Peachy pink smoothie

This is a lovely Summery smoothie, which uses two of my favourite Summer fruits; donut peaches and Irish strawberries. I get so excited when is see donut peaches back at the market, they are so sweet and fragrant. You could of course use any type of peach for this smoothie but as you can tell I have a bias towards the donut variety. Did you also know that peaches can be grown in Ireland? Well I have seen them in West Cork anyway so it's my goal to try and grow my own in the future, any hints and tips are welcome from anyone with peach growing expertise!

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 x donut peaches, roughly chopped
• 1 x banana, peeled and chopped
• 500g strawberries, washed & hulled
• 2 tbsp rice protein powder
• 300ml almond milk

topping:

• bee pollen

METHOD:

1. Pop all the ingredients into the blender and pulse until creamy and smooth, adding a little extra almond milk if necessary. I like my smoothies quite thick so you can eat with a spoon & often do just that, adding toppings and eating like a smoothie bowl. If you prefer thinner simply add more liquid.
2. Once blended, top with be pollen or any superfoods of your choice & enjoy!

Raw Strawberry Cheesecake

I'm hanging on to the end of Summer here in Ireland with this gorgeous pink dessert. It's perfectly creamy & delicious without too many heavy ingredients. It's also dairy and gluten free so a good bet when catering for people with intolerances. Once the 'cheesecake' mix has chilled in the fridge for 4 hours top it with fresh edible flowers or berries, cut into thin slivers and enjoy. Keep it stored in the fridge once you have cut your quota of slices, this is because it does not contain any added gelling agents that would keep it firmer for longer.

Serves 16

Ingredients:

Crust

• 100g pecan nuts
• 140g almonds
• 4 medjool dates
• Pinch of sea-salt

Filling

• 330g cashew nuts
• 100ml agave syrup
• 120l water
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 350g strawberries
• 180ml coconut oil

Method:

1.  To prepare the crust place the pecans, almonds, medjool dates and sea-salt into a food processor and pulse for a couple of minutes.

2.  Press the mix into the base of the cake tin, transfer to fridge to harden while you prepare the filling.

3.  Place the cashew nuts, maple syrup, water, vanilla extract, strawberries and coconut oil into a blender and blitz until smooth and creamy.

4.  Pour the creamy mix over the base in the cake tin.

5.  Place the cheesecake into the fridge to set for at least 4 hours.

6.  Top with some berries or edible flowers and serve.

Chocolate Coconut Bites

These little bites of heaven are a play on the 'Bounty' bars I grew up eating. This version is a little healthier of course but is rich & flavoursome with addition of dark chocolate & real pieces of coconut.

Serves 12

Ingredients:

• 240ml coconut milk
• 60ml coconut oil
• 4 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of sea-salt
• 225g desiccated coconut
• 400g dark chocolate, 72% cocoa solids

Method:

1. Grease and line a 20cm square tin.
2. Whisk together the coconut milk, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract and sea-salt. Once well combined add the desiccated coconut and beat together.
3. Pour the coconut mix into the prepared cake tin and transfer to the freezer for at least 2 hours. Take out of the freezer at this point and cut into bite sized bars. Freeze again for a further 30 minutes.
4. Melt the chocolate over a double boiler, being careful to not allow the chocolate to burn.
5. This is the messy part; cover the coconut bars with the melted dark chocolate. You can apply two thin coats of the chocolate for a more even finish if you wish.
6. Once covered, transfer to the fridge to set.