Caraway Meatballs with Honey Chilli Glaze
Thursday, April 26, 2018These crowd-pleasers are sweet, spicy and with a hint of caraway and garlic! Caraway meatballs coated with honey chilli glaze are great on any appetizer tray, used as the pitta sandwich filling as the main, or served over rice for a weeknight meal.
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- Combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg and caraway seeds in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Divide the mixture into 10-12 equal portions and roll each portion into a ball.
- Heat coconut oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until cooked through.
- Stir in minced garlic and cook briefly. Add the honey, chilli flakes and cook, stirring, until the meatballs are evenly coated. Taste and season. Garnish with thyme leaves.
Spelt Flower Bread
Thursday, April 19, 2018Three layers of almond chocolate spread sandwiched between soft sweet spelt bread and twisted into a flower shape, this spelt bread is amazing both for its appearance and its taste. It's not at all difficult to make and perfect to bring to a garden tea party or an afternoon snack.
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- Whisk the lukewarm milk, raw sugar and fresh yeast in a jug. Place the refined spelt flours (or whole spelt flour and kaniwa seeds) and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre. Add the yeast mixture and egg yolks. Stir until a soft dough forms.
- Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes or until smooth. Knead in butter pieces until dough is smooth and elastic. Place in a clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm draught-free place to prove for 1 hour or until dough doubles in size.
- Punch down the dough and knead shortly on a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 4 even portions. Roll out each portion of dough into a round, about 25-cm/10-inch.
- Place the almond chocolate spread into a small bowl and warm it in the microwave for about 30 seconds to make it easier to spread onto the dough.
- Place a disc of dough on a piece of baking paper and spread 1/3 of almond chocolate spread over. Top with another disc of dough and spread another third of almond chocolate spread and repeat one more time. Now cover with the last disc of dough. Transfer it to a baking sheet or a springform pan.
- Take a small drinking glass and place that in the centre of the dough as a guide. Use a sharp knife and cut the dough into 12 or 16 wedges. Take each section of dough and twist. You can leave them as they are or pinch two sections of twisted dough together.
- Now cover the dough with a kitchen towel and leave for 30-40 minutes to allow the dough to rise. Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Once the bread had risen, brush the surface with egg white and sprinkle the center of the dough with the chopped almonds. Bake the bread for 20-25 minutes until nicely golden brown.
Blood Orange Einkorn Muffins with Poppy Streusel
Thursday, April 12, 2018Blood orange and poppy seed muffins with nutty einkorn and Greek yoghurt topped with a generous streusel, easy and quick, make a wonderful addition to your morning coffee/tea or a lovely dessert. Feel free to bake these in regular sized muffin tin or in a loaf pan. If blood oranges aren't available you can use regular oranges.
Muffin Batter | Poppy Streusel |
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- Preheat oven to 190C/375F and lightly grease a 6-hole jumbo muffin tin.
- Wash the blood orange under hot water and rub dry. Finely grate the peel and squeeze 3 tablespoons of juice from the blood orange.
- Mix together the flour, blood orange zest, ground almonds, ground poppy seeds, chia seeds, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl.
- In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, coconut oil, coconut sugar, vanilla extract, Greek yoghurt and blood orange juice. Working very quickly, pour the wet ingredients into the dry and barely mix together with a fork. Don't overmix it.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin. Combine all the ingredients for the streusel and divide it among the muffins. Bake in the center of hot oven for 25-30 minutes until risen and browned.
Ruby Chard Salad with Walnuts and Cranberries
Thursday, April 05, 2018This salad is a healthful, easy, and fast way to prepare different types of chard. Keep it vegan or add crumbled Feta, blue or goat cheese, which pair really well with earthy sweetness of bright, vibrant ruby or rhubarb chard.
Salad | Dressing |
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- Wash and dry the ruby chard thoroughly. Remove the stems. Cut leaves into 1 inch pieces. Slice stems in half then into 1/2 inch pieces. Thinly slice the heart-shaped red cabbage.
- Place the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, salt, and pepper in a glass jar. Shake until well combined.
- In a large bowl, combine the chard, scallions, and cabbage. Pour dressing over the salad and toss until evenly coated. Toss in the cranberries and toasted walnuts. Serve immediately.
Turmeric Chickpea Tofu - Vegan, Gluten-free, Soya-free, Nut-free
Thursday, March 29, 2018A soya-free alternative to traditional tofu, this Chickpea Tofu (here is the original recipe) has a creamy-firm texture similar to classic tofu and is easy to pull off at home with just a few basic ingredients and super tasty too. Chickpea tofu is a traditional food originally from Burma, and often referred to as Burmese tofu or Shan tofu. It's great as the party snack or salad topper.
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- Lightly oil an 8-9 inch baking dish or casserole dish, set aside. Whisk chickpea flour, turmeric powder, black pepper, salt, and 1/3 of water in a large saucepan. Let sit 10 minutes to hydrate, whisking occasionally to break up any lumps.
- Whisk in the remaining water. Heat over medium-high, whisking often to prevent lumps from forming, and bring to a simmer. Cook, reducing heat as needed to maintain a gentle simmer and stirring with a wooden spoon until very thick and beginning to stick to bottom of pot, 6–8 minutes. Chickpea tofu is ready if you see a thin film on the bottom of the saucepan.
- Pour the thick mixture into the prepared baking dish and smooth top. Let cool until set at room temperature, about an hour.
- Gently turn out tofu onto a cutting board and cut into about 15-18 rectangles. Heat half of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Carefully add half of tofu and cook until golden and crisp, 2–3 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat with remaining tofu and oil.
- Arrange tofu on a platter and top with scallions and serve with dipping sauce alongside.
Teff Cashew Breakfast Bars with Cacao Nibs and Goji
Thursday, March 22, 2018Teff, which is grown in Ethiopia and used to make injera (the sourdough flatbread), is a super tiny grain with a long list of health benefits. Along with being gluten-free, naturally high in minerals and super tasty, teff also helps you lose weight because of rich copper and high fiber content. Feel free to use amaranth instead if you can't find teff around you.
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- Soak teff seeds in a saucepan filled with 350ml salted water over night. Drain and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a 24x28x4cm baking pan with baking paper. Place drained teff seeds in a large mixing bowl together with quick oats, raisins, cashew nuts and chia seeds.
- Melt coconut oil, maple syrup and cashew butter in a saucepan over low heat until well combined. Add in mashed bananas.
- Pour the cashew butter-banana mixture into the teff mixture. Mix until well combined. Spread the thick mixture into the prepared pan. Smooth the surface and bake for 35-40 minutes until set. Remove and cool for 5 minutes.
- Spread the blueberry jam onto the surface while still warm. Sprinkle the pistachios, cacao nibs and goji berries over. Gently press to adhere. Cool completely and cut into bars.
- Store the rest, covered with a plastic film, in the fridge for about 1 week or several weeks in the freezer.
Chocolate Barley Grass Tart
Thursday, March 15, 2018A luscious barley grass ganache and hazelnut einkorn chocolate tart crust is a match made in heaven. Deliciously creamy, refined-sugar free sweet and very easy to make too!
Chocolate Einkorn Pastry | Barley White Chocolate Filling |
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- To make the chocolate pastry, place the einkorn flour, hazelnut meal, cocoa, erythriitol and butter in the bowl of a food processor and process until it resembles dry breadcrumbs. Add the egg and process until mixture just comes together. Turn onto a work surface and shape into a disc. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.
- Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Roll pastry out on a lightly floured surface to a disc large enough to fit a 22cm tart pan with removable base. Trim the edges and place in the fridge for 15 minutes to rest. Line with baking paper and fill with pastry weights or dried beans. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove the paper and pastry weights and bake for a further 10 minutes or until pastry is cooked through. Cool the pastry on a wire rack while prepare the filling.
- Bring the cream to the boil in a small saucepan. Place the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stand for 3 minutes. Stir the chocolate mixture until smooth. Add in coconut oil and barley grass powder. Stir until smooth.
- Pour the filling into the crust. Chill for at least 4 hours or overnight until set. Dust with cacao powder if desired.
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.