Insanely Good-For-You Bliss Balls

This year, I have been on a bit of a mission to cut out as much processed food from our household's diet as possible. I always thought we were pretty good with avoiding processed food but when I really looked at what we were eating, I found quite a few nasties in there. There are additives and truck loads of processed sugar and salt in so many of our pantry staples it makes your head spin. I decided to get rid of the worst offenders and dramatically increase our consumption of whole foods. So hello leafy greens, fresh herbs, vegetables with every meal, seeds, nuts and eggs! I've also ramped up my garden activity and I'm growing a lot more of our own vegetables and herbs. After all, it's pretty easy to grow a few basics and you get the bonus of knowing exactly where it came from and that it's super fresh. I absolutely love spending time in the garden, so I don't really need an excuse to get out there and get my hands dirty growing food for us.

Today's recipe that I'd like to share with you is a gorgeous sweet, chocolatey treat that contains no processed sugar, wheat or dairy and is really quick and easy to make - my chia seed and cacao bliss balls. I came up with this recipe when I was trying to find a sweet mid afternoon treat that wasn't full of processed rubbish, but would still provide a delicious chocolate hit. I noticed a lot of health food stores and cafes had started selling different versions of these and figured I would have a go at making my own. How hard can it be? Well the answer is, not hard at all!

Chia Seed and Cacao Bliss Balls

You will find most of the ingredients for this recipe at your local supermarket or grocer, however you may need to head to the health food store for the raw cacao powder/nibs. Remember that cacao powder is not the same as cocoa powder (which is often full of sugar), it is a less processed product with a lot more nutritional value too, including heaps of antioxidants. When I make a batch of bliss balls, I wrap each one individually and pop them in the freezer. It means that they last a lot longer and you aren't as tempted to scoff the whole lot in one go! They don't get super hard when frozen, so you can grab one out of the freezer and you don't have to wait for them to defrost either.

I hope you enjoy my chia seed and cacao bliss balls. These little treats pack a big nutritional punch, will keep you going through the afternoon and taste delicious. Perfect to have with your afternoon cuppa. In fact, I'm going to put the kettle on right now.....


You will need: 300g fresh dates, 1 heaped tablespoon raw cacao powder, 1 heaped tablespoon cacao nibs, 1 cup chia seeds, 1 cup dessicated coconut, 1/2 cup pepita seeds, Extra coconut to coat the balls.

Method: Remove the seeds from the dates and place them in a food processor. Add the cacao powder, 1 cup coconut. Process until all combined.

Put the date mixture in a bowl with the cacao nibs, chia seeds, pepita seeds and mix well with your hands until well combined.

Shape into small bite sized balls, roll in the extra coconut.

Makes 12-15 bliss balls. Keep in the fridge - also suitable for freezing.

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Spring Salmon - Gourmet Goddess Returns

Well, it’s been a while but I’m back in the kitchen after a rather longer than intended winter break. The few weeks I thought I would be away from cooking and blogging turned into almost two months, thanks to an overseas work trip to New Zealand (with a week or so of road trip around the North Island thrown in at the end) and our household being laid low by illness in past few weeks. Let’s just say that the cooking that has been happening (when it was happening at all) was very basic and far from Gourmet Goddess worthy, so I promise that you haven’t been missing out on much in that department!

Since my last post, the weather has completely changed, Winter has left us here in Australia and we welcome the start of Spring - and the appearance of a whole lot of gorgeous Spring produce. I love this season, as all my favourite fruit starts to come in to season, especially strawberries, blueberries, mangoes and the first stone fruit – peaches, nectarines and plums. Asparagus is everywhere, and it’s local (although still check the labelling and reject any dodgy imports which may still be around) At this time of the year it is great quality and also inexpensive so there’s no reason why you can’t eat it every day if you wanted to.  One of my favourite things in the world is asparagus, soft poached eggs and creamy goat cheese and I eat this often at this time of the year. Delicious! I have updated the “what’s in season?” section on this page to give you an idea about what you should be looking for at the greengrocer right now. Have a look at the list and get some inspiration for some spring dishes.

I thought I would share a super healthy, light and delicious spring recipe as my first post of this season. It is fast to put together, very good for you and uses a selection of lovely spring vegetables. It is also super low carb (if that sort of thing turns you on) Feel free to add whatever fresh herbs take your fancy, or some chilli for a spicy kick. This would also make a really nice lunch platter – cook a few salmon fillets and arrange them on a larger serving plate to serve a whole bunch of people. I made this dish for dinner last night and it literally took me 15 minutes from preparation to table – and I wasn’t even rushing. Easy and yum!

Pan Fried Salmon with Corn Salsa

You will need:
2 Salmon Fillets (about 150g each), 1 cup cooked corn kernels (I cook the corn on the cob and then cut off the kernels), 3 radishes finely chopped, 1 small Lebanese cucumber de-seeded and finely diced, 1 cup diced fresh cherry tomatoes, 2 tablespoons Spanish onion finely chopped, 1 tablespoon chopped continental parsley, 1 teaspoon finely chopped lemon balm (if you don't have this, substitute with fresh mint), salt & pepper, a drizzle of olive oil for pan frying.

Dressing: 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, dash of Tabasco, 1 teaspoon sugar, salt and pepper. Fresh lemon to serve.

Method: Check the salmon and remove any bones you might find with a pair or tweezers. Wipe the salmon with some paper towels and set aside.

In a bowl, combine the corn, radish, cucumber, tomatoes, onion, parsley, lemon balm (or mint). Season with salt and pepper.

Whisk together all of the dressing ingredients. Season generously and pour over the salsa mixture. Combine and put aside until ready to serve.

Heat a non stick pan to a medium heat. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the pan. Cook the salmon until golden on the outside but still slightly springy to touch. Be careful not to overcook the salmon or it will dry out.

Serve with the salsa and fresh lemon right away.

Serves 2

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Little Bites of Goodness

We have been making a conscious effort in our household to eat a lot more healthily lately - which means cutting down on meat, fat and sugar and upping the vegetable content of everything. Today I am heading off to meet with our book club group (today's book for discussion - Joseph Conrad's tale of colonialism and man's dark nature -  "Heart of Darkness") Just because the subject we are discussing this afternoon is uber heavy, doesn't mean that the snacks for the afternoon have to be - so I made a batch of these delicious savoury muffin bites to take for the refreshment table.

These little muffin bites are full of vegetables, as well as gorgeous sorrel from my garden (you can substitute baby spinach if you can't find sorrel) and very low fat cheese, so they are good for you, as well as being delicious. They are also quick and easy to throw together. They have a very moist, soft texture due to the vegetables and the cheese and do not resemble the more "cakey" style muffins.

These muffins are also my first attempt to include Chia seeds in my cooking. Chia seeds contain an insane amount of anti-oxidants, fibre, protein and omega 3 oils -  as well as having lots of other health benefits - balancing blood sugar levels,helping to regulate blood pressure, having anti aging and anti inflammatory properties and providing a boost of energy without caffeine or drugs.

So, these little bites of healthy goodness will provide a dose of good stuff, whilst not being bad for the waistline or the tastebuds either. They would be great in lunchboxes or as a healthy snack. You can of course bake large ones if you want to - the recipe below will make 6 muffins if you decide to do that. Otherwise, the amount below will bake 12 mini muffins.

Vegetable and Chia Seed Muffin Bites

You will need: 2 cups self raising flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1/3 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 egg, 1 cup low fat milk, 1/2 cup reduced fat grated cheese, 1 cup low fat cottage cheese, 1/2 cup chia seeds, 1 cup grated carrot, 1 cup grated zucchini, 1 leek sliced finely, 1 cup finely chopped sorrel or baby spinach, olive oil spray.


Method: Preheat the oven to 200C. Spray a pan with a little oil and cook the leeks until soft. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cayenne pepper, salt, chia seed, grated cheese. Mix well.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, milk and cottage cheese.

Add the grated carrot, zucchini, leek and sorrel/spinach to the dry mixture and combine gently. Now add the wet mixture and fold through with a spatula until just mixed.

Spray a mini muffin tin with oil and spoon the mixture into the pan.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until they start to turn golden on top. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before removing them from the pan.

Makes about 12 small muffin bites.

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