Spelt Almond Bakewell Slices
Wednesday, August 10, 2016A classic English shortcrust pastry, adapted from taste, with a hidden layer of raspberry jam, on top of which is a almond-flavoured cake and a topping of flaked almonds. It freezes well and makes a wonderful treat for afternoon tea.
Pastry | Almond Cake |
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- Make Sweet Shortcrust Pastry: Place flour, sugar, vanilla powder and butter in a food processor. Process until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add yolk and iced water. Process until pastry just comes together, adding extra water if necessary. Turn out pastry onto a lightly floured surface. Knead gently until smooth. Shape into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Grease and line a 28cm square springform pan. Press the pastry into the bottom of the prepared pan. Prick the base with a fork and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Line pastry case with baking paper. Fill with pie weights or uncooked beans and blind-bake for 10 minutes. Remove the beans and paper. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes or until base is light golden. Set aside to cool slightly. Spread the pastry case with raspberry jam, leaving a 1cm gap around the edge. Reduce oven temperature to 160C/320F.
- Cream butter, raw sugar and vanilla powder until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in almond meal, spelt flour and baking powder. Spread the filling over the jam and sprinkle with flaked almonds.
- Bake for about 40 minutes until nicely golden brown and the filling is just firm to the touch. Stand in pan to cool completely. Cut into slices and serve.
Cherry, Raspberry and Watermelon salad with Fig Balsamic Syrup
Wednesday, August 03, 2016Beat the heat with this light, juicy, and amazingly refreshing watermelon salad drizzled with a sweet, tart and fruity fig balsamic vinegar syrup. You can crumble over some feta to add a savoury bite and chopped pistachios for an added crunch to this fruit salad.
Cherry, Raspberry and Watermelon salad with Fig Balsamic Syrup
adapted from taste
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- Use a large sharp knife to cut the watermelon into 1cm-thick slices. Use 3cm, 6cm and 8cm star-shaped pastry cutters to cut shapes from the watermelon.
- Arrange the watermelon, cherries, raspberries and lemon balm leaves on a serving platter. Drizzle the syrup over and serve immediately.
Low Carb Coconut Flour Zucchini Bread
Wednesday, July 27, 2016A delicious and moist low carbs coconut flour zucchini bread that is also grain free, gluten free and refined-sugar free.
Coconut flour is made from the coconut solids that are left over after the meat been used to produce coconut milk. The solids are ground into a very fine, flour-like powder. It is high in fiber and protein. Unlike some gluten free flours, coconut flour absorbs a tremendous amount of liquid, so you will find that a 1:1 substitution for flour will be far too dry. In baked goods, you generally want to substitute 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup coconut flour for 1 cup flour. You will also need to increase the number of eggs.
Low Carb Coconut Flour Zucchini Bread
adapted from smallfootprintfamily
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- Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Lightly grease a 10cmx20cm loaf pan. Line base and sides with baking paper.
- Combine coconut flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together into a bowl. In another large bowl, whisk together eggs, maple syrup, coconut oil, mashed banana and white balsamic vinegar. Stir in zucchini and roasted salted peanuts.
- Lightly fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture until just incorporated. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, levelling the top.
- Bake for about 50 minutes or until loaf is cooked when tested with a skewer. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Turn loaf onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Blackberry Goat Cheese Mousse Tart
Wednesday, July 20, 2016This fresh goat cheese mousse tart with blackberries and a buttery wholegrain cookie crust, adapted from 'Pastry' by master chef Michel Roux, is so deliciously light and fruity. The mousse is sweetened with pure stevia syrup, but feel free to swap out and use raw sugar or maple syrup instead.
Crust (adapted from 'Pastry' by Michel Roux) | Blackberry Goat Cheese Mousse |
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- Heap the flour on the counter and make a well. Put the butter, egg, maple syrup and salt in the middle. With your fingertips, mix the ingredients in the well.
- Now little by little, draw the flour into the center and work the dough with your fingertips to a grainy texture. Add the cold water and mix it in until the dough begins to hold together.
- Using the palm of your hand, push the dough away from you 4 or 5 times until it is smooth. Roll the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for an hour.
- Roll out the dough to a 3 mm thickness and line a loose-bottomed oblong tart pan, measuring 35x11x2.5 cm and a 12 cm round pan. Chill for about 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 190C/375F. Prick the pastry shell bases. Line the shells with baking paper and fill with a layer of dried beans to weigh the dough down and prevent it from rising unevenly.
- Bake the shells blind for 18-20 minutes. Lower the oven setting to 170C/340F. Remove the beans and paper and return the shells to the oven for about 8 minutes. Remove and leave in the pans to cool completely before using for the filling.
- Soak the gelatine granules in water in a bowl for 5 minutes. Warm up the frozen blackberries and stevia syrup in a saucepan over low heat until the berries are thawed. Don't let the mixture boil. Puree the mixture and pass through a fine sieve. Now add the soaked gelatine in the warm berry mixture and stir until dissolved. Set aside and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
- Add fresh goat cheese and vanilla powder. Mix until well combined. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 to 45 minutes, or until starting to set.
- Whip the heavy cream lightly to soft peaks, then fold it into the berry mixture. Pour into the crust bases and leave to chill for 4 hours or overnight, until set. Garnish the tart with fresh blackberries,edible flowers and lemon balm leaves.
Coconut, Bee Pollen, Oat and Chia Muesli Bars
Thursday, July 14, 2016Chewy, filling, and packed with natural energy, these oaty nutty muesli bars are made with immune-boosting bee pollen, coconut, almonds, chia, and honey. They are a good source of carbohydrates, protein, healthful fat and fiber. Take them camping, pack in lunch box or as breakfast on the go!
Coconut, Bee Pollen, Oat and Chia Muesli Bars
inspired by Donna Hay
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- Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Place the coconut oil, honey and sugar in a small saucepan over low heat and cook, stirring, for 3–4 minutes or until melted and combined.
- Pour into a large bowl and add the oats, coconut, bee pollen, almonds, chia seeds, dates and cinnamon and mix well to combine.
- Spoon into a lightly greased 20cm x 30cm baking pan lined with non-stick baking paper. Flatten the mixture using the back of a spoon. Bake for 25 minutes or until dark golden. Set aside to cool completely. Lift the slice from the pan and cut into bars to serve.
Oakleaf Salad with Feta, Blackberries and Apricots
Thursday, July 07, 2016Mild, sweet and delicate oakleaf lettuce pairs wonderfully with slightly bitter radicchio, salty Feta, juicy fruits and paprika cashews in this easy healthy salad. Substitute lollo rosso for red oak leaf lettuce and leave out Feta or use some smoked tofu instead if you want to keep it vegan.
Salad | Dressing |
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- Arrange the salad leaves on serving plates and top with feta cubes, apricot wedges, blackberries, herbs and scatter the paprika cashew nuts over.
- For the dressing, mix white balsamic vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper and olive oil. Toss gently and serve.
Quinoa, Coconut Flour Einkorn Banana Bread (Sugar Free, Dairy Free)
Thursday, June 30, 2016A deliciously healthy banana bread made with a mix of freshly milled einkorn flour, defatted coconut flour and quinoa flour. It's dairy free, sugar free, packed with nutrients and perfect for breakfast or a healthy snack in between meals.
Wet Ingredients | Dry Ingredients |
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- Preheat your oven to 180C/350F. Grease and line base of a large 13cm x 21cm loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In a blender, add in overripe bananas, eggs, pumpkin seed oil, sunflower seed butter and brandy. Process all the ingredients until smooth .
- Sift together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, vanilla powder and spices together in a large bowl and pour the wet mixture onto the dry mixture, folding gently but thoroughly.
- Pour into the prepared pan. Smooth the surface. Sprinkle the surface with 1 tablespoon of sunflower seeds if desired and bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into centre comes out clean. Set aside in pan for 10 minutes to cool before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and serve with sunflower seed maca butter.
Beluga Lentil Zottarella Salad with Fresh Turmeric Vinaigrette
Thursday, June 23, 2016Tiny, black and round with a rich earthy flavour and chewy texture, beluga lentils are named for the caviar they resemble. They hold their shape and firm texture when cooked, making them a good choice for salads. You can easily replace them with French green lentils. Fresh turmeric is the star in this anti-inflammatory dressing that adds incredible flavour and texture to this comforting salad.
Fresh Turmeric Vinaigrette | Salad |
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- To make the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a jar and shake until well combined. Chill until ready for use.
- Fill a medium pot with 700 ml water and bring it to a boil. Add in rinsed black lentils and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until tender but still firm. Drain immediately through a fine strainer and rinse briefly with cool water. Drain again, set aside and allow to cool.
- In a large bowl, toss the cooled lentils with half of the dressing. Add the zottarella minis, peaches, parsley and basil and toss briefly. Divide the spinach leaves on two serving plates and spoon the lentil salad over. Serve with the additional dressing.