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Creamy Chive Dip

Wheat-free; Gluten-free; Dairy-free; refined Sugar-free; Vegetarian; Vegan; Paleo/Banting

Print Recipe
 Creamy Chive Dip
You will need: chopping board & knife; blender with grinder blades (at least 2 blades lie flat), or use a coffee grinder - to grind nuts & seeds; ceramic/glass bowl for mixing; ceramic/glass container or jar w/ lid for storing;
Course Healthy Snacking - Dips
Cuisine Clean Eating
Prep Time 10-15 minutes
Cook Time 0
Passive Time 0
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Optional
Course Healthy Snacking - Dips
Cuisine Clean Eating
Prep Time 10-15 minutes
Cook Time 0
Passive Time 0
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Optional
Instructions
  1. Grind the Cashew Nuts into a flour-like consistency, using a blender (with grinder attachment - see description above).
  2. Blend ground Cashews and Coconut Cream/Milk until smooth.
  3. Add half the chopped Chives, Lemon juice, finely chopped Garlic & Salt and blend together.
  4. Add the dip to a bowl and add the last of the Chives. Mix using a spoon.
  5. Optional - Add Coconut Yogurt to make for an even creamier, fluffier dip.
Recipe Notes

*Store in a glass jar in the fridge. Eat within 1-2 days.

*If you can’t get Coconut Cream/Milk or Coconut Yogurt, you can substitute Plain Clean/Organic Greek Yogurt (preferably keep most of your ingredients as plant-based as possible)

Chive Tzatziki Dip

 

Wheat-free; Gluten-free; Dairy-free; refined Sugar-free; Vegetarian; Vegan; Paleo/Banting

Print Recipe
 Chive Tzatziki Dip
You will need: chopping board & knife; blender with grinder blades (at least 2 blades lie flat), or use a coffee grinder - to grind nuts & seeds; ceramic/glass bowl for mixing; ceramic/glass container or jar w/ lid for storing;
Course Healthy Snacking - Dips
Cuisine Clean Eating
Prep Time 10-15 minutes
Cook Time 0
Passive Time 0
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Optional
Course Healthy Snacking - Dips
Cuisine Clean Eating
Prep Time 10-15 minutes
Cook Time 0
Passive Time 0
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Optional
Instructions
  1. Grind the Cashew Nuts into a flour-like consistency, using a blender (with grinder attachment - see description above)
  2. Blend ground Cashews and Coconut Cream/Milk until smooth.
  3. Add half the chopped Chives, Lemon juice, finely chopped Garlic & Salt and blend together.
  4. Add the dip to a bowl and add the last of the Chives. Mix using a spoon.
  5. Chop and mix in the Cucumber.
  6. Optional - Add Coconut Yogurt to make for an even creamier, fluffier dip.
Recipe Notes

*Store in a glass jar in the fridge. Eat within 1-2 days.

*If you can’t get Coconut Cream/Milk or Coconut Yogurt, you can substitute Plain Clean/Organic Greek Yogurt (preferably keep most of your ingredients as plant-based as possible).

Sunflower & Sesame Warm Quinoa Salad


Print Recipe
 Sunflower & Sesame Warm Quinoa Salad
You will need: Baking tray; large pan; pot; cooking utensils
Course Meals - Hearty Veggie Meals
Cuisine Clean Eating
Prep Time 10-15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Passive Time 0
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Optional
Course Meals - Hearty Veggie Meals
Cuisine Clean Eating
Prep Time 10-15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Passive Time 0
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Optional
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F
  2. Chop Potatoes into 1 inch cubes. Add 1 tbsp of Oil to baking tray and bake until soft (approx. 15-20 min)
  3. Chop Butternut Squash into 1 inch cubes, add to the tray and cook for a further 10-15min until squats is soft and potatoes are a little crispy.
  4. While veg are baking, add Quinoa and water to a pot and bring to a boil. Stir frequently until all water is absorbed and Quinoa has expanded and has a translucent middle. Add stock and cook on medium heat, stirring frequently until all moisture is absorbed.
  5. Chop Onion and add to a pan with 1 tbsp of Oil on high heat. Stir frequently and cook until onions are browned. Remove from heat.
  6. Chop and add the Zucchini and Capsicums/Bell Peppers to the pan and cook on medium heat for 2-3 minutes (keep veggies crunchy).
  7. Add the Quinoa and Garlic to the pan and cook on medium heat for 1-2 minutes.
  8. Serve Quinoa dish with roasted veggies on the side or mixed through.
  9. Top with a squeeze of fresh Lemon / Lime, chopped Parsley and toasted Nuts & Seeds.
  10. Optional - add shavings of Broccoli flowers and a little crumbed Goat Cheese Feta.
Recipe Notes

Clean Eating Tips to remember:

*Stainless Steel and Ceramic or Glass Cookware are the safest materials to cook in with the least amount of leaching into food when heat is applied. A high quality set of cookware is essential and will last a lifetime - and a longer lifetime at that because of it.

*Stainless Steel, Food-grade Silicon or Wooden Cooking Utensils are the safest materials to cook with with the least amount of leaching into food when heat is applied.

*My ½ Toasted / ½ Raw Philosophy for Nuts & Seeds:
Toasted - for flavour
Raw - for nutritional value

*Olive Oil - it’s best not to cook with Olive Oil, always consume raw. Best to drizzle Olive Oil over food just before serving. It’s better to avoid cooking with Olive Oil as it is a delicate oil and is damaged and becomes harmful to ingest when heated.

*Better oils for cooking with have a higher smoke point/less free radical forming when heated— Coconut Oil, Macadamia Oil and Grapeseed Oil

Creamy Hummus Dip

 

You’ll love the creaminess of this Hummus, and there is a trick you’ll learn in this recipe that ensures it comes out with a beautiful smooth consistency. A good Hummus is hard to beat, and can be added to salads, sandwiches and wraps or be enjoyed straight out of the jar. I regularly make and keep a jar of Hummus on hand in our fridge for every kind of occasion.

This recipe is: Gluten-free (GF), Wheat-free (WF), Dairy-free (DF), refined Sugar-free (SF), Plant-based/Vegan (PB), Vegetarian (V)

Print Recipe
 Creamy Hummus Dip
You will need: food processor or blender
Course Healthy Snacking - Dips, Meals - Middle Eastern Flavours, Sauces - Guilt-free Sauces & Condiments
Cuisine Clean Eating
Prep Time 10-15 minutes
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Course Healthy Snacking - Dips, Meals - Middle Eastern Flavours, Sauces - Guilt-free Sauces & Condiments
Cuisine Clean Eating
Prep Time 10-15 minutes
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Blend Tahini and Lemon Juice together until smooth, fluffy and creamy - continually scrape sides using a spatula to combine well.
  2. Add Garlic, Cumin, Salt, Olive Oil. Blend well.
  3. Slowly add Chickpeas to the mix, blending in between.
  4. Only add Water if need be to reach desired consistency.
Recipe Notes

Serving suggestion:

* Garnish with a few Kalamata Olives, a drizzle of Olive Oil and a sprinkle of Paprika.

* Serve with fresh slices of Carrot, Cucumber, Capsicum/Bell Peppers or any other veg you like, or Flaxseed Crackers or any preferred choice of gluten-free crackers.

Other Notes:

*If you can, choose organic Chickpeas canned in BPA-free cans. I use an organic brand called Eden (available in Australia & USA). Haven't yet found a brand in South Africa - please share in our Fresh Life Community Facebook page if you do find one.

*I like the above mentioned brand because they prepare their beans with Kombu seaweed, which helps break down the oligosaccharides in beans which can hinder or upset the digestion process (acting as an enzyme inhibitor).

This is good if you don't usually do very well with beans and legumes. Bean’s and Legume’s enzyme inhibitors can cause slightly upset tummies which is why they are joked about as ‘causing gas’. 

You can buy your own Kombu seaweed from an Asian supermarket and activate/remove enzyme inhibitors by boiling store bought Chickpeas for 15-20 minutes with hot water and Kombu Seaweed,

*Or you can make your own Chickpeas from scratch:
It's not as hard as it seems, I've recently been doing this and it just takes a little planning/time management.

Day 1 PM - Soak Chickpeas in water (add few extra inches water above Chickpeas - keep covered), with 1 tsp of Sea Salt per litre/gallon.

Day 2 AM - Change water (using same formula as above).

Day 2 PM - Boil Chickpeas until soft. This usually takes a couple hours, so plan to do this while you’re watching a documentary in the evening. Drain and let cool. Store in fridge before bed.

Day 3 anytime - follow recipe above to make your from-scratch Hummus!

Falafel Balls & Patties

This is one of those awesome make-in-bulk-and-freeze kinda recipes. This is something I make big batches of, portion and then store sealed in smaller containers in the freezer for those all too familiar week day evenings when you are stretched for time or don’t feel like preparing something from scratch. There are so many ways to enjoy this Falafel mix. Make into balls or smaller ‘bites’ and serve with a dip or sauce for lunch boxes, social get togethers, or as a healthy filling little snack in between meals. You can create burger size patties and serve with salad or on toasted Clean Multiseed Bread. Perhaps you prefer to serve them between lettuce leaves instead of a burger bun. Or in between sliced and toasted Coconut Buckwheat Flatbreads, or your choice of locally sourced gluten-free buns).

This recipe is: Gluten-free (GF), Wheat-free (WF), Dairy-free (DF), refined Sugar-free (SF), Plant-based/Vegan (PB), Vegetarian (V)

Print Recipe
 Falafel Balls & Patties
You will need: food processor or blender If you have the time: You can pre-make this mixture a day or few hours before using, for flavours and dough to 'develop' - this is not necessary though of course.
Course Meals - Middle Eastern Flavours
Cuisine Clean Eating
Servings
balls (or half that number for patties)
Ingredients
Course Meals - Middle Eastern Flavours
Cuisine Clean Eating
Servings
balls (or half that number for patties)
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F or 180°C. You can skip this and cook on stove top in a pan.
  2. Combine everything except Chickpea Flour and Baking Powder in a food processor.
  3. Pulse to create a rough, but well combined mixture - don't pulse/blend for too long or else you will make a puree/paste.
  4. Pulse in the Baking Powder and half the Chickpea Flour. Only add enough flour to make dough slightly firm to press into shapes.
  5. Line a baking tray (or cooking pan) with non-toxic parchment paper or silicon baking mats.
  6. Shape the mixture into your choice of either bites, balls or patties and space them out onto the baking tray (or cooking pan).
  7. Bake for 10-15 minutes on one side, turn over and bake for a further 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown. If cooking with a pan, cook on low heat for the same amount of time.
  8. Optional - You can brown the patties up in a little heated Coconut Oil in the pan to finish them off.
Recipe Notes
  • Avoid baking/cooking on aluminium and non-stick surfaces - they will bake/leach toxic substances into your food. Use bleach-free, non-toxic baking paper and food-grade silicon mats when baking, and cooking on stove top or use a little Coconut Oil in a stainless steel pan to cook with.
  • As mentioned, this recipe can be made in bulk, portioned into smaller containers, sealed and stored in the fridge or freezer.
  • Serving suggestions:
    * Make Falafel burgers, by putting them between two sides of a toasted Coconut Buckwheat Flatbread, served with Hummus and salad ingredients.
    * Serve as a side with an interesting salad, or baked potato (or both!)
    * Made into balls they are great for lunch boxes or served with a dip as a pre-dinner snack.

Plant-based Pesto Sauce

I just love finding ways to enjoy favourite foods, choosing to use only the ‘cleanest’ combinations of ingredients possible. This Plant-based Pesto Sauce still packs a tasty punch. All one really needs to do is leave out the traditionally added parmesan cheese and your Pesto will still taste like, well… Pesto! I make this recipe so often and use Pesto in many delicious ways in my own kitchen.

This recipe is: Gluten-free (GF), Wheat-free (WF), Dairy-free (DF), refined Sugar-free (SF), Plant-based/Vegan (PB), Vegetarian (V)

Print Recipe
 Plant-based Pesto Sauce
You will need: food processor or blender
Course Meals - Italian Flavours, Sauces - Guilt-free Sauces & Condiments
Cuisine Clean Eating, Italian
Prep Time 10-15 minutes
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Course Meals - Italian Flavours, Sauces - Guilt-free Sauces & Condiments
Cuisine Clean Eating, Italian
Prep Time 10-15 minutes
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Crush or chop the garlic finely.
  2. Put all the ingredients together in a blender, and pulse well enough, while still leaving a little 'coarseness' to the Basil leaves (otherwise sauce becomes a Pesto puree/paste which is not as nice).
Recipe Notes

*You can use a large mouthed jar and an immersion blender, and pulse this sauce quickly right in the jar.

*Storing tip: use a glass jar with lid just big enough to hold sauce (too much air makes sauce go off faster). Use a little Olive Oil to coat the entire inside of jar before adding the Pesto Sauce, then cover the top with a thin layer of Olive Oil before sealing with a lid.

Always top again with Olive Oil when you've used some out of the jar each time. The oil will naturally 'preserve' the Pesto by preventing the sauce from being exposed to air which helps keep the Pesto Sauce for up to a week (if you keep air out and keep a layer of oil on the top).  The oil will also help to prevent molds/moulds from growing too soon on top!

*Store sealed in the fridge.

Serving suggestions:
* Thinly shave fresh zucchini using a potato peeler or other peeler/spiraliser, and toss with fresh or sun-dried or cooked tomatoes.
*Mix into cooked Rice Noodles and cooked Tomatoes for a quick Pesto Pasta dish.
* Add a little to mayonnaise to make a Pesto Mayo, or just use as is, and add to sandwiches, wraps and burgers.
* Combine with fresh chopped baby tomatoes to top some freshly toasted Clean Multiseed Bread. Finish with a drizzle of Olive Oil on top.
* Add a layer of Pesto Sauce to freshly toasted bread (as linked above) and add grilled veggies, such as capsicum, eggplant, zucchini to make a delicious Mediterranean stack. Finish with a drizzle of Olive Oil on top.

Sweet Red Capsicum & Chilli Dip

 

I really do love this dip. It can be enjoyed as a dip, or put on just about anything to spice up and freshen up lots of different types of meals. It’s delicious on sandwiches and in wraps and is great as a topping on a burger. You can add more chilli if you enjoy really spicy dips, or thin it out with a little nut milk to make a tasty salad dressing. The possibilities are endless.

This recipe is: Gluten-free (GF), Wheat-free (WF), Dairy-free (DF), refined Sugar-free (SF), Plant-based/Vegan (PB), Vegetarian (V)

Print Recipe
 Sweet Red Capsicum & Chilli Dip
You will need: food processor or blender
Course Healthy Snacking - Dips
Cuisine Clean Eating
Prep Time 5-10 minutes
Cook Time 0
Passive Time 0
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Course Healthy Snacking - Dips
Cuisine Clean Eating
Prep Time 5-10 minutes
Cook Time 0
Passive Time 0
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Grind the nuts into a flour-like consistency. Set aside.
  2. Put remaining ingredients together in a blender and blend until smooth.
  3. Add ground nuts to the blended mixture and blend until well combined. Or combine and mix in a food processor.
Recipe Notes

*If you have a powerful blender you can just throw all the ingredients together and then blend until smooth.

*Store sealed in a glass jar in the fridge. Eat within 2 - 3 days.

Broccoli & Potato Soup

Nothing like a warm soup on those cool winter days, or just to enjoy when you feel like having something warm and comforting. Broccoli and potato are a winning combo – broccoli giving us green goodness, and potatoes packing a high potassium punch. This is a super quick and easy soup to make, and dare I say, a great way to get fussy eaters in the family to consume broccoli!

This recipe is: Gluten-free (GF), Wheat-free (WF), Dairy-free (DF), refined Sugar-free (SF), Plant-based/Vegan (PB), Vegetarian (V)

Print Recipe
 Broccoli & Potato Soup
You will need: large stainless steel or ceramic pot; cutting board and knife; immersion blender (to blend soup smooth right in the pot) NOTE: The smaller you cut you veg, the quicker they will cook.
Course Meals - Soups
Cuisine Clean Eating
Prep Time 10 - 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 - 30 minutes
Passive Time 20 - 30 minutes
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Course Meals - Soups
Cuisine Clean Eating
Prep Time 10 - 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 - 30 minutes
Passive Time 20 - 30 minutes
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Add Coconut Oil and Onion to a large pot and cook until soft.
  2. Add the rest of the ingredients except Coconut Cream / Milk, top up with enough water to just cover everything, and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and cook until potatoes are soft.
  3. Using an immersion blender (hand-held blender), blend everything in the pot until soup is smooth.
  4. Stir in Coconut Cream / Milk just before serving - leave a little aside to ‘decorate’ the soup at the end. Add more Salt & Pepper to taste.
  5. Add a drizzle of Coconut Cream / Milk and a little sprinkle of Pepper, Paprika or Cayenne Pepper along with some raw, shaved Broccoli flowers to serve.
Recipe Notes

* Double the ingredient amounts to make in bulk and freeze in portions for a quick and easy mid week meal.

*You can make your own Homemade Veggie Stock if you like - I make in a big batch ahead of time, portion and keep in the freezer for future use.

* Add Coconut Oil and Coconut Cream, Sea Salt and Black Pepper to each bowl, and serve with toasted Clean Multiseed Bread (also topped with Coconut Oil).

*Shaved Broccoli Flowers is one of my favourite #ToxicFatBusting tricks: I always shave the Broccoli Flowers off the heads of Broccoli and keep them raw and use as toppings for soups, salads, and spuds/baked potatoes. Even in sandwiches too. Pretty much anything else you like.

Keep them sealed in a glass jar in the fridge and use within 1 - 2 days. 

I also put them into my Green smoothies, blending and drinking as soon as possible after making, to get the most benefit from the Broccoli Flower's potent detoxifying effect. 

We’ve always been told that broccoli is one of the best veggies to consume. Now you know exactly why! This is why cruciferous vegetables are touted as such amazing veggies. They help the body get rid of The Toxic Fat Effect... 

Chewing on raw Broccoli Flowers produces a compound called sulforaphane. Sulforaphane increases activity of the whole glutathione system which is essential for our body's ability to detoxify optimally.

There are now plenty of scientific studies that show that sulforaphane vastly increases the glutathione levels in our bodies which is supremely important in phase II of the natural detoxification process that happens in our bodies.

Glutathione is the key to making our liver detox properly and most efficiently. Due to our chemical body burden (The Toxic Fat Effect - bioaccumulation of toxins in the body), our bodies become less effective at doing it's normal detoxing job. 

Therefore, proactively doing things that will help boost glutathione levels is a big part of helping the liver to function optimally again.

[One of the reasons I have been doing coffee enemas almost every day since I began my journey some 6+ years ago now is for this very reason. As well as immediately, gently, and safely flushing toxic build up in the liver (Read, 'Healing the Gerson Way' or 'The Gerson Therapy'), coffee enemas massively boost glutathione levels, helping to SPEED up the rate at which we can move toxins out of the body.]

So think of creative ways to add those raw broccoli flowers to as many of your meals as possible. If you chop them fine enough, and mix them into food you can even get fussy kids and loved ones benefitting from this power veggie's potent detoxing punch without them even knowing it!

Clean Eating Tips to remember:
*Stainless Steel and Ceramic or Glass Cookware are the safest materials to cook in with the least amount of leaching into food when heat is applied. A high quality set of cookware is essential and will last a lifetime - and a longer lifetime at that because of it. 

*Stainless Steel, Food-grade Silicon or Wooden Cooking Utensils are the safest materials to cook with with the least amount of leaching into food when heat is applied. 

*Olive Oil - it’s best not to cook with Olive Oil, always consume raw. Best to drizzle Olive Oil over food just before serving. It’s better to avoid cooking with Olive Oil as it is a delicate oil and is damaged and becomes harmful to ingest when heated.

*Better oils for cooking with have a higher smoke point/less free radical forming when heated— Coconut Oil, Macadamia Oil and Grapeseed Oil