Paleo Lemon Slice

PALEO LEMON SLICE 

This slice is gluten, sugar, soy, grain and dairy free! And rather delicious...

Time:  45 minutes (soak cashews overnight prior to baking the slice)

Ingredients:

Crust
1 cup of almond meal
3/4 cup of coconut flour
2 eggs
4 tablespoons melted coconut oil
4 tablespoons xylitol (use honey or other sweetener if not trying to avoid sugar)
2 tablespoons tapioca flour
pinch of salt


Filling
Juice of 2 lemons
Rind of 1 lemon
1 cup raw cashews (soaked)
1 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon vanilla bean powder
4 tablespoons xylitol (use more honey or other sweetener if not trying to avoid sugar)
1 tablespoon honey
pinch of salt

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180°c and line an 8x8 inch square baking tin with baking paper.
2. Add all crust ingredients into a large mixing bowl and kneed with hands until it forms a dough consistency.
3. Transfer the dough to the baking tin and spread it out by placing more baking paper on top and using a cup to push the dough to all edges (this will prevent the dough from sticking to the cup). Ensure that the dough is spread out evenly on along the tin.
4. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until dough is just starting to brown.
5. Place the soaked and drained cashews into a high speed blender along with all the other ingredients used in the filling. Blend until smooth and creamy.
6. Pour the filling over the crust and spread into an even layer.
7. Bake the slice for a further 20 minutes.
8.  Let the slice rest for 10 minutes before transferring it to the fridge.
9.  If you don't want to try the slice warm, let it sit in the fridge for an hour.
10. Cut the slice into rectangular slices and add your favourite berries, more lemon rind, honey or nuts for extra flavour. (I used blueberries, muesli & coconut yoghurt)

ENJOY!

Paleo Falafel Wrap

I had a lot of pumpkin going to waste in the fridge so I decided to improvise and make some grain free falafels! They turned out to be delicious....

GRAIN FREE PUMPKIN & CAULIFLOWER FALAFEL WRAPS

Makes 4 Wraps (1 & 1/2 falafels per wrap)

Ingredients:

Lettuce of choice for wrap (I used swiss chard) 

Falafel Mix 

- 2 cups pumpkin puree 

- 3 cauliflower florets (cut into pieces) 

- Generous amount of flat leaf parsley (chopped)

- 2 teaspoons cumin 

- 1 teaspoon cinnamon 

- 2 teaspoons paprika 

- 4 garlic cloves 

- 1/2 cup of soaked cashews

- 1/2 cup almond meal

- 1/2 cup coconut flour

- 1 egg

- salt - pepper

- 4 tablespoons melted coconut oil

    

Tabouleh 

- 1 bunch round leaf parsley 

- 3 garlic cloves 

- 2-3  florets of cauliflower 

- 1/4 of large cucumber 

- 1/2 punnet of cherry tomatoes 

- 1/2 red onion

- 1 whole lemon juice

- 4 tablespoons olive oil 

“Hummus" Sauce 

- 1/2 cup tahini

- 3 tablespoons of tomato paste

- 1/2 an avocado 

- 1 lemon (juice) 

- salt

- pepper 

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.

2. Add all ingredients for falafel mix into a food processor except for the coconut flour and coconut oil. Blend until all ingredients are combined. Slowly add the coconut flour until the mixtures texture resembles that of falafels (you made not need to use the whole 1/2 cup). 

3. Roll the mixture into falafel sized balls and place on an oven baking tray lined with baking paper. You should get about 8 balls with this mixture. 

4. Cover the falafels with coconut oil and place in the oven for 30 minutes or until golden. 

5. Meanwhile, prepare the tabouleh by roughly chopping the parsley and placing it into a large bowl. 

6. Finely chop the garlic, and roughly chop the cucumber, cherry tomatoes and red onion. Add to the bowl.

7. Process the cauliflower florets in a food process until they form a grain like consistency. Add to the bowl.

8. Add lemon juice and olive oil to the bowl. The tabouleh is now ready. 

9. To make the hummus sauce, mix all ingredients together in a small mixing bowl.

10. Finally, serve the falafels on top of the swiss chard, hummus and tabouleh (as seen in the mixture below)

Enjoy :) 

Anti-inflammatory Vegan Pumpkin Soup

Todays lunch is organic pumpkin soup topped with fresh parsley. This soup is full of vitamin C and has great anti-inflammatory properties.

VEGAN PUMPKIN SOUP RECIPE:

Ingredients:

- 1 brown onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 3/4 whole organic kent pumpkin
- 1 can of organic full cream coconut cream
- 400 mL of vegetable (or chicken for non-veg option) stock *preferably home made
- 1 red chilly
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon fresh turmeric
- generous pinch of nutmeg
- 4 tablespoons of fresh coriander
- salt
- pepper
- fresh parsley to top

Method:

1. Put coconut oil to a large pot, along with the roughly chopped garlic and onion. Cook on medium until onion is transparent.

2. Add pumpkin (cut into medium sized squares with skin off) into pot. Add all spices and cook, stirring on medium for 1 minute.

3. Next, pour your stock into the pot and bring to the boil.

4. Bring the pot to simmer and place a lid on top. Allow to cook for one hour or until pumpkin is soft.

5. Turn off the heat and add the corriander (roughly chopped), Allow to cool for 15 minutes.

6. Pour the coconut cream into the soup and process with a hand held processor until smooth.

7. Serve with fresh parlsey, salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

Brisbane trip

I recently embarked on a trip to Brisbane, Queensland. A group of my incredible friends from Brisbane surprised me for my birthday by buying me a flight voucher to go and visit them.  I was over the moon when I received the gift - I am truly blessed to have such kind friends.

I stayed in Brisbane for just over a week. I was feeling pretty good before leaving but wasn't feeling all that good when I arrived in Brisbane. I think that the flight took it out of me a bit.
I still had a fantastic time away in the sunshine. I was feeling well enough on some days to go to the beach and to do things that normal people do. Although I was experiencing some migraines, joint pain and fatigue, I was generally feeling pretty good 😊.

However, while I was away it was hard to stay on top of my strict diet. This resulted in me indulging in a few food items that I shouldn't have eaten. I ate a gluten free bun and rice noodles on the 2nd day that I arrived in Brisbane... Lots of grains that I usually avoid as they upset my stomach and cause inflammation in my body. Unfortunately the food really didn't digest well and I ended up having internal bleeding as well as a loss of appetite and nauseousness for the following three days.
I feel as though this setback, as well as a few other issues that have come up - have sent me backwards in my recovery process. Since returning back home to Melbourne I haven't been feeling my best. I feel as though I have a had a little relapse. I have been experiencing deliberating migraines, vertigo and lots of joint pain. My ears are also severely infected which means they have a lot of fluid built up in them which causes noise sensitivity, pain and dizziness. As a result of all this physical pain that I have been dealing with, it has been difficult for me to stay on track with my routine that I had going. I haven't been doing much exercise other than the occasional 10 minute walk and some stretching here and there.

After doing a one day juice fast, having an epsom salt bath and performing a coffee enema on myself.. I am finally starting to feel better. Let's hope that I continue to experience less pain :).

Here are some photos that I took of my time in Queensland...
It's amazing to look back on these photos and see that I was feeling so good only 3 weeks ago!!
I feel so lucky to have spent such a beautiful time with my friends, doing many of the things that I have been unable to do for so long.
These photos were taken on my film camera: Nikon FM10.
Enjoy!

Lifestyle tips for healing chronic infection

The real me is returning!

I am currently in my fifth month of treatment for Lyme and co-infections, and I am experiencing some fantastic results.
I feel as though all my hard work and effort that I have put into recovering from this illness is finally paying off. I am no longer experiencing as many debilitating symptoms, I have a lot more energy and my sense of humour along with my natural spark are returning. Every day I am feeling better and better, it is such an incredible sensation! I am now spending a lot less time inside, and more time out of the house - rediscovering old hobbies, soaking up the sun and inhaling the fresh spring air.
I have a new found appreciate for the small things in life!

Wherever I go, I feel a sense of enlightenment within me. I am always so happy whenever I am well enough to enjoy the old things I loved doing with my life. So much so that I find myself smiling at smallest and simplest things in life - such as going food shopping on my own.
I recently started my very own vegetable garden at my grandparents house. I feel so blessed to have the energy to be able to put time and effort into such a thing - something I would have taken for granted in the past.
I have also begun a "Lyme rehabilitation program" at the gym, whereby I undertake a series of light machine based exercises. The routine takes me roughly 30 minutes to complete, and I am aiming to do this routine 2 -3 days a week, depending on how I am feeling.
I am absolutely loving having more energy and enduring less pain. However, I still really need to listen to my body. As I have been doing so little for such a long time (I have pretty much been indoors on the couch/ in bed for the past 8 months), I am becoming very excited about gaining my life back. All I want to do is get outside and do things that normal people do! Sometimes I get so excited that I do too much with my day, and I crash. A lot of my symptoms return and I end up in bed, in pain - I become very frustrated. I am slowly learning to listen to my body and not overdo things!

My aim of this post is to tell all chronic illness sufferers out there that there is hope. After following a strict diet, meditating, receiving treatment from an incredible team of doctors, naturopaths and kinesiologists (message me for details), I am finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel - and you can too! Although I still experience daily symptoms, I have a major part of my life back and I am now able to do a lot more with my day. I still have a long road ahead of me until I am completely healed, but I am getting closer to making a full recovery with every day that passes.
Don't let disease take control of your life. You need to take control of it! Remind yourself that everything in your life is temporary, and that it will get better!

Paleo Beetroot Mud Cake

I have recently been experimenting with Paleo deserts. I came across a beetroot chocolate mud cake online and decided to change the recipe around to make it paleo. I added / substituted a few things from the original recipe and used avocado mousse for the frosting instead of icing sugar. I was pleasantly surprised with how the cake turned out!

Here is the recipe:

JERRY'S PALEO BETROOT CHOC MUD CAKE:

Base:

Ingredients:

- 3 roasted beetroots (wrap beets in foil and cook for 30 mins on 180) 

- 3-4 tablespoons of raw cacao 

- 2 eggs (free range)

- 1 & 1/3 cup almond meal

- 3 tablespoons of tapioca flour

- 3 tablespoon desiccated coconut 

- 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil

- 2 tablespoons of almond butter (not essential)

(you can play around with the flour/ almond butter and just add whatever you like)

- 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon 

- 1 teaspoon baking soda

- 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean powder / paste / liquid 

- pinch of himalayan salt 

-sweetener of choice (I think I used about 4 tablespoons of xylitol and a teaspoon sativa) 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees.
2. Add roasted and cooled beets to blender. Blend into a smooth puree.
3. Add eggs, coconut oil, almond butter, vanilla extract, baking soda and sweetener to blender

     4.  Combine left over dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add wet mixture and mix until all ingredients are combined. 

    5. Line a round cake tin with baking paper. Add cake mixture to tin.

    6. Bake cake on 160 for 35 minutes. 

    7. Remove from oven and wait to cool before adding frosting.

Frosting:

Ingredients:

- 2 large ripe avocados 

- 1/3 cup coconut oil

- 1/2 cup sweeter of choice (honey, maple syrup, rice malt syrup etc)

- 3 tablespoons of raw cacao 

- 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla bean powder / paste / liquid 

- pinch of himalayan salt

Method: 

     8. Skin avocados and remove the pip

     9. Blend avocados in a food processor until smooth

    10. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until combined

    11. Place in fridge for 1 hour to set before adding to cake 

    12. Once cake has cooled and frosting has set, spread frosting over cake. Decorate with your favourite nuts or berries. 

   13. To make a double layered cake, double the cake mixture recipe and add frosting between cakes to hold them together. (there should be enough frosting to make double layered cake from 2 avocados)

Please note:

As I was just experimenting with this cake, each layer turned out to be a different colour.

I added 3 beetroots and about 3 tablespoons of cacao to the bottom layer of mixture in the cake pictured below. In the top layer I added 2 and a half beetroots and 4 tablespoons of cacao. Feel free to do the same, the two different cake colours stacked on top of each other came out looking and tasting fantastic.

Enjoy!