FIG, ORANGE & CARDAMOM BALLS
Surprise… these purple-coloured, nutrient-rich balls have a fresh blueberry in the middle to give each one a burst of juicy freshness when bitten into. Purple foods are all the rage thanks to their immune boosting abundance of antioxidants, particularly anthocyanins that play a protective role in the body.
Ingredients
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40 g/1½ oz. almonds
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1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
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60 g/2¼ oz. unsweetened muesli base
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1 small raw beetroot/beet, about
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40 g/1½ oz., peeled and roughly chopped
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60 g/2¼ oz. dried cranberries
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3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
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finely grated zest of ¼ unwaxed orange, plus extra to decorate
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½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
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2 teaspoons acai powder
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8 fresh blueberries
Put the almonds, sunflower seeds and muesli in a food processor and process for 2 minutes until very finely chopped. Add the beetroot, cranberries, orange juice, orange zest, cinnamon and acai powder, and blitz to a thick, smooth-ish paste, occasionally scraping down the mixture from the sides when needed.
With damp hands, take 1 tablespoon of the beetroot mixture and form into a round disc, then place a blueberry in the centre. Shape the mixture around the blueberry to make a ball about the size of a large walnut. Repeat to make 8 balls in total. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up. Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Decorate with a little extra orange zest to serve.
