Apple and Rhubarb 'Superfood' Crumble

This is an attempt to make the most nutrient rich, delicious, low calorie dessert possible. It is so full of goodness it probably could even be eaten for breakfast!

Serves 4

Ingredients
4 red apples
bunch of rhubarb
2 tbs coarsely ground raw almonds
1 tbs protein powder
3 tbs Agave Syrup or Honey
1 tbs chia seeds
3 tbs raw oats
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
vanilla essence
1/ cup water

Method
1. Finely chop apples (leave skin on) and rhubarb (food processor is best if you have one). Put in a saucepan with water and 1 tbs agave syrup and cook on medium heat until fruit is stewed.
2. In a small bowl combine remaining ingredients (including 2 tbs agave syrup). Mix with finger until mixture resembles granola. This is the crumble topping
3. Poor stewed fruit into a small casserole dish. Top with crumble. Bake in a 200 degree oven for about 10mins or until crumble has lightly browned and is crunchy.
4. Serve with a dollop of natural or greek yoghurt.

Baked Berry Cottage-Cheesecake

I love the idea of turning normally wicked desserts into something much healthier. Instead of the usual cream cheese in a cheesecake this one uses low fat cottage cheese instead and it is crustless. You'll notice that i'm going to start making lots of deserts with 2 servings like this. It is because just recently got a very cute 10cm springform cake tin. It is just perfect for 2 people and as there are no left overs there is no temptation to overdo it!

Serves: 2

Calories per serve: 171 calories

Preparation time: 5 mins

Cooking time: 1hr

Ingredients:

200g reduced fat cottage cheese

zest of 1 lemon

squeeze of lemon juice

1 tbs agave syrup (or honey)

1 whole egg

splash of vanilla essence

1/2 tbs cornflour

1/4 cup mixed berries (can be frozen)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.

2. In a mixing bowl combine all the ingredients except the berries. Beat with hand beaters until well blended as smooth as possible (there will be some lumps still).

3. Stir through berries.

4. Pour into a 10cm springform tin or ramekin. Cook in oven for 1hr although check at about the 45 min mark that it isn't browning too much.

5. Chill in fridge and serve cold with yoghurt and fresh berries.

Pumpkin Pie

The latest issue of the SBS feast magazine (currently my favourite cooking magazine) had the most beautiful picture of a pumpkin pie in it. This inspired me to create my own version - a much healthier one though!


Serves 4
Calories per serve: 196


Ingredients
2 cups raw pumpkin cut into pieces with skin still on (Queensland Blue or Kent if you can)
2 whole eggs
2 tbs agave syrup (or honey)
1 tsp brown sugar
2 tbs almond meal (or even better the left over meal from making almond milk)
6 pitted dates
2 tbs rolled oats
1 tbs almond milk (or regular milk)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp all spice
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg


1. Steam pumpkin for about 20mins or until soft. Once cooked soup out flesh and put in a sieve over a bowel for about 15 mins to reduce some of the moisture. 
2. To make in a mortar and pestle or a food processor mix together the almond meal, dates and rolled oats. Once they all a mush scoop into the base of a cake or pie tin (or individual muffin cups if you like). press down with your fingers so is firm. Put in the freezer to set. 
3. Put pumpkin mash in a bowl. Add spices, agave syrup, almond milk, eggs and spices, cornflourBeat on low until it is smooth. Put in a sauce pan and bring to the boil mixing constantly. Once it is has thickened up a bit, remove. 
4. Scoop into pie tin. Sprinkle top with brown sugar. 
5. Bake in a 200 degree C oven for 15 mins. Then reduce oven to 180 degrees, and bake for another 50 mins. 
6. Let cool a bit then serve warm or chilled. yum.

Yoghurt, Almond milk and Raspberry Ice-cream (includes raw almond milk recipe)

At the moment my focus in very much on low calorie and healthy food. I'm experimenting a bit though with raw food although I by no means follow the whole 'raw lifestyle'. Anyway after making some almond milk i thought i'd try and make some ice-cream with it. This can easily be made dairy free too just by cutting out the yoghurt. I just added yoghurt in it to make it a little more creamier.

Recipe for Raw Almond Milk

Makes 4-8 cups of almond milk

1 cup almonds

water

vanilla essence

agave syrup

Method:

1. Soak almonds in water in fridge for 8-12 hours

3. Strain almonds. Put in blender with 4 cups of water (if your blender isn't big you may need to do this in two batches). Add a drop of vanilla essence and about 1 tsp of agave syrup (or honey).

4. Pour through a sieve into a bowl. Keep almond meal for another use.

5. Store milk covered in fridge. It will last about 5 days.

This almond milk is 86 calories per cup. If you would like a lower calorie version then put half of the milk back in the blender with 2 cups of water and blend. Do this again with the rest of the milk.

Then the almond milk is only 43 calories.

The ice-cream recipe below is made with the slightly richer (86 calorie) version of the almond milk. There is no reason though you couldn't do with it the weaker stuff, although expect a less creamy ice-cream.

Ice-cream Recipe

Makes 1 serve which is 139 calories.

1 cup almond milk

10 frozen raspberries

1 tbs agave syrup

1 egg white

1 tbs low fat (unsweetened if possible) greek yoghurt

ice

1/2 cup salt

two metal bowls, one smaller than the other

Method

1. In the large bowl put a lot of ice. Then add 1/2 cup of salt and mix together. Put the second smaller bowl inside the larger bowl. Make sure the ice level is such that it does not overflow but there is enough that the ice goes up the sides (on the outside) of the smaller bowl.

2. In smaller bowl put frozen raspberries (crush them up a bit), almond milk, agave syrup, yoghurt and egg white. Use a spoon or beaters on low and mix until mixture becomes thick. Make sure you scrape down the edges as you do this as they the first the freeze. 

3. If you'd like it a bit harder then put the bowl of ice cream in the freezer for a while.