Eating more legumes as part of a healthy diet can help lower blood sugar, blood pressure, heart rate, and other heart disease and diabetes risks.

INGREDIENTS -:

Serves 4

1 tbsp. coconut oil

2 medium onions

4- 6 cloves garlic

1 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp black pepper

2 tsp. turmeric

1 tsp. cumin

4 ears fresh corn

2 cups vegetable broth

1 x 270ml tin coconut cream (can replace with broth if desired)

1 tbsp. freshly-squeezed lemon or lime juice

½ cup raw cashews, soaked overnight (4 hours minimum)

METHOD -:

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. When hot, add turmeric, cumin and cayenne and cook for about a minute, until fragrant.

Add onions and salt, and cook for 5 minutes until softened. Add garlic. If the bottom of the pot becomes dry, add a little broth instead of oil to moisten things up.

While the onions and garlic are cooking, husk the cobs of corn. Cut off the kernels by standing the corn on one end and slicing downwards. Add corn kernels to the pot and stir to coat with spices.

Cook for 5 minutes then add the remaining broth and coconut cream. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook until the corn is bright yellow and sweet, about 5 minutes. During this time, make the coriander cream (see recipe below)

Once the corn is cooked, remove pot from heat and transfer the soup to a blender, reserving a few tablespoons of the whole corn kernels for garnish.

Add soaked and rinsed cashews. Blend on high until completely smooth. Add water to thin, if desired. Season to taste. Return soup to the pot to keep warm if necessary. Serve with coriander cream, a drizzle of olive oil, a few kernels of corn and plenty of cracked black pepper.

ThermoMix style

Place the onion and garlic into bowl, blend 5 minutes, speed 5.

Add coconut oil and cook for 5 minutes at 100C, speed 1.

Add spices and corn and cook for 5 minutes at 100C, speed 1 or until the corn is bright yellow and sweet.

Add broth and cook for 5 minutes at 100C, speed 1.

Add soaked and rinsed cashews. Blend on speed 6 up to speed 8 for 10 seconds or until completely smooth. Add water to thin, if desired.

Coriander Cream

½ cup raw cashews, soaked overnight (4 hours minimum)

1 tbsp. freshly-squeezed lemon or lime juice

1 cup corriander (leaves only, loosely packed)

½ cup water

1 tbsp. raw honey (or agave)

1 tsp. sea salt

½ small clove garlic, if desired

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend on high until completely smooth. Season to taste. Store leftovers in a sealed glass container.

40g butter

2 large brown onions (400g) chopped coarsely

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1/4 cup (35g) flour (I prefer spelt but you can use plain or any other flour that you prefer)

400g button mushrooms

400g swiss brown mushrooms, quartered

400g flat mushrooms, sliced thickly

2 tbs tomato paste

1 litre (4 cups) vegetable stock

Option: 2 tsp finely chopped thyme

METHOD -:

Heat butter in large saucepan, cook onion and garlic, stirring until onion softens.

Add flour and cook stirring until mixture bubbles.

Add mushrooms and cook stirring until mushrooms are just tender

Add tomato paste and stock, bring to boil, then simmer uncovered for 30mins. Stir in thyme

Serve on soft Polenta or Potato mash

 1 cup (150g) raw buckwheat flour

1 tbsp psyllium husk (optional, but helps the base stick together)

1 tsp baking powder

1 egg

2 tsp olive oil

Water (approx.. 3 tbsp)

METHOD -:

Mix dry ingredients together.

Add egg, olive oil and half of water and mix with a spoon or your hand until combined, adding more water as necessary so that the dough comes together without being too sticky

Sprinkle a small amount of flour over the dough to stop if sticking and roll our with a rolling pin until it reaches the desired thickness and size.

Cook at approx. 220’C until crisp and golden

Turmeric absorption greatly increases if it is consumed together with pepper. Study shows that adding black pepper to turmeic increases its power by 2000%. That’s why this turmeric recipe for inflammation and pain contains both cayenne and black pepper.

This bright orange spread can be consumed straight from the jar (for a total of 1 tablespoon daily) for maximum effects. It is also yummy spread on toast, at the first sign of a cold, and having it with a cup of hot tea!

Note: Since turmeric has been shown to increase production and flow of bile, those with common bile duct blockage or gallstones should avoid this herb

INGREDIENTS -:

9 teaspoons turmeric powder

1.5 teaspoons ground black pepper

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper powder (optional)

2 teaspoons ginger powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon powder

Approx ¼ cup of coconut oil (or it can be ghee, or both)

Approx ¼ cup of raw honey

METHOD -:

Put all the spices in a small glass jar.

Melt coconut oil (for easy mixing) and add to the jar to mix.

Add honey and mix.

Store this natural remedy on the counter, for easy spreading and away from heat.

Cautions about Turmeric use – Turmeric is generally considered safe for use in medicinal amounts, but it is important to talk to a doctor before using this or any substance medicinally as it can interact with several medications.

INGREDIENTS -:

3 cups of oats ( I prefer spelt oats)

2 eggs

2 green apples

2 large ripe bananas

1 cup berries (I use frozen mixed berries, you can choose blueberries, raspberries or a Mix)

3 tbps virgin, organic coconut oil

2 tbps chia seeds (or use any other seeds or chopped nuts)

1 tbps organic cinnamon

METHOD -:

Smush up the banana and whisk in the eggs and coconut oil in a large mixing bowl.

Chuck in the oats, mix it up well and let it sit for a bit while you keep going.

Grate the apple as chunky as you can. I like to do it on the julienne setting of my mandolin. Leave the skin on!

Add the apple, cinnamon, chia and berries. This is where I like to get messy and use my hands to mix it all in really well.

Chuck it all in a slice tin that you have lined with non-toxic baking paper.

Into the oven and cook for about 30 minutes at 180 degrees celsius (a medium oven).

Cool down on a wire rack. Slice with a bread knife.

It is nice served warm with some yoghurt on top (or for the dairy-free, use cashew cream or coconut yoghurt) and more fresh or frozen berries.

It will keep in the fridge, in a sealed container for about three days.

Eat. Enjoy.

Thermomix Friendly: Chop the apple in the thermy and set aside (don’t make it mushy or the texture of the slice will be weird). Whizz up the bananas, egg and coconut oil all together – about speed 4 for a few seconds. Add remaining ingredients and mix in, reverse, speed soft, until it’s well combined. Be very gentle, you want a nice texture.

Courtesy of Natural New Age Mum

Anzac biscuits have been associated with the ANZAC tradition established in World War I. These delicious biscuits have been named this from being sent by wives to soldiers abroad because the ingredients do not spoil easily and the biscuits kept well during naval transportation. Today, Anzac Biscuits can be purchased at supermarkets, but are much better baked on your own with the below recipe for a healthy option. So tasty fresh out of the oven!

Thank you to the diggers across every generation and happy eating of these yummy, healthy ANZAC biscuits.

INGREDIENTS -:

80 gms (3/4 cup) raw nuts (almonds, cashews) (*can be removed if nut allergy)

120 gms (1/2 cup) pure butter or organic coconut oil

100 gms (5tbsp) raw honey

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

100 gms (1 cup) spelt rolled oats

100 gms (1 cup) spelt flour

80 gms (3/4 cup) desiccated coconut (aluminum-free)

METHOD -:

Pre-heat oven to 160′C and place baking paper on biscuit tray

Crush the nuts into small chunks then set aside

Warm  butter/coconut oil at low heat 60′C. When melted add to a blender

Add all remaining ingredients and nuts and mix together

Place one tablespoon of mixture onto biscuit tray and flatten to approx 6cm in diameter, leaving space between each one for spreading

Bake for 10mins or untl golden brown

Remove from oven and allow to cool on tray for 5 mins

Enjoy

Thanks to Jo at Quirky Cooking for this great healthy recipe for Hot Cross Buns with spelt flour, dairy free and no processed sugar. Easy to make with a thermomix. This recipe is also delicious as fruit bread – just cook the dough in a loaf tin instead of making rolls.

Happy Easter to all and enjoy this family time together!

Ingredients;

zest of 1 orange

60gm (3 tbsp) raw honey

250ml nut milk (macadamia/coconut/almond)

70g (1/3 cup) macadamia oil or light olive oil)

550g (4  3/4 cups) spelt flour (I used 150g wholemeal, 400g white)

1 tsp salt

2 heaped tsp instant yeast

1 1/2 tsp each ground cinnamon & nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground cloves

100g (2/3 cups) sultanas

70g (1/4 cup) currants

Method:

Whizz the orange zest and honey, on speed 9 in Thermomix, until ground

Add remaining ingredients expect sultanas and currants and mix on speed 6 for 6 seconds.

Add the sultanas and currants and then knead on interval speed for 2 mins

Wrap dough in silicon bread mat and place in cold oven with a tray of boiling water underneath. Leave to rise for 20 minutes.

Punch down and shape into small rolls. Place close together on lined baking tray, and leave to rise for 10-15 mins.

Pipe with crosses made from:

80g white spelt flours
1 tsp light olive oil
pinch salt
100g water

Place rolls in cold oven, again with a pan of boiling water underneath. Turn oven on to 220 degrees (C) and bake for 15-20 mins or until golden.

Brush with syrup while still warm. For syrup, I used 2 tbspns of honey with 2 tbspns warm water