The Sweet Life

I found this amazing vegan cheesecake recipe on the Vegan Family Recipes website (http://www.veganfamilyrecipes.com/2014/07/vegan-blueberry-lime-cheesecake.html) and had to give it a try! Luckily I was having a girls night in over the weekend so this was the perfect opportunity to make it.  Because it looks so amazing i thought it would be tricky to make but it was actually really easy. The cheesecake is light and refreshing plus its vegan, g luten free and Paleo. Handy Tips: 1. Cashews can be soaked in water for 10-15 minutes first to make filling extra smooth. Make sure to dry off excess water from them before placing them in food processor.  2. The cheesecake recipe needs 2 cups Coconut cream. This can be store bought coconut cream or you can place 2 cans of coconut milk in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, then scoop the thick creamy part out of the can.  3. Blueberry lime cheesecake can also be placed in the freezer to help firm the filling up quickly.

This avocado chocolate pudding is a healthy and delicious treat! It is also paleo and vegan. It is so simple and only takes 5 minutes to make.  Tip: If the avocado is larger, you will need a bit more of each ingredient. If it is too thick, drizzle in a bit more almond milk. Add more cacao or honey to taste. This recipe serves 1 - 2.  Ingredients  1 medium avocado (ripe) 2 tablespoons cacao powder  2 tablespoons honey  6 tablespoons almond milk Fruit, coconut flakes or nuts for topping Method  1. Cut open the avocado and and use a spoon to scoop it out, the cut it into large chunks and put in the blender. 2. Add the cacao, honey, and almond milk.  3. Blend, starting on low and then moving to high speed until it is smooth, make sure you scrape down the sides and continue to blend.  4. Pour into container/jar. Refrigerate the pudding and serve cold. Top with pistachios or other nuts.  Enjoy x

Yum...is really all I need to say! I love love this recipe! We have salmon at least once a week so I am forever on the look out for new recipes to try out and boy am I glad I stumbled across this particular recipe. The crumb is super easy to make and full of flavour. I served the Parmesan & Herb crusted Salmon with my Quinoa Rainbow Salad and it was a match made in heaven. A really easy light flavour packed dinner! Ingredients 2-4 Salmon fillets  1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped) 1 tablespoon fresh herbs (finely chopped) 2 tablespoons melted butter Salt and pepper Method  1. Preheat the oven to 180 ℃ and l ine a baking tray with foil or parchment paper. 2. Place the salmon fillets on the baking tray. 3. In a small bowl, mix the bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, garlic, and herbs together.  4. Drizzle the melted butter over the top and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. 

This salad is so tasty! The quantities of each ingredient really depend on how many people you are feeding. With salads I never tend to measure anything out, I just throw it all together and taste it at the end, then make any adjustments necessary. Tip - At the start of each week I boil a few eggs and cook a pot of quinoa - and always have these in the fridge as a staple for a whole range of meals. I often whip up a salad or buddha bowl for lunch after the gym, which means I want something healthy with carbs that I can whip up quickly. Having quinoa and eggs pre cooked makes this so much easier. Ingredients Spinach (roughly chopped) Sprouts Cucumber (chopped) Capsicum (chopped) Hard boiled eggs (sliced) Avocado  (roughly chopped) Dried cranberries (roughly chopped) Pumpkin & Sunflower seeds Feta (crumbled) Cooked Quinoa (cold)  Method 1. Pre cook the Quinoa and eggs. 2. Chop the spinach, cucumber, capsicum, avocado, cramberries & eggs, then add them all

These Healthy Salted Caramel Raw Bites  are  gluten free, vegan, refined sugar free, no-bake, dairy free, egg free,  and freezer friendly...what more could you want! Perfect for an easy snack on the go.  If you don't have or like cashews, feel free to use 1 cup of any nut or seed of your choice. I often use almonds as I always have them in the kitchen.  Recipe makes 10.  Ingredients 1 cup of fresh medjool dates (or dried dates) 1 cup of cashews (or any nut) 2 tsp natural vanilla (extract) A pinch of sea salt Method 1. Process all of your ingredients in a food processor until combined, adding a splash of water if needed to bring the mix together. 2. Roll into balls and place onto a clean plate or baking tray/container.  3. Eat at room temperature, chill in the fridge or freeze for a quick snack whenever you need them! The bites will keep in the fridge for up to a month or keep for months in the freezer. When freezing, simply take the bites

Oh my goodness, this has to be one of the best things I have every tasted! I am now in love with buddha bowls and will be testing out some different flavours combinations over the next few weeks!  You don't have to use these exact ingredients - you can use whatever veggies you have in the fridge for the salad and any type of seeds and/or nuts. But I do really like this flavour combination - the cranberries add sweetness, the feta adds creaminess, while the veggies add crunch and freshness, then there is the pistachio crusted chicken which is just divine and tops it all off!  The pistachio crusted chicken looks fancy, but it is very easy to make!  Ingredients Pistachio-Crusted Chicken: 1 chicken breast 1/2 cup pistachios 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds  ½ tsp granulated garlic Salt for seasoning chicken Extras for Buddha Bowl:  1 boiled egg (sliced) A handful of spinach  A small handful of dried cranberries (roughly chopped)   1/4 of an a

This has to be one of the easiest dressings I have made yet! Its zingy from the citrus with a hint of sweetness from the honey and has a mild garlic flavour. Perfect to whip up and store in the fridge for future use. A great alternative to buying pre made dressings, at least you know what has gone into it when you make it yourself! Ingredients: Juice of 2 lemons 6 tablespoons of olive oil 2 tablespoons of raw honey  1 garlic clove (minced)  Salt & pepper  Method 1. Combine the juice of the lemons with the extra virgin olive oil, honey,  garlic clove, salt, and pepper in a jar or bowl then shake or whisk to combine. That’s it! Enjoy x 

I fell in love with these pancakes after the first bite. They are fluffy and delicious. I often find with healthy pancake recipes that they are very delicate and you have to take extra care when cooking and turning them. These pancakes are not like that all and are so easy to cook.  I serve mine with natural greek yogurt and a few berries.  Ingredients 4 eggs (room temperature) 1 cup milk (coconut or almond both work) 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 tablespoon raw honey  1/2 cup coconut flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon sea salt Coconut oil or butter for frying Method 1. Preheat the pan over medium-low heat.  2. In a small bowl beat eggs until frothy, about two minutes. Mix in milk, vanilla, and honey. 3. In a medium-sized bowl combine coconut flour, baking soda, and sea salt and whisk together. Stir wet mixture into dry until coconut flour is incorporated. 4. Grease pan with butter or coconut oil. Ladle a few tablespoons of batter into pa