oat bliss balls

Makes 20

Poppy bakes...

1. Soak
   8 medjool dates in boiling water for 10 minutes.
   
   
2. In a food processor, blend
   90g rolled oats,
   80g desiccated coconut,
   2 tablespoons cacao powder,
   1 teaspoon ground cinnamon until fine.
   
   
3. Add pitted dates,
   2 tablespoons raw honey,
   1/4 cup coconut oil, melted and blend until combined.
   
   
4. Roll into balls and coat with desiccated coconut.

chocolate + date brownies

Serves 20

Poppy bakes...

1. Preheat oven to 190ºC.
   
   
2. Line slice tray with baking paper.
   
   
3. Break
   160g 70% dark chocolate (I use Loving Earth) into mixing bowl and mill 10seconds / speed 9.
   
   
4. Add
   150g dates (approximately 9-10), pitted and diced into mixing bowl and chop 15 seconds / speed 10. (I find that if I don't dice them, depending on the brand of date, that my thermomix struggles to chop them and ends up heating up the chocolate which makes it very hard to mix together.)
   
   
5. Add
   180g coconut oil and cook 5 minutes / 60ºC / speed 2.
   
   
6. Add
   30g coconut flour,
   4 eggs,
   1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract,
   1/4 teaspoon celtic sea salt and mix 20 seconds / speed 8.
   
   
7. Scrape down sides and mix for another 10 seconds / speed 6.
   
   
8. Scrape mixture into slice tray and bake for 15 minutes or until just firm before it burns.
   
   
9. Remove from oven, cool, cut into squares and keep in the fridge.

gingerbread cookies (paleo version)

Makes 16

Poppy bakes…

1. If you are unable to buy sunflower seed flour, you may want to start by milling sunflower seeds in a thermomix to create the sunflower seed flour required at step 8.
   
   
2. Soak
   5 dates in warm water until soft (a minimum of 30 minutes).
   
   
3. Blend dates until smooth to form a paste.
   
   
4. In a medium saucepan on medium heat, heat up
   1/3 cup manuka honey,
   1.5 tablespoons ground ginger,
   1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon,
   1/3 teaspoon ground nutmeg and date paste until the edges begin to bubble slightly.
   
   
5. Remove saucepan from the heat and stir through
   3 tablespoons coconut oil until combined.
   
   
6. Add
   1/2 teaspoon baking soda,
   1/4 teaspoon celtic sea salt, and slowly add
   1.75 cups sunflower seed flour.
   
   
7. Allow mixture to cool or place in the fridge.
   
   
8. Roll out dough between two pieces of baking paper to desired thickness, then cut into desired shapes.
   
   
9. Bake in a 180ºC oven for approximately 10 minutes or until they brown.
   
   
10. Allow to cool before eating.

strawberries + cream tart

Serves 12

Poppy bakes…

1. The night before you plan to make this dish, soak
   1.5 cups dates in
   filtered water. If you don't have time to soak the dates, you can steam them for approximately 10 minutes.
   
   
2. At high speed, blend
   1.5 cups desiccated coconut until it forms a paste.
   
   
3. Set aside 1/3 cup of the soaked dates and place the remainder in the blender with the coconut and process until the dates are broken down and combined well with the coconut.
   
   
4. Press mixture into a loose-base tart pan and bake in a 160º oven for 20 minutes. Then set aside and allow to cool.
   
   
5. To make the filling, blend
   1.75 cups coconut milk, remaining 1/3 cup of dates,
   2 tablespoons powdered gelatin,
   1/4 cup arrowroot flour and
   1.5 tablespoons coconut oil then pour on top of crust and place in the fridge while you make the strawberry layer.
   
   
6. For the strawberry layer blend
   2 cups strawberries,
   2 tablespoons coconut oil,
   2 tablespoons powdered gelatin and
   1/4 cup coconut milk then pour on top. You can create a pattern by using a butter knife to drag the strawberry layer through the coconut layer.
   
   
7. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving and garnish with any leftover strawberries you may have and a sprinkling of desiccated coconut.  Any leftovers can be stored in the fridge or the freezer.

raw coconut treats

Serves 12

Poppy makes…

1. Soak
   10 medjool dates in warm water for at least half an hour.
   
   
2. Pit the dates, then blend with
   2 cups fine desiccated coconut,
   1.5 tablespoons cacao powder and
   2 tablespoons coconut cream until well combined.
   
   
3. You can press the mixture into a lined slice tin or roll into balls before placing in the freezer to set - easy!

noodle stir fry

Serves 4

Poppy cooks...

1. Blend
   juice of 1 lime,
   1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper,
   3/4 teaspoon ground ginger,
   4 tablespoons tamari sauce,
   2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar,
   3 tablespoons manuka honey and
   5 medjool dates, pitted in a food processor until dates are fully broken down and set aside.
   
   
2. In a wok or non-stick frying pan scramble
   4 eggs, whisked with a drop of olive oil and set aside.
   
   
3. In the same wok/pan, heat
   olive oil over medium heat before adding
   500g chicken tenderloins, diced with
   celtic sea salt + cracked black pepper for 3 minutes.
   
   
4. Add
   onion, thinly sliced and
   5 garlic cloves, minced until chicken is fully cooked and onion is browned. Drain any excess liquid.
   
   
5. Stir through
   1 packet of konjac or rice noodles, prepared according to instructions on packet,
   3 baby zucchini, julienned,
   2 carrots, julienned and
   2 spring onions, diagonally sliced tossing until ingredients start to stick to the pan.
   
   
6. Pour sauce over ingredients and stir to combine. Cook until sauce is absorbed/reduced.
   
   
7. Before serving, stir through egg and
   1/2 cup coriander, chopped.
   
   
8. Serve with
   lime wedge and garnish with
   coriander.

Notes
If you like spicy food, just increase the amount of cayenne pepper in the sauce. And if you aren't allergic to nuts like I am, then top this dish with some toasted cashews.

popcorn cacao squares

Makes approximately 12 squares

Ingredients

8 pitted medjool dates

1/2 cup finely desiccated coconut

3/4 cup raw organic cacao powder

3/4 cup coconut oil

2 teaspoons honey

2 cups organic popcorn with salt

Method

1. Finely chop dates and then blend into a smooth paste
2. Over a low heat combine dates, desiccated coconut, cacao powder, coconut oil and honey
3. Take mixture off the heat and stir through popcorn
4. Spread into a slice tin and set in the freezer for 20 minutes
5. Remove from freezer and cut into desired squares

Notes
This sweet snack not only tastes good, but is packed full of flavonoids which act as natural antioxidants!