Almond And Peanut Butter Energy Balls

These tasty and chewy Almond and Peanut Butter Balls are the BEST energy booster! They are perfect to have as an after workout snack when you feel your energy is low or on busy days when you are on the go and want something quick and easy.

The chocolaty, sweet and and nutty flavour is everything you need in a snack. If you like peanut butter, then these are definitely for you! Plus they’re they are plant based, gluten free and are packed with protein, what else could ask for in a healthy snack? 

INGREDIENTS

150g almonds
250g pitted medjool dates
2 tbsp raw cacao powder
2 tbsp of peanut butter
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp coconut oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Place the almonds in the food processor and whiz until they are finely ground.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients to the food processor plus 1 tbsp of water and blend again until all the ingredients are mixed and well combined

3. Roll the mixture into small balls

4. Place the balls in the fridge and chill for 1 hour to harden, once the balls are cooled and harden up you can  store them in the fridge in an air tight storage container for up to 3-4 days

Enjoy 

Green Pea Hummus

Hummus is one of of those snacks that I like to have in my fridge at all times. I find that whenever I get hungry between meals and I start making myself a little mezze with raw veggies and a big dollop of hummus it totally satisfies any of my hunger cravings.

The combination of fresh raw vegetables that are packed with fibre and water together with the high amount of protein that comes from the chickpeas is the perfect combination to keep you satisfied and hunger free until your next main meal.

I also recommend making your own hummus and stop reaching for the ones in the shop. It only takes 5 minutes to make and when you start making your own hummus, you are also in control of how much fat you put into your recipe, helping you to keep your hummus low fat and therefore keeping calories at a minimum.

Take my green pea hummus, it is twice as packed with protein that comes from the peas and chickpeas and has a lovely sweet flavour compared to the the classic  hummus version. Using peas in hummus also increases your nutrient intake as peas are packed full with all kinds of nutritious goodness including Vitamin C, A and K plus they are a good source of iron too.

INGREDIENTS

200g fresh or frozen peas
250 g chickpeas
30g fresh coriander
1 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp olive oil or sesame oil
juice of half a lemon
salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. To make the hummus, add all the ingredients,  peas, chickpeas, coriander, tahini, lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper in a high speed blender and puree until completely smooth.

2. Transfer into a bowl and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil

It is best to serve the hummus fresh and enjoy with some crackers, toasted bread or sweet potato chips.

Blackberry Oat Crumble Bars

I found the perfect recipe for all your foraged blackberries that you have collected this September. These bars are not only healthy and totally plant based, gluten free and dairy free but they are also super deliciously gooey and crunchy. Perfect comport food that you don’t need to feel guilty about if you want another slice.

Here is how you make them!

Ingredients

300 g oats
100g almond flour
half a tsp of salt
half a tsp of cinnamon
100g of coconut oil
120g of honey/ maple syrup
35g of cashew nut butter

300g blackberries
1 tbsp cornflour

Directions

1. Place the dry ingredients (oats, almond flour, salt and cinnamon in a food processor and pulse a couple of times to chop the oats.

2. In a small pot place the coconut oil, honey and cashew nut butter and warm up until everything is melted and then give the mixture a good stir.

3. Now put all the wet and dry ingredients together in a large bowl and mix well so that the mixture becomes well coated and crumbly.

4. In a baking tray lined with baking paper, place half o the mixture and press firmly so that the bottom becomes evenly covert. Bake for 10 min in an oven at 180 C

5. While bottom crust is baking, add blackberries and tapioca starch to the food processor and pulse 3-4 times to break the blackberries up. Remove the crust from the oven and pour blackberry puree over crust. Crumble reserved oat mixture evenly over blackberries. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until topping is golden brown.

6. Remove from the oven and let it cool down for an hour and then refrigerate in the fridge for another 2 hours before slicing.