cabbage wraps with smoked trout and avocado cream

What a beautful weekend this was.

The days were so clear and the sun was out.

We went for a hike to recharge our batteries and took the pug dog as usual - I have no idea how our little fellow can keep up with the giant leaps and rock climbing.

He amazes us every time.

It was truly beautiful and felt amazing to be able to shed down to one layer again.

But, after a big hike, we needed to replenish our bodies with good wholesome foods.

We were pretty hungry by the time we got home, that's where I made up these healthy wraps.

I had to snap up a few pictures pretty quickly as we were both ready to devour these super wraps.

Joel kept hovering saying, "can we eat them yet.."

Full of healthy fats from the avocado, trout and cabbage - we felt so satisfied and wholesome again.

I reckon cabbage is a bit of an underrated vegetable. It's an excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of vitamin A. The uniqueness of cabbage in cancer prevention is due to the three different nutrient types: antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, and glucosinolates*.

*Glucosinolates: organic active compounds believed to have anticancer properties. These anticancer compounds operate in a couple of ways: acting as a natural pesticide triggering the body’s own detoxification systems, slowing cancer cell growth and supporting DNA repair.

Ingredients

(makes 10)

10 outer cabbage leaves, washed with thick vein removed

1 medium smoked trout

toothpicks

Avocado Cream

4 avocados

1 large lemon

pinch or two of Himalayan rock salt

Combine ingredients for avocado cream in a food processor/blender and whiz until smooth and 'whipped' - about 1 minute.

Spread a tablespoon of avocado and trout on the top of the cabbage leaf (horizontally). 

Then, gently roll from the bottom up.

Thread a toothpick through the top to secure the wrap shut.

Repeat and eat!

You could fill these wraps with what ever you feel like, they are super versatile.

roasted fava bean crisps (bean nibblets)

The other day a colleague at work brought in some 'Dry Roasted Fava Bean' snacks that she got from the store.

They were really tasty!

As I do all my shopping at the market or online, I had to figure out an inexpensive way of making my own version of these nibbles.

I tasted and stared at the fava bean snacks for ages trying to figure out how I could work this.

The was obviously a little oil, salt and an oven involved.

So I started soaking a small amount of beans just to give it a go.

On my first try, they turned out great!

I was so happy with the end result and when I asked Joel what he thought I should call them, he said 'bean bites nibblets'.

I reckon that they will make a great addition to a trail mix, or the perfect protein packed snack.

I had them for lunch in a salad, but Joel just devoured them on their own.

Best eaten fresh out of the oven, but they seemed to keep well in the refrigerator (even kept their crunch!).

Ingredients

(makes 2 cups)

1 c dried lima beans, soaked for 12 hours

1-2 tsp olive oil

salt to taste

Heat oven to 180 degrees.

Place beans in a small saucepan and bring to the boil.

Simmer for 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and drain.

Combine with oil and salt to taste in a mixing bowl and toss.

Arrange on a baking tray, lined with baking paper.

Bake in oven for 30 minutes, tossing every 10 mins.

Enjoy!

Nibble xo.

raw protein energy balls

This past weekend we spent canyoning.

It was so much fun! But just a little chilly.

This recipe is something that I whipped up last week to take with us.

High protein energy hits.

It’s just what we needed while tackling the uphill climbs, 25m waterfall abseils, giant boulders and not to mention the last three hours of hiking and navigating in the dark.

I will definitely be making these again! Especially for the snow skiing later in the year.

While I was making these, I just kept adding bits and pieces that I know would be super nourishing for our bodies and was so surprised when rolling the balls that the mixture turned out to make 40!

I think I'll be freezing half the batch for a quick snacks at a later date.

Ingredients

(makes 40)

2 c triticle flakes, soaked for 12 hours and drained

1/2 c dried dates, soaked for 12 hours and drained

1/2 c raw peanuts + extra

1/4 c shredded coconut + extra

2 tblsp chia seeds

1 tblsp raw super food powder*

2 tblsp raw protein powder

1/4 c dried cranberries

1/4 c almond butter

3 tblsp agave syrup

1/4 c raisins

10 drops stevia

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until well combined - should resemble a sticky dough-like consistency.

In a mortar and pestle combine the extra coconut and peanuts (you could also add a pinch of vanilla salt).

Grind until the peanuts a broken into pieces.

Scoop out tablespoon size portions of the processed mixture and using wet hands, roll into balls.

Then roll the balls in the coconut and peanut mixture and set in the refrigerator over night.

You can store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week, or freeze for later consumption.

*I use a super food powder that is a mix of the top 15 super foods (known) of the world.

Unfortunately I didn’t get the camera out for the abseils or the glow worm tunnel, but here’s a couple of snap shots.

Morning view of the mountains.

Cooking up our oats for breakfast.

Ice on the tent. Brrr.

View from the first cliff climb.

Morning tea with our energy balls.

Last bit of sunlight for the afternoon.

dehydrated fruit salad

The newest toy in my kitchen is the dehydrator.

I've only had it for a couple of months now, but I'm having fun experimenting with raw treats.

This post isn't really a recipe, just me sharing with you the dehydration of fruit.

I splashed out to get this because I wanted to be able to take healthy snacks and meals with us when we go hiking and camping.

Also, with the whole 'raw foods' movement - dehydration still keeps foods raw, but with that cooked feel.

If you are planning on getting a dehydrator, let me just say - it's not a quick process.

Dehydrating anything can take up to a day or two, depending on the water content of the item.

So if you are planning meals ahead - it's brilliant.

Most weekends I run the dehydrator mainly because we're barely home.

We live in an open barn and even though the machine isn't too loud, it still is a constant fan noise.

The best thing is, you can just leave the dehydrator on all day and night and not worry about the foods burning.

After coming home from the markets, I slice up a heap of fruit (about 2 cm thick) and arrange them in a single layer on the drying racks and dehydrate on the fruit setting.

This fruit salad consists of pineapple, kiwi fruit, papaw and plums.

Each fruit takes a unique drying time.

I've noticed that the kiwi fruit and plums dried in a similar time, 14 hours. 

While the papaw and pineapple took about 18 hours.

Let me know if you have a dehydrator and what you use it for.

xo