Banana Cream Pie

Craving pie? Well look no further! This Banana Cream yumminess is for you. It's actually good for you as well, so you can indulge with non of the naughty-ness. It's so healthy, you could even have it for breakfast! Raw, and packed full of fruit & nuts... your skin will glow, your step will be springy, & your smile will be beaming! :)

Ingredients:-
For the pie crust:

• 1 1/2cups medjool dates
• 1 cup almonds (walnuts or pecans work too)
• 1/2 teaspoon maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly scraped vanilla pod

For the cream filling:

• 1 1/2 cups cashews (soaked in water for 4 hours)
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 small ripe bananas
• 2 tablespoons shredded unsweetened coconut
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup

For the topping:

• 2 bananas

Directions:

1. Place the dates and almonds in a food processor, and pulse until fine.
2. Add the vanilla and maple syrup and pulse again until mixed in.
3. Press the almond mix into a pie pan, forming  a crust. Place into the refrigerator while you make the filling.
4. Drain the cashews, place them in a food processor with the water, and blend together until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed (it should take about 3 mins).
5. Add the vanilla, coconut and maple syrup, blend until combined.
6. Slice the banana, add that to the food processor and blend again until fully combined, it should be creamy and very smooth.
7. Spoon the filling into the pie crust, and spread evenly. Place in the refrigerator or freezer to set.
8. Slice the bananas for the topping just before you're ready to serve it, (otherwise they will start to go brown) and place them evenly over the set cream filling. It's also better to portion the pie while it's still a bit chilled, as it keeps it's shape a lot better.
9. Serve and Enjoy!  :)

Wanting to make it even more decadent and luxurious? Why not add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder to the cream filling or sprinkle with coconut shavings to serve?! Utterly yummy and oh so good for you too.

Rice Crispy Treats

These were always one of my favourites as a child, I used to love getting all messy making them, and sneaking tastes from the bowl when the adults weren't watching! Actually, even at 24, they are still one of my favourites, but now, I just don't have an adult frowning at me for pinching the gooey yumminess... I'm allowed to sneak tastes freely! I haven't had them for a while, I just didn't think they would be something I would be able to eat being a gluten free vegan. But, stumbling upon the gluten free rice cereal at the market got me thinking how much I missed them,  and after quite a few batches, I think I've come up with a recipe that is so yummy, you actually can't tell the difference!

Ingredients

• 8 cups gluten free rice cereal
• 1 cup almond butter
• 1 cup brown rice syrup
• 1/2 cup gluten free vegan marshmallows
• 1 tablespoon gluten free vanilla extract

Directions

1. Line a square/rectangle cake pan with baking parchment paper.
2. Pour the rice cereal in a really large bowl, (you need enough mixing room not to spill any).
3. Over a low-medium heat, in a large saucepan, combine the almond butter & brown rice syrup, stirring constantly until melted.
4. Turn the heat down slightly, add the marshmallows, & keep stirring until melted.
5. Take the pan off the heat, stir in the vanilla extract.
6. Pour the melted marshmallow 'sauce' over the cereal & keep stirring until all the rice is coated.
7. Spoon into your lined cake pan, press the mixture down, & refridgerate for about 1 hour.
8. Cut into squares, and serve. Enjoy :)

Buckwheat Breakfast Crumble

Breakfast is most definitely my favourite meal of the day! It's also probably the meal that has got most predictable for me since going gluten free. I seem to have fallen into a pattern of having pretty much the same thing most mornings. My go-to options have become gluten-free toast with almond or cashew butter, gluten-free oatmeal with blueberries or a fresh juice (preferably of the green variety). Not that there is anything wrong with any of these options, infact they all super yummy & chock- full of goodness.... I just fancied a bit of a change!

Cue, my Buckwheat breakfast crumble.

I'd not tried raw buckwheat groats before, but I'd heard very good things about them. They are full of fiber, minerals & protein don't you know?! I also wanted to try something a bit diffrent & innovative not just using the regular gluten- free subsitutes. It took me a couple of attempts to get the groats to the right consistency the first time I made it, but once I had perfected them, this quickly became my new favourite breakfast/brunch dish! So, here it is....

Ingredients
(this serves 1, but you could just as easily double or triple it & serve it 'family-style' in a bigger dish)

• 1/2 banana
• 2 tablespoons raspberries
• 3 tablespoons blueberries
• 4 or 5 chopped strawberries
• 2 tablespoons gluten-free oats
• 1 tablespoon raw buckwheat groats
• 1 tablespoon almonds
• 1 tablespoon raw organic honey
• 1 tablespoon raw almond butter

Directions

1. Rinse the raw buckwheat groats, then soak them in water over night.
2. Rinse them again, let them dry, and put them in a food processor.
3. Add the gluten-free oats, almonds, & honey to the food processor, pulse it until just combined, (you don't want the mixture processed too fine).
4. Slice the banana, and top with the berries in a bowl.
5. Spoon the almond butter ontop, (you can stir it into the fruit if you like too).
6. Sprinkle on the buckwheat/ oat mixture and serve.

I'm not on a strictly 'raw food' diet, however I do like experimenting with raw recipes every now and and then. This was one of those experiementations. But equally, it could be baked in the oven and served warm. I just make it like this for it's convinience because I'm always rushing around in the mornings to yoga or work, and don't always have time to bake something. It would also be so delicious served as a healthy dessert with my Coconut ice cream melting over it.

Let me know what you think in the comments below xo