Recipes by Amy Hopkins; photographs by Micky Hoyle
Proper comfort food that’ll satisfy your sweet craving without the guilt? Bring it!
1. Five-Minute Superfood Mousse
Serves 2
The cacao is packed with antioxidants, the banana and avo with potassium (and good fats) and honey is a natural antibacterial. A dessert that keeps your heart and body strong? Who needs dinner anyway?
Ingredients:
— 1 frozen banana
— Flesh of 2 avocados
— ¼ cup honey
— ¼ cup raw cacao powder
— 3 to 4 tbsp coconut cream
Make it:
1/ Place all ingredients in a Nutribullet and process until a thick, smooth mousse forms.
2/ Serve with berries and mint (optional).
Per serving (excluding berries): 2 354kJ, 37g fat (15g sat fat), 6.2g fibre,4.6g protein, 0g salt
2. Sugar-Free Poached Pears
Serves 6
This is a great dinner-party crowd-pleaser, plus all the alcohol burns off during the cooking process.
Ingredients:
— 1 bottle red wine
— 1.5 litres water (or enough to cover the pears)
— 1 cinnamon stick
— 1 vanilla pod (split)
— 10 cloves
— 6 firm pears, peeled
Make it:
1/ Place all the ingredients in a large pot, bring to the boil and poach until pears are cooked through (but not too soft) and reddish in colour, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove and set aside.
2/ Serve as is or with a dollop of Greek yoghurt.
Per serving (excludes yoghurt): 421kJ, 0.1 fat (0g sat fat), 3.7g fibre, 0.5g protein, 0g salt
3. Protein-Packed Brownies
The citrus flavour is fairly mild, so don’t shy away if you’re not generally a fan of the chocolate-orange combo… And why would anyone say no to extra antioxidants? Plus, protein!
Ingredients:
— 4 free-range extra-large eggs
— 200g dark chocolate (raw cacao paste or Lindt 90% Cocoa)
— Juice and zest of 2 oranges
— ¼ cup honey
— Seeds from 1 vanilla pod
— 1 tsp baking powder
— 1.5 cups almond flour
— 1 tbsp coconut oil
Make it:
1/ Preheat oven to 180°C.
2/ Whisk eggs with an electric mixer until light and frothy.
3/ Melt the chocolate gently in a double boiler or in the microwave (check it often or it could burn).
4/ Add the orange juice and zest to the honey and vanilla.
5/ Pour in the melted chocolate and mix until well combined, then gently stir in the baking powder and almond flour.
6/ Grease a baking tin with coconut oil. Pour in the mixture and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, depending on how gooey you like your brownies. Serve with raspberries (optional).
100G SERVING: Per serving (excludes raspberries): 1 137kJ, 21g fat (8.8g sat fat), 4g fibre, 7.5g protein, 0.1g salt
4. Immune-Boosting Jelly
Now here’s a sweet way to get your RDA of vitamin C! Besides helping you fight off colds and flu, the C helps your body absorb iron more efficiently and aids in repairing tissue and the formation of collagen. Healthy and glowing? Hell, yeah!
Ingredients:
— Juice of 1 lemon
— Juice of 3.5 large naartjies or mineolas (slice the remaining half into discs for garnishing)
— 1 tbsp coconut sugar
— ¼ tsp agar agar
Make it:
1/ Place all the juice and the sugar in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
2/ Sprinkle the agar agar over the liquid. Stir until dissolved while you bring the mixture to the boil. Once it boils, bring it down to a simmer.
3/ Line a glass bowl with naartjie rings or divide among two wine or bubbly glasses. Pour in the jelly mix and set in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.
4/ Serve as is or with some vegan coconut ice cream.
Depending on the size of your naartjies, you may need to add an extra one to yield enough juice (you need at least one cup).
100G SERVING: Per serving (excludes ice cream): 283kJ, 0.2g fat (0g sat fat), 1.1g fibre, 0.6g protein, 0g salt
Try these 6 healthy homemade pizza recipes that’ll take your slice to the next level. Plus: These super-tasty Mediterranean diet recipes can actually help you lose weight!
