Sauerkraut Einkorn Chocolate Cake
Thursday, March 23, 2017Tender, moist chocolate cake made with wholegrain einkorn flour, wine fermented sauerkraut with a milk chocolate glaze and red peppercorns. Do rinse the sauerkraut in cold water to tame the salty and overly sour flavour. And finely chopping it up before adding to the batter so that they won't clump together in a tangle. You can serve the cake unglazed or simply dusted with icing sugar.
Sauerkraut Einkorn Chocolate Cake
inspired by Eat SmarterBatter | Glaze, optional |
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- Preheat the oven to 160C/320F. Line a 24cmx12cm loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Whisk together the einkorn flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a bowl. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, erythritol sweetener and coconut sugar with a hand-held mixer until light and fluffy. Add in eggs, one at a time, and vanilla powder. Beat well.
- Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add in about half of the flour mixture. Beat until just incorporated, then beat in coconut milk and the remaining flour mixture. Beat well until you have a smooth and thick batter. Now fold in the finely chopped wine fermented sauerkraut.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake in the middle of preheated oven for an hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Place the chopped milk chocolate and coconut oil in a heavy saucepan over very low heat, stirring constantly till the chocolate begins to melt. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and stir the chocolate until it is smooth. Spread the smooth chocolate over cake. Top with red peppercorns. Allow the chocolate to set. Slice and serve.
Baked Beef Empanadas
Thursday, March 16, 2017These empanadas have a hearty beef and lentil filling encased in crisp pastry crust flavoured with smoked paprika that I have adapted from Savoring Time in the Kitchen. Thanks, Susan!
Empanadas are popular throughout South America and traditionally these little meat pies are fried, but I prefer to make them slightly healthy by baking them. Serve these as appetizers at parties or as a simple lunch or dinner.
Minced Beef Filling | Pastry Dough |
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- For the filling: Heat butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic, stirring, for 5 minutes or until onion softens. Increase heat to high. Add minced beef and cook, stirring to break up any lumps, for 3 minutes or until browned. Stir in the paprika, cumin and chilli. Cook until aromatic. Add tomato puree, lentils and sultanas. Simmer until sauce thickens, about 6 minutes. Stir in chopped olives and season to taste. Cool completely.
- For the empanada dough: Combine the spelt flour, smoked paprika, and sea salt in a large bowl. Cut in the butter and rub until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. In a separate bowl, whisk the beaten egg, (reserving 1 tablespoon for brushing) and ice water together. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture to bring it together, then wrap in clingfilm and pop in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Line a large oven sheet with baking paper.
- On a floured table top, roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick. Then, cut fourteen 8cm rounds, using a pastry ring mould. Drop 1 tablespoon of beef mixture in the center of each round. Fold in half to enclose the filling, pinching the edges to seal. Crimp the edges using your fingers or the tines of a fork.
- Place empanadas on the prepared tray. Brush with the reserved egg and bake for about 20 minutes or until golden and crisp. Serve warm.
Buckwheat Fig Cookies with Chocolate#Vegan#Gluten-free#Grain-free#Dairy-free#Sugar-free
Thursday, March 09, 2017These cookies feature pseudo-cereal super-seed buckwheat, dried figs and vegan chocolate chips. They are gluten-free, grain-free, refined-sugar free, dairy-free and vegan. The buckwheat flour adds a hint of nuttiness, and it makes these cookies crisp on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside. You can use oat flour instead of buckwheat, and dates instead of figs.
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- Soak the dried figs in coconut milk for 30 minutes, then blend them into a thick paste.
- Whisk together the buckwheat flour, potato starch, baking powder and cardamom powder in a mixing bowl. Stir in fig paste until combined. Now fold in chocolate chips.
- Preheat the oven to 190C/375F. Divide the dough into 21 portions and shape each into a ball. Place them on the parchment lined baking trays. Gently flatten each dough ball into a cookie. Bake in the middle of hot oven for about 15 minutes until nicely golden brown.
Vegan White Chocolate Aroniaberry Bars with Raw Cacao Nibs
Thursday, March 02, 2017Delicious homemade dessert bars packed with nuts, figs, and creamy vegan white chocolate, delicately flavoured with aroniaberry powder. These nobake bars are a perfect sweet treat if you have an allergy, as they are gluten free, dairy free and vegan.
Crust | Filling |
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- Line a standard sized loaf pan with a plastic wrap. Place chopped dried figs, nuts, coconut oil and salt in a food processor and blend until the mixture comes together and is sticky.
- Press crust mixture firmly and evenly into the prepared pan to create an even layer. Place in the freezer to firm up.
- Place the vegan white chocolate, coconut oil, coconut milk and aronia berry powder in the top of your double boiler. Set aside.
- Fill the bottom half of a double boiler with about 1 inch of water. Heat the water over medium-high heat until it begins to boil. Reduce the heat to low. Now set the top of the double boiler with the white chocolate atop the boiling water.
- Stir gently until the chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Pour the mixture on top of the frozen crust and return to the freezer until set. Sprinkle the top with cacao nibs and pistachios. Slice and enjoy! Store the rest in the fridge.
Vegan Multi Seed Crackers
Thursday, February 23, 2017These 100% seed crackers, adapted from taste, are gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, paleo and vegan. The recipe features a variety of seeds, and is full of fiber, omega-3 fatty acids and minerals. Enjoy them with avocado, hummus or cheese.
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- li>Place all the ingredients in a bowl. Set aside, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until water has absorbed.
- Preheat the oven to 140C/280F fan-forced. Line 2 baking trays with non-stick baking paper.
- Press the seed mixture firmly, in a thin layer, onto each prepared tray, ensuring there are no gaps. Bake for 1 hour or until golden and crisp.
- Allow crackers to cool completely, then break into large pieces. Enjoy them with your favourite dips!
Coconut Flour Carrot Muffins with Raisins#Dairy Free#Gluten Free
Thursday, February 16, 2017
A simple carrot muffin recipe using organic coconut flour. These muffins are grain free, naturally gluten free, dairy free, and paleo friendly. If you have a nut allergy, just leave out the walnuts.
With all the healthy ingredients like coconut flour, coconut milk (I used Aroy-D with 17% fat) shredded carrots, maple syrup and walnuts, these make a great breakfast muffin or after school snack.
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- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease 4 jumbo or 8 regular muffin cups.
- Whisk together the coconut flour, vanilla powder, baking powder, baking soda, spices and pinch of sea salt in a bowl.
- Blend together the coconut milk, eggs, and maple syrup until smooth. Add the dried mixture into the coconut milk mixture and stir until just combined. Stir in grated carrots and raisins.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups and top with walnut halves. Bake 30 minutes for the jumbo size and 20 minutes for the regular.
Pardina Lentil Salad with Purple Potato and Snow Peas
Thursday, February 09, 2017The Pardina lentil, also known as 'Spanish Brown', has a distinctive nutty flavor, and it holds its shape well after being cooked, making it perfect for salads.
Easy to prepare, delicious, and hearty, this salad is substantial enough to work as a complete meal, but also great as a healthy side dish with some chicken or seafood.
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- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Place diced purple potato cubes in a baking tray. Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes until tender.
- Bring 500-ml water to boil in a saucepan. Add in pardina lentils. Return to boil, reduce heat and simmer until tender, approximately 20 minutes. Drain.
- Add in roasted purple potatoes, chopped kale, snow peas, onion, garlic and cherry tomatoes. Drizzle with the rest of the olive oil and apple cider vinegar. Toss and season to taste. Enjoy it right away!
Walnut Pear Spelt Cake
Thursday, February 02, 2017Pears and walnuts make a winning combination in this tender and moist spelt cake, based on this recipe. It is a perfect companion to a hot cup of freshly brewed tea on a chilly afternoon and guaranteed to become a favorite!
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- Peel and cut pears into quarters. Remove the cores and thinly slice one pear. Dice the rest of pears. Place sliced and diced pears in a bowl and toss with lemon juice.
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Grease and flour a standard loaf pan. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until creamy and the sugar is dissolved. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Whisk together the spelt flour, ground walnuts, baking powder and spices. Add half of flour mixture into the creamed mixture, fold to combine. Add in coconut milk, then rest of flour mixture. Fold until combined. Now fold in diced pears and sultanas.
- Spoon into the pan and smooth the surface. Arrange the sliced pears in the center of the cake and gently press into the mixture. Bake for 60 - 70 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and brush with the maple syrup or honey. Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with a little icing sugar if desired.
Spelt Emmer Twisted Bread with Almond Butter
Thursday, January 26, 2017The homemade almond butter between layers of soft dough makes this sweet yeast bread absolutely irresistible and perfect for breakfast or brunch. It is so easy to make and versatile-feel free to use any nut butter, chocolate spread or pesto for a savoury version.
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- Combine spelt bread flour, wholemeal emmer flour and coconut sugar in the bowl of your mixer. Make a well in the center.
- Heat the coconut drink until warm and add in coconut oil. Stir until melted and combined. Dissolve the fresh yeast in the coconut drink.
- Add yeast mixture and eggs, reserving 1 tablespoon to brush, to the well of the flour mixture. Mix on low speed until combined. Increase the speed and knead until elastic and soft, about 7 minutes. Put the kneaded dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic film or a clean tea towel and let rise until doubled in size, anywhere from 1 to 2 hours.
- Punch down the dough and divide into 8 portions and shape each into a ball. Roll each dough out to a 15-cm disc. Spread 40 grams of nut butter over the dough, leaving a 1-cm border. Roll up and press edge to seal. Using a sharp knife, cut roll in half lengthwise. With the cut sides facing up, press together one end of each half, one over the other, and continue until you have ‘braided’ the entire roll.
- Place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat with the rest of the dough balls. Cover with a tea towel and let rise a second time for approximately about 45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven 190C/375F. Brush the Bake the braided bread in the hot oven for about 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Rotate the tray halfway through cooking time, if needed, to ensure even baking.