Tag Archives: #wholefoods

Persian Avocado Salad

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

Persian Avocado Salad

OK, so we can’t actually promise that this is an authentic Persian Salad. It isn’t. It was dreamed up in our kitchen while we were making Stuffed Poussin and needed a salad to go with it. But it is inspired by the tastes of the Middle East, and Persia in particular. The figs and dates combined with the nuts give a very rich salad, that is contrasted by the freshness of the salad. You can use whichever salad greens you happen to have in the house. Mesclun salad or rocket would be a good choice, but any other lettuce would also work. The parma ham / prosciutto can be omitted to make the meal vegetarian or vegan. 

Ingredients

  • 250g of lettuce greens – mesclun salad, rocket lettuce, or other lettuce of your choice
  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 150g pumpkin
  • coconut oil
  • 2 slices of parma ham / prosciutto, chopped (optional)
  • 25g cashews, chopped and toasted
  • 25g almonds, chopped
  • 25g pinenuts, chopped
  • 2 chopped dates, chopped
  • 2 dried figs, chopped
  • 2 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
  • 1 ripe avocado
  • pinch of coarse sea salt

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius (420 degrees Fahrenheit)
  2. Wash the lettuce greens and add them to a bowl
  3. Place the olive oil and balsamic vinegar in a glass and stir vigorously to combine into a vinaigarette. Pour over the lettuce greens and toss to coat all the leaves.
  4. Cut the pumpkin into roughly 1cm square chunks. Place on a roasting dish in the oven. Sprinkle with olive oil and sea salt and cook in the oven for 20 minutes until a fork pricks easily through the pumpkin and the edges have turned golden. Alternatively, toss the pumpkin in 1 tsp of coconut oil, sprinkle with sea salt and cook in an Air Fryer for 10 minutes on 220 degrees Celsius. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before adding to the salad to avoid the greens from wilting.
  5. Chop up the dates, all the nuts and the parma ham. Fry them together in a pan over a moderate heat with a little coconut oil until golden and crispy. Remove from the heat and sprinkle over the salad greens
  6. Chop the figs into small pieces and sprinkle over the salad as well.
  7. Fry the sesame seeds in a dry pan over a moderate heat until they turn golden, stirring all the time to avoid burning. It will take only 2 minutes.
  8. Sprinkle the sesame seeds and a little coarse sea salt over the salad.
  9. Enjoy on its own as a light meal, or serve together with Persian Stuffed Poussin

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: Hills Like Elephants – The Endless Charade

 

Moroccan Snack Bars

Snacks, , , , , , , , , , ,

Moroccan Bars

We love to have some healthy snacks in the fridge to get us through those moments when the next meal is just a little bit far off for our stomachs. These bars have no artificial ingredients or sugars, and are made of whole nuts and dried fruits. It is a good idea to check the ingredients list on dried fruits though, because sometimes oils are used in the drying process, sugars are added, or chemicals are used. We try to avoid all of these, and figs and dates seem to be the most easy of dried fruits to find without these additives.

These snack bars aren’t an authentic recipe from Morocco, but rather a bar that is inspired by the fruits and nuts that grow so well in this very fertile country. Famous for almonds, apricots, pistachios, figs and dates, the Moroccan kitchen is full of flavour.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dried dates, chopped
  • 1 cup dried figs, chopped
  • 1/4 cup blanched almonds
  • 1/4 cup pistachios
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • 1/4 cup cashew nuts

Directions

  1. Dry roast the pine nuts in a frying pan over a moderate heat. Toast until they are golden brown. Remove from the pan.
  2. Dry roast the almonds and cashew nuts in a frying pan over a moderate heat. Toast until they are golden brown. Remove from the pan.
  3. Place all of the nuts in a food processor with the metal knife blade inserted. Pulse until the nuts are finely chopped.
  4. Add the fruits to the food processor and turn the speed up to a medium speed. Process for about 1 minute until the fruits and nuts are all finely chopped and start to stick together.
  5. Grease a metal tray with a little coconut oil. Pour the mixture onto the tray and press down firmly with your hands to form a large square / rectangular shape. You need to press quite firmly to press all of the mixture together.
  6. Place in the fridge for an hour
  7. Cut into bar shapes and store in an airtight plastic container between layers of greaseproof baking paper.

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify:

Thai Green Chicken Curry

Dinner, , , , , , , , ,

Thai Green Chicken Curry

A Thai curry is a very regular event at our table. It is one of our go to, mid week meals. We love to spice it up. You can adjust the spiciness with how much curry paste you add, and it depends on how spicy the paste is that you use as well, so do experiment a little to vary it to your own taste. We make our own paste, but we also have found a very good paste from a Thai supermarket that avoids any nasty ingredients as well. Up to you which you prefer.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup coconut cream
  • 1-2 Tbsp green curry paste (store bought, or see the separate recipe to make your own Green Curry Paste)
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 Tbsp fish sauce – check the label carefully to make sure it is just fish and salt and does not have other nasty ingredients (or use vegan fish sauce if you are vegetarian or vegan)
  • 2 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized portions.
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 2 handfuls pea aubergines
  • 6-8 apple aubergines, cut into wedges
  • (If you can’t find the pea and apple aubergines then use green beans, mushrooms and regular aubergines instead or any other vegetable that you like)
  • large handful of Thai basil
  • few kaffir lime leaves
  • 2 large red chillies, cut on the diagonal to give slices

Directions

  1. Put the coconut cream into a frying pan, add the curry paste. Cook over a moderate heat for a minute or two. Keep on stirring to make sure it does not stick or burn.
  2. Add the coconut milk and water and stir well to combine
  3. Season with fish sauce
  4. Add the chicken and cook slowly for about 10 minutes
  5. Add the vegetables and cook for 5-7 minutes until the aubergines are cooked through
  6. Add the kaffir lime leaves and Thai basil. Stir well and simmer for another minute
  7. Remove from the heat and garnish with sliced red chillies.
  8. Serve with (cauliflower) rice and a green mango or papaya salad

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: Brooklyn Brothers – The Album

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

Moist Gluten Free Chocolate cake

Treats, , , , , , , , ,

Moist Gluten Free Chocolate Cake

With my son’s birthday fast approaching, and children in his class with nuts and gluten allergies, making a birthday cake this year took a little bit of experimentation. This chocolate cake received the children’s seal of approval, with not a single piece left in the box that we sent into his classroom.

Ingredients

  • 50g good quality cocoa powder (sifted)
  • 125ml boiling water
  • seeds of one pod vanilla
  • 70g sweet potato flour
  • 60g rice flour
  • 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 150ml coconut oil (or regular olive oil, not extra virgin olive oil – it is too strong tasting)
  • 100ml honey (or use maple syrup)
  • 3 large eggs
  • handful of frozen cranberries (optional)

Directions

  1. Heat the oven at 170 degrees Celsius (340 degrees Fahrenheit).
  2. Sift the cocoa into a bowl. Add the boiling water and stir well to make a smooth paste. Put aside to cool down while you prepare the rest
  3. Measure the sweet potato and rice flour into a separate bowl. Add the bicarbonate of soda and salt and set aside.
  4. In the bowl of a food processor or mixer, add the coconut oil, honey and eggs.
  5. Mix for about 3 minutes until well aerated.
  6. Add the chocolate mixture to the mixture in the foodprocessor or mixer. Mix thoroughly.
  7. Add the flour mixture to the foodprocessor or mixer. Mix thoroughly.
  8. Prepare as springform cake tin of 20-25cm with a base lining of baking paper. Oil the sides of the tin with a little coconut oil.
  9. Pour the mixture into the tin.
  10. Sprinkle over the cranberries or other berries (optional)
  11. Cook the cake for 40 minutes in the oven or until it is still moist in the centre, but cooked through.
  12. Serve warm or cooled down.

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: Breaks Co-op – Sounds Familiar