Nourishing butternut soup

My version of comfort food...

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion
• 1kg butternut chunks
• 1 tsp crushed garlic (fresh)
  
• 1 tsp crushed ginger (fresh)
• 1 tsp crushed green chilli (fresh)
• 1 large sprig of rosemary (fresh)
  
• 1 tsp salt crystals
• coconut oil for frying
• 2 Tbsp coconut flour (gives a creamy, thick texture)
  
• roasted, salted hemp seeds (garnish) (optional)

Method:

1. Fry onions in coconut oil over low heat until translucent.
2. Add butternut chunks, garlic, ginger, chilli, sprig of rosemary, salt and coconut flour to the pot.
   
3. Add enough boiling water to just cover the butternut chunks.
4. Bring to a boil then turn down the heat and simmer for 20 - 30 mins (depending on the initial size of the butternut chunks).
5. Remove the sprig of rosemary and zhoesh the soup with a stick blender.
6. Serve garnished with roasted, salted hemp seeds.
7. Enjoy!

Gluten-Free Coconut Flour Truffles

I found this fantastic gluten-free product at a health shop last week, and have been making batches of these little truffles for visitors ever since!

I contacted the distributor, Yussuf, to make sure that the flour doesn't contain any corn flour or other fillers, and was happy to find out that it is just pure, finely-milled coconut.

It's a lovely product to bake with, adding not only a delicious taste, but also fibre. As an added bonus, each bag of flour comes with a booklet of tasty recipes using the flour. Please note, it is a liquid absorbing flour of note, so use less in recipes (as in 3/4 cup of coconut flour instead of 1 cup of gf flour)

Now, onto the truffles! My recipe is a raw modification of the chocolate charm cookies I posted about in February, but based on coconut oil/flour not butter/gf cake flour. You can, however, also bake it (see variation below at step 4 of method), with the end-product tasting like shortbread.

Ingredients:

• 113g coconut oil
• 100ml agave syrup
• 175ml coconut flour
• 30ml cocoa powder

Method:

1. Beat the coconut oil (room temp, not liquid) and agave syrup till lighter and fluffier.
2. Use a dough hook to add in the coconut flour and cocoa powder.
3. Roll into balls and refrigerate till ready to serve.
   
4. IF YOU'D LIKE A BAKED PRODUCT then add an egg at step 2, as well as 1 tsp of vanilla essence. Refrigerate for 1 hour, roll into balls, bake in the oven at 160 degrees Celsius for 8 minutes. These taste like shortbread when baked!
   

If you would like to order the flour
from the distributor directly
to avoid shop mark-ups
visit
cocopure