Day 2 Whole30 challenge

I found today more challenging. Sabbath is about getting together with good friends and eating good food after church, and we usually eat lots of carbs since vegetarian food is usually the option for after-church lunch. I also love baking cookies on a rainy afternoon, and that wasn't an option this week. We were planning a picnic lunch (until the rain came), so I put my lunch plan of baked sweet potato into action as I was doing an hour yoga session in front of my TV before church. It pays to be organised!!!

Day 2

Breakfast

Carrot, berry and coconut mix bowl thing (I need to come up with a catchier name!)

Inspired by The Paleo Way TV show with Chef Pete Evans, this version is really yummy

Ingredients

1 tablespoon chia seeds
3-4 strawberries, quartered
small handful blueberries
half a carrot, grated
nut and seed mix - mix equal portions almonds, flaxseed, pepitas, sunflower seed and coconut flakes and roast until golden brown (5-10 mins max...but you can smell the moment it is done...so yummy)
1-2 tablespoons whipped coconut cream (I put the tin in the fridge the night before so it is nice and cold to whip in the morning)
The original recipe calls for the addition of grated apple, and cacao nibs on top. I don't usually bother with either but you certainly can :-)

Add all ingredients together in a bowl and enjoy.

  
Lunch

Twice baked sweet potato with spicy mayonnaise

Ingredients
1 small sweet potato, washed
half a tomato, diced
1 button mushroom, diced 
1 olive, diced
spinach, finely chopped
2-3 thyme sprigs, de-stalked
salt and pepper to taste

How to
Bake the sweet potato until skin is cripsy and centre is soft. Mine took 1 hour at 180 degrees C, but will depend on your oven and the size of your potato.

Once baked, cut down the middle and scoop out all the lovely soft flesh. Mash the flesh with the tomato, mushroom, olive, spinach and herbs of your choice and S+P to taste. Push it all back into the hollowed out potato and bake for another 15-20 mins (again, depends on how much stuffing you have.

Serve with mayonnaise (but it is lovely just by itself)

Ingredients
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon mustard (organic seeded would be good)
1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin, coriander seed, paprika, cayenne pepper, plus a small amount of S+P to taste)
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup oil (I used light olive oil coz that's what I had)
1 extra cup oil

How to
Add mustard, spices, lemon juice and oil to the egg yolks and mix well to combine.  Whisk slowly (or put in a food processor on its lowest continuous setting) and slowly drizzle in the oil while whisking (or processing) so that it thickens and emulsifies. Refrigerate after making (it contains raw egg essentially).

 

Dinner

Chicken salad from Limon

I went to dinner with my wonderful friends prior to doing a craft night to make wedding invitations. We went to Limon, a turkish restaurant, which, btw, has an amazing menu of reasonably priced food and very generous portion sizes. I was a little worried as a perused the menu as everything seemed to be legume/carb loaded. I found the page with salads however (towards the back of the menu) and ordered the chicken salad, and, may I say, that was a GREAT choice! It was SO good! The only thing I would do next time is get the dressing on the side. I'm not a huge dressing fan and having lots of mayonnaise over the salad is a bit much for me. The size of the plate was massive, to the point I have half the salad sitting in my fridge as left overs to be eaten at lunch today.

The salad was spiced grilled chicken, lettuce, cucumber, tomato, olives, (I swapped red onion for olives) and roasted cashews. The dressing was a mustard mayonnaise. Wow. I'll be making something like this at home many times I think. 

Excuse the weird green/yellow hue to the photo. The lighting was terrible and cast this eerie colour over the food, us and my poor picture!

 

January Challenge Whole30

I love a good challenge; and this is a good challenge. I've been reading a lot lately on the evils of sugar and the benefits of good fats for the body and mind, and just happened to stumble across the Whole30 challenge on NYE2014. I thought I'd give it a go and see how it felt to eat a strict paleo diet for a month. I'm doing the full Whole30 challenge - grain free, dairy free, legume free, sugar/carbs free - which is a challenge for this baking-loving, goats-cheese afficionado sugar addict! I've gone cold turkey (which ironically would be a great protein for the Whole30 challenge!)...and here I will document my journey.

Day 1 - Jan 2, 2015 (I wasn't organised enough to start on Jan 1, but figure that Jan has 31 days so will fit in quite nicely!)

Breakfast 

2 egg omelet with tomato & avocado salsa

Ingredients
2 eggs, gently beaten
half a tomato, diced
half an avocado, diced
a small handful of coriander, roughly chopped
1 cm thick capsicum ring, diced
salt and pepper
a slug of olive oil

How to
Combine avocado, capsicum, tomato and coriander in a bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside while you cook the eggs.

(rightly or wrongly, I use EVOO for just about everything. I know it can burn at low temps and is much better as a salad dressing than in cooking but I still love it)
Heat EVOO in a frying pan until nice and hot. Add the scrambled eggs (I do add salt and pepper to my eggs before I scramble them) to the hot oil and don't stir. Leave to cook on one side before flipping and briefly cooking on the other side.

Place on a plate, add the salsa to one half of the egg omelet and then fold the omelet over the salsa.

Photograph and then enjoy :-)

Lunch 

Chicken salad

Ingredients
A handful of baby spinach leaves
4-5 cherry tomatoes (I used heirloom) halved
1cm ring capsicum, diced
2 tablespoons walnuts, crumbled
a small handful of coriander, roughly torn
a small handful of chicken (I had some left over chicken from making chicken stock earlier in the week, but you could grill a chicken breast or even use a pre-roasted chook, or roast one yourself).
Olive oil
salt and pepper

How to
Combine spinach, tomatoes, capsicum,  and coriander in a bowl or arrange on a plate. Top with chicken, walnuts, S+P to taste and drizzle with a bit of EVOO.

Voila! Easy as... 

Dinner

Vegetable soup with beef sausage

Now, I"m not entirely sure that beef sausage fits in the non-processed foods, however I did use organic, grass fed, gluten free beef sausages, and I could pronounce all the ingredients present within the list :-) I also have a pretty big vocabulary ;-)

Ingredients
Chicken stock (coz that is what I had on hand...but would be extra amazing with home made beef stock)
2cm carrot, diced
1/2 stick celery, diced
2cm ring capsicum, diced
2cm zucchini, diced
small handful coriander, roughly chopped
2 sprigs thyme leaves (remove the leaves from the woody sprig)
1 beef sausage, baked (see above)
salt and pepper

Now, my stock has ginger, turmeric, sage, thyme, basil, parsley and a bay leaf in it already, but you could add any of these as well to the soup. Also, if you like, you could add any vegetables you have in your fridge.

How to
Place stock in a saucepan and add all diced vegetables. Heat until vegetables are cooked to your liking. I quite like them raw-ish, so I usually get it up to the boil and then I"m done, but cook it for as long as you want.

Stack the sausage (or chicken or whatever protein you are using) in the serving bowl, and then gently ladle the soup/vegetables over the meat. My sausage was hot when I did this (straight out of the oven), but heat whatever meat you are eating prior to adding the liquid. I originally made this with the chicken meat left over from making the chicken stock, and it was amazing.

Season to taste and then enjoy. I found adding the meat meant I didn't need bread and I was full and satisfied with just the meat/vegetables.

So that was my first day. I have found I have to be really organised but so far so good. My fridge is stocked with a ton of healthy looking vegetables and I've got some recipe ideas in the back of my mind to try as the challenge progresses.

Want to know more about the Whole30 challenge? Click here for more information.


xxx

Apple, Walnut and Sultana loaf

This may just be my favourite 'go to' recipe. So simple, so quick, so tasty, and so amenable to being changed!

I love this recipe.
You can even convince yourself that it is healthy. It is, after all, predominantly fruit :-)

I found this when I was in NZ, in one of their fabulous cooking mags. They had a section called 'you asked for it', and in it, they published a recipe that a reader had requested, from a cafe or restaurant. This comes from Shadehouse Cafe in Rotorua. I never got to go to taste the real thing, so I have no idea how close this recipe is to the original, but it doesn't bother me, coz I love this one!

Best enjoyed with a cup of tea.
Bon appetit!

Shadehouse Cafe's Apple, Walnut and Sultana Loaf

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups peeled, cored and diced apple (I used 1 apple and 1 pear in this one)
1 cup brown sugar
100g butter, melted (I used dairy free spread)
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 1/2 cups flour (I used 1 cup wholemeal and 1/2 cup white, coz I ran out of wholemeal, but you can definitely use all wholemeal. I suspect it would be too crumbly if you use gluten free, but I wonder what half gluten free, half almond meal would be like...hmmm, something to try for next time!)
1/4 teaspoon salt (I actually forgot this)
1/2 teaspoon each of baking powder and ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon each cinnamon and baking soda
1/2 cup of sultanas and 1/2 cup walnuts
icing sugar for dusting

And this is where the fun starts. That is the original recipe. I change it up depending on my mood.
Now, I"m a more is more kinda girl. I usually add more nutmeg, and cinnamon and add a good heaped (um....tablespoon) ground ginger. I also add chopped Buderum ginger pieces if I add ginger to the spice mix. I usually add sultanas and walnuts, but have subbed dates before. I almost always add vanilla as well.

Instructions
Preheat oven to 180deg C. Lightly grease a loaf pan (this makes you feel even more virtuous. Its almost a healthy bread if it is in this shape!)
Combine apple, brown sugar, egg and melted butter and mix well.
Add dry ingredients and sultanas/walnuts etc and mix well. It will be really quite chunky. It is best to sift, especially if you're baking soda is a little lumpy. Believe me, biting into a lump of baking soda really ruins the whole experience.
Bake for 40-50 mins or until a skewer comes out clean. My oven is about 40 mins.
Cool, then turn onto a cake rack. Dust with icing sugar ( I must admit, I don't think I've ever done this!)

It is so yummy warm or cold.
It apparently stores for a few days in an airtight container. I have never challenged it :-)

Roast vegetable stack with chickpea salsa

I love quick, simple and healthy food. With all the fad diets out there, I think the basics of health are being forgotten. It is fairly simple:
- get sufficient rest
- drink plenty of water
- exercise intentionally
- eat fresh food with minimal processed food
- portion control
- keep a positive attitude
- all things in moderation - don't deprive yourself...we all know those binge moments!

That is a topic for another blog on another day - I will get off my soap box momentarily.
This was lunch today. I've made it previously, a slight variation on the theme, but I love that it was just as tasty with alternate ingredients. You can just use what you have available, and it is super simple to make, and super tasty to eat!

Roast vegetable stack with chickpea salsa

Ingredients

Eggplant - cut into 5-10mm slices
Pumpkin - cut into 5-10mm slices
Large flat mushroom (or equivalent)
Chickpeas - I used tinned but you could use soaked
Tomatoes - cut into small cubed
Corn - either tinned or corn on the cob (cooked) (the astute observer may note I don't have corn in this version - it is good with or without... I just forgot it this time)
Beetroot -  cubed
Avocado - cubed
Rocket or baby spinach leaves
herbs to taste - I had parsley but you could use any fresh light herb
Oil - I used Ricebran oil but you can use a good quality extravirgin olive oil too
Salt and pepper to taste
Goats cheese, or feta, if you are not vegan
Lirah apple balsamic (or your favorite balsamic vinegar)

Place vegetable slices in a baking tray and drizzle with oil and salt and pepper to taste. Roast until soft.
Mix chickpeas, tomatoes, corn, beetroot, avocado and green leaves together to make a salsa.

Stack alternate layers of roast vegetables and salsa together.
Add cheese at this point if you are going to (the goats cheese is amazing with this combination!)
Drizzle with a little balsamic vinegar.
Bon appetit!

Healthy, quick and super tasty. 
Enjoy!

xxx

P.S. You can get the caramelised apple balsamic here. You won't be sorry. I'm not a huge balsamic fan, but I LOVE this product. I also have the ginger balsamic...looking forward to trying it on a dessert sometime soon....

Hummingbird cake

Yummy yum yum yum.
I've just finished scoffing this piece :-) I couldn't help it!

It is also gluten free and dairy free, and it is made of so much fruit it has to be healthy, right???
Next time you're looking for a classy tea-time treat and want to venture off the chocolate pathway (shock!) give this a try. You won't be sorry***


***unless you do not like or are allergic to bananas, pineapple or walnuts, then, you may be :-)

Gluten free, dairy free Hummingbird cake

Ingredients

250g gluten free flour (SRF or plain)
(2 teaspoons GF baking powder if using plain flour like I did)
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander (yes, I know, I was surprised too)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
270g brown sugar
440g crushed pineapple, drained
50g dessicated coconut
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
2 eggs
250ml (1 cup) oil (I used rice bran oil)

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Grease and line a round cake tin.
Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the pineapple, bananas, walnuts, eggs and oil and combine.
Pour into pre-greased tin and bake until golden brown and skewer comes out clean (original recipe recommends 40 minutes; mine oven took 60 minutes).
Cool and then enjoy how you wish - I like mine as is with a mug of Japanese cherry green tea. You can ice it with cream cheese icing if you would prefer it dairy-fied.

(1 tub philadelphia cream cheese, icing sugar (GF), lemon juice - I did not measure any quantities, just mix in little bits of each until it tastes as you like it. I prefer mine less sweet so I don't add tons of icing sugar (maybe 1/2 cup??) and two (minimally enthusiastic) squeezes of a lemon half. But go mad...experiment!)

Enjoy!

xxx

Restorative chicken soup

Today has found me a little under the weather, and nothing says 'healing' like chicken noodle soup. This version is not my best, I started making it before I realised I didn't have all the ingredients, but the base soup is to die for, and even though this version is less than 'gold medal' it is a pretty good shower for the finals, and like the olympic finals, sometimes there is only a few micro-seconds between the first and last placegetters.

This isn't your traditional chicken soup recipe - I've borrowed this from my A Cook's Guide by Donna Hay. This one is asian inspired, and there is nothing like a bit of chilli to warm the cockles of your heart and clear our your sinuses. Next time you are in the mood for a really good, quick and healthy soup, or you catch the dredded lergy, give this soup a go. You won't be disappointed.

Ginger Chicken soup with Asian Greens (the ORIGINAL Donna Hay recipe)

Ingredients

6 cups chicken stock + 2 cups water
shredded chicken pieces
50g ginger
2 green onions
4 small red chillies
1/4 cup (60ml) soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons chinese rice wine
2 bunches baby bok choy
coriander to serve

Now, I must admit, I rarely completely stick to the ingredients or the instructions.
I grate my ginger and add a stalk or two of grated lemon grass. I generally have 2 large red chillies (deseeded) because that is generally enough of a chilli experience for me, but knock yourself out if you like your soups to, dare I say it, knock you out.

I also have added in fish sauce (1/8 cup) and often omit the sesame oil. I don't add the rice wine.
I also love mushrooms in mine. This one had normal button coz that is what I had, but my favorite are the black fungi mushrooms which I probably butchered by just dumping them whole into the soup. You know what though? I like it that way - slimy yet satisfying!!!

Since I am a carb fiend I generally will also add some rice noodles at the very end. But not always. I hope you are beginning to realise the inherent flexibilitity in this soup.

Directions

I add the grated ginger, sliced green onions, chillies (sliced and deseeded), lemon grass to the pot first, then add the stock, soy and fish sauces (and the others if I were to use them) and water, and then bring this all to the boil. I then add the shredded chicken and mushrooms and then at the end, the greens (not always bok choy) and the noodles (if I am using them). Serve straight out of the pot for an instant crowd pleaser. 

Warming, tasty and definitely restorative.
Enjoy
xxx

Orange Manuka Honey cookies

My gourmet "go to" cookie recipe is one from Jo Seagar. We are having a birthday afternoon tea picnic tomorrow (it is fun when the birthday celebrations extend over a couple of months!) so I made them today to take along.

They are super easy, and only have a few ingredients. They are naturally gluten free and dairy free, although you definitely wouldn't know it. They are chewy, gooey and yet crispy in all the right places. I'm not one for delayed gratification but if you have the will power, they will last well too. Apparently they freeze and defrost well, although I must admit I've not tried.

Orange Manuka Honey Biscuits 


Ingredients

2 cups ground nuts (my favourite is almond, the recipe calls for pecan but I find it too heavy and dare I say, too nutty)
1 cup castor sugar
grated rind of 1 orange
2 egg whites, beaten to soft peaks
1 tablespoon manuka honey, warmed (I must admit I just use regular honey....they would probably be even more divine with Manuka if you have ready access)
icing sugar to dust (approx 1/2 cup - if you are cooking for gluten free ppl then make sure your icing sugar is also gluten free!)

Preheat oven to 160 degrees C and line baking trays with baking paper
Mix the ground almonds, sugar and orange rind together then add the egg whites and honey.
Roll small balls of the mixture in the icing sugar and then place on the baking tray.
Press them flat and bake until done. The recipe calls for 15-18 minutes, I usually cook them for about 12.
Cool on a wire rack.

(I don't have a fan forced oven so I try keep them away from the element as much as possible as the sugar under the cookie can burn if you're not careful - and believe me, that is a waste of a very good cookie!)

Bon appetit!

xxx

Experimentation

This post is a little chicken before the egg, figuratively speaking. Yesterday I went to the Hampton high country food and wine festival for the first time. And had an absolute ball taking pics, sampling some absolutely scrummy food, and getting reinspired to cook more healthy, fresh ingredients. I purchased some new inspiration - verjus and some beautiful relishes - and I had to try them out tonight. So, watch this space for the festival fun, but for now, my verjus greens with a poached egg and rhubarb and chilli relish. I think I need to experiment more with quantities, but for a first go I was suitably impressed!

Not Dominique Rizzo's, but tasty none the less :-)

It may not be verjus or a new relish, but I challenge you to step out of your food comfort zone. Instead of that packet stirfry mix or the bottle of pasta sauce, try some fresh, organic ingredients. Mix it up a bit, try something new. You never know...you might just find it blows your mind and taste buds.

xxx

Ginger and fig pudding

I'm always on the lookout for quick, simple but yet stunning recipes to add to my collection of tried and true. I'm also trying to step outside my comfort zone and cook things I haven't cooked before. This little gem is a "Sammy and Bella" recipe, sourced from the same New Idea as the capsicum dip. Gooey, moist and surprising light. This is definitely worth making for your next dinner party.

Ginger and fig pudding

Ingredients


 Pudding
125g dried figs, chopped roughly (actually chop them, don't cut them in 6ths like I did...a little too chunky and rustic for polite company, although it doesn't change the taste!)
1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda
180ml water
65g dairy free spread, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
pinch of salt
1 egg
130g plain flour

Syrup
160ml golden syrup
1cm fresh ginger, finely grated

Place figs, soda and water in a saucepan and simmer until figs soften and break down a little.
Combine dairy-free spread, sugar and salt and beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until well combined.
Slowly fold in the flour and fig mixture alternating 1/3 the mixture at a time until all combined.
Place in greased muffin tins and bake at 180 degrees C for 30 minutes, or until golden and cooked through when tested with a skewer. Remove from tins and allow to cool slightly while making the syrup.

Gently heat golden syrup and ginger in a saucepan, then strain and pour half the syrup over the puddings. Let sit for 10 minutes and then serve with remaining syrup and cream/icecream.

(confession time - I didn't realise I didn't have golden syrup in the pantry. I used 1/2 cup brown sugar and the same of water as a substitute. Tastes pretty good too if you are as unorganised as I am :-) And I also couldn't be bothered straining it...coz I quite like ginger)

I got impatient to taste it :-) It is good, by the way :-)

Bon appetit!

Roast capsicum dip

I'm obviously attracted to the dip culture - I've blogged about my amazing roast cauliflower dip, and I have a love affair with hummus. This caught my attention as I was flicking through a previous New Idea mag (shh...don't tell anyone!!). Regardless of its origin, it is dreamily good. It is also vegan, healthy and super simple to make. A winning combo. Snack anyone???

Roast Capsicum dip

 

Ingredients
2-4 red capsicums (or red peppers if you prefer the american nomenclature)
1 tin chickpeas
2 tablespoons tahini
juice from one lemon
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
a pinch of chilli flakes
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons oil ( I used rice bran oil but you could just as easily use good quality extra virgin olive oil)
1 tablespoons water

Wash and deseed capsicums and quarter lengthways. Roast under a hot grill skin side up until skin is blackened and blistered. Place in a snaplock bag and let cool. Once capsicum is cool you can easily remove the skin and retain the soft flesh.

Add capsicum flesh to a food processor with remaining ingredients and process until smooth.
Serve with crusty bread, vegetable sticks (carrot, celery, cauliflower, brocoli, etc) or crackers.

Enjoy!

xxx

Pumpkin and leek tart

What does one do with a magnificent piece of pumpkin like this? Make pumpkin tart...thats what!

 Well, it is a pumpkin and leek tart actually, with fromage le chevre (goats cheese)...just a little bit schmancy. The original recipe is from the Delicious cookbook More Please but has been modified to cater for non-dairy consumers.

Pumpkin and leek tart

Ingredients
  
Savory short crust pastry
1 2/3 cups plain flour
180g dairy free spread
1-3 tablespoons iced water
1 egg yolk

Tart filling
700g pumpkin
1-2 leeks, white only, chopped finely
1/4 cup vegetable stock (or white wine)
4 garlic cloves
300ml soy milk (or pouring cream for the believers)
2 eggs and 1 egg yolk
1/4-1 cup cheese (I used goats cheese, you can use whatever you like, original recipe calls for gruyere, would likely be fabulous with that)
herbs - the original recipe calls for thyme and parsley, I only had mixed Italian herbs
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
Make the pastry by processing all ingredients until a dough is formed. Chill for 30 minutes before rolling out. Place in a tart dish and chill for another 15 minutes prior to baking for 10 minutes (with weights). Remove weights and bake for another 5 minutes or until golden and dry.

Meanwhile:
Cut the pumpkin into 1cm thick slices and place on a baking tray with the garlic cloves still in their paper and roast until soft (25-40 minutes depending on your oven and the pumpkin).
Finely slice leeks and roasted garlic and soften over a medium heat for 4-5 minutes. Add stock/wine and reduce until liquid is almost gone. Cool.
Place pumpkin and leek mix in the food processor along with the milk, eggs, cheese, herbs and salt/pepper. Process until smooth. Pour into tart shell and bake for 40 minutes until firm and golden.

Serve with salad or sauted mushrooms.
Above all, Bon appetit!

Plum tart

Not sure how to fancy the name up...it is what it is. I could francois it up I suppose...maybe...tarte aux prune, although I"m not sure I've translated that correctly. Whatever you wish to call it, it is yummy.

Plum tart

Ingredients

Sweet shortcut pastry
1 2/3 cup plain flour
2 tablespoons icing sugar
1 egg white
180g dairy free spread
vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped

Tart filling
5 plums
(water, vanilla, castor sugar for syrup)
1 tin coconut cream
1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped
2 eggs + 1 egg yolk
1/4 cup caster sugar
blueberries

Grease a part tan and preheat oven to 180 degrees C.

Make pastry - process all ingredients until a dough forms. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for 1 hour.
Roll out pastry and bake with pastry weights for 10 minutes. Remove weights and bake for a further 5-10 minutes until pale golden.

Meanwhile halve and deseed the plums. Blanch in syrup for 1 minute.
Make the custard - heat coconut cream and vanilla until almost boiling. Whip eggs and sugar together and then add the warm cream into the egg mixture.

Place plums, cut side down, into the tart case. Add blueberries and then gently pour in the custard.
Bake for 35-40 minutes until custard is set.

It is best eaten chilled. With vanilla icecream. Everything is great with icecream :-)

Bon appetit!

Haystacks

I'm not talking about the structures made of straw. Haystacks happen to be a gastronomic delight of all things yummy. Tantilisingly healthy (well at least I tell myself this when I have them), they are fabulous for a lazy Saturday evening dinner for one, an impromptu movie dinner for vegetarian (or omnivorous) friends, or an easy way to feed multitudes at a Sabbath lunch picnic. The versitility of the dish is refreshing. In what other dish can you literally pick whatever salad ingredients you have in the fridge, chop them up, and then put them with the fail-safe ingredient of corn chips (whatever flavour you fancy) and voila, a healthy, no fuss meal.

There are endless versions, all revolving around the central core structure - cornchips, beans, salad, toppers. Substitute what you wish - some people serve it with rice instead of chips, others do both. I prefer the sans rice variety myself, but each to their own.

The original version I had involved a dairy feast - guacamole, sour cream and cheese, and it is truly a delight to eat it like this. Since going dairy free however, I've improvised, and to tell you the truth, I don't miss the dairy in haystacks. More power to the haystack!!!! I add chopped avocado if I have it, and put hummus on top. Delish!

Haystacks

Ingredients

Cornchips - I chose salted, but you can have anything your heart desires

Beans - I vary this depending on what I have in the cupboard, mix it all together in a saucepan to have nice hot bean mix
- refried beans
- kidney beans
- baked beans
- butter beans
- taco flavoring, tomato paste, tinned tomatos etc
+/- salsa
+/- mince if you so felt like it...although I must say I've never had a meat version

Salad ingredients - chopped up into easy to eat pieces
- green salad - lettuce, spinach, I even had watercress and sprouts today, and rocket is great too
- cucumber
- tomato
- capcisum
- carrot, grated
- mushrooms
- avocado or guacamole
- whatever else you wish for - gerkins, olives, capers etc etc

Toppings
- grated cheese (goes on top of the hot bean mix)
- sour cream
- hummus (my preferred topping)

Stack it yourself...that way you can create the haystack you desire. I prefer to start with the chips and layer on top of them, others like to have them in little piles over the plate. That is the joy of haystacks, you can really do whatever you want with them, they still taste mighty fine.

Chips + beans + cheese (if you are a believer) + salad (I tend to do the leafy greens first and then stack all the other chopped salad ingredients on top of that) + hummus (or topping of your choice)

Oh, and a word to the wise...these seem to take on a life of their own. Only add a small amount of each salad ingredient or you will end up with a mountain of food on your plate!!

Bon appetit!

Roast cauliflour dip

Hummus by any other name...is roast cauliflour dip!

This recipe spoke to me. It practically yelled at me as I flipped through my sister's christmas present (thanks for sharing Rhi!). A Janelle Bloom recipe, this is so simple and tastes divine. It takes slightly longer than hummus to make, only because you've got to roast the cauliflour first. I changed her recipe a little to cater to more non-adventurous palates (NOT mine!), and I've made the abridged version twice now; a resounding success at both events.

Roast Cauliflour dip

Recipe originally from Janelle Bloom; has been adapted so would not look much like her original one now.

 

Ingredients

400g cauliflour
4-10 cloves of garlic (I'm a more is more kinda girl)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
salt and pepper to taste
1 tin chickpeas (drained)
2 tablespoons tahini
juice of one lemon
a dash of chilli flakes
olive oil (the recipe calls for 60ml, I'm sure I've used much more than that...really enough that it emulsifies to the correct consistency)
Crusty bread to serve
2 tablespoons pine nuts, lightly toasted

Chop the cauliflour into small pieces (or blitz in the food processor!) and place on a baking tray with the garlic cloves (still in their paper....trust me on this) and drizzle with a small amount of zee good olive oil. Season with cumin, coriander, salt and pepper. Roast until tender.
Add cauliflour, the soft, mellow, sweet innards of the garlic cloves (sqeeze the cloves and the garlic just pops out easy peasy), chickpeas, tahini and lemon juice to the kitchen whizz and then while the machine is running slowly drizzle in the oil until the desired consistency is achieved. Taste. You may need to add more seasoning, depending on your taste.
Toast the bread (I like a turkish pide done in the oven) and slice and serve next to the dip. Drizzle with a small amount of olive oil and top with toasted pine nuts.
It makes a large amount. But keeps remarkably well if stored in the fridge. Have never tried the freezer (the dilemma of storing it long term has never been a problem) but would be worth a shot if you're only making it for one person, or you could halve or even quarter the recipe).

It will be difficult to stop at just one piece. In fact, I might just go have some now...

xxx

Lemon (and coconut) tart

This is a favourite of mine. I LOVE this tart. I was so sad when I found I couldn't eat dairy. I was a dairy fiend. Milk, yoghurt, cheese and chocolate were all staples in my diet. I also LOVE cheesecake and creamy tart fillings. I thought I'd give this recipe a go, but substitute the cream for coconut cream. I'm so glad I took the gamble. Was SO SO worth it. It takes a bit of time, but if you like lemon desserts, you'll love this recipe.

Lemon tart

Ingredients

Pastry case
3/4 cup plain flour
1/4 cup almond meal
1/3 cup icing sugar
1 egg yolk
125g dairy free spread (or butter)

Lemon filling
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon fine lemon zest
5 eggs
3/4 cup castor sugar
1 cup coconut cream (Full fat. Just face it, this isn't a health food so don't even bother pretending. Eat it in moderation, do some exercise and you'll be fine) (or normal cream)

I"m a more is more kinda girl. I love really lemony lemon flavours so I tend to add just a little bit more. If you don't like it too lemony, just reduce the quantities of the lemon.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C/180 fan forced.
Blitz the pastry case ingredients in a food processor until a dough is formed. Refrigerate for 30 minutes then roll out between two pieces of grease-proof paper until desired size. Line your tart/flan tin with grease-proof paper and then gently put the pastry in the tin. Chill again for 30 minutes. Cover pastry with more grease-proof paper then add pastry-weights/rice/beans. Cook for 15 minutes or until lightly golden.
Remove pie weights and grease-proof paper and add the lemon filling (combine all ingredients and whisk for a couple of minutes) and the bake until set. The original recipe calls for 20 minutes or so. I generally have to go between 40-60 depending on the size of my flan tin. Just keep an eye on it (you shouldn't leave the house with an oven on anyway).

Cool, then cut into generous sized pieces (keeping in mind it is quite rich and very filling) and serve with vanilla So Good icecream (or icecream of your choice...vanilla is the best though!).

I'm not sure I've said this enough. This is SO nice. In all its luscious lemony goodness.
Bon appetit!

xxx

Spinach and potato frittata

Don't know about you, but I"ve got dinner tonight sorted.

Vegetarian, remarkably quick and super tasty. Yum!

Spinach and potato frittata

Ingredients
400g potatoes - I used kipfler - cut into 3 cm chunks
olive oil
half a bunch spring onions - finely sliced
2 portabella mushrooms, chopped finely
1 teaspoon garlic - chopped finely
1 teaspoon mixed herbs - I used an italian mix of parsley, oregano and basil
6 eggs
1/4 cup soy milk
1 box frozen spinach - defrosted and well drained
salt, pepper and chilli flakes to taste

Cook potatoes until tender. I microwave, you can boil or steam (whichever your preference).
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in an oven safe frypan and cook springonions and mushrooms until soft. Add cooked potatoes and lightly fry until golden. Add garlic, herbs and spinach .
Lightly beat eggs, milk, salt and pepper together and add to the frypan. Mix well then cook on the stove top for a further few minutes. Finish cooking in the oven (180 degrees 10-15 minutes depending on how deep your frittata ends up in your frypan...may even be longer if very deep).
Slice into wedges and serve warm with a tossed salad.
Enjoy!

xxx

Hot Quinoa breakfast

Phew...what a busy couple of weeks! I'm quite behind on my blogging, so looking forward to rectifying this over the next couple of days.

My wonderful parents came to visit last weekend, and I had the pleasure of cooking them breakfast one morning. I used to make this recipe quite a bit but then just got out of the habit. I"m not sure what prompted me to start again...actually I think it was seeing the quinoa box in Coles actually...but I"m glad I reminded myself of this yummy and intensely nutritious dish. I think I"ll be making this again sometime soon (especially since I"ve still got 1/2 a box left!). Quinoa (pronounced kinwa) is one of the ancient grains...a veritable array of all beneficial nutrients including protein, calcium and iron. It is also super yummy with apple and yoghurt :-)

Hot quinoa breakfast

1 cup quinoa (red or white) washed and drained
lemon zest/juice or citrus peel - to taste - I put in 2 tablespoons approximately
1 tablespoon raw sugar (once again, to taste)
a good shake of sultanas (or other dried fruit to taste)
2 cups water
2 apples, grated
yoghurt - natural is best - Bornhoffen is amazing!
assorted fruit - I had rockmelon, blueberries and nectarine
honey to taste
milk

I kept mine dairy free by omiting the yoghurt and substituting soy milk for the milk. You can pretty much do what you want with it...fruit and sweetness to taste.

Bring the quinoa and water with the sultanas and lemon/citrus of your choice to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer until the water is absorbed. Once it is absorbed, fluff the quinoa with a spoon and serve topped with yoghurt, honey and fruit of your choice. Pour milk over as you would a cereal. Simple, easy and super tasty. Enjoy!

xxx

Christmas cupcakes

It's beginning to smell a lot like Christmas
All around my place
'Tis the tempting smell of citrus and spice
With a golden glow that looks so nice
And they taste just ace!

Unlike my attempts at rhyming these cupcakes are 'da bomb! Truly, they smell just divine! I LOVE Australia, but I was so born in the wrong continent for celebrating Christmas. Although I've never had one (yet), I think a white christmas is just so magical (I"m sure the reality of soggy, cold, dark days will not even begin to match the romantic notion of white frosted windows and hot baked dinners around an open fire HOWEVER I dare to dream). One day I will experience it. Until then, I'll settle for a food proxy. Spicy, sticky gingerbread cupcakes with a hint of citrus. They smell just like Christmas.

deebee's Christmas cupcakes

Now, I"ll warn you in advance. I sort of just threw these together, an experiment of sorts, so I apologise if the measurements are not 100% accurate. I also threw convention out the window and just ended up dumping all the ingredients in together and then attacking them with the hand held beaters as I was super short on time (and patience). It worked fine, but as the old adage says - do as I say :-)

1 cup plain flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons ground ginger (or to taste - my theory with ginger is more is better, but this does make some pretty gingery cupcakes)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons golden syrup
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
4 tablespoons milk (I used oat milk)
3 tablespoons butter (I used dairy free spread)
finely grated zest of one orange
a squeeze of orange juice (to taste)
Whatever icing takes your fancy; I went the cheats way and dusted them with icing sugar but if I'd had more time I would have done something fancy like white icing with silver cachous or icing holly and ivy for a real christmassy treat.

Preheat an oven to 180 degrees C (350F).
Sift flour, baking soda and spices into a bowl.
Cream butter and sugar then add eggs, milk and softened golden syrup.
Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix well to combine.
Add the orange juice and zest and mix together.
Scoop into pretty christmas cupcake cases and bake until golden and a cake tester comes out clean (18 mins in my oven).
Serve warm with a fresh dusting of icing sugar and a cup of tea (Christmas tea would be good), or allow to cool and ice to your heart's content.
Makes 12
Above all, enjoy!

 

All decorated ready to go to small group...still smelling divine!

XXX