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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.

Chocolate Oat Bar (GF, V)

By , December 14, 2024

‘We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude’.

The holidays can often feel stressful. It is the end of the year, and we naturally rush to get things finalized. It is the holidays, and many people travel to and from family. Gratuities, gifts, meetings and holiday parties start to enter the social calendar. In sum, an already busy life gets exponentially busier.

At its essence however the holidays are really about connection, community and love. Isn’t that what we are communicating with the presents we buy, the food we offer and the time we spend together? Yet, this can get lost in the busyness of it all.

When we take a moment to drop into our bodies, when take a deep breath and centre ourselves, we remember the essence of ourselves and by extension of the world around us. When we take time to be present, we can see the beauty in the simpler smaller things. This applies to the ordinary every day as well as the holidays.

This beautiful poem by Nikita Gill, is an acute reminder of reasons to treasure the beauty of the moment.

‘You will not know a last time, until long after it has happened.

The last time you felt the warmth of your mother’s hug.

The last time your father was able to lift you up and carry you on his shoulders.

The last time you shared half an orange with your brother.

Or the last late-night conversation with your best friend.

Perhaps if we knew which ending was forever, we would linger a little longer in each moment.

We would look at it like a diamond held up to the sunlight. Treasuring all the beautiful colours it brought into our lives.’

With gratitude this week to Gina Burgess for this beautiful no bake, vegan, gluten free chocolate oat bar. This was taste tested and approved of by my whole book club. ‘Delicious, light, rich and addictive’ where the comments.

Yield: One loaf

Ingredients

Base/Topping

  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • ½ cup coconut oil
  • 1/3 maple syrup
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • ¼ tsp. salt

Fudge filling

  • ½ cup dark chocolate
  • ¼ cup sunflower butter
  • 2 tsp. orange extract

Method

  • Grease and line a loaf tin with baking paper
  • Add the base/topping ingredients together in a bowl till well combined
  • Add ¾ of the mixture to the tin and press down. Place in the freezer.
  • Melt the chocolate in a bowl, whisk in the sunflower butter and orange extract
  • Pour on top of the base layer
  • Sprinkle the rest of the topping on the top and place back into the freezer for at least an hour
  • Remove from the freezer and cut into squares
  • Store in an airtight fridge or freezer

Almond Cardamom Cookies (GF, V)

By , December 7, 2024

‘Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive’

I was recently invited to a cookie party. My first one. It called for all bakers to bring their signature cookie to the table and swap cookies and recipes. I consider myself a savory cook more than a baker, but I was invited by my friend Ilene, and I never turn down an invitation to spend time with her.

I was a little nervous about presenting a cookie to bakers and so I tested out a number of recipes. One with oats, one with nuts and a beautiful healthy gluten free shortbread. As lovely as these cookies are they didn’t feel like they were my ‘signature’. In the end I made my infamous cardamom cookies. They are made with almond meal/flour, coconut oil, maple syrup, cardamom and rose water. They are delicious and healthful. They absolutely represent my food philosophy, healthy, vegan, sweet but from a nutritious sugar source and lightly spiced.

The day I made the cookies, I read the above quote in my daily reading of ‘the book of awakening’ by Mark Nepo (an Ilene recommendation). It reminded me to start with ‘who am I?’ and ‘what do I have to offer’ versus what do I think other people need or want from me. A cookie may seem a small item to be relating to who you are, but I believe in the old adage ‘how you do one thing is how you do everything’. It is like holding a mirror up to yourself.

On the day of the cookie swap, I presented my cookie, and it was unique to me and provoked a lot of wonderful conversations on Ayurveda, ingredients, health, Veganism and culinary character. The cookie was a gateway to representing who I was and by being true to that I was able to connect on a deeper level to those around me.

A life of passion makes us a healthy cell in the body of the world. So, I leave you with these questions. What makes you feel alive and can you make space for it?

Recipe time…

This is a light and fragrant cookie with cooling properties, due to the rose and cardamom and vanilla. Using almonds as the base will also keep you satiated.

You can make the almond meal by finely grinding almonds yourself, or to save time you can buy it. 

The recipe comes together easily and including baking time can be done in under 20 minutes. The raw dough is so tasty, that it is tempting to just stop there.

Cardamom is one of my favorite spices. It is an antioxidant, a natural tranquilizer, an antimicrobial and known to flush toxins from the system.

Rose water is a powerful antiseptic, contains antioxidants and in some studies has been found to have antidepressant and anti-anxiety properties. 

Vanilla is seen as a digestive, an aphrodisiac and when added to food, reduces the amount of sugar needed for sweetening.     

Ingredients

  • 1.5 cups almond meal (store-bought or home-made)
  • ½ tsp cardamom
  • ¾ tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 3 tbsp melted coconut oil
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tsp rose water
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

  • Pre-heat your oven to 375F and line a baking tray with parchment
  • Add the first four dry ingredients together and whisk to combine
  • Add in the rest of the ingredients and stir with a spoon till the mixture comes together. You should be able to pinch the mixture, and it hold together in your fingers
  • Role the mixture into small balls, the size of a quarter/50pence piece
  • Flatten slightly and place on baking tray
  • Bake in an oven for 8-10 minutes at 375F until starting to brown and a little firm
  • Let cool. As they cool, they will firm up a little more 

Cookies and Contentment (GF)

By , November 28, 2024

When psychologists began studying happiness in the 1980’s and 1990’s, they gave their research subjects pagers, and whenever they went off, they were to jot down how happy they were on a scale of one to ten and what had been going on to make them feel that way. After collecting thousands of responses, they found that pretty much everyone wrote down a seven regardless of what they were doing – grocery shopping, attending their kid’s soccer game. When bad things happened – someone was sick or going through a divorce – the rating would dip to between two and five but eventually pop back up to seven. When good things happened – a new job, a vacation – the rating would get a boost but eventually settle back down to a seven.
 
This constant seven most of us live at, toys with us. We think, if I could have this or do that, I would get to a ten and I’d stay there. We chase the impossible to have, all time ten. Psychologists call this the ‘hedonic treadmill’ because we are running after something only to end up in the same place.
 
When we practice contentment, accepting where we are right now, understanding that it will change, we will find joy. This invites us to enjoy the journey, to live in and appreciate the moment.  
 
So how do we cultivate contentment.
 
Gratitude – Gratitude can train our brains to be more positive in the present
Relationships – One of the few external factors that changes contentment levels, according to social research, is our relationships. When we’re in constant pursuit, it’s easy to give our time, energy and attention to the chase instead of our friends and family. Shifting our focus to the people in our lives helps us cultivate contentment.
Purpose – We can cultivate contentment by living a purposeful life – one that reflects our values, allows us to use our skills and contribute in some way*.
 
To help you along the way, here is a lovely healthy gluten free version of shortbread. It has almond, coconut flour and egg making it higher protein than the non-gluten version which is just flour, sugar and butter. It is light and rich as noted by multiple taste testers.

Yield: 10-30 cookies

Ingredients

  • 100g corn flour (masa not corn starch)
  • 100g rice flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 100g coconut flour
  • 100g almond meal
  • 100g icing sugar
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 250g cold butter, cut into cubes
  • 2 egg yolks

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 325F
  • Combine the flours, almond meal, icing sugar and salt. Add the butter and rub with your fingers until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs
  • Add the egg yolk and knead again with your hands until you have a smooth dough. Form into a ball. Dust a clean surface with rice flour and roll out the dough until 5mm thick.
  • Use a cookie cutter to cut out biscuits in whatever shape you prefer. Place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
  • Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden.
  • Let cool on the tray for 10 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack

*(Taken from Living the Sutra’s)

Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (GF, V)

By , November 23, 2024

‘Bake the world a better place’

More easy and wholesome cookies for the holidays. This one is an oat-based cookie and so a good grab and go for breakfast. It is also nut free. It holds its shape and texture when cool and lasts a while, if in the fridge. It’s a great way of using up ripe bananas as the banana is the only sweetener. On the chocolate chip, I like to use a bitter vegan carob for extra antioxidants, but feel free to use semi-sweet chocolate chips if your heart so desires. The heart wants what the heart wants, so they say.

Yield: 10-12 cookies

Ingredients

  • 2 medium bananas
  • 1.5 cups oatmeal
  • 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 350F
  • Line a baking tray with parchment paper
  • Add the bananas to a bowl and mash until broken down
  • Add the oats and gently stir until the mixture looks like a thick ‘batter’
  • Sprinkle the chocolate chips and mix till well combined
  • Scoop one heaping tablespoon of the dough into your clean hands and free form into a cookie
  • Place on a baking tray and bake till set through, c. 12-15 minutes

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.