Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Soup

Now I know this is not one bit a raw creation, but I cooked it up yesterday and it's just too tasty not to share this simple recipe.  💕 Warming the heart and soul 💕

I'm sure everyone has a stack of cook books they hardly ever use sitting on the shelf.  I have a very well worn book that was given to me many, many years ago, with loads of Aussie homestyle dinners and baked treats. Classic Country Collection, written by Lady Flo Bjelke-Petersen, wife of one of Queensland's Premiers a few years back now.  I have drawn upon her Pumpkin soup recipe and modified it to suit my tastes for the moment. 

Warm and nourish with this one.

Ingredients:
30g butter
2 onions
1 kg pumpkin (chopped)
half a medium sized sweet potato (approx 300g)
750ml vegetable stock
1 cup milk
salt and pepper
1 tsp. favourite curry blend (optional extra)
chopped parsley for garnish

Method:

Chop the onions set aside.  Peel and dice the pumpkin and sweet potato and set them aside.

Gently melt the butter in a large pot and cook the onions until they are a rich golden colour, watching and stirring regularly so they don't burn. Add the curry blend if using, and stir for a minute, releasing those flavours.  Add the pumpkin, sweet potatoes, vegetable stock and milk.  Cover and bring to the boil, simmering until veges have softened. About 25-30 minutes. 

Take off the heat and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. Then blitz with a stick blender, or pop in your blender, blending until smooth and silky.  Taste and add a little salt and pepper to achieve your desired taste.

Serve with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and a little freshly cracked pepper for garnish.

  

(Any leftovers can be frozen and used for a quick meal down the track some time.  Perhaps freeze in small portions so you can just thaw enough for one meal at a time.)

Enjoy 💖 Shaz

  

Sesame & Macadamia Slice

This is a great snack to make to have on hand when you need a little mid afternoon lift.  It's super tasty and you'll want to just pull out a couple of squares at a time when you sit down with that cuppa, or you'll probably want to eat more.  Hope you love this one as much as I do.  I've made a few of these now, so any questions if you make for yourself, ask me.  Happy to help...

Ingredients:

1 cup buckwheat puffs

½ cup sesame seeds

⅓ cup well crushed macadamia nuts

½ cup coconut flour

½ cup sultanas

75g organic butter

2 tbsp. honey

¼ cup rice malt syrup

¼ cup almond spread

2 tbsp. coconut oil

150g 70% melted dark cooking chocolate *(optional extra)

Method:

Line your square slice tin with baking paper and set aside.

Pop the coconut oil into a non-stick pan and heat gently.  Add to this all the dry ingredients except for the sultanas, and gently toast over a medium to low heat until a light golden colour is achieved.  About 10 minutes. Mix through the sultanas.

Then in another small pan, gently heat the butter, honey, rice malt syrup and almond butter until they’re melted together forming a caramel consistency. 

Add the caramel mix to the lightly toasted dry mixture and fold through until fully coated.  Press this mixture into your prepared tin * and place in the fridge to set for an hour or so, before slicing to serve.

*As an optional extra here, you could pour the melted chocolate over the top here and allow it to set.

Enjoy 💖 Shaz – rawfordaze

Raw Banoffee Pie

When you think of Banoffee Pie, you immediately think, pastry... caramel... cream....  Not all that good for your heart or your waistline. Or perhaps you've never heard of it before...  Here's a healthier version to try... Still definitely a sometimes treat though,with natural sugars in the dates, banana and honey.  Give it a go!  So tasty and worth the effort for that special dessert that's just a little bit different. 

*I've listed here the base as step one, but you could prepare the cream layer first and pop it in the fridge while you work on the other layers. And do put your can of coconut cream in the fridge overnight before you want to use ok! It makes a big difference to the thickness of the cream as you whip it.

The  Base:
3 cups nuts (mix of almonds, cashews and pecans)
20 small dried dates (covered with boiling water and soaked for 5-10 minutes)

Pinch of himalayan salt 

Place half the nuts into your food processor and roughly chop for a second or so.  Then add half the dates and a little salt, pulsing until they clump together.  Remove and set aside while you do the other half.  If your processor's big enough, you could even do in one batch. The mixture should stay together when pressed between your fingers.  Either make a large pie with this, or sometimes nice to have individual ramekins so each person has their own little pie. If using ramekins, line each one with a little cling wrap to make life easier at serving time.  Press the mixture firmly into your choice of base and pop them into the fridge while you work on the caramel layer.

Caramel Layer:

Approx. 24 medjool dates (pitted)

⅓ cup honey

½ cup coconut oil

1 tsp. brandy (you could use vanilla here, but the brandy gives a good flavour)

Pinch himalayan salt 

2 large bananas

½ cup crushed almonds (almonds and honey work well together)

Place the dates in a small bowl and cover with boiling water.  Leave a couple of minutes to soften.  Then drain and place into processor along with the honey, coconut oil, brandy or vanilla, and the salt.  Process until a thick caramel consistency is reached.

Spoon evenly over your base.  Slice the banana length wise into 4 strips, then thin slices.  Layer evenly on the caramel.  Then sprinkle over the crushed almonds and lightly press into the caramel.  

Cream Layer:

1 can pure coconut cream (have in the fridge overnight for best results)

1 tbsp. local honey

1 tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. vanilla extract concentrate

Pull the cream from the fridge and scoop off the thick creamy layer and pop it into a bowl to whip.  I know it is already coconut cream, but after it's been in the fridge, there will still be settling.  You only want to use the really thick cream from on top here.  Whip it well, along with the honey and cinnamon until soft peaks begin to form.  Then add a little vanilla and whip just a little more.

Spoon this over the caramel layer, spreading evenly to the edge.  Sprinkle a little nutmeg and cinnamon over the top to finish and set in the fridge for at least a few hours before serving.  For the ramekins, loosen edges of cling wrap and gently lift out and peel away, placing pie on plate to serve.  Otherwise, just pull the pie dish out at serving time, and slice in small slices.  Fairly rich in flavour this one.  

Enjoy 💖 Shaz