🎄 Nourish Your Christmas with Our Cult-Fave Recipes 🌿

As the festive season is WELL and truly upon us, we know it’s a time for celebration, connection, and of course, epic food!

What we eat plays a HUGE role in not only fuelling our bodies but also in how we feel. While we don’t pretend to be nutrition experts, the nourishing food we offer at Active Rest Retreats is an important part of the experience (especially because, for once, our guests don’t have to prepare every meal themselves!).

Some of the delicious dishes we’ve created on retreat have just about earned their own cult status. So, we’ve decided to let the secret out and gift you 3 of our most treasured recipes—bringing a little bit of Active Rest Retreats to your Christmas table. (But shhh, keep it secret!)

We’re not joking, out repeat retreat guests expect (no.. demand!) our regular recipes!

So here’s the coveted recipes for you!

1. Healing Kitchari For your guts: A vibrant, wholesome, non-traditional savoury Christmas dish, inspired by Ayurveda to nourish your body and soul.

2. Carrot Cake Bliss Balls For your dietary friend: A delicious nut-free, healthy treat that everyone can enjoy.

3. Choc-Raspberry Brownie For your family: An indulgent treat to savor and share around the table.
   

And I’m not even going to start the recipe with a long-winded childhood story about when I first tasted these foods (we’re not food bloggers by trade I guess!) but I WILL remind you that after this Christmas season of giving to your family and friends, PLEASE do give back to yourself. Maybe through a solo half-day of uninterrupted beach reading. Maybe through baking a tray of these brownies for yourself!

Or MAYBE through finally putting down that deposit for a Wilpena Women’s Weekend 4 day retreat in the Flinders Ranges, or maybe a Fleurieu Retreat 2 day experience at Kings Beach, or perhaps a Walk, Wine & Wander 1/2 day retreat with us in the Adelaide Hills? We would love to host you on one of our yoga, bushwalking and Aboriginal culture retreats in South Australia in 2025 to help you to be restfully active and to actively rest, because YOU are worthy of rest. Now let’s eat!

Ayurvedic Kitchari - Credit to my friend Cristel who requested this dish post-birth for healing.

Ingredients:

• 1⁄2 cup split yellow mung beans

• 1⁄2 cup white basmati rice

• 3 tablespoons ghee, coconut or olive oil

• 3 cups vegetable stock

• 2 cups water

• 1/2 can coconut cream

• seeds: cumin seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, black mustard seeds (I use 1tsp each)

• spices: coriander powder, turmeric powder, ginger root freshly minced ( I use 2tsp each)

• pinch of asafoetida (if you can find it)

• 2 cups any mixed vegetables such as zucchini, sweet potato, cauliflower or butternut pumpkin

• fresh lime, coriander and coconut yoghurt to serve

Method:

1. Combine mung beans and rice in a large bowl, cover with water, let soak for one hour, then drain and rinse.

2. While that’s soaking, chop up all your veggies.

3. Heat coconut oil or ghee over medium heat, in a heavy-bottomed pot. Once hot, add all the seeds and cook until the mustard seeds have popped. Add the rest of the spices and stir to combine.

4. Add rice and mung beans, stir well and let cook for a moment.

5. Add all other ingredients, cover and bring to a boil, then stir well (the bottom likes to stick) and reduce to a low heat. Simmer for about an hour, stirring frequently.

6. Add more water if you want a soupier consistency, and simmer longer to get a thicker stew.

7. Once cooked, serve with fresh coriander, a big squeeze of fresh lime, and a blob of

   coconut yoghurt and season to taste.

Choc-Raspberry Brownies - credit to my Dad for always buying the on-special choc for us as kids!

Ingredients:

• 250g unsalted butter

• 250g chopped dark choc

• 4 large eggs

• 300g golden caster sugar

• 1tsp vanilla extract

• 100g sieved plain flour

• 60g sieved coco

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 150g chopped milk choc

• 1 cup raspberries (fresh or frozen)

Method:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 180degrees C 160degrees C for fan forced. Line a brownie pan with baking paper. Go for about 30cm x 20cm. (but real advice, made a double batch and line 2 trays please).

2. Melt the butter and dark choc together in a glass bowl over a pot of simmering water (don’t be impatient and microwave it. Trust the process and be mindful!). Gently stir with a metal spoon until fully melted and silky. Leave to cool

3. Use a hand mixer to beat the eggs and sugar on high for about 8mins, or until the sugar is all dissolved and it’s thick! Gently fold through the cooled choc mixture, add vanilla, then gently fold in the sieved dry ingredients.

4. Spread the brownie batter in the pan(s), then dot the milk choc and brownies around evenly. I like to tap them into the mixture slightly using the back of my metal spoon.

5. Bake for 30mins, remove from oven, leave to cool in the tray, then cut into 12 squares and devour that delicious morsel!

Nut-Free, dairy-free, refined-sugar free, gluten free Carrot Cake Bliss Balls! - Credit to one of our Fleurieu Retreat guests who had a range of dietary needs, allowing us to get creative with our retreat baking!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups desiccated coconut

• 2 small grated carrots

• 10 seedless medjool dates 

• 1/4 cup raisins

• 1 tablespoon tahini 

• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon ginger powder

• 1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract

• Pinch of salt

Method:

1. blend all ingredients in a food processor until well-combined.

2. roll into bite-sized balls using your hands, then roll into extra coconut to coat them.

3. place into a glass container in 2 layers, then refrigerate until set. Eat within 5 days if stored in the fridge, or within 6 months if stored in the freezer.
   

Wishing you a season full of rest, joy, and nourishment!

Elise x