1. Soak 1 cup of cashews in boiling water, set aside until needed.

2. In a small bowl, combine 1 packet active dry yeast with 3 tbsp coconut sugar and 1 cup of warm water. Set aside for 10 minutes. It should become foamy.

3. In a large bowl, combine 2 & ½ cups all purpose flour, 1 tbsp melted butter and the foamy yeast mixture.
Mix together until it forms a ball. Remove from the bowl, dust a clean surface with flour and knead the dough for 13-15 minutes.

4. Lightly oil the sides of a large bowl with olive oil or butter and place the ball of dough in it. Cover with a tea towel and rest for 1 hour. It should rise to approximately double the size.

5. In a blender or food processor add 1 cup of the soaked cashews (make sure water is drained) with ¼ cup nutritional yeast, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 140g/5oz artichokes, 30g/1oz spinach and a sprinkle of salt and pepper, to taste. Blend until ingredients are well combined.

6. After an hour, remove your ball of dough and separate into 8 equal sized balls. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius/360 degrees fahrenheit.

7. Take one piece and roll it out flat into a long rectangle (approximately 17”/40cm long). Spread out 2 heaped tablespoons of the spinach mixture lengthways into the middle of the rectangle of dough. Roll it up into a long rope, sealing the dough at the seams to keep the mixture in tightly. Repeat with the remaining dough.

8. Gently move your dough rope into a circular shape, then twist the tops around each other twice, then flip it over, joining the bottom of the circle. *Watch the video to see how this works! Repeat with the remaining dough pretzels.

9. Heat 4 cups of water up in a saucepan and add ⅔ cup of baking soda. Using a slotted spoon or spatula, carefully drop the pretzels into the saucepan (one or two at a time depending on how much room you have) for 30 seconds. Spoon the water over the top of the pretzels during this time to completely cover them. Remove from the water (making sure to drain them of excess water) and place on a baking tray. Repeat with each pretzel.

10. Cover the pretzels evenly with 1 tbsp melted butter, 1 tbsp sesame seeds and a generous amount of salt! Bake in the oven for 17 minutes, until golden brown.

11. Remove and allow to cool before eating.

Tips
Try to keep your dough in a warm spot when resting!
No matter how gentle you are when creating the pretzels you may get little holes or imperfections, and that’s okay!

Ve – Vegan
DF – Dairy Free

Nutritional Information – per pretzel:
Calories: 370 kcal/ 1559kJ
Protein: 9g
Carbohydrates: 38.5g
Fat: 19.5g

Iron + Folate

Our pretzel recipe is a tasty savoury delight that includes a hit of iron and folate, two important minerals for our bodies. The spinach boosts your iron stores which begins to create haemoglobin, a molecule responsible for moving oxygen throughout your body. Without this, the body can have difficulty transporting oxygen to your brain, muscles and every cell in your body, leaving you feeling tired, drained or unmotivated. Iron also plays an important role in your immune system, as the oxygen also moves to damaged cells, tissues and organs to help fight off disease and infections. To keep your body in fighting fit shape it is imperative to keep iron levels balanced!
Folate, found in the artichoke, plays an important role in making and repairing DNA, as well as producing red blood cells. This makes it an essential mineral for pregnant women, who often need to supplement folic acid to ensure there is plenty available to create their little human! Research shows that a lack of folate in the diet can lead to fatigue, weakness and possible disease. Who knew pretzels could be so beneficial to our health?!