02/2018

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Tahini Puffed Quinoa Bars - Vegan, Gluten-Free

Thursday, February 22, 2018

If you adore classic puffed rice bars, then these sweet, chewy, and seedy puffed quinoa bars are for you too. Not only are these bars great for kids, they are perfect in your lunch-box for an extra energy boost during the day. They are vegan, naturally gluten free, super tasty and contain no refined white sugar.

180 g Tahini
250 g Maple syrup
100 g Puffed quinoa
200 g Sunflower seeds
200 g Pepitas
30 g Black sesame seeds
30 g White sesame seeds

Grease a 20cm x 30cm baking pan. Line base and sides with baking paper, extending paper 5cm above edges of pan.
Place tahini and maple syrup in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes or until syrup has melted and mixture is combined.
Combine puffed quinoa, sunflower seeds, pepitas and sesame seeds in a bowl. Add tahini-syrup mixture. Working quickly, stir until combined. Spoon mixture into the prepared pan, pressing with the back of a spoon to level and compact. Refrigerate overnight or until set.
Cut into 16 - 20 bars. Store the rest in an airtight container in the fridge.

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Coconut Green Tea Tart - Dairy Free, Refined Sugar Free

Thursday, February 15, 2018

Similar to a bakewell tart but made with desiccated coconut flakes instead of almonds, this easy to make tart is delicious right out of the oven or cold. The wholegrain crust is made with a mix of whole spelt flour, green tea leaves and sesame seeds and has a mild sweet flavour and just the right consistency.

Coconut Oil Crust with Green Tea Leaves	Coconut Cherry Filling, adopted from here
240 g Spelt pastry flour 10 g Green tea leaves 30 g White sesame seeds 1/3 tsp Salt 2 tbsp Erythritol granules 100 g Coconut oil, lightly softened 4-6 tbsp Ice water	2 Eggs, large 100 g Erythritol granules 1 tsp Vanilla essence 50 g Spelt pastry flour Pinch of salt 65 g Desiccated coconut 50 g Dried cherries

Pre-heat the oven to 200C/400F. In a large mixing bowl, add in the spelt flour, green tea leaves, sesame seeds, salt, and erythritol granules. Whisk to combine. Add in the lightly softened coconut oil and rub the coconut oil into the flour-tea-mixture until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add ice water a couple of tablespoons at a time, and mix just until dough begins to come together.
Turn dough out onto a work surface and divide into two portions. Wrap one portion in a plastic wrap and store in the freezer for later use. Form another portion of dough into a flattened disc. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least an hour or until firm.
Roll the pastry dough between two sheets of baking paper until the dough is about 2mm thick and large enough to fit a 22cm tart pan. Remove the sheet of dough from the baking paper and gently lift and coax the dough into the pan. Lightly press the dough into the bottom and side of the pan. Chill for 30 minutes and line the crust with baking paper and fill with enough dried beans to cover the bottom and side of the crust.
Bake the crust for about 10 minutes or until any visible dough is slightly cooked. Remove the beans and baking paper. Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Reduce oven temperature to 180C/350F.
To make filling, whisk eggs, erythritol granules, and vanilla essence until combined. Fold in spelt flour, pinch of salt and coconut flakes.
Sprinkle the dried cherries into the tart shell and cover with the coconut filling. Smooth the surface and bake for 30 minutes, or until set and golden brown. Cool to room temperature.

February 16. is the first day of the New Year in Chinese calendar, which differs from the Gregorian calendar. It is also known as the Spring Festival or the Lunar New Year. This year falls on Friday, February 16th 2018, beginning a year of the Dog. Those born in the Year of the Dog (1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006) are said to be very kind and loyal to friends. I would like to take this opportunity to wish you good health, good luck and much happiness throughout the year. - 狗年大吉, 恭祝健康、幸运，新年快乐!

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Onion Jam Spelt Bread Rolls

Thursday, February 08, 2018

These chewy yet soft golden dinner rolls are filled with a homemade onion walnut jam. They smell incredibly delicious and make the perfect accompaniment to a bowl of steaming hot soup or a hearty stew on a cold winter day.

7 g Dried yeast
2 tsp Coconut sugar
160 ml Buttermilk (or water), lukewarm
200 g Spelt bread flour
100 g Whole spelt flour
1/3 tsp Sea salt
2 tbsp Olive oil
180 g Onion jam, homemade or storebought
1 Egg, lightly beaten

Place yeast, sugar and warm buttermilk or water in a jug. Set aside in a warm place for 10 minutes or until frothy.
Add bread and whole spelt flour into a large mixing bowl. Stir in salt, yeast mixture and olive oil. Mix to form a soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough for 10 to 15 minutes or until smooth and elastic.
Place in a large, lightly greased bowl. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and set aside in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Using your fist, punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 2 minutes or until smooth. Divide dough into 6 even portions. Roll each portion into a ball. Place on lightly floured oven tray. Set aside for 10 minutes to rise.
Meanwhile preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Grease one maxi muffin tray well with olive oil. Roll each portion of dough into an oval. Slice the dough 6 times all the way to the center of the dough. So you have 6 strips at the bottom. Place 30 grams of onion jam on upper side of the dough, then roll up to seal the filling. Coil the length of dough roll into a snail shape and place in the prepared muffin tray. Repeat with the remaining dough portions.
Cover with lightly greased plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place for 30 to 40 minutes or until dough has almost doubled in size. Brush the top with egg. Bake for about 20 minutes. Turn rolls onto a wire rack to cool. Serve at room temperature.

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Blood Orange and Fennel Salad with Bacon Bits and Macadamia

Thursday, February 01, 2018

Refreshingly crunchy Romaine lettuce leaves, sweet tangy blood oranges, and fennel bulb with its unique mildly licorice-like flavour are topped with honey roasted macadamia nuts and crispy bacon bits, then dressed with black cumin oil and lemon juice.

4 Blood oranges
1 Fennel bulb, fronds reserved, trimmed, thinly sliced
50 g Bacon, finely diced
2 Baby romaine salad, separated
150 g Honey roasted macadamia nuts
1 tbsp Black cumin oil
1 tbsp Freshly squeezed lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Peel and cut blood oranges into rounds or wedges. Set aside.
Strip the fronds from the stalks and finely slice the fennel bulb lengthways. Reserve the fronds for the garnish.
In a heavy large non-stick skillet, cook the bacon over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, or until crisp and golden brown. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and cool slightly.
Separate the romaine salad leaves and arrange them in a serving platter. Scatter the fennel slices and top with blood orange, bacon bits and macadamia nuts.
Drizzle over the black cumin oil and lemon juice, then season. Garnish with the reserved fronds and serve.