Delicious dates

I was at a networking meeting yesterday doing a presentation about my business to a group of ladies and as I'm sure you realise by now I love my food so thought I'd make them a little healthy treat to have with coffee after lunch.Although I could have found a recipe I just thought I'd freestyle again so popped into the shops to get some dried fruit and nuts and see what I could whip with some of the staples I always have in the cupboard.Given that one lady was gluten and dairy intolerant I wanted to make them as "clean" as I could.Good news is that they went down very well with the business ladies and even the guys that I train who are in a band liked them so different type of people gave them the thumbs up :)Why not get your children making them with you as they are a great natural alternative to all the sugar laden snacks that the supermarkets have available for children.Dates are a great way to add natural sweetness to recipes but if you have any blood sugar issues or are trying to lose large amounts of body fat then go easy on them and make them an occasional treat. They are great source of iron and potassium and important dietary fibre.DATE & NUT BALLSThese healthy sweet treats are gluten free, dairy free as well as only containing natural sugars, good amounts of fibre, protein and healthy fats.250g dried apricots250g dates250g walnuts (could use any nuts)2-3 tablespoons of organic virgin coconut oil2-3 teaspoons of cinnamon2 tablespoons chia seedsSplash of coconut water (could use water)Few tablespoons of peanut powder*Lot of sesame seeds to roll balls in at endPut everything except sesame seed into a blender and mix well. Make into small balls in your hands then roll in lots of sesame seeds.These made about 40 treats and they are best stored in the freezer or fridge. Also I think that maybe adding some more nuts, a few spoons of almond or peanut butter or even some raw cacao powder might taste nice and make it slightly less sweet. Why not experiment as that’s exactly how I came up with these :)* This gives you taste and protein without the fat so great for cooking. I found it in Tesco but you can buy online as you can any of the ingredients you cant find in health food shops. I often add it to smoothies for a lovely taste.Enjoy!Zitaps If you would like 90 recipes that are gluten free, packed with good nutrition and easy to prepare then have a look at my recipe book HERE