Party Pleasers

With the long weekend ahead and the summer season fast approaching you can make a sure bet that the invitations will start rolling in for summer soirres. Whether it be kids’ parties, Christmas parties or a relaxing weekend BBQ, we all know that this means a season of food and beverage overload.

Yep …the party pies, bags of chips, cheese platters and dessert buffets start to rear their ugly heads, but don’t worry, Raw Blend have you covered this silly season and we are offering some amazing guilt free and even nutritious Party Pleasing alternatives that will have your guests coming back for more!

Here are our 5 favourite ‘Party Pleasers’ for this Summer Season.

• Chocolate, Rosemary & Sea Salt Fondue
• Sweet Summer Pops
• Avocado, Olive & Lime Dip
• Nut Free Protein Bites
• Raw Choc-Cherry Slice

Chocolate, Rosemary & Sea Salt Fondue

Now we are not saying you should eat this every day but dark chocolate does have loads of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals which help fight free radicals in the body that can damage cells. This fondue recipe is dairy-free too! How can that be you ask? Well, rather than dairy to help make the fondue beautifully creamy we use raw cashews. Cashews are high in vitamins, minerals and fibre and are perfect to help cream up your recipe but remember, they are also high in calories so you don’t want to consume them all the time.

Equipment

• Vitamix 2L wet container

Ingredients

• 125ml spring water
• 1 cup raw cashews
• 180g dark chocolate
• 3-5 sprigs rosemary (without stem)
• a good pinch of rock salt

Method

1. Put all the ingredients into the Vitamix 2L container in the order listed and secure the lid.
2. Select Variable 1. Turn the machine on and quickly increase the speed to 10, then override to High.
3. Use tamper really well to press the ingredients into the blades.
4. Continue to use the tamper whilst blending for 2.5-3 minutes or until steaming hot.
5. Stop the machine and serve.

Avocado, Olive & Lime Dip

Store bought dips are often full of extra chemicals and preservatives to help give them long shelf life, but the truth is nothing tastes better than fresh. Not to mention avocados are full of nutrients and essential healthy fats that can help lower cholesterol. They are also rich in Vitamin E which helps nourish our skin and keep it looking young and fresh. As if you didn’t need a reason to reach for seconds?

Equipment

• Vitamix 2L wet container

Ingredients

• 2 small avocados (or 1 large)
• 350g sicilian olives (pitted)
• 1 clove garlic (without skin)
• 1/3 cup macadamia nuts
• 2 limes (juice only)
• small slice chilli
• 2 Tbsp olive oil (or oil of choice)
• crack of Himalayan salt and pepper (to taste)

Method

1. Put all the ingredients into the Vitamix 2L container in the order listed and secure the lid.
2. Select Variable 1. Turn the machine on and quickly increase the speed to Variable 8.
3. Use the tamper to effectively press the ingredients into the blades whilst processing.
4. Blend for 30-45econds or until desired consistency is reached.
5. Stop the machine and serve.

Sweet Summer Pops

Nothing screams summer like ice-cream but unfortunately some of usual crowd favourites are full of sugar, preservatives, food dyes and all sorts of chemicals. This season we have the ice block department covered with these all natural sweet summer pops, they are fun, delicious and maybe even a little nutritious. Watermelon is high in fibre which helps with digestion and regularity, it also has Vitamin A & C which is great for our skin, helping with the growth of body tissue and the rebuilding of collagen. Watermelon also is a natural anti-inflammatory and full of electrolytes making it great for hydration. Cucumbers are also fantastic for hydration with over 90% of a cucumber being made up of water. They too, are a natural anti-inflammatory and assist our body in eliminating toxins. Block on!

Equipment

• Vitamix 2L wet container

Ingredients

Watermelon Layer

• 2 cups watermelon
• 1 cup strawberries
• 1 cup of coconut milk
• 2 tsp maple syrup

Makes 3 cups of liquid

Cucumber Layer

• 2 cups cucumber, peeled
• 1 cup coconut water
• 6 mint leaves
• 3 tsp maple syrup

Method

1. Blend watermelon layer ingredients together
2. Pour mixture half way into ice block moulds. Set in freezer
3. Blend cucumber layer ingredients together and fill the other half of your ice block moulds with the mixture and place back into the freezer until completely set
4. Serve icy cold on a hot summer’s day and enjoy!

Raw Choc-Cherry Slice

This recipe is a delicious chocolate bar alternative, using all raw products, it is free of nasty chemicals and preservatives. Cherries are full of antioxidants and are a natural anti-inflammatory, they also contain melatonin which assists our body to sleep and regenerate. Did I also mention that cherries are high in potassium, which helps keep our heart healthy by regulating our heart rate and our blood pressure?

Ingredients

• 1 cup coconut oil (melted)
• 1/4 cup coconut nectar
• 4 Tbsp cacao powder
• a handful of shredded coconut
• large handful frozen cherries
• large handful raw pistachio nuts

Method

1. Mix the coconut oil, coconut syrup, cacao powder and shredded coconut in a bowl until smooth.
2. Line a small glass baking tray with some baking paper and evenly distribute the cherries and pistachio nuts on the bottom.
3. Pour the chocolate all over cherries and pistachio nuts and then pop in the freezer for about an hour to set.

Nut Free Protein Bites

These delicious protein bites use all natural ingredients and are NUT FREE for all of you with a nut allergy… which is a bonus when catering for kids parties! This recipe calls for sunflower seeds which are an excellent source of Vitamins B & E. They are also a great source of minerals like magnesium, potassium and iron. Carob is a great alternative to cacao and contains tannins which contain Gallic acids that work as an analgesic, anti-allergic, antibacterial and antioxidant. Carob is also caffeine free so it is great for people with high blood pressure and won’t have the kids all jacked up running rings around the hired clown.

Equipment

• Vitamix 2L wet container

Ingredients

• 2 cups raw sunflower seeds
• 2 Tbsp. carob powder
• Pinch Himalayan Sea Salt
• 1 cup medjool dates, pitted & soaked
• 3 Tbsp. oil (coconut oil or olive oil)
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup or coconut nectar
• 3 tsp. Lariese Hemp Protein Powder
• Shredded coconut for rolling

Method

1.  Measure out your dates and soak them for about 5hours until nice and soft.
2. Place all the ingredients in the order listed above into your 2L Vitamix Wet container and secure the lid.
3. Turn your machine to variable speed to 8 and pulse on and off 3 times for about 3 seconds each time. Make sure to have one hand on the container securing it.
4. Turn your machine to HIGH speed and starting mixing the ingredients in a dough mixture. Use your tamper effectively as this is a thick mixture.
5. Turn your machine off and roll the bites into whatever size you want and roll in coconut.
6. Set in the fridge for about an hour or eat straight away!

 

 

Everyone loves a gift!

If you are like me and don’t like your guests leaving empty handed we also have the party favours covered! I recently had a little get together with my best gal pals and handed out these cute Mason Jars and Glass Straw combos. Every girl received a different design too which is a great way to keep tabs on who’s glass is who!

Happy Party Season!