Imperfectly Paleo

I went through a phase as a teenager when I just LOVED cookie dough. Back then cookie dough was still pretty novel, imported from our friends across the pond - and like my childish longing for an American accent and braces, I embraced all things of that ilk without question. Luckily my parents never bought into it and it was a rare indulged treat. Mint Choc Chip Sweet Potato Cookie Dough

It's the run up to Christmas which means festive foods aplenty. My birthday also coincides with this time of year so double the excuse for dietary indulgence. Unfortunately these past weeks have left me feeling saddened, full of anxiety and seriously lacking in seasonal cheer as we experienced a burglary. Worse still is the knowledge that we will never know the identity of the culprit - who indeed and most likely is someone we know. These cheerful pink balls were made while I was ironically bliss fully unaware of what was in store and I long for that feeling of being worry-free. I've been meaning to incorporate my recently discovered lingonberry powder into a recipe and simultaneously was after a fun way to brighten up my brithday cake. Lingonberries are tart, red berries similar to cranberries and are rich in antioxidants and vitamins A and C.

What to do when cake craving strikes but the internal tug of war between the inner clean-eating angel and wayward sugar fiend is in the midst of a civil war without end in sight? Step forward these no-bake cake balls. Raw Lemon and Poppy Seed Cake Balls

When you can't decide what colour smoothie to have you can have both. Together. The basil, lime and lemongrass flavours are a refreshing wakeup call. They balance well with the subtly sweet strawberries and hydrating cucumber in the pink chia mix. Green & Pinks: Basil Lime Smoothie and Strawberry Chia Breakfast Bowl

Blissful in that they taste divinely creamy, sweet and deliciously treatlike. Also in that any child (or fussy grown up) will be blissfully ignorant that they are inadvertently consuming hidden carrots and antioxidant rich turmeric! Mango Coconut and Carrot Bliss Balls

Never was there quite such a quandary on the spelling of a word than with 'hummus' - or is it 'houmous' or 'houmus', which I used in my previous two 'hummus/houmous/houmus' recipes and can be found here Lemon and Rosemary Artichoke Houmus and here Smoked Paprika and Porcini Artichoke Houmus . Paleo Beetroot and Artichoke Hummus

Why I bothered to state the obvious about 'hidden vegetables' in the title is a mystery to me given I hide vegetables in every meal! Pumpkin Pie Hidden Vegetable Smoothie Bowl

Let me be very clear at the outset: aside from their shape these bear absolutely zero resemblance to the average doughnut! That's not to say they don't taste good but there is truly nothing worse than unmet expectations - spiralling into disappointment, frustration and potential anger... After all, this is the highly sensitive subject of doughnuts, people! No-Bake Mini Matcha Sesame Dougnuts

Handy as an 'on the go' breakfast, snack or lunch. Packed with protein and good fats from eggs, olives and walnuts; antioxidant rich sundried tomatoes and garlic; and anti inflammatory basil, these mini muffins are satisfyingly filling. The nutritional yeast adds a cheesy hint; bringing together the intense sundrenched tomato and olive flavours of the Mediterranean. Yum! Sundried Tomato Pesto and Olive Mini Muffins

This cooling summer dessert is inspired by my Matcha-Maca-Cacao Tricolor Treats Matcha Cacao Nice Cream Cups It is super simple to make - no blender and only TWO core ingredients (plus a pinch of sea salt). The matcha and cacao add extra yumminess, colour and antioxidants but really, they're fabulous even without. Enjoy and make the most of the glorious summer sun  x

This is a great way to start the day as the matcha provides a lovely morning boost, with some caffeine and, more importantly, plenty L-theanine (an amino acid reported to boost concentration). The anti-ageing, antioxidant and detoxifying benefits are just extras thrown in for good measure. Cleansing Peach and Matcha Green Tea Smoothie Bowl

This is a variation on  my Smoked Paprika and Porcini Artichoke Houmous - all the creamy deliciousness of regular houmous but replacing the legumes with more nutrient dense veggies. This version has a zingy lemon freshness and fragrant notes of rosemary picked from the garden. Lemon and Rosemary Artichoke Houmous

The calming effect of rolling up a batch of bliss balls. These combine the tangy taste of unsweetened apricots (try to use unsulphured if possible even though the colour looks less pretty!) with the warmth of vanilla and cinnamon and an extra kick of aromatic spice from the complex flavour of cardamom. Apricot and Brazil Nut Cardamom Bliss Balls

Though the general consensus of carrot cake is that it is healthy because it features a vegetable in its title, invariably this is just delusional and wishful thinking! However, all carrot cakes were not created equal... Raw Carrot Cake Squares  

One of my green smoothie bowls was pictured in a double page feature about smoothie bowls in the New York Post this week! Matcha Maca Mint Green Smoothie Bowl

I created these for my little boy whose favourite colour is green and I wanted to surprise him with something (naturally) green on the top of his birthday cake. He also has a mini obsession with bliss balls (as do I)! These are nut-free but work really well with pistachio nuts instead of the sunflower seeds if there are no nut allergies to be catered to. Pistachio nuts also add even more green vibrancy to the end result.

The ultimate carb and calorie free way to eat 'rice' is undoubtedly to blitz vegetable of choice into 'rice' like grains. Oftentimes blitzed up raw vegetables can be rather crumbly, rendering the process of making (and eating!) neat little sushi rolls a frustrating pastime. Water Chestnut Sushi Rolls

Super simple little wholesome snack using a few kitchen staples. Raw Banana Bread Cookie Dough Balls These are especially useful for school snack boxes as they are nut-free - just make sure they don't get too warm!

These are adapted from my Guilt-Free Chocolate Recipe Chocolate Nut Butter Easter Eggs A little bit of fun for the Easter festivities without having to suffer any ill effects of sugar, dairy or gluten. I like my chocolate bitter and happily enjoy it without any sweetener but feel free to sweeten to taste with a little maple syrup or honey. To make these nut-free, try subbing the almond butter for tahini mixed with a little maple syrup or honey or use sunflower or pumpkin seed butter. Happy Easter x

Another day another smoothie bowl! A perfect way to get in your 5 a day or simply a little pick me up snack or breakfast bowl. Never a wrong time for a bowl of green goodness. Cleansing, refreshing, vitamin packed and satisfyingly protein-rich. Have a good day x Matcha Mint Green Protein Bowl This recipe was created for the lovely people over at  Creative Nature Superfoods where you can get 10% discount on any of their products using code IMPAL10.