A Week in Recipes with Liv Kaplan
With so much time being spent indoors, we spoke to Sydney based Foodie, Presenter + Nutritionist @liv.kaplan to give us a week of some of her favourite sugar-free and gut-friendly recipes.....enjoy
Chunky Satay Roasted Pumpkin
I love making vegetables the centre of the meal… Gone are the days of boring steamed vegetables and soggy greens. Veggies have so much to offer, so much flavour and texture and there are so many different types. Here I’ve used a combination of fresh and roasted, and a flavour packed satay sauce to go with. To finish off the meal, just add your protein of choice - some tofu, barramundi or chicken would be delish!
Serves: 2
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
500g pumpkin, chopped into chunks
1 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
½ bunch coriander
1 tbsp sesame seeds
½ lime, sliced into wedges
Salt and pepper
Sauce
½ cup peanut butter, natural
2 tbsp tamari
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp fish sauce or vegan alternative
¼ cup water
½ lime, juiced
Method
Preheat the oven to 180℃.
1. Place sliced pumpkin on a large baking tray and coat lightly in oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until soft with some golden caramelised edges.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce by combining all ingredients in a small bowl.
3. Assemble by placing the roasted pumpkin on a plate, drizzle over the prepared sauce and top with fresh coriander, sesame seeds and a wedge of lime.
For the best results, don’t overcrowd the pumpkin! This will prevent each piece from getting nice and caramelised, which is where the flavour really shines. Also, you can totally eat pumpkin skin, I like to leave my pumpkin skin on when I roast it, it’s actually my favourite part!
Thyme Roasted Veggie + Goat’s Feta Salad
Salads definitely don’t need to be boring, and they’re also not just for hot days! Despite technically being a salad, this warming recipe is filled with nourishing hearty vegetables and packed full of flavour (and not to mention colour!) to give a little spice back to your usual weeknight dinner. The perfect vegetarian meal for when you want something healthy that still feeds the soul. The roasting time of the veggies will depend on the size you chop them, but ideally you want them to not only be cooked in the centre but also nicely browned and caramelised on the edges, yum!
Serves: 4
Ingredients
1 large eggplant, or 2 small, roughly chopped
1 large sweet potato, or 2 small, roughly chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped
1 red onion, quartered
2 beetroots, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, whole
10 sprigs thyme, leaves picked
100g goat’s feta, plus extra to serve
100g Greek yoghurt
4–6 cups baby spinach leaves
1 lemon, juiced
Olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 200℃.
Preheat the oven to 200℃.
1. Place the eggplant, sweet potato, carrot, red onion, beetroot and garlic on a roasting tray. Coat generously in olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme leaves. Spread out onto the tray so they aren’t piled on top of each other and roast for 50–60 minutes. Use two trays if needed.
2. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
3. To make the beetroot and feta dip, place the roasted beetroots in a blender with the feta, yoghurt and the garlic from the roasting tray. Make sure to remove the skins from the garlic cloves! Add a glug of olive oil and blend until just combined. It doesn’t need to be totally smooth, a little chunky is good!
4. To assemble the salad, toss the remaining roasted veggies with spinach and lemon juice.
5. To serve, smear the blended beetroot dip on the plate and pile on the salad. Top with a little extra feta.
Chocolate Coconut Bounty Bites
I love a recipe that doesn’t require a blender, because even though I love treats, I love easiness too. With these bounty bites, all you need is a bowl and your hands. Whip them up while you are listening to a podcast and have treats waiting in the fridge all week.
Serves: 12
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
1 cup desiccated coconut
¼ cup coconut cream
2 tbsp coconut butter
10 drops liquid stevia
2 tbsp cacao nibs
100g dark chocolate
Method
1. In a large bowl, combine the desiccated coconut, coconut cream, coconut butter and stevia. For the best results, use your hands to ensure everything is incorporated. Add in the cacao nibs and mix.
2. Press mixture into a mini muffin tray. If you are using silicone. You don’t need to line it however if not, line with paper muffin cases. Place in the freezer.
3. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave in 30 minute increments. Spoon over a tablespoon of melted chocolate in each and sprinkle over extra cacao nibs. Set in the fridge.
PB & J Blondies
A winning combo with a sugar-free twist. This Peanut Butter Blondie recipe is elevated to new levels with my 1-ingredient blueberry jam. Once you make it, you’ll never buy store-bought jam again! I like keeping a jar of it in the fridge to use on toast, with granola and on coconut yoghurt as dessert.
Serves: 12
Ingredients
1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp (85g) erythritol or coconut sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup coconut oil, softened
2 eggs
1 (130g) cup almond meal
3/4 tsp baking powder
1 pinch salt
Blueberry Jam
2 cups blueberries, frozen
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180℃ and line a 20cm square tin with baking paper.
2. To prepare the blueberry jam, place blueberries in a pot with a dash of water. Cover with a lid and bring to the boil, then let simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes. You can use a fork to help mash up some of the berries. Set aside in a jar and leave to cool before placing in the fridge.
3. To make the batter, in a large bowl, combine the erythritol, peanut butter and coconut oil.
4. Stir in the eggs and mix well.
5. Add in the almond meal, baking powder and salt and mix well.
6. Spoon mixture into the lines tin and spoon over the prepared blueberry jam. Bake for 25–30 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Creamy Cacao Elixir
Cacao is such a great ingredient because not only is it packed with antioxidants, polyphenols and minerals such as magnesium, it also provides a gentle boost of energy from the theobromine. A hot cacao is a great option when you feel like reaching for a second or third coffee.
Serves: 1
Prep time: 5 minutes
Ingredients
1 cup almond milk
1/2 tbsp raw cacao
1 spoonful of coconut cream
1 tsp collagen (optional)
3-4 drops liquid stevia
Adaptogens and mushies of choice (optional)
Method
Place all ingredients in a small pot and gently heat - don’t boil. Pour into a hot cup and enjoy.
Tip: Fill the mug with boiling water from the kettle while you are heating up the cacao. Pour it out before you pour in the cacao… This heats the mug so your hot drink stays hot!
To read more about Liv and her delicious recipes visit ~
Liv wears -
Rosa Snake Tie Front Mini Dress
Explore the Valentina Collection here