Snacks Archives - Zena Kidd-May

Tahini Fudge Slices

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

1/2 cup coconut cream (the block cream not runny stuff in the tin)
1/4 cup tahini
1 tbsp organic honey
1 tbsp maca powder (optional)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of pink salt
1 tbsp melted coconut oil

Melt the coconut cream over a bain-marie, make sure you do this first since it takes 20 odd minutes to breakdown the large block cream.
Then add the coconut oil to a small pan over a very low heat. This will not take very long so watch over it since you don't want it to get hot.
Then pop all the ingredients in to a blender or food processor and pulse until it becomes a creamy paste.
Pour in to the moulds or a lined loaf tin and place in the freezer for a few hours to set.

Raw Chocolate Fudge

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

250g raw cacao paste
75g raw cacao butter
175g Rice syrup (can use agave or raw honey)
Pinch of pink salt

Melt the cacao paste and butter gently together in a bain-marie. until runny
Add the melted cacao paste and butter with all the other ingredients to your blender and blend through on full power until smooth.
Spoon the mixture evenly into your moulds. But if you are in a hurry then spoon it into a plastic or glass container and freeze for 1 hour or until fudge is nice and firm.
Take moulds out of the freezer and pop the pieces out on to a chopping board. If you have used a container, turn the block of fudge out on to a board and cut into cubes with a very sharp knife.
store in an airtight glass container in the fridge for un to 3/4 weeks.

Matcha Green Tea & Cacao

I must admit this isn’t my recipe, I came across it a year or so ago and just loved the vibrancy of the green (may favourite colour!). I sadly didn’t make a note of the creator, I send them gratitude 🙏🏻 for this truly scrumptious snack. It’s super healthy, easy to make and of course GF, DF, & refined sugar-free. The chances are that you’ll have most of the ingredients in your pantry.

The only change I made from the original recipe was use rice syrup, which is easier to digest and not as sweet as maple syrup or honey. Feel free to use a different nut and what ever sweetener you have to hand.

I normally double the ingredents and freeze them. They take seconds to defrost so the best snack on the go!

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

120g raw cacao butter
5/6 tbsp rice syrup (depending on how sweet you want it)
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of pink salt
3 cups of macadamia nuts
1 tsp matcha green tea powder

Cacao butter, syrup, vanilla and salt to a small pan on very low heat and melt slowly.
Add macadamia nuts to a food processor (I use a Kitchen Aid) and blend until completely smooth.
Add the matcha and mix
Add the cacao mixture and blend
Pour the mixture in a lined tray and spread out to your desired thickness.
Sprinkle with your desired topping if adding!
And freeze to set.
Once set, break into pieces and store in the fridge for 2 weeks or the freezer.

Homemade Almond Butter

Note: View the gallery images by clicking on them for the stages of making the butter to see what the consistency should be like!

A few tips about making your own almond butter:
You can use raw or roasted almonds. Raw almonds take a little longer, and freshly roasted almonds break down into nut butter faster, if added to the food processor while still warm. (You can dry-roast your own almonds for 10-12 minutes at 350F).
Feel free to add salt or spices.
Don’t use soaked almonds (without thoroughly drying), or add liquid, for longest shelf life. It might be tempting to add something like vanilla extract, but added moisture will reduce the shelf life greatly.

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

3 or 4 cups (depending on the size of your food processor) of almonds Pinch of pink sea salt

Place 3 or 4 cups (depending on the size of your food processor) of almonds in a food processor fitted with an “S” blade. Secure the lid and allow to process for 20-30 minutes, stopping and scraping down the sides as needed throughout the process.
The almond butter is ready with the oils have released and the resulting butter is very smooth and creamy.
Transfer the almond butter to a sealed glass jar, and store in the fridge for best shelf life.

Courgette & Coconut cake

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

100ml olive oil
3 large eggs or 6 medium size eggs
100g coconut palm sugar
65g clear maple syrup or honey
280g gluten free self-raising flour
½ tsp gluten free baking powder
½ tsp gluten free bicarbonate of soda
200g courgette or zucchini, grated & make sure you squeeze access liquid with hands after grating
75g desiccated coconut

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Lightly grease a 22cm round loose-bottomed cake tin and line with baking parchment.
Put the eggs, oil, sugar and syrup in a bowl and whisk for 3-4 mins until combined.
Sift the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda over the mixture and fold in carefully, along with the courgette and desiccated coconut.
Spoon into the tin and bake for 35 mins until golden and firm to the touch. Push a skewer into the centre of the cake – if it comes out clean, then it is cooked. If it is still wet, cook for a further 5-10 mins. Transfer the cake to a wire rack and leave to cool completely before icing.

Raw Basil & Almond Butter Pesto

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

1 garlic clove chopped
1/2 tsp. pink Himalayan salt
3 cups of fresh basil (leaves only)
3/4 cup of olive oil
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup of almond butter (see foot note to make your own almond butter)

Place all the ingredients except the butter in a food processor. Pulse and scrape down the sides until the mixture has reached a smooth texture, having said that I do like my pesto a bit chunky. While running, add the almond butter.

Your pesto is ready! Store in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple of weeks. I have never frozen mine before but if you try that and it works please let me know.

Raw Coconut Macaroons

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

1 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
1 tbsp. coconut flour
1/4 tsp. pink himalayan salt (Oops forgot to add this in the picture!)
2 tbsp. coconut oil (melted & wait until its cool before adding)
3 tbsp. rice syrup (more if you like it sweeter)
1 tbsp. vanilla extract (don’t be tempted to add more vanilla)

Start by combining the shredded coconut & coconut flour in the food processor. Then pulse in salt, coconut oil, rice syrup and vanilla. Keep combining until the dough forms a ball.
Now, wet your hands and scoop a little at a time and roll into balls. If you don’t wet your hands the dough will get very sticky.

And that’s it, they are ready to enjoy!

Pop them in an airtight container and put in the fridge, they will last about 1-2 weeks or keep them in the freezer. They take about 20 min to defrost.

Raw Chocolate Pistachio & Cranberry Slice

(Sugar, Gluten & Dairy Free)

I will only ever blog about recipes I feel truly passionate about or that friends & family have expressed how superb it is.

OMG, this is definitely one of those recipes……… it is seriously yummy!

It is super healthy; to me that means sugar, dairy and gluten free.

I mixed labneh (see note), melted chocolate, crushed unsalted pistachio nuts & dried cranberries. I am Anglo-Iraqi so experimenting with labneh is very familiar to me.

Baking tin 10in x 5.5in, lightly greased and lined bottom and sides with baking paper. It is important you add the sides so you can lift the slice from the tin.

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

90ml labneh (see note)
300g organic good quality 85% dark chocolate, finely chopped
80g shelled unsalted pistachios, finely chopped
75g dried cranberries, finely chopped
Raw coconut oil to grease the baking tin

Melt the chocolate over a bain-marie until it is melted. When this has cooled a little, add the labneh and give it a good mix. Fold in the pistachios & cranberries. Pour into a tin, smooth the top of the mixture with a palette knife and leave in the fridge, covered for 2-3 hours or until firm. Remove the slice from the tin and bring to room temperature. You can decorate it with raw cocoa powder or I used freeze dried strawberries that I got from a supermarket. It’s ready to share and enjoy….!

Gluten & Dairy Free Chocolate Cake

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

250g goats butter (room temperature, I take it out the fridge the night before)
150g coconut palm sugar
180g good quality dark chocolate 85% (Use 70% if that’s all you can find)
100g organic ground almonds (see foot note on how to make your own – so easy!)
6 organic medium eggs
1 tablespoon organic apple cider vinegar

25cm round spring form cake tin – lightly butter the tin & line the bottom with baking parchment then dust with a little gluten free flour.
Preheat the oven 170 c / gas mark 3
Cooking time 30-35 mins depending on oven.

Melt chocolate in a bowl over a bain-marie.
Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy & soft then add ground almonds and mix thoroughly.
Stir in the melted chocolate, beat in the eggs one at a time until completely mixed through.
Add the tablespoon of vinegar
Spoon the mixture into your prepared tin and pop it in the oven for 30-35min or until it’s firm to touch but not cooked through since it
will dry out. A skewer inserted into the centre of the cake should not come out completely clean.
Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool in the tin.
When cool get creative and sprinkle with raw cocoa powder or top with summer berries…..delicious!

The best dairy free flapjack recipe ever, so moist and gooey!

[row]I have decided to add this dairy free flapjack recipe to my post because I am constantly being asked for it – so here it is! You will love these flapjacks and so quick to prepare.

You can use unrefined soft brown sugar but the coconut palm sugar (read more about this at foot of page) gives it its gooeyness and its better for you!

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4 ingredients only

250g Goats Butter

150g Golden Syrup

166g Biona organic coconut palm sugar

333g Organic Porridge oats

Preheated oven at 160 c / gas 3

Cooking time 25-30 mins depending on oven – experiment!

In a large pan, melt butter, syrup and palm sugar till runny. Turn heat off. Add oats and mix well.
Line a try (20 x 30 cm) with scrunched up baking parchment and pour the mixture, then flatten and spread with spatula.
Then bake. When they are ready to come out they will look seriously under baked – they will wobble if you shake the try.
Cover tray and leave overnight or 6-8 hours to settle and harden a little. When ready cut into squares and enjoy!
These will keep for a week but mine never last that long or make extra and freeze.

Do drop me a line, let me know what you think…..share my dairy free flapjack recipe with others by LIKE my page!

Recipe by Satya Yoga Oxford at http://www.satyayoga.co.uk/2016/flapjacks/

Biona Organic Coconut palm sugar – its an ancient form of sugar which is gaining new popularity partly because of its low GI status. Sometimes just called palm sugar, it has a GI level of just 35. This low glycemic value means that it is beneficial to diabetics and people watching their weight. It is also low in fructose, even though it is taken from the sap of a coconut tree.
The taste is described as something like a mild butterscotch or caramel flavour. It can be used in the same proportion as sugar in cooking and it has a low melt temperature and a high burn temperature which makes it a useful ingredient. It doesn’t turn food brown when cooking either.

Biona’s Organic Coconut Sugar is completely natural, not filtered, processed or bleached, and it offers a rich supply of mineral salts, B vitamins and amino acids – this is part of the reason that it is gaining popularity among health gurus. In fact many cultures throughout history have valued it for its health benefits. It can be used as an alternative sweetener in drinks, baking and desserts, and it is really yummy on cereals.

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