Easy 3 Ingredient Christmas Cake

In case you had not yet noticed, I like to cook. I also like to share. Coming together with friends, family, colleagues, anyone, over food is always a most pleasing experience. This week at work, we held our last team meeting for the year. We organised an afternoon tea to celebrate the end of another year and of course, Christmas. We were all to 'bring a plate," which naturally got me racking my brain for something delectable to bring along. I wanted my contribution to be homemade, festive and of course delicious, but as usual it had to be relatively quick and easy to make. When I stumbled across this recipe, I knew right away that I had to make it and share it with my colleagues.

Easy 3 Ingredient Christmas Cake
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 2-2.5 hours

Ingredients:
1kg dried fruit (I used a combination of sultanas, currants, apricots, dates, cranberries and glace cherries)
750ml black tea
2 cups (300g) self raising flour

Method 
1. Place dried fruit in a large glass bowl and pour over black tea. Cover with glad wrap and leave to soak overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 180 C (or 160C fan forced) and line a large baking tin with baking paper.
3. Sift the flour over the combined fruit and tea. Stir well to combine.
4. Transfer the mixture into the lined baking tin. Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 2-2.5 hours, or until golden on top and a skewer comes out clean.
5. When cooked, remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before turning out onto a wire rack.
6. Cut into pieces and enjoy with a cuppa for a festive treat!

The dried fruit soaking in the black tea 

 

 

 The finished product, studded with pecan halves and decorated with Christmas decorations.

 
Notes: 
- You could make this recipe with any 1kg combination of fruit
- I think this would be nice with the addition of some chopped walnuts or pecans into the mixture
- Adding cinnamon, mixed spice, vanilla essence or cocoa powder would also add another flavour dimension..... I'm sure a dash of brandy or sherry would also do the trick!
- You can apparently also make this cake using 750ml black coffee, iced coffee or chocolate milk instead of the black tea 
 - I'm sure you could experiment with various flours including wholemeal, coconut or spelt flour for an added nutrient boost.


I really like that this cake was so easy to prepare but certainly made a statement when presented! It has an incredibly moist texture too. Even better is that there is no added fats or sugar in this recipe - a real rarity!  

This cake certainly proved to be a hit both at home and at work. It's so easy and I'm sure I'll be making it again for that very reason! Let me know if you make this cake yourself, and please share any interesting variations that you come up with! I'd like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very safe, happy and healthy Christmas. Thank you so much for stopping by my blog, reading my recipes and hopefully trying them out as well. Happy Christmas,

- Em x

Acknowledgement: I would like to acknowledge kidspot for the original recipe for this cake. It's too good not to share!!

Cranberry, Seed and Dark Chocolate Cookies.

It's been a really long time since I've posted a blog. Like a really long time. I'm sorry. A lot has happened between posts; I've attended a paediatric feeding conference, a health coaching course, a non-dieting seminar (yes, you read right, a seminar on how to NOT diet!), a holiday to Bali, and a concert. Of course there have also been innumerable sessions in the gym, walks in both the sunshine and rain, afternoons in the garden and evenings in the kitchen.

A most noteworthy evening in the kitchen recently sought to produce some baked goods for a meeting at work the following day. Everyone expects a dietitian to bring something delicious to liven up a work meeting. I didn't really know what I wanted to make - I just wanted it to be ready rather quickly, consist entirely of ingredients already in my possession, be nutritious, and of course, taste delicious. And so these cranberry, seed and dark chocolate cookies came into fruition.

Cranberry, Seed and Dark Chocolate Cookies 
Makes 24
Cooking time: about 15 minutes (17 minutes in my oven to be exact; individual ovens may vary).


Ingredients: 
1/2 cup self-raising flour 
2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup pepitas
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sultanas
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
2 tablespoons hulled tahini
2 tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 egg
60g dark chocolate (I used Lindt 85% cocoa)

Method 
1. Pre heat oven to 180C (170 C for fan forced). Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
2. Sift flour into a mixing bowl. Mix in the oats, sugar, seeds, sultanas, cranberries, cinnamon and vanilla and stir until combined.
3. Add the tahini, coconut oil, honey and egg and stir well.
4. Take teaspoon-fuls of the mixture and roll into balls. Place onto trays roughly 3cm apart to allow for spreading.
5. Using the back of a fork, slightly flatten the balls. Top with small pieces of the dark chocolate.
6. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until biscuits are golden and dark chocolate is melted. Enjoy!!

Notes - you could also add dark chocolate into the biscuit mixture rather than only on top - I think this would be very delicious! You can also vary the fruit included in this recipe; dried goji berries, blueberries, figs, dates and apricots would surely be just as tasty. And finally, you could also vary the seeds or add some nuts; I imagine chopped pecans, walnuts, or macadamias would be a scrumptious addition here.

 Cranberry, seed and dark chocolate cookies warm and fresh from the oven.... I couldn't resist!! 

- Em xx

Sunshine Muffins

I'm a creature of habit and I like routine. My Saturday morning routine may seem a little mundane but it is actually something I enjoy immensely; A class at the gym, a visit to the fruit and veg market, cleaning the house (...with some good tunes pumpin!) and a fridge cleanout and subsequent cookup. Just recently, this routine has stretched to include baking muffins, thereby rekindling my passion and love for baking scrumptious things. It's so satisfying to fill the house with that "freshly baked" aroma and to have some homemade delicacies to take as an offering when visiting family in the afternoons. Simple pleasures.

Thanks to a lemon tree laden with fruit, lemon and poppyseed muffins have featured in my kitchen for the past 3 weeks. Whilst the lemony goodness of said muffins was a real hit, this week signaled the need for something new. Hence I created these "Sunshine Muffins," named so thanks to their sunflower seeds, the tropical feel of the orange and the addictive sunshine which beamed through the window as I baked up this storm.

Sunshine Muffins 
Makes 16 small muffins (though it could make 12 slightly larger muffins)


Ingredients 
1.5 cups plain flour
1 tablespoon baking powder 
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup plain natural yoghurt
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup sunflower seeds 
Rind of 1 orange, finely grated

Juice of 2 oranges
4 thin orange slices, quartered

Method 
1. Preheat over to 170 degrees Celsius. Grease or line a 12 hole muffin tray.
2. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat together the sugar and eggs until pale and smooth (about 2 minutes). Beat in the yoghurt, followed by the olive oil.
4. Add the flour mixture and beat until well combined. Stir in the orange rind, orange juice and sunflower seeds and mix well.
5. Spoon the batter into muffins cases and top each muffin with a quartered orange slice. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden and a cake tester comes out clean.
6. Leave to cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling. Enjoy!

Sunshine Muffins (please excuse the poor quality photo.... they were snapped up quickly!)

  
What's good about this recipe? Well for one, the delectably moist texture, made possible by the olive oil and yoghurt. Soft, airy and melt-in-your-mouth worthy. This is in contrast to the crunch of the sunflower seeds for a bit of variety. Secondly, the combination of both orange juice and orange rind give a vibrant, fresh zing to these muffins which does transport you to a warm tropical paradise (well, in your mind at least). Nutritionally, using olive oil rather than butter provides heart-healthy fats whilst the addition of the natural yoghurt offers a dose of protein, calcium and electrolytes. Vitamin C is also in abundance thanks to the orange juice, whilst fibre and vitamin E are supplied by the sunflower seeds.

Nutrition Information: Per Serve (1 muffin): 760 kilojoules energy, 3.8g protein, 9g total fat, 1.4g saturated fat, 21g carbohydrate, 11g sugar, 0.7g fibre, 244mg sodium, 43mg calcium.

I hope these muffins bring a little ray of sunshine into your day! Enjoy.

- Em xx

Healthy Apricot Delight

My sister is my best friend. She's pretty awesome, I'm not gonna lie. The trouble is, we're in a distance-relationship. Laura (my sister) lives in the Melbourne 'burbs, studying hard at university and working crazy hours to make it all possible. And me? I'm still a country girl, working full time sharing my nutrition knowledge with the good folk of the Latrobe Valley. Two and a bit hours away from my bestie.

I don't like to think of Laura being all alone, so far from home. I send letters and the odd parcel her way so she can get a friendly surprise when she (eventually) checks her mailbox. Recently, I sent a little parcel containing odds and sods which had made me think of her. A bag of Apricot Delight was one of them. It reminded me of our childhood and rare occasions when we were allowed to choose treats from the lolly shop to gobble down while watching a movie. Apricot Delight would feature more often than not.

Laura informed me she had been so thrilled to find said Apricot Delight in her mailbox that she munched her way through the entire 250g packet in one sitting. To this, Laura quickly added "but it's OK, it's fruit right? It's healthy." Now, big sister (that's me), being a dietitian and all, knew this clearly was not the case, and I did then feel somewhat guilty for misleading her. You see, take a look at the ingredients list on a packet of commercial Apricot Delight. It will look something like this: Ingredients: Apricots 50%, Sugar, Glucose Syrup (Derived from Corn), Vegetable Oil, Acidity Regulator: (330), Emulsifier (Soya Lecithin), Corn Starch, Natural Colour: (160b), Natural Flavour, Preservative: (220). This means that merely HALF a packet of commercial Apricot Delight is actually apricot, leaving the other half full of preservatives, colours and flavourings. Hhmm... it doesn't seem so tasty now, does it? So, because my sister is my best friend and I want her to eat yummy things and remain healthy, I developed the following simple recipe for Healthy Apricot Delight:

Healthy Apricot Delight 
 Makes about 35 pieces, depending on how you cut them 

Ingredients 
250g dried Turkish apricots
500ml boiling water
1/2 cup dessicated coconut
2 tablespoons Melrose organic unrefined coconut oil
1/4 cup dessicated coconut, extra

Method 
1. Place the apricots in a large bowl and cover with boiling water to soften. (I left mine for ~3 hours whilst I went out a did stuff. Stuff like booking a trip away with my wonderful sister. And heading to the shops to buy coconut oil. And visiting Nana especially so I could borrow her food processor for step 2. You know, important stuff).

The apricots looking nice and soft and plump after a long soaking.

2. When the apricots are softened, drain and blend in a food processor until they are finely chopped.

 

 Apricots all blitzed up courtesy of Nana's food processor. I know what I want for Christmas!

3. Transfer chopped apricots back into the large bowl and add the dessicated coconut and coconut oil. Mix well.

Triple treat: apricots, coconut and coconut oil. 

4. Transfer mixture into a baking tray lined with baking paper and spread out at about 2cm thickness.

 Ready to chill.

5. Cover tray with plastic wrap and leave in the fridge overnight.
6. Slice mixture into small rectangles (about 1x2cm), roll in extra coconut.

7. Finally, enjoy!

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
 
Nutrition Information: Per serve (30g or 3 pieces): Energy 407kj, Protein 1.1g, Total fat 5.8g, Saturated fat 5.3g, Carbohydrates 9.5g, Sugars 8.6g, Dietary fibre 2.5g, Sodium 8.5mg.


I hope you enjoy this all natural, preservative-free version of this old classic. Please let me know below if this recipe is a hit with you!

- Em xx

Trekking towards Summit Nutrition

When I'm in need of inspiration, I need look no further than my beautiful parents. To me, my Mum and Dad are pretty darn amazing. They have worked themselves to the bone establishing and running their own business for 17 years whilst simultaneously raising my sister and I (tough gig, that one!). My parents have certainly instilled into me the meaning and importance of hard work and determination.

When they're not working, you'll find my parents at the footy or rugby, in the great outdoors, or most likely in the gym. (Hhhmmm, maybe that's where I get it from.....). Dad's always trying something new in the gym, pushing a little harder and going a little further. A jog outside turned into a 5km run, then a 10km run. Then next thing you know he's planning the year around various half marathons. Similarly, a touristy climb up Adam's Peak in Sri Lanka lead to climbing Mt Kinabalu in Borneo. Still yearning for more, Dad pulled out the big guns this year and took on Mt Kilimanjaro. "Mt Whaaaat?," you may asking. Mt Kilimanjaro, located in Africa, is the world's tallest free standing mountain at 5895 metres or 19 341 foot tall. Technically speaking, it is not a mountain at all, but a dormant volcano. No small feat, that's for sure. However I am extremely proud to say that Dad did conquer Mt Kilimanjaro!! In honour of Father's Day this weekend, this blog is all about Dad and his Kilimanjaro adventure. He shares some of his memories, including the food he ate, below:

"Before leaving for Tanzania, I did a lot of research, some of which included the food available on the trek. My reasoning was simple; I had prepared physically and mentally for the challenge, but what if something simple like an aversion to the food caused me to fail?? Thankfully my research told me I had nothing to worry about, and I soon found for myself that was the case. Our trip was organised by a local Tanzanian group called Kilizone. I spent some time talking to our head guide John Lyimo about the food. John himself was a chef /cook, who had worked his way up the chain over twenty years. After doing some 300 summits himself, he had a very good knowledge of what  foods were available, necessary, nutritious and healthy. He, his fellow senior guides, the camp cooks, local suppliers and Kilizone management  got together on a regular basis to discuss these matters. It was surprising to learn that EVERYTHING we ate over the 8 days on the mountain was carried there by porters! No shops, no cold storage depot, no freezers - it was all carried in. This meant we got fresh food each day, including locally grown fruit such as mango, pineapple, bananas and avocado, which were abundant. 
  
The very first day started with a boxed lunch of chicken, fruit, juice, cake and biscuits. Upon arriving at camp that afternoon, we were greeted with popcorn, tea, coffee and hot chocolate.
The evening meal always started with soup and bread; it was very good soup too! The main meals were either meat or chicken and sometimes with rice or pasta. There were also vegetables such as potatoes, sweet potato (a curious white variety), carrot and aubergine. The meals were always tasty, flavoursome and plentiful. Dessert was usually fruit, or sometimes pancakes with jam and honey. 
Breakfast was always porridge or chocolate flavoured millet. The porridge was way more popular than the millet! Eggs, sausages, toast and tea, coffee and hot chocolate were also available. On top of the provided meals, I also snacked on trail mix (aptly named in this case!), energy bars, fruit purloined from breakfast, lollies, and chocolate bars.

One guide always ate with us, which we all thought was very nice, but it turned out it was for a reason...he watched who was and who was not eating! Higher altitude dulls your appetite and sometimes you really have to force yourself to eat; no food = no energy, no energy = no summit.  There were two occasions I had to force myself to eat; one after a particularly grueling 9.5 hours on the trail which left me windburnt, sunburnt and tired. Dinner was really hard to get down that night. I was about to refuse, due to gagging just trying to get it down, but I persevered, took my time and thankfully managed to keep it down. I struggled to eat again on Summit morning, but accepted the eggs and graciously turned down the sausages, knowing they would otherwise repeat on me for the next 12 hours! 

On top of the food, liquid was critically important. We needed to drink 3-5 litres per day. I carried 3 litres of water with me and made it a point to drink it all, on top of tea coffee, even if it meant peeing every 45 minutes! At one stage I even stopped to drink water from a stream coming straight off the mountain - nothing like it! The guides explained that particularly above 4000 mtrs they liked us to drink coffee for it's stimulatory effect, which got your heart going, your blood circlulating and supposedly got your oxygen levels up (!?) In any case, it was good African coffee!

Looking back, it seems all we did was eat and drink! It was all for a good reason; 8 of the 10 trekkers in the group made the summit, fuelled by good diet. We spent 6.5 days ascending from 1500 metres to 5895 metres, and merely 1.5 days coming down again, covering approximately 80 to 100 kms. Despite the sumptuous feasts on the mountain, I lost 2kg on the journey. 

A fabulous celebratory meal was prepared for us at the bottom. Extremely tasty rice, savoury chicken, a myriad of side dishes, and a lovely spicy tomato relish, all washed down with Kilimanjaro beer and some champagne.....we had earned it!"

Dad at the Mt Kilimanjaro summit with "Summit Buddies" Bryce (left) and Ashley (right).

Thanks Dad! Congratulations on summiting Mt Kilimanjaro and living to tell the tale! I knew you would make it, especially after watching you prepare meticulously for months and months. You are incredible! Thank you for sharing the culinary tales of Mt Kilimanjaro. I wouldn't mind trying the white sweet potato myself, with a side of that spicy tomato relish too! I also think the chocolate millet may need to be recreated for #wednesdaybreakfastclub, it sounds quite decadent! It's great to have you home safe and sound. Good luck preparing for Everest Base Camp!!!!!
 

Get some Pork on your Fork!

Many of my clients will say to me things like "I sometimes have pork, which I know is bad." To this I exclaim, "Absolutely not! Pork is wonderful!" Sure, devouring roast pork and crackling or a big pork chop with a thick rim of fat is certainly not something I recommend (whopping saturated fat dose there), but a lean piece of pork is a nutritional goldmine.

Did you know, lean pork (meaning pork without fat) is an excellent source of protein which will keep you full, strong and healthy. It is also rich in thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and vitamins B6 and B12, which support metabolism, mental function, energy, growth and prevent anaemia. Pork also provides selenium, zinc, and omega 3 for healthy eyes, brain, skin and reduced risk of illness. To top it all off, lean pork has less than half the fat of beef fillets, less fat than snapper or chicken and is a source of iron. Pork is very versatile and offers increased variety to your diet, so why not get some pork on your fork?!? 

Pork features regularly in my household, as we are able to buy it in bulk from our local butcher, making it an economic option. We typically buy a few lean pork fillets at once, add our homemade marinade of choice and leave them to marinate overnight. The next day we will cook one fillet and freeze the remaining fillets (uncooked) so we an whip them out and cook up a delicious dinner in next to no time during busy weeks. Preparation and planning is crucial to keep a healthy diet on track.

We had pork for dinner tonight and we all agreed it was a most enjoyable, satisfying and nutritious meal. So I thought I would share it with you. I hope you enjoy the below recipe:

Five Spice Pork Fillet 
Serves 4 

Ingredients
500g lean pork fillet(s)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
2-3 teaspoons Chinese Five Spice powder
1 teaspoon cornflour
2 tablespoons boiling water
1-2 tablespoons salt-reduced soy sauce

Method:
1. In a bowl or baking dish, add crushed garlic, grated ginger, five spice powder, cornflour, boiling water and soy sauce and stir to combine.
2. Add pork fillet and cover well with marinade.
3. Cover dish with cling wrap and leave in the fridge overnight to allow flavours to permeate the pork.
4. To cook the pork, I recommend barbequing over the grill on the barbeque, basting with residual marinade from the dish, for about 30 minutes or until pork is just cooked through.
5. Remove from grill, slice pork and serve. This dish pairs well with stewed apple and vegetables or alternatively with stir fried Asian greens and slivered almonds. Enjoy! 

Marinating 3 pork fillets, one to eat the next day (after marinating overnight) and the other 2 for the freezer. 

Sliced Fived Spiced Pork straight from the BBQ, ready to be enjoyed! 

 

 Five Spiced Pork, stewed apple, Tuscan cabbage and steamed carrot, pumpkin, cauliflower and corn for a wholesome, satisfying and delicious weeknight dinner.

 

So, dear readers, fear not pork! Add some variety to your weekly repertoire and get some pork on your fork!! For more tasty pork recipes, check out the Australian Pork Recipe Finder .

- Em xx

I've gone nuts!

I've gone nuts. I've always been a little bit nutty, but my nuttiness has escalated of late. The truth is, I've been going nuts every day. But why not go nuts? Did you know that a healthy 30g handful of nuts helps control your weight, lowers your risk of heart disease by 30-50%, lowers mortality by 20%, reduces your risk of Type 2 Diabetes and also reduces your LDL (the 'bad') cholesterol? Just 30g of nuts provides protein, fibre, antioxidants, iron, healthy fats, vitamin E, potassium, magnesium and plant sterols. Basically, this is a recipe for a healthy heart, healthy muscles, healthy skin and more energy = a happy and healthy body!

An infographic of the benefits of a handful of nuts from Nuts For Life.

I'll be honest, I have previously been a little sceptical of nuts. You see, although they are packed full of goodness, nuts are between 45-75% fat, depending on the variety. How can something with such a high fat content be part of a healthy diet? How would eating such a food on a regular basis affect my weight? Well, it's all a bit nutty really. Since adding a handful of nuts to my diet (a mixture of almonds, walnuts, pecans, macademias, brazil nuts, cashews and chestnuts in my porridge, muesli bars, snacks, meals and desserts) my weight has remained unchanged. Huh? That's right, I've added about 900kj and 22g fat to my diet each day without eliminating anything else, and my weight has stayed the same. In all honesty, I'm wishing I went nutty sooner! But how can this be so? As explained on the wonderfully informative Nuts for Life website, your one stop shop for the latest nutty news, nuts help you feel full due to their high protein and fibre content. Secondly, not all of the calories in nuts are digested! Between 5 and 15% of the energy in nuts passes straight through your digestive system without being digested. So you can have your cake nuts and eat them too! The third reason nuts help to keep you trim and terrific is that they are hard to digest, so basically your body has to work for it nuts! This increases your metabolism and means some energy will be expended whilst digesting the nuts.

But wait, how much exactly is "a handful" of nuts? The recommended daily portion of nuts is 30g. You could weigh and portion out your nuts, or you could measure out one third of a cup of nuts, an espresso cup full of nuts, or the equivalent size of a Post-It-Note.

I do hope this post has inspired you to get a little nutty this winter! The winter months are a wonderful time to incorporate some nuts into your diet. As I mentioned earlier, my nut consumption has increased lately, with nuts in my muesli, porridge, muesli bars, crumbles, tagines, stir fries, pastas, rice, cous cous dishes and even as a garnish for vegetable side dishes. If you're keen to go nuts but you're not quite sure how, check out this recipe collection or register to receive these recipe books  from Nuts for Life.

I'd love to know if you get your healthy handful each day, and if so, how? Until next time, stay happy, healthy and nutty!
- Em xx