Sunflower & Poppyseed Rustic Flax-Focaccia

This recipe has fast become my new favorite. In fact, I’ve already made two batches in two days! I can’t wait to share this recipe with you…

Focaccia bread is a flat, oven-baked Italian bread which may be topped with herbs, nuts, seeds or topping of choice. Focaccia doughs are similar in texture to pizza dough, and usually consist of high-gluten flour, oil, yeast, water and salt. This recipe however, is free from flour, gluten, grains, dairy, sugar, and nuts! You are in for a treat.

Divine Dark-Chocolate Morsels…Happy Easter!

Happy Easter from here in New Zealand, to you ~ wherever you are!

Given this day of celebration, I thought it was only appropriate to gift you with this sweet little recipe ~ which I came up with in my kitchen today, with you in mind! I hope you enjoy these delectable little treats as much as Cam and I did… these are t.d.f. (to die for).

As most of my recipes are, these are sugar-free, dairy-free, paleo, low carb, raw, and incredibly mouth-watering good! Try these for yourself, and if you love them, please come back and rate my recipe and feel free to share with your family and friends too! Happy Easter to you and yours, and wishing you a very blessed day…

…Now for my recipe!

Mandarin Coconut-Butter Cups

I know it’s been awhile since my last post – this week has just flown by, and I’m not sure where it’s gone but the weekend starts tomorrow! Yay.

I shared a few photos of different versions of this recipe this last week on instagram, and after experimenting with different ingredients and flavors, this one was the chosen winner! By myself and Cameron, that is…

These Mandarin Coconut-Butter cups are delicious little treats to have tucked away in your fridge/freezer for when you are getting a sweet craving, and you can enjoy one (or two) of these without feeling guilty after too. Win, win! They are also dairy-free, sugar-free, low-carb, and paleo approved. Sweet.

Dairy free Vanilla Yogurt & Blueberry Parfait

One of the hardest things for me to give up on my new and revised healthy eating plan, was dairy. I love dairy so much. I love cheese — every kind of cheese, but especially goat and sheep feta, parmesan and mozzarella! My usual breakfast before giving up dairy was Greek yogurt topped with honey and fresh fruit, and sometimes with a sprinkle of granola on top (not the grain-free kind) — that was my fave. I didn’t give up dairy because I think it’s bad for you, I literally thought that I’d give it a ‘trial run’ to see if I felt any better after eliminating it from my diet, and to my surprise (and maybe a little dismay) I felt way better. So much better in fact, that I haven’t actually felt like I’m missing out on it! Cam still eats cheese on a daily basis, so it’s not like I don’t have a huge stash of it in my fridge, but just knowing how much better I feel when I don’t eat it, takes away the craving for me!

I have thought lately though, that it would be fun to try and make a dairy-free “yogurt” — not only for me, but for all of you other dairy-free eaters out there…so this morning, I gave it a try. Guess what? It worked! Here it is, my dairy-free AND grain-free “Vanilla Yogurt & Blueberry Parfait”!

Seared Salmon Poached in Coconut Milk

I was just talking my my sister Miriam yesterday, and we got onto the topic of FOOD. She reminded me of a Salmon recipe I haven’t made in awhile…and it just so happened that I had a nice big fillet of fresh bluff salmon in my freezer waiting to be cooked to perfection. Dinner sorted.

I absolutely love salmon, but I have this thing when it comes to eating it. I either like it raw – as in sashimi raw, or well done. Nothing in between– not seared with pink in the middle, or medium rare — eeww. I don’t know why, it just makes me queazy to even think about!

This recipe is so yummy, and the perfect light dinner for two. I used a blend of fried cumin seeds, garlic and chilies to spice it up a bit, and the flavors worked so well together. I chose cauliflower as the vegetable, which was served in a bowl topped with the baked salmon fillets and then drizzled with the spiced coconut milk, which turned out almost like a light curry. So delicious! 

Spectacular Dark Chocolate Cake with Peanut-Butter Frosting

I should start by letting you know that this cake is also gluten free, grain free, dairy free and sugar free too!! But you’d never be able to tell.

This weekend was a pretty special one.

It was my honey Cameron’s birthday, and we were able to sneak away for a peaceful weekend in the beautiful Coromandel. Prior to this little trip, I spent hours (literally), trying to figure out the perfect birthday cake I could make for him — one that was healthy with none of the bad stuff, yet so yummy that you wouldn’t even know that it was! We’ve been sticking to the paleo thing for the most part (minus a few legumes, veggies, and nuts here and there), so while the cake is completely paleo – the frosting isn’t (darn those delicious peanuts!). 

Sweet & Smokey Chicken Basil Sausages

Have you ever tried making your own sausages? It’s actually pretty simple, and considering how much crap (literally) is in most store bought sausages, not to mention that most brands contain upwards of 50% fat, it’s nice to have a healthy alternative!  I’ve been dreaming about Jules Clancy’s “Magic Sausage Supper” ever since I saw it over on The Stone Soup’s food blog — if you have never visited this blog before, I highly recommend it – so many goodies! When I first saw this recipe, Cam and I were in the middle of a detox…and no, meat was not on the “allowed foods” list, which is probably why I was drooling over recipes like this! I finally got around to trying her recipe the other day (OMG – so good!). The only real thing I did different, was I decided to make my own sausages instead of using store bought ones, and since they turned out so yummy, I thought I should probably share my recipe with you! These are grain-free, gluten-free, dairy free, egg free, paleo approved and oh, so tasty!

Grilled Portobello & Cajun Chicken “Burger”

This “burger” is the ultimate burger because it’s made with 100% pure and natural ingredients. It’s paleo too – so grain free, gluten free, dairy free – basically, none of the bad stuff. No wonder why I don’t miss grains when I’m chowing down on wholesome (and outta-this-world-mouth-wateringly-delicious) food like this!

This recipe is pretty simple, and you can adjust the ingredients to your liking…but this combination of flavors is pretty freakin’ awesome! For a vegetarian option, try adding some grilled haloumi instead of chicken, or if you’re vegan cram with extra grilled veg or your favorite veggie burger! This is super nutritious, high in protein, low in carbs, and nothing but the healthy good fats in this one. I’m gonna make this for lunch way more often!

Warm Salad of Spiced Chickpeas and Roasted Cauliflower

I made this spicy warm salad for lunch today since I was in a hurry and had less than 15 minutes to whip something together, so this recipe is super quick and simple, but equally as tasty and nutritious.

Pumpkin Protein Pancakes

This recipe, like many of the recipes I share with you, was a total experiment. I haven’t done the grain-free thing for very long, actually it’s a new thing I decided to start at the beginning of the year, and so far I’ve stuck to it like a champ. It turned out being pretty easy for me to make the switch (I was gluten-free before) and I haven’t really missed them at all…but the other morning I woke up with pancakes on my mind. Nice, moist, fluffy pancakes. I decided to take on the challenge, so with the few simple ingredients I had on hand, the amazing “Pumpkin Protein Pancakes” were born… these are incredibly moist, fluffy, and soooo delicious!!! You’d never tell that these are gluten and grain free, paleo approved, dairy free, and sugar free too!!

Cam and I devoured our pumpkin pancake stacks and both decided this combo is our new favorite breakfast (which is why we had it again this morning). The homemade almond cookie butter drizzled on top may seem like an odd combo with the poached egg and pumpkin pancakes – but be brave and try it for yourself…the combined flavors are simply amazing.