Chicken Liver Pate w/ Sage & Brandy (paleo. keto. low carb. gf)

RECIPE BY: AURORA GILBERT
PHOTOGRAPHY BY: AURORA GILBERT

Makes 2-3 sml jars

I love pate, I eat it by the spoonful and so does everyone in our house including the dogs - they love it!!

I started making my own pate because I haven’t found a store bought pate that uses clean ingredients, one without any preservatives or ingredients that I wouldn’t even feed my dogs… and it’s actually really easy and quick to make once you get past handling the livers.

I eat pate not only because I love it but also for my iron and energy levels… for my overall health.
I am a conscious omnivore (I eat pretty much all the foods, obviously including red meat) but unfortunately my body is not great at absorbing iron even when I have it with vitamin C (helps absorption), it was especially challenging during my pregnancy with Lila and also postpartum so I have had to supplement alongside ensuring I eat iron rich nourishing foods.

Now pate is loaded with nutrients, it’s high in iron, copper, selenium, protein, folate and B vitamins - especially B12, which great for energy, it has fat soluble vitamins A, D, K and E and even has choline, which helps with cognitive function.
It helps the body fight off fatigue, restores energy levels and it’s a super tasty way to boost your micronutrients and get more nutrient dense organ meats into your life.
I also like to pimp my pate out with some medicinal mushrooms too, this completely optional I’m just addicted thats all.

Note: Contrary to beliefs that your shouldn’t eat liver because it stores toxins they actually neutralise toxins in our body and when we consume liver it assists our body’s own detoxification = win!!

Ingredients:

500g chicken livers, organic preferably
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tbs porcini mushroom, dried
3 sprigs thyme, fresh
8-10 sage leaves, fresh
60mls brandy
250g butter, organic grassfed
1 tbs olive oil
1 tps salt, good quality

 OPTIONAL

1-1/2 tsp medicinal mushrooms, I use SuperFeast Mason’s Mushrooms ‘aurora10’ for a discount

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven 140ºC and place 1/3 of the butter into a tray and allow to slowly melt until separated, this will take approximately 10 minutes. Pull out of oven and strain the milky part of the butter, keep the clarified butter and set aside.

2. Add olive oil to saucepan on medium heat, add chopped onions, garlic porcini mushrooms and thyme leaves, cook slowly until soft, then remove the mixture into a thermomix/food processor.

3. Turn up the heat in the saucepan and add chicken livers and most of the sages leaves. Cook the livers for a couple of minutes on one side then turn over to cook for a couple more minutes on the other side, they should still be pinkish in colour in the middle. Note: don’t over cook the livers or they will have a grainy texture.

4. Turn the heat up to high and add brandy and cook for another minute, then add to the onion mixture in the thermomix/food processor.

5. Add salt and remaining butter and blitz on high until well combined and creamy, approximately 1 minute then scrape down sides and blitz again for 20 seconds.

6. Divide the mixture into jars and then pour the clarified butter over the top and add the remaining sages leaves chopped up, ensure the pate is completely covered by the clarified butter - this will seal and allow the pate to keep for longer in the fridge.

7. Allow to cool then place in fridge to set, the pate can be eaten straight away or the pate will keep for up to two weeks provided the seal is not disturbed and the favours will continue to develop the longer it’s in the fridge.

Note: medicinal mushrooms would go in in step 5.

Enjoy x

Immune Boosting Elderberry Syrup w/ Schisandra, Hawthorn & Hibiscus (paleo. gf. df)

RECIPE BY: AURORA GILBERT
PHOTOGRAPHY BY: AURORA GILBERT

Makes 500mls

Elderberries have been used in traditional medicine for a very long time for boosting the immune system, keeping colds and flu’s at bay and/or shortening the duration of a cold and flu, these days you can find elderberry syrup in most pharmacies, health stores or online to combat colds and flu’s.

This syrup is high in Vit C, which is great for boosting our immune system, assisting the body in wound healing, boosts collagen production, increases iron absorption and promotes tissue repair and regeneration just to name a few of benefits.

I used a blend of nutritionally potent berries, hibiscus and some ingestible essential oils to make this kick arse immune boosting syrup, the oils are high in antioxidants, especially the clove oil that is in the onguard essential oil blend and honey is antibacterial and soothing for sore throats.
This is something I usually make as the weather gets cooler to keep in the fridge and swig on daily for myself and the family.
I would generally have about a tablespoon daily and then if I do have a cold or feel one coming on I swig it say every 3 hours, I would generally give Lila about 1/2 teaspoon to a 1 teaspoon diluted in some water to sip on, which she loves the taste of too, she calls in juice.

Now if you are doing keto or no sugar simply omit the honey for your choice of sweetener or omit all together, be prepared it will taste more tart without the sweetness.

You can make this on the stove top or in a pressure cooker, I prefer the pressure cooker as it’s less mucking around.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup elderberry blend, or just elderberry
2 cups filtered water
1/2 cup raw honey
4 drops doTERRA ginger essential oil - click here to order essential oils
4 drops doTERRA onguard essential oil

OPTIONAL
1/2 tsp cinnamon, or 2 quills - add with berries to cook
1/4 tsp ground cloves, or 6 cloves - add with berries to cook
2 tbs grated ginger - add with berries to cook
Your choice of sweetener if not using honey

Method:

1. Place elderberry and water into the pressure cooker and cook on high for 30 minutes.

2. Once cooked strain liquid and discard berries.

3. Once liquid has cooled and is still warm add raw honey and essential oils, mix and then pour into bottle and store in the fridge.

Stovetop: add the ingredients the same as above with 1 extra cup of filtered water to a saucepan and simmer on stove top for approximately 1 hour, the liquid will reduce to approximately 500mls. Once cooked strain and discard berries then once cool enough add honey and essential oils.

NB. If you are not using essential oils add the dried cloves, cinnamon and fresh ginger at stage 1 with the elderberries to cook.

Enjoy x

Super Gelatinous Bone Broth (paleo. keto. low carb. gf)

RECIPE BY: AURORA GILBERT
PHOTOGRAPHY BY: AURORA GILBERT

Makes 3-4 litres

Bone broth is pretty much a staple at our house, it’s our go to for getting more nutrients in or boosting the immune system, which is key with this current nasty COVID19 situation.
It was actually my daughter Lila’s first food (easily digested) when she was 5 1/2 months old, what we used to help Benny, my baby daddy to assist with healing after a bad motorbike accident and what I consumed through pregnancy and postpartum for extra nutrients and for healing connective tissue and skin, I even give bone broth to our dogs.

Bone broth has been past down from generation to generation traditionally for digestive/ gut health and healing the body, when the bones are cooked for a long period of time the nutrients are drawn out producing a collagen rich gelatinous bone broth (use jointy bones) that’s high in nutrients like calcium, magnesium, iron, glutamine, proline and glycine just to name a few… these are building blocks that the body uses to regenerate and heal.
Collagen is the most abundant protein found in the body and unfortunately our body’s ability to make collagen starts to diminish as we age, (awesome, not) which is why we start getting wrinkles, loose lustre in our hair, our nails get brittle, looser sagging skin and everything starts to go south.
Collagen is responsible for anti-ageing, reducing inflammation, joint health and mobility, bone mineral density, healing/ replenishing our hair, skin, nails, connective tissue, gut lining, and muscles.

Drinking bone broth can help to heal and seal our gut lining, which means we are better able to absorb nutrients from our food, supports detoxification and overall it boost our immune system health, being that 70% of your immune system cells are housed in your gut this means your gut health is integral to your immunity!!

That being said, how can you use bone broth;

• drink 1 to 3 cups daily, great for post training or breaking a fast

• add to soup, stews, curries

• cook rice by absorption in bone broth for nutrient dense rice, or cooked and cooled rice

• gravy base

• mashed veggies or potato, great in baby food

• in a marinade

• to braise meat in

• steam/ sauté your vegetables in

Check out ‘favourite things’ for the curry spice mix I use by Love My Earth or my favourite go to bone broth concentrate Gevity Rx.

Ingredients:

1 kg grassfed jointy bones
filtered water, approx 3 litres
1 tbs apple cider vinegar
1 tbs salt, good quality

OPTIONAL
1 tbs medicinal mushrooms
herbs
vegetable scraps
spices, I often use curry spices
seaweed
chicken's feet, extra gelatin
 

Method:

1. Roast bones on high for 30- 45mins.

2. Add bones, apple cider vinegar, salt and any other herbs, vegetable scraps, seaweed etc, then top up with filtered water.

3. Cook in pressure cooker for approx 2-3 hours or in a slow cooker for at least 8 hours.

4. Strain liquid and store in jars.

5. Discard the solidified fat on top or use as lard.

To make a cup of bone broth simply add 2-3 tbs of the gelatinous bone broth to some hot water and stir, I usually add salt to taste and a little butter.

Enjoy x

Macadamia & White Vanilla Choc & Chaga (paleo. keto. low carb. gf. df)

RECIPE BY: AURORA GILBERT
PHOTOGRAPHY BY: AURORA GILBERT

Serves many 😉

This is so freakin good!!!

The toasted macadamia and coconut pair so well with the white vanilla chocolate and then with that hit of chewy sweetness and mouth feel that comes from the goji berries… I’m not a huge fan of the flavour of goji’s but in chocolate they work so well and they help boost our immune system too.

The cacao butter is loaded full of antioxidant rich fats that boost our ‘feel good’ neurotransmitters and the chaga medicinal mushroom is an amazing adaptagenic that helps our body deal with stress, works on our gut health, anti-ageing and is one of the highest known antioxidant rich food sources on the planet.

Like everything I make this is quick and simple, it’s got to be as Miss nearly two doesn’t give me much time to get shizz done… Do yourself a favour and make it!!!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup macadamia’s, toasted
1 cup coconut flakes, toasted
1/3 cup cacao butter - melted
1 tbs almond nut butter or nut butter of choice
5 tbs coconut butter
1 tsp vanilla powder
2 tbs goji berries
1-2 tsp chaga medicinal mushroom - I use SuperFeast discount code ‘aurora10’ ️  
10-15 drops monkfruit concentrate
pinch salt

OPTIONAL
collagen
mesquite powder
lucuma powder

Method:

1. Toast the macadamia’s and coconut flakes in the oven 160º for approximately 10 minutes, check as they can toast quickly and flip over half way through, then set aside to cool.

2. Add the melted cacao butter, coconut butter, almond nut butter, salt, vanilla, chaga and monkfruit concentrate to food processor and combine well.

3. Add the cooled macadamia an coconut and the goji berries to the cacao butter mixture and combine.

4. Pour mixture into baking paper line tray or into moulds and place into fridge to set.

5. Store in fridge or freezer.

Enjoy x

Creamy Vegetables Puree w/ Bone Broth (paleo. keto. low carb. gf)

RECIPE BY: AURORA GILBERT
PHOTOGRAPHY BY: AURORA GILBERT

Serves 2-4

This is super quick and easy to whip up and it’s versatile, I just chuck in whatever veggies are left over from the week with fresh greens and sometimes herbs from the garden… it’s really a ‘choose your own adventure’ kind of dish.

The bone broth adds extra nutrients, protein, gut loving and a depth of flavour along side the creaminess of the butter, you could use homemade bone broth which you could then simmer your veggies in the bone broth and reduce the liquid down until the veggies are cooked then blitz too.

It’s a great side dish as well as a tasty way to get extra veggies into little ones or adults too.

Ingredients:

1 broccoli
1/2 cauliflower
1 zucchini
1 bunch greens, use kale, silverbeet, spinach
2 tbs bone broth concentrate, I use Gevity Rx
2 tbs grassfed butter
Salt & pepper to taste

OPTIONAL
garlic
chilli
fresh herbs
lemon zest
splash of olive oil or truffle oil

Method:

1. Chopped all the vegetables and steam except the bunch of greens, once cooked add cooked vegetables to a blender along with chopped greens, butter, bone broth concentrate, salt and pepper and blend until desired consistency.

2. Or if you have a thermomix add the the chopped vegetables and butter (except greens) and cook on temperature 90 for approximately 5-10 minutes, the larger the vegetables are chopped the longer it takes to cook. Cook until vegetables are just soft then add chopped greens, bone broth concentrate, salt and pepper and blitz until desired consistency.

3. My favourite is served with a good splash of olive oil or truffle oil, lemon zest and chilli flakes.

Enjoy x

Creamy Cashew Milk (paleo. keto. low carb. gf. df)

RECIPE BY: AURORA GILBERT
PHOTOGRAPHY BY: AURORA GILBERT

Serves 1 litre

This is our go to milk at home!
Cashew nut milk is super creamy and versatile as a milk, it’s great if you a transitioning from cow’s milk to a plantbased milk as I find it’s the creamiest and super simple to make.
Unlike other nut or seed milks it’s not necessary to strain through a nut milk bag as the cashew particles are finer unless that’s your preference, it definitely will give it a better mouth feel if you choose to do so but I very rarely do.

You can add other nuts, seeds or sweeteners like dates if you choose to change up the flavour and nutrient profile, I like to add hemp seeds (I use this brand MyHemple use ‘aurora20’ for a discount) or macadamia nuts are delicious as well as pumpkin or sunflower seeds, the choice is yours however you may find you want to strain it through a nut milk bag if using other nuts or seeds.

It will store in the fridge fro up to 4/5 days and won’t separate when stored or curdle in your hot drink = WIN!!

Ingredients:

1 cup cashews, preferably soaked
1 tsp sunflower lecithin
1/2 tsp vanilla bean powder - optional
1000ml water, filtered 

Method:

1. Put all the ingredients in the blender and blitz on high for approximately 60 seconds.

2. Store in fridge and give a quick shake before using.

NB. If you blender is not high powdered add half the amount of water blitz and then add the remaining water and blitz again, you will find you get a creamier milk.
You also don’t want to over blend or your will burn the cashew nuts as the blender will heat up the liquid resulting in a bitter flavour.

Enjoy x

Salted Caramel White Choc & Chaga (paleo. keto. low carb. gf. df)

RECIPE BY: AURORA GILBERT
PHOTOGRAPHY BY: AURORA GILBERT

Serves many :)

Have you tried Pana’s new salted caramel white chocolate… if not you really should!!! It is frickin amazeballs!!
So this recipe has been inspired by my costly Pana chocolate addiction and wanting a sugar free keto version that I can eat more guilt free, that and my Mum is type 1 diabetic and we try not eat much sugar in our house.

Cacao butter is a great option for making white chocolate as the flavour is more subtle than cacao powder, it’s also full of good fats that nourish our body and boost our bodies ‘feel good’ neurotransmitters, it can be used topically as well for nourishing and regenerating our skin…. cacao butter massage, oh that would be chocolate heaven.

I have also jacked this recipe with Chaga medicinal mushrooms as I love to do, always looking for way to get more micronutrients into the body through real food..
Chaga is a powerful anti-ageing adaptagenic medicinal mushroom that is one of the highest sources of antioxidants known on the planet as well containing skin-protecting melanin.

Chaga can support;

• stress management

• reduce inflammation

• blood sugar regulation

• liver & kidneys

• antioxidant defences

Ok this is so easy to make!! Let’s get started!

Ingredients:

1 cup coconut milk powder
1 cup cacao butter - melted
1/4 cup mesquite powder
3 tbs vanilla collagen creamer - I use Locako discount code ‘aurora10’ ️
3 tbs caramel white chocolate collagen creamer - I use Locako discount code ‘aurora10’ ️
2 tsp chaga medicinal mushroom - I use SuperFeast discount code ‘aurora10’ ️  
6 drops monkfruit concentrate
1/4 tsp salt

Method:

1. Place all the dry ingredients into food processor to mix, you can do this by hand in a bowl and mix well.

2. Pour the melted cacao butter and monkfruit concentrate over dry ingredients and mix well.

3. Pour mixture into baking paper line tray or into moulds and place into fridge to set.

4. Store in fridge or freezer.

Enjoy x

White Chocolate Matcha (paleo. keto. low carb. gf. df)

RECIPE BY: AURORA GILBERT
PHOTOGRAPHY BY: AURORA GILBERT

Serves 1

So why MATCHA?!
I’m caffeine sensitive so although I love to have a coffee from time to time (usual once a week or so) my body doesn’t always love me back when I do... so in place of coffee I like to have a matcha for the caffeine kick without the jitters & added nutritional value!!

I’ve then jacked this matcha latte w/ collagen for skin & connective tissue loving and added a medicinal mushroom blend for a powerful stress reliever and longevity tonic.

Some of the benefits of matcha;

• It’s loaded with antioxidants, 1 cup of matcha is equivalent to 10 cups of green tea!!

• Boosts metabolism  

• Detox’s the body

•  Calms the mind and relaxes the body through L-theanine which, is a rare amino acid that promotes relaxation 

• Rich in fiber and chlorophyll

• Enhances mood & aids in concentration

• Provides vitamin C, selenium, chromium, zinc and magnesium

• Assists in disease prevention 

• Lowers cholesterol and blood sugar levels

I’ve also used monkfruit as the sweetener, as it doesn’t spike your blood sugar levels, you’re welcome!

And we didn’t even get into the benefits of Chaga medicinal mushrooms… #staytuned

Ingredients:

1 tsp matcha powder
1/2 tsp cacao butter - shaved
1 tbs collagen or vanilla collagen creamer - I use Locako discount code ‘aurora10’ ️
1 tsp chaga medicinal mushroom - I use SuperFeast discount code ‘aurora10’ ️  
2 drops monkfruit concentrate
250ml milk of choice 

Method:

1. Put all the ingredients in the milk frother & let it do its thang!! 
   Or add to a saucepan and stir over gentle heat.

Enjoy x

Ceremonial Cacao & Chaga (paleo. keto. low carb. gf. df)

RECIPE BY: AURORA GILBERT
PHOTOGRAPHY BY: AURORA GILBERT

Serves 1

So what’s the deal with ceremonial cacao?!
Ceremonial grade cacao is found growing naturally in the wild, it’s then fermented to activate natural compounds and enhance flavour profile, lightly toasted or sun dried, cracked and then traditionally stone ground into a paste - nothing added, nothing removed.
Meaning all the good fat is still intact which is removed in cacao powder.
The fat helps balance out the stimulating properties of cacao and helps the absorption over a longer period of time.

Some of the health benefits of ceremonial grade cacao;

• Rich in antioxidants!

• Cacao assists the body in producing serotonin, the ‘feel good chemical’.

• It contains PEA, which stimulates the nervous system to release the ‘love chemical’.

• It elevates our mood, relaxes us (magnesium), speeds up metabolism, boost focus and mental acuity and leaves us feeling euphoric #yesplease

Being that’s it’s ceremonial cacao it also means your invited to sit down, take a breather, perhaps set an intention or two... journal... do gratitudes... or whatever best suits you!

And we didn’t even get into the benefits of Chaga medicinal mushrooms… #staytuned

Ingredients:

2 tsp ceremonial grade cacao - shaved
1 tsp cacao butter - shaved
2 tsp vanilla collagen creamer - I use Locako discount code ‘aurora10’ ️
1 tsp chaga medicinal mushroom - I use SuperFeast discount code ‘aurora10’ ️  
2 drops monkfruit concentrate
1 cup coconut milk 

Method:

1. Place the ingredients into a milk frother to heat and stir or add to a saucepan and stir over gentle heat.

Enjoy x