Raw Energy Balls

35g cup sesame seeds

35g cup sunflower seeds

35g cup Salba (optional)

70g cup organic raisins or organic dried cranberries

70g cup dried figs, chopped into small pieces

70g cup organic raw almond butter

1 tsp. agave nectar

2 tsp. rice milk or coconut milk, *optional, but helps to bind if you have some around

Method

Place first five ingredients in food processor with metal blade. Mix until everything is ground together, but still chunky. Add nut butter(s), agave and coconut milk and mix until combined. Roll mixture into balls.

Keep refrigerated.

Roasted Butternut Squash Seeds

Seeds fresh from butternut squash

Method

Preheat the oven to 100-120C with the rack in the middle. Scoop the seeds out of the squash and remove as much of the stringy orange pulp as you can. Rinse the seeds. Lay the seeds out on a plate or baking sheet to dry overnight. If you want to use them right away pat them dry with a kitchen towel. Spread the seeds out on a baking sheet and put it in the oven and roast for 10-15 min until crispy.

**Keep your eyes on deck because these can burn quickly!

Clean No Bake Bars or Homemade NAKD Bars

60 grams Pecans

60 grams Unsalted Cashew Nuts

8-10 Medjool Dates stones removed

1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

Method

Place the nuts and cinnamon into a food processor and blitz until mostly broken up.

Place 8 - 10 medjool dates into the food processor and blitz until the mixture is well combined and it holds together when pressed between your finger and thumb.

Pour the mixture out into a lunch box or square container and push down firmly with the back of a spoon until it is around 1.5 cm thick.

Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight until firm enough to cut.

Once chilled, cut the mixture into bars and wrap each bar up individually with some cling film or foil and refrigerate again until needed.

These are great in kids lunch boxes, as dessert or as a snack to help curb those sugar cravings

Butternut Squash with Pancetta and Sage

2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

125g Pancetta or chopped bacon

3/4 chopped fresh sage leaves
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut in to 1” chunks

1 small onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 dash of ground nutmeg

Salt and pepper, to taste (white pepper if you have it)

225ml organic chicken stock

Method

Add bacon and olive oil to sauté pan and cook until bacon is crisped. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon. Add squash and chopped onions. Cook over medium heat until onions are clear and started to turn golden. Add sage, nutmeg and season with salt and pepper (white pepper if you have it). Add broth and bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cover with lid. Cook until squash is tender when pierced with a fork. Serve and enjoy.

Brown Rice and Quinoa Salad

175g cup brown rice

75g cup quinoa, rinsed

175g chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 roasted red peppers, chopped (jar)

8 marinated artichoke hearts, chopped (from a jar)

1 medium handful of parsley, chopped

75g pine nuts, roasted

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Method

Cook the brown rice in a medium size pot with 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 15 minutes and then add the quinoa and another cup of water. Cook for another 10 minutes or so. You may need to add another ¼ cup water. While the grains are cooking prepare the rest of your ingredients. Once the grains are cooked, remove from heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Combine all the ingredients together in a bowl and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning. Enjoy!

Courgette and Fennel Soup

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

3 courgettes, chopped and peeled

1/2 onion, chopped

½ fennel bulb, chopped

750ml chicken stock

Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

Heat olive oil in a large pan or soup pot with courgette, onion, and chopped fennel. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 10-15 min. Add stock, bring to a boil and then simmer until soft. Put everything in blender and blend. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Minestrone

1 slice (¼-inch-thick) prosciutto, about 4 ounces, cut into ¼–inch dice (do not trim off the fat)

75ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

1 large white onion, cut into ½–inch dice

1 large leek, white and pale green parts only, cut into ½-inch dice

2 celery ribs, cut into ½-inch dice

2 small carrots, cut into ½-inch dice

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon oregano

¼ teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes

1 courgette, trimmed and cut into ½-inch dice

1 can chopped tomatoes in juice

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1.5 - 2L chicken stock

Rind from a 450g chunk of parmesan cheese (OPTIONAL)

1 bay leaf

1 can kidney beans

350g packed thinly sliced kale, thick stems removed

Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

Method

Cook the prosciutto and oil together in a soup pot over medium heat just until the prosciutto is lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Then, add the onion and leeks. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, garlic and oregano, and cook until the vegetables are beginning to soften, about 3 minutes more. Add the courgette and cook until it begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their liquid and the tomato paste, bring to a boil and cook 3 minutes. Add the stock, bay leaf and the Parmesan rind. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer until the flavours are blended, about 1 hour. Stir in the beans and kale and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove the parmesan rind. Serve and Enjoy!

Tomato Soup with Flaked Cod

2 tablespoons butter

1 onion, roughly chopped

garlic (optional)

600ml (1pt) chicken or vegetable stock

450g (1lb) tomatoes

1 tablespoon tomato puree fresh or dried basil (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

180g oven baked cod

Method

Melt butter gently in saucepan. Add onion and fry gently until softened (add garlic along with, if you are using). Add the stock then add tomatoes and tomato puree. Cover and simmer on lowest heat for 1/2 to 1 hour (depends how hungry you are) until tomatoes are well and truly softened and the colour is nice and even. Be sure to stir a good few times to prevent sticking. You now need to sieve the soup to get rid of tomato skins, pushing with the back of a wooden spoon, stirring and scraping to get all the juices through, then discard the skin, pips and onion. Return to the heat for a minute or so and add basil, salt and pepper to taste and flake in the baked cod. Serves 2 to 4 depending on bowl size and appetites!

Moroccan Spiced Pumpkin Soup.

420 grams clarified butter,

600 grams pumpkin peeled, deseeded and chopped in to two cm cubes,

80 grams leek roughly chopped,

125 grams carrot chopped,

60 grams celery roughly chopped,

Two bay leaves,

800 ml chicken broth,

10 grams of mint leaves,

Salt and ground black pepper,

four teaspoons of lemon juice

For the spice mix

One teaspoon grated nutmeg,

One teaspoon ground cumin,

Two pimentos crushed in a pestle and mortar,

Half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper,

One teaspoon of paprika,

One cinnamon stick broken in half.

For the garnish

One teaspoon clarified butter,

20 grams pumpkin seeds,

Half a teaspoon of ras-el-hanout

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 or gas mark four. Melt the butter in a large thick bottom pan over a medium heat. Add the pumpkin leek, carrots and celery and cook for 10 minutes until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add the spice mix and then cook for a couple of minutes stirring continuously so the spices don't burn. Add the bay leaves and cover, cover with chicken stock. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Meanwhile, make the garnish. Melt the butter in a pan, stir in the pumpkin seeds and ras-el-hanout. Arrange them on a non-stick baking sheet and bake in the preheat oven for 12 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and cinnamon sticks and blitz the of soup in a blender with the mint until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper and lemon juice then pass refine sieve.

Chilled Asparagus Soup

Serves 4

30g butter

2 shallots

400-450g asparagus

2 garlic cloves

500ml vegetable stock

150g baby spinach

100g Greek yoghurt

Juice ½ lemon

Extra virgin olive oil

Method

Melt the butter over a medium heat in a saucepan. Add the shallots and a pinch of sea salt. Sweat and soften without letting them brown for 3-4 minutes.

Cut the tips from the asparagus spears and set them to one side. Chop the remaining spears into 4cm batons, stopping once the spear becomes woody.

Add the garlic to the shallots and cook gently for 1 minute then add the asparagus batons. And cook for 1 minute more, stirring frequently. Add the hot vegetable stock and simmer for 4 minutes until the asparagus is tender. Remove from the heat and put the spinach in a pan. Leave to wilt and the soup to cool for 15 minutes, then transfer into a blender and blend to a loose puree. Add 80g of the yoghurt and blitz again until silky smooth, then season with salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste. You will need to taste it for seasoning again before serving chilled.

Refrigerate for 1 hour. Garnish with a dollop of yoghurt and the raw asparagus tips.

Biscuits

2 bananas, peeled

125g desiccated coconut

Seeds from a vanilla pod

1 egg

A little oil

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4.

2. In a bowl, add the bananas, coconut and vanilla seeds.

3. Mush it all up and give it a squidgy mix with your hands or with a large spoon or fork.

4. Crack the egg in. Mix it well.

5. Scoop out into rounded tablespoons. Roll each into a little ball in your hands. Pop them on an oiled or greaseproof paper-lined baking sheet.

6. Press each macaroon flat with the back of a fork.

Bake for 10-12 mins or till a little golden around the edges.

Fig Truffles

12 dried figs

1 blood orange (or a normal orange), zest and juice

1 tbsp vanilla extract (or seeds from ½ vanilla pod)

1 tsp ground cinnamon

A pinch of chilli powder (more or less, to taste)

A pinch of ground cardamom seeds (optional)

A handful of toasted walnuts or almonds

Method

1. Finely chop your figs. Remove the woody tip on the stem.

2. Mix the figs with the orange zest, 2 tbsp of the juice, the vanilla and all the other spices. Let the figs soak up the juice and spice for at least 30 mins or overnight.

3. Pop the mix into a food processor or blender and whizz with the nuts till it all comes together. If you don’t have any whizzy machines, just finely chop and mush the mix with a knife on a chopping board.

4. Roll the doughy mix into a log shape. Cut into 12. Roll each into a little truffle-like ball. Dust with extra spice, if you like.

DO NOT EAT ALL AT ONCE, one or two should be more than enough #1 for a sweet snack. Gluten free too.

Simple Roasted Butternut Squash

1 Small butternut squash, seeded and cubed

2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt

Fresh Ground Pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C. Toss squash with the olive oil and spread on a baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Roast until lightly browned (about 25-30 minutes.)

Mango Salsa

2 mangos (peeled & cubed)

1 red onion (peeled & diced)

1 Red Chilli or Jalapeño (to taste)

1 red pepper (seeds removed, diced)

1 avocado (peeled & diced)

1 tomato, diced

Juice of 1 lime

Bunch of coriander, chopped

½ tsp. sea salt

Method

Mix ingredients in a bowl & refrigerate for 2 hours. Serve and enjoy!

Roasted Broccoli & Garlic

1 entire broccoli (about 700g) Cut into florets. (if you want to use the stems, cut into bite-sized pieces) (this is great with cauliflower, too!)

2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 garlic clove, crushed and chopped

Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper to taste

Method

Preheat oven to 225 degrees C. In a large bowl, drizzle the olive oil over the broccoli. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper and toss well with your hands. Spread the mixture on a large baking sheet, trying not to let any broccoli overlap. Cook for about 20 min. or until the edges of broccoli are crispy!

Chilled Avocado Soup

3 ripe avocados

750ml chicken broth

3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

100g fresh coriander leaves

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 jalapeno, diced into small pieces (optional)

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tsp. Himalayan Pink Salt

Fresh Ground pepper, to taste

Method

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Season with additional salt and pepper if necessary. Refrigerate for about 2 hours.

Butternut Squash & Bacon Soup

1 large butternut squash, peeled and cut into large chunks

3 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks

1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

225g raw bacon, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 small apple, chopped

500ml chicken broth

1 cup full fat coconut milk

1 teaspoon salt

1-2 Tbsp. cinnamon

1 Tbsp. nutmeg

Method

Preheat your oven to 175 Degrees C. Toss squash and carrots with the coconut oil. Place in a baking dish and roast uncovered for 35 minutes or until tender. In a large stock pot over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon and set aside for the garnish. Add the onion and apple to the pot and sauté in bacon fat over medium heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the roasted butternut squash, carrots, chicken broth, and coconut milk to stock pot and bring to a boil, stirring often. Remove from heat. Use an immersion blender to blend your soup or working in several small batches, blend soup in food processor or blender until smooth. Return to stock pot, bring to a simmer and season with salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Serve soup in large bowls garnished with bacon! Enjoy.

Pea and Ham Soup

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 clove garlic, chopped

½ onion, chopped

200g frozen peas

300ml hot chicken stock (vegetarians may substitute vegetable stock)

80g cooked good quality ham

Method

Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and fry for 3-4 minutes, until softened. Add the frozen peas and chicken stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for ten minutes. Use a hand blender or food processor to liquidise the soup, add the ham and season to taste and serve a warm garnished with a mint leaf.

Avocado Dressing

2 ripe avocados

Juice of 1.5 lime

50ml balsamic vinegar

50ml water

4 sprigs of fresh coriander

1-2 pinches of Sea Salt

1 tsp. garlic powder

Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Method

Blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth.

Greek Dressing

70ml olive oil

2 gloves pressed garlic

¾ tsp. oregano

¾ tsp. basil

½ tsp. black ground pepper

½ tsp. Sea Salt

½ tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

75ml red wine vinegar

Method

Combine all ingredients into a jar or storage container, and shake well. Let the dressing sit for a minimum of 10 minutes before serving to let flavours blend together.

Smokey Aubergine Soup with Peach and Green Olives

Two aubergines,

10 grams of coconut oil,

One onion,

Two garlic cloves,

One leak whites only chopped,

One celery stick chopped

Half a teaspoon of ground cumin,

600 ml chicken broth,

One tablespoon of tahini,

Pinch of celery salt,

10 grams of flat leaf parsley,

Juice of half a lemon,

Ground black pepper

For the garnish

One ripe peach - stoned and cut into one cm chunks,

Eight green olives pitted and sliced.

Method

Heat a large frying pan over a high heat. Place the whole aubergines in the dry pan and let them blister all over turning them occasionally. The skin will burn and the flesh will cook while developing delicious smoky flavour. This will take 20 to 30 minutes. The aubergines are cooked if the flesh is soft when you press it and the skin is blackened and charred. Allow to cool before using a spoon to remove the cooked flesh. Discard the skin. In a thick bottom pan heat the coconut oil and sweat the onion, garlic, leeks, celery and cumin for about 10 minutes until soft, but not coloured. Stir frequently until the vegetables are sweating. Add the aubergine and a cover with chicken broth. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes removed from the heat and add the tahini, celery salt, parsley, lemon juice and some black pepper. Blend until smooth with a stick blender or jug blender. Pass the soup through a sieve into bowls and garnish with peach chunk slices and green olives.