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We've got a treat for you today - acclaimed food blogger and creator of some of the most mouth-watering Instagrams, Naturally Sassy, has give us a sneak preview of her new book, which you can buy here.
Saskia Gregson-Williams, the founder of the blog, is in fact a 17 year old ballerina who started Naturally Sassy after she found the low calorie, low fat foods and energy drinks her training diet was made up of were leaving her poorly and constantly at risk of injury. She decided to reclaim her health and overhaul her diet, quitting dairy, meat and refined sugar at an age when most young people live off fried food and sweets.
The book is full of vegetarian, gluten and dairy free recipes for breakfasts, dinners, desserts and snacks. Saskia shared with us these mouth-watering recipes...
Strawberry and coconut ice-lollies
Makes 8 lollies
Ingredients:
300ml (1. cups) tinned
full-fat coconut milk
1 banana, peeled
4 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
100g (1 cup) strawberries, hulled
Place the creamy part of the coconut milk (leaving anywatery liquid in the tin) in a blender with the banana and dates and blend until smooth. Pour half the mixture into a jug, add the strawberries to the mixture left in the blender and blend again until smooth. Pour the strawberry mixture into the ice-lolly moulds and then the remaining coconut mixture on top. Put in the freezer for a couple hours to set.
Brown rice pizza with a sun-dried tomato sauce
Pizza base
220g (13/4 cups) brown rice flour
3 tablespoons arrowroot
1/2 tablespoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
20g (1/2 cup) roughly chopped parsley
350ml (1/2. cups) warm water
60ml (1/4. cup) olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Sun-dried tomato sauce
60g (1 cup) sun-dried tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
60ml (1/4 cup) passata
1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
Toppings
1 medium-sized squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into small cubes
1–2 tablespoons olive oil
Pinch of salt
150g (1 1/2 cups) sliced white mushrooms
2 sweet peppers (any colour), deseeded and sliced
1 handful of fresh basil, roughly shredded
30g (1/4 cup) pine nuts
50g (1/2 cup) pitted black olives
1 handful of rocket, to garnish
Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/gas 5 and line a 30cm pizza tray or a baking sheet with baking parchment. Place the squash in a roasting tin, drizzle over the olive oil and add a pinch of salt. Pop in the oven to roast for 30 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, place all the ingredients for the pizza base in a mixing bowl and mix until fully combined.
Scoop the dough out onto the prepared pizza tray/baking sheet and, with wet hands, flatten it out and mould into your pizza shape. You want a very thin crust, so it’s best to spread the dough out as much as possible. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes until golden. While the pizza base is cooking, place all the ingredients for the sun-dried tomato sauce into a blender and blend until smooth.
Remove the pizza from the oven and top with the sun-dried tomato sauce, mushrooms, peppers, basil, pine nuts and black olives. Cook for a further 10 minutes and serve, with the sweet potato cubes scattered on top and garnished with rocket leaves.
Caramel mousse with a raw chocolate ganache
MAKES 2 MOUSSES
Base
115g (1 cup) pecans
3 tablespoons raw cacao (or cocoa) powder
90g (1/2 cup) Medjool dates, pitted
Pinch of salt
Caramel layer
125g (1/2 cup) cashew butter
45g (1/4 cup) Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1 tablespoon raw honey, agave or pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
60–120ml (1/4 – 1/2 cup) water
(Start with less and add more if needed)
Raw chocolate ganache
2 generous tablespoons coconut oil, melted
30g (1/4 cup) raw cacao (or cocoa) powder
80ml (1/4 cup) agave or maple syrup
Despite being made from completely natural ingredients, this is one of the most indulgent desserts I have ever tasted. The base consists of a fudge brownie, with a hint of sweet pecan and a subtle caramel overtone from the Medjool dates. The middle is like a caramel mousse with hints of cinnamon and coconut. To top it all is a layer of raw chocolate ganache – sheer heaven!
Make the base by adding the pecans and cacao (or cocoa) powder to a food processor and process into a fine flour, then add the dates and blend again until it becomes a sticky dough. Divide the dough in two and press into the bottom of a glass or jar. Make the caramel layer by adding all ingredients to a blender and blending until smooth. Pour on top of the base in each glass or jar. To make the chocolate chocolate ganache, mix all the ingredients until smooth, then pour the chocolate on top of the caramel layer and place in the fridge to chill until you are ready to serve.