sweets

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Choc Nut Energy Bliss Bites; Meal Plan Your Way to Weight Loss – Rebecca Burnicle and Wendy Van Staden

Meal-Plan Your Way to Weight Loss by Rebecca Burnicle and Wendy Van Staden, published by Macmillan Australia, RRP $39.99, photography by Jeremy Simons

Ingredients, Serves 32 / Prep 15 minutes + soaking

½ cup (80 g) almonds
½ cup (50 g) walnuts
½ cup (75 g) unsalted cashews
¼ cup (25 g) cocoa powder
1 cup (230 g) medjool dates, pitted and chopped

1–2 Personal Points range per serve
I love the idea of bliss balls, but it’s the thought of rolling the mixture that I just can’t be bothered with. Instead, I make up the mixture and pop it into a tray to set, then simply cut it into bite-sized pieces. All the deliciousness of a bliss ball, without the fuss of rolling – winning! p172




1 Place nuts in a bowl and cover with cold water. Soak overnight. Drain.

2 Lightly spray a 16 cm x 26 cm slice tin with oil and line base
and sides with baking paper.

3 Transfer drained nuts to a food processor. Add cocoa and dates and process until well combined (add a little water if necessary to help the mixture come together). Spread mixture evenly into prepared tin. Cover and place in freezer for at least 2 hours, until firm.

4 Lift slice from tin using baking paper. Stand for about 10 minutes to soften slightly, then cut into 32 pieces. Transfer pieces to a reusable container and store in freezer. Thaw pieces for a few minutes to soften slightly before eating. ·

TO FREEZE: Store bliss bites in a reusable container for up to 4 months. Thaw at room temperature for 5 minutes before serving.


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Meatless Monday: Deliciously Ella With Friends – Ella Mills (Woodward)

deliciously-ella-with-friends

Deliciously Ella with Friends

Ella Mills (Woodward)

Hachette Australia

Yellow Kite

ISBN: 9781473655263

 

Description:

Healthy recipes to love, share and enjoy together.

The much-anticipated follow-up cookbook from Deliciously Ella, the inspirational bestselling healthy food writer who has taken the cookery world by storm.

In the follow-up to her amazing bestseller DELICIOUSLY ELLA EVERY DAY, Ella makes it easy for you to prepare delicious healthy food for you, your friends and family, whatever the occasion. No more wondering whether certain dishes go together, Ella makes life simple with her menus – whether you are planning a laid-back brunch, a last-minute lunch or a fancy supper, Ella has it covered with wonderful hearty and filling recipes that celebrate her healthy eating philosophy.

With ideas and inspiration for every foodie occasion, including cosy nights in, easy kitchen suppers, flavoursome feasts, birthday parties, picnics and mocktails and cocktails, this is the go-to book for anyone who lives a healthy lifestyle and loves sharing food with friends and family.

 

My View:

Ella Mills (Woodward) is my go to author for great plant based recipes. I eat a balanced diet, a little bit of everything with a healthy a spin (90% of the time).  🙂  We are omnivores, with vegetarian offspring – so delicious, easy to make, plant based recipes are regularly included in our menu planning.

Ella’s style of cooking busts the myth that vegetarian food is boring and salad based.  Ella’s number one tip for encouraging friends and family to eat healthier is: “FOCUS ON FAMILIAR FOOD. If you’re having a real sceptic for dinner or trying to get an unconvinced family member to try a healthier meal, then always cook something that looks and feels familiar to them. Choose a classic dish with a healthy spin on it. Something like the Indian feast in this book with bowls of coconut rice, chana masala and aloo gobi. This is a perfect meal and your guests are never going to look at this and think ‘What is that, it looks terrifyingly healthy!’ and decide they don’t like it before they try it, plus it is really satisfying and hearty, which means everyone will go home full. So remember to go easy on everyone, don’t leap straight to raw food, or anything too unfamiliar and scary looking.” P. 11  A great tip Ella, and the Indian feast – perfect – this si a meal that can be enjoyed by all my family and friends alike.

 

A great book full of tasty easy to make recipes that will hold a treasured place in my cook book library.

 

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Pistachio & Chocolate Filo Parcels With Sweet Tahini Dip – Secrets From My Indian Family Kitchen – Anjali Pathak

Secrets From My Indian Family Kitchen

Secrets From my Indian Family Kitchen by Anjali Pathak is published by Hachette Australia.

Hardback RRP $39.99, Ebook $19.99

Pistachio & chocolate filo parcels with sweet tahini dip
I grew up having my grandmother’s samosas. They were never sweet, always savoury, and like any proud grandmother she would make her own pastry. You can think of this recipe as a sweet samosa stuffed with chocolate and layered with  pistachios. There is nothing wrong with using shop-bought pastry; this recipe calls for filo, and the paper-thin sheets turn  beautifully crispy in the oven. Making the parcels is a little tricky at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’s a breeze.
makes 12 parcels
Prep time 15 minutes
Cook time 12–15 minutes
24 sheets filo pastry, cut into rectangles 8 x 18cm (31/4 x 7in)
50g (13/4oz) unsalted butter, melted
50g (13/4oz) shelled pistachio nuts, fi nely chopped
1 tbsp icing sugar
60g (21/4oz) chocolate (I prefer dark), chopped into small pieces
Sweet tahini dip
2 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp golden syrup
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 and line a baking sheet with nonstick baking paper.
Lay out a sheet of filo and brush it lightly with melted butter. Sprinkle over some pistachios and a good pinch of icing sugar.
Lay another sheet of fi lo on top. Have the long side of the rectangle facing you. Place a few pieces of chocolate a few centimetres (one inch) in from the left-hand side, in the middle. Fold the bottom left-hand corner of the pastry up to the top of the pastry sheet to form a triangle, then fold the triangle to the right by flipping  the left corner over to the right. There will be a big flap of pastry on the right. Brush it with more butter and sprinkle it with nuts and icing sugar. Fold the top left point of the triangle down to the bottom and fold the flap over, encasing the chocolate. Brush the parcel all over with melted butter and lay on the lined baking sheet. Make the rest of the parcels in the same way.Pop in the oven to cook through for 12–15 minutes, or until golden brown. You may need to flip the parcels over halfway through.In the meantime, mix the sweet tahini dip ingredients together in a small bowl. Once the parcels are ready, let cool for 5 minutes before piling high on a platter with the sweet tahini dip on the side.
My Secret
Tahini is sesame seed paste and can be found in most supermarkets. If it’s not available, or for a change, you can use peanut butter instead. Just add less golden syrup and enough milk to make it thick and creamy.
Pistachio and chocalate filo parcels with sweet tahini dip- secrets from my indian family kitchen - Anjali Pathak