Pistachio Pesto

As a university student, jar pestos were my go-to dinner staple so I do understand why people find them convenient. That said, once you try making your own pesto, you won't look back. Pesto is so quick to make from scratch- I usually whizz up a batch while my pasta is cooking so a healthy dinner can be on the table within just 10 minutes. What's more, the freshness of the ingredients really shines when you make your own and it's hard to beat that. I've also noticed that many store bought pestos are bulked up with cheap oils whereas when you make your own, you know exactly what's going into it. Of course, you can enjoy pesto in many ways- adding it to roasted veggies, pizzas, salads, savoury muffins, to name just a few but pasta is the classic combination and it's this which I come back to time and time again. I like to retain a little of the pasta cooking water to help emulsify the pesto sauce and sometimes add a handful of spinach to the pasta to added goodness.

Three great health benefits: boosts immunity, beneficial for eye health, promotes healthy skin

Makes 1 jar
Keep refrigerated

Ingredients:
125g pistachios (shelled)
50g basil
120ml extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 clove garlic
Sea salt and black pepper

Method:
1) Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and whizz to combine

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"Zero Waste" Crackers

I really love juicing but I always hate throwing away the pulp. Not only is it crammed full of fibre, which is so beneficial for digestive and overall health but it also simply feels downright wasteful. I try to approach my cooking from a zero waste perspective so constantly throwing away juice pulp didn't sit well with me- no matter how much my compost heap reaped the benefits! As a result, these seeded crackers were born. Despite the long cooking time (when you can get on with other chores), they're easy to make and the result is a satisfying cracker which is really filling (thanks to the high fibre content) and works well with dips and spreads. I particularly like making these with the pulp from my Red Pepper Juice.

Three great health benefits: good source of fibre, promotes healthy skin, anti-inflammatory

Makes 8

Ingredients:
165g juice pulp
2 tbsp sunflower seeds
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
2 tbsp flaxseeds
2 tbsp hemp seeds
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp paprika
Sea salt and black pepper

Method:
1) Preheat oven to 110 degrees C. Line a baking tray with baking paper or a silicone mat.
2) Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl.
3) Press the mixture onto the prepared baking tray, in a thin (cracker thickness), even layer. Bake for 3 hours, flipping the "cracker" over halfway through the cooking time. When it's crisp, remove from the oven and set aside to cool before breaking into pieces in your desired cracker size.

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Red Pepper Juice

It may sound silly but I was nervous of trying red pepper juice for the longest time and when I finally did try it, it wasn't a conscious decision but merely the result of me saying "surprise me" when indicively placing my order in my favourite juice bar. Now, I can't recommend it highly enough- the distinctive flavour works so well in a juice, bringing both sweet and savoury elements as well as a host of nutritious benefits.

Three great health benefits: beneficial for eye health, promotes healthy skin, boosts immunity

Serves 1
Enjoy immediately

Ingredients:
1 red bell pepper
1 apple
1 celery stalk
1 carrot
Thumb sized piece of ginger

Method:
1) Starting with the ginger, feed all of the ingredients through a juicer. Enjoy immediately.

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Raspberry and Coconut Mini Loaf Cakes (Oil free)

Sweet coconut pairs with jammy raspberries in these tempting mini loaves, which have a soft cakey texture. I like to make them in mini loaf tins but if you don't have them, muffin tins would be a good substitute.

Three great health benefits: good source of fibre, beneficial for digestive health, promotes healthy skin

Makes 6

Ingredients:
200g raspberries
100g chickpea flour (sometimes called gram flour)
75g desiccated coconut
3/4 tsp gluten free baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
120ml coconut milk
85ml maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp apple sauce

Method: 
1) Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Line mini loaf tins with paper cases.
2) In a mixing bowl, combine the chickpea flour, desiccated coconut, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda.
3) In a separate bowl (or jug), whisk together the coconut milk, maple syrup and vanilla.
4) Add the coconut milk mixture to the dry ingredients, along with the apple sauce and stir to thoroughly combine. Gently stir through the raspberries. 
5) Divide the mixture between the paper cases in the prepared loaf tins and bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool before enjoying.
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