Luke Hines shares his tips on creating a healthy kitchen environment and his delightful salted caramel slice recipe.
"The first thing is to be organised, because I don’t think anyone can ever be truly happy or inspired with food if they’re always looking for a quick alternative, or for foods of convenience, he says.
"So it’s about having preparation, and finding joy in being prepared and making some smarter choices. So, number one, plan your week ahead and understand what ingredients you might need. And, secondly, make time to find some joy in the kitchen."
"We make time to sit on the couch and watch The Bachelor, or spend time on our phones, Instagram, Pokemon Go, whatever it is, but I don’t think enough of us find time to get back in the kitchen and connect with our food."
"What I like to do is get in there and create something from scratch, or follow a recipe from one of my favourite books."
"The past few years have seen the combination of salt and caramel rocket off into the trendy stratosphere, partly thanks to the rise in food sharing on social media. So very hot right now, it’s a must-have in your cooking repertoire."
Don’t worry about washing the food processor between goes for this one. All the flavours are designed to be eaten together, and it won’t affect the overall look."
Best-ever salted caramel slice recipe
Base
50 g (½ cup) pecans
50 g (½ cup) almond meal
4 medjool dates, pitted and soaked
3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 tbsp honey
Caramel filling
180 g medjool dates, pitted and soaked
65 g macadamia or cashew butter
125 ml (½ cup) vanilla almond milk
125 ml (½ cup) coconut oil, melted
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch of sea salt
Topping
125 ml (½ cup) coconut oil, melted
60 g (½ cup) cacao powder
2 tbsp honey
Pinch of sea salt
Method
Line a 30 cm x 20 cm high-edged baking tray with baking paper.
For the base, pulse all the ingredients in a food processor to a crumb-like consistency. Spread evenly over the prepared tray and transfer to the freezer to firm up.
For the caramel filling, put all the ingredients in the food processor and blitz everything together for 4 minutes, or until really smooth. Remove the tray from the freezer, pour over the date mixture and return to the freezer to firm up again.
For the topping, place all the ingredients in the food processor and blend for 1 to 2 minutes, or until smooth and chocolatey.
Remove the baking tray from the freezer again, pour over the chocolate mixture and spread evenly using the back of a spoon or a spatula. Return the tray to the freezer until completely set, about 30 minutes. To serve, remove from the freezer and cut into squares with a warm knife.
Check out Luke Hines' Instagram
@lukehinesonline for more drool-worthy, healthy eats.
Looking for more healthy desserts? Try this chocolate fudge recipe for a treat. 
