Author: Matt

Matt is a busy hubby that loves sweets and most food that isn't good for you. He doesn't think good food has to be boring though, and that it can indeed be just as tasty as bad food. So, he is on a mission to find and cook healthy, low or no cholesterol food that will not only taste good but help you feel good too.

Hearty Mushroom Risotto Balls

I first made this for Christmas to serve as an accompaniment to the roast vegetables. They were an absolute hit. The mushroom flavour comes through so strong, with contrasting textures where the outside is crispy and almost crunchy followed by a soft risotto centre.

Definitely one to remember. One thing to note though is that it does take a while because you have to let the rice slowly absorb the stock. So probably best to plan this one in advance but well worth it. Continue reading Hearty Mushroom Risotto Balls

Coconut Whipped Cream

Cream is one of those reasons I have often said I could never be vegan, that and cheese. I can give or take meat, eggs, milk and so on, but cream and cheese always get me.

Then I decided to try whipping coconut cream up to see if it would whip like normal cream. Turns out while it’s not exactly like normal cream it is very close, and frankly, it is amazing! With cream like this, I can definitely do without normal cream. Not only is it cholesterol free and marginally better for me (still a bit on the fatty side though), but it actually tastes better too in my opinion. It also doesn’t have the side effect of phlegm build up in my throat that I get whenever I have regular dairy cream (too much info?).

All I can say is make it, it will blow your mind. Continue reading Coconut Whipped Cream

Lemon, Beetroot Hummus Dip

I encountered this recipe on the Record website while looking for a good dip recipe to serve for Christmas. Unfortunately I didn’t end up needing it so didn’t make it until after Christmas. I found it was quite a nice dip, though it takes a little bit of forethought and preparation to ensure you have your chickpeas rehydrated. I did however feel that overall while it was nice it wasn’t a stand out. With a few modifications, adding some lemon juice and cashews it makes for a much more interesting dip and I keep coming back for more.

Dig in with some quality chips or crackers! I served it with Chipman’s kale and spirulina corn chips. Continue reading Lemon, Beetroot Hummus Dip

Tasty Cauliflower Balls

Wifey was responsible this year for looking after the gluten-free food at her work Christmas party, so I offered to help as I had come across this recipe on Peta Latino that I wanted to try making.

It turned out to work a treat and for something so simple tasted absolutely fantastic. So good in fact I decided to make them again for our own Christmas lunch! It makes around about 40-50 balls depending on how big you roll and works well served or as finger food. Continue reading Tasty Cauliflower Balls

Frozen Raw Strawberry Macadamia Cake (Dairy and Gluten-Free)

I was looking for a good dessert recipe to use for Christmas lunch that is also healthy, after all, what’s the point of a healthy lunch only to have a very bad for you dessert?

Mum actually sent me this recipe a few weeks before hand and I had kind of forgotten about it until I happened across it again going through recipes I had set aside that looked interesting. This one fit the bill perfect, it would be nice and cool if Christmas day turned out to be a scorcher, it’s a little bit different to the typical vegan, gluten-free cake, and the flavours sounded amazing. So I went for it. Unfortunately I realised part way through that the original recipe called for a 6″ springform pan and I was using a 9.5″ one, but fortunately I was able to adapt from there on to work. The cake is a little smaller than it should have been if all the ingredients were directly proportional to the original, but frankly I think it is a pretty good balance and it would actually be too big if it were any bigger.

So, make sure you use a 9.5″ springform pan with these ingredient quantities.

That aside, I was surprised how easy it was to make for an amateur cook like me and the cake was a hit, the family all loved it and raved about it. This is definitely one to go in the “things to make again” collection. Continue reading Frozen Raw Strawberry Macadamia Cake (Dairy and Gluten-Free)

Coconut Rough Balls (Gluten-Free)

I love my home made chocolate, but I’ve been looking for some new sweets that I can make without too much effort. Ideally, something raw and something that is not too bad for me.

Wifey came across this recipe on Sweet As Honey and suggested I give it a try. They looked and sounded great so I thought, why not.

The recipe is very simple and the balls are quite quick to make. The longest part is waiting for them to firm up in the fridge, but if you stagger the decoration it doesn’t feel like you are sitting around waiting. Eg, roll one plate of coconut balls and put them in the fridge. Roll another plate and put them in the fridge then pull out the first plate and decorate etc.

I found that the mix makes between 50 and 60 coconut balls depending on how big you roll them, so it can serve quite a few! Continue reading Coconut Rough Balls (Gluten-Free)

Raw Cashew Chocolate

As much as I love macadamia’s and my macadamia chocolate, they tend to be a bit expensive compared to other nuts, so I thought I’d try and change it up a bit using cashew nuts instead.

After processing the cashews on their own I wasn’t quite sure how it would come out as they become a fine powder rather than a butter.

It works though, the result came out very similar to the macadamia version. The big difference though is besides a slightly different flavour, the cashews leave small cashew pieces through the chocolate where the macadamia version just disappears into the chocolate.

Yum.

Now of note, if you don’t have raw honey, you can use processed honey. I’ve found though that processed honey does not mix through properly and ends up clumping together at the bottom of the bowl. This results in some pieces being much sweeter and softer than other pieces. If you choose to use processed honey I would probably use less honey and make sure you mix it through well. I also found when using processed honey that overall the chocolate tends to melt faster than when using raw honey.
Continue reading Raw Cashew Chocolate

Vegan Tropical Ice Blocks – Perfect for Summer

I came across this recipe on Facebook for a simple ice block that is absolutely perfect for summer, and very easy to make.

I found though that it also makes a great smoothie base. Just freeze it in ice cube size chunks and add as many to your smoothie as you need to get the desired flavour. Continue reading Vegan Tropical Ice Blocks – Perfect for Summer

Raw Macadamia Chocolate

I’ve made chocolate before using another recipe that included cacao butter. I love it, but wifey finds it is too oily for her liking so I’ve been looking for alternative ways to make it.

Wifey actually found this recipe to make “choco-nut butter cups” which she liked the sound of. When I read through it I thought it was remarkably similar to the chocolate recipe I used, but replaces the cacao butter with a nut butter.

Thus I decided to give it a go and use a chocolate mould instead, and it worked. Even better (or worse depending on how you look at it), wifey loves it! It seems to be less oily than the cacao butter based versions, and it doesn’t melt as quickly. Continue reading Raw Macadamia Chocolate