Special Ocasion Archives - Move more. Eat more.

They’re sweet, delicious, gluten free and easy to make. You basically need only 3 ingredients: flour, fat and sugar and no raising agent. That’s what shortbread cookies are, a simple dough that doesn’t develop the gluten, so they’re perfect for gluten free flours. And who doesn’t like that biscuit texture?

🥥2 cups oat flour
🥥1/2 cup raw sugar
🥥1/2 cup coconut butter, warmed up
🥥1/2 cup + 1 tbsp coconut cream (the thick part from canned full fat coconut milk)
🥥1/2 tsp salt

🥥1/2 cup coconut butter or cream to decorate (optional)

They go well with tea, coffee or on top of an oatmeal bowl is my preferred way.

Preheat the oven at 160°C / 325°F.
Mix the dry ingredients into a bowl. Fold in the rest with your hands. The texture should be crumbly, but the dough should clump when pressed together.
Spread the dough in batches on top of parchment paper switching between pressing with your hands and using an oiled rolling pin.
Regularly fix and patch the edges by pressing them until you get the desired even thickness (under 1cm or 1/2in). Cut the cookies.
Bake for 15 minutes and turn the tray halfway in.
Decorate with coconut butter/cream or icing sugar. They are delicious plain too.
Enjoy with coffee, tea or on top of an oatmeal bowl.

*You can replace the coconut butter and cream with another butter, but you might need more or less depending on how runny it is. Experiment.

*The dough is delicious raw and it can be used as base for raw homemade muesli bars or energy balls.

*They can last a long time in a paper towel lined container in the cupboard. I’ve had some sitting for a month and they were still good, but the longer they sit, the softer they become. I’ve stored this batch in the fridge for a week.

Rice balls with hummus filling

Maybe you are in need of a bit of Valentine’s Day inspiration? This savory snack is great: sushi rice tastes awesome, it’s meant to be consumed cold and can be easily packed and eaten on the go. A perfect combination.

It doesn’t have to be pink or heart shaped and there are many inspirational photos on Google for shaping and placing the nori. This recipe makes 4 servings, 4 hearts about 1 cup each in my case, plus leftover hummus.

Rice
🍙250g sushi rice
🍙2 tbsp beet juice
🍙1/2 cup rice vinegar
🍙1 tsp salt
🍙1 tbsp white sugar
🍙1 or more sheets of nori

Hummus
🍙2 cups cooked chickpeas
🍙1 lemon juiced
🍙1 medium beet, grated and squeezed
🍙1/2 tsp salt
🍙3 tbsp tahini
🍙1/4 cup water or more

I had mine on their own on the go and also paired with tahini covered bamboo slices and garlic Shitake mushrooms.

Start cooking the rice and mix in a bowl the vinegar, salt and sugar until disolved.
In the meantime, put all the hummus ingredients in a blender. The consistency should be thick paste like, not too wet.
Allow the rice to cool for 10 minutes, then fold in the vinegar mixture and 2 tbsp beet juice that was left from squeezing the grated beet for the hummus.
Scoop and shape the rice in 2 steps, sandwiching 1-2 tbsp of hummus in the middle.
Always handle the rice with slightly wet or oiled hands or utensils. Use a wet/oiled mould or plastic wrap to shape.
Finally, wrap with the nori. I used small rectangles, but it’s optional. Parchment paper or plastic wrap can be used to prevent sticking instead.
Store the leftover hummus in the freezer. Enjoy!