Marrakech Food Diary

Another food diary from a trip to Marrakech, Morocco. What an amazing place and the good is out of this world! The spices and herbs used on all the dishes are just heaven...

Date and Oat Crumbles

 So I have had requests for the recipe for these Date and Oat crumbles, so I thought I would speed up this blog post so you can start baking them!

                   

These are so delicious and the texture of the crumbly oats and the gooey date centre is so yummy! Sweet but not sickly. They are the perfect energy boost for a snack or post workout for example. You could even eat these beauties for breakfast as the oats would give you a good slow release of energy throughout the morning! 

Keep them airtight and they will last a few days or freeze them in squares for when you want a sweet treat.

Here is the recipe!

Beetroot and Spinach Tortilla Wraps

This is my favourite recipe in a long while! These tortilla wraps are a dream! Perfect lunchtime inspiration or for when you are feeding a crowd. The colours are just glorious when eating and the flavour tastes just like you have bought a pack of wraps from the supermarket- but better (okay Im slightly biased).

Before you think that they are going to taste strongly of beetroot and spinach you would be mistaken as you can struggle to taste those flavours at all actually!

Little fact: Did you know beetroot and spinach are often added to foods as a natural food colouring without impacting the taste! Healthy and colourful foods- whats not to love! 

The wraps are gluten free and refined sugar free. 

Makes around 5-7 wraps depending on how thick and big you make them.

Ingredients:

Walnut Butter

Similar to the Almond Butter post I did a while back, this time walnuts! I love to mix up the different nut butters and try different ones. This recipe makes a tasty and creamy nut butter.

I have figured out walnut butters perfect pairing for a great snack- dates! Dates stuffed with creamy walnut butter is like caramel and toffee heaven. Way better than any refined sugar alternative you would find in the supermarket. 

Homemade Guacamole

Avocados are the best! Use it for a face mask, the base of an exfoliator, in brownies or making it the feature dish- Guacamole!

As the temperatures are getting warmer and we all aren't eating hot meals constantly for warmth, it is so nice to have a refreshing chilled meal once in a while, enter guac. So nourishing with a creamy texture and great flavour you can pair it with any dish or have it as your main meal.

There are so many benefits of eating avocado to boost your health. It is full

Avocado Toast

This is such an easy and filling breakfast. For the toast I use Biona bread Quinoa and Amaranth. This bread is great protein so perfect for breakfast.

I use half an avocado and 1 piece of bread as it is so filling but by all means add another half avocado or extra slice of bread.

Cacao Oat Crispies

This is my newest recipe that I absolutely love, they actually remind me of when I was a child making chocolate covered corn flakes as a sweet treat! They are refined sugar free and gluten free and include superfoods coconut oil and raw cacao. I have actually had one for breakfast before- why not?! But equally as perfect for a sweat treat or to make a batch for a special person, party or occasion.









 Makes 4-6

Cookie Dough Bites

I am very excited about this recipe!! Cookie dough is the ultimate indulgence and now it is healthy! Of course this is gluten free and refined sugar free as usual, but this is also suitable for you lovely vegans out there. So simple and quick to make and no baking required! I taste tested these on friends and family and has not been forgotten about so here is the amazing recipe for you all to enjoy...

Ingredients:

Energising Smoothie

I have been experimenting a lot with smoothies and juices at the moment. Differing flavour combinations to keep things interesting!

This smoothie is a great and energy boosting drink that you can drink either for breakfast or after a good workout as it includes Matcha Green Tea powder! You need a good blender if you are going to add the few cashew nuts and if the frozen banana won't break up just leave it at room temperature for 5 minutes to defrost.

There isn't really any need to put instructions to this recipe, other than chuck everything in the machine and blend away! Serve and enjoy :-)

Make Your Own Almond Butter!

Nut butters are one of my favourite foods. Seriously, half a pot could be gone in 24 hours! They are a nutritious, filling and a great addition to many meal.

They are generally quite expensive to buy, especially the organic nut butters that I love to get. So I wanted to create a recipe that you can make easily and efficiently at home that doesn't break the bank! My ultimate favourite nut butter is Almond! So here is my recipe for Almond Butter...

The only thing you need to purchase is almonds! There is two stages to making the almond butter and they can be done on totally different days if you want, the first stage makes the roasted salted almonds (great addition to meals) and then the second stage makes them into the butter we know and love!

Fruit and Nut Protein Flapjacks

I have had a lot of requests from you lovely people for a flapjack that is high in protein, but still clean and healthy. So I can't let you down and here it is! This tastes amazing and could seriously compete (if not beat) the traditional bakery flapjack that is high in sugar and fat. 

With so many different nuts it has the perfect amount of chew in it.

Healthy Hazelnut Frozen Chocolate

Okay so time for a great new chocolate recipe that is guilt-free and best of all good for you! Coconut oil really is the saviour of everything. The base to this amazing chocolate, a great hair mask and a body moisturiser! Cant get much more versatile than that can you?!

The recipe takes 10 minutes maximum to make and then frozen. You may think eating chocolate straight from the freezer would be strange, but seriously don't knock it until you have tried it!

Equally you can keep this chocolate just chilled in the fridge or at room temperature instead of frozen, as coconut oil is solid at an average room temperature. But remember if it is a hot day best to keep this in the fridge unless you want a chocolate fondue...

Makes 10 regular pieces if keeping at room temp or chilled or if frozen, freeze in block

Homemade Garlic and Basil Pesto

Got a perfect dish like a salad or rice pasta but cannot think to add to it, that is clean and tasty?! Enter pesto!

There are many different pesto flavours, and this is a recipe for Garlic and Basil, which means I can use my basil plant! So great and satisfying using your own fresh produce, not just for freshness and flavour but also a lot more cost efficient.

Also so quick to whip up a batch, can be easily done for last minute flavour!

Almond Butter Biscuits

Nut butters are just heaven (apart from peanut, sorry). If you are like me I could go through a pot of almond butter in a couple of days! I kept seeing peanut biscuit recipes everywhere, but as I do not like the taste of peanuts I thought almond butter would be unbelievable in a cookie!! Sweet and packed with protein!

So I experimented and came up with a recipe I am proud of and so happy to share with all of you! 

Three Cheese and Tomato Gluten Free Muffins

This recipe is so lovely! These cheese and tomato muffins are for anytime on the go. Breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack that is gluten and refined sugar free. Don't be scared off by the amount of ingredients it is worth it!!

Sweet Beet Raw Juice

This recipe below I fell into by chance with the leftovers from my Green raw juice. This was my added extra experiment juice- but boy does it rank up there with my green juice!

I'm okay to admit that I am not the biggest beetroot fan. I mean I can eat it if it is in small quantities but in this juice I could hardly taste it and it gave the juice an amazing vivid colour that looks so appetising!

First time Sushi Making

It was only a matter of time before I had to try and make my own sushi because I love the stuff! Where I live now there is no where to get any 'real' fresh sushi that doesn't come pre-packaged. 

This is was the last resort so I tried it and it was such a success!! In fact I was loving it so much that I didn't even realise one of family was asking me a question while I was eating it (official food heaven! Ha.)

I decided to stick with my favourite basic ingredients in hand rolls- avocado and salmon! The rice that I used was also brown rice. I know this is not traditional to use brown rather white but brown is a lot better for you than the sticky white rice.

Two Ingredient Cookies

Yes this is correct! Two ingredients is all it takes to make these yummy cookies. Perfect to satisfy if you have a sweet tooth like me. See below for the quickest cookie recipe in history!

Clean Fridge, Clean Mind

During this time of year it is so easy to be tempted and relaxed with what you eat... How many times have you looked in the fridge multiple times expecting something else to have magically appeared in there?! The answer is all of us have done this at some point.

In my opinion to stop temptation is to stop it at the source- the fridge and cupboards! If you had got the fridge stacked high with greens, fish, meats and healthy fats after one big weekly shop then thats going to focus you completely and you are more likely going to reach for a healthier snack or prepare a clean meal.

I really do believe in the motto- Clean fridge, clean mind.

I have taken a few photographs of my fridge and it is prepped with my different meal ingredients, healthy snacks and my favourite green raw juice so there is no room or excuse for me to go off track!

Healthy Snacks: 5 Quick and Easy Combos

Snacking is actually good for you! Smaller meals throughout the day is actually the ideal way to keep the hunger at bay and keep energy levels high and stable.

Below I have given you 5 ideas for the perfect snack combos for you to try! With no cooking or prior preparation these are perfect for a busy lifestyle that gives you no excuse to grab an unhealthy "fat free" breakfast bar or packet of crisps. Each one has a good protein so will leave you feeling satisfied and curb any sugar craving you may have.

1) Sliced Apple and Almond Butter

2) Avocado, Cherry Tomato and Mozzarella Ball Skewers