Almond, Spirulina and Orange Energy Balls

Looking through my cupboards the other day I was reminded that I had a massive bag of Spirulina and I never really use it.  I thought it would be good to add the very dark green powder to an energy ball but was worried it would be too over powering.  Also I though orange zest would be a good add on as well so my first ever make it up as I go along turned out really really good!

If you give it a try let me know!

Makes 26 balls weighing 15g each (approximately)

Ingredients

100g almonds
10 dates pitted (pitted weight 200g)
2tbsp raw cacao powder
zest of one orange (approx 20g/1½tbsp)
½tbsp spirulina
½tbsp hemp protein powder
1tbsp chia seeds
2tbsp almond butter
1tbsp coconut oil (solid form)

Method

Place the almonds in a food processor (I used a Magimix 5200XL) and process for about a minute until crumbly.  Add the rest of the ingredients and process this time for about a minute until it all binds together.  Pick a bit out and squeeze with your fingers.  If it doesn't bind add another tablespoon of coconut oil.

I weigh my energy balls using a Heston Blumenthal Precision Kitchen Scale. I like each energy ball to weigh approximately 15kg.  This is a great size for kids and quite often I'll have 2 at a time!

Place the balls in the freezer for at least an hour and then store in an air tight container in the fridge.

Nutritional Information

Per ball:

69 calories

3.6g fat

6.6g carbohydrates

1.8g protein

Cost per Energy Ball (prices correct at April 2016)

Ingredient	Qty	Unit	Source	Qty in bag (g)	Unit Price	Cost of ingredient
Almonds	100	g	Sainsburys	200	£2.20	£1.10
Dates	200	g	Forest Feast	180	£2.59	£2.88
Cacao powder	12	g	Sevenhills	500	£6.99	£0.17
Orange zest			Sainsburys			£0.38
Spirulina	4	g	Sevenhills	500	£9.99	£0.08
Hemp protein powder	4	g	Sevenhills	500	£10.99	£0.09
Almond butter	40	g	Meridan	1000	£16.50	£0.66
Coconut Oil	15	g	Lucy Bee	300	£6.00	£0.30
Chia Seeds	12	g	Sevenhills	2000	£10.75	£0.06
Total Cost						£5.71
Cost per ball (qty 26)						£0.22

Butternut Squash Risotto with Mushrooms and Prawns

I have literally just finished my dinner and am feeling the need to write this recipe down straight away.  I have a habit of doing this, I write it down on paper to either blog about later or add to my recipe app on my ipad but I lose the bit of paper and then never get to share.

But no not today.  I just have to share this!

So I started out following a Butternut Squash recipe from the Deliciously Ella website.  Recipe can be found here.  Usually the first time I try a recipe I really follow it and then the second time I make it I make changes but today I had mushrooms in the fridge and prawns that I defrosted yesterday that needed using up.

I had to admit I don't really like mushrooms. I find them rubbery and I think they smell and taste of mud but since I've cut meat from my diet my taste buds have changed and they are starting to grow on me. Not massively though so I cut mushrooms up in a way that the stalk bit in the middle just gets sliced through from top to bottom and the rest gets shredded into tiny pieces.  That way if I'm not feeling the mushroom love I can give those big bits to hubbie!

So back to the recipe. 

Serves 2

Ingredients

Butternut squash chopped into 1cm pieces (I buy the 320g precut bag from Sainsburys)
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
Freshly ground salt and pepper
Olive oil

⅔ cup brown basmati rice
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon herbs de provence
pinch himilayan salt

1 clove of garlic
1 tablespoon tahini
Juice of 1 lemon
a handful of fresh coriander
pinch himilayan salt

1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 red onion finely chopped
100g button mushrooms finely chopped
100g prawns cooked and peeled

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C. Place the chopped butternut squash onto a baking tray or roasting dish, sprinkle with the paprika, ground cumin and season with salt and pepper and drizzle over about a tablespoon of olive oil.  Roast for about 20 minutes tossing halfway.

Meanwhile rinse the brown basmati rice and boil in a saucepan with about twice as much as water.  Add the apple cider vinegar, herbs and salt and boil for about 30 minutes until the majority of the water has evaporated stirring occasionally.

Once the butternut squash is cooked and soft add ¾ of the tray to your food processor.  Add the tahini, lemon juice and garlic clove, salt and a handful of coriander.  Blend until a puree forms.

Heat a wok and gently fry the onions in the coconut oil, add the mushrooms and turn the heat down.  Add the cooked rice and stir in the butternut squash puree.  Add water if the mixture become too dry and finally add the cooked prawns heating them through.

Serve with some chopped coriander and enjoy!