YOU NEED

1 leek

2 medium potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped

3 cups of frozen green peas

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced

1-2 tablespoons of Mexican fajita seasoning or a tiny touch of liquid smoke

5 cups of vegetable stock

salt and pepper

2 cups of fresh mint leaves, washed

¼ cup of nutritional yeast

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

2 cloves of garlic

1/4 cup of olive oil

YOU DO

Finely slice the white part of the leek and set the rest aside for stock or another recipe. Gently cook the leek and garlic in a medium pot, in a little water (just enough to stop the leek from sticking to the pan while it cooks) until the leek softens. Stir regularly while you cook the leek and add a little more water if you need to.

Add the potatoes and the stock to the pot and bring it to the boil. Once the stock has come to a boil, turn the heat down to a medium simmer and cook until the potato is almost cooked. Just before the potato is ready, add the peas and cook another couple of minutes. Add the Mexican Fajita seasoning or liquid smoke. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste and blend all ingredients until smooth.

While the soup is cooking prepare the mint pistou by simply blending the mint leaves, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, garlic and olive oil and set aside.

Serve the soup hot with fresh crusty bread and topped with a generous dollop of mint pistou.

Serves:  2 large or 4 small entree sizes

Time: This only takes about half an hour if you pop a top on your pot to get it to the boil and cut your potato quite small.

Freeze: I haven’t tried to freeze this one yet

Juicepresso approached me recently to review their product and I have never used a juice presser before so I was keen to review their product for them.

The juicer arrived promptly via mail with a manual and recipes. (There are also a number of recipes online.)

The first thing that struck me was how small/compact the Juicepresso is and how light the machine is compared to some juicers! I had a little trouble putting it together but that was simply because I am a technically challenged cook land I always refuses to refer to a manual – which I had.  It was also easier to pull apart (for someone who doesn’t read manuals) and cleaning was easy too. The only section that sometimes needed a bit more elbow grease was the small feeder into the output jug. Having said that though there is a small brush provided that has a pointy end you can use to push any backlog out. Like any juicer, rinsing in hot water straight after use and washing immediately means for a much easier clean.

The feeder took some getting use to because it is quite small compared to my juicer. This just meant that I had to get use to cutting my fruit and veg smaller and feed it through a little slower. The motor cut out on a couple of occasions but that seemed to only coincide with me being clumsy and impatient and not cutting ingredients small enough and placing too many ingredients in the feeder too fast.

The output jugs both go to the front which I really liked. I liked that I could not only see the juice/milk but also the fibrous output. It gave me more of an awareness of what I wasn’t consuming and potential wastage so I found myself making chocolate truffles with the almond skins from my almond milk and throwing the fibre from my juices into vegetable burgers and soups instead of just tossing nutrient rich food in the bin as wastage. I was really impressed too with the sheer quantity of basil juice that fed into the juice jug when I was doing my Basil and Pineapple Pops.

There were recipe examples online such as juicing corn to make corn milk which I had never heard of before and  would just never have thought of doing myself so that alone was pretty exciting to a foodie like me. I have made a number of granitas in my time too but would never have thought of using some of the fruits they suggested in their recipes so in the warmer months I had a freezer full of varying flavoured ices with gorgeous colours showing through Tupperware tops. Some of the recipes don’t stipulate quantities of ingredients though which I like when first trialling a recipe but I contacted Juicepresso and they were really helpful and gave me some direction on how much of each ingredient I should be aiming at.

Over all my experience with my Juicepresso and the company was really pleasant and made for some gorgeous new recipes on the site so I am really appreciative that they gave me this opportunity.

For more info on Juicepresso:

Their website: www.juicepresso.com.au

Their recipes: resources.andatech.com.au/recipes/juicepresso/high_resolution.pdf

FB page http://facebook.com/juicepresso

Blog http://www.andatech.com.au/blog/tag/juice-recipes/ for recipe ideas.

You can also check out their YouTube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/juicepresso for videos on the Juicepresso and its features.

YOU NEED

1 cup of apricots, halved and the stones removed

I sheet of filo cut into 4 squares of filo that measure approximately 15cm by 15cm (I happened to have some “thick filo” in the freezer so used that up for this but I usually use Borgs brand filo which is available in Coles and is dairy and palm oil free.)

¼ cup unsalted, roughly chopped pistachios

I tablespoon of marmalade (I use mandarin but if you don’t have mandarin just use what you do have)

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 teaspoon of white sugar

squeeze of lemon juice

oil to brush the pastry with (I used rice bran oil)

YOU DO

Preheat your oven to 175c.

Grease a single serve pie dish and set aside.

Lay one of your filo squares onto the bench and brush it with a little rice bran oil. Then sprinkle some brown sugar and pistachios across the top. Lay the next square directly on top so the 2 squares fit together perfectly and also brush it with a little oil and cover with a sprinkle of brown sugar and pistachios. Repeat until you have done all 4 filo sheets then place them into your pie dish and set aside

Place the apricots, marmalade and lemon juice into a bowl, mix well to combine then place all ingredients into your pie dish.

Cook until the filo has started to brown and the peaches are cooked. Approximately 20-25 minutes. After about 15 minutes you can also gently remove the pie from the pie dish and place back in the oven so the underneath and sides can also colour. Cooking time will depend on your oven. Near the end of the cooking time pull out the pie and sprinkle with the white sugar and increase the oven temp to 200c for 5 minutes or so to caramelise the top of the apricots.

Serve with your favourite dairy free ice-cream and another sprinkle of crushed pistachios too if you wish.

Serves: Serves 1 but there is plenty for 2!

Time: I haven’t timed this one yet.

Freeze: N/A

I make pizza dough all the time these days.  It only takes a couple of minutes to throw all the ingredients together and roll out and I just prepare the rest of the meal while it proofs.

YOU NEED

1 and 3/4 cups of plain flour

7 grams of dried yeast (which is available in the supermarket in the baking aisle already portioned out for you)

200ml or so of warm water (start with 200 and go from there. Flour differs in its “hardness” so I find I often need more, but always use 200 as a starting point)

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of sugar

YOU DO

Sift the flour into a large bowl.

Add the rest of the dry ingredients and stir to evenly combine

Add the water and mix all ingredients together until you end up with a ball. If it is too dry, slowly add more water a little at a time until it comes together. If it is a little wet, add a little more flour till it comes together.

Pop some flour onto your bench and knead the dough for a minute or 2.

The pop it back in the bowl and allow it to proof for a hour or so. I am usually in a hurry and often start rolling it out a lot sooner than this.

Once the dough has proofed, roll it out into a circle or square shape on a light layer of flour, using a rolling pin to desired thickness. I tend to roll mine very thin as I prefer thin crust pizza.

Serves: Makes enough for 4 pizza bases.

Time:  I have never timed it.

Freeze: Absolutely. Portion any dough you don’t need,  just before you are about to roll it out and make your pizzas and freeze it (before its cooked), wrap it well and freeze it for another day.

This is so so easy and the result is rich, creamy, fragrant gorgeous dip.

YOU NEED

1 x 400 gram can of Cannellini beans, washed well and drained

1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons of olive oil (I use a cold pressed olive oil)

½ teaspoon of salt

2 cloves of roasted garlic

1 extra tablespoon of chopped fresh rosemary leaves

YOU DO

Blend all the ingredients except for the extra tablespoon of rosemary leaves.

Once the ingredients are all well blended and smooth, stir the extra rosemary through the mixture and serve.

If you wish you can pour a little extra olive oil over the top when you serve it.

Serves: Makes about 1 cup of dip

Time: Seriously takes about 5 minutes

Freeze:  I wouldn’t

Note: I made this using raw garlic and the garlic was too sharp on your tongue. I just popped a bulb of garlic in the oven on a low to medium temperature – about 150c with oil and cooked it until it was soft and well coloured. I then added 2 cloves to this and the result was so much better. Roasting the garlic takes that raw harshness away and you end up with a lovely sweet result.

I’m a bit into mandarins at the moment so purchased a massive bag of them the other day to play with some recipe ideas. Here is my 1st effort! It turned out just as I had imagined so I am thrilled:)

…………It is incredibly simple. So simple in fact that I was tempted to keep playing with it, but sometimes “less is best” and this is a perfect example of that old adage. I didn’t use a lot of mandarin but its notes still shine through in the pudding.

And it’s **full** of flavour.

YOU NEED

1 x 300gram pack of silken tofu (I use Blue Lotus organic silken tofu)

2 x mandarins

4 tablespoons of cocoa (a really good quality one will make a difference such as Dutch Cocoa but if you don’t have that don’t stress and just use what you have)

3 tablespoons agave syrup (if you do not have agave syrup use icing sugar to taste)

YOU DO

##GENTLY## grate the skin of the mandarins with a citrus zester (I highly recommend investing in one of these if you like a lot of recipes that use fruit zest. I have never had the same results with a normal grater for jobs like this. I end up with large chunks and pith which is not pleasant. Doing this with a zester will impart the flavour of the mandarin without chunks.)

Blend the zest and the rest of the ingredients together till smooth.

Refrigerate for a few hours

Servings: 2 -3

Time: Takes me about 5 minutes to make this one.

Freezing: Not suitable for freezing

I simply put all the ingredients through the Juicepresso!

White minestrone tends to take a back seat to its tomato based sibling. It’s a perfect alternative to people seeking recipes without tomato though. I use no oil in this dish as I am not trying to brown any of the vegetables and garlic is optional too. I just let the vegetables and flavours speak for themselves. You don’t get the same punchy hit you get from a tomato based minestrone but what does result, is an earthy, creamy, nourishing dish that is calm on the palate.

YOU NEED

#optional 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced

1 large leek, use only the white part, wash and finely slice (You can use the green part if you wish. This is just my preference for this dish. I keep the green section of the leek and utilise it in other recipes)

1 cup of button mushrooms roughly chopped

1 small turnip, peeled and cut into a small dice

2 cups of green cabbage, finely sliced

2 cups of cauliflower, cut into small florets

1 cup of zucchini, cut into a small dice

1 large brown potato, cut into a dice. Make this dice a bit larger than the turnip though because the potato will cook faster than the turnip.

1 cup of pasta (I used penne just because I have a penchant for penne but use whatever pasta you prefer)

1 can of butter beans, washed thoroughly and drained

1 can of chick peas, washed thoroughly and drained

1.5 litres of vegetable stock (I use the Massel brand)

YOU DO

Put the leek and the garlic into a large pot with a little water and sauté till the leeks soften. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook until they too have softened.

Add the stock and bring to the boil.

Add the pasta, potato, turnip. cabbage and cauliflower to the pot and simmer on a gentle heat for 10-15 minutes. Just before the pasta is cooked and the vegetables are tender, add the zucchini, butter beans and chickpeas and simmer for another few minutes.

Serves: 4 to 6

Time: 30-45 minutes

Freezing: Wouldn’t recommend.

Notes: Gluten free options would be to eliminate the pasta or simply use gluten free pasta.

 

YOU NEED

1.25 litres vegetable stock (I use Massel brand)

1.5 tablespoons of fresh galangal, grated or finely chopped (I didn’t have fresh so I used galangal powder which I found in an Asian grocer)

4 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons of vegetarian fish sauce (I get mine on line from the Cruelty Free Store)

2 teaspoons of red curry paste (There are a few without shrimp paste. I used “Maesri Red Curry Paste” which is in a small red tin with a little black and white picture of an elderly Asian lady. Found it in the Asian section in Safeway)

6 kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced

I stem of lemon grass. Just use the white section, remove the core and discard it and finely slice the rest

100 grams of shitake mushrooms, leave stems on and cut mushrooms lengthways in 4 large slices

1 cup of fresh bean shoots

1 cup of carrot (cut into matchsticks)

300 grams of fresh rice noodles.

½ cup of fresh mint, washed and roughly chopped

½ cup of coriander, washed and finely chopped

spring onion for garnish (also known as scallions)

# optional~ 1 small red chilli, finely sliced

YOU DO

Heat the vegetable stock in a large pot with the kaffir lime leaves, galangal, lemon grass, red curry paste, fish sauce and lime juice. Bring to the boil and then simmer for about 5 minutes.

Add the mushrooms and carrots and simmer gently for another 2 minutes.

Add the fresh rice noodles and simmer gently till they break up.

Throw in the bean shoots and herbs and serve garnished with some spring onion.

Serves: 4

Time: Takes about 30 minutes

Freezing: Not suitable for freezing

Each time I experiment with a new chocolate truffle recipe, it seems to improve on the one before and I am really happy with these!

These are delicious. You don’t need many ingredients and the method is really simple. The only time consuming part is the rolling but it’s really worth it.

They would be a lovely gift for someone in a gift box with tissue paper. They would also be a lovely addition to serve alongside coffees at a dinner party.

YOU NEED

2 x 200 grams of dark dairy free chocolate. (I used Whittaker’s “Dark Ghana” flavour.) You find Whittaker’s in Safeway and Big W and its often on special for 2 for $5 or $6

100 mls of almond milk. (Readily available in most supermarkets these days.)

2 tablespoons of hazelnut spread. (Found in the health food section of many supermarkets and in many health food stores)

1 cup of hazelnuts, crushed. You want them to be quite crushed because they don’t stick as well, when in large chunks and tend to fall off.

YOU DO

Break up or roughly chop 200 grams of the dark chocolate and melt in the microwave, 30 secs at a time, stirring each time until melted.

Bring the almond milk to the boil in a small pan or pot. Once boiled, add the roughly chopped chocolate and stir with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat when most of the chocolate is melted and stir briskly with the spoon to melt the rest.

Add the hazelnut spread and stir briskly till dissolved in the chocolate mix, pour into a bowl and put in the fridge to firm up. # Check on the mixture every 5 minutes or so and stir it.

Once the mixture has set enough to work with (mine took about 10-15 mins), remove it from the fridge. Take a teaspoon of mixture out of the bowl at a time and roll it in the ball of your hands into a ball shape, placing each ball onto a plate. Put the plate in the fridge to cool and harden for a further 5 minutes.

Remove the plate and place the ball in the palm of your hands. With your hands flat, roll your hands back and forth to create a log shape and place the logs back on the plate. Put the logs back in the fridge for 5 minutes, because the heat from your hands warms the chocolate.

Place a sheet of baking paper on your bench top. Break up or roughly chop the remaining 200 grams of dark chocolate and melt in the microwave, 30 secs at a time, stirring each time until melted.

Remove the chocolate logs from the fridge and using a fork dip each log, one at a time into the melted chocolate until it’s covered. With the log sitting on the fork, scrape the excess chocolate off the bottom of the fork by scraping it against the lip of the bowl. Then place the log onto the crushed hazelnuts. Put the chocolate fork back into the melted chocolate bowl. Using a different fork, gently roll the log so it is covered with hazelnuts and gently place onto the greaseproof paper.

Repeat this until all the logs are covered. They should set in room temp but if not just pop them back in the fridge to set. They are best served at room temp once set though so the filling is soft.

Servings: Makes 30 balls.

Time: Haven’t timed

Freezing: They have never lasted long enough to try freezing.