Sunshine Salad

With this super amazingly hot weather, my body has given me strict orders to eat salad, salad and more salad. Over the next few days, I will be sharing these salads with you.

The first salad makes use of broccoli. The word broccoli comes from the Italian plural of broccolo, which refers to the flowering top of a cabbage.

Broccoli is high in vitamins C, K and A as well as dietary fiber and also contains multiple nutrients with potent anti-cancer, anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties.

A high intake of broccoli has been found to reduce the risk of aggressive prostate cancer and has also shown to be beneficial in the prevention of heart disease.

~Wikipedia~

Broccoli Salad with Sunflower Seeds:
(Serves 1 as a main and 2 as a side)

Ingredients:

1 Head of Broccoli, Florets removed
Handful Sunflower Seeds
Handful Fresh Mint, Roughly Torn
Handful Dill, Roughly Torn
5 - 6 Radishes, Sliced
Lemon Infused Olive Oil
Fresh Lemon Juice
Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Cook the broccoli florets in boiling salted water for a few minutes
Refresh in ice cold water, to retain their colour
Make the dressing with the olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper
Tumble the broccoli into a bowl and sprinkle over the sunflower seeds, mint, dill and radish
Toss in the dressing

This salad would be scrumptious with a simply cooked piece of fish or chicken or could even work as a braai side.

Remember to enter the October Cinnamon Sue Competition. Entries close on 31 October 2010. Good luck :)

Organic Veggie Box Series - Part 1

About 3 weeks ago, I promised to share the recipes I created from my organic box of veggies. I don't know where the time went - it definitely got the better of me and I am already onto another box of veggies and some more recipes...

Without further ado - here is the first recipe in the "Organic Veggie Box Series".

Beetroot Risotto:
(Serves 2 - 3)

Ingredients:

4 - 5 Beetroot, Quartered
Juice of 1 Orange
1 Cinnamon Stick
1 tsp Cumin
Herbal Salt and Pepper to Taste
1 tsp Fructose
2 Cups Water
1 Large Leek, Sliced
1 Cup Risotto Rice
Olive Oil for Frying

Directions:

Combine beetroot, orange juice, cinnamon stick, cumin, herbal salt and pepper, fructose and water into a pot and put onto boil - this is your stock
Strain liquid once beetroot is tender - cook for about 10 minutes - you should have at least 3 cups of stock
Reserve the beetroot for later
Fry the leek in olive oil until tender
Add the rice and fry for a further few minutes
Ladle one spoon of beetroot liquid at a time into the rice until it has been absorbed - stirring continuously
Continue until all the liquid has been absorbed
Chop up about 2 cooked beetroots and add to the pot
Your risotto should be ready after 20 minutes
Serve with beetroot crisps and rocket

To make the beetroot crisps - thinly slice a beetroot, brush each slice with olive oil, chilli flakes, herbal salt, a little ground cinnamon and bake in the oven until crispy

With any leftover cooked beetroot - make a simple beetroot salad. Combine beetroot with a few spring onions, lemon, olive oil, herbs of your choice such as mint or basil, salt and pepper

I just love the colour on this - don't you? What a statement! I think this would go wonderfully with a tender chicken breast, calamari tubes or a simple piece of fish. It was wonderful on its own though - a perfect summer dish, eaten in the garden - heaven!

When the Craving Speaks - Eat Pasta!

All this talk of pasta over the last few days on Food24, really got me craving it!

I recently discovered the Orgran range of products and have been using their lasagne sheets for a while and this week I tried the rice and corn penne. The texture was brilliant - just the way I love my al dente pasta. It is the closest I have come to the real thing in a long time - I was overjoyed! Most of Orgran's products are also Gluten, Wheat, Egg, Dairy and Yeast Free! Orgran is approved by Allergen Free International, which means that all of their products are made in a totally gluten free facility - how refreshing! Total peace of mind! A lovely lady, Vivienne, also told me that Pick 'n Pay is now stocking maize pasta as part of the Puccini range - she says that it doesn't go all "gluey" like other makes tend to do. I haven't found it yet, but that's really good news! I have just been told by a really good source that the Pick 'n Pay Pasta says "may contain traces of gluten".  Orgran can be found at Dischem and most health shops.

Pumpkin and Roasted Baby Tomato Penne:
(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

Orgran Rice and Corn Penne, For Two
1 Onion, Finely Diced
1 Packet Diced Pumpkin
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon Fructose
1/4 Teaspoon Chilli Flakes (Optional)
1 Cup Good Quality Vegetable Stock (I use Woolies Organic Vegetable Stock - Yeast, Gluten & Garlic Free)
1/3 Cup Rice, Soya or Coconut Milk (I used Rice Milk)
Olive Oil for Frying
Herbal Salt and Black Pepper to Taste

Half Punnet Baby Tomatoes, Halved
1/2 Teaspoon Fructose
Drizzle of Olive Oil
Herbal Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Heat oven to 150 degrees Celsius
Season tomatoes with salt, pepper and fructose and drizzle with olive oil
Roast in the oven while everything else is cooking
Put pasta onto boil, drain and set aside when al dente
Fry onion and add pumpkin when translucent
Add cinnamon, fructose and chilli and stir
Add vegetable stock and allow to simmer until stock has reduced
Add rice milk and salt and pepper to taste
When the pumpkin is tender, blend until smooth
Serve over the pasta, sprinkled with roasted baby tomatoes

Pea Dumplings in Chinese Broth

As I mentioned yesterday, I love cooking shows and right now I am hooked on Masterchef Australia!

One of the episodes involved cooking Chinese meals and Julia made an inspiring dumpling recipe in broth.

I was itching to try my hand at some gluten free dumplings. I am sure normal dumplings are hard enough to make because gluten free dumplings did prove to be laughably challenging - luckily I attempted them on Sunday - so I had quite a few hours to play around. The end result was tasty, but I need to work on getting the dough extra thin I think - so this is my challenge to myself for the next while. I will report back on my progress shortly.

Seeing as I was in the spring spirit, I decided to attempt another recipe using peas. I have no idea what went into Julia's broth, so decided to wing it and I used maize flour in my dumplings - so they are more Mexican meets Chinese meets Leaine's Kitchen :)

Pea Dumplings in Chinese Broth:
(Makes 15 - 20 Dumplings and Broth for Two - Increase the broth quantities if you want to cook for more people)

Ingredients:

Dumpling Dough:

1 Cup Yellow Maize Flour (*Earth Products)
1 Cup White Rice Flour (*Health Connection)
1 Cup Boiling Water (Add a bit more if it doesn't all stick together the first time)
1 Teaspoon Salt

Filling:

1 Cup Peas
6 Baby Salad Onions, Sliced
1/4 Teaspoon Dried Mint
4 Teaspoons Soya Cream
1 Teaspoon Soya Sauce
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Chinese Broth:

1 Cup Good Vegetable Stock (I used Organic Liquid Vegetable Stock from Woolies)
1 Lemon Grass Stalk, Bruised to Release Oils
1/4 Teaspoon Dried Chilli
2 Cloves
1 Cinnamon Stick
5 Salad Onions, Sliced
1 Teaspoon Ground Coriander
1 Knob Ginger, Sliced
1 Teaspoon Fructose
1 Tablespoon Soya Sauce - Gluten Free and Yeast Free such as *"Bragg Liquid Aminos"
1 Teaspoon Fish Sauce
1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt
Squeeze of Lemon Juice
1 Cup Water

Canola Oil for Frying

*These products can be found at most health shops

Directions:

Start with the filling and blend all ingredients together in a blender until they form a paste
Add all the broth ingredients to a pot and put onto boil, after a few minutes reduce heat and allow to simmer
Mix the dough ingredients together and roll out on a floured surface until very thin
Cut circles out of the dough
Put a small amount of the pea filling onto each circle and seal it up into a moon shape
Try and be as quick as you can here as the dough dries out quickly - if this happens, keep brushing with a little water
The dough is also very delicate so you need to be careful when making the pea parcels as it can crack and the dough will ooze out
When you have make all of your dumplings heat a pan of oil and fry very quickly on both sides until the dough turns crispy
Lay on kitchen paper to get rid of the excess oil
Serve immediately in the broth, so that the dumplings are still crispy
The dumplings are also delicious on their own and would be great with a dipping sauce instead

Scrumptious Butternut, Basil and Lemon Risotto

You know you're on a flavour-roll when everything you make is bursting with flavours that just seem to complement each other and do a little song and dance on your taste buds before making their way into your stomach, where they reside contentedly.

Your whole mouth buzzes until the last mouthful.

Well, this is how my week went last week - I was untouchable; a relative Culinary Super Woman - I loved every moment of it - that is what cooking is about to me - FLAVOUR FLAVOUR FLAVOUR!

This enthusiastic piece of cooking was inspired by my recent love for risotto - I have made a pea and mint risotto and a tomato and basil risotto, but this risotto worked out to be the tastiest.

Butternut, Basil and Lemon Risotto:
(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 Litre Good Quality Vegetable Stock (Yeast and Gluten Free) - Heated on The Stove
2 Cups Arborio Rice
1 Packet Butternut, Cut into Small Pieces
Sprinkle of Paprika
Sprinkle of Herbal Salt
Sprinkle of Cinnamon
Olive Oil
1 Onion, Diced
Dried Basil (Or Fresh, if you Prefer)
1 Teaspoon Xylitol/ Fructose/ Sugar
Good Grind of Cracked Black Pepper
Zest of 1 Lemon
Squeeze of Lemon Juice
Basil Infused Olive Oil for Serving

Directions:

Heat oven to 180 degrees
Sprinkle half the packet of butternut with paprika, herbal salt and cinnamon and roast in the oven, after drizzling with some olive oil; until sweet and roasted (keep checking on it)
Fry the onion in a good glug of olive oil and when translucent add the rice and allow it to sizzle
Add a ladle or two of stock to the rice and stir
Add the rest of the diced butternut and stir until the stock has evapourated
Continue adding the stock, a ladleful at a time, after the previous amount has been absorbed - stir every now and again - you should be using a medium heat at this point
Half way through, add a generous amount of dried basil (about 2 or 3 teaspoons) or a bunch of fresh basil
Add a few teaspoons of cinnamon and a teaspoon of xylitol
Add a good crack of black pepper, herbal salt, lemon zest and lemon juice
Continue with the stock process until it has all been used up - this should take about 20 to 25 minutes, at which time the roasted butternut should be done
Taste the risotto - the rice should be al dente (still have some bite and not all mushy) and the butternut should be tender
Adjust the seasoning if necessary
Finish off with a good glug of basil infused olive oil and top with the roasted butternut

Inspiration from Inspiration

Last week I had one of those weeks where I struggled for inspiration on what to cook for dinner - it was one of the most helpless feelings I have experienced - how could I not come up with any inspiration when I live to cook? Wow, was I annoyed with myself!

Anyway, I remembered that Inspiration on Food24 had come up with a Cajun Spice Challenge (I am a bit late, but oh well - better late than never:))

Being as uninspired as I was, it was a huge effort to come up with a dish to use the cajun spice with and I eventually settled on a pasta dish with roasted veggies - very simple, very quick, but packed full of flavour.

Cajun Spiced Roast Veggie Pasta:
(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

Cajun Spice:

1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Chilli Flakes or Chilli Powder
1 Teaspoon Paprika
1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
1 Teaspoon Dried Basil
1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
1 Teaspoon Ground Coriander
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon Cumin

* Other options include Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Cayenne Pepper, and Dried Thyme
* Please adjust the measurements to your taste - if you don't like it very spicy use less chilli, etc and feel free to experiment with different flavours

Other Ingredients:

A Selection of Roasting Vegetables (I bought a packet of Roasting Veggies from Woolies, which contained butternut, peppers, onions)
Olive Oil
Extra Cinnamon
Fructose
Lemon
Basil Infused Olive Oil (Optional)
Gluten Free Pasta of Your Choice - For Two

Directions:

Heat oven to 200 degrees Celsius
Create the cajun spice by combining all the ingredients together
Toss the veggies is a little olive oil and cover with as much of the cajun spice mix as you wish (make sure that each piece of veggie is covered in oil so that is doesn't burn and cooks through nicely)
Roast in the oven for about 25 - 30 minutes
10 minutes towards the end of cooking I poured over a mixture of a squeeze of lemon juice, a teaspoon of fructose, teaspoon of cinnamon and a drop of water - not too much through - my thinking behind this was to add another dimension of flavour
You can turn the grill on towards the end of roasting to give the veggies crispy edges
Once the veggies are done - if desired squeeze over some more lemon juice and a drizzle of basil infused olive oil
Toss through the pasta (reserving some of the pasta liquid to make a bit of a sauce)

My World of Gnocchi is Expanding...

The world of gnocchi is an interesting place to visit - with skies of potatoes, dotted with clouds of pumpkin and beetroot; roads paved with pepper corns, cinnamon and paprika and flowing rivers of lemon infused olive oil.

This is my world of gnocchi. My first attempt at gluten free potato gnocchi inspired me to push even further and make pumpkin gnocchi.

This did prove to be a bit more difficult than the potato gnocchi. As with the potato gnocchi, I boiled the pumpkin, but this made it rather moist - so I would suggest steaming or even baking the pumpkin covered in tin foil.

Gluten Free Pumpkin Gnocchi:
(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

1 Packet Diced Pumpkin or Butternut
2 - 3 Cups Maizena
Ground Cinnamon
Paprika
Salt

Directions:

Boil, steam or bake the pumpkin
When cooked allow to stand until cool
If boiling try and remove as much moisture as possible from the pumpkin
Mash the cooled pumpkin
Add a generous amount of cinnamon, salt and paprika
Slowly start adding the maizena - mixing as you go along (don't over mix though)
Once you are happy with the consistency (mine was wetter than the potato gnocchi)
Shape the mixture into thinnish sausages and briskly cut off about 1cm pieces with a fork

You can press the pieces with the fork for decoration

Boil the gnocchi in salted water

Remove from the water with a slotted spoon when they bob to the surface

Bake in the oven covered with a sauce of your choice for about 15 minutes

I combined the tomato and creamy pesto sauce together before baking in the oven over the gnocchi (see previous post for recipes) and the flavour of the pumpkin came through nicely with a subtle sprinkling of cinnamon. Dre had two helpings, so it got the stamp of approval :)

I wonder what will be next - maybe beetroot gnocchi?

Gluten Free Gnocchi

Last week, Inspiration on Food24, challenged herself by making gnocchi for the first time. She had never eaten them before and therefore was unsure of how they should turn out, but none the less, from what I could see - she was successful :)

I have always wanted to try gnocchi myself, but because they contain gluten - I haven't tried them either! So when I attempted my own gluten free gnocchi I was very much in the dark - probably even more so than Inspiration.

I Googled a lot on what the end result should taste like and the consensus was light and fluffy.

So with much excitement and a little trepidation I set about making my gnocchi. This is quite a time consuming process so give yourself at least two hours or so if you are wanting to attempt this.

Gluten Free Potato Gnocchi:
(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

2 Large Potatoes, Peeled and Diced
1 Cup Maizena
1/2 Teaspoon Xanthan Gum
1.5 Tablespoons Olive Oil (I used Lemon Infused)
Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Boil potatoes - once cooked, drain the liquid and leave potato cubes to dry and cool
Finely mash cooled potatoes
Add the xanthan gum to the maizena
Slowly add the maizena to the mashed potatoes, kneading as you go
Add the olive oil a little at a time (you may not need the whole amount) and a good sprinkling of salt and pepper
You are looking for a dough like consistency - it mustn't be sticky
Once the correct consistency has been reached - roll the dough into thinnish sausages and briskly cut off about 1cm pieces with a fork
You can press the pieces with the fork for decoration
Boil the gnocchi in salted water
Remove from the water with a slotted spoon when they bob to the surface

I tried the gnocchi straight from the boiling water with a simple tomato sauce, but they still tasted raw to me (bearing in mind that I had no idea what the texture should be like - only what I had found on Google - that it should be light and fluffy)

I froze the rest of the gnocchi and on Saturday night was keen to try it again.

I made a lovely creamy pesto, which I baked the gnocchi in, after defrosting slightly. And oh my word I was in heaven when I tasted the gnocchi this time - yup, light and fluffy :)

Therefore, after boiling it is best to bake them with a sauce for about 15 minutes. (Add an extra 5 minutes if baking from frozen)

Simple Tomato Sauce:
(Serves 2)

3 Tomatoes, Cut in Half
A Few Sprigs Thyme
Paprika
Herbal Salt
Pepper
Xylitol

Directions:

Roast tomatoes with a sprinkle of paprika, herbal salt and xylitol
When cooked, remove skins and transfer to a pot on the stove
Add thyme and check seasoning
Allow sauce to reduce and for thyme to infuse - remove the thyme
Pour over gnocchi and bake in oven for about 15 - 20 minutes

Creamy Pesto:

Ingredients:

Bunch Rocket*
Bunch Flat Leaf Parsley*
1 Salad Onions, Chopped
Squeeze of Lemon Juice (Optional)
Handful of Pine Nuts
Herbal Salt
Cracked Black Pepper
Basil Infused Olive Oil (Or plain Olive Oil)
Cinnamon (Optional)
Paprika
1 - 1.5 Cups Soya/ Rice Milk
1/2 - 1 Cup Maizena/ Gluten Free Cake Flour

*You can make a simple basil pesto by replacing the rocket and parsley with basil

Directions:

Blend the rocket, parsley, salad onions, lemon juice, pine nuts, olive oil, herbal salt and pepper until you have reached a pesto consistency. Taste and add extra seasoning if needed
Place the flour or maizena in a pot on the stove and slowly add the milk, stirring continuously
The sauce will thicken when the flour cooks in the milk - it should take about 10 - 15 minutes
Add the pesto to the white sauce and stir through
I added about a teaspoon of cinnamon and some paprika for extra flavour

Pour over the gnocchi and bake in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes

A Dish For Italy

In the first half of Bafana's last game; they played like real champions, with the look of determination plastered on each player's face - you could feel the electricity in the air, even if you were just watching on tv! I firmly believe that if they had played like that in their other games we would be through to the next round. We did redeem ourselves though with the win over France and now we hold our heads up high and turn out attention to the other teams.

This dish is for the Italian team - a risotto packed full of comforting, energy bursting flavours. Perfect before their game against Slovakia tomorrow, to give them the oomph they need to squeeze out a few more points. And the green and red match perfectly with their flag - how good am I?

(I originally saw this recipe on one of the monthly Nomu Mailers and adjusted it to suit my needs.)

Tomato and Basil Risotto:

(Serves 2 - 3)

Stock:
10 Large Ripe Tomatoes
Bunch of Fresh Basil
Squeeze of Vital Soya Sauce (Yeast Free)
Xylitol or Sugar to Taste
Salt
Pepper
1 Cup Water (If needed)

The Rest of the Ingredients:

1 Large Onion, Diced

Olive Oil for Frying
1 Cup Risotto Rice

Directions:

Roughly chop the tomatoes and add them to a large pot (you may roast these beforehand if desired)
Tear the basil leaves and add them to the tomatoes along with the soya sauce, xylitol and salt and pepper
Simmer for 15 minutes - check seasoning and then blend

You may want to add a cup of water at this time to make the stock go further - but remember to check the seasoning again

Fry the onion in the olive oil and a sprinkle of salt, until translucent

Add the rice and coat in the oily onion mixture

Slowly add a ladle full of the stock to the rice and only add the next spoonful when the stock has been absorbed
Carry on until all the stock has been absorbed and the rice is cooked but still has a bite to it
Serve with a drizzle of basil oil and torn basil leaves

Potage Parmentier Revised

A truly dedicated foodie blogger should know all about the movie/book "Julie and Julia", written by Julie Powell. I watched this movie on the plane going over to London. I love watching movies on planes; there is something so cozy and delectable about knowing you have your very own tv all to yourself and can change the channel, fast forward, rewind to your heart's content without bothering anyone - plus the boyfriend/ husband won't complain about having to watch another sappy rom-com - hee hee :)

When "Julie and Julia" formed part of the movie lineup on the plane - I took it as a sign (I am big on signs coming from the heavens, guiding me in the right direction ;-)) Yes, it was indeed fate - my blog had started at just the right time and Julie Powell was proof that blogs can change your life...

Well, I am still waiting for Hollywood to phone me up to make a movie out of my allergy free blog :) - but it has changed my life in other ways - It has given me a sense of purpose and opened me up to a whole part of myself that I hadn't been embracing - and that part is my imaginative way of working around my allergies and coming up with tasty recipes even allergy-free people enjoy.

I do digress though - I recently bought the book on Kalahari.net and the first recipe Julie makes is Potage Parmentier, which I subconsciously made my own version of. (Ok, I actually just made a potato soup, but the timing was freaky!)

I must say though, it is one of the simplest, yet tastiest soups I have made - just as Julie is stunned in the book by how a potato can make such a wonderful and satisfying soup - so was my boyfriend :) Once again, my poor boyfriend was my guinea pig - I'm sure there are some perks to the job though - like when you create something so amazing, you feel compelled to lick the bowl!

Potato and Thyme Soup:
(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

3 Large Potatoes, Peeled and Diced
1 Onion, Diced
A Teaspoon of Whole Coriander Seeds
Sprinkle of Dried French Herbs
Bunch of Thyme
Herbal Salt
Cracked Black Pepper
Squeeze of Lemon Juice

Directions:

Fry onion in a sprinkle of salt until translucent
Add the diced potatoes and fry a little
Add a cup or two of water - enough to create a soup-like consistency
Add the french herbs, coriander seeds, herbal salt and pepper
Bring to the boil and then simmer until potatoes are almost tender
Add the bunch of thyme and squeeze of lemon juice
Simmer until potatoes are tender
Remove thyme and blits soup
Serve with a dollop of soya cream or sweet potato crisps

Stuffed and Roasted!

I am an experimental cook at best; some nights, if I haven't thought of what to make for dinner during the day, during my favourite foodie day dreams - I come home and play my very own, "Ready, Steady, Cook."

Last night was one of those nights - I looked at the contents of my fridge and cupboard and had the inspiration to make stuffed peppers with quinoa. Quinoa is a very new ingredient to me - it is one of those new super foods that was the buzz word a few months ago - I first used it to make porridge for breakfast - but have been using it more and more in savoury dishes and I have to say, it tasted fabulous in my stuffed peppers. It is also easy to obtain as most supermarkets seem to be stocking it these days.

Stuffed Peppers with Quinoa, Aubergine and Peas:
(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

2 Large Red Peppers, Whole and Deseeded

1 Cup Cooked Quinoa

1 Onion, Diced

1 Aubergine, Sliced

1 Cup Frozen Peas

Lemon Infused Olive Oil

Herbal Salt

Paprika

Cracked Black Pepper
Squeeze of Lemon Juice

Directions:

Heat oven to 200 Degrees Celsius
Slice aubergines and coat lightly with olive oil, paprika and herbal salt
Roast in oven until tender (about 10 minutes)
Cook quinoa as directed on the packet (1 cup to 2 cups salted water, until all the water has been absorbed)

Fry the diced onion in a drop of lemon infused olive oil, with a sprinkle of salt, until translucent
Add the cup of peas and cook for a few minutes until tender

Chop the charred aubergine slices and add to the onion and pea mix

Add the cooked quinoa to the mix and season with herbal salt, pepper, paprika (if desired) and a drop of lemon infused olive oil - to moisten
Stuff the hollowed out peppers with the mixture and roast in the oven for about 10 - 15 minutes until the peppers are tender
Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice

Allergy Free Apple and Almond Tart

Almonds, for me, are an essential part of my allergy free cooking, especially when it comes to desserts and baking. They are so versatile - not only do they have a unique, sweet flavour, but they can also be used to bind, thicken, add texture and creaminess to a dish.

I am not one for baking, but Food24 blogger, Inspiration's challenge for this week was to make a sweet tart, which got my mind thinking - how could I make a tart without the standard flour, butter, etc?

Well, this is what I did...

Allergy-Free Apple and Almond Tart:

Crust:

1/2 Cup Finely Ground Almonds (almost powder-like)

1/2 Cup Ground Almonds (slightly rougher texture)

1/2 Cup Nature's Choice Gluten-Free Cake Flour

1/2 Cup Xylitol/ Caster Sugar

1 Teaspoon Xanthan Gum (this acts as a binder in gluten-free cooking)

1/4 Cup Oil
1/2 Cup Rooibos Tea (steep a bag of Rooibos Tea in boiling water for about 5 minutes and use the liquid)
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Filling:

3 Granny Smith Apples, Peeled and Chopped
1/2 Cup Rooibos Tea
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
5 Teaspoons Xylitol/ Caster Sugar

1 Cup Finely Ground Almonds

Directions:

Crust:
Heat oven to 180 Degrees Celsius
Sift dry ingredients together
Add the roughly ground almonds
Add the oil, rooibos tea and vanilla extract
Mix together until a dough-like consistency has formed - you don't want it to be too dry or too wet, if too wet add a little more cake flour, if too dry add a little more rooibos tea
Pat out the crust mixture into a pie tin, going up the sides of the dish
Bake for about 10 - 15 minutes until it has dried out a bit, so that when you are adding the filling, it doesn't make it soggy

Filling:
Put the apples, rooibos tea, vanilla extract, cinnamon and xylitol into a pot on the stove and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes, until some of the liquid has reduced and the apples are tender
Add the ground almonds and mix together
Pour the filling into the crust
Bake for 30 - 40 minutes, until the filling has set
Be careful not to burn the crust
Serve warm with soya cream or ice cream

Ayoba - Bafana Bafana!

Wow, do I feel proud to be a South African or what!

It’s true what they say about sport being able to bring a nation together – there is such a feeling of euphoria in the air, which could be due to the distinct sound of the vuvuzela being trumpeted at every opportunity. But the fact of the matter is; we are united! We are now behind Bafana Bafana 100% and even believe that they can win – Ok, we are not that optimistic, but we believe that they will definitely not get kicked out in the first round!

Ayoba Bafana Bafana – It’s Our Time – Make us proud!

I have embraced this feeling of South African-ness in the form of my newly created:

Chocolate Maltabella Coconut Cookies:
(Makes 18 – 20 cookies)

Ingredients:

1 Cup Maltabella
1 Teaspoon No Egg Egg Replacement or Maizena
1 Teaspoon Xanthan Gum (You can buy this at Dischem)
½ Teaspoon of each container of Nature’s Choice Baking Powder (Also bought at Dischem)
½ Cup Desiccated Coconut
2-3Tablespoons Xylitol or Caster Sugar
1 Slab Nestle Albany Original Dark
1 Cup Rice Milk
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract

Directions:

Heat oven to 200 Degrees Celsius
Sift all dry ingredients together
Melt chocolate in the rice milk with the vanilla extract for about 20 seconds, in the microwave
Slowly stir the melted chocolate mixture into the dry ingredients until well combined
Dollop small amounts of the final mixture onto a greased baking tray
Bake in the oven for 15 – 20 minutes until crispy on the outside and soft on the inside

This can also be used as a yummy muffin mix

Sweet Like A Lemon

For me, there is nothing more exciting than a challenge, especially a sweet one.

So far on my diet, desserts and puddings have proven to be the biggest challenge - as I have mentioned before, I do not have much of a sweet tooth, but the excitement of the challenge is getting to me and some days I race home, my head filled with brilliant ideas, that I just KNOW will work, (ok, some turn out to be huge flops) but when I think they work, I need to have lots of guinea pigs to try them out on - so I "use" the people at work :)

This is one such experiment that got the thumbs up:

Mock Lemon Cheese Cake:
(Makes 4 Mini "Cheese" Cakes)

People are strange, the minute they find out that this contains tofu, they are not so keen. So here's a tip - just tell them it's cheese cake and they will be none the wiser :)

Ingredients:

For the Base:

1 Cup Almonds

Half Cup Buckwheat

1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1.5 Teaspoons Vanilla Essence/ Extract

2 Tablespoons Xylitol
3 Tablespoons Water

For the "Cheese":

300g Soft Tofu
1 Lemon Juiced and Zested
2 Tablespoons Xylitol
2 Leaves of Gelatin, Dissolved in a Little Water

1.5 Teaspoons Vanilla Essence/ Extract

2 Teaspoons Ground Nutmeg

Directions:

Heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius

Put all dry base ingredients into a blender and whizz until fine crumbs have formed

Make a syrup from the sugar and water, in the microwave

Add the syrup and the vanilla to the crumb mixture and stir to combine

Spoon equal amounts into the bottom of 4 muffin tins, patting flat to compact the mixture
Cook in the oven for 10 minutes, until the base mixture sticks together
Mix together tofu, lemon juice and zest, xylitol, vanilla and nutmeg (in a blender if you prefer)
Add the gelatin mixture to the "cheese" mixture being careful of lumps - mix well
Spread the mixture onto each base
Place the muffin tray in the fridge and chill for 4 hours until set

See? Looks just like cheese cake hey? No one will have a clue :)

A Dessert for Mother's Day

This Mother's Day was a very special occasion in my life. Dre's parents met my Mom and her partner for the first time... Dre's parents had already met my Dad and Step Mom last year; what made it so much easier was that they met without us being there... So, I didn't have to worry about a thing :) (My Dad and Step Mom own a guest house in Plettenberg Bay, called Laird's Lodge, which Dre's parents went to stay at for a few days). My brain is getting tied just explaining the intricacies of my family dynamics - I have a huge extended family, which I love to bits!

Getting back to this Mother's Day... I wanted it to be special for the mothers as well as hoping it would be a memorable occasion for all of us.

I set the table with care, placing individual Woolies cupcake choccies at each place setting, scattering some pink flowers across the table and making use of lovely serviettes, pink of course :)

I not only had to set the mood however, the dinner needed to end with a fantastic dessert. I was cooking in my usual allergy free way, which meant that the dessert would be tricky...

I had an epiphany late friday afternoon and filled with excitement, I suddenly knew what I was going to make.

Baked Apricots with an Almond Crust:
(Serves 8)

4 Tins Halved Apricots (tinned apricots strictly speaking, contain yeast, therefore this dessert would be better with fresh apricots, but I couldn't find any)
2 Cups Almonds, Ground into Crumbs
4 Slices Rice Bread, Made into Crumbs (This can be left out)
2 - 4 Tablespoons Brown Sugar

2- 4 Tablespoons Ground Cinnamon

Soya Cream for Serving

Directions:

Heat oven to 180 Degrees Celsius
Mix the ground almonds, bread crumbs, sugar and cinnamon together
Put the apricots into an oven proof dish, or individual ramekins
Top with some of the apricot juice, about half to a full can, to keep the dish moist while cooking
Sprinkle the almond mixture over the top
Bake in the oven for 20 - 30 minutes until a golden crust has formed over the top, be careful of burning
Serve with a dollop of soya cream

The dessert is simple, but it was just right to end off the evening. I am happy to report that an enjoyable evening was had by all and the meeting of the families was a huge success :)