5 Delicious Recipes That You Won’t Believe Have Vegetables in Them

Current nutritional recommendations are that the bulk of our food should be vegetables, followed by fruits, protein, healthy fats, grains, and legumes. It is virtually impossible to obtain the recommended daily amount of vegetables from one meal – in Western culture, vegetables are conventionally part of dinner time meal but, it makes sense to spread them out throughout the day. The same can be said for protein – eating all your protein in one meal would be hard on the digestive system. And, since it is the protein and healthy fats that provide a sustained energy it is advisable to eat small amounts as part of every meal during the day as opposed to having a big protein portion at dinner time only.

As a mom to a preschooler who has made a very conscious decision to NOT eat vegetables, I have had to come up with some very creative ways to “sneak” them in. In fact, I have successfully snuck vegetables into just about everything I make for her so she generally has vegetables for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert – and even at her birthday parties.

And this is how…

Breakfast

Morning Glory Muffins

IMAGE CREDIT: ALFRED LOR (www.shooot.co.za)

Vegetarian; Great for Lunchboxes

These are a great way to sneak in some veggies – and with the healthy fats from the coconut oil and milk, and the protein from the gluten-free flours, these muffins are a wholesome all-in-one meal!

The muffins freeze well for a month. Simply take one out to defrost in the evening and you will have a healthy, wholesome ‘ready-made’ breakfast ready by morning.

Alternatively, reheat briefly in an oven.

Makes: 12

Ingredients:

2 egg yolks*

? cup coconut oil, melted
2 tablespoons coconut sugar (or raw, organic honey)
1 teaspoon vanilla powder (or colorants, sugar-free vanilla essence)

1 cup carrots, finely grated or chopped (±2 carrots)
1 cup zucchini, finely grated or chopped (±3 baby marrows)
½ cup seedless raisins, finely chopped

½ cup coconut flakes, finely chopped
1 pear/apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped
½ cup coconut milk (or any dairy free alternative)

½ cup quinoa flour**
¼ cup sorghum flour**
¼ cup brown rice flour**

½ cup potato starch
½ cup tapioca flour
1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoon guar gum

½ teaspoon Himalayan salt or sea salt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
Place the eggs, coconut oil, coconut sugar and vanilla powder into a bowl and whisk.

Add the carrots, zucchini, raisins, coconut flakes, apple, and milk and stir well to combine.
In a separate bowl sieve together the flours (quinoa, sorghum, brown rice, potato, and tapioca), baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, guar gum and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir well to form a batter.

Spoon the batter into greased muffin tins and bake until cooked through, approximately 15 – 20 minutes.
Allow the muffins to cool slightly in the pan before removing and eating, or leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
Place in a container, seal and freeze as soon as they have cooled.

Variations:

*If you would prefer not to use eggs then use this replacement: ¼ cup applesauce and ¼ cup warm water mixed with 2 tablespoons of ground flax (allow this to sit for 10 minutes before using, it will get ‘slimy’)

**If you would like to soak the grains first (and I recommend that you do) place the quinoa, sorghum and brown rice flours in a bowl with the milk. (There is no need to soak the tapioca flour or potato starch as they are not grains.) Stir to combine, cover with a dish towel and leave to soak overnight. In the morning, add the eggs, coconut oil, coconut sugar and vanilla powder to the soaked grains and whisk. Then continue with the recipe as above.

This recipe appears is my book ‘Mila’s Meals: The Beginning & The Basics’ available from Barnes & Noble (digital print) or directly from me (litho print) via my website.

Lunch

Fruit Leather

IMAGE CREDIT: ALFRED LOR (www.shooot.co.za)

Superfood; Vegetarian; Vegan; Egg-Free; Grain-Free; Great for Lunchboxes

A great no-mess, no-fuss out-and-about snack or lunchbox food and a very, very sneaky way to get the vegetables in! Now that my daughter Mila is 4 years old and totally against eating anything that looks like a vegetable, I permanently have a batch of ‘fruit’ leather drying in the dehydrator.

Our go-to combination is blueberry leather – I simply use left over roast vegetables from the night before, a bag of frozen blueberries and the superfoods. It couldn’t be simpler!

Most fruit leathers (rolls) available in the supermarkets have added sugars or high fructose corn syrup, GM vegetable oils and trans fats as ingredients, as well as being covered in preservatives – please read the labels.

Makes: 2 trays / 20 fruit leather rolls

Ingredients:

2 cups raw fruit, or fruit combination of your choice (for example, berries, bananas, mango,
peaches, nectarines, pears, pineapple)

1 cup cooked apple or pear
1 cup cooked sweet potato, butternut or beetroot (or a combination of these veggies)
1 tablespoon moringa (optional)

1 tablespoon baobab powder, or maca (optional)
1 teaspoon green powder (blend of chlorella, spirulina, wheatgrass and barley grass) (optional)
1 cup water or herbal tea (I recommend Rooibos Tea)

2 tablespoon ground chia seeds (optional)
honey, maple syrup or stevia to taste (optional)
1 tablespoon lemon juice (freshly squeezed)

2 tablespoons of coconut oil (for greasing the dehydrator sheets)

Instructions:

Wash the chosen fruit thoroughly. De-stem, pit, peel etc. as necessary.
Place the raw fruit, cooked apple/pear, cooked vegetables and superfoods in a blender and blend.

Check the consistency. If it is too thick to pour, add a little water or herbal tea until a pouring consistency is reached. If it is too thin, add fruit that has a lower water content such as banana, or add ground chia seeds (one tablespoon at a time).
Check the taste. If it is too tart, add your sweetener of choice until the desired sweetness is reached.
Keep in mind that the flavors will intensify as they dehydrate.

If you are using fruit that discolors (such as apples and bananas) add a little lemon juice to the mixture.
Be sure not to add too much as this will affect the flavor. Approximately 2 teaspoons per 2 cups of the mixture should be sufficient.
Spread the mixture evenly onto greased, solid dehydrator trays to a thickness of approximately ½ cm (?”).

If you do not have solid sheets you can line mesh sheets with parchment paper. Do not use wax paper or tin foil.
Dehydrate at 45°C (110°F) for 10 hours then flip the mixture onto a mesh sheet and continue drying for another hour. Check on the leather to make sure it is not getting too dry (crunchy). If it peels away from the sheet easily it is dry. Remember that under-dried (moist) fruit leather will not keep.
Allow the leather to cool; remove from the sheets, cut into long strips and roll up.

Store in a glass jar in a cool, dark place for up to one month, or in the freezer for up to a year.

In An Oven

If you do not have a dehydrator, you can dry the fruit leather in the oven. Turn the oven on its lowest setting and use the shelf furthest away from the heating element. Line a baking sheet with greased parchment paper and spread the mixture as above. When drying the leather, leave the oven door open slightly to allow for airflow. Drying times will vary according to your oven and the ambient humidity, but with an oven set at 50°C (120°F), it will take approximately 6 hours.

Tips and Variations:

Applesauce is added to make the leather smoother and more pliable. It is also a great extender (thus reducing the overall cost) and can balance the tartness of other fruits.
Fruit leather can be a great remedy for constipation – use beetroot as the cooked vegetable, and liquorice tea as the liquid.
Be adventurous by adding some spices like vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg or cloves.

Add extra texture by sprinkling shredded coconut, chia seeds or chopped sesame or sunflower seeds on top of the mixture before drying.
Additional fibre can be added by including psyllium husks to the mixture before drying.

New to Rooibos Tea?

Rooibos (pronounced Roy-boss and meaning Red Bush) is a plant indigenous to South Africa where it has been used by the indigenous Bushman for hundreds of years. Its leaves are used for making a naturally caffeine-free herbal tea.

Rooibos tea has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-viral benefits.

From a nutritional perspective, Rooibos is full of essential minerals. It is a good source of:

manganese, calcium, and fluoride (good for strong bones and teeth);

magnesium (essential for overall good health, a calmative and aids good sleep);
zinc and Vitamin C (important for a healthy immune system);
potassium (which supports healthy functioning of the body’s vital organs).

iron, (which carries oxygen to our blood cells)

This recipe appears is my book ‘Mila’s Meals: The Beginning & The Basics’ available from Barnes & Noble (digital print) or directly from me (litho print) via my website.

Dinner

All Good Tomato Sauce

IMAGE CREDIT: ALFRED LOR (www.shooot.co.za)

Vegetarian; Vegan; Egg-Free; Grain-Free; Great for Lunchboxes

“Tomato sauce is a good way to get some vegetables into your diet” is something I have heard quite often. Unfortunately, store-bought tomato sauces are extremely high in both salt and sugar (usually in the form of high fructose corn syrup from genetically modified corn). This recipe makes a delicious and nutritious alternative – and it has sneaky veggies in it too!

This tomato sauce makes a great dip, pasta or gnocchi sauce and an excellent tomato base for pizzas.

Makes: 250 ml (1 cup)

Ingredients:

1 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped and soaked hot water for 1 – 2 hours

2 dates, pitted and soaked
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
¼ teaspoon Himalayan salt or sea salt

3 tablespoon carrot, finely grated (raw or lightly steamed)
2 tablespoon beetroot, finely grated (raw or lightly steamed)
1 teaspoon finely chopped basil OR oregano

½ clove garlic (optional)
¼ teaspoon onion powder

Instructions:

Drain the sundried tomatoes reserving 1 tablespoon of the soak water.

Blend all the ingredients (including the reserved water) until smooth. Add more water if you need a thinner or smoother consistency.
Serve or store in a glass jar in the fridge where it will keep for a couple of weeks.
You can also freeze it in ice cubes trays and defrost as and when you need it.

Alternatives:

For a quick alternative, simply blend 1 sun-dried tomato with 2 soaked dates and 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar.
You can be more adventurous and hide even more veggies into this sauce! Try butternut, baby marrow and/or cauliflower.

This recipe appears is my book ‘Mila’s Meals: The Beginning & The Basics’ available from Barnes & Noble (digital print) or directly from me (litho print) via my website.

Dessert

Chocolate Nut Fudge

IMAGE CREDIT: ALFRED LOR (www.shooot.co.za)

Raw; Superfood; Vegetarian; Vegan; Egg-Free; Grain-Free; Great for Lunchboxes

The fudge is packed with nutrients and has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antibacterial, antimicrobial and general body nourishing properties. It is a great source of healthy fats, calcium, iron, potassium, zinc, protein, iron, fibre, copper, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, vitamins A, B’s, C and K, folate, and choline.

But where are the vegetables you may be asking? They come in the form of algae, seaweed, and grasses.

Algae and seaweed?! Yes, Western culture is beginning to enjoy the taste and nutritional value of fresh and salt water algae and other sea vegetables, also known as seaweed, which has been a staple of the Japanese diet for centuries. A variety of edible and highly nutritious sea vegetables can now be found in health food shops. They include fresh water algae (Chlorella), salt water algae (Spirulina) and other seaweeds such as nori, hijiki, wakame, arame, kombu and dulse.

As for the grasses (in powder form) there are a few varieties to choose from such as Wheatgrass, Barley Grass, and Alfalfa Grass.

In South Africa, we have a green powder mix called The Real Thing Green Power. It is a blend of organic wheat, barley and alfalfa grasses, spirulina, chlorella and seven sea vegetables including kelp, rockweed, dulse, bladderwrack, sea lettuce, laver, and, nori

When purchasing a ‘green powder’ it is important to choose an organic brand which was processed with protection from UV light, heat, and moisture (which ensures that the chlorophyll and nutrient content is maintained). You should also avoid brands that have ‘fillers’ such as lecithin, fibres, whole grasses, pectin, rice bran or flax.

When it comes to nutrition and eating vegetables, sea vegetables pack a punch! They provide 10 to 20 times more vitamins and minerals than land vegetables, offer more protection against radiation and environmental toxins, and are a source of omega oils and protein! (And it is just so easy to sneak them into food that even the most astute food detective will not be able to find them!)

Makes: 30 (2 cm x 2 cm) fudge squares.

Ingredients:

1 cup dates, soaked and pitted

1 cup coconut oil, melted
½ cup cashew nuts, activated
¼ cup raw cacao powder

1 teaspoon vanilla powder
1 teaspoon green powder (chlorella, spirulina, sea vegetable, alfalfa, barley and wheatgrass mix) – or more according to your taste.
a pinch of Himalayan or sea salt

½ cup water

Instructions:

Place all the ingredients (except the water) in the food processor and process with an S-blade for a couple of minutes.
Gradually add the water while the processor is running until the mixture is smooth. You want to make sure it is not too runny as it will not set – the amount of water you need to add depends on how long you soak your dates for. The longer they have soaked (and the more water they are retaining), the less water you need to add to the mixture.

Scoop the mixture into a shallow dish lined with baking paper.
Place in the fridge and allow to set – this takes approximately 1 hour.
Cut the fudge into squares and serve. (Please note due to the nature of coconut oil, the fudge will soften when it stands at room temperature.)

If there are any leftovers you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

Preparation Tips:

Soak the dates by placing them in a bowl and covering with water. Warm water will work quicker.
Melt the coconut oil by placing it in a bowl, and then placing that bowl in a bowl of hot water.

This recipe appears is my book ‘Mila’s Meals: The Beginning & The Basics’ available from Barnes & Noble (digital print) or directly from me (litho print) via my website.

Birthday Party Food

Chocolate (or vanilla) Cupcakes

IMAGE CREDIT: ALFRED LOR (www.shooot.co.za)

Yes – I even serve my daughter and her friend’s vegetables at her birthday party!

Superfood; Vegetarian; Grain-Free; Great for Lunchboxes

These cupcakes are loved by everyone who tastes them and I am often told they taste even better than regular cupcakes – and they have a vegetable in them!

The sweet potato creates a softer, spongier texture and adds to the sweetness of the cupcake – reducing the amount of sweetener needed.

The trick to using almond flour successfully is to beat it with the eggs for 2 minutes before adding any other ingredients. This allows the rather dry flour to soften before being cooked and prevents the cupcakes from being dry and crumbly.

You can use the Chocolate Nut Fudge recipe as the icing (thereby adding even more veggies!). Simply follow the recipe above and add and extra ¼ cup water to the mixture.

Makes: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:

2 cups almond flour
3 organic eggs

2 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
1 cup coconut milk (at room temperature)
3 tablespoon raw honey or maple syrup

2 teaspoon vanilla powder or alcohol-free vanilla essence
¼ teaspoon Himalayan or sea salt
½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon aluminium free baking powder
½ cup sweet potato, cooked, skin removed and mashed (at room temperature)
3 tablespoon raw cacao powder (if you want to make chocolate cupcakes)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
Line a muffin tray with paper cupcake liners.
Beat the flour and the eggs with an electric beater for 2 minutes.
Add the coconut oil, coconut milk, honey, vanilla extract and salt and beat for another 30 seconds.
Add baking powder, baking soda, sweet potato and cacao and beat until mixed.
Immediately scoop the batter into the paper cups.
They should be 3/4 full to allow space for rising.
Bake for 20 minutes or until the toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Remove cupcakes from muffin tray and cool on a wire rack.
Once the cupcakes are cool, ice them.
If there are any leftovers, they can be frozen for up to a month.