Curried Pumpkin and Banana Soup

I love it when an ill-planned recipe results in deliciousness. I was making my aunt's curried pumpkin soup when I realised, at the moment I was supposed to add it, that I had no apple. I didn't have much in the way of fruit except some frozen berries and a large banana that was lazying about in the twilight of its life. Needless to say (but I'll say it anyway), I chose the banana as berries would just be weird.

Well! What a delightful delicious potentially kid-likable winner recipe! Not wanting to risk sharing a recipe that was a one hit wonder I made it again today and I'm equally impressed.

Ingredients

• Half a large Kent pumpkin, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• Two sticks of celery, chopped
• Two medium carrots, chopped
• 1 parsnip, chopped
• 1 large or two small browning bananas
• 1 tbsp (or to taste) curry powder
• 1 heaped tsp (or to taste) vegetable stock powder
• Olive oil
• Water

Putting it together

1. In a large pot, brown off the onion in some olive oil
2. Add the chopped carrot and celery and cook for about three minutes
3. Add the chopped pumpkin and parsnip, the stock powder and cover with water. 
4. Bring to the boil then lower the temperature to a simmer. Cook until everything is soft (I often forget about it which luckily doesn't affect the success of the soup).
5. Add the banana and curry powder and cook for a further five or so minutes.
6. When the kitchen (and your house) fills with the smell of sweet banana curry it's time to blend the soup. Of course as I have one I use a vitamix but it would probably be easier to use a stick blender. 
7. That's it! Serve it up.
   

Results

This is so easy to do and the taste is seriously yummy. For the sweet tooth this is a dream. Depending on how much curry you add it could be a winner with the kids too due to it's almost desserty type flavour. With the full tablespoon of curry powder mine was probably a little too spicy for my nephews but with some training they could like it a little hot.

Verdict

This is now my favourite pumpkin soup recipe. It's near impossible to get wrong so it would be a great one to make with the kids. It does freeze but it looks a little different after defrosting. However the taste is unaffected. Oh, and the curry flavours develop if you eat it the day after you make it. Enjoy!

Experimental breakfast - porridge variation

It is rare that I wake up in the morning and my breakfast hasn't been soaking all night. But this morning I realised I had fallen asleep on the couch the night before and completely forgot to prepare my breakfast for the next day. It was cold (2 degrees Celsius if you want to know) so I knew I wanted something warm. I opened my pantry and started to experiment.

Ingredients

• 

  Amaranth plant

  1 tbsp millet
• 1 tbsp cracked buckwheat
• 1 tbsp amaranth
• 1 tbsp quinoa flakes
• 1/2 tbsp shredded organic coconut
• 1/4 tsp raw honey
• 1 tsp raw cocao nibs
• 1 small banana mashed
• 2 drops vanilla essence
• Boiling water
• Ground cinnamon for garnish

Method

• In a small saucepan, bring to the boil, 1 1/2 cups of boiling water, millet, cracked buckwheat, amaranth, coconut, honey and vanilla. 
• Cover and simmer for 10 minutes (add more water if needed)
• Add banana, cocao nibs and quinoa flakes, simmer for another 5-8 minutes stirring occasionally and adding water as needed.
• Serve and sprinkle with cinnamon and cocao nibs

Result

This will not be winning any awards for looks but it makes up for it with the lots of flavours and lots of textures. I could taste the goodness in every mouthful and I enjoyed the earthy chocolaty flavour of the cocao nibs.

Verdict

It obviously takes a little while to cook so it wouldn't be my choice for breakfast on a work day. From a texture perspective I think next time I would ditch the coconut. It might have been nice to have some sort of milkiness added such as almond or soy. Having said that, I love that this has so many different grains/seeds.

Creamy buckwheat and vegetable soup

Soup is one of my favourite things about cold weather. Tonight after driving through the rain and traffic that was double the congestion as I'm used to, I set to work brewing my dinner. On my detox I am required to have protein at lunch and dinner. I had chicken soup for lunch so I wasn't keen on having the same for dinner. I didn't have any fish at home and my affinity with beans still needs some work. Then I remembered a recipe a friend of mine had graciously shared with me. Her mother's chicken soup avgolemono - Greek egg-lemon chicken soup.

In true adventurous style I tested the question, 'can you use the avgolemono in any soup?'

Ingredients

• 1/2 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1/4 zucchini, chopped
• 1 small stick celery, chopped
• 2 large button mushrooms, sliced
• 3 small flowerettes of broccoli, chopped
• 1 1/2 tbsp Bob's Red Mill Creamy Buckwheat (partially stone ground buckwheat)
• 750ml water
• Stock powder or cube
• Two eggs
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

Putting it together

• In a pot put all the vegetables (except the broccoli) in the pot with the water and stock.
• Bring to the boil
• Add the buckwheat and stir
• Cover and let simmer for about 7 minutes
• Whilst that is simmering separate your egg whites from your yolks
• Whisk your egg whites until you have very soft peaks
• Add your lemon juice and keep whisking
• Add your broccoli to your soup (not the egg mixture)
• Get a ladle and fill your ladle with the broth from your simmering soup
• Slowly add it to your egg whites and keep whisking them for about a minute
• Mix in the egg yolk to your egg white mixture
• By this stage it is looking less soft peaks and more frothy egg mix
• Making sure your soup isn't boiling, pour your egg mixture into it stirring the whole time. 
• Keep stirring for about 30 seconds then turn off the heat.
• Serve it up

Result

This is a protein rich, vegetable soup with the added umph of buckwheat. The flavour of lemon is delightfully tangy without being weird.  All and all, it's a winner. A complete meal in a bowl.

Verdict

This is definitely a keeper in my repertoire. You do need to watch that you don't boil the soup after you've added the egg mixture. If you do, your soup looks more like curds and whey than creamy soup. I really like the addition of the buckwheat.

Links and information

Benefits of buckwheat: Buckwheat is high in insoluble fibre and is a good source of protein and B vitamins and is rich in phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, iron, and calcium.
Learn more about buckwheat and its nutritional benefits

Bob's Red Mill products can be found and select supermarkets like IGAs or Leo's. They are also usually stocked at health food stores.

Bella's arsenal for cold and flu

It is that time of year and I am surrounded by people sneezing, coughing, sniffing, blowing, and generally sounding either nasally, husky or a little like Barry White. It is cold and flu season and it is the season I break out my tried and true remedies.

Firstly, the title of this blog may be a little misleading. I am of the school of thought that the cold and the flu are two very different beasts. The following remedies and guidelines are for colds but may be of assistance for the early stages of the flu too.

My methods are about supporting the body to do what it does best - work hard to bring me back to a state of wellness.

Two days ago I woke with a whopping sinus headache, a suprisingly chesty cough and a sore throat. Considering how many sick people I had been around I was not surprised that the beastly cold was trying to take hold of me too. I whipped right into action.

Ingredients

• Sleep
• Water
• Lemon or lime
• Raw honey
• Ginger
• Herbal tea of choice (optional)
• Fusion Health Cold & Flu tablets (or liquid if you're feeling brave)
• Pure essential oils: Lavender, Eucalyptus, Lemon, Rosemary
• Moisturiser or carrier oil (almond, olive etc.)
• Vapouriser or bowl of hot water
• Gentle exercise

Avoid

• Dairy & soy
• Caffeine (optional)
• Eating unhealthily

I know sometimes when you feel less than fresh that you can get this irrational desire to eat unhealthily. Why? I don't know but try to avoid giving in to that desire.

Putting it together

Sleep - sleep is one of the best things you can do when you are feeling under the weather. If you feel tired, don't fight it. Your body does it's best healing work when you are asleep. So try to get a minimum of 8 to 10 hours sleep. I had two nanna naps yesterday!

Hydration - keep your fluids up. How many times have you heard that said? There is good reason for it. Our bodies need hydration all the way down to the cellular level (year 11 biology anyone?). Aside from general hydration, fluid helps the system to detox and flush out. So get hydration anyway you can. Water, herbal tea, bothy soups etc.

Hot cup of lemon/lime, honey & ginger - It doesn't just taste good. Lemon and lime are full of vitamin C and antibacterial properties to boost your immunity. But you do need to squeeze at least half the lemon or lime into your drink. This isn't a G&T your making with a twist of lime. Honey - the delicious and nutritious sweetner that soothes a sore throat and aids healing with its antibacterial properties. I usually use about a teaspoon. Ginger - warming and a powerful decongestant and anti-inflammatory benefits. Grated or chopped finely about 1 -2 teaspoons.

• I usually let the ginger steep a while in half a mug of boiling water, 
• then add lemon/lime and honey 
• and fill up with fresh boiling water.

For super-dooper potency of ginger see my blog the ginger & kaffir lime leaf experiment  - but make it less the kaffir lime leaves.

Pure Essential Oil allies - I've been using essential oils for twenty years (wow, writing that makes me a little woozy!). These little bottles hold incredible power to heal mind, body and spirit. Please ensure that if you are going to use essential oils that you understand how to use them safely. And also that you are using pure essential oils - not the fragranced stuff. Read more at this blog post which I believe has a good overview of essential oils and their use.

At the first inkling of a cold I put a few drops of lavender in my hands and rub it into my neck and chest before I head off to bed.

If I have more than an inkling I make up a massage blend as shown below. Alternatively you can find a cold and flu blend already prepared for you at a chemist or health food store.

I massage this blend into my feet or into my chest. The way essential oils work is that if you massage into your feet the oils enter your lymph and blood systems and travel around your body. So if you don't like the smell, keep it on your feet and still get the benefits.

• 10 mls of carrier oil almond (or equivalent in moisturiser)
• 3 drops lavender (antiseptic, boosts immunity)
• 3 drops eucalyptus (decongestant, antiseptic, boosts immunity)
• 2 drops rosemary (decongestant, promotes good circulation)
• 2 drops lemon (boosts immunity, antiseptic, antibacterial)

I also vapourise a few of these oils to keep the air fresh and clear of germs.

Fusion Health Cold & Flu tablets - When I travel, these are as important to me as bringing gastrolyte or ibuprofen or antihistamines. They are my absolute MUST-have when I've got the first stages of a cold. I discovered them about four years ago and have shared my joy with others who now swear by them too. I was advised by a naturopath to take two tablets three times a day. I call them my magic cold pills. Buy them at your local health food store.

Learn more: http://www.fusionhealth.com.au/products/Cold_and_Flu

Gentle exercise - this is about getting breath and energy moving throughout your body. I'm not talking about going out and doing a marathon but just get some movement happening to help your body with circulation and detoxifying. Go for a walk in a park or some people swear by yoga to massage all your internal organs. If I have sinus issues I prefer not to do activities which result in my head hanging upside-down.

Avoid dairy - avoiding dairy and soy is for the simply (and gross) fact that they promote mucus forming in the body. When you are trying to shift a cold you want to avoid congestion so stay clear of dairy and soy. 

Result

A day after I went all A-Team on my cold I was feeling much better. My sore throat was gone and aside from a mild headache, a sniffle here and there I feel pretty good.

I love it when a plan comes together!

Verdict

If I keep to these guidelines for a few more days I am convinced (from past experience) that the beastly cold will give up completely and vacate the premisis.

There are plenty of other ways of beating a cold but these are just a few of my tried and true - and they don't involve too much effort. Which is good since when you feel under the weather you don't really feel like making much of an effort.

A few words on raw honey

There is a difference between raw honey and the majority of the stuff you buy in supermarkets. Raw honey has not been heat treated and so maintains all its goodness. The reason why honey is so good for colds is due to its antibacterial properties. Raw honey has loads of benefits and properties but for the purposes of this blog the simple truth is that it soothes and assists with healing the throat - and I love a medicinal food that tastes delish!

Where to buy it: Many health food stores and even some supermarkets stock raw honey. One of my favourites is Ambrosia Honey. You just need to keep and eye out. There is a honey supplier that does the market circuit that I like too - you can find them in the Melbourne and outer regions
http://www.purepeninsulahoney.com.au/products.html

Disclaimer: the above remedies and guidelines are based on my own experience. They are in no way intended to replace medical advice. You are in charge of your own health and wellbeing and have the privilege and power to make your own choices with the information and experience you receive.

Deliciously simple brothy seafood soup

I was at the market today and as I walked past the fish monger I was drawn to the best looking marinara mix. Without thinking how I was going to use it I bought myself some for my evening meal. Back home I started to make an old favourite of mine - brothy seafood soup.

As enjoyed my dinner I realised I had to share this simple yet indulgent treat.

Ingredients for one

Vietnamese Mint

150g - 200g good quality marinara mix
3 cups water
Stock powder to taste (I prefer to use Massel brand)
1/2 carrot chopped
1/3 zucchini chopped
3 large mushrooms sliced
1 small stick of celery sliced
2 asparagus spears chopped
3 small broccoli heads
1 tsp fish sauce
1/2 tbsp lime juice
approx 8 Vietnamese mint leaves finely chopped

Putting it together 

• Place water, stock powder, carrot and celery into a pot and heat. 
• When water is hot add the mushrooms and zucchini
• After a while add the fish sauce and lime juice
• Cover and let simmer for a minute or two
• Once the vegetables are looking almost cooked add the marinara mix and asparagus
• When you see that the marinara mix is almost cooked add in the broccoli and the Vietnamese mint leaves
• Once the broccoli is cooked (but still crisp) turn off the heat and serve it up.

Result

I had forgotten how much I loved this simple soup. It is delicious and nutritious. The key really is having a good marinara mix and being able to gauge when it is cooked to avoid over doing it. The Vietnamese mint is the extra something special that just makes the soup complete.

Verdict

It's a winner. It's colourful, tastey, nutrious and super easy. What more could you want?

Banana, apple and almond muffins

So after a very messy experience with the Almond Banana Breakfast Bonanza with a few too many variations I put the rest of the mixture into a muffin mould and chucked it in the oven. The result got me thinking...

As I continue to make my almond milk for my breakfast I continue to find ways I can use the remaining nutritious almond meal before it goes off. I think I've found it! They keep longer than the meal on its own and they make great morning or afternoon snacks.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cups of almond meal (or meal remaining from 3/4 almonds after making milk)
• 2 eggs
• 1 to 1 1/2 smashed up very very ripe bananas
• 1 peeled and grated apple
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tbsp psyllium husks

Putting it together

• Mix all ingredients in a bowl
• Spoon into muffin moulds (or tray)
• Bake in moderate oven for 25 - 35 minutes (depending on your oven)
• Check they are cooked by using a cake tester or metal skewer
• Allow to cool

Result

Okay, so these little muffins are probably more nutritional than treat. The texture has echoes of firm jelly but without being weird. I guess that is what you get when you add the fibre of psyllium husks. I wouldn't go out of my way to make these for guests but they are excellent to make when I need to use up the almond meal which seems to go off within about five days. Each muffin is filled with goodness and I enjoy them.

Verdict

I won't always have a very very ripe banana on hand so no doubt this recipe will get plenty of experimentation in the future. But for now it gets my vote for quick, easy and a nutritious snack. Some people might want to add some sort of sweetener like agave or honey as they aren't particularly sweet.

What's the deal with psyllium husks?

Without going into too much into detail, psyllium husks come from the psyllium seed. It is an excellent source of soluble fibre and often used in products like Metamucil. In some gluten-free cooking it is an excellent substitute for gluten because of its gooey texture after adding water. Essentially, psyllium husks absorb moisture. In the body this means that it helps to keep bowel movements on the soft side, in cooking this means it binds a recipe together.

NOTE: With any supplement or food that adds lots of soluble fibre it is important to ensure you drink a reasonable amount of water. The reason being because it draws on your own water supply in your body. This is true of Chia seeds too which I have spoken about in my sweet gluten free slice recipe.

You can buy psyllium husks in health food stores or even the supermarket. You can buy it in husk form or powdered. You can even buy it in tablet form.

Dairy-free creamy beetroot dip

This recipe is super easy, looks great and tastes yummy. It is a variation on a recipe I heard about which included Parmesan cheese. Right now I'm off dairy so had to think of how to adjust the recipe. There is a little preparation involved if you want to soak the cashews but otherwise it's a throw it all together and blend it to a smooth consistency kind of dip.

Instead of Parmesan I used savoury yeast flakes which I had bought a while ago for making nut cheese. I had read that it had a cheese like flavour. Well, it seemed like the perfect recipe to test that out.

Ingredients

• 1 425g can of beetroot (drained)
• 160g raw cashews (soaked in water for 8 - 12 hours)
• 1 - 2 cloves of garlic
• The juice of one lime
• 2 heaped dessert spoons of savoury/nutritional yeast flakes
• Salt and pepper to taste

Putting it together

• Blend the drained cashews in a vitamix/food processor
• Add the drained beetroot, garlic, lime juice, salt & pepper and blend some more
• Add the savoury yeast flakes and blend again until you have a smooth and impressively pink dip
• Spoon out into a bowl
• Eat with carrot sticks or dry biscuits

 

Result

It looks fantastic and it taste pretty good too. I've had it in the fridge for almost a week and it has preserved well, probably due to the already preserved nature of the beetroot.

Verdict

I think this might just make it into my staple repertoire for when I have a bunch of people over for afternoon drink and nibbles. I love that it's dairy free and that it is high in protein and Vitamin B.

A word on savoury yeast flakes

Also known as nutritional yeast - this a product advertised as 'perfect for vegetarians'. The reason for this is that it is high in vitamin B12. It originates from molasses and though it is yeast it is deactivated. Basically they have killed the yeast culture but retained its nutritional properties.

To learn more you can google nutritional yeast or savoury yeast flakes and you find all sorts of sites that explain what it is and how to use it. Popcorn factors a lot in the 'how to use' stories.

It appears that the main reason why people use it is because of its cheesy taste.

More information:

• http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2011/10/what-the-heck-is-nutritional-yeast.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutritional_yeast

Lamb Roast for Autumn

I love a roast. During my five years as a vegetarian the only meat I missed was mum's roast lamb. As the weather grows colder and the evenings become darker earlier I thought it would be the perfect meal to share with my friends.

Driving back from my trip to the supermarket with a large lamb leg sitting beside me I called my sister and said 'so I've bought a leg of lamb ... how do I roast it?'

You see, I had only ever roasted lamb in a convection oven which would do all the weighing and adjusting heat and length of time. It would even beep at me and tell me when I needed to turn the meat over. Now in my lovely new home I have an oven which sometimes acts like it has a mind of its own but it certainly doesn't communicate with me.

So with a little help from my sister here is what I did.

Ingredients

• 2.35kg leg of lamb
• bunch of rosemary (direct from my garden)
• some Australian garlic (several cloves)
• Pepper and salt

Could it be simpler that that?

Now to put it all together

Method

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
• Chop up the rosemary into bits
• Chop garlic cloves into quarters
• pierce the lamb with a sharp knife to make enough space to press a garlic piece inside. Do this several times and on both sides of the leg
• Then sprinkle salt, pepper and the rosemary over the meat and rub in - like you are giving the lamb an exfoliating rub. Be warned if you have any cuts ... you'll know about it!
• Do this until the entire lamb is covered (both sides)
• Place your lamb in a baking tray . I don't have a fancy roasting tray with a doovalacky that drains the juices off so I just put my cooling rack over a normal baking tray and put it into the oven in the middle. 
• Now this is when things are dependant on your oven. I've been told that you roast 1 hour for each kg of meat. So that would mean 2.35 hours. In my oven it actually took closer to 3.5 hours. 
• Pull your roasted lamb out of the oven and cover with foil and let it rest for ten to twenty minutes. 
• Carve and serve with roasted veggies - YUM!

Additional experiment
After carving up my meat (and I think I need some lessons to dramatically improve my technique there) I looked at all the juices that remained in the tray. Why not make some gravy? Can't be that hard right? So I looked in my cupboard and found some arrowroot flour which I added to the juice I now had heating in a saucepan on the stove.

I might need to work on the gravy. I ended up with something which was tasty but seriously salty. Not something I would serve up to guests unless I also offered comprehensive health cover. 

Result

Delicious is a word that comes to mind. I had so much meat it fed me for over a week after the meal I shared with my friends. As someone who struggles to get red meat into her diet and in addition to that has low iron, I got quite a boost that week.

The meat was tender, the garlic pieces were roasted to perfection and the rosemary flavour was infused throughout.

Verdict

I would definitely do this again. It certainly takes time which I'm not usually good at but it's well worth the wait. Mind you, I might try and source a smaller leg of lamb next time!

The perfect meal to make when I'm in writing mode.

Almond banana breakfast bonanza

This recipe comes to my blog thanks to a friend of mine. She introduced me to this concoction when we were travelling through Kangaroo Island SA. I was especially excited by this dish as I saw another opportunity to use the precious by-product of my almond milk.

What's in it?

• 3/4 cup of almond meal (or meal remaining from 3/4 almonds for milk)
• 1 tbsp psyllium husks
• 1 very ripe mashed up banana
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 egg

How it works

• Place all ingredients in a bowl
• Mix well ensuring you don't have a clump of psyllium husks
• Heat a frying pan with a little olive oil
• Spread mixture into the pan
• When base has browned, carefully turn over (hardest part of this recipe)
• Once other side is browned take out of pan
• Serve with berries

 

Result

Okay, so the mixture is a little difficult to flip in the pan (hence the reason I haven't go a photo of that). And as a result it isn't going to win any prizes for its looks ... but this dish is YUMMY!  Since giving it a go after coming home from SA I have made this four times. I love that I have no added sweetener (the banana is enough) and I love that it's dairy free and has the added fibre of the psyllium husks.

Verdict

This is a definite winner. I have tried a few variations when I didn't have a full banana such as adding berries or grated carrot. These attempts definitely fell into the TBNP bracket - that's Tasty But Not Presentable. Latter uses of this recipe I have made four small patties rather than one large one. A little less messy when flipping.

Quick & easy Vietnamese inspired salad

We have had some very hot weather in Melbourne. My little house with all its charm and potential is a hotbox in the heat. The last thing I want to do when the house feels like an oven is to turn any cooking appliance on to make my dinner. One such night I opened my cupboards looking for inspiration and my gaze rested upon a packet of rice vermicelli. I hadn't made the salad in years but the recipe is simple and for the past three weeks I've had it at least five times. At a friends request I'm posting the recipe on this blog.

Rice vermicelli often comes divided up in serving sizes. This following recipe serves two (and as per usual it's a little relaxed in it's quantities). I think the traditional salad that this is based off is called Goi Ga. I've cheated a bit with the dressing but when it's hot, I'm bothered which means a few shortcuts.

Ingredients

Wombok (Chinese)
cabbage

• Rice vermicelli
• 1 - 2 carrots grated
• a handful of snow peas sliced thinly
• 1/2 red capsicum sliced thinly
• 2 cups of finely chopped cabbage (wombok cabbage works best)
• handful of herbs chopped (coriander &/or Vietnamese mint)
• poached chicken shredded or your preferred unflavoured canned fish

Dressing

• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
• chopped coriander

Pulling it together

• Soak the rice vermicelli in boiling water for 4 - 5 minutes
• Prepare the remaining salad ingredients
• Toss together the 'dry' ingredients (including the soaked rice vermicelli)
• In a small bowl mix the dressing ingredients to taste (depending on the fish oil and your lime juice you may prefer different ratios of ingredients)
• Drizzle some of the dressing over the salad but not all of it. I usually put half of the dressing in a little jug for people to add more to their own taste.

Result

This really is quick, easy and as a bonus is also really fresh tasting and healthy. The ingredients are not expensive and the only part which can make the experience go awry is the dressing. You really do need to taste test it as you go.

I use poached chicken most often and as I poach chicken a lot I always seem to have some cooked in the fridge. I'll post a blog soon about my method of poaching chicken with is fool proof (as it proven that I can do it), healthy, delicious and super super easy.

Variations

The beauty of this dish is it's easy to adjust based on what you have in your kitchen or what you want it to look like. Try purple cabbage for something a little more eye catching. You can use common mint and Greek basil if you don't have any coriander or Vietnamese mint. You can use just about any vegetable. You can use grated zucchini or add chives or thinly sliced cucumber. If you can eat it raw you can try it in this salad.

Faux lemon 'cheesecake'

For Christmas I decided to experiment on my family. I had found a recipe for 'Hail Merry Lemon Tart Knock-Off' which intrigued me. But not enough to try it twice. So rather than make a test batch I decided to throw caution to the wind and just make it the first time for Chrismtas dessert. I figured that there is always too much food at Christmas so if it was a disaster we wouldn't all go hungry.

This recipe is dairy-free and gluten-free

Recipe

In a rare moment of discipline I stuck to the recipe so rather than write out what I did I direct you to the original website recipe found on tessadomesticdiva.com: http://www.tessadomesticdiva.com/2011/07/hail-merry-lemon-tart-knock-off.html 

A woman after my own heart this Tessa Domestic Diva has created this recipe herself and adjusted it as she learned more about the ingredients. 

As I've already mentioned I stuck to the recipe with the only exception being that I didn't not go with the stevia options. I went with the coconut milk rather than nut milk and I used paper cupcake moulds which worked rather well.

Results:

It wasn't much like a lemon tart but more a lemon cheesecake. I nervously waited to see if anyone would take one and then if anyone would it on their plate with only one bite taken out of it. Success! It was well received by both adults and children.

Verdict:

This is a dessert which would be worth doing again but like cheesecake it is incredibly rich. For that reason I think it unlikely I'll make this again but I'm glad I gave it a go and enjoyed the results. 

Bircher inspired creamy goodness

I love breakfast. I don't like to be rushed in the morning because I like to start my day with a wholesome meal with wholesome thinking. I don't just want to kick start my digestive system but also kick start my approach to the day.

This following recipe is a variation of what I have pretty much every day. Why the variation? Because usually I soak my Bircher style concoction in water in preparation for a quick cooking in the morning. As it's been rather hot in Melbourne the idea of cooking my breakfast is not appealing. So to find a yummy variation on my standard was my plan.

I'm not that keen on the more popular type of Bircher muesli preparation which has apple and usually yoghurt and fruit juice. I find it too sweet. This recipe that follows is still creamy and very good for you. Those who like more sweetness in their breakfast can achieve this by adding honey. The recipe is simple but it does require some forethought. I prepare my breakfast the night before.

Ingredients

• 1/4 raw rolled oats (not quick oats)
• 1 tbsp sunflower seeds
• 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
• 5 - 8 almonds
• 1/2 - 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 handful of raspberries (I use frozen for convenience)
• Almond milk

Method

• Put all but the almond milk into a bowl that you will be able to cover. I use a Pyrex bowl which has a lid.
• Pour in enough almond milk to cover most of the ingredients
• Cover and place in the fridge overnight
• In the morning take it out when your ready, grab a spoon and dig in! Add honey if you want a little sweetness but it's so creamy and lovely I don't think it needs it. 

Results

I'm sold on this! My breakfast was creamy with just the right amount of crunch and there is nothing like knowing that the yummyness you are eating is also good for you.

Of course variations on the fruit/berries used and spices is endless. I've made this with lemon thyme instead of cinnamon and with mango in place of raspberries. 

A note on oats:

The reason for using rolled rather than quick oats is purely to try to use the least processed of options. Oats are an awesome food. Aside from the practical nature of keeping us regular, they can help reduce our bad cholesterol. It is also classified as a low GI food, meaning that it is slow to release sugars so you stay satisfied for longer.

Soaking them overnight makes them even easier for your body to digest.

Gluten: Oats are free from wheat gluten. However, there is a gluten which is found in oats. Also, oats are often 'cut' on the same food production lines a wheat so some gluten 'contamination' could be present. If you have to have a completely gluten free diet you will have to make your decision based on the information provided. The Coeliac Australia site has some information worth reading.

Almond biscuits - not bad for a by-product

After making my almond milk (it's now a weekly event) I am left with something akin to almond meal. I've been trying various ways to use the meal. I've had some rather impressive disaster experiments which I won't bother recording but my last concoction was actually quite good - not spectacular but then spectacular only comes along occasionally. As I only use 3/4 cup of almonds per batch (I found that the results of a cup of almonds went off before I finished it) I am left with about half a cup of this almond meal type stuff and most recipes I found for stuff required a cup or more.

So one night, I threw caution to the wind and decided to try making biscuits. I didn't really measure out what I was doing so the following is more of an estimate of what I did.

Ingredients

• Almond meal stuff (based on 3/4 cup for almond milk)
• 1 1/2 tbsp softened coconut oil
• 1 tbsp runny honey
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 cup all purpose gluten free flour
• 1/4 tsp xantham gum

Method

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius
• In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients until you have a soft dough (you may need to adjust flour)
• Ball in your hand approx 1 heaped teaspoon of dough and place on prepared tray (I put down baking paper because it means I have less to clean)
• You'll see in the photo that there are some biscuits that are flat and with stripes. These were made when I rolled the dough into a log and wrapped in glad wrap in the fridge for about half an hour. Then I sliced the log and forked them for effect (that sounds a little wrong).
• Chuck into the oven for 6 to 10 minutes
• Make sure it doesn't burn on the bottom
• Take out and let cool
• Make a cuppa and enjoy

Result:

A cuppa is kind of important because these biscuits are a tad dry. But with a cuppa they are quite enjoyable. Certainly enough for me to make it again. I don't feel it needed any more sweetener than I had. Coconut oil is quite sweet anyway as is honey.

Verdict:

I'll definitely make these again and play around with other additives such as spices. As I know I'll be regularly in stock of the almond meal stuff I need to have a repertoire of ways to use - this is the first success I'll be adding to that repertoire.

Kale chips - nutritious and delicious

I had heard of kale chips from two sources. A friend in England a year or so ago made some crispy kale for dinner one night which was simply delish. At that time I had no idea what kale was so promptly forgot about it in the way of other exciting culinary adventures. But a month or two ago I was talking with my naturopath about sources of calcium when she mentioned kale.

What exactly is kale?

According to Wikipedia 'Kale or borecole is a form of cabbage, with green or purple leaves, in which the central leaves do not form a head. It is considered to be closer to wild cabbage than most domesticated forms.' Because of the high amounts of omega 3 and vitamin K it is known as a vegetable with strong anti-inflammatory properties. In addition to this it is high in antioxidants and glucosinolates (help with body detoxification). For more information about the nutritional benefits of kale visit: WHFoods website

Ways to eat

Well, as I introduced kale into my kitchen in winter it became my perfect addition to soups. As the weather started to warm and my trusty vitamix came into it's own for smoothies and other breakfast beverages I began adding kale. Then I was talking to a work colleague and she mentioned one of her family favourites was kale chips. When she mentioned a dehydrator I had a vague recollection of my brother dehydrating things when I was a kid for his many expeditions into the bush and up mountains. He dehydrated all sorts of weird and wonderful things.

It turned out he still had the dehydrator tucked away in his garage so I acquired it to experiment. I obtained the recipe from my work colleague, bought a bunch of kale from the market near my work and even had a social gathering at my place where I could serve up my experiment.

Kale chips

Equipment

• Dehydrator
• Large bowl

Ingredients

• A bunch of kale
• Olive oil
• Finely ground Celtic sea salt
• Lemon juice
• Fresh herbs: lemon thyme and rosemary

Method

• De-stalk the kale and tear into manageable pieces - that means into large chip-size
• In a deep bowl mix together some olive oil, lemon juice, a pinch of sea salt and finely chopped fresh herbs. I used the juice of one lemon and about the same amount of olive oil.
• Put the kale into the bowl and massage. Yep, that's right. You massage the kale. When my work colleague first mentioned this I thought she was joking but there are actual Youtube videos on how to massage kale. I was almost too scared to click on the link in case it was something kinky. The idea is that you massage the oil mixture into the kale leaves until the leaves relax and they really do! For the full effect I put on some calming essential oils and played relaxation music. I always knew my massage studies would come useful one day.

• Once the kale is relaxed you then
  lay them out in the dehydrator making sure the leaves don't touch each other. 
• I turned the dehydrator up to it's highest setting which for the retro machine I've got reads 'beef and meat jerky'
• It was in the dehydrator for about four hours. 
• During this time I managed to clean the house, go shopping for food, prepare said food and assemble three chairs after a quick trip to my sisters to borrow some tools to assemble the chairs (IKEA was wrong - I needed more than the allen key). Please note, these activities are not necessary to the results of the experiment with kale. 

Results

The kale chips were a hit. Very lemony - almost to the point of causing that trademark sour eye twitch. But they were enjoyed by all. One friend in particular apologised for eating most of them. Now that's the kind of result you want!

Verdict

I'd definitely do this again even though it took quite a while. As the dehydrator is like having an oven on it would be best to avoid making them on a hot day (again) but I'm intrigued to try a few other flavours. After trying the real thing I bought a packet of kale chips from my favourite health food store. I hardly had any of the chips because they were simply not nice. Real food made by real people in real time comes up gold again.

Warning

For those with dogs who will eat just about everything. I would advise not letting your dog near kale in any form. My dog managed to snaffle a rogue chip and I experienced the pungent results for almost four hours the following day. How do I know it was the kale? Let's just say that the fragrance was as distinctive as it was unpleasant.

'I did it myself' almond milk

I haven't drunk cows milk in years and my naturopath is not keen on my drinking soy. What does that leave me with? In the supermarkets there is an ever increasing supply of milk alternatives such as oat milk, rice milk, almond milk etc.

Aside from the fact that my body doesn't seem to like dairy milk, there may be other reasons to consider reducing reliance on the diary industry. When looking at any mass production industry it is important to remember that what happens in other countries may not be happening in Australia. But equally I believe that as the consumer we have a responsibility to inform ourselves of what we are consuming and how that consumable has been made available to us.

All that aside, the milk alternatives available in the supermarkets are often sweetened and are always in those UHT, longlife containers. A carton of almond milk can cost me $7 and since I don't drink that much of it anyway, it often goes off before I've finished the darn thing, so I'm tipping out about $3 each time. There has to be a less wasteful way.

A quick trip to google to search for 'how to make almond milk' came up with loads of youtube videos, blog posts and websites. There seems to be a variety of ways from the simple to quite complex. Me being me of course chose to start with the simple option.

Recipe
As I've already explained there are countless recipes on the Internet. However, the one I based my first attempt on was one of the many youtube videos - the only difference is that I added vanilla essence.

Ingredients
1 cup raw organic almonds
3 cups of water (filter is preferred)
1/2 tsp organic vanilla essence

Equipment
Vitamix (or equivalent high powered blender)
Nut bag (I found mine online at www.rawpleasure.com.au)

Method

• Soak almonds for 8 to 12 hours in room temperature water
• Drain the almonds and put them into the Vitamix
• Pour in three cups of water
• Add the vanilla essence
• Turn on the Vitamix and turn up to high speed and blend for 30 seconds to a minute (don't let it get hot)

• Place your nut back over a bowl (I used a jug bowl knowing that I was going to need to pour the almond milk into a container later)
• Pour the mixture into the bag.

• Using your hands (clean of course) massage the milk from the bag. I found this part interestingly soothing. Almost like using a stress ball. It was quite amazing to also see how much almond milk came out with persistence.

• Pour the almond milk into bottles and store in fridge
• Apparently you can use the almond meal left in cookies or burgers. Haven't figured that part out yet. 

Result
YUM! Certainly straight from the bag the milk was just a touch warm and so tasty. I'll be interested to see what it's like tomorrow on my breakfast. I filled two 300ml bottles and a third of a small glass.

Verdict
Would I do this again? Definitely. I love the fact that I made it myself, that it hasn't been made and then heated in order to store in UHT cartons on shelves for an indeterminable amount of time. There is the factor that I have to remember to soak the almonds but all in all it's an easy and fast process. This batch is very creamy so I even wonder if I could reasonably use more water which would yield more milk (wow, don't get to use the word yield that often). I'm keen to try a couple of variations on this - one which doesn't require the nut bag (keeps the whole nut) and another which is a chai drink.

Am I nuts or can you make cheese out of almonds?

When I heard about nut cheese I simply had to try it. So I trawled the internet to find the best recipe I could find. I realised that if I was going to give this a proper go then I would need to purchase a few items. A cheese basket and some cheese cloth for starters. Having done a feta making workshop in the past I knew exactly where to get such items.

CheeseLinks run workshops on making all sorts of cheeses and appear to be one of the few places that sell the equipment for those keen to continue making it at home. After my feta making workshop about two years ago I bought a kit of stuff which I have since misplaced.

So I got online and ordered some small cheese baskets for $1 each and a large cheesecloth. Once they arrived I was ready (if a little nervous) to make my almond nut cheese.

Recipe
There are many recipes online. The one I am basing my version on is via a YouTube video about eating and raw vegan diet.

Ingredients I used
1 cup raw organic almonds
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp some type of probiotic (I used two capsules of Nutritious Care Polybac 8)

Method

• Soak the almonds in fresh filtered water for 20 - 24 hours
• Peel the almonds (I should have poured boiling water over the soaked almonds for a few minutes as the peeling of the almonds became quite a lengthy and fiddly process
• Place almonds in the trusty Vitamix along with the 1/2 cup of water and probiotic

• Blend until smooth adding more water as needed (my mix was still a little grainy but I didn't want to add too much more water as I want a reasonably firm 'cheese')
• Spoon the 'cheese' into the cheese baskets lined with the cheesecloth

• Rest the baskets over a cup or in a bowl to allow liquid to drain
• Fold the cheesecloth over the 'cheese' and place a weighty thing over it (I used teacups with canned goods)

• Place in a warm dark place to ferment for 8 - 12 hours
• Taste test your 'cheese' - if you want a stronger tasting cheese you could ferment for a further 24 to 72 hours.
• Season cheese to your liking then store in a glass container (with lid) in the fridge for up to a week. 

What I did
I used the three different baskets of almond cheese to try different method.

• Basket 1 was spooned into a tea cup and a pinch of salt, a 1/4 tsp of lemon infused olive oil and some chopped up Greek basil was stirred through. Pressed back into the cheese cloth and basket. From here:
• half went into the dehydrator
• half went into the fridge
• Basket 2 was squeezed further of fluid pressed back into cheesecloth and basket. There there:
• half went into the dehydrator
• half went into the fridge
• Basket 3 was squeezed further of fluid and pressed back into cheesecloth and basket. It was left to ferment a further 12 hours

Result
Firstly I'd like to confirm my suspicion that cheese made out of almonds does NOT taste like cheese. However, I do admit that there are so many recipes online that perhaps one of them does produce something a little more cheesy. But this recipe and all the variations did not taste like cheese. But here is a record of the results. The texture was very soft - kind of like a ricotta. Each of the basket methods produced a different flavour and so a different experience.

• Basket 1: this was my preferred result. The herbs, flavoured oil and salt really made this 'cheese' taste yum! The dehydrated one was even better but both were great. 
• Basket 2: not too bad but it really didn't have much taste at all. It was very mild and a little sweet. Again, the dehydrated one was a bit nicer.
• Basket 3: Umm...it tasted a little sour which got me a little nervous thinking I'd fermented it to a point it might not agree with me. I thought maybe it would be better if I dehydrated it ... it wasn't.

Verdict
Would I do this again? Hard to say. I certainly wouldn't do the last basket option again but the first was really nice. I might not bother with the cheese baskets (after buying them online for this experiment!) and just make an almond based dip or spread. The addition of the herbs really made it something so might pull this out for a dinner party or the like. I also am curious about some of the other recipes I found with different ingredients so perhaps my cheese baskets won't get lost in the back of the 'I was once interested' cupboard.

Relevant links
CheeseLinks: http://cheeselinks.com.au/

Buckwheat, Banana, Booyah!

I'm always a little skeptical of recipes that declare they are fail-safe. Sort of like when people told me that growing rosemary was childs play. Apparently I can kill the unkillable.

Despite my skepticism I decided to try the so-called fail-safe buckwheat banana bread recipe.

The recipe
The recipe comes from a website called Grain Free Living. Sounds like my kind of site so I figure they must know something about getting it right. As the recipe is mostly in ounces I'll translate below. I have made this both as a loaf and as muffins.

Buckwheat is not a cereal
but actually a fruit
seed related to rhubarb

Ingredients
300g - 400g of really ripe mashed banana
2 free range eggs
1/3 cup maple syrup (I've made this with honey too)
1/2 cup mild tasting oil (I just used olive oil)
1 tsp cream of tarter
1/2 tsp bicarb soda
150g buckwheat flour
I heaped dessert spoon of rice protein powder (totally optional)
2 tsp cinnamon

Method

1. Heat oven to 170 degrees
2. Grease and line either a loaf tin or use muffin/cup cake baking cups
3. Blend all the ingredients together (you can use a food processor or a blender)
4. Pour blended mixture into the prepared tin or baking cups
5. Bake in the oven for about 40 - 45 minutes for loaf, or 35 minutes for muffins (depending on your oven)
6. Basically bake until you can pull a skewer out clean
7. Let them or it cool for 5 - 10 minutes

Result
Firstly, it really is fail-safe! Even when I accidentally put in 1/2 tablespoon instead of 1/2 teaspoon of bicarb soda it still tasted great. Using the blender (and I have a very high powered blender) means the end product is really smooth. I added the cinnamon and the rice protein powder because I seem to have an aversion to sticking to the standard recipe. But it all worked and I've made it three times now. The muffins freeze really well too.

Verdict
Super easy, real food ingredients and yummy. My favourite combination.

Relevant links and information
Sunwarrior protein (a non-dairy, non-soy protein powder): http://www.sunwarrior.com.au/

Benefits of buckwheat: Buckwheat is high in insoluble fibre and is a good source of protein and B vitamins and is rich in phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, iron, and calcium.
Learn more about buckwheat and its nutritional benefits