tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33003832255451050252024-03-05T09:26:40.669+00:00Ellie's RecipesUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger132125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3300383225545105025.post-60280858804887358882016-12-05T20:29:00.002+00:002016-12-05T20:29:39.504+00:00Gingerbread Cookies (review)I am absolutely honoured to share with you today a delicious gingerbread cookie recipe hot from the press of my fellow blogger and friend Sharon's new cook-book 'Bit of the Good Stuff'!<br />
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When Sharon asked me if I would like to review a recipe from her new book, I literally jumped at the chance. I have so much respect for all my blogging friends, and in particular I have a soft spot for Sharon's blog '<a href="http://bitofthegoodstuff.com/" target="_blank">Bit of The Good Stuff</a>'. She is a passionate vegan blogger and a Mum, and knows just the right kind of recipes to create for busy families.<br />
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So the only difficulty I had with this review, was deciding what to make. There are over 100 whole-food, vegan recipes in this book, many are refined sugar free and gluten free too. They include lots of veganised favourites like spaghetti bolognese and tea loaf, but also include some more unusual recipes, such as pea soup with ginger and oregano and Caribbean curry with fried plantain. As delicious as all those sound though, the ginger biscuits won. Just look at this picture, how could I resist...<br />
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I used to love a good ginger snap biscuit growing up, but this has been the one recipe I had no idea even where to begin to make a healthier version. I don't know how Sharon worked these out, but they are perfect. Crisp on the outside, chewy in the middle, just the right amount of ginger and the top crackles beautifully. These are the perfect recipe for the Christmas season and would be a fab home-made gift too.<br />
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I was really pleased with how these turned out. I think I made them a little fatter than I should have as the mixture only made 11 instead of 12, but that doesn't matter as next time I'll make a double batch- they were gone in just a few minutes!<br />
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I did make a couple of substitutions in this recipe, but nothing major. Instead of regular wholemeal flour I used wholemeal spelt flour, and as I forgot to get molasses, I used date syrup which is also sticky and dark and I figured it would work- happily it did! Here's my batch, how does my picture compare...?<br />
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You can buy copies of this wonderful book from the online <a href="http://bitofthegoodstuff.com/bookshop/" target="_blank">bookshop</a>, and I am super excited to be able to offer you a discount that will give you 15% off both the book and shipping- and this ships worldwide too. Perfect for Christmas pressies. Just enter the code ELLIE at the checkout!<br />
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Gingerbread Cookies<br />
Makes 12<br />
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75g/1/2 cup unrefined cane sugar or coconut sugar<br />
50ml/ 1/4 cup organic rapeseed oil or other neutral oil (I used light olive)<br />
65g/ 3 TBSP black treacle or molasses (I used date syrup)<br />
22g/ 1 1/2 tsp soya or almond milk<br />
1/2 tsp vanilla extract<br />
120g fine wholemeal flour (I used spelt)<br />
1 - 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger<br />
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon<br />
pinch of ground nutmeg<br />
1/4 tsp baking powder<br />
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda<br />
1/4 tsp sea salt<br />
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Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan) / 400F. Line two baking sheets with greaseproof paper.<br />
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Place the coconut sugar, oil, date syrup, soya milk and vanilla in a mixing bowl and whisk with a fork until smooth and fully combined.<br />
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Place the flour, spices, baking powder, bicarb and salt in a separate bowl and stir. Tip half the dry ingredients into the wet and stir to combine. Add the remaining dry and stir together until the mixture comes together in a firm dough.<br />
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Scoop slightly rounded tablespoons of dough and arrange six on each sheet. With damp fingers press the dough into a thin cookie shape.<br />
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Bake in the centre of the oven for 9 minutes or until dry to the tough. (The cookies will still feel soft, but they firm up as they set!)<br />
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Leave the cookies on the baking sheets until they are firm, then use a spatula to remove them from the baking paper and transfer to a wire rack.<br />
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When completely cool, store in an airtight container where they will keep for a couple of weeks. They also freeze well. Leave at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3300383225545105025.post-78659786904018119662016-09-21T13:49:00.001+01:002016-09-21T13:49:29.535+01:00The Ultimate Vegan Picnic Pie!It's that time of year again when PETA UK's 'Great Vegan Bake Off' is open for entries! I love this competition and am always blown away by the vegan baking talent that's out there. It really highlights how scrummy and clever vegan baking is, there is really no missing out on any treats.<br />
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This year I was very keen to enter, I was so thrilled to reach the finals last year, and I may be tempting fate to enter again, but I really wanted to give it another go. I have to admit it took me a while to decide <i>what</i> to make though. I was very close to entering a Key Lime Pie. I love these zesty pies, and they take me right back to age 12 when I had my first taste of one in Florida. Even today they conjure up memories of exotic palm trees and sunshine and are one of my favourite things to eat. But, even though I love those pies, I still wasn't completely sure that it was what I wanted to enter, so I had another think.<br />
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After thinking it through further, I realised that while I love a good sweet treat, my heart has always been with salty, savoury foods. My cravings were always chips over chocolate and I'd often have seconds of dinner rather than a dessert. So, I have decided to enter a savoury bake! I may be mad to turn my back on sweet cakes and bakes, but at the same time I just know there are lots of who really would appreciate a really fine savoury centrepiece on the table.<br />
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So here is my entry. A vegan picnic pie! Lovely layers of delicious veggies, tofu and herbs wrapped up in a delicate polenta pasty. It's great served cold for picnics and buffets but also an impressive hot main. I am thinking of making a slight variation of this for our Christmas dinner centrepiece this year!<br />
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I know there are many, many, many(!) stages to this pie. It certainly isn't your everyday recipe. Think of it as a meal for a big get together or special occasion; a real celebratory centrepiece, a recipe for when you can take your time, perhaps with a cheeky glass of wine and a friend to help out.<br />
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Saying that though, if you are pushed for time, then a cheat version can easily be thrown together. Simply buy some vegan ready made shortcrust pasty (or make it ahead of time and store in the freezer), and sub the home cooked veggies for a selection of marinated and char-grilled veggies from the deli counter at the supermarket (or even the jarred kinds from the shelves if you drain off the oil well) and you're good to go! It will look every bit as impressive, but take hardly any time at all.<br />
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Before you begin this recipe, make sure you have a 23cm spring-form cake tin to bake it in!<br />
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
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<i><b>For the pasty</b></i><br />
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375g Spelt flour (white gives a lighter finish, wholegrain is healthier, or mix them together half and half!)<br />
25g polenta <br />
180g coconut or olive spread, I use Biona<br />
1/2 tsp fine sea salt<br />
Enough chilled water to mix to a dough<br />
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<i><b>For the filling</b></i><br />
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2 Courgettes<br />
4 tbsp store bought black olive tapenade* (be sure to check it has no anchovies)<br />
6 red pointed peppers (these are slightly sweeter than the bell peppers)<br />
10 large basil leaves<br />
1 can of butter beans, drained<br />
1 butternut squash<br />
100g frozen spinach, defrosted<br />
2 bunches of asparagus<br />
500g chestnut mushrooms<br />
3 cloves garlic<br />
1 pack of firm tofu<br />
2 tbsp nutritional yeast<br />
Sea salt and black pepper to taste <br />
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<b>Method</b><br />
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Step 1<br />
First we're going to make the pastry. Add the flour, polenta and salt to a large bowl. Add the spread and work through the flour to make a breadcrumb consistency. Add the cold water a tablespoon at a time, while mixing with your hands to create a ball of dough. Wrap in greaseproof paper or cling-film and put in the fridge to rest while you make the filling. The pastry can easily be made the night before too!<br />
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Step 2<br />
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees/170 fan oven<br />
Peel the squash and slice into 1cm rounds. Place them on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Roast for 25mins until just cooked. Remove and set aside.<br />
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Step 3<br />
Slice the courgettes into long thing ribbons, about 1/4 cm thick. Season with sea salt and pepper and cook them over a hot griddle or under a hot grill until cooked through. Brush the asparagus with a little olive oil and flash griddle these, just enough to see some char marks, being careful not to cook all the way through as they can go soft very easily. Set aside.<br />
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Step 4<br />
Grill the peppers under a very hot grill until the skin chars. Put them in a bowl and cover with cling film and leave to steam for 10 minutes, this will make it easier to remove the skins.<br />
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While the peppers are steaming, finely chop the garlic and add to a pan with some olive oil oil, slice the mushrooms and add to the pan, season with salt and pepper and sauté until cooked. Strain off the juice and set aside.<br />
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When the peppers have cooled, simply peel off the skins (they should be nice and loose), cut in half and discard the seeds. <br />
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Step 5<br />
Squeeze the juice out of the spinach, and add to a bowl. Season well with sea salt and black pepper. Add the nutritional yeast, and crumble in the tofu. Squeeze the mixture together really well with your hands to combine.<br />
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Step 6<br />
Time to assemble the pie!<br />
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Unwrap the pasty and take 2/3rds of the mixture, setting aside the other 3rd. Lightly dust a work surface and roll out the pasty into a large round, to line the tin. Take your spring-form cake tin and line the tin with the pastry, gently smoothing the sides as much as you can without tearing it. Trim off the excess from around the edges.<br />
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Step 7<br />
Making the layers! <br />
Lay the courgette slices over the bottom of the pasty to create and even layer. Season a little more with sea salt and pepper. Spread the olive tapenade over the courgettes making sure they are covered well.<br />
Next arrange the peppers over the courgettes, you should have enough to make two layers of peppers.<br />
Sprinkle the basil leaves over the peppers.<br />
Next pour over the butter beans. Season this layer well with sea salt and black pepper. Top the beans with a layer of roasted squash, and then spread over the tofu-spinach mixture.<br />
Next layer the asparagus over the spinach, you may need to cut them in halves to make sure you fill in all the gaps. Top with the mushrooms which will come to the top of the tin!<br />
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Step 8<br />
Lets get the top on! Roll out the remainder of the pastry and place over the top of the tin. Trim off the excess and crimp the edges together with your thumb and fingers like you would to crimp a pasty. You could also seal just by pressing down with a fork.<br />
If you like at this stage you can use the excess pasty that you trimmed off to create a decoration for the pie, I like to use a leaf pattern.<br />
Make a hole in the centre of the pasty to allow the steam to come out, and then lightly brush the top with a little soya milk to create a golden crust.<br />
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Step 9<br />
Cook the pie in the centre of the oven for around 50 minutes. You may need to cover the top with some tin foil after the first 30 minutes if the edges are getting too brown.<br />
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Cool slightly before removing from the tin and cutting into slices. This pie tastes even better left in a fridge overnight, and makes for a perfect cold centrepiece!<br />
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Enjoy (and wish me luck!)! xx<br />
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*Although traditionally tapenade contains anchovies, we found two varieties of jarred black olive tapenade in our local supermarket and both were vegan! We went for the one with added cumin and chilli in as it had a richer depth of flavour. Brands that are vegan are: Gaea Kalamata Tapenade, Olive Branch Chunky Tapenade and Belazu Black Olive Tapenade (which is the one we used).<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3300383225545105025.post-24992784595561411972016-09-02T23:25:00.000+01:002016-09-03T08:52:54.298+01:00Oaty Pizza BitesI created these pizza flavoured oat cakes as I've been really carefully trying to avoid consuming too many added oils in my diet. My latest bedtime reading is the Engine 2 Diet by Rip Esselstyn and I have to say it makes so much sense to me that we should be consuming wholefoods as much as possible, and this includes avoiding or minimising including oils.<br />
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In his book, Rip says "Why is oil off limits? Because the Engine 2 Diet is based on a whole food, nutrient rich diet. Oil is certainly plant-based, whether it comes from olives, sunflowers or corn, but it's not a whole food. The oil you buy in stores is extracted, meaning manufacturers take, say, a bunch of beautiful olives and, instead of leaving that oil in its wonderful natural package, squeeze out the good parts (healthy fibre, vitamins, and minerals)."<br />
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So while this doesn't mean I'm never going to cook again with oil, it does mean I am excited to explore the world of oil free cooking, so expect some experimentation over the next few months!<br />
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So on with the first recipe- oatcakes! I am yet to find a brand that doesn't include either butter or added oil, so I figured I'd have to make my own. And why not experiment with different flavours at the same time?<br />
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These little oatcakes are held together with chestnut purée, which you can buy in packets ready puréed or you can purée your own from cooked chestnuts. It's a really useful ingredient and I like to use it in cakes, pastry and desserts- it is especially good in chocolate mousse! It is also rich in protein and low in fat. At the moment it is definitely my favourite store cupboard ingredient!<br />
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<i><b>Oaty Pizza Bites</b></i><br />
<i><b>Makes 18</b></i> <br />
<br />
1 1/2 cups rolled oats<br />
4 tbsp passata<br />
1/2 cup chestnut purée<br />
1/2 tsp oregano<br />
1/2 tsp ground paprika<br />
1 tbsp nutritional yeast<br />
1/4 tsp garlic powder<br />
Pinch of sea salt<br />
<br />
<i><b>Method:</b></i><br />
<br />
Blitz the oats in a food processor till slightly finer texture, you don't want it to be as fine as flour though.<br />
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Add all the remaining ingredients and pulse until it comes together as a dough.<br />
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Lightly sprinkle a worktop with flour (I use oat or buckwheat) and roll the dough to about 1cm thick.<br />
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Using a cutter with a 4cm diameter, cut the dough into rounds.<br />
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Place on a baking sheet (I line mine with a silicone sheet or greaseproof paper to keep it non stick) and bake for 8 minutes until very lightly golden.<br />
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Cool for a couple of minutes and they're ready to eat! <br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3300383225545105025.post-66042996715414316122016-04-29T13:13:00.000+01:002016-04-29T13:13:32.486+01:00Coconut and Lime Bread and Butter Pudding (vegan)
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The birds are singing, the sky is blue and Spring is certainly in the air; but don't be deceived, it's still super cold out there! This week we've seen snow, hail and a chilly wind that is making me still crave comfort foods. This tropical twist on on the classic bread and butter pudding is just as satisfying as the regular version, but much lighter on the taste buds, plus it's vegan too. <br />
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Made with spelt bread
and low glycemic coconut palm sugar, you can enjoy this rich and
tasty pudding knowing that it's packed full of wholesome ingredients!</div>
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<b><br /></b>
</div>
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<b>Coconut and Lime Bread Pudding</b></div>
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<b>Serves 6-8</b><br />
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<i>Ingredients</i></div>
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<br />
</div>
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1 400g loaf of spelt or
sourdough bread</div>
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4 tbsp coconut butter
or non-dairy spread*</div>
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100g raisins</div>
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4 tbsp toasted coconut
chips</div>
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1 tbsp coconut palm
sugar</div>
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<br />
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<i>For the custard</i></div>
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<br />
</div>
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1 can coconut milk</div>
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500ml non-dairy milk of choice</div>
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Seeds of 1 vanilla pod</div>
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2 tsp coconut extract</div>
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5 tbsp arrowroot or
tapioca flour</div>
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8 tbsp coconut palm
sugar</div>
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Zest of 1 lime</div>
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<i>Method</i></div>
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</div>
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Preheat your oven to
180/350 degrees.</div>
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<br />
</div>
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Cut the spelt bread
into around 10 slices, roughly 1cm thick. Spread them with the
coconut butter or spread and cut each slice into halves.</div>
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<br />
</div>
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Spread half the raisins
over the bottom of a 25 x25 cm square baking dish.</div>
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<br />
</div>
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Arrange the slices of
bread in the dish so that they are slightly overlapping, and sprinkle
over the rest of the raisins. Set this aside while you make the
custard.</div>
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<br />
</div>
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Add the custard
ingredients to a saucepan, and set on a medium heat. Whisk constantly
for around 10 minutes or until the mixture has thickened into a
custard consistency.</div>
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</div>
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Pour over the bread and
leave to soak for around 10 minutes.</div>
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<br />
</div>
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Sprinkle the tablespoon
of coconut palm sugar over the top, and bake for around 25 minutes
until crisp and golden. For that extra tropical taste, serve this
alongside griddled pineapple slices.</div>
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*We like Biona Cocomega which is free from hydrogenated fats and coloured only with carrot juice! </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3300383225545105025.post-48342033138977052062016-03-17T09:36:00.001+00:002016-03-17T09:36:51.194+00:00Vegan Malt LoafMalt extract is a sticky syrup like ingredient that is derived from barley. It has a sweet (but not too sweet) and rather unique taste that can be used as a replacement for sugar in most recipes.<br />
<br />
I confess to being slightly addicted to all things malt flavoured at the
moment. It is particularly good for sweetening hot chocolate, but of course it is really best showcased in this delicious British classic; malt loaf.<br />
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Malt extract has been enjoyed traditionally in the UK for generations, especially during the war when it was used as a popular children's supplement to keep colds at bay and energy levels up. While I'm not so sure it actually will keep those colds at bay, it definitely contains some nutrients (mainly B vitamins) and makes for a wiser choice than regular refined sugar. Plus its tastes amazing!<br />
<br />
This sticky, chewy loaf is the perfect tea time treat. Like a good fruit cake, the flavours and texture will develop and improve over a couple of days. So if you can resist the delicious smell when you take it out the oven, then leave it to cool, wrap it up in a little greaseproof and set aside for a day or two before enjoying. It goes wonderfully with a mug of steaming hot tea.<br />
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<br />
<b>Malt Loaf</b><br />
<b><i>Ingredients</i></b><br />
1 cup of sultanas<br />
150ml hot, strong earl grey tea<br />
125ml malt extract, plus 1 for glazing<br />
1 tbsp black strap molasses<br />
2 tbsp coconut palm sugar<br />
125g spelt flour<br />
125g wholemeal spelt or einkorn flour<br />
100g oat flour<br />
3 tsp baking powder<br />
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda<br />
1/2 tsp sea salt<br />
<br />
<b><i>Method</i></b><br />
Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Centigrade.<br />
<br />
Grease and line a 2LB loaf tin (mine is 24.5 x 14.5 x 7cm) with greaseproof paper, and set aside while you make the mix.<br />
<br />
Soak the sultanas in the tea together in a bowl for 15 minutes until the sultanas have absorbed some of the tea and are juicy and plump.<br />
<br />
Stir in the malt extract, black-strap molasses and coconut palm sugar, mixing until well distributed.<br />
<br />
Sift in the flours, baking powder, bicarb and sea salt and gently mix with a wooden spoon.<br />
<br />
Transfer to the loaf tin, and bake for an hour until cooked. Keep a close eye on it as it can burn easily; you may need to cover the top with greaseproof toward the end of cooking to prevent over browning.<br />
<br />
Test that it is done by inserting a cocktail stick into the centre, if it comes out clean, it's ready! <br />
<br />
When the loaf is done, lightly brush the top with a little more malt extract, and then leave to cool.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3300383225545105025.post-32163607615928375052016-02-10T10:20:00.000+00:002016-02-10T10:20:42.727+00:00Poached PotatoesWhen I outlined this post, her in the UK it was wet and windy and blowing a gale! When the weather outside is (frightful?), all I want to do is snuggle under a blanket on the sofa with a good book and some comfort food, and this is some pretty good comfort food I promise. Served up alongside some veggies and roasted chestnuts, this is one of my all time favourite dinners. Now the sun is out, the sky is blue (I promise I'm not doing this on purpose), but it's still rather chilly outside, so give this warming dish a go, I'm sure you'll love it. <br />
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But before we skip into the recipe, did I tell you guys about my exciting TV debut? Last week I had a blast making a delicious variation of the Chia Seed Pudding from 'How To Eat a Rainbow' on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNNALPzCJ30" target="_blank">That's Oxford TV</a>. It was completely nerve-racking, but once I was in the studio I had so much fun. The Presenter and crew were all so friendly and super professional which helped me lots. Hope you enjoy the video and the recipe, please give it some likes!<br />
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Copies of How to Eat a Rainbow are now available in the UK at your local Grape Tree store and in the USA from Vegan Publishers and Amazon. We were kindly sent <a href="http://organicblends.co/" target="_blank">Organic Blends</a> acai berry and chia seeds to try out in this recipe; they're fab quality and I'm sure you'll love them!<br />
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<br />
<b><i>Poached Potatoes</i></b><br />
<b><i>Serves 4 </i></b><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Ingredients</i><br />
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil<br />
2 large baking potatoes<br />
1 clove garlic, crushed<br />
500ml vegetable stock<br />
Handful of fresh parsley<br />
<br />
<i>Method</i><br />
Lightly oil the bottom of a large cast iron skillet or oven top casserole dish with the olive oil.<br />
Finely slice the potatoes into thin slices as possible, just a couple of mm.<br />
Arange half the potato in a layer in the dish. Top with the crushed garlic and then make a second layer with the other half of the potato slices. Top with the stock, it should cover the potatoes.<br />
Put a lid on the pan and bring to a rapid simmer. Simmer for around 20 minutes until the potatoes are soft.<br />
Finish with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and serve!<br />
The remaining liquid makes a great base for vegetable gravy, I freeze mine to use later.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3300383225545105025.post-68907768883484085252016-01-22T10:23:00.000+00:002016-01-22T10:24:38.989+00:00Indigo herbs review- part 2. Superfood Guacamole on Toast.I'm back for part 2 of my Indigo Herbs review. The thrid and final installment will be next week so please stop by for that, we'll be making something sweet and delicious with moringa powder.<br />
<br />
For this review, I wanted to tweak one of my all time favourite breakfast dishes- avocado on toast. How do you make this already yummy dish even more spectacular? By giving it an added superfood twist!<br />
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I love avocados, they are filling, tasty, a healthy fat source and one of my favourite things for breakfast when served smashed on top of rye or sourdough toast. However, in a bid to shake things up a bit, I've topped this toast with a super-food guacamole with an added boost from Indigo Herbs wheatgrass powder, and finished it with a sprinkle of <a href="http://www.indigo-herbs.co.uk/shop/buy/hulled-hemp-seeds" target="_blank">hemp seeds </a>. <br />
<br />
Wheatgrass powder is amazing, but while we are all familiar with the potent wheatgrass shots, the powdered form is a little less well known. <br />
Taking wheatgrass in powdered form is a convenient way to get the benefits of wheatgrass into your diet- and there are many! Full of antioxidants, minerals and vitamins, it is also said to have a cleansing effect on the body due to the occurrence of <span class="st">chlorophyll. A little goes a long way, and so it is also very economical- a 100g bag of organic wheatgrass powder from Indigo Herbs costs just £3.99, check it out here:</span><br />
<span class="st"></span><br />
<a href="http://www.indigo-herbs.co.uk/shop/buy/wheatgrass-powder" target="_blank">Wheatgrass Powder</a><br />
<br />
There are many ways to take the powder. It can simply be added to smoothies, veggie soups and juices, and thanks to its mild (for a green powder) taste, it can be added to other foods too. We once used it to colour some green cashew icing for a cake and it worked a treat! And, when added to this guacamole recipe, it really doesn't overpower it at all. Thanks to the other strong flavours such as lime juice, garlic and red onion, it really becomes a flavour explosion! <br />
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If you're not fond of toast, serve this guacamole with veggie crudités, tortilla chips or over Mexican rice and beans for a tasty nutrition boost.<br />
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<a href="http://www.indigo-herbs.co.uk/shop/buy/wheatgrass-powder" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<br />
<i><b>Superfood Guacamole</b></i><br />
<i>Serves 2 </i><br />
<br />
1 small clove of garlic (or half a larger one)<br />
Large pinch of tsp sea salt<br />
Juice of 1/2 lime (a juicy lime!)<br />
1/2 tsp wheatgrass powder<br />
1 small tomato<br />
1/4 small red onion<br />
1 large avocado <br />
<br />
Crush the garlic with the salt in a pestal and mortar. The salt breaks down the garlic in no time! Add the lime juice and the wheatgrass powder.<br />
Very finely dice the tomato and red onion and add that to the lime garlic mixture.<br />
Cut the avocado in half and take out the stone. scoop the flesh out and add to the other ingredients. Crush everything together until well mixed. I like to leave a little texture in the avocado but you can mash it until it is as smooth as you'd like.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3300383225545105025.post-40264277745504132382016-01-18T10:06:00.002+00:002016-01-18T10:06:55.617+00:00Indigo herbs review- Part 1: Supergreen Cherry SodaThose of you who follow my blog regularly will know I am a huge fan of Indigo Herbs and the choice and quality of their products; they really are just superb. When they asked me if I'd like to review some of their new products and check out their smart new packaging, of course I was very excited to.<br />
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The new package design is really simple but effective. I love the natural toned colours and the slight sheen of the packages which gives a classy edge to them, and it is great that they reseal too!<br />
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I'd agreed to try out some of the 'Superfood' range, including some products which were new to me which was a nice surprise. With so many exciting ingredients to work with, I'll be splitting up my review into a couple of posts for you, and over the next couple of posts I'll be testing out the following:<br />
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<a href="http://www.indigo-herbs.co.uk/shop/buy/organic-moringa-powder-product" target="_blank">Organic Moringa Powder</a><br />
<a href="http://www.indigo-herbs.co.uk/shop/buy/organic-spirulina-powder" target="_blank">Organic Spirulina Powder</a><br />
<a href="http://www.indigo-herbs.co.uk/shop/buy/organic-wheatgrass-powder" target="_blank">Organic Wheatgrass Powder </a><br />
<a href="http://www.indigo-herbs.co.uk/shop/buy/supergreens-powder-blend-product" target="_blank">Organic Supergreens Powder</a><br />
<a href="http://www.indigo-herbs.co.uk/shop/buy/organic-chia-seed-protein-powder" target="_blank">Organic Superprotein Powder </a><br />
<br />
The chia seed protein powder was particularly exciting as I've been looking for a nice, natural protein powder for my post work out smoothies now that I'm back in the gym (I am determined to get strong!). So many protein powders are just full of added ingredients that really aren't needed, and this is a natural powder, rich in essential fatty acids and containing no nasties.<br />
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I also wanted to test out the greens powder which is a blend of wheatgrass, barley grass, moringa, spirulina and chlorella powder. This supergreen powder can be added to smoothies, breakfasts and soups, giving a wide range of vitamins and minerals. This blend also contains all 9 essential amino acids, making it a complete protein too. Interestingly, I tend to react quite severely with taking chlorella- it makes me quite sick! This is odd as many of my friends and their children enjoy this nutritious algae daily, and the benefits to taking it seem quite impressive. I take spirulina with no ill effects and find this is a nice alternative for me.<br />
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So for the first recipe I was keen to work with these two ingredients, which were just crying out to be put in a shake of some-kind. I really wanted to do something a little different from the usual banana based, thick and very filling protein smoothies. I wanted to 'shake' it up a little, (pun totally intended- I am sorry!) and create something a little more zesty.<br />
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As I had a bottle of delicious kombucha sat in my fridge, I decided to make a sort of superfood cherry soda. Rich in vitamins and minerals from the greens powder, and protein from the chia powder, this really packs a punch, but it tastes light, sparkly and refreshing. The colour remains red and beautiful so can be a good option for those who are put off by green smoothies too; it definitely looks attractive. I've included a small amount of greens powder as per the package recommendations, but you can gradually increase the amount to suit your needs.<br />
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Obviously, my hubby was taste tester for this drink due to my chlorella issues- but it got a massive thumbs up! I used spirulina in my version and it was absolutely delicious. In fact I'll be making it frequently.<br />
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<br />
<b>Supergreen Cherry Soda</b><br />
<b>Serves 1</b><br />
<br />
275ml kombucha, (I like original or ginger flavour)<br />
1/2 cup frozen cherries<br />
Squeeze of fresh lime juice <br />
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon<br />
1/2-1 tsp supergreens powder<br />
2 tsp superprotein powder<br />
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Blitz in a high powered blender until incorporated. Note that the drink will split the longer it is left so drink immediately! Adding a banana will solve this problem and bulk up the drink if the aim is also to feel fuller.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3300383225545105025.post-51719778905551589022016-01-16T18:08:00.000+00:002016-01-16T18:08:06.742+00:00Vegan pizza quicheHappy New Year!<br />
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So I'm back after a fun packed Christmas break and a pretty long break from social media. I really love all my blog and social media friends (I feel very blessed to have met some amazing people through this little old blog of mine), but it can be a total distraction for me! Over Christmas, my husband had lots of time off and I was determined to relax and switch off a little more, to just enjoy being with my family which was truly wonderful. <br />
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I think it was totally worth me taking this time for re-charging. We're only a few weeks into the new year and I've already made some super yummy foods and feel like my kitchen passion has been reignited. I'm stacking up some tasty recipes to share with you in the next few months, including our new years dinner success, 'Triple Stuffed Roasted Squash', my ultimate vegan and refined sugar free sponge cake, and today, my very latest creation- the Vegan Pizza Quiche! This quiche is literally one of the best things I've eaten in a long time and I'm excited to share the recipe with you. I know it looks complicated as there are lots of steps, but it is actually quite a quick dish to put together if you have leftover boiled or baked potatoes to use up!<br />
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I made a very rustic gluten free pasty crust for this recipe, to be fair, my pasty is always rustic. I am just not patient enough to make a pretty and refined one- I can't imagine what Paul Hollywood would say! But it is tasty. I've included the recipe for you, but go ahead and use whichever pastry recipe you prefer for your quiche. I also think these would be cute made as little tarts for a buffet or party as a change, let me know if you try that out!<br />
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<i><b>Pastry</b></i><br />
2 flax eggs*<br />
Big drizzle of olive or hemp oil<br />
Small pack (125g) ground almonds<br />
1 cup of oats<br />
2 cups of buckwheat flour<br />
Pinch of sea salt<br />
Cold water to mix <br />
<br />
Blitz everything except the water in a food processor until you have the consistency of fine bread crumbs. Then slowly, about a tablespoon at a time, add the water until the mixture comes together to form a dough. Adding a little at a time is key as you want to stop adding the water as soon as it starts to form a dough, if you add too much it will be soggy!<br />
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Press the pastry mixture into a lightly oiled pie or flan dish until you have an even crust. Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes until just starting to cook and turn very light golden. When just golden, remove and set aside. While the base is cooking, you can prepare the filling.<br />
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*To make a flax egg, mix 1 tbsp ground flax with 3 tbsp water and leave to set for a few minutes. <br />
<i><b><br /></b></i>
<i><b>Filling step 1</b></i><br />
<br />
2 small potatoes(cooked and cooled, or use leftovers, see below)<br />
1 red onion, sliced into half moon slices<br />
2 courgettes, diced<br />
<br />
Bake the potatoes in the oven until cooked through, about 25 minutes. Alternatively you can boil them and drain them, letting the steam evaporate off and the potatoes to be dry.<br />
<br />
While the potatoes are cooking, sauté the onion and courgette until golden and softened. <br />
When the potatoes are cooked and cool enough to handle, peel off the skin and add the potatoes to the food processor with the step 2 filling ingredients.<br />
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<i><b>Filling step 2</b></i><br />
<br />
1 block of silken tofu, drained<br />
1 tsp sea salt<br />
1 tsp dried oregano<br />
1/2 tsp onion powder<br />
1/2 tsp garlic granules<br />
1 tsp ground paprika<br />
1 cup nutritional yeast<br />
Juice of half a lemon<br />
1/2 cup passata<br />
1/2 tsp dried oregano <br />
<br />
Blend all the filling step 2 ingredients (except the passata and oregano) together along with the cooked potatoes until you have a thick and creamy mixture. <br />
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For the next step, take your part-cooked pastry case, and spread the passata and the oregano over the bottom in an even layer. Top with the sautéed onion and courgette. ~Finally, pour the creamy filling over the top, tapping the bottom of the dish to evenly distribute.<br />
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Bake the quiche for around 25 minutes until the top is golden brown. Be sure to cool for 10 minutes before cutting as it will firm up a little as it cools. <br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3300383225545105025.post-78500903095446693172015-11-05T11:28:00.000+00:002015-11-05T11:28:08.093+00:00Bonfire Night Mulled Hot ChocolateI love Bonfire Night! There really is something special about gathering round in the (often drizzly) cold evening, while being warmed by a roaring bonfire and drinking hot chocolate or mulled wine. The childhood memories attached to Bonfire Night are immense! <br />
<br />
I grew up in Sussex, and boy do we take it seriously down there. From processions of burning martyr's crosses in Lewes to carnivals in Uckfield, Bonfire Night is a pretty big deal. One thing I've never gotten used to in Oxfordshire is the lack of processions at this time of year! <br />
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Here in Oxfordshire, we usually go to a couple of local village displays rather than the bigger displays, so we can get close to a bonfire and see people we know. One thing that always amazes me is how impressive the fireworks are, they usually go all out! Watching them while sharing a flask of warm hot chocolate together is pretty awesome.<br />
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Since we don't eat refined sugar or dairy, we are used to bringing our own drinks, and this year I've been unable to decide whether to bring mulled wine or hot chocolate. In a flash of inspiration I decided to blend the two, and created a delicious mulled hot chocolate- a winning combo that is rich and chocolatey with all the flavour of the mulled spices while being alcohol free! Perfect for the whole family.<br />
<br />
My favourite chocolate to use in drinks is Hasslacher’s. It is amazing quality pure, dark, roasted and unsweetened chocolate, that comes as a block, flakes or little disks. It is easy to find now, our local Saisnburys has it as well as our local heath store. I really recommend you search it out, but if you can't find it, use a good quality cocoa powder instead.<br />
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<b><br /></b>
<b>Mulled Hot Chocolate</b><br />
Serves 2<br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients:</i><br />
4 squares of Hasslacher’s chocolate<br />
600ml almond milk<br />
3 tbsp coconut palm sugar<br />
1/2 orange sliced<br />
4 cloves<br />
1 cinnamon stick or quarter tsp ground cinnamon<br />
1-2 bay leaves<br />
2 star anise <br />
1/2 vanilla pod, split down the middle<br />
A few grates of nutmeg<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Method:</i><br />
Melt the chocolate in a pan on a gentle heat. When melted, whisk in the milk. Bring the heat to a rapid simmer and add the rest of the ingredients. Reduce heat to a low simmer for 5-8 minutes, whisking to stop it catching at the bottom. Remove from heat, strain out the spices and serve warm.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Photo bombed by Gink our kitten!</td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3300383225545105025.post-13478714229288781252015-09-16T11:54:00.000+01:002015-09-16T11:54:07.051+01:00Zingy Tomatillo SalsaI cannot believe what an exciting month this has been for me! To be in the final of PETA UK's 'Great Vegan Bake Off' and a nominee for Vegfest UK's '<a href="http://vegfest.co.uk/vote" target="_blank">Best Vegan Cook Book</a>' is just mind blowing. I am so excited and so nervous that I've not had much time to be creative in the kitchen. That is until the girls insisted we have a Mexican night!<br />
<br />
We used to have Mexcian nights for dinner every Sunday, but over the Summer this slipped from our routine as we've been so busy, and hardly at home. But I was so glad they brought it up, and it gave me a chance to use up the delicious tomatillos that I got in our veg box last week.<br />
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You don't come across tomatillos very much in the UK, but the good news is that this salsa works just as well with tomatoes. If using regular tomatoes, I like to add a squeeze of fresh lime at the end, it gives it that zing that you'd get with tomatillos.<br />
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We'll be serving this up tonight alongside some slow cooked beans, rice, organic corn tortilla chips and fresh guacamole- I can't wait!<br />
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If you guys have had a chance to vote for me in the bake off, thank you so much! Votes close this Friday, so if you haven't I'd really appreciate you popping on over to <a href="http://www.peta.org.uk/living/great-vegan-bake-off-2015-the-finalists/" target="_blank">The Great Vegan Bake Off</a> to vote, lets get my sugar free Schichttorte on the map and show you can have your cake and eat it!<br />
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<br />
<i><b>Tomatillo Salsa</b></i><br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients:</i><br />
8 tomatillos, or tomatoes<br />
1 small onion<br />
1 jalepeno chili<br />
1 1/2 cups of water<br />
1/2 tsp sea salt<br />
<br />
<i>Method:</i><br />
Peel the husks off the tomatillos, and peel and quarter the onion. Add everything together in a saucepan, and simmer for around 25 mnutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated.<br />
Pour into a food processor and process to a smooth salsa.<br />
If using regular tomatoes, add a squeeze of lime at the end.<br />
<br />That's it! It's the most simple salsa ever, but tastes amazing.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3300383225545105025.post-90739103342442573502015-09-04T11:31:00.001+01:002015-09-04T21:59:34.076+01:00Ultimate Vegan, sugar free SchichttorteSo you know I love a challenge right, and as I've been away for so long, I figured I'd better come up with a real cracker of a recipe for you guys to make up for it!<br />
<br />
I've been watching the Great British Bake off, (as I do every year, in the hope somebody makes vegan bakes!) and loved that they had a dairy free, sugar free and gluten free week. This just shows how far things have come in the world of baking and it's very exciting- I hope next year they'll do a Vegan week, imagine how awesome that would be!<br />
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A few years ago now, about six in fact, my family quit refined sugar. And everybody thought we were crazy. Forward to 2015 and Jamie Oliver is presenting a programme called 'Sugar Rush' and even my dear Dad is trying to cut down the sugars he has in his tea! Times they are changing and I couldn't be happier.<br />
<br />
While I am passionate about all vegan food, and am partial to the odd Taifun tofu hot dog, I maintain the belief that most of our diet should come from wholefoods rather than processed, and truly believe in ditching the refined sugar. My mission is to show that this doesn't mean you have to sacrifice taste and enjoyment of food as nothing is off limits, even cake! I
make lots of gluten free recipes these days too, as I get many requests for them,
and modern wheat just isn't what it used to be, it is, well, rubbish! I
don't follow a gluten free diet myself as I include spelt, kamut, barley
and rye into my diet, but I really like being able to offer alternatives to those who want them.<br />
<br />
So, when they declared to Ugne on 'The Great British Bake off' that making both gluten free and sugar free in the one recipe was perhaps a step too far, the little rebel in me thought, 'Hmmmm, I'm going to do that and more!'<br />
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It was quite by chance that on the same day, I noticed PETA UK was accepting entries to their '<a href="http://www.peta.org.uk/living/great-vegan-bake-off-2015-enter-now/" target="_blank">Great Vegan Bake Off</a>', which I took as a sign for me to enter. It is a little daunting to put a creation up to be judged though and I haven't taken this decision lightly, I am a little nervous! So like a crazy lady on a mission, I decided to go all out and give it my best shot, and that just has to be a vegan, refined sugar free, gluten free, multi layered, chocolate covered masterpiece of a cake, better known as a German schichttorte! <br />
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I know this cake at first glance seems intimidating. Each layer is grilled individually to a nice golden brown creating something that looks like a cross between a stack of pancakes ad a cake, but it is not as hard as it looks I promise. Each layer needs just a couple of minutes under the grill, making it quicker than baking a standard cake (if you go for less than the traditional twenty layers that is), plus you never have the worry of it no being cooked through to the middle! I baked mine with six layers, because two were a little fat and I ran out of mix to make the eight I originally wanted. This batter mix makes the perfect amount for eight more even layers though, so if you are less heavy handed than me, this should be a breeze. The perfectionist in me wanted to make this cake again with perfectly even layers, but as I noticed this contest so late, I just didn't have the time. Plus it still tastes divine and I know you will all love it! <br />
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The first version I tried I made with coconut palm sugar, and while it tasted out of this world, and was described as 'the best cake i've ever eaten' by one of my daughters friends, you just couldnt see the layers as the coconut plam was too dark. So next I made it with agave nectar. You can see the layers beautifully in this version, and it tasted like delicious, zingy, lemony, chocolate heaven! Though the texture is a little denser than when made with the coconut palm sugar, it was still kept light by using the latest vegan baking craze, whisked chickpea liquid in place of the egg whites! Whisked chickpea liquid is a vegan baking revelation and it works really rather well. I promise it is worth the effort!<br />
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<b><i>Ingredients</i></b><br />
The chickpea liquid from one can (use the chickpeas for dinner!)<br />
100g vegan spread (I use Biona Cocomega)<br />
180ml agave nectar<br />
2 tbsp tapioca flour whisked into 125ml organic soy milk <br />
Zest of 1 lemon<br />
1 tsp vanilla extract<br />
1/4 tsp sea salt <br />
200g doves farm self raising gluten free flour<br />
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<b><i>For the topping</i></b><br />
2 tbsp apricot jam (we use St Dalfour as it is cane sugar free)<br />
100g dark chocolate (we use plamil xylitol sweetened)<br />
1 tbsp vegan spread<br />
1/2 cup flaked hazlenuts or almonds<br />
1/4 cup whole hazlenuts<br />
<br />
<i><b>Optional caramel coating</b></i><br />
1/2 cup coconut palm sugar<br />
1 tbsp water<br />
<br />
<b><i>Method</i></b><br />
Grease and flour a 16cm lose bottom cake tin and preheat the grill to high. <br />
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Drain the liquid from the chickpeas into a bowl and whisk with an electric mixer until light and fluffy and forming peaks. This can take around 10-15 minutes and should look like this:<br />
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Set the whisked chickpea liquid aside while you make the batter.<br />
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In a large bowl, beat together the agave and coconut spread until light and creamy. I like to use an electric whisk for this, until the day I convince my hubby to invest in a Kitchen Aid that is!<br />
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Add the soy milk with the tapioca flour, the lemon zest and the vanilla extract and the sea salt. It looks like the mixture is seperating at this stage but it will come together when you add the the flour.<br />
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Sieve the flour into the mixture and combine well.<br />
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Next, with a large metal spoon, gradually add in the whisked chickpea liquid. You want to fold this in carefully so as to not knock out the air. <br />
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When the whisked chickpea liquid is well mixed in, add a large serving spoonful to the cake tin, tilting the tin to spread the mixture into an even layer. Put this under the hot grill and cook for around two minutes, until quite dark golden on top. You need the top to be very brown so that the layers show up in the cake. The top of the cake tin should not be too near to the top of the grill, I had a good 10cm of space between the top of the tin and the grill.<br />
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Continue adding a large spoonful of batter at a time, and grilling until all the batter is used up, it should make around 8 layers.<br />
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When cooked, leave to cool for a few minutes before removing from the cake tin and transferring to a wire rack to cool further. While cooling, heat the apricot jam in a saucepan until just warm, and brush all over the cake. This helps the chocolate to stick to the cake.<br />
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Next make the chocolate topping! In a glass bowl, set over a pan of simmering water, melt the chocolate together with the spread. Pour over the cake, smoothing it down over the sides until the whole cake is covered in delicious chocolate!<br />
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Let set slightly, and garnish with the flaked hazlenuts or almonds around the edge.<br />
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If you would like to make caramel hazlenuts for the centre garnish. Heat the coconut palm sugar in a pan with the water until bubbling, be careful as this stuff can burn. Let it cook for around 5 minutes before removing from the heat and cooling by setting the pan in a bowl of cold water. The caramel will start to thicken as it cools. Add the hazlenuts and stir to coat, transfer to greaseproof paper to cool, then pile them up in the centre of the cake.<br />
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Voila! You will have an amazing centre piece for any party of get together, that will surely impress, as well as being pretty virtuous in the cake department. Who said you can't have your cake and eat it! We noticed that this cake tastes best on the day it is made, as it has a tendency to dry out if left overnight, but luckily left over cake isn't such a problem in our house! <br />
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I would also like to thank a lovely guy named Matt, who lives near me, who came over to give me a crash course on inside photography and help take some of these pics for me! I have a lovely new camera now, and have started to learn the ropes. Boy oh boy is there alot to learn.<br />
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If you want more tasty vegan and refined sugar free recipes, check out my book How to Eat a Rainbow! Available in the US from <a href="http://veganpublishers.com/how-to-eat-a-rainbow-ellie-and-sabrina-bedford/" target="_blank">Vegan Publishers</a> and in the UK from the <a href="https://www.vegansociety.com/shop/books/how-eat-rainbow" target="_blank">Vegan Society</a> and signed copies from <a href="https://coles-books.co.uk/how-to-eat-a-rainbow-magical-raw-vegan-recipes-for-kids-by-ellie-and-sabrina-bedford" target="_blank">Coles Bookstore</a>.<br />
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How to Eat a Rainbow has been nominated for 'Best Vegan Cook Book' Woo-Hoo! So excited! I would love it if you could vote for it at <a href="http://vegfest.co.uk/vote" target="_blank">VegfestUK</a>, it would man the world to me and help spread the message that healthy vegan food is delicious! Thank you. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3300383225545105025.post-5109448334469011382015-06-25T21:35:00.000+01:002015-06-25T21:41:06.010+01:00Rice pasta with beetroot greens, raisins and lemonOne of the things I love most about getting an organic veg box delivered to our door, is that lots of the veggies come with their greens still attached. This morning as I unpacked the box (while fending off the children who were grabbing cucumbers and tomatoes before I could even drag the box to the kitchen), I was super excited to see that my beetroot had an impressive bouquet of greenery on it.<br />
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I adore beetroot greens and always wonder why you can't find them in supermarkets over here. Travel to the continent and you find these greens in abundance at local farmer's markets- clearly they know something that we don't! They are super mild in taste, a cross between chard and spinach and are packed with nutrients too, including vitamins A & C as well as calcium and iron.<br />
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As I was pushed for time today (as always!), I decided to make these greens the star of a quick and simple pasta dish, along with some raisins that I had left in the cupboard. As I love to add garlic and fresh lemon zest to as many things as possible, I decided to add these as well. The combination of the earthy greens, sweet raisins, punchy garlic and zesty lemon was a match made in heaven. Simple, filling, nutritious and inexpensive, I am sure this will be a summer family favourite!<br />
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<b>Rice pasta with beetroot greens, raisins, garlic and lemon</b><br />
<b>Serves 4</b><br />
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<b><i>Ingredients</i></b><br />
400g brown rice pasta (or pasta of choice)<br />
2 tbsp olive oil <br />
3 cloves of garlic finely sliced <br />
6 cups beetrot greens, washed and finely shredded<br />
1/4 cup raisins<br />
1/2 tsp salt to taste <br />
Zest of 1/2 lemon<br />
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<i><b>Method</b></i><br />
Bring a large pan of water to the boil, and when boiling add the pasta and cook according to the packet directions.<br />
In a deep frying pan (I like to use a deep cast iron pan), sautee the garlic in the olive oil over a medium heat until it starts to turn golden. Add the beetroot greens, stiring until they just begin to wilt and release their juices. Add the rasins and cook for a further 8 minutes until softened, Season with sea salt.<br />
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When the pasta is cooked, drain and add to the greens, mixing well. Grate the lemon zest over the top and serve immediately.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3300383225545105025.post-24190855119225393982015-06-24T19:54:00.000+01:002015-06-24T19:54:32.769+01:00Review- Indigo Herbs Super Cleanse TeaAs you guys may have noticed by now, I am a huge fan of the Indigo Herbs of Glastonbury company. I genuinely find that their products are of amazing quality and value and love discovering new products of theirs, and this one has indeed been a brilliant discovery. <br />
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They sent me the <a href="http://www.indigo-herbs.co.uk/shop/buy/indigo-tea-super-cleanse" target="_blank">Super Cleanse tea</a> to review over the Spring, but with the colder weather we've been having, I've been stuck in hibernation mode and reluctant to give up on comfort foods and chocolate elixirs. Now that the warmer weather is here, it really felt like a good time to cleanse and try out this tea for you guys!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAB-QiXpWDflvueS_0gwuRLXNogDg0F8Ga8tujS7ZepqEkB0EOYj1UuhjOXAtcjBbl9EunH9GDvWa1v4rol45S1tR842lZUtASscWuXl-N0AkDssVCyDheYywuGONSMJWRiGkryQ9SjP4/s1600/cleanse+tea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAB-QiXpWDflvueS_0gwuRLXNogDg0F8Ga8tujS7ZepqEkB0EOYj1UuhjOXAtcjBbl9EunH9GDvWa1v4rol45S1tR842lZUtASscWuXl-N0AkDssVCyDheYywuGONSMJWRiGkryQ9SjP4/s320/cleanse+tea.jpg" width="287" /></a></div>
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This particular blend contains a mixture of fennel, liquorice, ginger, dandelion, nettle and red clover, which makes it the perfect tea for cleansing and for putting a spring back into your step! Here's what they have to say about the tea:<br />
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<i>"A cleansing, purifying tea that supports the body, and revives the hard
working systems of elimination. This tea helps the body recover from
over use of caffeine and other toxins. The delicious tastes of fennel,
liquorice and ginger uplift the healing herby tastes of Dandelion,
Nettle and Red Clover. Our Super Cleanse Tea Blend can be infused in
boiling water and made into a delicious herbal tea drink."</i><br />
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I tried this over four mornings in place of my regular green tea and I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by the result. As well as being refreshing to drink first thing in the morning, I definitely noticed that I had less of an energy slump mid afternoon which was a huge bonus.<br />
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You might expect the tea to be very herby with so many strong flavours packed in, especially with the bitter tones of dandelion and nettle, but it was far from herby or bitter. The liquorice comes through as a sweet aftertaste that was pleasant to drink and needed no extra sweetener added. <br />
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I love that this tea contains whole clover and chunky herbs rather than being in powdered form, and as it comes in a handy re-sealable bag, I didn't notice any deterioration in the flavour over the days which was great.<br />
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If a cleanse tea isn't what you fancy right now, Indigo herbs do a good range of herbs and tea blends so there is sure to be one that suits you, give them a try!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3300383225545105025.post-7178256372999820372015-06-18T23:44:00.000+01:002015-06-23T17:35:20.925+01:00Epic Adzuki Bean BurgersSo you guys, what a week! We've been sorting out the house and attending to all the neglected jobs over the years, trying to fit in all these home-school books and files we have acquired, moving my youngest into her 'grown up bed' (eeek my baby isn't a baby anymore!) and generally de-cluttering the place, and it's reached that point that even though we've sorted and sorted till we can't sort no more, the place still looks like a bomb has hit it. Anybody else been through this? My house is literally driving me crazy, but, I know the end is near and this is keeping me going... just.<br />
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Amongst this craziness I also got a new camera. Finally I can stop having to rely on my wonderful friends to take pictures, or resorting to snapping them on my phone. I am so excited about this, though it really has been an eye opener for me. Until I got this camera, I had no clue how bamboozling the world of photography can be. I have a new lens and tripod on order and am very s-l-o-w-l-y getting to grips with the basics, so please bear with me while I learn. I can't promise you mind blowing pictures just yet, but surely they will improve with time.<br />
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The recipe that is lucky enough to be my first photographed recipe (on a proper camera that is), is this tasty little vegan adzuki bean burger, because everybody loves a burger!<br />
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But as much as we love them, they seem to cause some major challenges for the vegan kitchen. Getting the taste and texture just right, and producing a patty that doesn't fall to pieces when you cook it can definitely be a challenge and I have had my fair share of disasters.<br />
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While I love this recipe for tasty <a href="http://www.elliesrecipes.com/2013/01/tasty-tofu-burgers.html" target="_blank">tofu burgers</a>, I know many people are uncomfortable with eating too much soy and I wanted to provide a tasty alternative. I was firmly in that camp for years too and avoided unfermented soy, but after more study into the subject, I am happy to include whole soy products now, including milk and yoghurt. I do always make sure it is organic and GM free of course, and I do stay away from soy protein isolate as that still makes me me uncomfortable, but whole soy products have been a welcome addition to my family's diet.<br />
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But I am rambling. If you do prefer to avoid soy, this is the perfect recipe for you!<br />
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Made with the tiny titan of the bean world that is adzuki beans, these are bursting with flavour as well as being super healthy. The burgers can be made completely oil free too, depending on your preferred cooking method. With a crunchy exterior thanks to the polenta and a soft interior, these burgers really work well in a toasted rye or gluten free roll, with all the trimmings of course.<br />
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Just a quick word about the seasoning. I use 'Green Cuisine Chicken Seasoning' which is all natural and contains no sugar. This herb blend is a mixture of paprika, sage, parsley, thyme, cumin, pepper, garlic and onion. You could also use jerk seasoning for a spicy twist, or a tablespoon of harissa paste for a Moroccan influence. Basically spice these up any way you like them, there is no wrong choice here.<br />
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<i><b><br /></b></i>
<i><b>Adzuki Bean Burgers</b></i><br />
<b><i>Makes 4-6 burgers</i></b><br />
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<i>Ingredients for the burger</i><br />
3 cups of cooked adzuki beans,* drained well<br />
4 spring onion<br />
1 very finely grated carrot<br />
1/2 sweet potato,finely grated<br />
3 tbsp rolled oats<br />
1 tbsp chicken seasoning<br />
1 tsp fresh thyme<br />
1/2 tsp fine sea salt<br />
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<i>For the coating</i><br />
1/4 cup polenta<br />
1/4 cup sorghum flour or rice flour <br />
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<i>Method</i><br />
Add your cooked beans along with the rest of the burger ingredients to a large bowl and mix with your hands. Really squish that mixure up, it's very theraputic!<br />
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Next shape them into patties. This mix makes between 4-6, depending on how large you like them to be, I have actually found that 5 seems to be the ideal amount, which leaves one extra left over for lunch the next day.<br />
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Tip the two flours for the coating on to a plate and mix together. With slightly wet hands, shape the burger mixture into nice rounds and coat each one well in the flour.<br />
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You can now either shallow fry these in extra virgin coconut oil for around 5-6 minutes each side, or bake in a hot oven until crisp and golden.<br />
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Serve these in a toasted bun of your choice, with lettuce, pickles and some home made <a href="http://www.elliesrecipes.com/2012/04/homemade-tomato-ketchup.html" target="_blank">tomato ketchup</a>.<br />
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*I cook my beans from dried with a piece of kombu in the water for added minerals and easier digestibility!<br />
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Super excited to link this recipe up to 'Honest Mum's' Tasty Tuesday! I was lucky enough to see this inspirational blogger speak recently and she is awesome. Loving reading about her vegan cleanse too, go Honest Mum!<br />
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<a href="http://honestmum.com/tasty-tuesday/"><img alt="Tasty Tuesdays on HonestMum.com" src="http://i.imgur.com/9VwhltV.jpg" height="189" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="301" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3300383225545105025.post-70953411559493040522015-06-08T17:02:00.000+01:002015-06-08T17:10:03.273+01:00Summer Strawberry, Beetroot and Fig SaladSo June is finally here and along with it the start of the warmer weather. That definitely means strawberry season is upon us and I couldn't be more excited!<br />
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I must admit though that I had delayed this post a little. When I began to write this at the start of last week, it felt as if we were in the depths of Winter again. Sharing a Summery recipe like this in a middle of a cold spell made me feel like a bit of a tease so I put it on hold. And while us Brits have never been held back by a little wind and rain (we'd never get anything done if we did!), I decided to put my faith in the fact that Summer was just around the corner, and wait out the wind and the rain.<br />
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Anyway, I am delighted that Summer finally decided to join the party, and even more excited to share this delicious recipe with you all as it really is delicious. The strawberries are an exciting addition to a green salad base and served alongside the sweet figs, fresh basil, earthy beetroot and crunchy macadamia nuts it makes for a hearty and satisfying combination. Strawberries and basil really are a match made in heaven!<br />
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This strawberry salad is the perfect dish to serve up at barbeques and festivities as an impressive side, but enjoyed alongside some rustic rye sourdough, this also forms a substantial main in its own right.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipFipn2pNlmKTMdJcgT2zH1w4K7A109nPCmW6UhhbXOU9IJPdEGdM6qT0e1jOpWmQWu9yfuF_P9uS5GJNGzLY_7ze8UYe38UTiDIvn0dCivM3fEykv4rGpEJUNMVZbCzwqrJF9yxyn6ac/s1600/DSC_1221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipFipn2pNlmKTMdJcgT2zH1w4K7A109nPCmW6UhhbXOU9IJPdEGdM6qT0e1jOpWmQWu9yfuF_P9uS5GJNGzLY_7ze8UYe38UTiDIvn0dCivM3fEykv4rGpEJUNMVZbCzwqrJF9yxyn6ac/s640/DSC_1221.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><b>Strawberry, Beetroot and Fig Salad</b></i><br />
<i><b>Serves 2-4</b></i><br />
<i><b><br /></b></i>
<i><b>Salad ingredients</b></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
100g macadamia nuts</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
8 baby figs</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
4 heaped cups of baby spinach</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
200g strawberries</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
2-3 small, cooked beetroot</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
50g radish and alfalfa sprouts</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Handful of fresh basil</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><b>Dressing ingredients</b></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
1 ½ tbsp balsamic vinegar</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Pinch of sea salt and black pepper</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><b></b></i></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
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<i><b></b></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><b>Method</b></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Heat a cast iron pan or heavy bottomed
frying pan over a medium heat. Add the macadamia nuts and stir
constantly until they are lightly toasted and golden brown. Remove
from heat and set aside.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Heat up a griddle pan to a high heat
and lightly brush with olive oil. While it is heating, cut the figs
into halves. Griddle each of the baby fig halves (cut side down) for
a couple of minutes, until they just start to caramelise. Remove them
from the pan and set aside. Now we're ready to assemble the salad.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Wash the baby spinach, giving it a
shake to remove any excess water. Add the spinach to a large salad
bowl along with the fresh basil leaves.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
To prepare the rest of the salad,
firstly cut the strawberries into halves. Peel the cooked beetroot
(you can also use the cooked vacuum packed beetroot that is already
peeled) and slice them into thin rounds. Add these to the salad bowl,
along with the strawberries, macadamia nuts, griddle figs, and
alfalfa and radish sprouts.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Lastly make the dressing. Add the olive
oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to a small bowl and lightly
whisk to mix, or shake everything together in a jar. Just before
serving, pour the dressing over the salad and mix well with a pair of
salad tongs.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH4EXLHuknLVhG-RkwSz_yuj0k4fbf0Zu2YA9_HfwR6vuGypeZl8vXVr29Ofk0sIH_4lE2CydaEd2l7w7ypj281wwGFMxT90f29has3Aj-FQOfeXtGWCvgpBqiMAylhEuO1jEz-ss_duE/s1600/DSC_1233.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH4EXLHuknLVhG-RkwSz_yuj0k4fbf0Zu2YA9_HfwR6vuGypeZl8vXVr29Ofk0sIH_4lE2CydaEd2l7w7ypj281wwGFMxT90f29has3Aj-FQOfeXtGWCvgpBqiMAylhEuO1jEz-ss_duE/s640/DSC_1233.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
All Photographs Copyright of Emma Lou Cowell 2015<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3300383225545105025.post-47172650598693733462015-05-19T09:26:00.001+01:002015-05-19T09:26:55.864+01:00Cats and Summer SmoothiesWhat a few weeks we've had! I'll try and sum them up for you guys, all that you've missed in the month of May so far...<br />
<br />
After sadly losing our beautiful 9 year old cat, Chaak (named after the Mayan rain God) we were all a little heartbroken. It seems he and his brother both had some sort of hereditary heart disease or blood clotting issue that meant we have lost them both to thrombosis, way before their time. <br />
<br />
He was such an amazing character, he had this way of communicating with us that I've never seen another cat do before. When we first saw him, as a 4 month old kitten in the rescue centre with his brother, he started nodding his head enthusiastically at us (while bashing his poor brothers head against the wall), and he never ever stopped nodding in all these 9 years. He also looked a lot like a bat when upside down...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-qkZO4ukgKvg2nXg9BSQJJG1uINHuYCWyeY-IGmm_KP2r96zkHlJjRoABos1SyNDMIwz7B6mdXrf9VtMLQNo7DUdrdc4O-4LGaZLW48eNbK7IErB_vEibVlxD8Y9ILTT3T-3PdNvenqo/s1600/IMG_1793.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-qkZO4ukgKvg2nXg9BSQJJG1uINHuYCWyeY-IGmm_KP2r96zkHlJjRoABos1SyNDMIwz7B6mdXrf9VtMLQNo7DUdrdc4O-4LGaZLW48eNbK7IErB_vEibVlxD8Y9ILTT3T-3PdNvenqo/s1600/IMG_1793.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
So goodbye little Chaakie, we hope you're having a wonderful time up there with your brother Jaguarundi, we miss you both so much!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBhJNz9HVfC9V1NOIIEEw_cNJX5vbr36009AV2VUpcBTT0SkSKZnpub7HnQ4Qm_LIo3UrHh8qrmeF1_18KCGz80nvBDkRJ4wlEuvMi11AO6hEZwUA2Qr1b5ociNE-ntMeNSkyyiy_0jzk/s1600/jag+and+chaak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBhJNz9HVfC9V1NOIIEEw_cNJX5vbr36009AV2VUpcBTT0SkSKZnpub7HnQ4Qm_LIo3UrHh8qrmeF1_18KCGz80nvBDkRJ4wlEuvMi11AO6hEZwUA2Qr1b5ociNE-ntMeNSkyyiy_0jzk/s1600/jag+and+chaak.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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So as we started to get back to normal at home, my youngest daughter went and broke her elbow rather spectacularly, while trying to hurdle a space hopper, at great speed, on the patio. I have since praised her for her bravery and told her it's great to try out these things, but perhaps hurdling a more stationary object is a better idea in the future... She's been incredibly brave and I am amazingly proud of her. And through it all she is still smiling!<br />
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While my youngest has been playing daredevil with a space hopper, my eldest has been saving trees! We live in an area that is being rapidly re-developed, and sadly as part of this, a beautiful line of trees that ran behind our back fence were cut down to make way for new houses. We were all saddened by this, but little did I know that my daughter had saved one of those little helicopter seeds from the tree and she had planted it in a pot. A couple of weeks ago, she proudly presented me with this, it's growing!<br />
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Last weekend, a month after losing Chaak, we adopted a new rescue kitten- hooray! His name is Gink and he is rather special. He is so friendly and at only 3 1/2 months old, he is already a real lap cat. We have one small problem though. Our 3 year old girl cat, Chia, has turned into a hissing, spitting, crazy cat. She'll even hiss at us if we smell like the kitten! Eeek. So any advise on helping these two get along would be greatly appreciated. Same could be said of the girls really... (kidding! Kindda).<br />
<br />
So that's been the last few weeks, a mixture of highs and lows and lots of busy in between. As a result, we've been cramming in the smoothies and juices this week, to boost our energy and for a quick and easy snack or brekkie. One we are absolutely loving is this butterhead lettuce and grape smoothie. We're getting lots of butterhead lettuce in our vegbox, and it tastes delicious in a smoothie. We've used frozen grapes as the girls really love them and I keep a bunch in my freezer, but any soft fruit would work.<br />
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<b>Grape and Butterhead Lettuce Smoothie</b><br />
<i><b>Serves 1-2</b></i><br />
<i>Ingredients:</i><br />
1 cup of frozen grapes<br />
1 cup of chopped butterhead lettuce leaves<br />
1 large banana<br />
1 tbsp hemp protein powder<br />
2 cups almond milk<br />
<br />
Blend everything together until creamy and smooth!<br />
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Smoothie photo credit Emma Lou Cowell Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3300383225545105025.post-50580340348151405752015-04-02T21:00:00.000+01:002015-04-02T21:00:16.734+01:00Mirabilia olive leaf tea review I don't think I've ever reviewed a tea before, then in the space of a few weeks, I have three wonderful tea discoveries to share with you! They're all very different, so I hope that there will be a tea to suit everyone. I'm going to start the tea reviews rolling with this delicious olive leaf tea from Mirabilia.<br />
<br />
When Mirabilia olive leaf tea sent me some of their delicious tea to sample, I was super excited! My Mum had brought me some olive leaf tea a few years ago and I enjoyed its light taste, but really had no idea of its health benefits. I drink a lot of caffeine free alternatives to green tea, and many of them rival the antioxidant properties of green tea, such as hibiscus or red bush, but somehow olive leaf had passed me by. When I read through the information that they sent with the tea, and found out the many benefits, I couldn't wait to start drinking it.<br />
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Mirabillia olive leaf tea is made from organic green olive leafs. Bimbi and Kim set up their business in Italy believing wholeheartedly in a local sustainable approach to producing the tea. I am a huge believer in using local foods wherever possible so this was music to my ears.<br />
<br />
As some of you who have watched my talks and demos will know, when I first started living the wholefoods and raw foods life I embraced the exotic, weird and wonderful worlds of superfoods with passion and wonder. But over the years I began to realise that we have the most amazing and powerful superfoods right here in the UK and also closer to home in Europe. Where I could, I started making changes in our diet, replacing more exotic foods with local alternatives and foraging for wild foods. Knowing that I am doing my bit for the environment is a great thing. I'm not saying never eat any exotic foods (I cannot give up chocolate and bananas just yet!), but it does make sense to include as many local foods as possible. For as well as the environment to think about, we have our health to consider, and the foods grown closer to home, which are more climate appropriate, tend to be better suited to us and better at keeping us in balance.<br />
<br />
<b>About the amazing Mirabillia Tea:</b><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZunzxmzGEYDrO6VRqOsWJDa8YrxrKYhvUyT_u1m1pzr9mMXYxoC393HrWwQBgk9AzHwLCGxComlri-vgSLXJzq3FTtXHfvb97w_2pRcwmYjgLohLnOJqKkFtiUbQR-HMXqH877ilO-VY/s1600/GetAttachment.aspx.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZunzxmzGEYDrO6VRqOsWJDa8YrxrKYhvUyT_u1m1pzr9mMXYxoC393HrWwQBgk9AzHwLCGxComlri-vgSLXJzq3FTtXHfvb97w_2pRcwmYjgLohLnOJqKkFtiUbQR-HMXqH877ilO-VY/s1600/GetAttachment.aspx.jpg" /></a>“ Our team of pickers, all local ladies of a certain age, are amazingly
enthusiastic about their work. They can remember their grandmothers
talking about the benefits of olive leaf tea and are thrilled to be part
of this revival of local culture and tradition. Everyone involved in
this project is proud to be taking part, seeing it not only as a
positive benefit to the region but also as a fun and satisfying way of
working together on the land<br />
<br />
Not only the tea, hand-picked in our organic groves, but also the
packaging, the labels and bags, even the machine that helps weigh and
pack the tea, have all been locally sourced as we have an unswerving
commitment to the area and to the community.”</blockquote>
<br />
How awesome is that? The more I looked into the information they had sent me and from what I read on their website, the more I was excited by it's potential health benefits. Olive leaf tea has been traditionally used in Italy for many generations and studies have shown that it could be beneficial for blood pressure and weight loss, is anti-viral, anti-fungal rich in vitamin C and high in antioxidants. There are no known side effects and it is safe for all the family.<br />
<br />
<b>Here is another great quote from their website:</b><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Oleuropein is active against bacteria and insect pests, thus
protecting the olive tree. This property has also been found to help
protect humans too. European researchers discovered that oleuropein was
effective at lowering blood pressure as well as increasing blood flow.
<br />
Research conducted in the late 1960's by scientists at major
pharmaceutical company Upjohn (now Pfizer ) showed that an active
ingredient from olive leaf tea called elenolic acid was very effective
at inhibiting viruses from growing, including those associated with the
common cold of humans ( the "Rhinovirus" family)"
</blockquote>
<br />
<b>So what does it taste like?</b><br />
Delicious! It has a very mild slightly "olivey" flavour, and a butter-like quality to it, making it very smooth on the palate. I imagine that this tea is just as tasty served chilled as it is hot and could be used as a base in cooking too.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>How do you prepare it?</b><br />
To prepare the tea, simply steep a pinch in some boiled water for around 5 minutes to get the maximum benefits. And that's it! I serve mine with a wedge of lemon in it and it's super refreshing that way, but it works amazingly well as the base of a nutritious hot chocolate elixir too!<br />
<br />
I am a huge fan of making hot <a href="http://www.elliesrecipes.com/2014/12/indigo-herbs-and-my-red-velvet-elixir.html" target="_blank">chocolate elixirs</a>, as a delicious and nutritious way to boost my nutrient intake. My elixirs have evolved over the years from containing exotic superfood powders and herbs, to making use of more local ingredients such as beetroot powder and rosehip. Last Saturday, I thought I'd give olive leaf tea a go as my elixir base for one of my demos at Vegfest in Brighton. I usually use redbush tea, which is a fabulous tea for all the family and full of antioxidants, but I wanted to see if I could make this elixir using this delicious tea. It worked perfectly - I am excited to have another tea that I can use in the mix, and it's great to know the addition of olive leaf tea takes this elixir to a whole new level health-wise.<br />
<br />
I will definitely be buying this tea and making it a staple in our home. If you are interested in purchasing this tea, all the information, as well as where to buy it can be found on their website!<br />
<br />
http://www.oleaft.com/<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3300383225545105025.post-67454515147175796062015-03-31T20:53:00.000+01:002015-03-31T22:30:42.886+01:00Refined Sugar Free, Vegan Easter Treats!Easter is approaching, and it's that time of year when the shops are full of sugary, dairy filled chocolates- so what's a Mama to do? Well, the good news is that chocolate can be delicious and healthy too! (in moderation of course!) Cacao contains many important nutrients including magnesium which is important for heart health, and is packed with antioxidants too. <br />
<br />
Of course we're talking chocolate in it's pure form, before the added sugar and the dairy and the emulsifiers and the rest of the stuff you get in regular chocolate bars. Good quality dark chocolate is the one to look out for, raw or roasted and preferably cane sugar free. The question that I get asked a lot is, what is the difference between raw cacao and cocoa, and does it need to be raw to get health benefits?<br />
<br />
I've been a fan of raw chocolate for a long time now, and it has become quite a trend these days! While it is a sure thing that it has a higher level of nutrients and antioxidants that the roasted cocoa bean, it is also true that roasted cocoa still packs a huge punch when it comes to antioxidant levels (though try to choose one that hasn't been dutch processed, as this extra processing step, reduces the antioxidants further). Some people (my daughter included) tend to notice that raw cacao has an effect on them more than the roasted kind, so I think it is down to personal choice which you use, so go have fun and experiment with them!<br />
<br />
A couple of weeks ago I had a blast teaching some pupils from our local school how to make super healthy Easter treats at the beautiful<a href="http://www.heyfordpark.com/" target="_blank"> Dorchester Show Home</a>! We made crispy cakes and raw chocolate eggs filled with peanut butter. I was a little nervous, as many children are so used to the milky kind of chocolate, I wasn't sure how they'd like this pure raw dark kind, but I needn't have worried, the chocolates were a great success! So much in fact, that I wanted to share the recipes with you in time to make them for Easter!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh65vSTlD3X7a8I1lHrPwwDJAYhPtm2qhzGjF1mRcz7IfAUgLPfevGLb-AtnxZkkbQoPvgeXcX6kMsncAM0uw6D_zN2sFBEZEmbdcx3t4D3x49ICwZIAod4j8K-eGp6IeYTb7FdwCBDXik/s1600/easter+workshop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh65vSTlD3X7a8I1lHrPwwDJAYhPtm2qhzGjF1mRcz7IfAUgLPfevGLb-AtnxZkkbQoPvgeXcX6kMsncAM0uw6D_zN2sFBEZEmbdcx3t4D3x49ICwZIAod4j8K-eGp6IeYTb7FdwCBDXik/s1600/easter+workshop.jpg" height="320" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>Easter chocolate crispy cakes</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>Makes 12</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
These crispy cakes taste just like the
traditional favourite, only they are dairy and refined sugar free!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
100g dark chocolate*</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
1 tbsp virgin coconut oil</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
¼ cup agave or maple syrup</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
1 cup sugar free cornflakes (I use Dove's Farm)</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
1 cup plain rice puffs</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
½ cup dessicated coconut</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
*I like plamil (found in Holland and
Barrett), which is sweetened with xylitol</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Break up the chocolate, and add to a
pyrex bowl with the coconut oil and agave/maple syrup. Place the
bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, and melt together, stirring
frequently. While melting, add the cornflakes, rice puffs and
dessicated coconut to a bowl. Pour the melted chocolate mixture over,
and stir well to make sure everything is coated in the chocolate.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Spoon the mixture into cup cases, and
pop in the fridge to chill for a couple of hours!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>Raw chocolate mini eggs</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Making raw chocolates is easy. The raw
cacao powder is packed with nutrients and being refined sugar free,
these chocolates are good for you as well as delicious!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
100g cacao butter</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
5-6 tbsp raw cacao powder</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
4-6 tbsp agave syrup, maple syrup or
coconut syrup</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Seeds of half a vanilla pod</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
2 tbsp unsweetened peanut butter, mixed
with ½ tbsp agave syrup</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Cut any large pieces of cacao butter up
(to make it easier to melt), and add them to a pyrex bowl. Place the
bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, and whisk until melted.
Split the vanilla pod in half, and scrape the seeds out with the back
of a knife. Add the vanilla seeds to the cacao butter along with the
agave syrup and cacao powder. Whisk well until evenly mixed and no
lumps! Fill the chocolate moulds with half of the melted chocolate.
Add a quarter of a teaspoon of the peanut mixture to each, and then
top with more melted chocolate to cover. Set in the fridge for a
couple of hours, or in the freezer for 30 minutes.</div>
<br />
<br />
Photo credit Dorchester Living 2015.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3300383225545105025.post-40002946211158388242015-03-26T20:39:00.000+00:002015-03-26T20:39:17.149+00:00Rich and tasty raw chocolate 'Cheescake'<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
If I had a pound for every time somebody asked me what on earth I ate, or asked 'how could vegan food, <i>without </i>refined sugar actually taste good?', I'd be a super rich lady!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
Part of why I blog is to set the record straight, to show people just how amazing vegan and refined sugar free foods really are, and how it really doesn't mean missing out. From homemade cakes and scones to creamy caramel chocolates, fresh pancakes with maple syrup or steaming mugs of hot chocolate, we enjoy all sorts of sweet treats at home! I do believe these foods should be treats, not really everyday foods, but of course we indulge every once in a while. I encourage everybody to explore the tasty vegan and refined sugar free alternatives that are out there; you'll be surprised how tasty and decadent the results can be.<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Take this rich and creamy 'cheesecake' for example. I know technically its not a cheesecake- it has no cheese- but it does mimic the taste and texture of one and for want of a better name, I'm sticking with cheesecake! This dessert is vegan, gluten free, refined sugar free and raw so is pretty impressive on the health front (for a pudding anyways) but lacks nothing on the flavour department I promise. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
With Easter just around the corner (and it is all about the chocolate!) this is the perfect dessert to serve at a family gathering; and I bet, if you didn't say anything, they'd never know it was vegan or refined sugar free!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizoQ01n8dJP4g3DzFcWXjfmuUpmOTse8Cwuf_oc0yMj0a5ZRjdPDgaB4X1TWKhSjaeyBftrZ1OBibndNsnach8ud0O6xJGjf8SYJooAnDabprHysPGZVxumh9wI-yJ2ZqHzw0u3HkZk18/s1600/_DSC0795.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizoQ01n8dJP4g3DzFcWXjfmuUpmOTse8Cwuf_oc0yMj0a5ZRjdPDgaB4X1TWKhSjaeyBftrZ1OBibndNsnach8ud0O6xJGjf8SYJooAnDabprHysPGZVxumh9wI-yJ2ZqHzw0u3HkZk18/s1600/_DSC0795.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3zPp_KMAOzQtxkyvY9Br1TJ5PpS2KHAjBTUgaV73E6l_1Gg0GErIcrCVoEH5PEoCnw8Ekh8Mac57RwYQWm_h_QvGHINTwuvg0GcVNXCyQ85QONnU09aY72zuNfuELBM49HMXP8lHEIdA/s1600/_DSC0800.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3zPp_KMAOzQtxkyvY9Br1TJ5PpS2KHAjBTUgaV73E6l_1Gg0GErIcrCVoEH5PEoCnw8Ekh8Mac57RwYQWm_h_QvGHINTwuvg0GcVNXCyQ85QONnU09aY72zuNfuELBM49HMXP8lHEIdA/s1600/_DSC0800.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>Raw chocolate 'cheesecake'</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Makes one 15cm cheesecake</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX8BxXSXasm9NOT4i9vqfoCFWNvz8HSjVje5IJs5pb2qYjZwUxk8XYlRtHopVonpnGBezTjQf52iZze8anIE_nvMGKS5fs3hTiOLoGC43bBFLO5MsHsvGkPFBANoK4p0rSGmcxrbAb2jc/s1600/_DSC0793.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX8BxXSXasm9NOT4i9vqfoCFWNvz8HSjVje5IJs5pb2qYjZwUxk8XYlRtHopVonpnGBezTjQf52iZze8anIE_nvMGKS5fs3hTiOLoGC43bBFLO5MsHsvGkPFBANoK4p0rSGmcxrbAb2jc/s1600/_DSC0793.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a><b>For the base</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
80g ground almonds</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
8 medjool dates</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>For the filling</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
200g cashew nuts, soaked overnight and
drained</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
1 small, ripe avocado or banana</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
1 tsp sugar free vanilla extract</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
80ml maple syrup</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
100ml melted extra virgin coconut oil</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
80ml almond milk</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
pinch of sea salt</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
2 heaped tbsp raw cacao powder or cocoa
powder</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>Method</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
To make the base, blitz together the
almonds and dates in a food processor until the mix starts to come
together as a dough. You can test if it is ready by squeezing some of
the mix between your fingers; if it sticks together it is ready.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Tip the mix out into a 15cm diameter
loose bottom (or spring form) deep cake tin and press down evenly to
create the crust.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Next make the filling. Add all the
filling ingredients to a blender and blend until creamy and smooth.
This will take a few minutes and requires stopping the blender
several times to scrape down the sides to be sure to get all the
lumps out. The finished result should be smooth and creamy like a
very thick custard.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
When it's smooth enough, pour the
filling over the base. Gently tap the tin to level out the top and
place the cheesecake in the fridge to set overnight. When it is set,
carefully remove from the tin and garnish with grated chocolate for an impressive finish! </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
All photos copyright of Chris Mullineux 2015</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3300383225545105025.post-67745073347208674962015-03-16T19:19:00.000+00:002015-03-16T19:25:33.590+00:00Minty Pea Choc Chip SmoothieTomorrow is St Patrick's Day, and at this time of year bloggers rejoice as they post their green culinary delights! It's a wonderful time to get creative, but sometimes it can all get a bit out of hand... My hubby is American and St Patrick's day is widely celebrated over there. He once told me how he and his best buddy dyed his Mum's kitchen green with food dye while creating a St Patricks day feast. The food they were colouring was pasta with hot dogs, I really cannot imagine what they were thinking!<br />
<br />
So, assuming like me, you think the idea of green coloured pasta is a bit gross, I am presenting you with an alternative that I think that you'll love! This green smoothie is not like any other green smoothie out there. Mainly because it contains frozen peas! Nearly everyone has frozen peas in their freezer, and they make a surprisingly tasty smoothie when combined with zingy fresh mint and crunchy cacao nibs. Peas and mint were literally made to go together, there is nothing new about this combo- think hot peas with fresh garden mint- but I hope I am presenting a vibrant new way to enjoy this match made in heaven.<br />
<br />
Using frozen peas straight from the freezer brings a nice icy chill to the smoothie, which when combined with ripe avocado becomes creamy and dreamy, just like mint choc chip ice cream. The peas are naturally sweet and protein packed, which makes for a great post workout smoothie, without having to rely on processed protein powders. The sweetness of the peas, dates and coconut water is balanced with the bitter cacao nibs and the mint, making for a perfectly balanced taste. This recipe works best with fresh mint, but I have also tried it with an
unsweetend peppermint extract which was super delicious too.<br />
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</div>
But first, a word of caution. Before you all rush to throw frozen peas into your blender, it is worth pointing out that some brands of frozen peas state that they should not be eaten frozen, but must be cooked before use. I have tried to think of a possible explanation for this, but I really can't! Peas can definitely be eaten raw, and I see no reason why this warning should appear on certain brands, other than maybe it is something to do with the manufacturing process? As I do not know the reason, I cannot ask you guys to ignore it. I buy organic frozen garden peas, and they have no warning on the pack, and I have used these in smoothies for years, so look out for an organic brand and check the pack. If your brand does have a warning on it, then it's probably a good idea to look for a different one for this recipe.<br />
<br />
I have added Spirulina to the mix as it improves the green colour, adds extra vitamins and minerals (including B1, B2, B3, B6, calcium and iron) and a little more protein punch to the smoothie. I also find that when I include spirulina it gives me an amazing energy boost! If you love the taste of spirulina, feel free to up the amount to a teaspoon. If you don't like the taste of Spirulina, try replacing it with wheatgrass powder, or even leaving it out altogether. The smoothie will most definitely still be green.<br />
<br />
The Spirulina that I am using today is organic and available from <a href="http://www.indigo-herbs.co.uk/" target="_blank">Indigo herbs</a>. It is one of a collection of yummy ingredients that they sent me to review and get creative with! The products I received as part of their vitality pack were; organic Spirulina powder, organic raw banana powder, acai berry powder, organic wheatgrass powder beetroot powder and supercleanse tea. To see how I used the banana, acai berry and beetroot powder, check out my delicious <a href="http://www.elliesrecipes.com/2015/02/raw-rainbow-birthday-cake.html" target="_blank">raw rainbow cake recipe</a>!<br />
<br />
As with all the other products that I have tried from Indigo Herbs, the Spirulina is of a really great quality. It is darker than other brands I have tried and the taste is not too overpowering, although I find you still only need a small amount. To buy this organic spirulina powder, check out this link!<br />
<br />
http://www.indigo-herbs.co.uk/shop/buy/organic-spirulina-powder<br />
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<br />
<b>Minty Pea Choc Chip Smoothie</b><br />
<i><b>Serves 1-2</b></i><br />
1/2 cup frozen peas<br />
1/2 avocado<br />
Handful of fresh mint leaves or 1/2 tsp peppermint extract <br />
1 tbsp hemp seeds<br />
1 tbsp cacao nibs<br />
250ml coconut water<br />
60ml hemp or almond milk<br />
4 medjool dates<br />
1/4- 1/2 tsp spirulina powder<br />
<br />
Simply blend all the ingredients together until you have a smooth, creamy finish! Finish with a sprinkle of cacao nibs if you desire.<br />
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<br />
As it's Mothers Day tomorrow, and these remind me of my Mum, I think these little drop scones are the perfect thing to make on Mother's Day. I'm sure any Mum would love to have these made for her for breakfast, me included (hint hint)! <br />
<br />
Being married to an American, we have a huge love for maple syrup in our house, and I do like to serve these up American style. These little drop scones are made a little thicker, with added chocolate chips and a drizzle of Maple syrup, though I'm keeping them true to their original mini size; the perfect mix of traditional English and American.<br />
<br />
For the chocolate chips, use a good quality dark chocolate that is preferably refined sugar free, we love Plamil which is sweetened with xylitol and found in Holland and Barrett. Just to make these little drop scones as virtuous as possible, they are made with a blend of wholesome gluten free flours which lend a delicious nutty taste, and of course they are vegan too!<br />
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<br />
<b>Chocolate Chip Drop Scones</b><br />
<b><i>Makes 10-12</i></b><br />
<br />
1 cup rice flour<br />
1/2 cup buckwheat flour<br />
1/4 cup teff flour<br />
1 tbsp arrowroot<br />
1 tsp baking powder<br />
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda<br />
Pinch of sea salt<br />
1 tsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar<br />
300ml oat milk<br />
45g dark xylitol chocolate<br />
Coconut oil for greasing the pan<br />
<br />
<i>Method</i><br />
Pre-heat your pan to a medium high temperature. The secret to good pancakes of any kind, is a nice hot pan! Let it heat up for a good 5 minutes, then prepare the batter. <br />
Add all the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl, add the lemon juice or apple cider vinegar and oat milk and whisk till smooth. You'll have a very thick and smooth batter.<br />
<br />
Cut the chocolate into small chunks to make 'chips' and stir into the batter.<br />
<br />
Take a little knob of coconut oil and add to he hot pan, swirling it round to coat. I use a ceramic pan and it makes amazing pancakes! Using a 1/4 measuring cup, scoop the batter, dropping it onto the pan. I can make 4 at a time, but it depends how big your pan is! Cook for around 3 minutes, until you see little bubbles appearing on the surface, flip them and cook for a further couple of minutes.<br />
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Serve with maple or coconut syrup for the perfect Mother's Day breakfast!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3300383225545105025.post-77055104106599437702015-03-04T16:15:00.000+00:002015-03-04T16:15:14.386+00:00The ultimate vegan sushi bowlLove sushi but don't have a whole lot of time to make it? Then sushi bows are the answer! These little bowls of rice and veggies are packed with flavour, take hardly any time to make and are super nutritious. We absolutely love making these and they have become a staple in our home. <br />
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You can pretty much top them with anything you like, both cooked and raw toppings work well. Baked sweet potato cubes are heavenly as a topping with avocado and spring onion, and the more colours you can add in there, the better. This recipe packs in lots of crispy and fresh raw veggies and some smoked tofu for a different texture, but you could substitute the tofu for cooked beans or chickpeas, or skip it all together and just load up the veg. Go and have fun with it!<br />
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<b>Vegan sushi bowl</b><br />
<b>Serves 2</b><br />
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<i>Ingredients:</i><br />
150g sushi rice (or use brown if you prefer)<br />
1 tbsp brown rice vinegar <br />
1/4 cucumber<br />
1/2 red bell pepper<br />
1/2 small beetroot, peeled <br />
1 spring onion<br />
1/2 avocado<br />
1/2 pack of smoked tofu, cubed*<br />
2 tbsp sesame seeds<br />
2 tbsp tamari soy sauce<br />
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil<br />
1 sheet of toasted nori<br />
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<i>Method:</i><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ0_dwPymKm3Iw3iSz_uv7e3lq5DOTaXfrPAA9O9qPzcMVVLXxX_u0LoZeygmodzu_8OS0dOHYU6Y8U2QwZbG0gGnWvbcZpLmh8mbtWZ_KyJJC1q3gCUTqS5lkLiELKVSJxBQR9g9p2M0/s1600/sushi+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ0_dwPymKm3Iw3iSz_uv7e3lq5DOTaXfrPAA9O9qPzcMVVLXxX_u0LoZeygmodzu_8OS0dOHYU6Y8U2QwZbG0gGnWvbcZpLmh8mbtWZ_KyJJC1q3gCUTqS5lkLiELKVSJxBQR9g9p2M0/s1600/sushi+2.jpg" height="320" width="221" /></a>Cook the rice according to the instructions on the packet. When
the rice is cooked, tip it out into a bowl, and add the brown rice
vinegar, mixing well with a fork. Leave the rice to cool slightly
while you prepare the veggies.<br />
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First, cut the cucumber, bell pepper, beetroot and spring onion
into small dices or fine matchsticks. I like to use a mixture of both
to create a fun variation in texture and look, but it's completely up
to you, go with whatever your heart desires! <br />
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Next, scoop out the avocado flesh with a spoon and cut it into
slices. Set this aside with the rest of the chopped veggies.<br />
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Cube your smoked tofu, and lightly sauté in a pan with a little
olive oil if you like, to make it crispy. I often skip this step if
I'm in a rush, it tastes great cold too and makes for a speedy lunch
this way!<br />
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To make the sushi bowls, split the rice between two small bowls
and divide the veggies and tofu equally over the rice. Finish with a
sprinkle of sesame seeds (I like to use both black and white sesame
seeds as they look pretty, but use whichever kind you have to hand)
and the tamari and sesame oil. Lastly, take the sheet of toasted
nori, and cut it into thin strips with a pair of scissors. Sprinkle
this over the top, it looks pretty and it gives it that authentic sushi taste.<br />
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*We like Taifun smoked tofu with almond as its delicious straight from the pack, no need to cook! <br />
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<i>Photographs copyright of Chris Mullineux 2015.</i><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3300383225545105025.post-82909736915341829052015-02-26T16:14:00.001+00:002020-10-21T17:01:54.843+01:00Raw Rainbow Birthday CakeIt was my Birthday a couple of weeks ago and the only downside of being the cook in the house, is that I usually make my own Birthday cake! It's not all bad though, it gives me a chance to experiment, and create new recipes which I might not have made otherwise. This year I made the prettiest little rainbow cake, a total retro looking masterpiece (gotta love that retro vibe) which also happened to be packed with super-foods. A pretty cake, that is pretty good for you!<br />
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When I was sent some fruit powders from <a href="http://www.indigo-herbs.co.uk/" target="_blank">Indigo Herbs</a> to test and review, I just knew that they'd be perfect in my rainbow cake. The powders are really vibrant and packed full of nutrients. For this cake I used the beetroot, acai berry and banana powders. I use beetroot powder at home a lot. It's really amazing the energy boost it can give when added to smoothies and hot chocolate elixirs; it can be pretty powerful stuff! Acai berry is a deep purple fruit that is native to central and south America and is said to have the highest antioxidant levels of all the berries. Again, it can easily be added to smoothies and is great added to desserts for an antioxidant boost. The banana powder was totally new to me and this cake was my first recipe creation with it. I love discovering new ingredients! It worked so well, that I plan to make a raw banoffee pie using it. This banana powder is packed with fibre and is a great way to boost your daily intake. I can imagine that it tastes absolutely amazing stirred into porridge for breakfast, I will be trying that out soon. As always with Indigo Herbs, the products are amazing, this company constantly impresses me with their commitment to quality.<br />
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I had wanted to make a healthy version of a rainbow cake for the past year (I am the author of '<a href="http://veganpublishers.com/multimedia-archive/how-to-eat-a-rainbow-magical-raw-vegan-recipes-for-kids/" target="_blank">How to Eat a Rainbow') </a>so it seemed an obvious challenge!), so my birthday was the perfect opportunity. My original vision was to have five coloured layers, but with friends coming over and a photographer coming to shoot the cake, time was of the essence, so I settled on four, which still looks impressive. When I make this again, I'll go for the full five layers, and perhaps darken the green layer a little more with a 1/4 tsp barley-grass powder.<br />
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At this point I must say that I cannot take all the credit for this cake. See, I saw a post from the lovely Emily from This Rawsome Vegan Life, for a <a href="http://www.thisrawsomeveganlife.com/2015/02/marshmallow-cream-cake.html#.VO7jVSwkL5k" target="_blank">marshmallow cream cake</a>. Her lovely layer cake looked so beautiful, and the texture she described as being like marshmallows which really got me curious! Her secret was adding in some chia seeds to the mixture, which I thought was a fabulous idea. Emily stirred hers in at the end, but I chose to go ahead and see what happened if I blended them up with the rest of my usual cheesecake ingredients. The result was more silky than marshmallowy, but that is totally ok with me, it was amazing, much lighter than the regular cashew cheesecake texture. It was positively melt in your mouth in fact. So thank you Emily for the inspiration!<br />
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This isn't a quick cake to put together. Each layer needs different ingredients blended up, and has to be set for 20 minutes in the freezer before adding the next layer, so it takes some effort to create. I promise though, that it really is worth it, just look at how beautiful this cake turned out. I decorated the top, rainbow style, with a sprinkle of dried edible flower petals. I used marigold, cornflower and tiny rose petals, and they really made it look that bit extra special. I have to give a massive shout out to my lovely friend Emma for taking the pictures for me. Since my camera broke quite a ways back, Emma has been helping me out by photographing my creations. She is a true artist and a lovely person that I'm lucky to call a friend. So thank you Emma, and thank you to Emma's dog, Kiki, for photobombing our shoot (how precious is this dog!)<br />
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<b>Raw Rainbow Cheesecake</b><br />
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<b><i>Ingredients for the base:</i></b><br />
1 cup of dates (use medjool or delcect noir as they are stickier)<br />
1/2 cup crispy sprouted buckwheat groats*<br />
Pinch of sea salt<br />
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<i><b>Ingredients for the main filling:</b></i><br />250g (2 cups) cashews, soaked overnight and drained<br />
1/2 cup melted coconut oil<br />
Juice of 1/2 lemon<br />
1/2 cup almond milk<br />
2 heaped tbsp chia seeds<br />
1 tbsp lecithin (optional, adds to the silkiness)<br />
1/2 cup coconut nectar, maple syrup or agave<br />
<i> </i><br />
<b><i>Layer 1 (green) ingredients:</i></b><br />
Juice and zest of 1 lime<br />
Flesh of 1/2 avocado<br />
1/2 tsp matcha tea powder<br />
1/4 tsp barleygrass powder (optional- to make the green stronger)<br />
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<i><b>Layer 2 (yellow) ingredients:</b></i><br />
1/2 banana<br />
1 tbsp banana powder<br />
1/4 tsp turmeric<br />
2 tbsp almond milk<br />
1/4 cup diced butternut squash<br />
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<i><b>Layer 3 (red) ingredients:</b></i><br />
2 tbsp beetroot powder<br />
1 tbsp almond milk<br />
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<i><b>Layer 4 (purple) ingredients:</b></i><br />
1/2 cup of bluberries<br />
2 tsp acai berry powder<br />
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<i><b>To make the base:</b></i><br />
Simply blitz the ingredients together in a food processor until they make a dough. Press this into a 16cm/6" deep lose bottom or springform tin. Set aside.<br />
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<i><b>To assemble the cake:</b></i><br />
Blend up all the ingredients for the main filling until creamy and smooth. You'll need a high powdered blender for this, like the <a href="http://www.indigo-herbs.co.uk/" target="_blank">Enpee</a>. Divide the mixture between 4 bowls, as evenly as possible, but don't stress it too much, it doesn't need to be exact!<br />
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Next, blend up one of the bowls of the main filling, with the layer 1 ingredients until well mixed and smooth. Pour over the base and give the tin a little tap to ensure the layer is spread nice and evenly. Pop it into the freezer for 20 minutes. <br />
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When nicely chilled, blend another bowl of main filling ingredients with the layer 2 ingredients. And repeat as above. Follow the same steps for each of the bowls of main filling and the layer ingredients until you have filled the cake tin with all four layers. Pop it into the freezer for around 4-5 hours to set.<br />
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Remove from the freezer 20 minutes before you wish to serve it, so it is easy to remove from the tin. It should still cut easily and not be too frozen, but you can leave it out a little longer if you prefer to get that silky texture. I left mine out for 40 minutes and it was deliciously silky and not at all frozen. <br />
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*Crispy sprouted buckwheat available from the health shop chain 'Graptree' or you can find online.<br />
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Photos taken by Emma Lou Cowell.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3300383225545105025.post-60996819052221610642015-02-19T19:04:00.002+00:002015-02-19T19:04:56.904+00:00White Pizza rocks!I love pizza, who doesn't? With home made vegan cheese, or even without the cheese, its always yummy, but I always put tomato sauce on it. I'd heard about white pizza before, but pizza without the red sauce just sounded incredibly wrong somehow, and I just wasn't ready to go down that route!<br />
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So when I really fancied pizza for dinner the other night, I stared at the (almost) empty cupboards and faced a dilemma. There was definitely no passata in there, and no passata meant no pizza sauce. We live in the countyside, and so it's not as simple as 'popping to the shops' when I need something. It sometimes drives me crazy that we have to drive miles to get to anywhere- it is one of the downsides of living in the middle of nowhere- but it is beautiful so I shouldn't complain too much!<br />
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Anyway, if we were going to have pizza for dinner (and I was pretty determined we would, because the girls would get mad at me if we didn't), it was going to have to be pizza without red sauce. I went to get one of my recipe books, that I'd once seen a recipe for the fabled white pizza in. The book in question was '<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Vegetarian-Planet-Big-Flavor-Out-This-World/dp/1558321152" target="_blank">Vegetarian Planet'</a> by Diddi Emmons, which was given to me by a lovely friend of mine. It's a wonderful book and It's been a useful addition to our home.<br />
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I turned to her recipe for 'Fennel pizza with white-bean puree' and, pleased that I had all the ingredients I needed to make it at home, I decided now was the time to face my fear of the white pizza. And you know what? It was SO good! I don't know why I didn't try it sooner.<br />
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I did make some minor changes to the recipe (I can't help but play with recipes). The original recipe calls for a regular pizza dough, and I prefer using gluten free grains when possible, so I whipped up a batch of gluten free dough. It's a rather rustic dough as you can see from the picture, and it's hard to get it looking perfect and round. But, it is light and delicious, and pretty easy to make too. Of course you can use any pizza or bread dough you like!<br />
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The topping was also altered just a little. I added a little more of a flavour boost by finishing it with a jar of marinated artichokes, and some of the herbed oil from them made a good addition to the bean puree, along with some roatsed garlic.Artichokes are amazing on pizza, they really are made to go on it.<br />
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So here it is, I hope you enjoy!<br />
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<br />
<b>Vegan White Pizza</b><br />
Makes 2 pizzas<br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<b><i>For the dough:</i></b><br />
<br />
2 cups of gluten free flour blend (we used doves farm)<br />
1/4 cup of polenta<br />
7g sachet of yeast<br />
1 tsp doves farm baking powder <br />
1 tbsp coconut palm sugar<br />
1/2 tsp sea salt <br />
1 1/2 cups of oat milk<br />
1 tsp apple cider vinegar<br />
1 tsp egg re-placer mixed with 2 tbsp water<br />
Drizzle of olive oil<br />
<i><br /></i>
<b><i>For the topping:</i></b><br />
<br />
Ingredients<br />
2 bulbs of fennel<br />
Drizzle of olive oil<br />
3 unpeeled garlic cloves<br />
Sea salt and pepper to taste<br />
2 cans of drained cannelini beans<br />
3 tbsp water <br />
1 jar of marinated artichokes in oilive oil and herbs, drained (reserve 2 tbsp of oil for topping)<br />
Fennel herb for garnish<br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<b><i>Make the dough</i></b><br />
Add all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl and mix well to form a very sticky dough. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and leave in a warm place to rise for an hour.<br />
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When the dough is half way through rising, prepare the fennel.<br />
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<b><i>Prep the fennel</i></b><br />
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Finely slice the fennel and put into a tray with a drizzle of olive oil. Add the unpeeled garlic cloves, and roast for around 20 minutes in a hot oven (180-200), until the fennel is soft and colouring at the edges.<br />
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<b><i>Make the pizza</i></b><br />
Take your risen dough and split it into two. With lightly oiled or wet hands, spread the dough out onto two lightly oiled baking sheets, that have been sprinkled with a little polenta or cornmeal, to prevent sticking.<br />
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Put into the hot oven for 5-8 mins until just starting to cook through, remove and set aside for topping.<br />
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Puree the beans with the water, the roasted garlic cloves (remove skin first), salt, pepper and 2 tbsp of reserved herbed oil from the artichoke.<br />
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Divide the bean mixture evenly between the two pizzas and spread so it covers the pizza evenly.<br />
Top with the fennel and artichokes.<br />
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Cook for 10 mins until pizza is golden around the edges and dough cooked through.<br />
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Top them with the fennel herb (fresh oregano or basil would also be lovely) and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt. <br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1