Turmeric Cauliflower Steaks
Thursday, March 08, 2018These oven-roasted turmeric seasoned cauliflower steaks are easy to prepare and would make an excellent vegetarian side or light dinner.
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- Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper.
- Cut the cauliflower into four 1.5cm-thick slices, leaving base intact.
- Whisk the olive oil with the turmeric in a bowl until combined. Brush over cauliflower steaks and place them in the prepared baking tray. Grind some black pepper and sea salt over.
- Roast cauliflower in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until tender and crisp. Scatter with chopped herbs and thinly sliced red chilli, to serve.
Heart Shaped Cabbage Slaw with Zucchini and Pinenuts
Thursday, March 01, 2018A simple homemade slaw salad of heart-shaped cabbage, onion, grapes and pine nuts with a white balsamic dressing. Light, and full of crispy texture and fresh flavours.
White Balsamic Dressing | |
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- Thinly slice the heart-shaped cabbage and red onion. Place in a large bowl with grapes. Cut zucchini lengthwise in half and slice into half moon slices. Arrange the slices in a heart shape on a serving platter. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, for the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a screwtop jar. Season, then seal and shake to combine.
- Drizzle half the dressing over the slaw and toss to combine. Place the slaw into the zucchini heart. Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and chopped parsley. Garnish with grape tomatoes. Serve immediately with remaining dressing.
Tahini Puffed Quinoa Bars - Vegan, Gluten-Free
Thursday, February 22, 2018If 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.
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- 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.
Coconut Green Tea Tart - Dairy Free, Refined Sugar Free
Thursday, February 15, 2018Similar 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 |
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- 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!
Onion Jam Spelt Bread Rolls
Thursday, February 08, 2018These 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.
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- 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.
Blood Orange and Fennel Salad with Bacon Bits and Macadamia
Thursday, February 01, 2018Refreshingly 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.
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- 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.
Harissa Carrot Ribbon Salad with Roquefort
Thursday, January 25, 2018Create an amazing side dish with this simple carrot salad with blue cheese and fresh herbs. A simple vegetable peeler turns carrots into beautifully thin ribbons, then marinated in a hot, garlicky, lemony and mildly sweet dressing. Try it with roasted chicken, fish or even tofu if you prefer a meatless meal.
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- With a vegetable peeler, thinly slice the carrots into long ribbons and place into a bowl.
- Heat the olive oil in a small skillet. Add in the Harissa and minced garlic. Stir until fragrant. Add the lemon juice, maple syrup and salt and fry for another minute.
- Pour the Harissa mixture over the carrots and toss well. Add the chopped herbs and Roquefort cheese. Allow to stand for 30 minutes and serve.
Refined Sugar Free Spelt Banana Loaf with Streusel
Thursday, January 18, 2018Use the natural sweetness of very ripe bananas to sweeten this delicious banana bread. It's perfect for those who are avoiding refined sugar. The thick streusel topping, lightly sweetened with coconut sugar, is an integral part of the banana bread, and provides a flavourful crunchy texture, so don't skip it.
Streusel Topping | Batter |
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- Combine flour, coconut sugar, and pinch of salt in a bowl. Add in vanilla and butter. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Store in the fridge until ready for use.
- Preheat oven to 190C/375F. Lightly grease a 30-cm loaf pan and line with baking paper.
- In a mixing bowl, mash the bananas and add in pumpkin seed oil, yoghurt, eggs and vanilla extract. Stir to combine. Sift in spelt flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. Stir to combine. Fold in raisins or chocolate chips.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the surface with prepared streusel. Bake for about an hour or until a skewer inserted in centre of bread comes out clean. Stand in pan for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack top-side up to cool completely.
Tri-coloured Quinoa Rice Paper Rolls
Thursday, January 11, 2018Create a simple, healthy and flavourful lunch with these rice paper rolls which are low-cal, low-fat and gluten-free. Use the roasted chicken and cooked tri-coloured quinoa leftovers to make this time-saving, delicious meal.
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- Place quinoa and water in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring to a simmer. Cook, occasionally stirring, for 10-12 minutes or until quinoa is tender. Cool slightly. Toss with the tamari.
- Soak a sheet of rice paper wrapper in hot water for 10-20 seconds. Transfer to a clean tea towel to absorb excess water. Place a little of the quinoa in the middle of the rice paper. Top with sliced chicken, sweet pepper, chilli and fresh herb leaves.
- Roll up firmly to enclose the filling. Cover with a slightly damp cloth to preven drying out. Repeat with remaining sheets. Continue with remaining rice paper and fillings. Serve with extra tamari, if desired.
Vegan Persimmon Pear Salad with Walnuts
Thursday, January 04, 2018Lamb’s lettuce (or arugula or baby spinach) combines perfectly with sweet juicy pears and crunchy walnuts in this simple classic winter salad. If you prefer, apples can be used instead of pears. This simple salad is complimentary to a variety of meat dishes or pan seared tempeh if you want to keep it vegan.
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- Place corn salad, pear, zucchini, persimmon slices in a large serving platter.
- Place olive oil, walnut oil, red wine vinegar, maple syrup, paprika flakes, and mustard in a screw-top jar. Secure the lid. Shake to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- Drizzle with dressing and gently toss to combine. Top with candied walnuts and serve immediately.