This vegan and refined sugar-free Tahini & Date Sauce makes a great alternative to any store-bought processed dessert sauces. The recipe is very easy, you can prepare quickly in minutes. We love to drizzle it over pancakes – try our: Green Pancakes or Sourdough Pancakes, cakes – try our: Flourless Chocolate Cake, but it would also work wonderfully with ice-creams or drizzle over a fruit salad.
Perfect for pancakes, cakes, ice creams or even porridge. This Tahnini & Date Sauce will bring a natural sweetness and a subtle sesame flavour to your favourite desserts.
Ingredients
80ml / 1/3 cup / 5 tbsp tahini
4 dates, pitted and chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
125ml / 1/2 cup filtered water
Instructions
1
Put all ingredients into a blender and mix until smooth. You may need to adjust slightly the amount of tahini or water, depending how thick is the tahini. Keep in the fridge for up to a week.
Chocolate Buckwheat Pancakes are one of our favourite weekend breakfast/brunch options. This recipe is vegan-friendly, gluten and refined sugar-free. These pancakes are very light and have an earthy and nutty flavour thanks to buckwheat flour, raw cacao and maca powder. Natural sweetness comes from dates, which also help to bind the batter, so there is no need for eggs. As you can see on pictures, they have a great – ‘the crust of the moon-like’ texture.
These pancakes are delicious, especially when topped with fresh fruits, nuts and/or seeds and a drizzle of maple syrup or your favourite sauce. We served them with banana, almond flakes, hemp seeds, raw cacao nibs and our Tahini & Date Sauce – click to see the recipe.
These vegan and gluten-free pancakes make a perfect indulgent breakfast or dessert. They have an earthly flavour with a natural sweetness from dates and hint of chocolate. Just top them with your favourite fruits, seeds or nuts and raw cacao nibs.
Ingredients
200g buckwheat flour
400ml plant based milk
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp raw cacao powder
4 dates, pitted & chopped
1 tsp maca powder (optional)
1 tsp vanilla (optional)
pinch of salt
TO SERVE:
1-2 bananas
almond flakes
hemp seeds
cocoa nibs
Tahini & Date Sauce (Link to the recipe in the post above)
Instructions
1
1. Mix all the ingredients in a food processor or in a bowl and combine using a hand blender.
2
2. Heat a skillet to medium-high heat.
3
3. Pour about a ladle of batter onto the skillet and move around to spread the batter evenly on the surface of the skillet. Cook until bubbles appear and the pancake is set. Flip on the side and cook until ready.
4
4. Serve topped with your favourite toppings.
Notes
These pancakes are best eaten fresh. However you can make a bigger portion and store unused batter in the fridge for up to three days. This is a very quick way to have a delicious and fresh pancakes served in minutes in the morning. If you store the batter, just stir it well once you take it from the fridge.
With change of the seasons, I’ve started getting in my veg box big quantities of fresh cranberries and apples. With an abundance of fruits in the kitchen I usually end up making jams. We don’t eat store-bought jams, which are usually too sweet, so making homemade jams or compotes it’s something we do regularly. During winter months frozen fruits, especially berries work very well. I found that most o the fruits are usually sweet enough naturally, when you let them cook down slowly and release the juices, so usually there is no need to add any sweeteners.
Occasionally we just add natural sweeteners, in this recipe we added some maple syrup, as cranberries were a bit bitter in taste. It’s a good idea to wait towards the end of cooking to let the natural flavours to come through first, before adjusting the sweetness level. I’ve also added some ‘warming’ spices to enhance the flavour of the jam, as well as a fresh thyme, which adds a unique aroma and combines very well with fruits.
As festive season is approaching, this jam can make a perfect gift. On a savoury note, try our Cranberry Sauce with Orange and Port perfect for cheese boards or sandwiches.
Place cranberries and apples in a large pot on a medium heat. Stir well, cover and bring to boil.
2
Once it starts boiling and fruits release the juices, lower the heat. Add anise star, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, vanilla and thyme leaves. Mix well and let it simmer covered 1-4 hours. (1 hours is minimum recommended time, longer you boil more mushy the mixture will be). Keep stirring every 25 minutes or so.
3
If you are satisfied with the texture of the jam, but there is still too many juices, take off the lid and cook uncovered until the water evaporates.
4
Once ready, take from the heat, stir in maple syrup (adjust the amount to your own taste) and chia seeds. Mix everything well.
5
Transfer into the sterilised jars, close the lids and let it cool and set in the room temperature.
6
Store in the fridge.
Notes
Most of the fruits would work well. Try to use plums and pears, they are naturally sweet you may not need to add any sweetener. Also, you can use less or omit spices and thyme for a more fruity flavour.
Smoothies are a great way to start a day, also work well with a sandwich for lunch or can make a substantial and healthy snack. This smoothie recipe was created to prevent and/or fight cold and flu, which are very common at this time of the year, when it starts getting colder and winter is approaching. The smoothie is packed with nutrients, vitamins, antioxidants and healthy fats to support our immune system and fight the infection.
Health Benefits
Spinach – great for overall health, packed with nutrients and antioxidants that boost our immune system. Rich in vitamin A – to maintain a strong immune system, vitamin C – help to reduce symptoms and prevent the cold, magnesium and iron help make antibodies to fight infection and zinc – boost immunity and reduces the duration of colds and flu.
Blueberries – rich in powerful antioxidants vitamin C and E. Vitamin C reduces symptoms of colds/flu and is an immune system booster. Vitamin E helps to fight infection.
Carrots – are rich in antioxidant beta-carotene, which is converted in our body in vitamin A, which maintains an immune system strong.
This smoothie recipe was created to prevent and/or fight cold and flu, which are very common at this time of the year. The smoothie is packed with nutrients, vitamins, antioxidants and healthy fats to support our immune system and fight the infection.
Ingredients
1 cup water or plant-based milk
2 cups fresh spinach
3/4 cup blueberries
1/2 banana
1/2 cup carrot
1/3 cup zucchini
1/4 cup sunflower sprouts (optional)
1 lemon
1/2 tbsp fresh ginger
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp hemp seeds
1 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 tbsp raw honey (optional)
1 tsp raw cacao nibs (to serve - optional)
Instructions
1
Place all ingredient in the blender and process until smooth. Depending from your preferences add some honey to sweeten the smoothie and serve sprinkled with some cacao nibs. Enjoy!
This is another great salad, very quick and easy to prepare. It makes a light and refreshing lunch, but also would be perfect for (end of) summer parties and picnics. Fresh sweet blueberries pair here beautifully with salty and tangy taste of creamy feta. We topped it with roasted pumpkin seeds and added cucumber, red pepper and apple, which give a wonderful combination of crunchy textures.
1 handful seed sprouts (Optional - we used radish sprouts)
1 big handful of blueberries (approx. 60g)
25g feta cheese
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds, roasted
1/2 lemon
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
black pepper, freshly ground
Instructions
1
In your lunch box layer arugula, cucumber, red pepper and apple.
2
Squeeze some lemon juice on slices of apple.
3
Add sprouts, feta, blueberries and topped with pumpkin seeds. ( To save time roast the pumpkin seeds a night or few days before and keep them in the fridge in a jar).
4
Drizzle salad with olive oil and add some freshly ground pepper to taste.
Notes
VEGAN OPTION - replace feta with chickpeas (75g) or 1/2 avocado.
VARIATIONS - swap feta for goat’s cheese / swap pumpkin seeds for walnuts.
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