The Banoffee Pie was possibly my favourite dessert growing up in NZ.

I’m a self confessed caramel addict so anything like Sticky Toffee Pudding or Salted Caramel Slice or Banoffee and my name is all over it!

I literally thought that if I picked a restaurant based on its availability of Banoffee Pie, then it had to be the most popular dessert and therefore an iconic one. So can you imagine my surprise when I made it in Ecuador (for Americans and Europeans btw) and they thought I couldn’t spell or say Coffee properly ?

Let’s settle this once and for all… Banoffee is a combo of two words: Banana and Toffee. Kinda like Brangelina or Bennifer or even Tomkat, where they make a stupidly good genetically gifted union, but are just as delicious, individually.

Here’s my raw, unprocessed, dairy-free, gluten-free, cheezecake version of the ‘classic’ Banoffee Pie…

BANOFFEE CHEEZECAKE

For the crust:
1 cup dry walnuts
1 cup pitted dates
2 tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla powder
1/3 teaspoon Himalayan salt

For the banana cream:
2 cups soaked cashews (from 1.5 dry)
3 medium bananas, peeled
1 cup extra virgin coconut oil, melted
1/8 cup maple syrup
Juice of 1 lemon

For the toffee top:
2 cups pitted dates, soaked
1/3 cup extra virgin coconut oil, melted
2 tablespoons almond butter
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/3 teaspoon Himalayan salt

Optional:
Chocolate drizzle, melt store bought or use this recipe>>

-Transfer all the crust ingredients except coconut oil into a food processor and process till broken down enough to resemble rice. Add the coconut oil and process again till you have a sticky ball. Transfer onto a 9 inch cake tin (make sure the base can be removed or line the dish with cling film to pull it out later). Distribute the mixture evenly using your hands and press it firmly down using your fist.

-After soaking the cashews overnight, transfer all cream ingredients into a blender and blend on high. (TIP: if you don’t have time, soak cashews in hot water for 2 hours). Scrape down the sides of blender jug and blend again until creamy. Pour the mixture over crust and transfer to the fridge for 2 hours or freezer for 1 hour.

-Make sure the dates are nice and soft before blending. (If they are already gooey and sticky, you might not need to soak overnight. If they are quite dry or you don’t have ‘overnight’, try soaking in hot water for 2 hours.) Transfer all the toffee ingredients into blender or food processor and blitz on high till creamy. Scoop this mixture onto the semi-set banana layer and spread as evenly as you prefer. Transfer to the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour, preferably 3.

-If you’re drizzling with chocolate, slice the cake into 12-16 portions first, separate the slices by a few millimetres and drizzle away. Store in the fridge at all times.

Let me know how yours turns out in the comments below…

Trying cashew kale chips for the first time  

Funny flight story (‘funny’ because it’s behind us ;-))…

It took 4 flights, 4 taxis and 43 hours to arrive at my parents’ Sungate 11:11 in Vilcabamba, Ecuador.

The connecting flight to Madrid was a total dream with a 10 months old. I inquired both at Heathrow and at Madrid airport desks about a good seat for Lake and I for our remaining 12 hour flight to Guayaquil and was assured with great certainty that the flight is looking empty, that there will be no one next to us and that after take-off we will even be able to change to a four-seater row!

Soooo we board the flight with confidence, find our seat and spread all the toys, snacks and bags across our isle seat and the empty window seat next to us. Then 5 minutes before take-off, people start piling in! PILING IN!

And so many of them, some with 5 bags each, some with caged cats, some with caged dogs. It was like watching a movie, because that’s how surreal it all looked.

At this stage, I’m still pretty optimistic about the extra space on this flight, I almost don’t notice the man telling a cat woman behind us that she’s seated in the wrong seat and needs to move herself, her cat and all four of her bags next to me and Lake.

I start to panic trying to work out how to keep the baby happy while I gather aaaall of our belongings to fit in a tiny space underneath my feet (anyone with kids knows just how much you need for a 1 hour walk, let alone a 43 hour journey!).

Lake senses my panic and starts to get squeamish, meanwhile the cat woman keeps saying something to me in Spanish. If you were to mute this whole scene, it probably looked a little like an over exaggerated version of charades, where she is gesturing for us to transfer to a window seat so that she and all of her stuff wouldn’t have to.

Then as everyone is loudly fussing and climbing over each other to get to their seat and competing to fit what ever they could into tiny overhead lockers, the cat woman starts climbing too and in the midst of throwing her bags onto the seat next to us (I’m still collecting our toys), she manages to bang Lake on the head with her cat’s cage.

Then the crying begins! By this stage it’s not only Lake crying either…

I grab my upset baby and me, shoot over to see a flight attendant, she helps us find a better seat, helps us make the dreadful transfer and just as I start to settle, she tells us there’s an even better seat. I’m a mixed bag of skeptical, pleased, annoyed and hopeful, but I go alone with it. She is right, the seat is much better and there is now a whole empty one next to us!

We are good to go at last.

We are buckled in, Lake on my lap strapped to my seatbelt, I catch a breather (and a few smiling faces that have just witnessed our musical chairs episode), everyone is in their seats, cabin crew have completed the prep for take off and are now nowhere to be seen as they disappear behind the curtains to take their seats. Relaxed in my seat, I’m about to begin my ‘take off meditation’ but before I close my eyes, I gaze over the tv screen:

“Enjoy your flight to Quito”…  Quito?? OMG!

I turn to an Ecuadorean man across the isle: “Quito?”, “Si, Quito” he smiles. “Noooooo!”

I practically tear the seatbelt off of me and Lake, swing her over my shoulder and jump out from our seat like a ninja turtle!

The “surreal movie” continues, except I’m no longer the one watching it, everyone is watching ME! In this movie, I’m the crazy woman with a baby over my shoulder, running towards the front of the plane yelling “excuse me, excuse me, I need to be on a flight to Guayaquil, my dad is there to meet his granddaughter for the first time!!!”

A flight attendant pops out from behind the curtain, explains that two flights were combined at the last minute and that the first stop is Quito but I get to transfer there onto Guayaquil and still arrive on schedule. I walk the walk of shame all the way back to our seat with everyone cheering and smiling my way, but I tell myself it’s because I have such a cute baby and nothing to do with the entertainment that her crazy mother just provided for a plane jam-packed full of spectators.

Moral of the Story?… Do not make fun of crazy people, one day they might be you. (And don’t call cat lovers ‘cat woman’, that’s not very nice.)

I love Acai. It’s a berry from the jungles of South America, which is usually picked where ever it grows wild, freeze-dried near by, blended and sent to us around the world in a powdered form. It doesn’t have much of a taste or sweetness but it packs a massive punch of antioxidants and Vitamin C and that’s good enough for me!

You can get Acai (as a frozen block of blended whole berry plus water) in freezers of select health stores nowadays, but the below recipes are for this Superfood in a powdered form.

I love working with superfood powders and this one is right at the top of my list. Let me know which recipe you like the best!

Hot Sesame Milk Acai Berry Latte

💗

1 tbsp tahini (raw or lightly toasted)

2 medjool dates, pitted

1 heaped tbsp Acai powder

1 cup hot water

💗

Pop all the ingredients in a blender and blend on high for 30 seconds. If your blender isn't very powerful, blend for longer to break down the dates fully. Transfer to a mug and enjoy.

No Dehydrator Choc Chip Acai Berry Cookies

💗

For the cookies:
1 cup dry cashews
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
2 tbsp acai powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp Himalayan salt

💗

For the chocolate chips:
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
¼ cup cacao powder
1½ tbsp agave or maple syrup
⅓ tsp Himalayan salt

💗

Process all the cookie ingredients except coconut oil, in a food processor until broken down. Add the oil and process again. Divide up the mixture into 5 equal portions, form them into balls and press flat greaseproof paper. Use your fingers or a spatula to smooth out the edges of each cookie.
-Prepare the chocolate chips by melting the coconut oil in a dehydrator or a double boiler, add the remaining chocolate ingredients, and stir until all the clumps are eliminated. Pour this over a clean teflex sheet or tin foil and transfer to the freezer to set for 10 minutes. Chop up the chocolate into desired sized chips. Press them into cookies and transfer the cookies to either the fridge or freezer to set. They can be stored in either and will keep for months.

Acai Tahini Salad Dressing

💗

For the salad:
2 heads sweet cos lettuce
100g fine asparagus
200g cherry tomatoes
2 figs
optional: avocado, coconut flakes

💗

For the dressing:
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup hot water
2 tbsp acai powder
1/2 tsp Himalayan salt
Pinch cayenne

💗

Blend all the salad dressing ingredients together. (I use a personal blender from @tribestuk which works great for smaller quantities.) Chop up the salad ingredients to your liking. Drizzle the dressing all over a white plate, assemble the salad veggies on top, drizzle a little more dressing and top with coconut flakes.

Raw Food Acai Bowl from The Uncook Book

💗

80g strawberries
50g blueberries
1 medjool date, pitted
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp Acai powder
1 ripe banana, chopped and frozen

💗

Transfer all ingredients except banana to a blender and blend to a paste. Add banana and, using a tamper, blend on a high speed setting. Transfer to a bowl and enjoy on its own or sprinkled with granola or anything else delicious and breakfasty.

Dairy Free Acai Cheesecake/ Ice cream Cake

💗

400g mixed berries, frozen
230g fresh strawberries, stalked
1 cup coconut oil, melted
3/4 cup soaked cashews
1/2 cup rice malt syrup
1/4 cup Acai powder
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tbsp vanilla powder (or 1 tbsp extract)
1/2 tsp Himalayan salt

💗

Line the entire base of a 7 inch cake tin with frozen berries. (If your tin isn’t a spring form, line it with cling film first). Transfer all the remaining ingredients into a high speed blender and blend till smooth. Pour all of the creamy mixture over frozen berries and transfer to a fridge to set for a minimum of 3 hours. Turn the whole cake over onto a serving plate, then remove the tin.

Acai Berry Smoothie

💗

Handful pineapple chunks, frozen
1/2 banana, frozen
1 cup coconut milk
2 tbsp Acai powder
1/2 tbsp coconut nectar/ maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract

💗

Put all the ingredients into a blender and blend till smooth. Pour into a glass and serve.

Acai Dairy Free Cheesecake Pops [makes 20]

💗

For the pops:
1/2 cup Acai powder
2.5 cups soaked cashews
1 cup coconut oil, melted
2/3 cup xylitol
1/4 cup apple juice
1 cup (100g) fresh raspberries

💗

For the choc coating:
1 cup coconut oil, melted
1.5 cups cacao powder
1/3 cup agave nectar
1/2 tsp Himalayan salt

💗

Blend all the cheesecake pop ingredients on high. Open blender and scrape down the sides of the jug, blend again until creamy. Transfer to the fridge and let it set for a minimum of 3 hours, ideally overnight. Using a small ice cream scoop, form half spheres and insert a lollipop stick or straw into the middle of each. Transfer to a freezer for a minimum of 3 hours. Mix all the chocolate ingredients with a hand whisk till there are no lumps. Take a Cheesecake pop and dip it into chocolate sauce, one at a time. Turn it upside down and twist it around till you see the chocolate set, then place on a clean cold plate.

I. Have. Something. Pretty BIG to tell you!

Tanya’s opened its doors to the public after a mini soft opening on 28th July 2014. It was the sunniest of all sunny days, we had more people through the doors than anticipated and managed to run out of ALL the food.

Yep, it’s true! Someone travelled for 3 hours to us on a train, only to discover that our kitchen wasn’t serving any more dishes and asked if we could scrape out any remains.

We’ve had days when we’d run out of raw carrot cake and one table would strike a deal with another to leave them a forkful. We’ve had days with queues of people stretching outside. Some were willing to eat standing! We’ve had 18-hour-work days. We’ve had juice-exploding-all-over-the-ceiling days, chocolate-melting-all-over-the-counter days, bring-your-baby-to-work days (and work-with-that-baby-strapped-to-you days) and even chef-wearing-six-inch-heels days. We’ve had days when Tanya’s was on a billboard at Knightsbridge station.

There were so many days of Tanya’s. 818 to be exact.

I wouldn’t even change one of them! After all, it is my calling to spread the message of living foods and all I’ve ever done, which truly mattered, has been because YOU asked for it.

-You asked for 1-2-1 coaching so I personalised my workshops.
-When all of your friends wanted a detox plan of their own, PDF docs were created.
-This, in turn, birthed my first eBook ‘Purified’.
-You said you lived too far away for my classes, ‘Raw Food 101’ DVD was the answer.
-Retreats were developed for those keen to live and breathe this lifestyle for a week.
-More recipes and hot tips called for ‘The Uncook Book’ to be written.
-You wanted to enjoy those recipes with a day off from the kitchen, Tanya’s cafe in Chelsea was created.

Today, after 818 days of being in operation, after a pop-up at a fitness centre and a pop-up at Selfridges, after countless events, bespoke raw cake orders, Opentable bookings, deliveries and take aways, and after the ‘Made in Chelsea’ plus ‘The Apprentice’ appearance, we know exactly what You’re after next…

You want Tanya’s cakes, juices and adventure bowls, but you want them EVEN faster and in MORE locations.

And so it shall be!

We are transforming from Tanya’s restaurant as you know it into a Tanya’s Grab’n’Go Retail shop as you want it to be.

-This will also enable us to be open more hours in the day and operate 7 days per week.
-Our expanded production capacity will mean we can finally start saying YES to other cafes and shops wanting to stock our products.
-And we’ll be joining forces with MY Kitchen, which means that if your non-vegan friends wanted to join you for lunch… all aboard!
-TanyasCafe.com plus BetterRaw.com will merge into one delicious online wellness hub.
-Aaaand our ‘Deliveroo’ home delivery menu will have more of your favourites!
-Aaaand you can expect to see me running uncookery workshops again!

In order for all of this to work, the entire ground zone of MY Chelsea hotel will need to be remodelled. This means our last day of operation will be Sunday 6th November to reopen again in Spring 2017!

There is soooo much more I want to tell you, so I’ll be keeping you in the loop via social media, even during construction.

Now, with only TWO weeks till 6th November, we’ll be running daily in-store promotions (think take-home Superfoods, free raw treats, 2 for 1 cocktails, etc), so keep an eye on Instagram (@tanyaschelsea) for all the detail.

When Sunday 6th itself rolls around, you can pop in for brunch as per usual or you can pop in for our SALE!…

I’m doing a big clear out, so everything from ingredients to equipment to supper club dishes to office stationary, will be on sale.

See you there!
xTanya

As you might know, we offer our Alkaline Cleanse packages only three months per year. Since we put a limit to how many we're able to offer, they usually sell out pretty quickly.

We send these detoxes all across the UK, which is amazing as we are now able to produce more than just enough to service London.

But, I still receive messages from many of you not residing in the UK as well as requests for tips from those that can't afford my Alkaline Cleanse, so I decided to take a day to document what the detox involves, what ingredients we put into it and how I recommend everything to be taken, so you can do your own cleanse at home :)

Here we go...

Today, I'm doing my own #AlkalineDetox #TanyasCleanse. FUN!

'Fun', because not only have I done it before but I designed it my way. I've tried many juice cleanses and noticed that long term they weren't right for me. I needed some solids to make it through; and because I felt so lethargic and starved, I noticed the pH of my body going from slightly acidic to very acidic! I played around with food combinations, added probiotics, fibre, more chlorophyll, calcium and other nutrients and minerals to the mix, spaced out all the 'snacks' strategically and BAM!... Alkaline result!

My alkaline cleanse comes complete with your own set of pH Strips so you can also monitor your own #AcidAlkaline levels through the day (or buy your own litmus paper from a Pharmacy). 💚

[7:30AM] SPICY CHIA

Here is my first 'meal' of the day on #TanyasCleanse #AlkalineDetox. I say 'meal' because it is complete nutritionally. The chia provides protein and cleansing fibre, the lime is the most alkalising food of all and the cayenne is there to fire up your digestion.

If chewing it, you'll receive extra benefits- this meal will be able to mix with your saliva, which is the first step of digestion within your system.

[9:00AM] ALKALISER JUICE & PROBIOTICS

This is our signature organic cold-pressed juice at Tanya's. It's made of kale, spinach, cucumber, lemon & green apple. Greens contain high levels of alkaline minerals, including magnesium & calcium, but they won't digest well if the juice is gulped down. Sip slowly & focus on it making you shine from within.

Either empty the OptiBac probiotic sachet into the juice or dilute in water to have as a shot, but try to have the probiotics at the same time as sipping on the juice. Optibac offer an amazing line of live cultures for every one of your needs & this one in particular is 'for a flat stomach', because it helps against bloating during the cleanse. I recommend taking probiotics every single day for healthy intestinal flora. 💚

[10:00AM] DETOX DUST SEEDS

Enjoyed crunching on these super delicious activated sunflower, sesame and pumpkin seeds. They have been soaked to make them easier on the digestion, then sprouted to boost the nutrient value and their pH, then coated in spices which promote detoxification (cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, rosemary, turmeric, cumin, cayenne, pink salt) while strengthening the immune system. Finally they’ve been dehydrated below 47degrees C to keep them raw and full of enzymes.

Please chew lots and do not mix these seeds with any liquid. If you are thirsty, let them digest first, then drink after 30 minutes. 💚

[12:00 PM] DOCTOR JUICE

This organic cold-pressed juice contains beetroot, carrots, celery, green apple, lemon and ginger. The root vegetables are helping to keep me grounded and balanced, while lowering the discomfort of toxin release from my body during my #AlkalineDetox #TanyasCleanse today. The antioxidants and electrolytes within the juice will provide you with energy and mental focus, while looking after your immune system too!

[2:00 PM] KALE WHEATGRASS CRACKERS

These crackers are packed with fibre to scrub your insides clean. They contain sprouted oats (all gluten free), hulled flaxseeds, chia seeds, kale, sunflower seeds, ginger, cracked pepper, pink salt and lots of wheatgrass powder.

Please do not flush them down with any liquids, chew them slowly on their own. Your body is designed to provide you with enough fluids for ideal digestion and it is possible to restore this memory within it in as little as three meals. Solids are not to be eaten with liquids and you will get great health benefits following this alkalising principle. 💚

[4:00 PM] VISION JUICE

This organic cold-pressed juice is the healthiest afternoon treat. It contains organic carrot, orange, mango and fresh turmeric root. The anti-inflammatory properties within the juice will help settle any bloating or joint issues, while the sweetness from the fruit will take care of unhealthy cravings in a healthy way.

Although citrus fruits are often mistaken for being acid, they actually leave an alkaline ash in your body after they are burned into energy. That’s true only and specifically for cold-pressed, non-processed and non-pasteurized juices, like the organic hand-squeezed juice I had at 4pm during #AlkalineDetox #TanyasCleanse.

Try sipping yours with closed eyes and visualise how your cells are waking up and guiding the acids to leave your system. 💚

[6:00 PM] ALKALINE SOUP 💚

This soup contains whole blended vegetables for you to get all the fibre. It, like the entire #TanyasCleanse, is also free from nuts and mushrooms, which can be acidifying for the body.

I prefer a warm soup, but would like to keep it raw, so I simply transfer mine into a bowl and add boiling water, then stir. As you are not microwaving it or keeping it over a burning stove, this won’t ‘cook’ the soup or kill any enzymes.

Ingredients: cucumber, spinach, celery, lemon, mint, peas, avocado, basil, mixed herbs, cumin, pepper, pink salt.

[7:00PM] VEGGIE STICKS & TURMERIC TAHINI DIP

Crunching on raw vegetables has been found to release serotonin and aid digestion. That’s an ideal combination for boosting your body’s pH also. Sesame seeds provide the highest form of calcium, which together with the lemon are the most alkaline way to end your day. The turmeric is high in anti-inflammatory properties, perfect for calming any uncomfortable toxin release.

Remember to chew plenty and enjoy every bite consciously. Ingredients: carrots, celery, raw tahini, lemon, cayenne, pepper, pink salt.

(I decided on a change of scenery and came out into the My Chelsea reception to have my dinner and just look at what I discovered in their guest book above!)

[ALL DAY] GREEN COMPLEX POWDER

This 1 litre bottle includes 10g of Neal's Yard Remedies Green Complex Powder. Inside is a mix of spirulina, spinach, parsley, chlorella, seagreens ascophyllum nodosum, barley grass, wheat grass, green tea extract, acerola cherry extract (on manioc maltodextrin), oat grass.

I simply add filtered water, shake shake shake and sip on it through the day while on the #TanyasCleanse. I also recommend that when you take a sip, imagine it flowing to your cells and purifying them, while you say ‘I love and respect every cell of my body. Being healthy is my divine right’.

So there you have it!

As you can see just a 1 Day Package includes more nutrients and minerals than many of us get in a whole week, but if you are after a nice internal scrub, glowing skin, weight-loss, mega energy boost, flatter stomach and serious improvement in your digestion, I'd really go for a minimum of 3 days, better yet- two lots of 3, so you get 6 consecutive days in total.

1 Day - to give your digestion a break and boost pH levels - £69

2 Days - for a system reboot and an all organ spring clean - £135

3 Days - acid toxin release and a clean, slim, alkaline start - £199  

Happy detoxing!