This month we’re upping our culinary game to bring you 8 of the most flavorful dishes to keep your friends and guests coming back for more. Let’s get cooking!
Roasted Chickpeas Four Ways
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 35–40 minutes
Servings: 4–6
Ingredients
2 large cans chickpeas, drained
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp raw honey
Cinnamon chocolate
2 tsp caramel essence
1 tsp salt
¼ cup raw cacao powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg (optional)
2 tbsp almond flour
Turmeric and black pepper
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp ground black pepper
2½ tsp salt (reserve ½ tsp for sprinkling over once cooked)
Honey-mustard and rosemary
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp mustard powder
2 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp dried rosemary
2½ tsp salt (reserve ½ tsp for sprinkling over once cooked)
BBQ
2 heaped tsp paprika
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp dried parsley
2½ tsp salt (reserve ½ tsp for sprinkling over once cooked)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375F and spray a baking tray with nonstick cooking spray.
Rinse the chickpeas, pat dry with a paper towel, and place in a mixing bowl.
Drizzle the chickpeas with the olive oil and honey and add the flavoring of your choice.
Mix well until all of the chickpeas are evenly coated.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp.
Best served straight from the oven!
Snack away the healthy way!
Almond Rosemary Bread
Prep time: 10min
Cooking time: 30min on 180’C
Servings: 1 loaf
Ingredients
1 1/2 cup almond flour
4 heaped tbsp flax powder/flour
2 tbsp freshly chopped rosemary
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
3 tsp bicarb of soda
2oz olive oil (1/4 cup)
5 large eggs
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Almond flour and flakes to sprinkle on top
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375F.
Make use of a standard size bread loaf pan or mini loaf pan and line it with parchment paper or make use of nonstick spray for the mini loaves.
Mix all the dry ingredients together, then add the apple cider vinegar and olive oil.
Use a separate mixing bowl to whisk the eggs, then add to the rest of the ingredients and mix till well blended.
Pour the batter into the bread pan (don’t fill it more than ¾ of the way) and make sure it is spread evenly.
Sprinkle with almond flour and almond flakes.
Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes.
Allow to cool off slightly before serving.
Ginger & Garlic Beef Stir Fry
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20–25 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients
10oz carrots, julienned
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 medium or 2 small red salad onions, sliced
1 heaped tsp crushed garlic
1 heaped tsp grated fresh ginger
1.3lbs beef strips or cubes
5 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tsp ground black pepper
3 tbsp raw honey
½ tsp salt
½ tsp red chili flakes
1 handful of chopped fresh Italian parsley for garnish
Instructions
Steam the carrots in a saucepan on the stove or in the microwave for 5 minutes and set aside.
Heat the oil in a frying pan or wok over medium heat and fry the onion, garlic, ginger, and beef until the meat is golden brown and cooked.
Combine the soy sauce, sesame seeds, black pepper, honey, salt, and chili flakes in a small bowl, and add to the pan or wok only once the meat is cooked.
Simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated, then add the carrots and stir well.
Serve warm with rice or a side of your choice, garnished with the chopped fresh parsley.
This is also delicious served on a bed of greens as a salad. Just allow it to cool completely.
Ideal for the lunchbox the next day!
Fillet with Chili Chocolate Sauce
Prep time: 5min
Cooking time: 10min
Servings: 2
Ingredients
14oz fillet medallions
1 tbsp olive oil
1 pinch salt
1 pinch ground black pepper
For the sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
5fl.oz unsweetened almond milk
4oz almond butter
3 tbsp raw honey
2 heaped teaspoon cacao (preferably raw cacao)
1 pinch of salt
1 tsp caramel essence
1 chopped up fresh red chili- remove the pips
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
Instructions
Seal the fillet with olive oil and season with salt and ground black pepper, cook to preference.
For the sauce, prepare a small size pan with nonstick spray.
Add all the ingredients to the pan starting with the olive oil, almond milk, almond butter, and then the rest.
Keep stirring till the desired thickness.
Pour over meat and garnish with fresh thyme.
Serve immediately.
Baked Raisin & Date Brownie Biscuits
Prep time: 20 minutes
Baking time: 10–15 minutes
Serving: 20 biscuits
Ingredients
10oz pitted dates, chopped
10oz raisins
5oz almond flour, plus ½ cup extra for rolling
1 tbsp caramel essence
¼ cup raw cacao powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon, plus extra for dusting
1 pinch of salt
2oz almonds, roasted
2 tsp raw honey
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375F.
Line a baking tray with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Soak the dates and raisins in enough hot water to cover for 10 to 15 minutes.
Drain and mash in a mixing bowl.
Add the almond flour, caramel essence, cacao powder, cinnamon, and salt and mix well to form a soft dough.
Using your hands, roll a heaped tablespoon of the dough into a ball, flatten it out and place a roasted almond in the middle.
Roll it back into a ball and then roll it in the extra almond flour.
To prevent the dough sticking to your hands, spray your hands with nonstick cooking spray.
Once they start to get sticky, wash your hands and spray again.
Place the dough ball on the prepared baking tray, flatten slightly and place another roasted almond on top.
Repeat with the remainder of the dough.
Drizzle the biscuits with the honey, dust with cinnamon, and bake for 10 to 15 minutes.
They are meant to be soft and chewy.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool before storing in an airtight container in the fridge.
Ginger Biscuit Bake
Prep time: 10min
Baking time: 40min on 390F
Servings: 1 large biscuit bake
Ingredients
1lbs steamed and mashed sweet potato or butternut
10oz almond flour
2oz tahini
2 tsp bicarb of soda
2 tsp cinnamon
4 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 tbsp blackstrap molasses
3 tbsp raw honey
3 large eggs
Garnish with sesame seeds and a drizzle of honey and cinnamon
Instructions
Preheat oven to 390F.
Prepare your preferred baking dish with nonstick spray.
Add all of the ingredients to the sweet potato or butternut except for the eggs.
Mix well.
Beat the eggs in a separate bowl till fluffy.
Add to the mix and beat again for about 60 seconds.
Pour into a baking dish.
Garnish with sesame seeds, cinnamon, and a drizzle of honey.
Bake for 40 minutes and allow to cool off before serving.
Serve warm or cold.
Walnut & Fig Dessert
Prep time: 10 minutes
Baking time: 25–30 minutes
Servings: 1 large dessert
Ingredients
2 large cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
6 tbsp raw honey
3oz almond butter
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 tsp caramel essence
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
3oz almond flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
3oz crushed walnuts
2 jumbo eggs
Topping
3oz crushed walnuts
6oz of dried figs – can be soaked in water
Drizzle with a decent amount of honey and season with salt
1 heaped tbsp almond flour
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375F on thermo-fan.
Prepare preferred oven dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Place the chickpeas in the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth.
Add the rest of the ingredients except the eggs and walnuts and process on high for 3 to 5 minutes, scraping down the sides, until the batter is smooth and well blended.
If you don’t have a food processor, you can pulp the chickpeas with a blender, add the rest of the ingredients except for the walnuts and eggs and beat with an electric beater for 2 minutes on high speed.
Beat the eggs in a separate bowl until light and fluffy, then add to the batter and beat for another 30 seconds to mix well.
Mix the walnuts through.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, and top with the figs, extra walnuts, honey, salt, and almond flour and bake for 25 minutes.
The edges will be crispy and firm to the touch, while the center will remain moist and soft.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.
Choc Chip Blondies
Prep time: 10 minutes
Baking time: 15–20 minutes
Servings: 12–16 blondies
Instructions
2 large cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
6 tbsp raw honey
3oz almond butter
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 tsp caramel essence
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2oz almond flour
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs
3oz dairy-free dark chocolate, chopped
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375F on thermo-fan.
Line an 8 by 8” baking pan with baking paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Place the chickpeas in the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth.
Add all of the other ingredients except the eggs and chocolate and process on high for 3 to 5 minutes, scraping down the sides, until the mixture is smooth and well blended.
If you don’t have a food processor, you can pulp the chickpeas with a blender, add the rest of the ingredients and beat with an electric beater for 2 minutes on high speed.
Beat the eggs in a separate bowl until light and fluffy, then add to the chickpea mixture and beat for another 30 seconds to mix well.
Fold in the chocolate chunks.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking pan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
The edges will be crispy and firm to the touch, while the center will remain moist and soft.
Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares and serving.
The center will firm up a bit while cooling but will remain perfectly moist and soft.
These gluten-free soft and fudgy blondies are bursting with healthy flavor, are naturally sweetened, and are the perfect dessert to sneak in some protein-packed chickpeas.
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