One of our favourite afternoon summer treats is a mango smoothie. This is an extremely simple recipe and obviously the mango can be replaced with a fruit of your choice, perhaps banana or berries, or both.

In a blender or like machine add 1 to 2 mangoes, 1 cup of milk, 2 dessertspoons of vanilla, natural or greek yoghurt, 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla paste and a scoop of vanilla icecream (optional).
Blitz
​Drink

Ingredients:

2 carrots sliced
1 whole cauliflower - cut into small florets
2 sticks celery sliced
1/2 teaspoon garlic
splash of olive oil
2 litres stock (vegetable)
cumin powder

Method:
Using the olive oil, fry off the carrots, cauliflower and celery in the garlic.
When the vegetables have browned, add the stock and leave to simmer slowly for 20 - 30 minutes.
Using a stick blender, process to a silky soup.
Using a wooden spoon stir gently as you add the cumin powder to taste.
Serve with added cumin powder on top.

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked brown rice
1 tin corn kernels
2 eggs (lightly beaten)
1 tin (425g) salmon (remove bones after opening if that is your preference)
1 tbsp breadcrumbs
1 tbsp plain flour
1/2 a brown onion (you can fry this before adding to reduce the impact of the flavour, or leave raw to provide more flavour) or if you prefer, you can use a spring onion

Method:

Place all ingredients in bowl and mix well with wooden spoon until all combined.
Using a tablespoon shape patties into discs approximately 7cm in diameter.
To cook you can either simply place in oven at 180 degrees for 10 minutes each side, or fry off in frying pan using a little olive oil.

​

Ingredients:
Pre-packaged pasta sheets
Mince:
500g extra lean mince
1 tin crushed tomatoes (reserving enough to cover the base of your baking dish)
1 cup stock (I prefer vegetable, but any stock works)
Bechamel Sauce:
2 tablespoons cornflour
125g butter - room temperature
2 cups milk
1 cup mozzarella cheese (you may choose to add more)

Procedure:
Brown off and break up the mince in a frying pan
Add tinned tomatoes and stock and simmer on light heat for 20 mins

Bechamel Sauce:
On a medium heat cook off the cornflour for about 2 minutes
Add the butter and stir continuously until mixture comes together and bubbles - let it bubble whilst stirring for about 1 minute
Remove from heat and add milk
Using a whisk put pan back on heat and mix vigorously to avoid any lumps
When ingredients have combined add cheese and mix quickly again using wooden spoon
When cheese is melted through sauce remove from heat

To put it all together I always start with a layer of the reserved tomatoes - this stops the lasagna from sticking (but always spray your dish as an extra precaution)
Lay the pasta sheets one layer thin across the tomatoes
Add a layer of mince followed by a layer of bechamel sauce, repeat layering until you have used all ingredients - you might want to add some extra mozzarella between layers if you like it really cheesy
Always finish with a layer of bechamel sauce
Cover dish with alfoil and bake for 45 minutes at 180 degrees
Remove alfoil and bake for another 15-20 minutes
​Enjoy!!!

This recipe for Bliss Balls is just a base for whatever extra goodies you would like to add. Over the Christmas break I made a batch with peppermint oil and I also made a batch using up leftover Turkish Delight.

Ingredients:
10 pitted dates
1/2 cup almond meal
1/4 cup hazelnut meal
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon coconut of your choice (I prefer desiccated for this recipe)
1 1/2 tablespoons of coconut oil and rice malt syrup
1 dessert spoon cacao powder

Method:
In a Thermomix or food processor blitz the dates finely
Add almond and hazelnut meal, sunflower seeds and coconut and blitz again for about 10 seconds
Add remaining ingredients and blitz until all ingredients come together (about 10 seconds depending on speed)
** If adding extra flavours, now is the time to do so.
Chill in refrigerator for about 5 minutes
Remove from refrigerator and using your hands rolls into bite size balls
**You may want to roll in extra cacao or coconut for added flavour

1 cup store bought muesli
1/4 cup finely chopped dried apricot
1/4 cup almonds
1/4 cup coconut flakes
approx 10 pitted dates
1 tablespoon pepita seeds
2 teaspoons sunflowers seeds
1 teaspoon maca powder
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1/2 cup rice malt syrup
melted dark chocolate to drizzle over the top


Blitz the almonds and dates until they are finely crushed, mix remaining ingredients together with almonds and dates, keeping aside the chocolate.
Line a baking dish with baking paper and press mixture in - bake in oven at 180 degrees for approximately 15 mins - a bit longer if you like it crunchy.
When the slice has cooled pour melted chocolate over and leave to set.
​Enjoy!!!

Ingredients:
4 cups of puffed rice – the stuff you find in the health food section, not the cereal aisle
¾ cup rice malt syrup
1 cup raw cashews
1/3 cup coconut oil
 
Method:
In a thermomix or food processor blast the cashews until they represent very fine breadcrumbs, pour into bowl.
Melt rice malt syrup and coconut oil if necessary.
Add all ingredients to cashews and mix together with a wooden spoon.
Line a dish with baking paper and pour ingredients out.
Flatten out using the back of a spatula.
Refrigerate for a few hours before slicing into bite sized portions.

Ingredients:
1 cup self raising flour
1 cup plain flour
1/4 cup rice malt syrup
1 egg
1 cup milk - add more as required

Method:
Place all the ingredients into a bowl or glass jug and blend together using a stick mixer. 
Add more milk as required to reach a thick, glue like consistency.
Heat butter in pan on stove top and when melted drop batter (the size of a biscuit) into the hot pan. When bubbling on top side turn over and cook for a further 30 seconds.
Place on paper towel in order to remove excess fats.
Enjoy!!!

I whipped this up this morning just by grabbing stuff out of my pantry. It's sugar free and again I didn’t measure anything, but I will give the best estimates I can.
Enjoy.

Rice Bubble Slice:

Ingredients:
4 cups rice bubbles
½ cup dried apricots or mango or both
1 tablespoon of desicated coconut
½ cup rice malt syrup - melted
½ cup coconut oil – melted
½ cup cocao powder
 
Method:
Mix all ingredients together and set in a large slice tin.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Cut into squares when ready to serve – perfect for lunchboxes.

Ingredients:
Base:
For the base use anything you like including almond meal, linseeds, coconut, LSA, dry sweet biscuits and then mix with coconut oil and pop in the freezer to set.
Filling:
500g cream cheese - at room temperature
1 lemon
1 lime
3 teaspoons gelatine
1/3 cup boiling water
½ cup caster sugar
300ml thickened cream
 
Procedure:
In an electric mixer mix the cream cheese with the caster sugar.
Boil the kettle and dissolve gelatine over the water.
Finely grate the zest of the lemon and lime (depending on how tangy you want your cheesecake to taste).
Add the juice of the lemon and lime to the water and gelatine – let it cool for a few minutes.
Add the water mix and the zest of the fruits (keeping a little lime zest aside) and mix with the cream cheese mixture.
Fold in the cream to the mixture.
Pour out into cheesecake tin.
Set in fridge for at least 4 hours before serving.
Sprinkle lime zest on top before serving.
 
Enjoy.