It’s a bit of a shorter note from me this week. We’re now just under three weeks from our little bundle arriving, and the ‘baby room’ is still completely empty. I’ve also got my Naturopathy, Nutrition and Herbal Medicine degree starting back in three weeks (conveniently the beginning of the semester coincides exactly with our due date), as well as staff coming back from holiday to work in our wee Be Good Organics store, ongoing renos and interior design tidbits at our new house we moved into eight weeks ago, and of course my weekly love note to you.
Not that I’m getting too worried about the baby stuff. I figure as long as she has a few blankets and a mattress, we will be fine. Despite the nester within having a secret desire to have her room looking ‘just perfect’, I know that as long as she is 100% healthy and happy really that’s all that matters.
Meanwhile I wanted to share something super quick and easy with you this week. The type of recipe that you can whip up in 10 minutes and reap the rewards for days. Which is pretty much what our fridge is filled with right now – super simple and quick meals and throw-togethers! I’m imagining once baby arrives these types of meals will be even more up my alley, and I hope you’ll enjoy them too.
Nothing could be quicker and more delicious than these Simple 10 Minute Apricot Almond Logs. They are quite possibly the tastiest wee morsels I’ve made in months, which again reminds me that often simplest is best. The contain only six essential ingredients which you’ll likely have in your cupboard (if not you can click on each link in the ingredients list in the post and get them delivered from our store). And the flavours are perfectly balanced, with the subtle sweetness of the apricots beautifully offsetting the smooth creaminess of the almonds and cashews.
I made an initial batch of these a few weeks back, and between myself, my partner and my dad who’s been staying with us helping with our renos, they were demolished in a day. They’re the perfect chocolate-free sweet treat when you’re needing a bit of energy come 3pm, and a pair of logs goes beautifully with a cup of tea or popped in your work lunch. They’re great for kids too as there aren’t any scary or strong flavours in there.
Will the real vitamin C king please stand up
I’ve added a dash of Camu powder in these logs also for an extra vitamin C hit. Whilst it’s optional, the tangy citrus flavour of Camu blends really nicely with the sweet apricots. Camu (sometimes known as Camu Camu), is a bushy tree that grows along swampy rivers in Peru. The fruit is approximately 2cm in diameter and has a purplish red skin with a yellow pulp (like a big cherry). The Camu fruit is one of the highest natural sources of Vitamin C on the planet, with 12% Vitamin C content – second only to the Gubinge bush plum from northern Australia at 13%. One tiny 2g serving of the raw dried powder provides you with a whopping 240mg of Vitamin C, 350% more than a whole orange at 70mg. What’s more, since the camu fruit (and dried powder) is a whole food in its natural form, your body can absorb the nutrients much more effectively than synthetic vitamin C supplements.
In Peruvian cultures, Camu has traditionally been used to strengthen the immune system, ward off viral infections and help maintain optimal health, especially under conditions of stress and anxiety. It can promote energy and vitality in people with chronic immune dysfunction, and also help detoxify the body. It contains loads of goodness in the form of bioflavonoids, the amino acids serine, valine, and leucine (the building blocks of protein), plus considerable quantities of B vitamins which drive energy production. It’s therefore a wonderful addition for those with auto-immune conditions or generally low immunity.
These logs really are so easy to make – all you need is a food processor and a few ingredients. You can happily store them in the fridge for up to a month, or in the freezer for up to three. As I’ve mentioned before, I often keep this type of sweet treat in the freezer as I like the slightly chewier harder texture, but fridge is perfect too – try out both and see what you prefer.
Would love to see your creations over on Instagram, so feel free to tag your shots @begoodorganics and #begoodorganics and I’ll come say hello (I’ll be sharing the best ones on my page too). Have a beautiful weekend, and here’s to more simple, quick and easy plant-based, whole foods recipes in the coming months!
PS If you like this recipe, I’d love you to share it on Pinterest (hover over any of the images and click Pin It), Instagram (regram or make your own), Facebook or Twitter (hit the buttons up top). Thank you!
Please note – if you are wanting to meet any of the specific dietary requirements below, please read my recipe notes.
Ingredients
- 1 c raw cashews
- 3/4 c raw almonds
- 1 c dried apricots
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 c virgin coconut oil melted
- 1 tsp coconut nectar
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp camu powder optional
- Desiccated coconut for rolling
Instructions
- Place the nuts in your food processor and blend until they’re starting to form a powder but a few small chunks remain, you want to keep a bit of texture in there. Set aside.
- Add apricots to the processor and pulse until roughly chopped. Then add back nuts and all remaining ingredients and blend on low until combined (making sure to keep some texture).
- Scoop out small handfuls and roll into logs, then roll in coconut in a separate bowl. If the mixture is too sticky you can always put it in the fridge for 20 minutes to firm it up before rolling.
- Place in a sealed container and store in the fridge for a softer texture, or freezer for a harder chewier texture (or if they’re going straight into lunch boxes and will be travelling for a bit). Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Make it nut free: replace the cashews with pumpkin seeds, and the almonds with sunflower seeds.
- If you have time, you can also use dried activated nuts here – this will increase the bioavailability of the nuts’ nutrients and enhance digestion. To activate, soak in water (2 hours for cashews, 12 hours for almonds), rinse and dry, then dehydrate in a dehydrator (I use this one here) or oven at 50°C (120°F) for 12 hours or overnight until dry and crunchy. Then use as per normal or store in jars. You can read more about nut soaking, activating and dehydrating in a previous post of mine here.
Did You Make This?
Tag @begoodorganics
I can’t wait to see your creations!
Sources:
Healing With Wholefoods (Pitchford, P.)
LifeFoods
Loving Earth
