Cherry and Camembert Salad

Happy New Year!

I'm starting the New Year with this summery salad that combines some of my favourite flavours: sweet cherries and dried cranberries with creamy Camembert, toasted nuts, peppery greens and tangy balsamic vinegar. I love salads like this on a summer's day - light, but perfectly filling to get you going until the next meal.

There are no exact measurements as I like to throw in ingredients as I please. Just follow your taste buds to adjust the flavours accordingly.

Cherry and Camembert Salad

a couple of big handfuls of mixed salad leaves

a handful of fresh cherries, halved and stoned

a few sliced of Camembert or Brie (in room temperature)

a small handful of mixed nuts, toasted until fragrant

a couple of tablespoons of dried cranberries

2 tablespoons of good balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons of good extra virgin olive oil

Mix all and enjoy!

Muhammara - Roasted Capsicum and Almond Spread

We are getting closer to leaving for Finland - only about a week and a half to go now! We are trying to get everything ready for the wedding and the trip, needless to say life's been a little hectic lately! I must apologise in advance for the lack of posts in the coming weeks. I will try to keep the blog going whilst I'm away, but I can't guarantee as regular posts as I've been able to do now. I'm sure you'll understand!

I've been wanting to make this red capsicum dip ever since I first heard about it in Colleen's podcast. I must admit I don't make dips very often and since I don't tend to eat bread or crackers, dips aren't usually in my list to try. There was something about this particular spread, however, that caught my attention and of course I had to give it a go.

I've used raw almonds instead of more traditional walnuts, which, I'm sure would be just fabulous for this recipe. I've also taken the liberty to add some cinnamon in the mixture, to give it that warm hum. You could certainly add some pomegranate molasses, too. I believe that's actually part of the traditional Syrian recipe. In any case this spread was definitely worth making and it's equally tasty on crusty sourdough or crispy raw vegetables.

Muhammara - Roasted Capsicum and Almond Spread 

(Adapted from Colleen Patrick-Goudreau)

 2 red capsicums

200g raw almonds (or walnuts)

50g fresh bread crumbs

1 clove garlic

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

a pinch of chilli flakes

juice of one lime or half a lemon

2-3 tablespoons water

pinch of salt

1. Roast the capsicums either in a really hot oven (under the grill) or directly over the flame of a gas stove until the skin is blackened. Place the roasted capsicums in a plastic bag for a few minutes before peeling off the skin. 

2. Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add water if necessary. Serve the spread on bread, crackers or with veggies. Store in the fridge for about 3 days.

Roasted Pumpkin with Walnut and Coconut Crumb

I quite like blurring the line between savoury and sweet dishes. This has been especially fun since quitting sugar 6 or so months ago. What others might consider "savoury" can indeed taste quite sweet to me - including this particular dish with roasted pumpkin, walnuts and coconut. Thus, I'm leaving the door open for you to experiment and make the call whether you'd serve this as a side dish with other salads, as a dessert with some coconut ice cream or just as an afternoon snack on its own, like I did. Whatever the use, the combination of these flavours simply works!

I used walnuts we picked just last week - they are so sweet and they don't have a hint of rancidity, like the older walnuts sometimes tend to have. Pumpkins are of course the highlight of autumn harvest, but you could use sweet potato too, if you like. Feel free to add a pinch of salt if you want to make it more savoury or a tablespoon of rice syrup, if you decide to go the opposite direction. Either way I hope you enjoy!

 Roasted Pumpkin with Walnut and Coconut Crumb

(serves 4)

1/2 butternut pumpkin, peeled and cut into chunks

50ml virgin coconut oil

120g shelled walnuts, roughly chopped

2 heaped tablespoons shredded coconut

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

pinch of salt, optional OR

1 tablespoon rice syrup, optional

1. Preheat oven to 180C. 

2. Place chopped pumpkin in an oven dish.

3. Combine melted coconut oil, roughly chopped walnuts, shredded coconut and cinnamon in a small bowl. Spread the mixture on the pumpkin and cover the dish with a lid or some baking paper to avoid the nuts from burning.

4. Cook for 20-30 minutes or until the pumpkin pieces are tender. Serve on its own, as a savoury side dish or a sweet dessert with some coconut ice cream.

Persimmon and Hazelnut Brownies

I love autumn! It is definitely my favourite time of the year and every week I get so excited to go to the farmers' markets just to see what is new and fresh. This past week persimmons came out to play and I just couldn't resist their sweet fragrance and orange flesh. It so happens that hazelnuts are also at their best so of course I had to combine the two autumn favourites.

Not only are these brownies packed with season's best flavours, they are also vegan, gluten-free and very low in sugar. What could be better than that? I hope you are all enjoying this Easter long weekend and making the most of a few extra days spent with family and friends!

 

 Persimmon and Hazelnut Brownies

(makes 10-12 brownies)

1 large apple, peeled and finely grated (or about 125 ml unsweetened apple sauce)

2 ripe persimmons

1 ripe banana

1 heaped tablespoon rice syrup

1/2 teaspoon pure, ground vanilla beans

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

200g teff flour

25g unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

tiny pinch of good quality salt

85g hazelnuts, roughly chopped

1. Preheat oven to 180C and lightly grease a 20cm x 20cm baking dish.

2. In a blender, combine grated apple, peeled persimmons, banana, rice syrup, vanilla and cinnamon and puree until smooth. 

3. Sieve the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.

4. Pour the wet ingredients into dry and fold lightly to mix. Lastly fold in the roughly chopped hazelnuts. 

5. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack before cutting.

Raw, Vegan Easter Pascha

I can't believe it's already Easter! Although we never really celebrated Easter in my family, we did spent the long weekend skiing and enjoying the Spring sun. There was no Easter egg hunt, but mum did have a selection of Easter decorations on display, mainly decorated eggs and witches that feature strongly in the Scandinavian Easter traditions. 

There are only a couple of dishes that I associate strongly with Easter - mämmi, which is a sweet dessert made out of rye flour, rye malt and water and pasha, which is traditionally made with quark, egg yolks, cream, sugar and butter. I've been wanting to make my own mämmi for a long time, but I haven't been able to find rye malt in Australia nor have I succeeded to make the malt myself. 

You might guess that I wasn't going to make the traditional version of pasha, either. This raw, vegan pasha is a very modified version of the commonly known one, but definitely brings back memories of the 'real thing'. The texture is very similar to that of a thick and creamy dairy-based pasha and the taste has a similar blend of sharpness and sweetness to it.

I used soaked cashew nuts for the creaminess and added some rejuvelac and lemon juice for sharpness and sourness. Rejuvelac is a nutritious, fermented drink made out of grains like rye or wheat and gives this dish its unique depth of flavour. You can leave it out or add a bit more lemon juice instead, but I do encourage you to give a go at making and drinking rejuvelac! A mere tablespoon of brown rice syrup is all the sweetness this needs and additional sweetness comes from dried apricots and (not so traditional) goji berries. You could use any dried fruit of your choice, try sultanas, cranberries, cherries or even blueberries. 

Enjoy!

Raw, Vegan Easter Pascha
(serves 2-4)*

200g cashew nuts, soaked in water for 4-6 hours
2 tablespoons rye rejuvelac (optional)**

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon brown rice syrup
5-7 dried apricots
3-4 tablespoons goji berries or other dried fruit of your choice

* This is pretty rich, so you could easily make this into 4 small servings. Alternatively, use 4 individual cups to refrigerate it in or roll the 'dough' into small balls!

** Find out how to make rejuvelac, here.

1. Drain the soaked cashew nuts and place in a blender with rejuvelac, lemon juice and zest and brown rice syrup. Blend until very smooth and thick.

2. Finely chop the apricots and stir them, along with the goji berries into the mixture.

3. Line a cup or a small bowl with some plastic wrap and scoop the mixture into the cup. Press the mixture down so it sits in the cup quite tightly. Cover the top with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night or at least 5-8 hours.

4. To serve, remove the wrap, decorate pascha with some dried fruit and serve cool or at room temperature.

Fresh Amaranth Salad

Happy Friday friends!

I was up early this morning and went for a swim in the near-by ocean pool - the water was so warm and lovely! After the swim I had a quick green juice of kale, celery, cucumber and lime and then headed to the markets. I was in for a treat this time, as one of the stalls was selling some gorgeous fresh amaranth! Normally I would use amaranth seeds like quinoa or millet, but fresh amaranth can be used as a whole in salads and stir-fries, in much same way like spinach. Truth be told I prefer the whole amaranth to just the seeds, there is just so much flavour in the actual plant. It can be a bit of a rare treat to find fresh amaranth, but if you do, please make sure to buy and try some!

This simple lunch salad doesn't need any fancy'ing up. The amaranth is the main player here and other ingredients mere onlookers. A handful of left-over quinoa, some toasted walnuts and shallots with a little lime juice and olive oil drizzled on top is all you need.

Have a lovely weekend!

Fresh Amaranth Salad

fresh amaranth, washed and florets and leaves cut off

50g walnuts, toasted

1 green shallot, chopped

50g cooked quinoa

1/2 lime, juiced

1 tablespoon olive oil

tiny pinch of good quality salt

freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat the oil in a pan and add the amaranth. Cook for just a couple of minutes, then add the shallot, quinoa, toasted walnuts and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Skin Beauty Salad

I never really used to worry about my skin health back in Finland. There was hardly any need to be concerned about sun damage, I didn’t have bad acne or other skin conditions and I was getting enough sleep, exercising and eating well. When I moved to Australia, I was surprised how many people were complementing me on my skin. No one had ever said anything about it to me before and I had just taken good skin for granted.

After 6 years in Australia, however, my skin has clearly changed. Not just because I’ve aged (obviously), but also because it’s hard to avoid the harsh Australian sun. Even though I don't sun bake, I do all my exercise outdoors and thus spend quite a bit of time in the sun. I do use sunscreen (there are some great non-toxic creams available!), wear protective clothing and try to avoid staying in the sun for long periods between 11am and 4pm. I also get my skin checked regularly for any suspicious spots. Equally important, I take care of my skin by eating well.

Karen Fischer, skin beauty queen and author of ‘The Healthy Skin Diet’, recommends increasing the amount of alkalising foods in your diet to promote healthy skin. These could include salads, cooked and raw vegetables, avocado, almonds, fresh lemon or lime and apple cider vinegar. Excess acidity in the body can cause a variety of skin problems and result in a dull complexion.

Moisturising foods, especially those containing valuable omega-3 fats, are essential to your skin’s well-being. For vegetarians and vegans, foods rich in omega-3 include flaxseed, walnuts, soy beans and tofu. Other important foods to include in your diet include avocados, a variety of seeds (pepitas, sunflower, hemp), nuts (almonds, walnuts, Brazil nuts), good oils (flaxseed, walnut, coconut) and leafy greens.

This beauty salad combines many of those ingredients vital for good skin health. Tahini dressing coats the chickpeas and the baby spinach leaves, and grilled zucchini and diced avocado bring extra creaminess to the dish. I also added some soaked almonds for an extra layer of texture. Delicious!

Skin Beauty Salad

(serves 2)

230g cooked chickpeas (or use 1 tin)

2 big handfuls of baby spinach leaves

1/2 avocado, diced

1 small handful of almonds, soaked in water overnight

1 zucchini, sliced into 1/2 cm disks

olive oil, for brushing

2 tablespoons unhulled tahini (or use this recipe)

1/2 lemon, juiced

water

pinch of salt

1 small garlic clove

freshly ground black pepper

1. Lightly brush the zucchini slices with olive oil and grill on a pan for a couple of minutes on each side. Set aside.

2. Combine tahini, lemon juice and grated garlic in a small bowl. Add enough water to form a smooth, runny dressing. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.

3. Place the chickpeas in a bowl and coat them with the tahini dressing. 

4. Place the baby spinach leaves in serving bowls, top with tahini coated chickpeas, diced avocado and the zucchini slices. Sprinkle with soaked almonds (or seeds of choice).

 

Baked rhubarb oatmeal

This morning, after being down with a cold for the past four days, I felt like having something a bit more wholesome and warming for breakfast. I can't think of many meals more comforting than a bowl of oatmeal and that's exactly what I needed this morning. Combined with almonds, chia seeds and cinnamon and a layer of soft rhubarb on the bottom, this baked oatmeal is truly comforting, and perfect for lazy weekend mornings.

 

Baked rhubarb oatmeal

(Recipe inspired by Heidi Swanson + this recipe)

230g rhubarb, chopped into 2cm pieces (fresh or frozen)

230g rolled oats (use gluten-free, if you prefer)

100g almonds, roughly chopped

2 tablespoons chia seeds

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

pinch of salt

500ml home-made almond milk (recipe here)

olive oil, for brushing

1. Preheat oven to 180C and brush a medium-sized oven dish lightly with olive oil.

2. Cover the bottom of the dish with rhubarb pieces. Combine the oats, almond, chia seeds, cinnamon and salt in a separate bowl. Pour the mixture on top of the rhubarbs and finally pour the almond milk (evenly) on top. 

3. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve warm.

A Trio of Dips

Hi friends!

Thank you so much for all the feedback on the vegan challenge! I'm so excited to hear so many of you are keen to take part on the challenge and hopefully some of you have been inspired to at least consider adding a couple of vegan days on your week every now and then.

I have had a major craving for dips/spreads/purées of all sorts this week. These three colourful dips are my current favourites and they are perfect weekend food - dipped or spread on flat bread, crisp bread, wraps or enjoyed with fresh veggies.

Enjoy and I hope you have a beautiful weekend!

Zucchini Almond Dip

(Recipe adapted from Choosing Raw)

1 cup almonds, soaked overnight

2 zucchinis, chopped

2 small cloves of garlic

1/2 lemon, juiced

pinch of salt

freshly ground black pepper

1. Place all ingredients in a blender/food processor and purée until the mixture is smooth, but has some texture to it. A little bit of crunch is good.

Beetroot-Sun Dip

2 large beetroots

1/2 lemon, juiced

3-4 tablespoons sunflower seeds (soaked overnight, if you wish)

1 teaspoon mustard powder

pinch of salt

freshly ground black pepper

1. Cook the beetroot (with skin on) until tender.

2. Peel the cooked beetroot and chop into cubes.

3. Place all ingredients in a blender and purée until smooth (or crunchy, which ever consistency you prefer).

Sweet Potato Hummus

(Recipe adapted from Wholeliving)

350g cooked sweet potato, chopped

200g cooked chickpeas

2 small cloves of garlic

1/2 cup tahini (recipe to follow)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 lemon, juiced

(water)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

pinch of salt

freshly ground black pepper 

Tahini

4 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted until golden brown

1 tablespoon cold-pressed sesame oil

pinch of salt

2-3 tablespoons warm water

1. To make the tahini, place the sesame seeds in a food processor (or a coffee grinder) and blitz until smooth. Add sesame oil, salt and warm water (tablespoon at a time to reach a perfect consistency) and blitz until smooth. Set aside. 

2. Purée all ingredients until smooth. Add water if you want the mixture to be thinner.

On conscious, mindful eating + A recipe for Power Balls!

In my New Year’s post I talked about the changes I had made during the previous year - quitting sugar and dairy and returning to vegetarianism.  All these choices were pushed by a strong will for a healthier life and a growing awareness of my surroundings.  I have always been very conscientious, so it feels like a natural, ethical decision to not eat meat and instead eat foods that I feel provide me with the best nourishment and lead me towards a better health and wellbeing.

Conscious eating is more than just making the right ethical choices. It is about getting in tune with your body, knowing what it needs and what it can’t tolerate and how it reacts to the foods you are consuming. Practising this kind of awareness takes time and patience and I cannot claim to have mastered it fully myself. Experimenting with dietary changes, like the ones I mentioned above, can give you a better understanding of what it is that your body acquires.  

Along with the right ethical and nutritional choices, conscious eating is also about appreciating the food and fully embracing all meals. Caroline Dupont, the author of ‘Enlightened Eating’, recommends practising conscious eating by avoiding all distractions at meal time, appreciating the food with all your senses (the smell, the colours, the taste and texture) and making eating a complete experience.  

In today's busy world, it is easy to see why this is so hard to put in practise. A lot of people eat most of their meals on the run – grabbing breakfast on their way to work, eating lunch at their desks and finishing the day with a meal in front of the tv or a computer. Convenience conjoined with multitasking is everything and people have lost part of their intuition when it comes to consuming food. That intuition, amongst other things, should tell you when you're hungry and what foods you should eat/avoid for optimum health. If eating is always secondary and distractions are present, it is impossible to follow that intuition.

My journey to conscious eating begins when I buy the produce. There is nothing I love more than going to my local farmers' markets every week to pick up fresh ingredients to cook with. Chatting to the growers who picked their produce for the market just the previous night gives me a real connection to the food and a much deeper appreciation for it. I cannot claim to be perfect, however, as just like many others, I sometimes do eat meals in front of my laptop, working and typing away. I have made a conscious effort, however, to be more aware and make conscious eating a habitual choice. These are the first steps towards a more mindful eating.

Tips on how to get started

1. Be aware of the origins of your food. Shop at farmers' markets, if you can. Select products that have less food miles. 
2. If you do eat meat (or other animal products), make sure you know the source and be sure the animals have been treated and killed as humanely as possible. 
3. Eat more raw foods and choose a variety of colours, flavours, textures and shapes – this will accentuate the whole eating experience.  
4. Experiment with different dietary changes. Try a week without gluten and dairy and see if you feel different. Try eating more vegetables and less fruit, try cutting out all sugar. Note down the feelings you experience during the experiment.
5. Make meal times a priority – no tv, no computer, no magazines or books. Set the table (even if you’re eating alone), light up a candle and savour the meal.

With these thoughts, I’ll switch off my laptop, pour myself a cup of tea and savour one or two of these delicious, gooey, spiced sweet potato and cacao power balls. Enjoy!

Power Balls

(makes 10)

450g cooked and mashed sweet potato

2 heaped tablespoons almond butter (made with 1/2 cup raw almonds, recipe here)

1 tablespoon chia seeds

2 teaspoons pure, raw cacao powder (unsweetened)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon ground licorice

virgin coconut oil, for rolling

unsweetened desiccated coconut, for rolling (optional)

1. Combine the sweet potato, almond butter and chia seeds in a bowl.

2. Mix together the cacao and the spices and stir into the mixture. You should have a gooey, sticky mixture. Rub your hands lightly with coconut oil and roll the dough into about 10 balls. 

3. Chill the balls in the fridge (20-30 minutes), then roll the balls in desiccated coconut before serving. These will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Merry Christmas!

Hi friends!


I hope you are all well and happy and easing into the Christmas spirit. I'm sure some of you are busy baking and preparing Christmas meals or doing some last-minute gift shopping, but I hope all of you are able to take a break, even a short one, and relax a little. Although Christmas in Australia is always somewhat different to me than what I'm used to, and I still haven't quite got the hang of it, I'm looking forward to a few days off to take a breath.

Here is my vegetarian, gluten-free and sugar-free Christmas menu. There are lots of colours, fresh and pure flavours, not forgetting the treats! The two vegetable casseroles are served as mains, alongside with the two salads. I will be snacking on activated, spiced nuts and those deliciously addictive rosemary almonds. As for dessert, the sweet potato tartlets washed down with cool rhubarb glögg, are a perfect way to end the Christmas meal. 


I wish you all a happy Christmas and I hope you'll get to spend time with your loved ones. Enjoy and be merry!

Maria
x

Christmas Menu

Lanttulaatikko - Swede Casserole

Porkkanalaatikko - Carrot & Quinoa Casserole

Toasted Buckwheat and Beetroot Salad

Rosolli - Christmas Salad

Cool Rhubarb Glögg

Spiced Sweet Potato Tartlets

Rosemary Roasted Almonds

Activated, Spiced Nuts

Finnish Christmas with a Twist: Lanttulaatikko - Swede Casserole

It still hasn't hit me that Christmas is only two weeks away! I haven't bought a single present yet and there is hardly any evidence of the silly season in our home. I only took out a couple of Finnish Christmas decorations because they happened to be in a box I was emptying after we moved in. There will be no tree and certainly no lights wrapped around the balcony rail. I'm not anti-Christmas, mind you, it just happens that in my mind, Summer and Christmas don't mix so well. 

In an attempt to bring in some Christmas spirit, however, I thought I'd share at least a couple of traditional Finnish Christmas recipes, with a twist, here on the blog. The first one, swede casserole, is one of my all time favourites, but of course I've tweaked the recipe a little bit. This dish would be served with a few other casseroles at every Finnish Christmas table as a side dish to ham, fish or other meats. In our household it's a meal on its own, served perhaps with a fresh salad on the side.

To make this dairy-free, I've used almond milk instead of cream and replaced the bread crumbs with almond meal in the casserole and on top. I've used traditional spices like white pepper, nutmeg and ginger, but I couldn't help adding just a touch of that delicious ground licorice in the mix as well. Turns out it goes so well with the sweet swede. 

Hope you like it!

 

Swede casserole

1 kg peeled and chopped swedes (rutabaga)

4 tablespoons almond meal

6 tablespoons almond milk (my recipe here)

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground licorice (optional)

1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

1/4 teaspoon (or to taste) freshly grated nutmeg

pinch of sea salt

1 large egg (organic, free-range)

 3 tablespoons almond meal, extra, for topping

1. Place the swedes in a large casserole and top with water. Bring the water to boil and let it simmer until the swedes are completely cooked tender. Drain (but save the water to make vegetable stock!) and set aside to cool.

2. Preheat the oven to 180C.

3. Mash the swedes and add in all other ingredients. Scoop the mixture into a lightly oiled oven dish and top with the extra almond meal. 

4. Bake for 30 minutes or until the casserole feels firm to touch and is browned on the edges. Serve as a vegetarian dish on its own or as a side dish.

Sugar-free Christmas Baking: Spiced sweet potato tarts

The recent happenings (moving house, work, etc.) have made me realise why some people might find it so hard to stay on track with their healthy eating and exercise. As soon as life gets busy - you're travelling, working long hours or there is something new happening in your life, you start taking short-cuts and sacrifice your healthy routines. Often people find it easier to stick to their healthy habits when they have time to really focus on making conscious choices of what and how to eat, exercise and get enough sleep. As soon as other things get on the way, they lapse and might find it hard to get back on track.
I think the only thing that can keep you always on track is that those healthy habits are so established in your life that they are part of your lifestyle and thus you make the right choices subconsciously.  I'm often told how healthy I am or how 'good' I am because I exercise daily, but for me it's just my lifestyle, the way I've chosen to live. I don't have to think about it, healthy eating and exercise are part of my everyday life. When I started the sugar-free challenge it took me about two weeks to break the habit of having sugar in my diet. I actually had to concentrate on not grabbing a fruit to eat as a snack or adding honey in my tea. After the first two weeks, however, I had established the new eating habits and didn't have to make a conscious effort to exclude sugar from my diet.

Another way to stick to your diet is to stay organised and plan ahead as much as possible. When we were moving house, I knew I wouldn't have time to cook, so I prepared us meals beforehand, and had sugar-free snacks and plenty of water at hand. I do this even when we are travelling or when I know I have a long working day ahead. I always pack lunch and snacks and lots of water with me, so I don't have to sacrifice anything even during the busiest of times.

This Christmas, I am planning to stay sugar- and dairy-free. I don't see why I should change anything now that I've established this diet as part of my lifestyle. There are plenty of options available, so I don't feel like I am missing out on anything. These spiced sweet potato tarts are definitely going to be part of my holiday repertoire. I've used my favourite grain-free crust and topped it with spiced sweet potato purée. The warm spices and the coconut oil combined with the sweet potato make these tarts perfect for your Christmas dessert table.

Spiced sweet potato tarts

(makes 10-12)

Crust

200g almond meal

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

pinch of sea salt

1 large egg (organic, free-range)

2 tablespoons good olive oil

Filling

400g cooked sweet potato (about 1 medium sized)

2 tablespoons coconut milk or almond milk (my recipe here)

1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground licorice

1/2 teaspoon ground clove

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground bitter orange peel powder, optional

pinch of sea salt

almond slices, toasted, to serve

1. To make the crust, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and lightly knead into a smooth dough. Divide the dough into 10-12 equal portions. Press each portion into the bottom and the sides of small cupcake molds. Leave to chill in the fridge for 10-20 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 180C.

3. Place all the ingredients for the filling in a food processor and purée into a smooth paste. Set aside.

4. Bake the crusts in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and fill each cup with a portion of the sweet potato filling.

5. Lower the temperature to 150C and continue to bake the tarts for a further 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack before sprinkling with toasted almond slices.