All posts by Genevieve

Time for a virtual holiday

Escape, , , , ,
Little island in the Secret Gili Islands, Sekotong, Lombok Islan
As part of its annual Travelers Choice Awards, Trip Advisor has released its list of the top 10 islands to visit. 
 

Here are the Top Travelers’ Choice Islands around the world:

  1. Providenciales, Turks and Caicos
  2. Maui, Hawaii
  3. Roatan, Honduras
  4. Santorini, Greece
  5. Ko Tao, Thailand
  6. Madeira, Portugal
  7. Bali, Indonesia
  8. Mauritius, Africa
  9. Bora Bora, French Polynesia
  10. Fernando de Noronha, Brazil
We miss a few in this list, and have a little question on Santorini. Sure, you can take amazing photos of the beautiful white buildings that tumble down the hills, but you are also sharing it with those who step off their cruises and overtake the island each day.
 
We’d love to see some more off the beaten track experiences included, so we’d love to hear your suggestions for Top 10 islands to visit. 
 
From Cherry Chuleekorn for Thailand:
1) Ko Kood island, Trat province – my recently new favorite island. They have many local hotels and resorts, the most popular is Captain Hook resort. They selling package of 3D2N all included i.e. speedboat from land, all meals and tea breaks (it’s not a soft break, it’s a hard break hahaha) and including activities like Kayaking and snorkeling (good for first timer because the underwater is not great for those who have already been snorkeling in other good places before). It is definitely good for families, groups but not recommended for those who are seeking privacy and quiet.

For privacy, very quiet and cool and creative place, I would recommend to stay at Baan Makok! It’s a small place (5-8 rooms) located deep down the canal which connects to the sea. Quiet, peaceful and canal is clean. I love swimming in the canal in front of hotel. You can also kayak to the end of canal as well. I like this place so much. and sure that you will like it too. The hotel’s owner are advertising people, you can imagine how chic they are?

For premium person… Tingle Bell is a good choice, they have good standard of hotel service and amenities. Located next to the beach. The best sunset view is here!

2) Similan island in Krabi province. My all time favorite island. Best view over both the sea and underwater. Here you need to book the room or tent from National park organization. Good season is October – April. During June-Sep, the island might be in the closing period.
 
From Fabia Bueno Tetteroo for Brazil and Philipinnes: 
In Brasil, not a so secret one, super protected but wonderful is Fernando de Noronha.
 
Also, in between Rio and São Paulo there are many small islands that you can go for a day trip. Departing from Ilha Bela is an option
 
In Philippines, Camiguin and Busuanga. Very reserved. Not many tourists
 
From us: 
We love Indonesia, and with over 7000 islands to explore there are so many different options that you could choose from. We loved snorkeling in Pulau Bunaken (off the coast of Sulawesi island), but the secret Gili islands off the coast of South Lombok or the Gili islands between Lombok and Bali are also good choices.
For the secret Gilis we stayed at Cocotinos Sekotong hotel. From here you can do diving trips, or you can hire a local boat to take you to the islands snorkeling. From the wharf (photo below) you can also snorkel amoungst fish. 
 
For the Gilis islands we stayed at Mahamaya Resort on Gili Meno – you can snorkel off the beach to see turtles and coral. It is an eco-resort which harvests rainwater. The party island of Gili Trawangan is a 15 minute boat ride away if you feel like a night out, but we preferred dinner on the beach with the superb cooking of their restaurant and watching the sunset. Bliss!
 
We can’t wait for our next excuse to visit Indonesia!

Cocotinos Sekotong, Indonesia

Rucola Mint Pesto

Condiments and Dips, , , , , , , , ,

Rucola and Mint pesto

This is a very versatile pesto sauce that can be used as a dip for sweet potatoes, as a topping on fish or chicken, or even to stuff chicken wrapped in prosciutto. We’d love to hear how you have used what has become one of our favorites. 

Ingredients

  • Large handful of rucola lettuce leaves
  • 10-15 mint leaves
  • 1 Tbsp tahini
  • juice of half a large lime
  • 1 Tbsp pine nuts
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled and roughly chopped
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • Few grinds of freshly ground black pepper
  • 50ml olive oil

Directions

  1. Put all of the ingredients into a blender, and blend until smooth.
  2. It should be a bit of a thick sauce, so be careful with the amount of olive oil that you add. If it is too thick then you can add a little more olive oil.

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: Sola Rosa – Get it together

Spinach coconut curry with meatballs

Dinner, , , , , , ,

Spinach meatball curry

This is a substantial and warming meal that is great paired with cauliflower rice or rice. You can adapt it to your own level of preferred spiciness by adapting how much chili powder you include. This is a slightly spicy version.

Ingredients:

For the meatballs

  • 500 gr lamb mince
  • 1/2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
  • 1 onion, grated
  • 1 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp ghee or coconut oil

For the curry

  • 220ml coconut milk
  • 100 ml water
  • 5 green cardamon pods
  • 15 fresh curry leaves
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
  • 2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
  • 500 gr baby spinach (or similar green vegetables)
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

  1. First make the meatballs. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
  2. Now, make around 15 golf ball sized meatballs. Wet your hands before making a ball so they won’t stick to your hands.
  3. Put them on a plate and let them firm up in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
  4. Heat the ghee or oil in a large frying pan and brown the meatballs on all sides. When ready, put them on a plate and set aside.
  5. When all the meatballs are done, fry the curry leaves and cardamom pods for a few seconds until fragrant.
  6. Add the onion and fry until soft.
  7. Add the spices and the ginger-garlic paste and fry for a minute more.
  8. Then add the coconut milk and water and bring to the boil.
  9. When boiling, add the spinach, cover and cook until wilted.
  10. Take the lid of, add the meatballs, season with salt and pepper and cook until the sauce thickens a little and the meatballs are heated through.
  11. Serve with rice or cauliflower rice

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: Hindi Zhara – Homeland

 

 

Almond Milk and Flour

Condiments and Dips, , , ,

Almond Milk and Flour

Almond Milk is a great substitute for milk in cooking and baking. This is an easy way to make it at home, and also gives you almond flour as a very welcome by-product of the cooking process.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups almonds
  • 1 litre water, plus extra for soaking
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt flakes

Directions for Almond Milk

  1. Place the almonds in a large bowl and cover with enough water to sit 2cm above the almonds. Allow to stand at room temperature for 12 hours.
  2. Drain, discarding the soaking liquid and rinse well under cold running water.
  3. Put the almonds, water and sea salt into a blender and blend at a high speed for 3-4 minutes until fully mixed. (Depending on the size of your blender you might need to blend it in two batches of 500ml and 1 cup of almonds)
  4. Pour the mixture through a fine sieve to remove the almond pulp. You may need to work in batches to strain the almonds.
  5. Press the almond pulp with the back of a spoon to extract as much milk as possible. It should end up quite dry. The more moisture you leave in, the more you will have to dry out to get the Almond Flour.
  6. Retain the Almond pulp in the strainer to use in the Almond Flour (below). 
  7. Pour the milk into glass jars or bottles and seal well. Refrigerates for up to 3-4 days. Can also be frozen for up to 2 months. Makes approximately 1 litre of almond milk.

Directions for Almond Flour

  1. Preheat the oven to 100 degrees Celcius.
  2. Spread the almond pulp thinly and evenly over a lightly greased baking tray lined with baking paper.
  3. Bake for 1 hour.
  4. Toss the almond pulp, re-spread it out over the baking paper and cook for another 1 hour.
  5. Allow to cool completely.
  6. Place the almond mixture into a food processor and process using the knife blade until finely ground.
  7. Store the almond flour in a air tight container in the refridgerator for up to 1 week, or use immediately to make Dried fig and Cranberry Almond Loaf.

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: Eternal Summers – The Drop Beneath

 

 

 

Lemon Cupcakes

Treats, , , , , , , ,

 Lemon Cupcakes

These Lemon Cupcakes have a strong lemony flavour, and don’t need any sweetening. They are gluten, dairy, and sugar free and I am struggling not to eat all of them before they cool off!

Ingredients

  • 2-3 ripe bananas
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 Tbsp ghee
  • juice and rind of a lemon
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • seeds of 1 vanilla pod
  • 1/4 cup sifted coconut flour
  • 1/4 cup sweet potato flour

Directions

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit)
  2. Add eggs and ghee and mix well
  3. Add the rind of 2 lemons, the juice of 2 lemons, and the seeds of 1 vanilla bean, mix well
  4. Add the baking soda and salt and stir gently into the mixture. It should rise as the baking soda activates.
  5. Add the coconut and sweet potato flour and stir gently to combine into the mixture.
  6. Cook in the hot oven for 35 minutes, or until a fork comes out clean when pricked into the cupcake.

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: Wild Beasts – Present Tense

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hulk Green Juice

Drinks, , , , , , , ,

Hulk Juice

Yesterday Liam decided that he wanted to make a green juice. It had to be “as green as the Hulk” he said. So he went through the fridge to find everything he could find to make a yummy green juice. This is the result of his efforts. The ginger makes it a warm, comforting juice.

Ingredients

  • 2 kale leaves (whole, washed)
  • 1 cucumber (whole, washed)
  • 1/2 lemon (unpeeled)
  • 1 lime
  • 5 apples
  • 1.5cm ginger

Directions

  1. Wash the Kale, apple, cucumber and lime. Remove the apple stalks.
  2. Juice the apples whole on the higher speed. Only cut them if needed to fit in your juicer tube.
  3. Juice the lemon, lime, ginger and kale on the higher speed. 
  4. Juice the cucumber on the lower speed. 
  5. Stir the juice and serve over ice.

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: Vinicius de Moraes – Pure Bossa Nova

 


 

Butternut and Zucchini Loaf

Lunch and Light Meals, Treats, , , , , , , , , ,

Butternut and Zucchini loaf

Bread is a bit of a challenge when you are gluten, sugar and dairy free. This loaf is naturally sweetened by dates and pumpkin, and given structure through the coconut flour and zucchini. It is delicious, healthy, and sneaks a few extra veggies into your lunch.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 a large zucchini, or 1 whole small zucchini (courgette), finely grated, squeezed
  • 350 g butternut squash (butternut pumpkin), cubed, cooked for 10 minutes and mashed
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 Tbsp ghee
  • 1 heaped tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • large pinch of sea salt
  • 2cm fresh ginger, peeled and grated
  • handful chopped cashews, toasted with 1 tsp coconut oil and a pinch of sea salt
  • 5 dates, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
  • sea salt for sprinkling on top
  • 2/3 cup of coconut flour

Directions

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees celcius (350 degrees Fahrenheit)
  2. Boil the butternut squash (butternut pumpkin) for 10 minutes in boiling water until it is cooked through. Drain and let it cool a little so that it will not cook the eggs when you add them to the squash mixture. Mash to a smooth consistency.
  3. Add the eggs and ghee and mix well.
  4. Grate the zucchini. Place the grated zucchini into a tea towel and squeeze it firmly to remove all of the liquid. You may need to use a fair bit of pressure.
  5. In another bowl, add the zucchini with the baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, ginger, rosemary, and dates. Mix well.
  6. Add the zucchini mixture to the squash mixture and stir well to combine.
  7. Add the coconut flour, and fold into the mixture. You should have a thick mixture with little moisture. Depending on how moist your zucchini was still, you might need to add a little more coconut flour. The coconut flour will absorb the moisture.
  8. Toast the cashew nuts in a hot pan together with a pinch of salt and 1 tsp of coconut oil until they are golden in colour.
  9. Add the toasted cashew nuts to the mix and stir through.
  10. Line a bread loaf tin with baking paper. Transfer the mixture into the bread loaf tin.
  11. Cook at 180 degrees celcius (350 degrees Fahrenheit) for about 45 minutes until golden brown and a fork inserted into it comes out clean.

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: Future Islands – Singles

 

Parsnip and Purple Carrot Hummus

Condiments and Dips, , , , , , ,

parsnip and red carrot hummus

Hummus is a favourite spread for my son, and we have been trying some variations of the recipe (which is originally made with chickpeas) to create some new spreads. It is a great way of sneaking a few extra vegetables onto his plate that he wouldn’t normally eat.

Ingredients:

  • 1 large parsnip, boiled until soft
  • 5 purple carrots, boiled until soft
  • 2 spring onions, chopped
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 Tbsp tahini
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • olive oil

Directions:

  1. Put all of the ingredients into a blender including 2 Tbsp of olive oil.
  2. Blend until you have a smooth consistency.
  3. You may need to add some more olive oil to get to a thick, but spreadable consistency (about the same consistency as smooth peanut butter).
  4. Remove from the blender and place in a bowl to serve. Sprinkle with a little olive oil to serve if you like.

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: Anika Moa – Thinking Room

 

 

 

 

Sweet Potatoes

Glossary, , ,

Sweet potato

The sweet potato is an edible tuberous root that is long and tapered, with a smooth skin whose color ranges between yellow, orange, red, brown, purple, and beige. It is only distantly related to the potato and does not belong to the nightshade family. Its flesh ranges from beige through white, red, pink, violet, yellow, orange, and purple. Sweet potato varieties with white or pale yellow flesh are less sweet and moist than those with red, pink or orange flesh.

The origin and domestication of sweet potato is thought to be in either Central America or South America. In Central America, sweet potatoes were domesticated at least 5,000 years ago. In South America, Peruvian sweet potato remnants dating as far back as 8000 BC have been found.

In New Zealand the sweet potato is known by the Maori name of Kumara, while in parts of North America it is referred to as “yams” although sweet potatoes are botanically quite distinct from yams.

Okra, Ladies Finger

Glossary, , , , , , ,

Okra

Okra is known in many English-speaking countries as ladies’ fingers, bhindi, bamia, ochro or gumbo. 

The geographical origin of okra is disputed, with South Asian, Ethiopian and West African origins all being possible.

Okra has a tendency to become slimy when cooked. Some people like it this way, while others prefer to minimize this. Brief cooking such as stir-frying can help to keep them less slimy, as can cooking with acidic ingredients such as a few drops of lemon juice, tomatoes, or vinegar. Alternatively the pods can be sliced thinly and cooked for a long time until the slime dissolves.