Home-Made baked beans

Beanz Meanz Health… Beans are no longer consigned for those on a budget or a dorm room favourite for many hard working uni students. Easy to whip up in the morning as part of a big breakfast of scrambled eggs, nitrate-free bacon and Stuffed Tomatoes or as a snack on top of freshly baked Spinach Bread or slices of Gluten Free Nut Loaf the bean is back with all its robustness.

Did you know that home-cooked baked beans are surprisingly packed with nutrients? They’re an excellent source of fibre, helping you to maintain a healthy digestive system and contain high amounts of soluble fibre, which slows digestion and binds toxins, drawing them out of the body. Not only are they high in fibre, they boast a slew of vitamins (B vitamins in particular) and are loaded with folate and iron, an excellent choice for people with low iron and expectant mothers.

If you’re planning on purchasing the store bought variety, freshness is something that is lacking in the tin cans standing to attention on supermarket shelves.  You’ll find high levels of sodium and sugar and lost are the nutrients and vitamins you would ordinarily obtain from using dry beans. The good news is, with minimal effort, you can gain back the bean and incorporate it into your hearty breakfast just by following these few simple steps.

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(Makes 2 cups)

Ingredients

• ¼ cup almonds
• ¼ cup walnuts
• ¼ cup cashews
• ¼ cup pepitas
• ¼ cup coconut flakes
• Pinch nutmeg 1.5 gms
• Pinch cinnamon 1.5 gms
• 2 TBS cacao nibs
• 3 TBS goji berries or dried white mulberries (optional)
• ¼ cup caramelized ACV (recipe *)
• 1 tsp alcohol free vanilla essence

Method:

• Set oven temperature to 180 degrees Celsius
• Place almonds, walnuts, cashews, pepitas in a mixing bowl (nuts can be pre-soaked)
• Add cinnamon and nutmeg and stir
• Add vanilla essence and caramelized ACV and stir to mix
• Place in a baking dish
• Bake in middle shelf of oven for 20 minutes
• Stir after 10 mins, add coconut flakes and correct flavours
• You may need to bake for another 5 mins for further caramelisation
• Remove and let cool then add mulberries/goji berries and cacao nibs
• Place in sealed container ready for your next adventure

Caramelized ACV (recipe *)

• 1 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 tsp powdered stevia or 20 drops liquid stevia (plus extra depending upon sweetness required)

Happy Snacking!

When fruit cravings happen, berries and bananas are a good choice as they are rich in vitamins.  Banana's wonderfully sweet, creamy flesh, and the fact that they’re perfectly packaged by nature in their own yellow jacket leaves me simply smitten. Whether baking, mashing, blending them into a scrumptious smoothie or a remarkable raw dessert, or simply enjoying them straight from the skin; bananas are a brilliant sweet treat to work with in the kitchen, and they’ll reward you by working wonders on your health, and renovating your body into a sanctuary of wellness.

Bananas are one of the highest sources of vitamin B6 you can eat, and provide impressive amounts of vitamin C, potassium, dietary fiber and manganese. Vitamin B6 is a vital nutrient that helps with the production of several neurotransmitters; chemicals that carry signals from one nerve cell to another. B6 is therefore needed for normal brain development and function, and helps to make the hormones serotonin and norepinephrine, which influence mood; and melatonin, which helps to keep your body clock in top order.     (more…)