Gnom Gnom Bites

A ridiculous name for a very tasty treat. These bites are my easy make, healthier than store bought, snack food of choice. If you look around the herbalsphere there are seemingly no end of variations of these. Why? Because they’re so damn good. Find my recipe below, but I urge you to play around and come up with your own based on your needs and preferences. That’s the joy of making your own anything afterall.

Equipment:

• Blender or food processer
• lidded trays or containers
• Teaspoons and table spoons

Ingredients:

• 500g organic unpitted dates
• 125g organic mixed nuts
• 1 tbsp organic coconut oil
• 1 tbsp organic maca powder
• 1tbsp organic cacao powder
• 2 tbsp dried organic nettle leaf
• 1 tbsp organic chia seeds
• 1-2 tbsp raw organic honey
• Organic desiccated coconut

Method:

I’m not going to lie, no skill is required, you just blend or blitz everything in the processor until you have the texture you desire.

Blending tends to result in smaller nut pieces and so a smoother mixture, whereas using the food processor makes for chunkier nut pieces which is perfect if you like a bit more bite.

Pour out your desiccated coconut into your containers.

Use a teaspoon to scoop out enough of your blitzed mixture to form approximately golf-ball-sized balls. Roll each ball in desiccated coconut and place let sit in the containers.

Once all of your mixture is balled up, put them in the fridge. You can start eating them straight away but I prefer them after an hour or so in the fridge. Store in the fridge until you’ve eaten them all up. These seems to keep best for up to two weeks (but if you can make them last that long, you’re a better person than I).

The herbs

1. Nettle (Urtica diocia)
   Nettles are a fantastic nutritive herb, which thanks to drying, we can utilise all year round. FUll of iron and other important minerals, they are a herb that can be enjoyed everyday in one form or another. In the summer you might choose to take advantage and use nettle seeds in your recipe, which are particularly beneficial support for your adrenal glands and offer a little energy boost.
2. Maca (Lepidium meyenii Walpers, Lepidium peruvianum)
   Possibly best known for its reproductive and sexual health benefits, maca has far more to offer us than that. It is another nutrient-dense herb and is very rich in protein. Perfect for a little mid-morning energy dip. You want to find the right balance when using maca, in my experience, as its flavour can sometimes take over.
3. Cacao (Theobroma cacao)
   Cacao has a long and rich history, and over that time seems to have had almost every benefit imaginable attributed to it but that doesn’t negate it’s selection. Studies show it to be yet another nutritive herb, offering also anti-inflammatory and antioxidant actions as well as being a natural stimulant and neuroprotective in nature. Cacao is fortifying, it gives us strength and pushes us to keep going on.

Other ingredients to try

1. Goji berries
   Goji berries alone always taste a little like mild tea to me. I think they’d make a really great addition to this mix. Next time I’ll remember to add them so I can confirm my suspicion.
2. Cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia, Cinnamomum aromaticum)
   I’m always a little suspicious of people who tell me they don’t like cinnamon. Not for any real reason, I just find it incredibly hard to believe that they don’t feel the same warm and cosy feeling I do whenever I taste it. Cinnamon has undergone a wealth of research (and continues to do so), which scientists looking into its potential to lower blood glucose and cholesterol levels amongst other things.
3. Tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum)
   Tulsi holds a special place in my heart as I rely on it often to help get me through many days at my 9-5. Part of the mint family, i think it has a flavour somewhere between mint and clove which are two flavours I love. With strong nervine and carminative properties, amongst others, its one of those great-tasting herbs that have a lot to offer in a snack like this.
4. Rose (Rosa spp.)
   As a recovering Turkish Delight addict, I just can’t help myself, I really think a hint of rose would be a great addition. And that’s based on flavour alone. However, rose is a fantastic nervine (i frequently blend it with tulsi when I just need some soothing), analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant herb.
5. Cardamom
   Another love of mine. This fragrant herb is one I love to add to food whenever I can. Saying that, only a small amount is needed as a little goes a long way. Another carminative, cardamom is a fantastic digestive herb and so can only benefit when added to food. On top of that, it has anti-nausea action amongst other things.

Lets leave it there or I really could keep writing all through the night. No matter what we may have all been told as children, part of the real joy of food is playing with it so I hope you all go have some fun and inspiration making your own gnom gnom bites.