Easy Read Recipes by Leanne Foreman
Real food recipes in an easier format that makes it as easy as possible for as many as possible to read and follow a recipe.
Is hot chocolate becoming boring? Then try this Orange Spiced Hot Chocolate for a welcomed change. The winning combination of chocolate and orange is taken to the next level with the warming spices of cinnamon and ginger.
If you want another alternative to hot chocolate then try a Matcha Latte.
This Salted Caramel and Banana Smoothie is not only delicious but also highly nutritious. It is an excellent start to the day for kids and adults alike. It has become my favourite quick breakfast.
The maca root originated in Peru. It looks like a potato and a radish had a baby but has a nutty, slightly caramelly/butterscotchy flavour. We use it dried and powdered.
It is touted to possibly help with increasing low libido, increasing fertility, boosting energy and endurance, reducing blood pressure, improving mood, fighting free radicals, reducing sun damage, improving learning and memory, and reducing menopausal symptoms. Sounds like some pretty amazing side benefits to enjoying maca powder in your food preparation.
Though maca may not be suitable for everyone. One article I found, offers this caution, “If you’re on blood thinners, maca may not be right for you. It has so much vitamin K — which helps your blood form clots — that it may counteract your medication. Ditto that for men with elevated blood PSA (prostate specific antigens), who should stay away from maca. The plant’s extracts might act like estrogen, so avoid it if you have hormone-sensitive conditions like breast, uterine, and ovarian cancers or endometriosis.”
For the rest of us, it’s important to not indulge in too much of a good thing whatever it is, so according to my research, I limit the amount of maca I use in my cooking/food preparation to two tablespoons a week.
I use sea salt that naturally has iodine or pink Himalayan salt that has some extra minerals.
The amount of salt you use will depend on your taste and how much salt you already consume. Too much salt can worsen high blood pressure.
According to The Victorian Government’s Better Health website, “around 75% of the salt in our diet comes from processed foods, which means we may be unaware of the amount of salt we are having.”
This is another good reason to cook for ourselves as then we can keep track of our salt intake, which should be no more than 1 teaspoon a day for most of us. Remember that too little salt also has negative side effects. In severe cases, low sodium levels in the body can lead to muscle cramps, nausea, vomiting and dizziness.
The riper the banana the more sweet the smoothie will be. I sometimes make this smoothie to use up almost over-ripe bananas and often don’t need to add the dates.
If you don’t have time to freeze the banana, add a few ice cubes to ensure it is nice and cold.
References:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322511
https://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-diet-maca-root
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/salt
If you live in Australia, have you ever wondered what can be done with the bright pink fruit from the Lilly Pilly trees? The fruit can be eaten fresh from the tree, or used to make jam, chutney, cordial and sauces. Here is a refreshing Lilly Pilly cordial recipe adapted from a recipe by Jackie French.
According to the ABC’s Gardening Australia, “There are around 60 species of Lilly Pilly in Australia, and the fruits from all of them are edible, although not all of them are as palatable as others.” They suggest that, “The fruits of the Creek Lilly Pilly (Syzgium australe) are particularly tasty, as are the slightly tarter fruits of the Szygium luehmannii.”
Step 1
Plant cells have cell walls. When the fruit is frozen these cell walls burst, thus allowing more juice and flavour to escape. This will make a more intense cordial.
Step 2
Refined white sugar is going to give this cordial more a pink colour, however, I don’t have any refined sugar in my house anymore. I experimented with honey and Rapadura sugar. For me, the honey worked well as it kept a pinkish colour and gave the cordial a beautiful honeyed flavour. The Rapadura worked well taste wise but the cordial is very brown in colour (see photo).
Tartaric acid is found in a crystallised powder form and is used to intensify the flavour and help with storage life. The lesser intense citric acid powder is easier to find in the supermarket and can be used instead. However, my research into the manufacturing process of both of these didn’t reveal anything promising as for them being a “real” food ingredient. Tartaric acid, in its natural form, is found in grape skins and citric acid is found in lemon peel. Instead of using either of the highly manufactured powdered forms of these acids, I opted to shave off the zest of one of the lemons using a vegetable peeler and added that to the mix.
Step 3
While bringing the mixture to the boil, I further released the juice and flavour by crushing most of the fruit. This could be done beforehand if the fruit is left to thaw out first.
Step 4
Sterilising the glass bottles can be done using the methods listed here. Because this cordial is stored in the fridge and has a fairly short shelf life anyway, I use the dishwasher method (without drying with paper towel) and then carefully fill the bottles with boiling water. I let them stand for a minute before emptying out the hot water while wearing an oven mit to protect my hands.
Step 5
There is no way to carefully sieve and pour the boiled cordial mixture into the bottles in one step, so this step is to mainly to sieve out the solid pieces. The finer the sieve the less cloudy the cordial will be.
Step 6
When pouring the hot liquid through the kitchen funnel and into the bottles, ensure the funnel is not held tightly down on the neck of the bottle so that the hot air can’t escape. You want the hot air to escape around the side of the funnel and not bubbling up through the hot liquid. You may need an extra set of hands to help with this step.
Step 7
Heat is the main step in preserving so it is important to not let the mixture cool before bottling it. Most preserving also uses lots of sugar or lots of salt and because this cordial doesn’t have a lot of either, it needs to be kept in the refrigerator and used within a month. If it starts to get fizzy or have a sour taste then discard it.
Contact with air can also hasten the fermentation process that we don’t want here. This is why I prefer to store the cordial in lots of smaller bottles rather than one or two big ones. I also often give a couple of bottles away to friends, family, and neighbours. They are always appreciated.
This Masala Chai Mix is an aromatic and warming blend of cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, star anise, vanilla, nutmeg, cloves, and pepper. Forget the additive-laden and expensive store-bought Chai Mix and easily make your own.
Masala Chai means Spiced Tea. Yes, it can be used in black tea to make a spiced tea, but it can also be used in a Chai Latte, Dirty Chai, smoothie, chia pudding, or cake mix.
To make this an inexpensive mix, I buy my spices in larger packets and transfer them to recycled peanut butter jars for storage. If there is a spice that you think you may not use much of, for example, ground cardamom, then simply leave it out and you will still get a good flavour. The ground cardamom can be replaced with Allspice (Pimento) for a slightly different flavour.
The main ingredients of this Masala Chai Mix are cinnamon and ginger and these are sure to be used as they are common baking ingredients. Cinnamon is used in my popular Double Chocolate Banana Bread and also in the Almond Flour Oat Cookies.
I am a fan of the taste of star anise. I always have some on hand for Asian cooking so it easily gets used up in this household.
Don’t be worried about the black pepper being too strong. It is a small amount there to increase the warming effect of the mix and is also nutritionally beneficial. If you are too worried you can leave it out or reduce the amount by half.
I have included sugar in the recipe to make it an alternative to the store-bought packets, however, the sugar can be left out so it can be used just as a spice mix. Or you may like to use honey or maple syrup as your preferred sweetener.
There appear to be many nutritional benefits of many of the ingredients in this Masala Mix.
Using this Masala Chai Mix will also allow you to indulge in a Chai Latte or Dirty Chai knowing you aren’t ingesting artificial flavours and refined sugar.
Take a look at the ingredients of a couple of examples of the store-bought varieties.
The second example has more salt than cinnamon!! Even so-called “Natural” flavours are dubious as they can start as a natural substance and then go through so many chemical processes that the end result is anything but natural. “Vegetable Fat” is another ingredient that sounds healthy but after the chemical processes of extracting, bleaching, and deodorizing a mix of different cheap seed oils, it becomes one of the worse fats for optimum health. See the book From Lab to Table by nutritionist Cyndi O’Meara if you want to know more.
Anyhow, let’s not worry about all the additives in store-bought alternatives because you now have an alternative that you can customise to your own taste. Add about two to four teaspoons of this sweetened Masala Chai Mix to a cup of warm milk of choice and you have a delicious caffeine-free morning or nighttime drink. Enjoy!
This Dairy-Free Matcha Banana Shake is a delicious alternative way to start your day. It has all the food groups covered and the matcha powder can replace your coffee as a more sustained energy boost.
This shake has protein from the nut (or seed) butter, fibre and potassium from the banana, antioxidants from the matcha and cinnamon, and good oils from the extra virgin coconut or macadamia oil.
According to the new dietary guidelines, we should be getting a tablespoon of good oil each day. It is necessary for optimum brain function. Makes sense when the brain is 60% fat.
The added cinnamon is loaded with antioxidants, lowers blood sugar levels, and has anti-inflammatory properties. It also has anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties. However, if you intend to have more than 1 teaspoon of cinnamon a day, use the higher quality Ceylon cinnamon rather than the more common cassia cinnamon. This is because too much cassia cinnamon can end up being harmful due to its coumarin content. If interested, read more about it here!
If you are not a fan of cinnamon, try reducing the amount to half or a quarter of a teaspoon.
Matcha powder does have caffeine because it is made from ground green tea leaves. So if you are avoiding all caffeine then simply leave the matcha out or try my Banana Cake Smoothie or my Choc Banana “Sneaky” Shake.
Coffee, black tea, green tea, matcha powder, and cacao are all caffeine-containing real foods. There is a lot of conflicting information about whether a moderate caffeine intake (equivalent to one coffee a day) has health benefits or not. One thing that is not disputed is that too much caffeine can be harmful and addictive. I play it safe by treating these caffeine-containing foods as a treat rather than a regular part of my diet.
For those of you who would like to cut down on their caffeine intake, then this shake may be a good way to start. Here’s why! Matcha contains a compound called L-theanine, which alters the effects of caffeine, promoting alertness for longer (up to 6 hours). This helps avoid the crash in energy levels that can follow caffeine consumption.
This Banana Cake Smoothie gets its better-than-average banana smoothie taste by the addition of other Banana Cake ingredients; namely cinnamon and walnuts. These ingredients make this smoothie nutritious as well as delicious.
This Banana Cake Smoothie recipe works just as well with whatever milk suits your dietary preference. Nut milk is a good choice if you prefer dairy-free, paleo, or a vegan diet. Oat milk works for dairy-free, nut-free, and vegan.
If you are using dairy, then the best quality milk would be one that is whole fat, and pasteurised but not homogenised – the less processing the better.
Bananas are a good source of potassium which helps to lower blood pressure, fibre which aids digestion, Vitamin C for a healthy immune system, and B6 that helps the body with stress. I’m sure you will agree that this very convenient fruit is quite a powerhouse of nutrition. FYI, rub the inside of a banana skin on your next bug bite and see if it reduces the inflammation. For more banana recipes try my Grain-free Banana Slab Cake or Jason Ford’s Paleo Pancakes with Berry Salsa.
According to an article at Food Matters, cinnamon prevents inflammation in the body, helps to regulate cholesterol levels, and is useful for lowering blood sugar levels.
Walnuts contain omega-3 fatty acid which is considered critical brain food. Studies have found that the omega -3 in walnuts may help to lower cholesterol. Walnuts also have good amounts of protein, fibre, and calcium.
Chia seeds are thrown in for even more protein, fibre, calcium, and omega-3. You can read more about the benefits of chia seeds here.
When I lived in Italy for a time, I became a hot chocolate junkie. The Italian hot chocolate is so deliciously thick and decadent. Be warned, you only need a small amount to get your chocolate fix, especially if you add the grated chocolate. It is almost like drinking chocolate pudding.
You will notice in the recipe that I have given a few ingredient choices in order to cater to as many dietary preferences as possible.
If you are a chocolate fan, you might also like my Raw Dark Chocolate, Easy Chocolate Mousse, or the Double Chocolate Mug Cake recipe.
A lovely non-dairy Matcha Latte that can be served hot or cold. I find it difficult to detect that it is not based on milk.
I was inspired by a recipe I found on Instagram by Rebecca Lilly Costa @xxrlily. As I now rarely have dairy in my fridge, I wanted to create a totally dairy-free version so that I could enjoy this drink whenever I wanted.
I apologise to my Italian friends, including my Italian ex-husband, for using the words “dairy-free” and “latte” in the same sentence. I suppose it is similar to the way the words “nut milk” might upset dairy farmers.
Nowadays, it isn’t just Vegans who are looking for dairy-free latte alternatives. So many of us now find the lactose or the high proportion of A1 protein in today’s commercial milk, difficult to digest.
For those who can tolerate dairy fat, Rebecca adds a little ghee to her recipe. This makes it a richer version.
If you are after another drink recipe that uses nut milk as a dairy substitute, check out my Choc Banana “Sneaky” Shake.
This smoothie recipe is courtesy of my friend and mentor, Gayle Lawrence. It is packed with all the nutrients needed for a good start to the day.
The Slippery Elm powder can be optional, however it is very healing for the gut so perhaps add a little at first then work your way up.
This delicious chocolate banana shake is a “sneaky” way to serve a little fruit and vegetable to fussy kids. I would suggest to start first with a teaspoon of each of the optional add-ins and then work your way up to a tablespoon, which in Australia equals 4 teaspoons.
