n prosper

A Coconut Chocolate treat recipe

Today I’m sharing with you a Coconut Chocolate bar or treat recipe.

 I saw this recipe on a site called Paleo Grubs a long time ago and always wanted to try it.

With Easter approaching, I thought it was a good excuse to make these treats. Using healthy ingredients such as coconut, coconut oil, honey and raw chocolate.  The result is similar to a Bounty Bar.

They are relatively easy to make. The hardest part is coating them in the chocolate.

Coconut Chocolate Bars

Makes 14 bars

Ingredients 
For the Bars

 1 ½ cups unsweetened fine shredded coconut

¼ cup coconut oil – melted

1/3-cup raw honey

1-teaspoon pure vanilla extract

28 raw natural almonds

For the Chocolate Coating 

my preference – Raw Chocolate coating

100g cocoa butter

50 g cocoa powder

33 g maple syrup

dash of vanilla extract

pinch of salt

or 

( use 1 cup processed dark choc chips & 1 tablespoon coconut oil )

Method

* Line a loaf tin with baking paper

* Place the coconut, coconut oil, honey and vanilla extract in a food processor and process till well mixed. The mixture will start to create a ball.

* Put the mix into the pan and press out evenly

* Using a knife of spatula, push into the mixture dividing it into 7 rows as well as in half length ways.

* Place 2 almonds on each section, lightly pressing them into the top of the coconut mixture

* Place the tin in the fridge overnight.

* Remove the tin from the fridge and grasping the edges of the baking paper, lift up the coconut block. Place it on a board and cut into the rows, creating 14 mini bars.

Make your preferred chocolate coating by melting and mixing your measured ingredients in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.

* Using tongs carefully dip each coconut bar into the chocolate, ensuring all sides are coated, and placing them on a tray lined with baking paper.

Notes

I coated mine twice. I had plenty of chocolate mixture and the first coating was quite thin.

I placed the tray in the freezer for 5 min after the first coat, keeping the rest of the chocolate melted in the bowl sitting over the saucepan. Then I quickly dipped each bar a second time.

The colder the bars, the quicker the chocolate set on the bar. I then put the tray back in the fridge for a couple of hours to ensure the chocolate was completely set before transferring to a container.

These bars need to be kept refrigerated, in an airtight container until serving. As the chocolate has no added stabilizers, it will melt faster when left as room temperature.

Making your own treats is a way of minimizing your intake of highly processed sugars and chemicals such as artificial flavours, colours and preservatives.

I hope you enjoy making these Coconut Chocolate bars for your family.

Till the next post,

Live clean n prosper

Moroccan style Lamb Shanks with Pumpkin

Today I’m sharing a slow cooker recipe using lamb shanks.
After my last post on slow cooking, I have had a request for an easy, healthy recipe.
So I thought I would share this one for Moroccan style Lamb Shanks with Mashed Pumpkin.

I found this recipe in a Coles magazine and it is really tasty. I made very few changes to it.

Usually I adapt it to feed 2 and that is how I will share it today.

Moroccan Style Lamb Shanks with Mashed Pumpkin

Serves 2 – Cooking time is 8 hours

Ingredients

2 Lamb Shanks
1 400g tin diced tomatoes
½ red onion – sliced
2 garlic cloves – crushed
1 red chilli – sliced or whole (we left the chilli whole and removed it on serving)
2 bay leaves
1 tbs cumin seeds (or ground)
1 tbs coriander seeds (or ground)
juice & zest of 1 lemon

approx. 400g pumpkin – peeled and diced
1 tbs butter
Mint & parsley leaves – chopped to serve

Method

* If you have a large enough pan, you may choose to brown the shanks first, which we didn’t.

Brown the onion in a fry pan, and then add it to the slow cooker.
Place the cumin & coriander seeds in a mortar & pestle and break down into a powder.
Add to the slow cooker, along with the garlic, chilli, lemon, bay leaves and tomatoes.

Stir to combine, and then add the lamb shanks, ensuring to spoon some of the tomato mixture over them.
Cover and cook on low or auto (depending on your cooker) till the meat is starting to fall off the bone.
If the tomato sauce is too thin, leave the lid off your cooker and turn it up to high for approx. 30 minutes till it thickens.

Bake or steam the pumpkin till soft.
Mash well, mixing in butter and season with salt & pepper to taste.

Place the pumpkin mash into bowls and top with lamb mixture.
Sprinkle a mix of chopped parsley and mint to serve.

I hope you enjoy eating this tasty, healthy meal perfect for a cold evening.

Till the next post,

Live clean n Prosper