12 HEALTHY RECIPES (we always knew it was possible)!

Liz Scully Editor // Katie Schenk Words // Chris Sandel Nutrition // Jurie Potgieter Images www.rethinkretreats.com for Rethink Retreats brings you 12 healthy cake recipes Contents to delight the taste buds and remind you that healthy eating doesn’t have to be a hardship Rethink Retreats: Hello, we like cake! ...... 2

Chris Sandel, our nutritionist: He likes eating normally ...... 3

Recipes Please check our shiny new food website ...... 4 www.notgotmuchin.com for more recipes. Honey Cake with Apricots, Vanilla and Sweet Potato ...... 5

Blueberry Oat Cake ...... 6

Courgette and Chamomile Cake ...... 7

Chocolate Cake (Vegan Gluten-Free) ...... 8

Coconut, Lime and Blueberry Cake ...... 9

Chateau Durantie Carrot and Parsnip Cake ...... 10

Beetroot Brownie ...... 11

No Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bars ...... 12

Apple, Parsnip and Cider Cake ...... 13

Lemon and Lavender Drizzle Cake ...... 14

Not Got Much In is your go to place for simple, never fail recipes White Chocolate Rose Water Elachi Cake ...... 15 for those days when you need great food but you’ve not got much Chris shares his nutritional knowledge ...... 16 in the cupboards. Recipes are straight from the kitchen at Rethink A Word on Flour: Some of the difficult stuff explained ...... 16

Central or shared by our friends. And our lovely nutritionist, Chris Rice flour ...... 16

Sandel, gives us healthy tips and info every month. Wholemeal flour ...... 16

Spelt flour ...... 17

Coconut flour ...... 17

Buckwheat flour ...... 17

A Word on Sugar: You might not be familiar with all these ...... 18

Maple Syrup ...... 18

Black strap molasses ...... 19

Honey ...... 19

The recipes in this cookbook have been created, or adapted, by Rethink Retreats and their Coconut sugar ...... 18 associates. We encourage you to share these recipes with friends and family with proper credits to the Rethink Retreats team. Be nice, we all know stealing is wrong! Rapadura sugar ...... 19 Images and descriptions are the property of Rethink Retreats, and may not be reproduced, used or sold without the written permission of the photographer or editor of this publication. A Few Things to Avoid: Chris has a rant ...... 20

1 Rethink Retreats: Chris Sandel, our nutritionist: Hello, we like cake! He likes eating normally

Now, we know that you don’t always associate executive coaching with cake. But we think you Sugar gets a bad rap from basically everyone should. After all, coaching involves making changes. Sometimes they’re big and sometimes in the health sphere. Doctors, nutritionists, they’re a series of small adjustments. The work you put into your life deserves a reward. and even the media are all telling us to eat And once you get going on life changes, successes build on each other, and you’ll pick less sugar, and in a lot of cases, to eat fewer up momentum quickly. And sadly, rewarding yourself with a cake from the shops can have carbohydrates in general (as they breakdown consequences. Not only are they often filled with chemicals, but the choices of fats and to sugar in the body). sugars can visibly be seen on waistlines. So we turned to our nutritionist, Chris Sandel, to help us make some healthy . These cakes have been specially chosen to help you feel Well I don’t think sugar is all bad. Whether a fantastic, even after you eat them. food is healthy or unhealthy is not an absolute, it depends on the person and the situation. We’ve included a number of sugars and flours you might not have used before, and in case Sugar is crucial to the functioning of all our you can’t get hold of them easily, we’ve included substitutions. After all, sometimes you want to make a cake right this minute and not after you get back from the shops. Do try the cells, and whether this comes in the form of healthy versions; they add a new dimension of flavours. And as a bonus they’re better for honey, or as carrot, depends on the situation. your body. Someone’s relationship with food in my opinion is far more important than what they eat. You may also notice that our recipes use medium eggs instead of large ones. Producing How they feel about their body and the foods they consume has a direct impact on how that large eggs is actually quite painful for the chickens. And as we’re nice people we see no food is processed once it’s ingested. reason for even chickens to be in discomfort. However, you can substitute large eggs if that’s what you’ve got in your kitchen without dramatically affecting the recipes. You might While it may be surprising to know, with the majority of my clients I suggest they lighten be interested to know that large eggs, although they have a bigger shell on the outside, are up about what they eat. The constant barrage of messages to cut calories and eat smaller actually almost the same volume of liquid on the inside. So, as they’re a bit cheaper, as well portions is creating legions of people surviving off rice cakes and salad. When a client as nicer to chickens, we thought we’d make the sensible choice. becomes relaxed around food and gives themselves permission to eat whatever they want, Now as well as being kind to chickens – we like to be kind to mums. We know that our they naturally start to listen to their body. And this means they are eating healthier because recipes as well as being delicious are a good way to sneak extra veg into your kids… they are giving their body what it needs.

On the other hand, there are a few things we haven’t done – we’ve deliberately not given The cakes in the book are fantastic, as well as being healthy. All of them include vegetables you the nutritional information you often find in healthy recipes. We don’t want you to flip, as part of the recipe, but done in a surreptitious way so no one eating the cake will ever know. from recipe to recipe, looking for the one with the lowest fat or least calories. Instead, we hope you choose a cake based on taste, knowing that no matter which one you make, They contain sugar in its most unrefined forms – maple syrup, black strap molasses, honey, you’ve made an overall healthy decision about the food your body is consuming. Small coconut sugar, rapdura sugar. All of these are high in vitamins and minerals, helping the changes for your overall benefit are the key to long term success in all areas of your life. sugar to be absorbed and used effectively in the body.

At the end of the book, you’ll find a reference on flours and There is a range of flours that are much more exciting than just plain white flour. Each of them sugars from Chris. This’ll guide you not only in shopping for imparts its own distinct flavour, as well as an array of nutrients and health giving properties. these cakes, but for your store cupboard in general. Keep an eye on our blog for country specific places to purchase These are cakes you won’t feel guilty about eating, even if you’re that way inclined. No speciality flours, oils and sugars. pangs of remorse. No beating yourself up. Instead, you can enjoy them with gusto because Do, please, mail us your success stories and pictures. We want it’s healthy food made in the tastiest way. to hear from you. Chris Sandel Nutritionist, 7 Health Happy baking! www.seven-health.com

2 3 Banana Cake This is guilt free breakfast cake. Enjoy it on a weekend morning with a little warm butter, a cup of tea and an entertaining book. Maple syrup takes over where granulated sugar leaves off for a developed taste and healthier snacking. 12 slices per loaf

Ingredients Baking Instructions

125g (1 cup) Butter, softened, Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F, Gas mark 4). Line the bottom of a loaf tin plus extra for greasing with baking parchment and grease the sides with butter.

75ml (1/3 cup) 100% Maple In a large bowl, whisk butter, maple syrup and eggs together. Add syrup bananas to mixture and beat to combine.

2 medium Eggs, beaten In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, nutmeg and salt together. 3 medium Bananas, very ripe Gently fold flour mixture into banana mixture until just combined. Fold in (brown), mashed walnuts and/or raisins, if using. 250g (2 cups) Wholemeal flour Pour mixture into prepared tin and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a skewer placed in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Transfer to a 1 1/2 tsp Baking powder wire rack to cool. 1/2 tsp Nutmeg BAKING TIP: Ensure butter is soft before use as it makes a difference in 1 pinch Salt the final cake. The longer you mix your batter, the lighter your cake will 1 handful Walnuts, chopped be. Chopped apples also add goodness when ripe and sweet. (optional) 1 handful Raisins (optional)

Store Cupboard Substitutions Although maple syrup makes an excellent complement to bananas, honey can do the same. The honey is still much healthier for you, but if you do not keep much on hand, granulated sugar can be used in a pinch. Whole meal flour is becoming more popular worldwide; however, it doesn’t mean you always have some on hand. This recipe is flexible enough to allow for almost any flour.

Substitute 75ml (1/3 cup) Honey replaces Maple syrup 250g (2 cups) Plain or all purpose flour replaces Whole meal flour

Banana Cake www.rethinkretreats.com 4 Honey Cake with Apricots, Vanilla and Sweet Potato This is a genuine tea-time cake you can give your butter and sugar loving aunt without fear. To add a little something extra, serve it with a dollop of yoghurt on the top. No one will even know you tucked a dash of wholesome goodness in with all that sweet potato.

When we served this at our last London event, a rather unseemly scuffle broke out over the last slice. It honestly does taste that good! 8 slices per cake

Ingredients Baking Instructions

1 Vanilla pod, split lengthways Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F, Gas mark 4). Line the bottom of a cake pan with baking parchment and grease the sides with butter. 100g (1/2 cup) Dried apricots, chopped into small cubes Scrape out the vanilla seeds from the pod into a large mixing bowl. 2 medium Eggs Add chopped apricots to a bowl with just enough boiling water to cover apricots. Wrap with cling film or cover with lid and leave to soak. 180g (1/2 cup +1 tbsp) Honey Meanwhile, in a clean mixing bowl, beat eggs and honey together. Add 150g (1 cup) Sweet potato, grated sweet potato and lemon zest. Beat until thoroughly combined. peeled and finely grated Then add flour, ground almonds, baking powder and salt. Mix until well Zest of 1/2 Lemon incorporated. Drain apricots and discard vanilla seeds. Add apricots to sweet potato mixture. Use a spatula to combine. 100g (1/2 cup +1 tbsp) Rice flour Tip the mixture into the tin and bake in the middle of the oven for 45 100g (1 cup) Ground almonds minutes. 1 tsp Baking powder BAKING TIP: The vanilla seeds help to sweeten the potentially tart 1 pinch Salt dried apricots. If you are unable to get your hands on vanilla pods, just soak your apricots in hot water, and 1 tablespoon of high quality vanilla extract. Or, try dried peaches, which are sweeter.

If you over bake your cake, or it looks a little dry post-baking – leave it in the cake tin and mix a little honey and boiling water and drip this syrup over your cake to add moisture.

Store Cupboard Substitutions If fancy making this delicious cake but don’t have rice flour on hand, feel free to substitute buckwheat or plain flour or all purpose flour. Besides the nutrition factor in the flour, the main difference is the “lightness”. Take the time to sift plain flour twice if you, your cake will thank you for it.

Substitute 100g (1/2 cup + 1 tbsp) Buckwheat flour or plain flour, pre-sifted for Rice flour

5 www.rethinkretreats.com Honey Cake with Apricots, Vanilla and Sweet Potato Blueberry Oat Cake This is simply delicious, and tremendously good for you. Blueberries are brain food, so you can feel pretty happy about snacking on this when a late night boost is called for. In fact, this cake will perform at any time of the day, even as a dinner party . 8 slices per cake

Ingredients Baking Instructions

100g (1 cup) Spelt flour Preheat oven to 170°C (340°F, Gas mark 3-4). Line the bottom of a cake pan with baking parchment and grease the sides with butter. 90g (1 cup) Oatmeal 2 tsp Baking powder In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, oatmeal, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. ½ tsp Salt In a separate bowl, pour in the honey, yoghurt, and lemon juice. Whisk ½ tsp Cinnamon to combine. Add milk and eggs and continue whisking until well mixed. 100g (1/3 cup) Honey Pour yoghurt into oats mixture and beat together until well blended. Gently stir in the blueberries until just combined. 150g (2/3 cup) Yoghurt Spoon into a cake pan and bake for 35-45 minutes. When a toothpick 1 tbsp Lemon juice inserted in the centre comes out clean, the cake is done. 60 ml (1/4 cup) Full fat milk BAKING TIP: Blueberries have such a short harvest season in summer. 2 medium Eggs If you feel the urge for this cake in winter, look for frozen blueberries rather than tinned ones. They won’t have the extra added sugar used 150g (1 cup) Fresh blueberries in canning; once thawed they will behave more like fresh blueberries. An additional benefit is that frozen berries have a much higher nutrient content than their canned counterpart. In fact, sometimes frozen berries can be even higher in nutrients than fresh ones, depending on how long the fresh ones have been hanging around.

Store Cupboard Substitutions Spelt flour will keep this cake healthy and delicious, but if you don’t have any on hand, then substitute what you do have. The best replacement is buckwheat flour, but if all you have is plain or all purpose flour, you can use that too. One of the bonuses of spelt flour is the nutty flavour it produces, so if you are making a substitution, you may want to add some ground almonds with the flour, especially if you are using plain or all purpose flour.

Substitute 50g (1/2 cup) Buckwheat flour + 50g (1/2 cup) Plain or all purpose flour for Spelt flour

Blueberry Oat Cake www.rethinkretreats.com 6 Courgette and Chamomile Cake This cake is light and fluffy. It is perfect for an after dinner treat or an afternoon coffee break. There is a hint of courgette, but it doesn’t taste like a vegetable. It just adds a refreshing dimension to a perfect slice of cake. 8 slices per cake

Ingredients Baking Instructions

3 medium Eggs Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F, Gas mark 4). Line the bottom of a cake pan with baking parchment and grease the sides with butter. 1/4 cup Butter, melted 1/2 cup Whipping cream In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, butter, cream and sugar for 3 minutes until fluffy. Add the lemon zest and courgette (zucchini) and 120g (1/2 cup) Coconut sugar mix. Cut open the tea bags and add to the mixture along with the flour, Zest of 1/2 Lemon baking powder, bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) and salt. Mix well. 200g (1 cup) Courgette Empty into a cake tin and bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick (Zucchini), peeled and grated inserted in the centre comes out clean. 5 each Chamomile tea bags BAKING TIP: Chamomile tea has a distinct flavour and other teas are not easily substituted. If you don’t have any on hand, just leave it out – 200g (2 cups) Spelt flour the cake is still delicious without it. 2 tsp Baking powder ½ tsp Bicarbonate of soda (Baking soda) 1 pinch Salt

Store Cupboard Substitutions Coconut sugar can be a little difficult to source in some regions. Don’t worry if you can’t find it. Brown sugar makes a decent substitute, although the flavour of the final product won’t have the same complexity. Same with the flour; spelt flour has a nutty taste, so a substitution of plain or all purpose flour will lose a little depth. Add in a pinch of ground nuts to make up for it.

Substitute 120g (1/2 cup) Brown sugar for Coconut sugar 200g (2 cups) Plain or all purpose flour for Spelt flour

7 www.rethinkretreats.com Courgette and Chamomile Cake Chocolate Vegan Gluten-Free Don’t let the word vegan fool you; this cake has a delicious goodness that even butter lovers can enjoy. Baked in muffin tins, this cake is easy to pack for the office – if you can wait that long.12 mini cakes per batch

Ingredients Baking Instructions

180g (1 1/2 cups) Buckwheat Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F, Gas mark 4). flour Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners or use 85g (3/4 cup) Cocoa powder coconut oil to grease the sides. 1 tsp Baking powder In a large bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), and salt together. 3/4 tsp Bicarbonate of soda (Baking soda) In a blender or food processor, puree the avocado, milk, oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract together. It has to be smooth and creamy 3/4 tsp Salt without any lumps. Stir the wet mixture into the flour mix, but be careful 1 medium Avocado, pitted, not to over mix. peeled and diced Divide the batter evenly among the 12 cups and bake for about 25 175ml (3/4 cup) Rice milk, or minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the comes almond if preferred out with crumbs attached. Remove the pan from the oven and let the cool in the pan for 5 minutes on a wire rack. Remove the 75ml (1/3 cup) Coconut Oil cupcakes from the pan and allow to cool completely. 250ml (1 cup) Pure maple syrup Baking Tip: The avocado is essential to holding this cake together in 2 tsp Vanilla extract the absence of eggs. Look for a ripe avocado that depresses slightly when pressed for best results.

Store Cupboard Substitutions If you don’t need to make a strictly vegetarian cake, you can be a bit more flexible with substitutions, such as full fat cow’s milk for rice milk. However, almond or coconut milk will work best. On the flour side, wholemeal is the best substitute, though plain or all purpose flour will also work. If you can’t get your hands on , vegetable will work, though it isn’t nutritionist approved. See page 20 for more information on Chris’s strong opinion on vegetable oil...

Substitute 180g (1 1/2 cups) Wholemeal flour for Buckwheat flour 75ml (1/3 cup) Avocado Oil for Coconut Oil

Chocolate Avocado Cake www.rethinkretreats.com 8 Coconut, Lime and Blueberry Cake This is a dessert lover’s cake and a genuine crowd pleaser. Serve it up after a summer dinner party in the garden. It is ridiculously easy to throw together, and the berries give a sophisticated touch. Throw on a scoop of frozen yoghurt to wow the crowd. 8 slices per batch

Ingredients Baking Instructions

2 medium Eggs Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F, Gas mark 4). Line the bottom of a cake pan with baking parchment and grease the sides with butter. 150g (3/4 cup) Coconut sugar 150g (3/4 cup) Courgettes In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar together until light. Add (Zucchini), topped, tailed, grated courgette (zucchini) and lime zest and beat again. Add the flour, peeled and finely grated desiccated coconut, baking powder, salt and lime juice and beat until well mixed. The batter should be quite thick. 2 Limes, zest and juice of both Pour mixture into a prepared cake pan and scatter blueberries on the 100g (3/4 cup +2 tbsp) top (they will stay there, not to worry). Cook in the middle of the oven Coconut flour for 30-40 minutes. 100g (1 cup) Desiccated coconut BAKING TIP: Feel free to substitute lemons for limes if they happen to be on hand. Remember that lemons typically hold twice as much juice. 2 tsp Baking powder Squeeze lemon into a small bowl first and add about 3-4 tablespoons ¼ tsp Salt of the juice to the batter.

200g (1 1/3 cup) Blueberries

Store Cupboard Substitutions Apart from the lemons for limes substitution above, also consider that coconut sugar and flour are not found at most corner shops. If you can get your hands on them, they make all the difference in the subtle flavours of this cake. If you can’t, make a few basic substitutions for a terrific result. If you are feeling adventurous, peaches can be substituted for blueberries in just about any recipe.

Substitute 150g (3/4 cup) Brown sugar for Coconut sugar 100g (3/4 cup +2 tbsp) Plain or all purpose flour for Coconut flour

9 www.rethinkretreats.com Coconut, Lime and Blueberry Cake Chateau Durantie Carrot and Parsnip Cake This cake is fantastic no matter how you look at it – and given to us by the lovely folks at the Chateau. It’s loaded with vegetables that are beneficial for you – and more delicious than you can imagine. If you are feeling a little guilty about the amount of sugar in the recipe, substitute a healthier variety such as coconut sugar. If you want to reduce the amount, add in an equal amount of flour, and an additional 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder to assist with the rising process. 8 slices per cake

Ingredients Baking Instructions

125g (1 cup) Plain or all purpose Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F, Gas mark 4). Line the bottom of a flour 20cm (8") cake pan with baking parchment and grease the sides with 1 tsp Baking powder butter. 1 tsp Cinnamon In a bowl, sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon and bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) together. 1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) In a separate bowl, mix the eggs with an electrical whisk until fluffy. Add the sugar a bit at the time and continue to whisk until thick and light 2 medium Eggs yellow. Mix in the melted butter then the vegetables until combined. 220g (2 cups) Brown sugar, Add the flour mixture to the eggs and mix well. Pour the mixture into the unpacked cake tin. Bake for 30-35 minutes. 150g (2/3 cup) Unsalted butter, melted and cooled BAKING TIP: If you only keep salted butter in your refrigerator, do not hesitate to replace it for the unsalted variety called for in this recipe. 3 medium Parsnips, grated One of the key steps in this recipe is the whisking of the eggs and 1 medium Carrot, grated sugar. If you don’t have an electric whisk, use a hand whisk rather than an electric beater, it makes all the difference.

Store Cupboard Substitutions Substitute 220g (2 cups) of White caster sugar for brown sugar

Chateau Durantie Carrot and Parsnip Cake www.rethinkretreats.com 10 Beetroot Brownie This recipe is decadent, delicious, and the perfect way to satisfy a chocolate craving. Whether you serve it as a tea time treat or an after dinner dessert, everyone is sure to love it. The key to this recipe is to use the highest quality ingredients you can find. From the chocolate to the vanilla essence, if you use a better quality product, you’ll get a better quality cake.

Do let your cake warm to room temperature before enjoying to get the full flavour and gooiness. If it’s overly gooey, then slide back into the fridge for a few minutes. 12 slices per batch

Ingredients Baking Instructions

200g (7oz) Dark quality Preheat the oven to 140°C (275°F, Gas mark 1-2). chocolate, chopped Line the bottom of a 20cm (8") cake pan with baking 250g (8oz) Butter, chopped parchment and grease the sides with butter. 350g (1 3/4 cups) Muscovado Place the chocolate and butter in a Bain Marie or a sugar microwave on low and stir until smooth. Allow to cool slightly before adding to the remaining ingredients; otherwise 60g (1/2 cup) Cocoa powder, the eggs will begin to cook in the heat. sifted In a separate bowl, sift the sugar, cocoa, flour and baking powder, chilli 155g (1 1/4 cups) Plain or all and salt until fully combined. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix. Add the purpose flour, double sifted chocolate mixture and stir vigorously until combined. Finally, add the ¼ tsp Baking powder beetroot and stir till fully covered with the mixture

1 pinch Freshly ground Pour into greased pan. If you’ve a fancy, make some patterns with the chilli flakes almonds or throw some flaky bits of cocoa on the top for a little crunch. 1 pinch Salt Bake for 55 minutes and allow to cool. 4 medium Eggs BAKING TIP: Don’t be tempted to forego the chilli flakes as these draw out the chocolate flavour – that’s a little tip we learned from the 1 tsp Vanilla essence Mayans. Baking time may vary with your oven. You’re aiming for the 150g (1 cup) Beetroot, grated cake to be cooked, but not utterly solid, as it will firm up as it cools. Don’t bake too much, it’s better to be a little under cooked so it’s extra 1 handful Flaked almonds, to decorate squidgy.

Store Cupboard Substitutions You can replace the Muscovado sugar with any brown sugar you have on hand. Whatever you use, this recipe is extremely forgiving. You can fiddle with most of the quantities a little too.

Substitute 350g (1 3/4 cups) Brown sugar for Muscovado sugar

11 www.rethinkretreats.com Beetroot Brownie No Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bars Vegan This recipe comes to us by our pal Gina C. It’s terrific for those times when the oven is full of dinner – or unusable due to renovations. After all, not having an oven doesn’t reduce the urge to bake, now does it? If you are looking for more of Gina’s ingenious recipes, check her out at athomewithginac.blogspot.com. Makes 8 Bars or 20 Tablespoon-Sized Balls

Ingredients Preparation Instructions

140g (1 cup) Raw cashews Place the cashews in the bowl of a food processor and process until it looks like coarse crumbs. 150g (1 cup) Dates 2 tbsp Maple syrup Transfer to a bowl and put the dates in the food processor and process until a ball forms. Add the cashews back to the food processor with the 1/4 tsp Salt maple syrup, salt and vanilla and process until combined. Transfer back 1/2 tsp Vanilla to the bowl. 25g (1 oz) Unsweetened Coarsely chop the unsweetened chocolate. chocolate Add the chocolate to the bowl with the date-cashew mixture and mix to combine until thoroughly incorporated.

Line a standard loaf pan with wax paper leaving a small overhang and press the mixture into the pan. Place in the freezer for 30 - 45 minutes. Take out using the overhanging wax paper and cut into 8 squares. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

SERVING TIP: These little bars are downright delicious on their own, or form them into little balls, and serve them with some homemade ice cream.

Our Nutritionist Suggests If you can, soak the nuts for a couple of hours (but no more than six hours). Nuts are difficult to digest and contain enzyme inhibitors (which prevent the digestive enzymes from working) and phytates (binds to nutrients that prevent proper absorption). The process of soaking them helps to reduce these and increase digestibility. Once you’ve soaked the nuts, stick them on a baking tray and dry them out on a low heat overnight – around 100°C (200°F, Gas mark 1) is fine. Then if you store the nuts in an airtight jaw they’ll be ready to use for this or any other recipe without the nasty phytates. We’ve not tried this yet – so do let us know in the blog comments how it goes. We do like a bit of feedback!

No Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bars www.rethinkretreats.com 12 Apple, Parsnip and Cider Cake This cake is lighter than it looks, but has a splendid springy texture that holds it together beautifully. You can slice this cake like snack bars making it ideal for breakfast on the go – or a healthy, yet delicious lunch box treat. 12 bars per batch

Ingredients Baking Instructions

1 medium Cooking apple Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F, Gas mark 5). Line the bottom of a cake tin with baking parchment and grease the sides with butter. 1/2 medium Lemon 3 medium Eggs Peel the apple and cut into 1cm (1/2") cubes. Add them to a small pan with the juice of the lemon and cook on low heat for 5 minutes. Ensure 180g (1 cup) Rapadura sugar cooked apple pieces still maintain their shape.

300g (2 2/3 cup) Coconut flour In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs and sugar together for 3 or 4 minutes 2 tsp Baking powder until it has roughly tripled in volume. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and the parsnip; mix thoroughly. Add the vanilla extract and cider and 1 tsp Mixed spice whizz again. Finally, fold in the apples.

1 pinch Salt Pour into a baking tray. Cover the lid of the tray with baking foil making 2 large Parsnips, finely grated sure it is not touching the cake surface. Bake on a wire rack in the bottom of the oven for 90 minutes without opening the door. 1 tsp Vanilla extract BAKING TIP: If you do not have any mixed spice use a combination of 200ml (3/4 cup +1 tbsp) Dry cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. One of the hardest things to do is to cider keep the oven door closed, but it is altogether necessary, and you will thank yourself in the end.

Store Cupboard Substitutions If you are unable to find the suggested flour or sugar for this recipe, you can pull in the ingredients you have on hand. If you feel a bit guilty about the substitutions, add in more apples chuncks – this recipe can handle it.

Substitute 180g (9/10 cup) Brown sugar for Rapadura sugar 300g (2 2/3 cup) Plain or all purpose flour for Coconut flour

13 www.rethinkretreats.com Apple, Parsnip and Cider Cake Lemon and Lavender Drizzle Cake Maybe it is the drizzle that goes on top of this cake, but something about it makes it the first choice for our children testers. The lavender adds something unique to this cake – a taste found nowhere else in this recipe collection. 8-12 slices per cake

Ingredients Baking Instructions

200g (1 1/3 cup) Swede Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F, Gas mark 4). Line the bottom of a (Rutabaga), peeled and diced baking tray with baking parchment and grease the sides with butter. into 2cm (3/4") cubes Boil the swede on the stove top for 20 minutes, or until cooked through. 120g (1/3 cup) Honey Drain water and blend to a puree. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the 2 medium Eggs honey and eggs together for 2 minutes. Add the lemon zest, lavender flowers, flour, baking powder and salt and whisk. Then add the swede Zest of 1 medium Lemon puree and combine.

1 tbsp Dried English lavender Pour into the mixing tin and bake in the middle oven for 30 minutes. flowers Meanwhile, prepare the drizzle. Dissolve the sugar in water and heat 120g (1 cup) Wholemeal flour slowly in a small pan. Remove from heat as soon as sugar is dissolved. Allow to cool before adding lemon juice. Mix well. 2 tsp Baking powder Remove the cake from the oven, but leave it in the tin. While still warm, 1 pinch Salt prick the cake with a skewer so it is filled with little holes. Pour the For the Drizzle drizzle mixture over the cake and enjoy. You may find you have extra drizzle for your plate. 3 tbsp Rapadura sugar 2 tbsp Water BAKING TIP: One of the easiest ways to remove water from boiled vegetables is to return them to the pot they were boiled in once Juice of 1 med Lemon drained. Maintain the heat for just a moment or two longer, while constantly stirring.

Store Cupboard Substitutions Both lavender and swede can be difficult to source, focus on getting these ingredients. If you absolutely cannot, substitute turnips and exclude the lavender. It won’t be exactly the same, but it will be both tasty and healthy in a way you didn’t expect.

Substitute 120g (1 cup) Plain or all purpose flour for Wholemeal flour 3 tbsp Brown sugar for Rapadura sugar

Lemon and Lavender Drizzle Cake www.rethinkretreats.com 14 White Chocolate Rose Water Elachi Cake This unusual recipe comes to us from one of our favourite bakers in Mumbai, also called Gina. What can we say? We like bakers called Gina. Elachi means cardamom in Hindi. No matter what you call it; cardamom adds a distinctive taste to this recipe. If you can, it’s worth taking the time to find good quality pods. More of Gina’s beautiful baking at ginamayaskitchen.com. 8-12 slices per cake

Ingredients Baking Instructions

20 ea Green cardamom pods Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F, Gas mark 4). Line the bottom of a 20cm (8”) cake pan with baking parchment and grease the sides with 100g (2/3 cup) White chocolate, broken butter. 130g (1/2 cup) Caster sugar Empty the cardamoms, and grind all the seeds into a powder. 130g (1/2 cup) Unsalted butter Place chocolate into a food processor with half the sugar and whiz to make it as fine as possible. Add 2 tablespoons of hot water (not 2 medium Eggs, beaten boiling), and dribble into the chocolate. Add the remaining sugar and 170g (1 1/3 cup) Plain or all butter. Then add the ground cardamom, eggs, flour, baking powder, purpose flour and vanilla; mix well. Pour mixture into the cake tin and bake for 25 - 30 minutes, or until skewer comes out clean. Let it rest in the tin for 10 1 tsp Baking powder minutes, then turn out into a wire rack. Allow it cool completely. 1 tsp Vanilla extract Meanwhile, make the ganache. Place the chocolate in a bowl. In a For the ganache separate pan, bring the cream and rose water to a boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate leave for a few seconds then stir and till smooth. 100g (2/3 cup) White chocolate, Leave to cool. finely chopped Split the cake in half, and then spread one half with the ganache. Place 100ml (4 oz) Double cream the other cake layer on top to form a sandwich. Make the glacé icing 1 tsp rose water (not essence ) by mixing the sugar with 1 tbsp of water. Pour it over the cake letting it drizzle over the sides. Glacé icing (optional) BAKING TIP: To split the cake evenly: take your time, use a large 100g (3/4 cup) Icing sugar serrated knife and cut across rather than working in a circle. You can also make this as cupcakes, just pour into a muffin tin and reduce the baking time to about 18-22 minutes.

Our Nutritionist Suggests Substitute 130g (1/2 cup) Coconut sugar for Caster sugar 170g (1 1/3 cup) Spelt or coconut flour for Plain or all purpose flour

15 www.rethinkretreats.com White Chocolate Rose Water Elachi Cake Wheat flour has become the staple grain for baking in the West, as well as cooking in all its guises. It is ubiquitous in nearly all processed foods, normally in the form of white flour. With a Chris shares his nutritional knowledge growing number of the population believing they are ‘gluten intolerant’, wheat has fallen out of favour in the eyes of many health-conscious individuals. But if using good quality wholemeal flour, the majority of the population shouldn’t worry about wheat’s supposed evil doing.

A Word on Flour: Some of the difficult stuff explained Wholemeal flour is so common that you won’t need a substitute due to unavailability. But if you Flour can be made from a multitude of are gluten-sensitive or are just looking to shake things up, buckwheat and amaranth are both bases, each with its own distinct flavour and gluten free alternatives. characteristics. While people typically associate flour with wheat, as you’ll see below, wheat is Spelt flour only one of the options. Spelt flour is made from the spelt grain, an ancient variety of wheat that was originally grown in Before we look at them individually, here are Iran around 5000 to 6000 B.C. some tips with flour so that you get the best out of your cakes. While spelt flour contains gluten, for some reason it seems to be better tolerated in sensitive individuals. So if you are unable to eat wheat flour, you may still be able to enjoy spelt. When buying flour do so in small quantities that you’ll use in the coming weeks. The less refined a Spelt flour has a deep, sweet nutty flavour. It is a little lighter than wholemeal flour but has flour the higher the amount of natural oils that will similar tastes and characteristics in cooking. If you need to substitute wholemeal flour would be present. These oils are sensitive to heat, light be the first choice, or you could use a combination of buckwheat flour and white flour in equal and oxygen; your flours should be stored in air measures. tight container; in a dark and cool environment. If you want them to last a little longer, it is advisable to store the flour in the fridge to Coconut flour protect the oils further. Coconut flour is made from the meat of coconut that is the natural by product of coconut milk production. It is dried, then ground to a powder that looks similar to white flour. If you’re really keen and want to take it a step further, you can mill your own flour. The volatility of the flour only starts because the base product has been ground, exposing the oil to the air. Not only is coconut flour gluten free, it is also grain free. This makes it an excellent flour for In its original form, whether that be a seed or a kernel, the oil and product is stable. Getting a anyone who is following a strict grain free diet. It is also high in a fat called lauric acid, which is home mill means that you will get the maximum nutrients from the flour and allows you to make incredibly important for thyroid function, immune health and glowing skin. just the right amount when needed. Despite being made from coconut, it doesn’t really have a coconut flavour and instead tastes similar to wheat flour. But, the taste varies from brand to brand. Rice flour Rice flour is flour made from milled rice. It is primarily made from polished broken white rice, but Coconut flour has an exceptionally high fibre content, making it very absorbent. It needs to be well it can also be made from brown rice. The healthier version is flour made from brown rice, which beaten, and it’s a good idea to let the mixture ‘soak’ for 15 minutes to avoid a grainy taste. If you will be much higher in vitamins and minerals. But if you can only find white rice flour don’t worry, are unable to use coconut flour, other flours like wholemeal or rice flour will happily do it its place. it is still a fantastic alternative and makes for delicious baking. Because coconut flour is so absorbent, only a small amount is needed. This means if you are Rice is gluten-free, making it acceptable for those with celiac disease or gluten sensitivities. Due substituting with wholemeal flour or rice flour you will need to increase the flour content by to being gluten free it has a different consistency to others flours and is not usually used in baking. double or even triple. But by adding in ground nuts, or other flours like tapioca flour or potato starch flour they can play a gluten-like-role, giving that risen and fluffy consistency that makes for sensational baking. Buckwheat flour The flavour of rice flour is slightly nutty, and this is often imparted on the foods you’re making. Buckwheat, despite the name, isn’t wheat at all; it is a bushy plant that’s closely related to If you can’t get rice flour or the other similar flours mentioned, barley flour or buckwheat flour rhubarb and sorrel. It is hearty and thrives in difficult and cold conditions, making it a staple of would be an acceptable substitute. Russia, China and the Ukraine. The flour is made from ground seeds that the plant produces.

As buckwheat is not a grass related cereal grain, it does not contain gluten. Wholemeal flour Wholemeal flour is milled wheat flour (also known as wholegrain flour in the USA). In contrast to Buckwheat can be a bit of an acquired taste. It has a nutty, earthy, slightly sour, mild mushroom white flour, the bran, endosperm and cereal germ are all retained as part of the refining process. flavour. If you find the flavour too strong, you can use half buckwheat and half white flour. If you This creates a product that is much higher in nutrients, higher in fibre and with a fuller flavour. want a substitute then spelt, wholemeal or amaranth would all be reasonable options.

16 www.rethinkretreats.com www.rethinkretreats.com 17 A Word on Sugar: You might not be familiar with all these Coconut sugar Coconut sugar is made from the sap from the cut flower buds of coconuts, much in the same way maple syrup is made from the maple tree. Sap is collected by tapping the coconut tree, and Maple Syrup this sap is then heated to remove the water. And just like maple syrup, it is packed with vitamins Being the concentrated sap of towering trees, maple syrup and minerals. is rich in minerals brought up from the ground below by the trees deep roots. Native North American’s called it “sweet Coconut sugar has been getting lots of publicity in the health circles recently. Not only is it water” and were processing maple trees sugar long before a natural form of sugar, it also contains amino acids (this is what protein is broken down to in Europeans arrived. the body). They help to slow its absorption as well as provide a wide range of health giving properties, such as being anti-inflammatory and decreasing sugar cravings. They bored holes in the trunks of the maples, inserted home- made wooden spouts into the holes, and hung bucket to Coconut sugar is subtle in its sweetness, similar to brown sugar but with a slight hint of caramel. collect the sap. The sap was then heated to evaporate the If it not available, you can substitute with palm sugar, brown sugar, date sugar or maple syrup. water and leave behind the delicious nectar. Rapadura sugar This minimal treatment means the wide range of minerals that come from the maple tree are left intact in the syrup. Rapadura is one of the only sweeteners made from sugar cane that is not refined. The pure juice is extracted from the sugar Maple syrup has a distinctive earthy flavour with notes of cane, evaporated over a low heat to remove the water caramel, nuts, and just a hint of coffee. Given this distinct and then ground to create the sugar. This traditional flavour it is not easy to substitute, but if you have to then process leaves behind the sweetest sugar rich in vitamins honey is probably the best option. and minerals.

The sugar is native to Brazil and is made from Black strap molasses organically grown sugar cane through fair trade Black strap molasses is a residual product of refining sugar. To make white table sugar, sugar programs. This means that it is more expensive than cane is boiled on three separate occasions. The remains after the crystallized sugar has been normal sugars, but you can feel happy knowing you are removed from the third boiling is black strap molasses. getting a product packed full of nutrients that have been respectful of the environment in its growing. It is rich in vitamins and minerals, all that can be savoured while you enjoy the delightful taste. It has a distinct bittersweet flavour, with notes of burnt caramel and liquorice. You may recognise Rapadura has a taste similar to brown sugar but with stronger notes of caramel and molasses. the taste from baked beans or , two foods it is commonly used to make. If you can’t If you are looking for a substitute, your best bet is Muscavado or Demerara sugar. get black strap molasses, you can substitute it with normal molasses or brown sugar.

Honey We should be grateful for the bees. Without them, the majority of our fruits and vegetables would not be pollinated. And without them, we wouldn’t have honey.

Honey is made from the nectar of flowers that’s transported back to the hive by the worker bees. Honey is not only rich in vitamins and minerals; it has many therapeutic properties. When you are not using it to make delicious cakes, it can be put on wounds, to help with healing and fight infections.

If possible try and find local honey; this is honey made by a small, independent producer in your local area. A small scale operation will offer you a more unrefined product compared to the stuff you will find in your local supermarket.

Honey has a mild, sweet floral taste that has hints of butter and caramel. If you need a substitute maple syrup will do nicely, although maple syrup has a slightly stronger flavour. If maple syrup is not available, Rapadura, Muscavado or Demerara sugar will also work.

18 www.rethinkretreats.com www.rethinkretreats.com 19 A Few Things to Avoid: Our Nutritionist, Chris, has a rant

Chris has a couple of personal bugbears in the food world – as far as he’s concerned, soya and vegetable oil are the work of the devil.

Here he explains why – and frankly it’s compelling enough that we’re edging away from the tofu for a while...

Soya Products Soya is touted as a health food, but I would advise you to give it a wide berth. It contains high amounts of phytic acid, a substance with prevents your body from absorbing minerals like calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. It contains substances that prevent digestive enzymes working properly, diminishing your digestive capacity. It disrupts hormonal function within the body, potentially causing fertility issues and affecting thyroid function. There are lots of other reasons, but before this turns into a shopping list, just heed the warning and avoid soy products.

Vegetable Oil We have all been told about the health benefits of vegetable oils and stay away from those pesky saturated fats. Really it should be the other way around. Vegetable oils like grapeseed oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, soybean oil, sesame oil, margarine, canola oil, flax seed oil, and sunflower oil are very high in omega 6. This is a type of fat that is very inflammatory in the body and is linked to a myriad of illnesses. The processing of some of these oils is done using chemicals like petroleum and bleach and at very high temperatures. You end up with a product devoid of nutrition that causes health problems, not solves them. My advice is to avoid the vegetables oils mentioned above. And if a product doesn’t specify what’s in it and only says ‘vegetable oil’, put it back on the supermarket shelf.

So what should you eat? When baking I would recommend butter, coconut oil, cream, or olive oil as appropriate. For everyday cooking I would add to this list goose fat, tallow, suet, lard, and ghee. Thinking ‘what would my grandmother or great grandmother have used when they were young’ will keep you on the right track.

20 www.rethinkretreats.com