Libby Bird – Page 14

Super Simple Plum Tart

March 18, 2016 by Libby Bird Leave a Comment

I impulse-bought a big box of organic omega plums – beautifully dark-fleshed with enough acidity in their speckled skins to make you shudder with tart delight. So for the last couple of weeks, we’ve been munching merrily on plums, but our family favourite is this super simple pudding (is it a tart? Is it a cake? You decide) The first time I created it, we wolfed the lot in one guzzly sitting. The zing of the plums is offset by a very basic & not-too-sweet soft base….

Quinoa Sushi with Ginger & Tahini

March 2, 2016 by Libby Bird Leave a Comment

As much as I adore brown rice sushi, quinoa is has become a real favourite – it’s lighter, plus it’s packed with protein & all nine essential amino acids. This recipe seasons the quinoa with tahini, fresh ginger & lemon juice, which not only helps to hold it together nicely, it also delivers a pleasing, zingy backdrop to your sushi filling. It’s unusual, but sheesh, it works. Fresh apple is my secret wow ingredient. It adds a snappy freshness to the roll, a lovely sweet-ish complement to the salty tamari & tangy ginger….

Raw Pear & Ginger Cakes

February 22, 2016 by Libby Bird Leave a Comment

Two things inspired me for this recipe. Firstly, I found a random pear in my garden – it had rolled a fair distance from a neighbouring tree, ripe, sweet, hot from the sun, a tad bruised from the journey but stunningly juicy. Secondly, the kids had been eating a bag of mixed nuts & left all the brazils at the bottom. So, as you do, I decided to pair the two – chunky brazil nuts meet sweet ripe pears….

Maple Pecan Cookies

February 12, 2016 by Libby Bird Leave a Comment

I love adventuring in the kitchen with my six year old. She announced that we should invent some cookies: “I don’t want them to be too sweet. And I think there should be pecans”. Right, then. Game on. These cute, nutty, little biscuits were quick & easy to concoct (with the added perk that they’re dairy & egg-free, meaning Trixie could share them with her vegan friend). Tahini is a magic ingredient here – it’s rich, mineral-laden but not overbearing, plus it helps to bind the cookies together….

Zucchini Fritters

January 17, 2016 by Libby Bird Leave a Comment

Hats off to the crazy growth of a summer courgette plant – one moment they’re all delicate yellow flowers, the next you’ve got a stonkin’ great marrow. This recipe was born on one of those balmy summer evenings when I grabbed fresh eggs, herbs & zucchini from the garden, introduced them to a little brown rice flour and hey presto, green fritters for supper. With only a handful of ingredients, they’re simple, light & quick to make – feta gives them a creamy tang, while the zucchini is all about softness. They’re also a great way to use up those unexpected marrows!…

Chocolate Berry Dreamcake

December 16, 2015 by Libby Bird Leave a Comment

Okay, so this is the fanciest frilliest most epic recipe on the blog so far! How sensationally festive would this look on your Xmas table? Since it’s summer downunder, I was inspired by the vanilla, chocolate, berry combo of the Kiwi classic Jellytip iceblock. But this plant-powered cake version is a nutrient-rich wholefood taste sensation, packed with goodness as well as flavour. Using raw natural ingredients to lock in flavour & texture, it’s made entirely of nuts, fruits & pure sweeteners, dodging all the processed sugars, saturated fats & high-glycaemic flour blends of traditional cheesecakes. Mean clean green cuisine….

Berry Treasure

December 9, 2015 by Libby Bird Leave a Comment

How cute are these tiny chocolate bombs? Made from scratch using nutrient-dense super foods – raw cacao, coconut oil, nut butter, pure maple – they are naturally free of dairy & refined sugar AND they pack a nutritional punch of guilt-free goodness. A hidden nugget of raw berry chia jam inside gives these sweet treats their name….

Tempeh Lettuce Boats

November 25, 2015 by Libby Bird Leave a Comment

Fresh, crisp, crunchy – these little lettuce boats are a popular weekend lunch in our house. Who needs carbs when you can load up a leaf with green goodness, nut butter & salty tempeh? (I love tempeh more than tofu – it’s nutty, savoury, hearty, earthy…umami, that’s the word I’m after. “Pleasant savoury taste”) This is a pretty loose recipe – basically you’re assembling a ‘wrap’ on a lettuce leaf, so rather than going for exact quantities, below is a list of ingredients inspiration. Work with what you’ve got & what you enjoy….

Beautiful Breakfast Bowl

November 20, 2015 by Libby Bird Leave a Comment

Layers of crisp muesli, chocolate chia, creamy yoghurt and zingy berries…a beautiful breakfast bowl indeed! I know what you’re thinking – “how do you expect me to whip that up in my busy morning?!” Here’s the trick: you’ve already made a batch of nutty crunchy muesli (using this recipe), there’s a container of chocolate chia waiting for you in the fridge (from this recipe) and all you have to do is assemble it all. That’s the beauty of it – the muesli & the chia store well, so once you’ve got them sorted, your morning decadence awaits….

Chocolate Cinnamon Chia Pudding

November 11, 2015 by Libby Bird Leave a Comment

Thick, gloopy, chocolatey goodness! Super-quick to make, this raw pudding lasts for several days in the fridge – perfect for a guilt-free breakfast, chocolate-hit snack, or a healthy treat to chuck in a lunchbox (my son loves a small container of it with a frozen strawberry dunked in the middle to keep it cool). Chia seeds are mini nutritional powerbombs – rich in antioxidants, minerals & fibre, laden with omega-3’s AND a complete protein. Boom!…