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Lemonade Ice Blocks

| Ice-blocks, Members only

Simple but delicious, these Lemonade Ice Blocks are a huge family favourite. Best of all you can adjust the level of sweetness to suit your taste so if you’re a sour lover use less sweetener, or a sweet tooth add more. It think the amount I’ve used is a lovely balance of sweet and sour….

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Lemon Coconut Slice

| After School Snacks, Baked Sweets, Healthy Lunchbox

This zesty Lemon Coconut Slice is a delicious, very easy to make, low sugar lunchbox treat or snack. With simple steps, this is a good one to get the children involved in. Young children can mix and press the base down, then hold a mixer for the Lemon Buttercream. If you are using a Thermomix … well, let them lick the spoon!

Confidence in the kitchen often starts with being allowed to cook for themselves, so older children and teens could do the whole recipe themselves, provided you supervise with the hot oven! This is sure to become a favourite so get baking today!

Take a look at the variations (below the main recipe) for suggestions to alter the recipe to suit your specific dietary requirements.

This zest Lemon Coconut Slice is a delicious, very easy to make, low sugar lunchbox treat or snack. Sure to become a favourite.
Print Recipe
4.78 from 18 votes

Lemon Coconut Slice

This zesty Lemon Coconut Slice is a delicious, low sugar lunchbox treat or snack. Sure to become a favourite with every member of the family!
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Chilling time40 mins
Course: Snack
Servings: 12
Author: Georgia Harding

Ingredients

  • 150 g butter or coconut oil
  • 85 g rice malt syrup, honey or maple syrup – (¼ cup approx.)
  • 1 lemon/s – zest (juice reserved for icing)
  • 120 g wholemeal spelt flour (1 cup)
  • 90 g rolled oats (1 cup)
  • 100 g desiccated coconut (1 cup)

Lemon Buttercream (see below note)

  • 70 g butter – at room temperature (important it's not over softened or too cold)
  • 20 ml lemon juice – no more or it may split
  • 3 tbsp rice malt syrup or honey
  • 3 tbsp tapioca flour – or arrowroot
  • 2 tbsp desiccated coconut – for decorating, optional
Metric – US Customary

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F (fan forced).
  • Melt your butter (or coconut oil). Thermomix 90, 1 minute, speed 3.
  • Add the sweetener and mix to combine. Thermomix 30 seconds, temp 90, speed 4.
  • Add all of the other ingredients and process or mix well until combined. Thermomix reverse speed 4, 30 seconds.
  • Press firmly into a lined tin and bake for 10-12 minutes. Take care not to overcook this as it can dry out. If your oven runs hot, reduce the temperature to 160°C.
  • Once cooled, pop it into the fridge to chill for 30 minutes or more.

Lemon Buttercream

  • Beat the icing by mixing all of the ingredients together in a small bowl until smooth and creamy. Thermomix butterfly, 20 seconds, speed 3.
  • Spread over the chilled slice.
  • Sprinkle over a little extra desiccated (or shredded) coconut.
  • Chill for 10 more minutes in the freezer, remove from the tin and carefully slice into squares by pressing straight down with a large sharp knife.
  • Refrigerating before slicing makes it much easier to cut without crumbling.

Troubleshooting the icing…

  • – if it's grainy or curdled – means the mixture is too cold. It usually needs warming up (either with a hair dryer or a warm towel wrapped around the bowl). Once it is a slightly warmer temperature, whip it up again with an electric beater / Thermomix.
  • – if it it is very thin – usually means that the butter/ mixture is too warm and needs cooling down. Putting the bowl in the fridge for 15 minutes or so and then beating it afterwards should fix it perfectly. You can also add a bit more tapioca to thicken it. 

Store

  • Store in the fridge or freeze in an airtight container. The butter icing will soften when left at room temperature.
  • I enjoy these straight from the fridge or freezer. When packing into school lunches, pack against an ice brick.

Notes

Gluten-free

Substitute the spelt with your favourite gluten-free flour and the oats can be replaced by quinoa flakes.

Dairy-free or vegan

Replace the butter in the base with coconut oil (this will produce a tougher/ crisper slice). For the icing a cashew cream would be the best choice.

Low-fructose

Use brown rice syrup as your sweetener.
 
 

Let me know how you love this zesty and delicious treat.

Lemon Coconut Bliss Balls

| After School Snacks, Members only, No-bake Sweets

Equal parts deliciousness and goodness, my Lemon Honey Bliss Balls are my favourite sweet treat right now. Using Manuka honey means these balls of bliss are not only delicious, but antibacterial also (Manuka honey has higher antibacterial properties than regular honey). If you cannot source Manuka honey, they are great with raw honey too. Time…

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Lemon Ginger Honey Biscuits

| After School Snacks, Baked Sweets, Healthy Lunchbox, Members only

These Lemon Ginger Honey biscuits are a delicious and easy to make treat. You can make them as just plain biscuits (yum) or add a ball of the icing (really yum).  I love this flavour combination, it’s fresh, zesty and a match made in heaven.  Take a look at the variations below the main recipes…

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Pear and Ginger Yoghurt Cake

| After School Snacks, Baked Sweets, Desserts, Healthy Lunchbox

This healthy yoghurt cake has long been a go-to cake of mine. Like all of my recipes, it’s evolved over the years (from a high sugar, refined flour cake) – I’ve always loved the nice moist crumb yoghurt cakes produce. I’ve been keeping this recipe aside for a special occasion and with Mother’s Day coming up, here we have it.

Seeing as the weather has cooled off a bit, I thought I’d make it with winter fruit and warming ginger. When I made this one to photograph, my daughter said it tastes like a ‘real tea cake’ – ha ha! Compliments are hard to come by from teenagers so I’ll take it as a win.

If you’re not a fan of pear and ginger, don’t despair, it is very easily adapted to other flavours. Take a look at the variations below for all the details as well as suggestions to alter the recipe to suit your specific dietary requirements.

If you’re looking to save money across pantry items such as nuts, seeds, flours and much more, I personally shop at The Wholefood Collective – great whole foods at heavily discounted prices (and delivered to my door), click HERE to take a look.

Healthy yoghurt cake - This yoghurt cake has long been a go-to cake of mine, I've always loved the nice moist crumb it produces. It can be varied to so many flavours too. This is a Pear and Ginger Cake.
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4.85 from 19 votes

Pear and Ginger Healthy Yoghurt Cake

This simple, healthy yoghurt cake is an adaptable basic cake that I know you'll keep coming back to.
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time40 mins
Total Time50 mins
Course: Snack
Servings: 12
Author: Georgia Harding

Ingredients

  • 100 g butter or macadamia nut oil -melted
  • 250 g full-fat natural yoghurt (1½ cups)
  • 170 g rice malt syrup or honey (½ cup)
  • 3 free-range or organic egg/s
  • 1 lemon/s -zest
  • 3-4 tbsp ginger root -finely grated or 2 tsp ground
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • 300 g wholemeal spelt flour (2½ cups)
  • 1 ripe pear -cored and thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp coconut sugar or rapadura

Instructions

  • Pre-heat your oven to 170℃/340℉ (fan-forced). Grease and line a spring form pan/ tin with baking paper. I used a 22cm cake tin.
  • In a mixing bowl or food processor, beat the butter, yoghurt, sweetener of your choice, eggs, zest and ginger until well combined.
  • Add the baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and sea salt and blend again for a few seconds to just combine.
  • Now gently fold in the spelt flour and mix until the flour is just combined. The more you mix this, the heavier the cake will become, so less is certainly best.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin, top with the pear, sprinkle over the sugar and bake for 40 minutes or until the cake is firm in the middle (a skewer inserted into the middle will come out clean). 

Thermomix

  • Melt your butter 90, 1 min, speed 3. Add the yoghurt, sweetener of your choice, eggs, zest and ginger and blend 1 minute, speed 4.
  • Add the baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and sea salt mix 5 seconds speed 4.
  • Add the spelt flour and mix 5 seconds, lock the lid, on the flour symbol. Scrape down the sides and fold any uncombined flour as much as you can by hand. You really don't want to over process it, less is best.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin, top with the pear, sprinkle over the sugar and bake for 40 minutes or until the cake is firm in the middle (a skewer inserted into the middle will come out clean). 

Serve

  • This is so yum served with double cream, or creme fraiche.

Store

  • In an airtight container for a few days. 
  • It can also be frozen (also in an airtight container)

Notes

Dairy-free

Replace the butter with macadamia nut oil and the yoghurt with coconut yoghurt. If you need it to be nut-free you can use coconut oil, but it will effect the taste and texture (the cake will toughen as it cools). Another option is olive oil.

Fructose friendly

Choose rice malt syrup as your sweetener and replace the pear with berries and omit the sugar on top. Take a look at the flavour combo's below.

Gluten-free

I haven't tested this with a gluten-free flour as yet. But this Basic Easy Healthy Cake recipe is my all time favourite gluten-free cake (but not nut-free). Another great gluten and nut-free cake is my Vanilla Bean Cupcakes (this recipe also makes one large cake).

White spelt

You can certainly replace the wholemeal spelt with white spelt flour - this will produce a lighter, less dense cake batter.

Egg-free

I also haven't tested this but suspect it will work well with chia egg or aquafaba.

Another flavour

So for all of these - omit the ginger and pear.
  • Lemon Yoghurt Cake - double the lemon zest and place very thinly sliced pieces of lemon on top (before baking). This is lovely with the ginger too (your call).
  • Orange Yoghurt Cake - add the zest of one orange and place very thinly sliced pieces of orange on top (before baking). This is lovely with poppy seeds sprinkled on top too.
  • Raspberry Yoghurt cake - top with fresh or defrosted raspberries.
  • Apple Tea Cake - add a tablespoon of cinnamon to the cake batter. Thinly slice one apple and arrange on top. Mix a teaspoon of cinnamon in with the sugar and sprinkle on top.
  • Spiced Nectarine Cake - I reduced the ginger to 1 tbsp and added 1 tsp of cinnamon to the batter. Top with a sliced nectarine (I used one large nectarine).

 

 
 

I'd love to hear how you enjoy this cake - please post any questions or feedback in the comments below or rate this recipe.

Lemon Drops

| Ice-blocks

This is one of the simplest, healthiest and most delicious treats I make.  Seeing as many of you have told me that you have an abundance of lemons from your backyard trees, I thought now would be a good time to share it.

So much of my passion for food and cooking comes from growing, picking and cooking food with my nana. Even into adulthood, my Saturday routine was to finish consulting in my Naturopathic clinic by mid-day and drive straight to my Nans for lunch. In winter, we’d bunker down and watch the footy. In summer, we’d sit out back in the sun or we’d do a bit of gardening.

One very strong memory I hold dear was helping my Nan pot a new lemon tree, not too long before she passed away. To this day, my Nans’ lemon tree lives on in my mums little courtyard, its fruit as abundant as always. Mum actually tried to graft it so I too could have a little piece of Nans’ tree (sadly it didn’t work out). Maybe this is why I just love lemons!

Health benefits

Lemons are a vitamin C and antioxidant rich fruit and a concentrated source of nourishment. For more about the health benefits of lemons (plus recipes using lemons) click here. Coconut oil is a delicious, immune supportive and healing fat that I’ve raved about here.

 

Take a look at the variations (below the main recipe) for suggestions to alter the recipe to suit your specific dietary requirements.

Lemon drops
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5 from 1 vote

Lemon Drops

These little icy treats are delicious to just snack on or pop them into hot water for a nourishing hot lemon drink.
Prep Time5 mins
Total Time1 hr 5 mins
Course: Snack
Servings: 12 drops

Ingredients

  • 105 g coconut oil (½ cup) semi-solid is best (pop in the fridge or warm for a few minutes if you need to)
  • 1 small lemon/s (approx. ¼ cup of juice) and zest
  • 1-2 tbsp rice malt syrup, honey or maple syrup

Instructions

  • Mix the ingredients together in a blender or food processor until well combined and thick (like icing sugar). TMX 30 seconds, speed 4.
  • Pour into a silicone mould or a small tray (lined with baking paper). You could also pipe this if you'd like to get creative.
  • Pop into the freezer for 15 minutes or so, until set firm.
  • Push from the mould or cut into cubes.

Store

  • Store and eat straight from the freezer. Try to stop at one.

Notes

Fructose-friendly

Choose rice malt syrup as your sweetener.

Vegan

Choose rice malt or maple syrup as your sweetener.
 

I'd love to hear how you like this super simple treat. Post a comment below.

 

Lemon Turmeric Jellies

| No-bake Sweets

I’m always experimenting with jelly flavours and trying to cram as much nutrition into one small treat as possible. So these came about after my husband came down with man flu and I went on a mission to keep the rest of us from succumbing.

Health benefits

The ginger and turmeric root are powerful anti-inflammatory and warming immune supportive herbs. The coconut water is hydrating and the kombucha and kefir are supportive to a healthy gut microflora.

Gelatin is made from the bone and connective tissue of animals that has been dried and turned into a powder. I have written about the benefits of gelatin in this post about bone broth.

The biggest benefit of eating gelatin, in my opinion, is that it is a gut healer, which means better nutrient absorption (so greater nourishment) all round. Also, if your gut is functioning well, then your nervous and immune systems are better supported.

I only use Organic Gelatin which you can shop for or find out more about HERE.

Take a look at the variations (below the main recipe) for suggestions to alter the recipe to suit many specific dietary requirements.

Lemon jellies
Print Recipe
5 from 5 votes

Lemon Jellies

A beautiful, immune supportive treat, these Lemon Jellies have been a hugely popular recipe. They are great for helping to prevent illness, as well as being an easy food to eat if you are feeling under the weather. 
Prep Time10 mins
Chill1 hr
Total Time1 hr
Course: Dessert, Snack
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 250 ml water (1 cup)
  • 2 cm ginger root -peeled and roughly sliced
  • 1 cm turmeric root -peeled and roughly sliced
  • 250 ml coconut water (1 cup) or kombucha or water kefir
  • 1-4 tbsp honey - Manuka is best (amount depends on the level of sweetness you like)
  • 1 lemon/s (large) - juice
  • 2 - 3 tbsp grass-fed or organic gelatin

*Note about honey - only raw, unheated and unprocessed honey has medicinal properties. A good quality Manuka honey is the very best option.

    Instructions

    • Place the water, ginger and turmeric root into a small pot and bring to the boil, reducing to a simmer for approx. 5 minutes.
    • Take off the heat off and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
    • Remove the solids (strain) and stir in the coconut water (kombucha or water kefir) honey, lemon and optional Camu powder. Taste to check that you are happy with the flavour (sour/sweet balance). I should be luke warm before adding your gelatin.
    • Now sprinkle the gelatin over the liquid, allow it to sit and bloom (go wrinkly) for a few minutes. For a traditional jelly set use 2 tablespoons, for a firmer, more gummy-lolly-like consistency, add 3 tablespoons.
    • If the gelatin doesn't completely dissolve, you can pop your pot back on the heat for only 1 minute (only heat to luke warm), stirring well.
    • Pour into a lined slice tray or moulds, and set in the fridge.

    Thermomix

    • Place the water, ginger and turmeric root into the bowl heat 5 mins, varoma, speed 1.
    • Add the honey or rice malt syrup, mix 30 seconds speed 3.
    • Remove the solids and add the coconut water, kombucha or water kefir (and optional camu camu).  Mix 10 seconds, speed 3. 
    • Now add your gelatin, mix 1 minute, temp 37, speed 3-4 or until the gelatin is dissolved.

    Store

    • Store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

    Tip

    • If using silicon moulds to set your gummies, freeze them to make removing them from the mould clean and simple.

    Notes

    Low-fructose

    Choose rice malt syrup as your sweetener.

    Coconut-free

    Choose the kefir or kombucha instead of the coconut water.

    Don't like ginger or want to use powdered?

    Leave it out or use ½ teaspoon of the ground ginger powder.

    No fresh turmeric?

    Sub with ¼ teaspoon of turmeric powder.

    Add Camu

    You can certainly add a tsp of camu camu powder if you wish for an extra vitamin C boost.
     

    I'd love to hear how you liked these delicious little treats. Post a comment or rate this recipe.

    Lemon Macadamia Cookie

    | After School Snacks, Baked Sweets

    I taunted you with these super simple lemon macadamia cookies a while back, but they were outvoted by the very delicious Hazelnut Chai Spice cookie. But to all you lemon lovers, never fear, finally here it is, the recipe!

    This is a personal favourite – it is so quick to make and tastes divine. It is also gluten, dairy, grain, and low-fructose. However a warning is appropriate…you will not stop at one (at least I can’t)!

    Health benefits

    Well, firstly almonds are a rich source of protein, essential fats, and fibre. They also contain antioxidants and mood elevating amino acids. The macadamia nut oil is a very stable, primarily monounsaturated fat with an impressive fatty acid and mineral profile.  It adds a delicious, buttery flavour to the mix too. Lemon zest is a concentrated source of vitamins, minerals, antimicrobial and antioxidant compounds. Use the zest of a pesticide free or organic lemon so you are not ingesting the chemicals and wax often applied to the peel.

    Take a look at the variations (below the main recipe) for suggestions to alter the recipe to suit many specific dietary requirements.

    If you’re looking to save money across pantry items such as nuts, seeds, flours and nut meals, I personally shop at The Wholefood Collective – great whole foods at heavily discounted prices (all home delivered), click HERE to check them out.

    Lemon Macadamia cookies
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    No ratings yet

    Lemon Macadamia Cookies

    These Lemon Macadamia cookies are gluten and dairy free and are just so delicious. They are easy to make and also freeze really well too. 
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time15 mins
    Total Time25 mins
    Course: Snack
    Servings: 12 cookies

    Ingredients

    • 150 g almond meal (1¼ firmly packed cups) 
    • 55 g macadamia nut oil (¼ cups)
    • 50-85 g rice malt syrup, honey or maple syrup (¼ cup approx.)
    • 1 tsp vanilla -powder, extract or essence
    • 1 lemon/s -finely grated zest of whole lemon plus 1 tbsp juice (very important or they will spread)
    • 12 macadamia nuts (optional) to finish

    Instructions

    • Preheat your oven to 150℃/300°F (fan-forced).
    • In a mixing bowl or food processor, combine all of the ingredients above until well combined (Thermomix 5-10 seconds, speed 5).
    • Roll tablespoons of the mix with wet hands or just drop blobs onto a tray lined with baking paper.
    • Flatten with the back of the fork and top with a macadamia nut.
    • Bake for 15 minutes or until just starting to brown lightly on top. 
    • Allow to cool on the tray (they will firm up as they cool). Enjoy!

    Store

    • Airtight in the fridge or freezer.

    Notes

    Low-fructose

    Choose brown rice syrup as your sweetener.

    Vegan

    Choose rice malt or maple syrup as your sweetener.

    Nut-free

    Sorry, this is not the recipe for you (but there are plenty of nut-free options on the website). For 150 pages of nut-free recipes, take a look at my super popular ebook 'The Well Nourished Lunchbox'. Click HERE to find out more and read the rave reviews.

     

    What do you think of these beauties? I'd love your feedback in the comments below! 

    Immune Tea – a Simple Remedy to Prevent and Treat Colds and Flu

    | Drinks & Smoothies

    There’s something soothing about a warm cup of tea when you’re feeling run down. But not any old tea will do. With people dropping left right and centre at the moment with colds, flu, and all manner of dreaded bugs, I thought I’d share this immune supportive tea recipe – a remedy I rely on to keep myself and my family well.

    I also use this remedy to treat a respiratory infection. It really helps relieve symptoms and shorten the duration and severity of the infection. This immune tea is my take on the infamous hot lemon and honey drink my mum used to make me as a child, only packing much more of a medicinal punch.

    Health benefits

    • The turmeric is anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antiviral. This, combined with the anti-inflammatory effects of ginger, means that both are wonderful for treating the congestion associated with respiratory infections.
    • Honey has been used for centuries to reduce inflammation, promote healing and reduce infection. But not all honey is created equal. Processed honey has no medicinal qualities. Real, raw honey possesses these properties, with some types of honey more potent than others. Manuka honey is a type of honey which is potently antibiotic and is receiving much attention in the medical community for its medicinal qualities. It or another raw medicinal honey would be your best choice here.
    • Lemon obviously donates a little hit of vitamin C. But it is the zest that impresses the most. Lemon zest is very nutrient dense, an amazing antioxidant and is very anti-bacterial too. It is also very good for stimulating digestion and breaking down mucous. Where ever a recipe calls for lemon juice, always incorporate the zest too.

    So now for my immune tea…

    Immune supportive tea
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    4.78 from 18 votes

    Immune Tea

    My Immune Tea is a wonderful remedy for supporting the immune system when it is run down. Sip this tea to help you on the mend. 
    Prep Time5 mins
    Total Time5 mins
    Course: Drinks
    Servings: 2

    Ingredients

    • 500 ml boiling hot water (2 cups)
    • 1 organic ginger tea bag (or a 1 cm slice of fresh ginger root, diced or grated)
    • ¼ tsp ground turmeric (or a 1 cm fresh piece of root, diced or grated)
    • 1 tbsp manuka or raw honey -more or less to taste
    • 1 lemon/s -juice and zest

    Instructions

    • Pour the boiling water over the ginger, turmeric, and optional coconut oil.
    • Let it sit for a few minutes before adding the zest and juice.
    • Add the honey then simply sip yourself well.

    Notes

    Supercharge it

    Simmering the ginger and turmeric root in the water for 5-10 minutes will make a more potent brew.

    Boost it

    Add a tablespoon of extra virgin coconut oil to the tea.

    Vegan

    To make it vegan, replace the honey with maple syrup or rice malt syrup. 
     

    Do you have any homemade remedies you swear by to prevent or treat colds and flu?  I'd love you to share by commenting below.