I’m sure many of you have seen a number of food hacks, 2 or 3 or 4-ingredient recipes that have been circulating around the Internet. Personally, I love reading these as some of them are so amazingly creative. And really, if I can get the same taste in 2 steps rather than 10, why not? Oh, I know what some of you are thinking, good food needs time to develop flavour and kitchen artistry cannot be rushed or shortcut, so how can food hacks or 2-ingredient recipes be any good. Like most things, there is a time and place for everything. Good food does not always mean that you have to spend hours slaving in the kitchen labouring over 100 steps food preparation. Sometimes, the best things are the simplest. (Of course, it doesn’t mean substituting steps with highly processed ingredients like cake mix – what sacrilege!)

Keeping to simple food preparations and using natural, fresh ingredients is the premise of many of today’s health food movements, like Paleo or “caveman” diet, whole food, real food or clean eating diets. And really, with fresh, natural ingredients, you don’t need to over-complicate the cooking process. The aim is to keep as much of the natural flavour as possible and hence, reap the maximum health benefits from consuming those food. So, what better reason to support a few food hacks or 2, 3, or 4-ingredient recipes than that? So, instead of breaking out your bag of chips or cookies or sweets, here are 5 healthy food hacks to try for the new year:

Portobello Baked Eggs
[Gluten-free, Paleo-friendly]

1. Clean the portobello mushroom caps, remove the stem and scrape out the gills so you have a pocket for the egg.
2. Brush a little olive oil on the outside of the mushroom. Arrange the caps on a baking sheet.
3. Crack each egg into a small bowl and carefully slide it onto the mushroom cap.
4. Season to taste with salt, pepper & herbs.
5. Carefully place the baking pan into the pre-heated 180 degree celsius oven and bake for 10-20 minutes. The amount of time required depends on how thick your mushrooms are and how you like your eggs.

Coconut Date Cookies
[Gluten-free, Paleo-friendly, No refined sugar, Dairy-free]

1. Combine 2/3 cups of pitted organic dates with 1.5 tablespoons of organic coconut butter and a pinch of salt in a blender.
2. Blend till the ingredients are well combined but still slightly chunky.
3. Make into small balls or cut into bars.
4. For extra texture, you can coat it in toasted organic coconut flakes.

Chocolate Mousse
[Gluten-free, Paleo-friendly, No refined sugar, Dairy-free]

1. Cut 2 ripe avocados in half and remove the stone. Scoop the flesh into the large bowl of a food processor.
2. Add 1/4 cup of organic raw cocoa powder and 1 tablespoon of raw organic honey.
3. Blend till well combined and creamy.  Spoon into serving glasses or dishes. Serve with fresh fruit.

Flaxseed Banana Crackers
[Gluten-free, Paleo-friendly, No refined sugar, Dairy-free]

1. Mash 1 extra ripe banana with a spoon until its creamy with few lumps. Add the 1/2 cup flax seeds and mix well.
2. Grease a baking sheet with olive oil, drop 1 tablespoon size mix onto the tray and press it flat.
3. Bake for 20 minutes on 150 degrees celsius or until the edges are brown and the tops are hard.

Almond Banana Ice Cream
[Gluten-free, Paleo-friendly, No refined sugar, Dairy-free]

1. Peel 4 ripe bananas and slice into 1/2 inch discs. Arrange banana slices in a single layer on a large plate or baking sheet. Freeze for 1-2 hours.
2. Place the frozen banana slices in a food processor. Puree banana slices, scraping down the bowl as needed. Puree until the mixture is creamy and smooth.
3. Combine 2 tablespoons of organic almond butter to the puree. Serve immediately for soft-serve ice cream consistency. If you prefer harder ice cream, place in the freezer for a few hours and then serve.

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