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Curry Rye Oat Crackers

Thursday, October 29, 2020

These curry rye crackers are light and crispy! A wonderfully delicious way to enjoy some healthy grains and seeds. The curry can easily be replaced with many different seasonings (Italian herbs, caraway, cardamom, fennel seeds or 5-spice) to make different flavours. You can enjoy them as a snack with your favourite dips and spreads or pair them with soups for the lunch. I have made these into large rectangles but feel free to cut into triangles or rounds.

125 g Organic rye flour
125 g Organic rolled oats
2 tsp Sea salt
2 tsp Curry powder
100 g Poppy seeds
50 g Chia seeds
50 g Almond slices
4 tbsp Butter, melted or olive oil
360 ml Water

In a mixing bowl, combine together the rye flour, rolled oats, sea salt, curry powder, seeds and almond slices. Add in melted butter or olive oil and water. Mix to a sticky dough. Cover and set aside for an hour.
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Divide the dough into two portions. Place each portion of dough between 2 sheets of baking paper. Roll into a rectangle, about 1/8-inch / 3-mm thick. Using a knife, partially slice through the dough in desired shapes. Repeat with another portion of dough.
Bake each in the middle of hot oven for 15 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 180C/350F and bake for a further 20-30 minutes until crisp.
Allow to cool completely on baking sheet before breaking along score lines into individual crackers. Store airtight at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

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Baked Carrot Halloumi Balls with Ras el Hanout and Salsa Verde

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

These delicious carrot halloumi balls are great for snacking or as an appetizer. I find they taste the best served warm with a fresh homemade salsa verde over a bed of seasonal salad. Another way to serve them is pair them with zoodles tossed with pesto for a healthy low carb dinner.
Ras el hanout means “the head of the shop” in Arabic. It’s a mix of the the best spices that the spice seller has. If you can't find it, then I would recommend using a simplified mix of 1 part of cumin, 1/2 part of each coriander, ginger and paprika or cayenne powder. My another two favourite alternatives are baharat and garam masala because they both share many common ingredients.

	Salsa Verde
2 Large carrots, coarsely grated 200 Halloumi, coarsely grated 10 g Chives, finely chopped 10 g parsley, finely chopped 3 tsp Ras el Hanout 4 tbsp Whole spelt flour 1 Large egg Salt and pepper Olive oil for baking Salad leaves to serve Chilli pepper, cut into rings for garnishing	1 Garlic clove, minced 30 g Fresh herbs, finely chopped (I used parsley, chives and basil) 1 tbsp Capers, finely chopped 1 tbsp Finely grated lemon zest 2 tbsp Lemon juice 100 ml Olive oil Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Line a baking tray with a piece of aluminum foil coated with some olive oil.
Place all the ingredients for the salsa verde in a bowl. Stir to combine and chill until ready to use.
Put the grated carrot and halloumi, along with the herbs, ras el hanout, spelt flour and egg into a mixing bowl and season well with black pepper and just a little salt.
Work the mixture with your hands to combine it well, then take roughly 1 tbsp of the mixture and roll it into a ball. Repeat with the remaining mixture. You will have 18 balls.
Place the prepared carrot balls into the prepared pan. Spray or brush them with olive oil. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and crisp. Serve with salad and salsa verde or your favourite sauce.

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Cucumber Avocado Tartare with Parma Ham

Monday, October 26, 2020

Prosciutto di Parma is complemented by creamy avocado, crunchy cucumber, fresh herbs and a very flavourful Dijon-caper dressing. The tartare can be plated using a ring mould or simply eaten in a bowl. Serve these up with your favourite crackers or thin crusty bread.
We like cucumbers as they have so many wonderful health benefits. You certainly can replace them with asparagus, bell peppers or beetroots.

	Dijon Caper Vinaigrette
1 Large ripe, yet firm avocado, cut into small dice 1/2 Garden cucumber, cut into small dice 1 tsp Fresh dill, chopped 1 tbsp Lime juice A few drops of Worcestershire sauce 80 g Prosciutto di Parma Grape tomatoes for garnishing Fresh thyme or dill for garnishing	1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 tsp Honey 3 tbsp White wine vinegar 50 ml Olive oil 45 g Capers Salt and pepper

With a sharp knife, cut the avocado in half. Remove the pit and peel the skin right off. Cut the flesh into small dices. Wash and dry the cucumber. Cut in half lengthwise, using a small spoon scoop out seeds. Cut the cucumber into small pieces.
In a bowl gently mix together the diced avocado, cucumber, dill, lime juice and Worcestershire sauce.
Place Dijon, honey, vinegar, olive oil and capers in a bowl. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. The dressing can be refrigerated for a week.
Spoon 1/3 of the salad in a ring mold and gently press down. Place the molded salad at the top center of the platter. Top with 2-3 slices of Parma ham. Drizzle some dressing over and garnish with fresh herbs and grape tomatoes. Repeat with the remaining salad and ham.

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Twisted Brazil Nut Bread

Friday, October 23, 2020

I'm especially fond of making specialty breads like this one and find that they make excellent Christmas gifts for family and friends. It's basically just a sweet yeast dough filled with a luscious Brazil nut filling, which is rather easy to prepare too, and shaped into a beautiful twist, adding a touch of elegance to any festive table.

120 ml Milk, at 28C/82F
15 g Fresh yeast, crumbled
50 g Sugar
Pinch of salt
350 g All-purpose flour
80 g Butter, diced and at room-temperature
2 Egg yolks

250 g Brazil nuts, toasted and ground
50 g Coconut sugar
1 tbsp Freshly grated lemon zest
2 tbsp Rum
50 ml Whipping cream
2 Egg whites
Pinch of salt

Heat the milk in a saucepan over low heat to 20C/82F. Crumble the fresh yeast into the lukewarm milk together with 1 teaspoon of the coconut sugar. Set aside for 10 minutes or until bubbles appear on surface.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, sift in the flour and add remaining sugar, and salt. Add in diced butter, egg yolks and the yeast mixture. Mix at slow speed until everything comes together. Increase the speed and knead until smooth and elastic, about 7 minutes.
Turn out the dough and shape into a dough ball. Brush the mixing bowl lightly with oil to grease. Return the dough to the bowl and turn to coat in oil. Cover with a damp tea towel and set aside in a warm, draught-free place to prove until dough doubles in size, 1-2 hours.
Meanwhile prepare the filling. Mix together the ground Brazil nuts, coconut sugar, and lemon zest in a mixing bowl. Stir in rum and cream until combined. Whip the egg whites and salt until stiff. Fold the whipped egg white into the nut mixture until well blended. Cover with a plastic film and set aside.
Punch down the centre of the dough with your fist. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes or until smooth. Set aside for 10 minutes to rest.
Line a 26cm springform pan with baking paper. Set aside. Roll dough on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle, roughly 50x25-cm. Spread the prepared nut mixture evenly over dough, leaving 1cm border around edges. With the long edge facing you, tightly roll up dough in jelly roll fashion. Place the roll seam side up and use a sharp knife to cut the roll lengthwise in half along the seam. Tightly weave the two pieces together, leaving the cut sides exposed. Form into a wreath by firmly pinching two ends together. Gently transfer the wreath into the prepared pan.
Cover with a plastic film or kitchen towel and let rise until doubled for about an hour. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Bake in centre of oven until bread is deep golden, about 35 minutes. Cool slightly. Dust with icing sugar before serving.

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Egg Salad with Cherry Radish and Chives

Wednesday, October 21, 2020

Perfectly hard-boiled eggs with fresh chives and cherry radish in the creamy Dijon mayonnaise dressing make for one amazing salad. This salad recipe comes together in just minutes if you have some hard-boiled eggs left in the fridge. This simple delicious egg salad recipe that can be enjoyed just as it is, or turned into a delicious sandwich using your favourite bread or served with crackers over a bed of seasonal greens.

6 Large eggs, hard boiled
4 Cherry radish, finely diced
3 tbsp Chives, chopped
2 tbsp Homemade olive oil mayonnaise
2 tbsp 10% Greek yoghurt
1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
Sea salt and black pepper

Place egg in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Cover and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 minutes.
Pour out the hot water and fill with cold water. Let stand for about 10 minutes until the eggs are room temperature. Peel the eggs, then chop into pieces.
Place the chopped eggs in a bowl, and stir in the mayonnaise, Greek yoghurt, diced cherry radishes, chives, and Dijon mustard. Season with salt and pepper. Fold to combine. Serve it as a side or on a sandwich using your favourite bread.

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Black Rice Goat Cheese Salad with Mango and Sweet Pointed Pepper

Tuesday, October 20, 2020

Black rice cooked in homemade broth, topped with goat cheese (or your favourite cheese), mango and sweet pointed pepper with a simple dressing made with red wine vinegar, date syrup and avocado oil, for a delicious, healthy, flavourful, and gluten free Fall meal! You can serve this as a side along with some grilled meat or fish.

	Dressing
200 g Black rice 400 ml Homemade broth(I used beef broth) 1 tbsp Finely chopped coriander 2 Sweet pointed pepper, cut into rings 1/2 Ripe mango, peeled and diced 4x20 g Fresh goat cheese Fresh coriander or parsley leaves	1 Chilli pepper, finely chopped 2 tbsp Red wine vinegar 1 tsp Date syrup (or maple syrup) Red wine sea salt (or regular sea salt) 2 tbsp Avocado oil (or olive oil) 1 tbsp Walnut oil

Bring broth in a medium saucepan to a boil. Add in black rice and cook for about 30 minutes until tender. Drain. Cool completely. Place in a large bowl. Set aside to cool to room-temperature.
For the dressing, place all the ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake well to combine.
Add chopped coriander, sweet pointed pepper rings and mango to the rice. Drizzle with two-thirds of the dressing and toss to combine.
Divide the salad between two plates and top each with 2 goat cheese. Drizzle with the remaining dressing and garnish with fresh coriander or parsley.