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Recipe Blog

LET FOOD BE THY MEDICINE AND MEDICINE BE THY FOOD

My wish for you is to Live Better, Strive Harder, Be Bolder, Dream Bigger, Climb Higher and Seek Greater.
My vision is to help people create food that is delicious, easy to make and high in nutrition,
so that food once more becomes a vehicle to fuel your body, mind and soul.

Pumpkin Bread (GF)

By , November 13, 2024

‘Pumpkin spice and everything nice’

Mr B loves all things about the end of year season. He loves the build up to the holidays, the holiday decorations, candy canes and of course America’s favorite pumpkin spice.

I usually make my own pumpkin spice as I like to play around with the spicing and source my own ingredients. There are also some lovely options for pre-made these days and I lean on and for that I use ‘Simply Organic’.

This recipe make a really beautiful bread, although you may want to think of it as a cake as it does have a sweetness to it. It is fragrant when baking and you get that same fragrance when eating, which is rare.

The pumpkin puree gives a lot of moisture, so it’s a slightly longer bake than you would normally give, but the cake comes out with a lovely soft texture and harder top from the cinnamon sugar crumble.

I’m not as big a fan of the season as my husband. I will try my hardest however to create new memories for Baby B and so hitching onto Mr B’s sentimental exuberance seems like a fun way to go.

This recipe is my starter for 10. Try it, it’s delicious an may put you in the holiday mood too.

Ingredients

  • 1 15oz can organic pumpkin puree
  • 120ml olive oil or 115g butter (melted)
  • 3 large eggs
  • 330g cups granulated sugar
  • 1.5 tsp. baking powder
  • ¾ tsp. baking soda
  • ¾ tsp. sea salt
  • 2 tsp. pumpkin spice
  • 295g GF all-purpose flour

To finish

  • 12g granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Method

  • Pre-heat the oven to 350F. Butter/grease a 6-cup loaf pan
  • In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, oil. Eggs and sugar until smooth
  • Sprinkle baking powder. Baking soda, salt, pumpkin spice and whisk till well combined.
  • Add the flour and stir with a spoon until completely mixed.
  • Scrape into prepared pan and smooth top
  • In a small dish, stir the sugar and cinnamon together. sprinkle over the top of the batter.
  • Bake the bread for 75 minutes, turning once.
  • Use a toothpick to test the cake, it is ready when it comes out clean
  • Cool the bread in the tin. This makes sure that the sugar crust top adheres.

If you want more pumpkin ideas. Consider trying my pumpkin pecan granola, sweet potato and pumpkin soup, maple glazed pumpkin donuts and/or pumpkin waffles.

Nut Banana Cookies (GF, V)

By , November 7, 2024

‘C is for cookie and that’s good enough for me’ – Cookie monster

I am on another mission to get more nuts into Baby B’s diet. Since daycare’s quite understandably don’t allow nuts, all his intake has to be at home. He loves cookies, what kid doesn’t? So I thought this would be a fun way to integrate them.

You can use whatever combination of nuts you like. I used cashews, walnuts and pecans. The smell of roasting nuts is so delightful, it automatically warms your home. I love the spicing here too, cardamom for calm and cinnamon for heat.

They only take 20ish minutes including prep, so you can make them with your little one too. Just remember to make sure the bananas are ripe, as that is where the sweetness comes from. This is also a great way to use up those ripe bananas, so there is less food waste from your kitchen.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/3 cups different types of nuts (walnut, pecan, cashews)
  • 2 ripe bananas, peeled and chopped
  • 1 tsp. vanilla powder
  • ½ tsp. cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp. cardamom
  • ¼ tsp. sea salt
  • 1 tbsp. raisins

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
  • Use a blender to grind the nuts to a coarse crumble (see picture of the final product, you should still be able to see the nuts) add to a bowl.
  • Add your banana to the bowl, along with the vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom and salt and mix until there are no lumps in the bananas
  • Stir in the raisins
  • At this point you should have a ‘dough’ mixture that comes together. Roll tablespoons of the dough into balls and pat the cookies down to c. ¼ inch
  • Place on the prepared baking tray
  • Bake for 20 minutes
  • To prevent burning flip after 15 minutes. if they are not firm enough to flip, leave for a couple more minutes
  • 20 minutes is the maximum they need, as they firm when cooling also
  • Cool on a rack

Construction Cake

By , October 29, 2024

‘Sweet as cake and cute as can be’

I have some lovely photos and memories of birthday cakes my mum used to make for me and my brother and as I got older that I use to help her decorate. Castle cakes, football stadiums and a computer cake are in the top. So, when it came to Baby B’s construction cake, I had to make it myself.

I found this amazing recipe on BBC Food by Jane Hornby. It said it took under an hour, which it did and so I thought I would give it a go. It was exactly true to form. If you need a great chocolate cake or a construction cake, please give this a go.

Baby B and 15 other children, approved.  

Ingredients

  • 250g unsalted butter
  • 50ml whole milk
  • 150g whole natural yogurt
  • ½ tsp. vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs
  • 250g brown sugar
  • 250g self-raising flour
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 50g cocoa powder

For the buttercream

  • 2 tbsp. cocoa powder
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • 200g unsalted butter
  • 300g icing sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract

To decorate

  • Large round cake board
  • 2 plastic diggers, one dump trunk
  • 9 x four-finger KitKats
  • Handful of smarties
  • Marker pen
  • 10x5cm rectangle cardboard
  • 1 drinking straw
  • Sticky tape

Method

  • Heat the oven to 350F/180c. Use a little butter to grease the sides and bases of two 20-22cm sandwich tins. Melt the rest of the butter in a small saucepan. Off the heat, add the milk, yogurt and vanilla, followed by the eggs. Beat well with a fork.
  • Put the dry ingredients plus ¼ tsp salt into a large bowl. Whisk to combine – this aerates and saves sifting. Tip the wet ingredients and whisk to a smooth, silky batter.
  • Pour the batter straight into the prepared tins and put into the middle shelf of the oven. Bake for 25 minutes or until risen and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cakes come out clean. Cool for at least 10 minutes in the tin, then carefully invert the cakes and leave to cool upside down on a cooling rack
  • Make the buttercream. Stir the cocoa into 2 tbsp. milk until smooth. Put the butter into a large bowl and sift the icing sugar on top. Add the cocoa mixture, vanilla and a pinch of salt. Beat for a few minutes with electric beaters or a wooden spoon if you don’t have it. Make sure it is creamy and spreadable. Add the extra 1 tsp. milk if you need to.
  • Place one of the cakes towards the back of the plate and fix it with a little of the buttercream to stop it slipping about. Spread ¼ of the buttercream across the cake.
  • Sandwich the second cake on top. With a small, serrated knife, cut away a scallop-shaped crater from the top cake. Cut about halfway down into the sponge and removing about a quarter of the top of the cake. Keep the piece you removed. Position two diggers on the top of the cake to see if your crater is about the right size and shape, then set them aside again.
  • Using a palette knife, paddle the rest of the buttercream evenly over the top of the cake and down its sides. Make sure that the edge of the excavated area is defined.
  • Snap the ends from enough of the four-fingered chocolate wafer bars to follow the edge of the excavated area, then press them into the buttercream. Now fix the rest of the whole fingers around the side of the cake.
  • Crumble the cake that you removed in step 6, to make the soil. Part-fill the excavated hole with the soil, adding a few sugar-coated chocolate buttons in various colors. Position the diggers on top and put some soil and multicolored chocolate buttons into their buckets.
  • Fill a lorry or dump truck with more crumbs and multicolored chocolate buttons, and let some of the soil and spill over the edge of the cake and the broken chocolate wafer bars
  • Use the marker to write your message on the card and draw some diagonal black lines. Cut the straight part of the straw into two equal pieces, then fix these to the back of the card with tape to make a sign. Position the sign at the back of the cake.

Swiss Chard with Pecan Sunflower Seed Streusel (GF, V)

By , October 25, 2024

‘Something scattered or sprinkled’ – Streusel definition

You normally associate a streusel topping with baking, it is the crumb that is scattered on a pie or bread. From my experience it is one of the most delicious and coveted part of the baked good. I don’t have a sweet tooth, so I was pleasantly surprised to see that streusel has a savoury application.

I first noticed this recipe on the Anson Mills website, a regenerative crop farmer and producer. They used benne seeds, which are an African crop that was brought to America in the late 18th century. When heated in cooking they have a lovely nuttiness and deep honey like tone. Benne seeds uniquely accentuate any umami in the dish, making it an unparalleled culinary ingredient.

I wanted to introduce you to Benne Seeds, but if you don’t have them, you can use sesame seeds or sunflower seeds instead. All have immense culinary and nutrient profiles.

This streusel is so tasty that I recommend you make it in bulk and sprinkle it over other veggies too.

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup chopped pecans
  • 1.5 tbsp. benne seeds/sesame seeds/sunflower seeds
  • 2 tbsp. EVOO
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 bunches Swiss chard, stemmed, washed, dried and chopped
  • 2 tbsp. butter

Method

  • Warm a skillet and toast the pecans over a low medium heat, moving it constantly for 2 minutes. add the sunflower seeds and continue to toast, until both have a little color and start to smell ‘toasty’. Place in a small bowl.
  • Wipe out the skillet and add the olive oil, warm over a medium heat. Add the Swiss chard and after it has started to wilt add the garlic, keep tossing. Add a little salt. Cover and steam for a minute or so and then place in your serving bowl.
  • In the same skillet, melt the butter, add the pecan and sunflower mix and sauté for 30 seconds. Add a little salt and then drizzle over the chard.
  • Serve hot.

Quick Squash Noodle Soup (GF, V)

By , October 17, 2024

‘Advice from a pumpkin; be well rounded, get plenty of sunshine, give thanks for life’s bounty, have thick skin, keep growing, be outstanding in your field, think big’

Creamy coconut and mellow squash are a lovely seasonal addition to a traditional Thai inspired soup. The sweetness serves to balance out some of the powerful and fiery notes. It is also a great way to do a veggie and protein clear out from the fridge.

Mr. B and Grandma approved.

Ingredients

  • 500g of pumpkin or butternut squash, cut into 1×1 inches
  • 2 shallots, finely sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 tbsp. red curry paste
  • 500ml fresh vegetable or chicken stock
  • 160ml small can of coconut cream
  • 180g pack of rice noodles
  • Any other left-over veggies or protein you have (I used broccoli, green beans, baby corn and carrot batons)

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 350F
  • In a large bowl, mix the pumpkin with some olive oil and sprinkle over a little salt
  • Roast for 25 minutes or until you start to see the squash starting to caramelize
  • Fry the shallots in a little oil until starting to soften, c. 30 seconds. Add the garlic and stir, add the red curry paste and stir. Add the stock and bring to a simmer, simmer for 2-3 minutes.
  • In the meantime, add the noodles according to the packet instructions. Once ready drain and rinse with cold water, set aside.
  • Add the coconut cream to the broth, bring to a simmer
  • Taste and if you need more salt, add a little tamari or coconut aminos
  • Divide the noodles and pumpkin between bowls. Add any other protein or veggies you are using.
  • Ladle over the broth
  • Optional: garnish with fresh herbs and fried onions

Orange and Cranberry Scones (GF, V)

By , October 11, 2024

‘We may usefully consider, then, the value of oranges. They are, of course, one of the most universally enjoyed of fruits…but they have other qualities besides their natural succulence and delectability. They are a symbol of the sweetness and peace which follow upon bitterness and storm. The oranges…are the visible fruits and invisible graces.

This is a delicious alternative recipe for scones, using almonds and oats which are natural and nutritionally dense. The orange zest and cranberries give a lovely aroma when baking, a little like Christmas.

The recipe is from Dr Mark Hyman, a functional medical doctor focusing his recipes on clean eating and inflammation.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups fine almond flour
  • ¾ cup oat flour, plus more for dusting
  • ¼ cup coconut sugar
  • ¼ cup coconut cream
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp. sea salt
  • ½ cup coconut oil, unmelted
  • 2 tbsp. fresh orange zest
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ cup cranberries

Glaze

  • ¼ cup coconut cream
  • 1 tbsp. fresh orange juice
  • 2 tbsp. powdered sugar

Method

  • In a large bowl, combine the almond and oat flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt
  • In the same bowl add the coconut oil and use clean hands to break the mixture into crumbs
  • In a separate bowl combine ¼ cup coconut cream, orange zest and eggs and beat till combined
  • Add the dry ingredients a little at a time while stirring with a wooden spoon. The dough should not be sticky, if it is add almond flour a little at a time
  • Transfer the dough to the fridge for 10 minutes until firm
  • Preheat the oven to 375F and line a tray with parchment paper
  • Make the glaze by mixing together and set aside
  • After 10 minutes in the fridge, remove the bowl and add the cranberries. Gently incorporate.
  • Prepare a large cutting board and dust with a little oat flour, flatten to a circle 1.5 inches thick. Cut into 10 wedges.
  • Place scones evenly on the baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
  • When ready remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes, before drizzling with the glaze.
  • Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Joy Bauer’s Crispy Carrot Parmesan (GF, V)

By , September 28, 2024

‘If you truly get in touch with a piece of carrot, you get in touch with the soil, the rain, the sunshine’

I wanted to add more carrots into Baby B’s diet and so decided to try I few recipes. Carrot Souffle first, big thumbs down, crispy carrot parmesan next, he was indifferent, plain grated and chopped up carrots a winner. Sometimes you just need options to realise the original is the best. That is certainly the case with a toddler.  

Mr B and I however found this dish incredibly addictive. It’s salty, cheesy and crunchy from the carrots. It’s great as a canape or a side.

Ingredients

  • 4 medium carrots, grated
  • 1.5 cups parmesan, grated
  • Oil spray

Method

  • Preheat an oven to 400c. Line a baking tray with parchment paper
  • Peel the carrots, using kitchen paper squeeze out as much water as possible
  • Sprinkle 1 cup of parmesan evenly over the parchment paper, add the carrot shreds, disturbing them equally
  • Mist the top of the carrots with oil spray, holding the bottle high so you don’t get a parmesan dust storm
  • Sprinkle the rest of the parmesan on top
  • Cook in the oven for 15-20 minutes until browned and crispy
  • Let cool and break into pieces

Sotiris Greek Gigantes Beans (GF, V)

By , September 19, 2024

‘Greek cuisine: a love affair between taste and tradition’

This is a classic Greek recipe, consisting of giant beans baked in tomato sauce with plenty of herbs. It has a little bit of process to it, but it is well worth the investment.

First you cook the dried beans, then the sauce, then you combine and bake. This leads to deep layers of delish flavour.

I first discovered this version of the recipe from my friend Sotiris. Everything he cooks, is packed with flavour, so complex and so comforting. He understands how to layer flavours and make simple splendid food. Happy Birthday Chef, so lucky to be a taster of your food.

Ingredients

  • 500g giant beans
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 3 sticks celery, diced
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 3 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 stick cinnamon
  • 2bay leaves
  • 1tbsp. sugar
  • 1 tbsp. tomato paste
  • 400g canned tomatoes
  • 300g water
  • Lemon zest, one lemon
  • 1 chicken bouillon cube, or vegetable stock

Method

  • Soak the beans in a bowl full of water and a little salt for 12-24 hours. When ready, drain and rinse
  • Transfer beans to a pot add water and heat. When the water comes to a boil bring down to a simmer and cook till soft, c. 1 hour. When ready, drain and set aside
  • Place the same pot over a low medium heat, heat the oil and add the onion, celery, carrots and garlic with a pinch of salt. Cook for a few minutes
  • Add the cinnamon, bay leaves, sugar and tomato paste, mix well
  • Add the chopped tomatoes, water, lemon zest, bouillon or stock and the beans
  • Remove pot from the heat
  • Transfer to an oven proof baking dish
  • Cover with foil and cook for c. 1hour until the beans are ‘smiling’. They are ‘smiling’ when they are soft and starting to smell fragrant. Uncover the beans and cook till they are ‘happy’. They are happy when there is a crust on top.
  • Mix in fresh herbs such as dill and parsley, just before serving.

Nonna’s Fig Jam (GF, V)

By , September 12, 2024

‘No thing great is created suddenly, any more than a bunch of grapes or a fig. if you tell me, you desire a fig, I answer you that there must be time. Let it blossom then bear fruit, then ripen’ – Epictetus

Mr B’s father brought over fig trees from Italy when he first immigrated over 50 years ago. Every year there is a lovely run up in the summer when they start producing a few figs a week.  At some point however they get impatient and start producing 100’s at a time. We end up with boxes and boxes to be distributed to lucky family members and friends.

My mother-in-law used to make this lovely fig jam that we all received around this time of year. It was delicious and addictive and we would add it to yogurt, ice cream, cheese or just eat it straight out of the jar. In recent years she has stopped spending so much time in the kitchen and so I have slowly been trying out her recipes, so I can carry on the tradition for my husband and make them for Baby B to try.

This is an easy recipe and way to use your fig yield. I used Jaggery instead of cane sugar, as it has added nutrients. It is made by boiling raw, concentrated sugarcane juice till it takes a solid form.

Jaggery – It contains more mineral content because of its molasses content. It has manganese, magnesium, potassium and iron.

Figs – Have a wide range of nutrients and are particularly rich in copper and B6. They are high in fibre and help to promote digestive health.

Ingredients

  • 2lb Figs, topped and quartered
  • 1.5 cups sugar (I used Jaggery)
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • ½ cup water
  • 4 one-inch-thick strips of lemon or orange peel

Method

  • In a large steal pan, add all the ingredients
  • Bring them to a boil and then down to a simmer
  • Simmer for 35-45 minutes or until it has reached your desired thickness, stir every so often to stop it sticking
  • Let cool slightly, take out the peel and then pour into a glass jar
  • Store for up to 3 months in the fridge

Tietong’s Okra with Dynamite Sauce (GF, V)

By , September 7, 2024

‘Cooking is the ultimate giving’

This is a dish that was made for me by a friend for lunch. It was so wonderful to be cooked for and for someone to take what they know I like and present a dish from their childhood for me to try.
 
My friend had no name for this dish as she just ate it growing up. She said it was simply okra with a spring onion/garlic sauce. I am calling it dynamite sauce as when I tried it, and indeed when Mr. B tried it he said he could eat it every day on everything. The sauce is so simple to make, I would batch it and just add it to any dish as a sauce or even a chutney. I think the addiction has a lot to do with the many layers of umami and caramelization that comes with the onions, garlic, Tamari and the little bit of sugar at the end. You could leave out the end sugar, as the onions are sweet enough.
 
I love Okra this way, it is almost raw, and you don’t get the stickiness you do when you cook it for a longer period. It is also great that this makes for a 10-minute meal.

Okra is one of the best vegetables you can add to your diet. It is full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and helps facilitate blood sugar management and better digestion and detoxification.

Ingredients
 
-1 bag okra (c. 20)
-2 bunches of spring onions, washing and chopped
-4 garlic gloves, crushed
-1-2 tbsp. tamari
-1 tsp. sugar
-½ tsp. black vinegar (optional)
 
Method
– Boil a pot of water, add ½ tsp salt. Add the Okra for one minute, drain and wash in cold water to cool down. Set aside.
– Add 2 tbsp. of oil to a pan. Heat to a medium high heat. Add the garlic and spring onion with a pinch/ ¼ tsp salt and keep moving in the pan until they start to wilt – just a few minutes.
– Add the tamari, stir. Add the black vinegar. Taste for salt. Add more tamari if needed
– Take off the heat and add the sugar. Mix thoroughly. (I used maple syrup, use whatever you have)
– Cut the Okra top and bottom off the Okra and cut in half.  Lay out on a plate.
– Add the sauce/topping.