tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14768170708703078762024-02-21T13:38:28.893+00:00Everything Goes With ToastAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07871958031370646565noreply@blogger.comBlogger656125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476817070870307876.post-84437201768366375052016-05-31T14:29:00.001+01:002016-05-31T14:29:36.669+01:00Flatbread<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">500g plain flour (I used spelt), 5005 strong white bread flour, 10g yeast, 20g salt, 2 tbs olive oil, 325ml yoghurt, 325ml warm water.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Serves:</span></b> 10-15 <b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Preparation:</span></b> 2 hours</span></div>
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<i>Turkish style flatbread is fabulously versatile. Stuff (pitta style) to make cold sandwiches, hot pressed sandwiches, use as a vehicle for <a href="http://everythinggoeswithtoast.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/dip">dips</a> or top them pizza style with whatever you fancy. They are simple to make and keep well in an airtight container for about 5 days or can also be frozen to use later (though ideally for toasting as the texture will be affected somewhat.)</i></div>
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<b style="color: #cc0000;">1) </b>Stir the flours and salt together, then add the yeast to the yoghurt. Add the yoghurt to the flour and add the warm water. I highly recommend using a dough hook for mixing this - after the mixture begins to come together add the olive oil and then keep mixing for at least 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and silky. If you're mixing by hand... good luck with that!!</div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>2)</b></span> Flour your hands and shape into a round before transferring to a clean bowl. Cover with cling film or a plastic bag and leave to rise until the dough has doubled in size. This takes about an hour at room temperature.</div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">3) </span></b>Knock the dough back and leave it, covered, to rise for a second time. Purists will repeat this process for three or even four rises but truly I couldn't tell the difference in the finished flatbread so unless you want to spend all day in the house making flatbread I'd get it cooked at this point!</div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">4)</span></b> Dust your work surface generously with flour and tear off lemon sized pieces of dough (you can make these smaller or larger if you wish - if you have a big enough pan then you can make 10 good sized flatbreads) before rolling them out to 5mm thickness. Leave them to rise for at least 5 minutes.</div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">5) </span></b>You can make these with a frying pan and grill, or a griddle and grill. Heat your pan as high as you can and drop one piece of dough into it. If the pan is hot enough, after about 30 seconds you will see bubbles begin to form. Use a fishslice to just lift the dough and check for little spots of colour forming. Transfer the pan carefully to the grill (about 15cm from the heat, so middle shelf for most grills) and watch the flatbread bubble and then balloon! Drizzle with oil and serve or save.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Top tip. When it begins to char, it's ready. Just in case you're a bit nervous, <a href="https://vine.co/v/iVvde3xdAWQ">here's a vine of my flatbread rising</a>. Don't panic - it's supposed to do that!</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07871958031370646565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476817070870307876.post-20059568155007827792015-09-17T20:08:00.001+01:002015-09-17T20:08:02.587+01:00Lancashire leek tart<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Pastry:</b></span> 4oz plain flour, 2oz butter<br /><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Filling:</b></span> 3 eggs, 1 large leek, 2 tsp French mustard, 100g Lancashire cheese.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Serves:</span></b> 4-6 <b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Preparation:</span></b> X</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><i>My husband loves a good tart. Fnar fnar... And he has very exacting standards, so when I say that this tart made it into the top 5 meals that I have made for him during our years together, that should tell you just how savoury and scrumptious it is. It aint so much to look at, but it really tastes like heaven.</i></span><br />
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<b style="color: #cc0000;">1) </b>To make the shortcrust pastry, cut the butter into small cubes and drop along with the flour into a food processor until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Drip in 2-3 tablespoons of cold water until the mixture quickly forms a ball. Wrap this in clingfilm and put in the fridge for 15 minutes. Once chilled, roll out and press firmly into a buttered pastry case. Bake blind for 10 minutes and set aside to cool.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>2)</b></span> Slice the top and tail from the leek, slice in half and then slice thinly. Sautee in a pan with a little knob of butter until soft.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">3) </span></b>Whisk the eggs and mustard together and crumble in half of the cheese.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">4)</span></b> Spoon the leeks into the tart case and pour over the egg and cheese mix, adding the remainder to the top then bake in a pre-heated oven at gas mark 5 for 30-40 minutes. The tart should be solid, rather than wobbly in the centre with a golden surface.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">5) </span></b>Serve hot or cold.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07871958031370646565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476817070870307876.post-4338813345935083112015-08-26T19:55:00.000+01:002015-08-26T20:30:35.820+01:00Gluten, dairy & sugar free chocolate cake<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy8DG-hx2Y3p0_r9USAExpHsV5IwmM3tbHG4cuZrMok-YCJ62LzPKTeH97-cG98HK5SaiuiYlD7bi_I-hEfpj7MKVCn2-_zDYeskvnvE-N-YTht98-afHqrt5G-21OVjuJCJJLmm7ruI0/s1600/WP_20150825_15_45_37_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy8DG-hx2Y3p0_r9USAExpHsV5IwmM3tbHG4cuZrMok-YCJ62LzPKTeH97-cG98HK5SaiuiYlD7bi_I-hEfpj7MKVCn2-_zDYeskvnvE-N-YTht98-afHqrt5G-21OVjuJCJJLmm7ruI0/s320/WP_20150825_15_45_37_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<td><b style="color: #cc0000; text-align: center;"><u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></u></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">150ml coconut or olive oil, 50g raw cocoa powder 100ml boiling water, 2 tsp vanilla extract, 150g ground almonds, ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda 1/4 tsp salt, 200g coconut palm sugar, 3 large eggs</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Serves:</span></b> (whoever you love enough to share it with) <b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Preparation:</span></b> 1 hour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><i>Whether we like it or not, food intolerancy is a thing. A very big thing. Whether you believe that it's through years and years of poisoning our bodies with chemicalised and processed foods or some sort of voodoo, we all know far more people these days who have to be careful about what they eat. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>This recipe is adapted from a gluten and dairy free Nigella cake to make it sugar free and a little less moist than her slightly flabby flourless cake. It is absolutely DELICIOUS and the texture is FABULOUS. For any gluten free person who has made you eat a polenta cake or some other mad textured cake, do share this and tell them to put down the xantham gum because all is not lost.</i></span><br />
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<b style="color: #cc0000;">1) </b>Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 3 (170 degrees) and grease a 9 or 10 inch springform tin with a little oil. I have also made this split into two mini 4 inch cake tins and it works perfectly.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>2)</b></span> Sift the cocoa powder into a bowl and whisk the boiling water and vanilla extract in until you have a smooth chocolate paste. Try not to eat it immediately, you get to lick the bowl after...</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">3) </span></b>Measure out the ground almonds, bicarb of soda and salt into one bowl and the sugar, oil and eggs into another, then whisk the latter thoroughly for 3-4 minutes until you have a thickened, aerated and emulsified liquid.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">4)</span></b> Add the cocoa and vanilla paste and beat thoroughly, then add the almond mixture a little at a time.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">5) </span></b>Don't panic about the consistency, this is a liquid batter. Make sure your cake tin base is in the right way round (we've all done it but this cake is considerably less delicious when eaten off the floor of your oven...) and pour in the batter. Bake for 45 minutes or until the sides are set and the very centre, on top, has a bit of a wobble to it. I usually give the oven door a bit of a kick and if it wibbles alarmingly, give it another ten minutes or so. When you stick a skewer in it should come out with a few sticky crumbs clinging to it rather than a smear of batter but be warned, this cake rises up beautifully and then sinks back a bit so if you skewer it before it's ready, it's going to sink faster than the Titanic! The good news is that this cake is FABULOUS eaten hot with ice-cream, or leave it to cool in the tin until you're ready to scoff it.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07871958031370646565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476817070870307876.post-20922694371018787722015-08-18T17:13:00.000+01:002015-08-18T17:13:05.554+01:00Coconut grain salad<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggB1Ca7QhhxnLwdf7rUkt4jV3cobW-Vdhl4SJ41Oj2fDkWHhABvJZ_CiG_3vwoVnZi3PAivPs3ZLJcAQlfTPTtwp8R7KlzQbGuQv_PQ350Oyx1yZSrCXSevjVMKR-k-NYCYnMmPCZbIpg/s1600/WP_20150602_12_01_04_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggB1Ca7QhhxnLwdf7rUkt4jV3cobW-Vdhl4SJ41Oj2fDkWHhABvJZ_CiG_3vwoVnZi3PAivPs3ZLJcAQlfTPTtwp8R7KlzQbGuQv_PQ350Oyx1yZSrCXSevjVMKR-k-NYCYnMmPCZbIpg/s320/WP_20150602_12_01_04_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 can chickpeas, 1 cup pearl cous-cous, 150ml coconut cream, 1/2 tsp thyme, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1 can puy lentils.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Serves:</span></b> 4 <b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Preparation:</span></b> 20 minutes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><i>It is a truth universally acknowledged that coconut is one of the best things ever. In a world where I do not give my family refined sugar and limit dairy products; coconut palm sugar, coconut blossom syrup and coconut oil, water and milk are constantly on our grocery list. When I was pregnant I consumed so much coconut water that I am not remotely surprised that my son is hopelessly addicted to it. That and it tastes like breastmilk. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>ANYWAY! This salad is subtle and lovely, an extremely lazy nod to rice and peas (one of my favourite dishes at Soul Kitchen - <a href="http://rainbowetoile.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/soul-love.html">my review here</a>) and super quick to make. Do excuse the slight grey tone of the picture, it was a VERY gloomy day!</i></span><br />
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<b style="color: #cc0000;">1) </b>Add the pearl cous-cous to a pan along with the coconut milk, cumin and thyme.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>2)</b></span> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bring to the boil and after about 8 minutes, turn off the heat, stir through and add the drained puy lentils and chickpeas.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">3) </span></b>The liquid should have cooked off, leaving just a gloss of coconut but if not, drain through a sieve before serving. I like to add a little black pepper and salt </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07871958031370646565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476817070870307876.post-42847037858055979222015-08-18T16:30:00.001+01:002015-08-18T16:30:46.115+01:00Quinoa, chickpea, pomegranate & artichoke cream salad<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd6-XEtKjJoalDur6xYQ2fVYXM3O9ScAepugzROqVF9AR1rnss4YTuu0lDpg4KgVUAajKK0QNXmGM2achNC4ruyzHBc4Fojg2KSoNciRuBqb7J8y63PgUMik9GIRCH2R5lCLCALaBfjz8/s1600/WP_20141217_12_13_10_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd6-XEtKjJoalDur6xYQ2fVYXM3O9ScAepugzROqVF9AR1rnss4YTuu0lDpg4KgVUAajKK0QNXmGM2achNC4ruyzHBc4Fojg2KSoNciRuBqb7J8y63PgUMik9GIRCH2R5lCLCALaBfjz8/s1600/WP_20141217_12_13_10_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Quinoa, jar of marinated artichokes, pomegranate, can of chickpeas.</span></div>
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<i>Once upon a time, I was completely obsessed with <a href="http://everythinggoeswithtoast.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/artichoke-cream.html">artichoke cream</a>. From slathering it on bread to swirling linguine into it, it could do no wrong as far as I was concerned. This creation was born of "oh no, lunch is in 15 minutes and all I have is a pomegranate until the market delivers my fresh produce!" panic. I always have cans of chickpeas in the cupboard (there is no emergency that cannot be fixed with hummus. It is the new cup of tea) and jars full of different grains and with this satisfying salad, I'm very glad that I do!</i></div>
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<b style="color: #cc0000;">1) </b>Soak the quinoa for 5 minutes and rinse well in a sieve. Depending on where you buy it, it naturally has an acrid coating called saponin which you don't want flavouring your food!</div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>2)</b></span> Cover the quinoa in slightly salted water or stock if you wish and bring to the boil for about 15 minutes, stir continually as it soaks up the water and fluffs up, then remove from the heat. Drain the chickpeas and add to the mix. </div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">3) </span></b>Pour the jar of artichoke into a blender. Personally I prefer to drain away the oil it's marinated in first and just add a little of it, but you can in fact use all of the oil if you wish. Blitz thoroughly until a smooth, emulsified cream forms.</div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">4)</span></b> Stir some of the cream into the quinoa - just enough to dress it rather than turn it into soup! </div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">5) </span></b>Slice your pomegranate in half, hold it over a bowl (cut side down...) and them smack it repeatedly with a wooden spoon or ladle until all of the beautiful jewels have dropped out. Sprinkle onto your salad and serve, hot or cold.</div>
</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07871958031370646565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476817070870307876.post-38980515989125528302015-08-18T15:43:00.000+01:002015-08-18T15:43:34.793+01:00Sweet potato, black bean and kale chilli<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="text-align: center;">
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<td><b style="color: #cc0000; text-align: center;"><u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></u></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 large sweet potato, 1 can black beans, 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp thyme, 1/2 glass red wine, 100ml passata, 100g kale, 1 red onion, 1 stalk celery, 1/4 tsp smoked paprika, olive oil, 2 cloves garlic.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Serves:</span></b> 4 <b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Preparation:</span></b> 30 minutes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><i>In the past, I have shared recipes on this blog using Quorn as a meat substitute but since I made the lifestyle choice to no longer eat any kind of processed/pre-prepared foods I have been replacing this occasional protein source with more beans and pulses and grains. Much healthier, a nicer texture, simple to prepare and utterly delicious. This chilli is the most magnificent comfort food and is wonderful served with rice, tortilla chips or in a flour or lettuce leaf burrito.</i></span><br />
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<b style="color: #cc0000;">1) </b>Peel and dice the sweet potato and roast in the oven for 15 minutes.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>2)</b></span> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Finely dice the onion and add it to a pan along with the olive oil. Sizzle until soft, then add the garlic (minced). Add the herbs, spices and wine and cook off the liquid.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">3) </span></b>Add the passata, beans and sweet potato and stir through. Remove the hard stalk of the kale, discard, then blitz the leaves in your food processor. Add to the pan and cook until softened.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">4)</span></b> I like my food spicy, so I like to add a couple of teaspoon of chipotle chilli paste, but there should be enough kick from the paprika for those who value the skin on their tongue...</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07871958031370646565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476817070870307876.post-9138120974292666622015-08-18T15:07:00.000+01:002015-08-18T15:07:13.562+01:00Beetroot, olive & broccoli bolognaise<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="text-align: center;">
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<td><b style="color: #cc0000; text-align: center;"><u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></u></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 small onion, half a stick of celery, a handful of fresh or oil marinated olives - never the rubbery brined ones! 1/2 a head of broccoli, 1/2 tsp dried basil, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 1 small beetroot, spaghetti, red wine, 100ml passata, 1 clove garlic.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Serves:</span></b> 4 <b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Preparation:</span></b> 20 minutes</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><i>I have always been rather excited by raw foodism. Partly due to OCD (the idea that I am not getting EVERY SINGLE POSSIBLE nutrient from my food ALL THE TIME can be somewhat crippling during my wiggier moments) and partly because HEY SO DELICIOUS. Baby Led Weaning meant that my son had a good grounding in the individual flavours of different ingredients before he experienced more complex meals and I learned to appreciate how gorgeous simple food could be. This isn't actually a raw recipe, but it's inspired by no-fuss, simple flavours working so very well together.</i></span><br />
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<b style="color: #cc0000;">1) </b>Blitz the celery, onion and garlic in your food processor and tip into a pan. Add a little olive oil and sizzle until soft) </span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>2)</b></span> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Add the broccoli and olives to the food processor and blitz until reduced to the size of breadcrumbs. Grate the beetroot (I just pull out the blade spindle and add the grater blade to my food processor so it's all contained in one bowl.) and then add to the pan of softened onions and celery</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">3) </span></b>I like to add a little red wine along with the passata tomatoes and herbs, but this is entirely according to taste. Cook for just as long as it takes for your spaghetti to boil (8-12 minutes depending on the type of spaghetti) and drain.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">4)</span></b> Add the pasta to the pan and stir through. Serve hot (with a sprinkle of parmesan if you aren't vegetarian)</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07871958031370646565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476817070870307876.post-54140289522131013562015-08-18T13:42:00.000+01:002015-08-18T13:42:01.251+01:00Pumpkin pancakes<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="text-align: center;">
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<td><b style="color: #cc0000; text-align: center;"><u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></u></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/2 can pumpkin puree, 1 egg, 1 1/4 cup self-raising flour, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp allspice, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1 tbsp honey, agave or maple syrup</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Serves:</span></b> 4 <b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Preparation:</span></b> 15 minutes</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><i>Scotch pancakes (or American style) are a big favourite in this house. On those mornings when I have totally forgotten to put the Overnight Oats in the fridge the day before, it's great to grab an egg and just chuck in some flour, flavour, something wet and a few minutes of whisking later, the griddle is sizzling with perfect little dollops of impending deliciousness. These pumpkin pancakes are so very perfect for this time of year; Autumn is coming and comfort foods are on the horizon. They're also sugar free and low in fat. I quite often use low gluten flours like spelt or buckwheat and add a bit of baking powder instead of self-raising - get experimenting!</i></span><br />
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<b style="color: #cc0000;">1) </b>Crack the egg into a bowl and give it a whisk.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>2)</b></span> Add the spices, pumpkin puree and your choice of sweetness. Whisk again.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">3) </span></b>Add the flour and whisk thoroughly to ensure that the batter is smooth. It should be of a thick, dropping consistency, so add a little extra flour if necessary.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">4)</span></b> Drop a tablespoon at a time of the batter onto a hot griddle or non-stick frying pan</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. When tiny bubbles begin to work their way through the batter, slide a fish slice under the pancake and flip over. Press lightly to ensure they're evenly cooked, then transfer to a wire cooling rack or stack straight onto the plate. Gorgeous hot or cold.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07871958031370646565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476817070870307876.post-35213498868609130592015-07-23T21:39:00.000+01:002015-07-23T21:39:52.482+01:00Raw gluten free vegan chocolate & coconut cookies<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="text-align: center;">
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<td><b style="color: #cc0000; text-align: center;"><u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></u></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 cup ground almonds, 1/2 cup dessicated coconut, 1 tbsp cashew butter, 1/4 cup <a href="http://www.planetorganic.com/170g-20916/20916/">Planet Organic chocolate coconut butter</a> (or 1 tbsp ground cacao nibs, 1/2 cup coconut oil) 10 dates.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Serves:</span></b> 24 <b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Preparation:</span></b> 10 minutes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><i>Do you ever have a craving for something sweet? Rather than reach for some hideous, unhealthy snack food from a vending machine because it's there RIGHT NOW ALREADY, take 10 minutes to prepare these delicious, soft, nutty crumbly sweet morsels of completely sin-free pleasure. If you are dairy or gluten free or, like me, don't give your child sugar or processed foods then these will be right up your street. So quick, so simple, so so good.</i></span><br />
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<b style="color: #cc0000;">1) </b>Put all the ingredients in a blender and blitz thoroughly until sticky crumbs form.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>2)</b></span> Press firmly into ice cube trays or silicone moulds, then remove and eat! These are good when stored in tupperware in a cool, dark place for about a month before they start to dry out a little.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07871958031370646565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476817070870307876.post-8241161493003164152015-05-16T15:52:00.003+01:002015-05-16T15:52:45.462+01:00Linguine with wild garlic pesto & plum tomatoes<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">100g wild garlic, 100g fresh basil, 50ml olive oil, parmigiano, 1/2 lemon, 50g pine nuts, linguine, tomatoes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Preparation:</span></b> 5-10 minutes</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><i>If you follow me on Twitter, you may have seen me recently <a href="https://twitter.com/LianneMarieB/status/595295803507384321">posting about foraging for wild garlic pesto</a> but I have finally got around to actually updating here! I love wild garlic. It's so vibrantly green and though every bit as pungent as garlic bulbs, when eaten raw it does not have that same sting of heat. When I was pregnant with The Starchild I swapped garlic bulbs for wild garlic on many an occasion to avoid getting heartburn. This dish is so fresh and glorious and ridiculously quick and simple to make.</i></span><br />
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<b style="color: #cc0000;">1) </b>Put the pasta on to boil and slice the tomatoes into quarters.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>2)</b></span> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Add the basil and wild garlic to a mortar bowl and grind to a fine pulp. You can use a blender if you wish of course</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">3) </span></b></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Add the pine nuts, olive oil and grated parmeggian and grind thoroughly, adding lemon juice to taste, and if you wish a pinch of salt though personally I find the parmigiano and wild garlic take care of the savoury notes</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">4) </span></b>Drain the pasta and stir in a few spoons of pesto, then toss with the tomatoes and serve.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07871958031370646565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476817070870307876.post-42079629289288344672015-05-16T15:44:00.002+01:002015-05-16T15:44:20.328+01:00Wild Garlic Pesto<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">100g wild garlic, 100g fresh basil, 50ml olive oil, parmigiano, 1/2 lemon, 50g pine nuts.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Preparation:</span></b> 5-10 minutes</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><i>There will never be anything like fresh pesto. Grinding the basil into the pine nuts releases a sweet perfume, further enhanced with notes of citrus which is then brought down to earth with the earthiness of the garlic and tang of parmeggian. As the kitchen fills with the scent I become giddy with the anticipation of it, and it's short lived because it's so quick and simple to make. Don't buy it, celebrate every aspect of this gorgeous, fresh sauce by making it yourself - particularly now when you can still find a glut of wild garlic growing abundantly outdoors, for free!</i></span><br />
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<b style="color: #cc0000;">1) </b>Add the basil and wild garlic to a mortar bowl and grind to a fine pulp. You can use a blender if you wish of course.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>2)</b></span> Add the pine nuts, olive oil and grated parmeggian and grind thoroughly, adding lemon juice to taste, and if you wish a pinch of salt though personally I find the parmigiano and wild garlic take care of the savoury notes.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">3) </span></b>To store, cover with a thin layer of oil to protect the contents from oxidising or to serve, stir a few spoons into cooked, drained pasta, drizzle onto a caprese salad or slather on bread or pizza.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07871958031370646565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476817070870307876.post-22888789912208256132015-01-09T18:49:00.000+00:002015-01-09T18:49:39.412+00:00Beetroot brownies<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="text-align: center;">
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<td><b style="color: #cc0000; text-align: center;"><u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></u></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3 eggs, 250g salted butter, 250g dark chocolate, 250g caster sugar, 150g self-raising flour, 250g grated beetroot (approx 2 beetroots)</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Serves:</span></b> 10 <b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Preparation:</span></b> 1 hour</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><i>There is a saying, a very good saying; "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."<br />This is good advice, except to people who are creative. It's just not applicable! Being creative means the desire to explore and perfect an idea will never really be fulfilled, and it is with this in mind that I give you the beetroot brownie. The gungey, squidgy glory of a good brownie is a formula which needs very little tinkering with, but like making chocolate cake without grated beetroot is unthinkable to me now, so it goes with brownies. That added moisture, that depth of flavour, that incredible colour... you absolutely have to try it.</i></span><br />
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<b style="color: #cc0000;">1) </b>To prepare the beetroot, wash them and slice off the stalks and leaves. Then peel and grate into a bowl</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>2)</b></span> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Break the chocolate into a heatproof bowl, add the butter and set it on a pan of hot water to form a bain marie. Stir until the butter and chocolate melt completely.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">3) </span></b></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Whisk the eggs and sugar together in a large bowl until combined then beat in the melted chocolate and butter until smooth.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">4)</span></b> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sift the flour over the chocolate mixture, then gently fold it in. Fold in the grated beetroot, then pour into a greased baking tin and smooth with a spatula.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">5) </span></b></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bake for 20 – 25 minutes at gas mark 4 until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out with sticky crumbs. Remove the tin from the oven and leave on a wire rack to cool before cutting in to squares.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07871958031370646565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476817070870307876.post-15654021213707135352014-11-16T16:49:00.000+00:002014-11-17T14:31:04.246+00:00Cornbread<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1">
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<b style="color: #cc0000;"><u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 1/2 cups <a href="http://www.rachelsorganic.co.uk/range/natural/greek-style-natural">Rachel's Organic Greek yoghurt</a>, 1/2 cup butter,1 cup polenta, 3/4 cup self-raising flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp bicarb of soda, 1/4 tsp salt, 2 eggs</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: center;">2 bell peppers, 100g sweetcorn, 1 small red chilli or 1/2 tsp chilli flakes (optional)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Serves:</span></b> 5 <b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Preparation:</span></b> 30 minutes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><i>Cornbread is a fabulous example of mixing the best of both worlds in one dish. Savoury with sweet nuggets of corn and pepper, a little spicy if you like that sort of thing with a fluffy yet grainy texture on the inside and a fabulous toasty crust on the outside. I like this with my <a href="http://everythinggoeswithtoast.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/mexican-mole-soup.html">Mexican mole soup</a>, or part of a fried breakfast but it can be eaten cool just as a snack on its own. </i></span><br />
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<b style="color: #cc0000;">1) </b>Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 6 and grease a baking tray.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>2)</b></span> Melt the butter in a pan and whisk in the eggs and Greek Yoghurt.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">3) </span></b>Add the polenta, flour, baking powder, bicarb of soda to a bowl and mix thoroughly</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. Pour the wet ingredients from the pan into the dry ingredients and mix together until a smooth batter is formed.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">4)</span></b> Dice the bell pepper and add, along with the sweetcorn (frozen is fine) to the batter and transfer to the baking tray.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">5) </span></b>Bake for 20-25 minutes until the top begins to turn golden and a skewer in the centre comes out clean. Cornbread can be eaten when cool, but is best toasted on a griddle.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07871958031370646565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476817070870307876.post-16053113967874963952014-11-16T13:30:00.000+00:002014-11-16T13:30:11.489+00:00Sugar-free pina colada muffins<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="text-align: center;">
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<td><b style="color: #cc0000; text-align: center;"><u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></u></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">350g spelt flour, 2 eggs, 2 tsp baking powder, 30g desiccated coconut 75g diced pineapple and dried cranberries, 150ml pineapple juice, 100g coconut palm sugar, 1 tbsp coconut oil, 1 tsp honey</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Serves:</span></b> 6 <b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Preparation:</span></b> 45 minutes (plus an hour soaking)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><i>When it comes to food critiquing, my husband is a man of few words, and many facial expressions so his reaction to these muffins of "oh my god! mmmmmm!!!" before grabbing a second one, posting a picture on Facebook and then begging me to bake some more for him to take to work with him says it all. These are absolutely luscious and will fill your house with the most incredible tropical scent. Plus they're sugar free and made from "good fat" and healthy flour! Hurrah!</i></span><br />
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<b style="color: #cc0000;">1) </b>Soak the dried pineapple and cranberries in the pineapple juice along with the honey for ideally an hour, then pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>2)</b></span> S</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">ift together the flour, baking powder, dessicated coconut and set aside</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">3) </span></b>If the coconut oil has solidified, melt it gently, then whisk in the eggs and palm sugar before adding the pineapple and juice.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">4)</span></b> Roughly fold the wet ingredients into the dry - don't overmix it. Muffin batter should never be completely smooth. Spoon into muffin cases and bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes. I like to sprinkle a little extra coconut on the top before baking - the toasted coconut smells and tastes WONDERFUL.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">5) </span></b>Leave to cool, if you have the willpower, then devour. These are good for up to 3 days afterwards if sealed in a tupperware container but benefit from being gently warmed in the oven for a few minutes before serving after that!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07871958031370646565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476817070870307876.post-31955521697458335192014-11-16T12:57:00.002+00:002014-11-16T12:57:42.552+00:00Carrot, cardamom & caramelised onion soup<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="text-align: center;">
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<td><b style="color: #cc0000; text-align: center;"><u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></u></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">5 carrots, 1 potato, 2 onions, 6 cardamom pods, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp allspice, 1 clove garlic, 1 tbsp olive oil.</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Serves:</span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> 4 </span><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Preparation:</span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> 30 minutes</span><br />
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<em style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I love soup. I find all the chopping, stirring and pureeing very soothing, the warm smells that fill the house comforting, and I love ladling out steamy bowls of soup for people to dunk hot crispy bread into, dressing it with ever more creative croutons or swirls of cream and yoghurt. Some soups, like this spiced bowl of sweet carrotty joy, are so packed full of flavour that they don't even need any vegetable stock. This works just as well with sweet potato but the silkier soup will come from using a good waxy potato.</em><br />
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<b style="color: #cc0000;">1) </b>Peel and finely slice the onions, then slice the rings in half before adding the slices to a hot pan with the olive oil. Stir them well, breaking the strips of onion up, then leave to completely caramelise, stirring only when you see them begin to turn brown.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>2)</b></span> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Crush one clove of garlic and add to the pan, along with the freshly ground cardamom seeds, ginger and allspice. Stir well and leave to sizzle for a few minutes</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">3) </span></b></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">P</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">eel and dice the carrots and potato, then add to the pan</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. I like to stir them for a minute or two to add a little colour before adding the water.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">4)</span></b> Allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes until the carrots and potato are soft, then add to a blender to puree thoroughly before serving.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07871958031370646565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476817070870307876.post-27638432815007619302014-11-16T12:25:00.002+00:002014-11-16T12:50:39.144+00:00Protein pesto salad<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1">
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<b style="color: #cc0000;"><u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 can cannellini beans, 250g red & white quinoa (<a href="http://www.merchant-gourmet.com/products/cereals-grains/item/ready-to-eat-red-white-quinoa">Merchant Gourmet</a>), 250g beluga lentils (also <a href="http://www.merchant-gourmet.com/products/lentils/item/ready-to-eat-beluga-lentils">Merchant Gourmet</a>), 100g fresh basil, 1 clove garlic, 50ml basil oil, parmigiano, 1/2 lemon, 50g pine nuts.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Serves:</span></b> 4 <b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Preparation:</span></b> 5 minutes (+ 20 if using dried lentils and quinoa)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><i>I always have a kilner jar of pesto on the go in the fridge so that in a rush for a quick meal I can chuck some pasta or gnocchi or buschetta together in about 5 minutes flat. I was recently asked for a recipe for a healthy, satisfying salad packed with protein and this is one of my favourite picnic staples. Merchant Gourmet make fabulous little pouches of cereals and grains which seriously cut down on prep time, but Quinoa and lentils are quick enough to cook from scratch using the instructions below.</i></span><br />
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<b style="color: #cc0000;">1) If using raw quinoa and lentils: </b>Soak for 5 minutes and rinse thoroughly in a sieve before transferring to a pan. Depending on where you buy it, quinoa naturally has an acrid coating called saponin which you don't want flavouring your food! Cover with lightly salted water and bring to the boil for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently as it soaks up the water and fluffs up, then remove from the heat, add the drained and rinsed cannellini beans and set aside to cool</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>2)</b></span> <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>To make pesto:</b></span> add the fresh basil leaves to a mortar bowl and grind to a fine pulp. Sautee 1 crushed clove of garlic in the basil oil and add to the mortar bowl along with a pinch of salt and a handful of pine nuts. Grind thoroughly, adding lemon juice, basil oil and parmeggian to taste.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">3) </span></b>Stir 2 tablespoons of the pesto into the quinoa, beluga lentils and beans and either serve or refrigerate for up to 5 days for lunch. If you want to vary this a little from day to day (I liked to make a batch on a Sunday and portion it out for the week) it's nice to sprinkle pomegranate jewels though it, or add some salad leaves, or chopped cherry tomatoes or bell peppers (raw or roasted) and I especially love blitzing up some spinach or kale in the blender and stirring that through)</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07871958031370646565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476817070870307876.post-75875604349463250992014-11-16T11:34:00.002+00:002014-11-16T11:34:28.146+00:00Spinach & avocado soup<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">800g spinach, 1/2 nutmeg, 1 onion, 1 avocado, 1 potato, 1 tsp avocado oil</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Serves:</span></b> 4 <b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Preparation:</span></b> 20 minutes</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><em style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I love soup. I find all the chopping, stirring and pureeing very soothing, the warm smells that fill the house comforting, and I love ladling out steamy bowls of soup for people to dunk hot crispy bread into, dressing it with ever more creative croutons or swirls of cream and yoghurt</em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>. This soup is so thick and glossy and brimming with super-healthy spinach and avocado to keep those winter colds at bay.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="color: #cc0000;">1)</span></strong> Peel and finely dice the onion and the potato. Add the onion and avocado oil to a pan and allow to soften (about 5 minutes if you've chopped it finely enough) before adding the potato and enough water just to cover them (ideally about 1/4 pint)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="color: #cc0000;">2)</span></strong> When the potatoes are soft (about 10 minutes), add the spinach to the pan in installments, stirring well as it wilts down. Remove from the heat and strain the liquid away from the other ingredients (do not discard).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="color: #cc0000;">3)</span></strong> Halve the avocado around the stone and twist it apart. Remove the stone and scoop the avocado flesh from the shell. Add to a blender and blitz thoroughly. Add the contents of the pan and puree, adding a little of the liquid at a time until the desired consistency is reached. I like a good, thick soup but this is entirely your preference.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="color: #cc0000;">4)</span></strong> Stir in about half of a freshly grated nutmeg (don't ever bother with the powdered stuff - it tastes and smells of nothing!) with half a teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper (and salt if you wish, though I never do) to season, and </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">serve.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07871958031370646565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476817070870307876.post-54593000750128971322014-11-05T21:47:00.000+00:002014-11-05T21:47:14.444+00:00Caramelised onion & aduki bean soup<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1">
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<b style="color: #cc0000;"><u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 white onions, 5 shallots, 1 can aduki beans, 1 tablespoon of butter or olive oil.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Serves:</span></b> 2 <b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Preparation:</span></b> 20 minutes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><i>This soup is RIDICULOUSLY simple. It seems impossible that something can taste so delicious without stocks, herbs, spices, seasoning or more than two ingredients... but it's true, with just onions and beans and twenty minutes, you too can have this velvety thick, satisfying soup which is packed with flavour.</i></span><br />
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<b style="color: #cc0000;">1) </b>Peel and finely slice the onions and shallots. Pop the rings from the onion slices with your fingers and add to a pan with a knob of butter, stirring only when the onions begin to brown in order for them to caramelise evenly.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>2)</b></span> When the onions are soft and caramelised (about 15 minutes) add the aduki beans and a cup of water. Bring to the boil and transfer to a blender to puree before serving.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07871958031370646565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476817070870307876.post-57753054427417499712014-09-21T16:30:00.002+01:002014-09-21T16:30:29.313+01:00Chestnut hummus<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1">
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<b style="color: #cc0000;"><u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">400g chickpeas (dried or canned), 1 bulb garlic, olive oil, 1/2 can chestnut puree plus </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">lemon juice, sesame seeds/tahini and paprika to taste</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Preparation:</span></b> 30 minutes (canned) 1hr 45 plus overnight soaking (dried)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><i>I love <a href="http://www.merchant-gourmet.com/">Merchant Gourmet</a>'s chestnut puree. I use it to thicken my vegetarian gravy, soups and stews but it wasn't until recently that I ever had leftovers to decide what to do with. And lo, yet another variation on hummus! This also works beautifully as a vegetarian pate if you pack down into a container and allow to chill in the fridge.</i></span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">1) </span></b>Roast the entire bulb of garlic at 200 degrees for 20 minutes. Squeeze the garlic puree gently from the cloves and add to your food processor</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b style="color: #cc0000;">2) </b>If you are using dried chickpeas leave them to soak in cold water for a minimum of 6 hours (ideally 10-12) and cook them for 1 1/2 hours, changing the water frequently to avoid a bitter aftertaste.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>3)</b></span> If using canned chickpeas drain them and rinse well. It's entirely your choice whether you shell the chickpeas first - personally I prefer the texture with them shelled and find the process (pinching gently then shucking) very soothing! To avoid shelling them you can add a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda to the water and boil them for 5 minutes - the shells will be so soft that you won't even notice them when pureed.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">4) </span></b>Place the chickpeas and the chestnut puree into your blender and pulse thoroughly, drizzling olive oil through until the desired texture has been reached</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">5)</span></b> Flavour to taste with lemon juice, tahini/sesame oil/sesame seeds and season with salt and a pinch of smoked paprika. Stir through and serve or store in the fridge.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07871958031370646565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476817070870307876.post-17413620526578452832014-09-15T15:19:00.003+01:002014-09-15T15:23:25.078+01:00Pumpkin Mac & Cheese<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="text-align: center;">
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<td><b style="color: #cc0000; text-align: center;"><u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></u></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/2 can pumpkin puree, 1 clove garlic, 1/4 leek, 250g macaroni, 1 pint vegetable stock, 1 tsp truffle oil, 100g cheese, 1/4 tsp allspice, 1/4 tsp sage, 1/4 tsp thyme, 1/4 tsp smoked paprika, 1/4 sweet potato.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Serves:</span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> 4 </span><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Preparation:</span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> 30 minutes</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><i>I absolutely adore mac and cheese. So much so that despite it's obvious perfection, I am constantly re-inventing it in order to have it more often, without being bored. This version is about as far as the traditional roux-based cheese sauce as you can get, but it's healthy, can be made lactose intolerant or vegan-friendly by u</i></span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">sing a wheat-free pasta or </i><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">substituting the layer of cheese with a dairy-free alternative respectively. As Autumn rolls in, I go pumpkin crazy and this truly is an out-of-this world dish.</i><br />
<i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Check out some of my other favourite versions: avocado mac and cheese using my <a href="http://everythinggoeswithtoast.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/roast-garlic-avocado-dip.html">roast garlic and avocado puree</a>, <a href="http://everythinggoeswithtoast.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/cauliflower-mac-cheese.html">cauliflower mac and cheese</a>, <a href="http://everythinggoeswithtoast.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/broccoli-boursin-mac-cheese.html">broccoli mac and cheese</a> and of course <a href="http://everythinggoeswithtoast.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/macaroni-peas.html">mac and peas</a>.</i><br />
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<b style="color: #cc0000;">1) </b>Use 3/4 of the vegetable stock to put the macaroni on to boil, reserving the remaining 1/4 for the sauce.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>2)</b></span> Slice and dice the leek finely (discarding the root and leafy ends) and add to a pan with the truffle oil. Sautee gently, adding the garlic (crushed) once it begins to soften.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">3) </span></b>By the time </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">the garlic begins to sizzle</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> the macaroni should be ready - drain and set aside, reserving a ladle of the vegetable stock to add to the leek and garlic. Reduce this by about 50% and add the pumpkin puree, herbs and spices.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">4)</span></b> If the sauce is too thick, add a little more vegetable stock to thin it out (or cream if you want to be REALLY decadent), then stir in the drained macaroni.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">5) </span></b>Transfer to an oven-proof dish and grate the sweet potato and cheese onto the top. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes (until the cheese is gooey and golden and the sweet potato is just beginning to crisp) and serve hot. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I very rarely add salt as standard to a dish, advising only to season to taste, but in this case I found a tiny bit of salt and black pepper to be a nice touch once I'd removed a portion for my toddler.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07871958031370646565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476817070870307876.post-86905721235796909722014-09-14T16:47:00.001+01:002014-09-14T16:47:25.689+01:00Mango sorbet<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="text-align: center;">
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<td><b style="color: #cc0000; text-align: center;"><u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></u></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 mangoes, 1 tsp honey (or agave syrup if you are vegan).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Serves:</span></b> 6 <b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Preparation:</span></b> 20 minutes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><i>It has been sorbet central over here in the Lavender Kitchen. At this time of year the fruit in my bowl ripens so fast in the last of the summer heat, so I find myself making smoothies, jams and chutneys and baking puddings and pies and tarts galore so as not to waste any fruit. Mango sorbet is a particular favourite of mine because the buttery, silky texture of mango feels like it MUST be sinfully bad for you - and yet this sorbet contains nothing naughty at all!</i></span><br />
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<b style="color: #cc0000;">1) </b>Peel and slice the mango. There are many methods for doing so, from hedgehogging it to simply hacking away until you find the thick, rough core that stretches the full length of the fruit. Personally, I approach it like an avocado, slicing it towards the middle but not completely in half, then rotating it until it comes apart, revealing the core which can then be sliced away.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>2)</b></span> Transfer the fruit to a food processor (y</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">ou'll want to save every single drop of the gorgeous juice as you're slicing it - I scrape it from the peel, from the chopping board etc</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">) and puree thoroughly.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">3) </span></b>Add the honey and taste - remembering that freezing something dulls the flavour, so if it isn't sweet enough, it most certainly won't be when it's frozen! Add extra honey if necessary, but a ripe mango should certainly be sweet enough</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">4)</span></b> Transfer to your ice-cream maker and churn until frozen. If you don't have an ice-cream maker, transfer to a suitable container and freeze, removing every 30 minutes to whisk it to ensure that linear ice crystals do not form, solidifying the texture.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07871958031370646565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476817070870307876.post-19295026299200743592014-09-14T16:47:00.000+01:002014-09-14T16:47:05.992+01:00Matcha, ginger & cucumber iced tea<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="text-align: center;">
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<td><b style="color: #cc0000; text-align: center;"><u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></u></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/2 cucumber, 1L water, 1/2 ginger root, 1 tsp matcha powder.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Serves:</span></b> 5 <b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Preparation:</span></b> 5 minutes (plus 1 hour for chilling and infusing)</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><i><a href="http://www.teapigs.co.uk/tea/shop_by_category/matcha_shop/matcha.htm">Matcha</a> is a super-concentrated green tea powder, packed with antioxidants and nutrients, available from the mighty <a href="http://www.teapigs.co.uk/">Teapigs</a>. When they sent me some for #Foodspiration, I wondered whether I could concoct a super-healthy iced tea which didn't need sweetening to combat the slightly bitter taste of green tea. Cucumber water is one of my favourite summer drinks - so refreshing and cleansing - and it really works a treat here. In place of ginger, the juice of half a lemon or lime works beautifully, as does 25ml of apple juice.</i></span><br />
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<b style="color: #cc0000;">1) </b>Peel the cucumber and slice finely, discarding the tapered end.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>2)</b></span> Peel and finely slice the ginger and add, along with the matcha powder to your drinks container.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">3) </span></b></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Transfer the cucumber to your drinks container (I like Kilner bottles because when pouring, the cucumber remains in the bottle, but with a little vigorous shaking and a touch of water, they slide right back out again when it's time to clean the bottle) and top up with water</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. Shake to disperse the matcha powder and chill in the fridge. Give it a little shake before serving each portion to ensure the powder doesn't settle back to the bottom.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07871958031370646565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476817070870307876.post-45450352405129728402014-09-14T16:09:00.001+01:002014-09-14T16:09:29.798+01:00Pear & Matcha sorbet<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="text-align: center;">
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<td><b style="color: #cc0000; text-align: center;"><u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></u></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4 over-ripe pears, 1 tsp matcha, 1 tbsp honey (or agave syrup if you are vegan).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Serves:</span></b> 6 <b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Preparation:</span></b> 20 minutes</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><i><a href="http://www.teapigs.co.uk/tea/shop_by_category/matcha_shop/matcha.htm">Matcha</a> is a super-concentrated green tea powder, packed with antioxidants and nutrients, available from the mighty <a href="http://www.teapigs.co.uk/">Teapigs</a>. When they sent me some for #Foodspiration, I knew that the first thing I wanted to do was make a glorious green tea sorbet, and the beautiful grainy-sweetness of pears is so wonderful with tea. And lo, this super-food sorbet was born!</i></span><br />
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<b style="color: #cc0000;">1) </b>Peel the pears and slice the fruit away from the core.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>2)</b></span> Puree thoroughly in a blender, adding the honey and matcha when a smooth texture has been achieved.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">3) </span></b>Taste before transferring to the ice-cream maker, remembering that freezing something dulls the taste, so if it isn't sweet enough, it most certainly won't be when it's frozen! Add a little extra honey if necessary, then churn until frozen. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you do not have an ice-cream maker, pour into a suitable container and freeze, removing to whisk every 30 minutes to ensure that linear ice-crystals do not form, solidifying the texture.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07871958031370646565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476817070870307876.post-60631792704339643832014-09-12T16:32:00.002+01:002014-09-12T16:32:15.701+01:00Sugar-free gingerbread biscuits<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1">
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<b style="color: #cc0000;"><u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">250g plain flour, 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda, 2 tbsp ground ginger, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp allspice, 75g coconut palm sugar, 1 egg, 75g butter, 1 tsp hazelnut honey (optional).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Serves:</span></b> 30-40 <b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Preparation:</span></b> 1 hour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><i>Being the mother of an 18-month old starchild and an all-round healthy person myself, I am wicked-keen to replace refined sugar in all of my baking and cooking wherever possible. There are some recipes however where honey, banana or fruit juice just won't cut it - biscuits need sugar. It's science! So this month I am experimenting with *deep breath* Coconut palm sugar, coconut palm blossom syrup, agave syrup, and hazelnut honey which is just about the most delicious caramel-textured substance that I have ever encountered. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>These wonderful crisp gingerbread biscuits are spicy and sweet and will fill your house with the most amazing Christmassy smell.</i></span><br />
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<b style="color: #cc0000;">1) </b>Sift together the dry ingredients - flour, spices, bicarbonate of soda - and add to a food processor along with the butter. Blitz until fine breadcrumbs are formed.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>2)</b></span> Whisk the egg with the hazelnut honey if you're using it and add it, along with the sugar into the food processor and blitz through until the mixture comes together into a stiff dough. Wrap in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for 15 minutes whilst you pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4 (and clean up, if you're anything like me!).</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">3) </span></b>LaRoll out the dough onto a lightly floured surface (I like to sprinkle a little extra ground ginger and allspice onto the surface as it not only gives the dough that lovely slightly freckled appearance but is just another excuse for The Tastiness) and roll out the biscuits to about 1/2cm thickness.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">4)</span></b> Cut out the shapes of your choice - stars of course being our preference! - and transfer to a baking tray. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes and transfer to a cooling rack.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">5) </span></b>It is of course traditional to decorate them, but I prefer to dust edible gold rather than ice them.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07871958031370646565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1476817070870307876.post-48630116433969097622014-09-02T16:15:00.001+01:002014-09-02T16:15:49.766+01:00Mediterranean tart<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1">
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<b style="color: #cc0000;"><u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Pastry:</span></b> 4oz plain flour, 2oz butter<br /><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Filling: </b></span>4 eggs, 75g marscapone, 75g sun dried tomatoes, 75g artichokes, 3 bell peppers, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp dried basil</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Serves:</span></b> 4 <b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Preparation:</span></b> 1 hour (plus pastry chilling)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><i>I adore tarts. Crammed with vegetables and set in a creamy egg filling with melt in the mouth pastry, they are a meal in themselves or great with salad. This tastes of pure sunshine and is super quick to prepare.</i></span><br />
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<b style="color: #cc0000;">1) </b>To make the shortcrust pastry, cut the butter into small cubes and drop along with the flour into a food processor until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Drip in 2-3 tablespoons of cold water until the mixture quickly forms a ball. Wrap this in clingfilm and put in the fridge for 15 minutes. Once chilled, roll out and press firmly into a buttered pastry case. Bake blind for 10 minutes and set aside to cool.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>2)</b></span> Whisk the eggs and marscapone together, then stir in the oregano and basil.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">3) </span></b>This tart can be made quickly by using sun dried tomatoes and artichokes from a jar, drained well to remove the oil, but I would recommend roasting the peppers yourself as the longer they are marinated, the less sunshine sweetness they tend to have. Slicing around the core to remove the seeds, I roast these for 15-20 minutes and then peel off the blackened skin. </span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">4)</span></b> Layer the vegetables in the tart case and pour over the egg and marscapone mix, then bake in a pre-heated oven at gas mark 5 for 30-40 minutes. The tart should be solid, rather than wobbly in the centre with a golden surface just beginning to form.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">5) </span></b>Serve hot or cold.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07871958031370646565noreply@blogger.com