Almond

CAULIFLOWER ALMOND SOUP

CAULIFLOWER ALMOND SOUP

Cauliflower is one of the vegetables my kids have a very negative reaction to, it’s the run in a different direction kind of response. I grew up eating cauliflower prepared in various ways but now I am trying to come up with recipes that make cauliflower not taste like cauliflower as a way to trick the kids into eating it. I don’t want them to miss out on the glorious nutrition this vegetable possesses.

I think I really succeeded with this recipe. It has a very robust savoury flavour that will (or could) convince any cauliflower hater. To be perfectly safe I just keep my mouth shut in case the word cauliflower slips out. Don’t get me wrong I do, with great satisfaction, announce the truth after the plates have been left clean :)

Adding almonds and beans is a way to boost the protein and fibre content and they are the key in masking the cauliflower flavour notes. I have garnished the soup with toasted sesame seeds but any soft herbs (parsley, chives, coriander, chervil) work well too. Hemp seeds are another great topper adding the illusive omega 3 fatty acids to the soup.

IMG_0560



CAULIFLOWER ALMOND SOUP
4 servings

ingredients
2 tsp whole cumin seeds
3 large leeks, sliced and rinsed
1 small cauliflower (about 3 cups), divided into florets
1 tin (or 1 cup) white beans (canellini, butter)
4-5 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup ground almonds

method
  • Heat a medium/large sauce pan on the stove. Add the cumin seeds and dry toast for about 1 minute, take care not to burn them. Remove half and reserve for garnish.
  • Next add the leeks with any residual water from washing them.
  • Cook for couple minutes to soften, adding few tablespoons of water if the pan gets dry.
  • Next tumble in the cauliflower and beans adding the vegetable stock.
  • Cook for 20minutes on a medium heat.
  • Transfer the soup into a blender, add the ground almonds and puree till smooth. Add more water if the soup is too thick.
  • Return to the pan to reheat.
  • Serve the soup garnished with the cumin seeds or herbs.



IMG_0576
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KUMQUAT AND RAW CACAO TRUFFLES


KUMQUAT AND RAW CACAO TRUFFLES

Did you know there are videos online explaining how to eat a kumquat? Unlike other citrus fruits kumquats are usually eaten whole with the peel (you should spit out the pips). The inside flesh is rather sour whilst the peel is much sweeter. Eating the whole fruit should balance the flavours together.

These mini “oranges” pack a nutritional punch. From antioxidants like zea-xanthin and lutein to essential oils like limonene or a-bergamotene. Of course they are rich in Vitamin C but also have good levels of B vitamins.

I though they would pair up beautifully with some raw cacao and nuts in yet more truffles. I know I just posted a recipe for very simple basic chocolate truffles but I believe that one can never have enough chocolate recipes.

I have tested these on the family and I am afraid they weren’t too happy about me ruining the chocolate truffles with “orange”. However they were hit with a lot of friends. If you do like the classic orange - chocolate combo this is a recipe for you.

kumquats

KUMQUAT AND RAW CACAO TRUFFLES
Makes 16-18

ingredients
1 cup almonds
2TBS flaxseed, ground
1/2 cup coconut flour
8 kumquats
6-8 Mejdol dates, pitted

method
  1. Using a food processor process the almonds into coarse powder. Add the flaxseed, cacao, coconut flour and pulse to mix.
  2. Quarter the kumquats and remove any pips (there can be quite a few). Put into the food processor with 6 dates.
  3. Process till the mixture comes together, you may need to add extra Medjol dates. You should get a pliable sticky mixture that is easy to roll into truffles.
  4. Make walnut shape truffles, you should get 16-18 pieces.
  5. Refrigerate to firm up the truffles. Enjoy!

kumquat-truffles
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RAW CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

RAW CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

My cookbook library comprises several hundred titles. I will have to estimate (some are still in the garage in boxes since our May house move) but it could be somewhere between 500-600 hundred titles. I love looking through recipes, getting inspired but I am rather bad at actually following recipes. I keep telling myself I should plan better and maybe make couple of recipes a week from one of the many amazing books I own.

Last weekend I picked up
Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen, a book my husband brought for me from San Francisco. I was amazed to find a recipe that I had all the ingredients for. I made Ani’s garden pate and tested in on our friends who were coming for drinks and nibbles. Who would have thought that something made of celery and carrots could taste this good. I added some coriander and splash of tamari, because I simply can’t help myself. This will definitely be a mainstay in my repertoire. Yum!

Ani's Garden pate
Garden-pate

Another dish I made for nibbles were raw chocolate truffles. These were of my own recipe. I admit I have been craving chocolate and these really hit the spot. We made them disappear rather quickly. They are incredibly easy (just 4 ingredients) and have the potential to keep in the fridge for about a week but I doubt they will last more than couple days. I have been commissioned (by my son) to make more -
FAST.

raw-chocolate-truffles

RAW CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES
You may need more or less Medjol dates, this depends on their size and moisture. Mine were on the dry side and I had to add a few more than the recipe states. Simply keep adding dates and test if the mixture stick together when pressed.

ingredients
1 cup of almonds
1 cup of walnuts
6-8 Medjol dates, pitted
3 level Tbs of raw cacao powder

method
  1. Using a food processor, process the almonds and walnuts into coarse powder (you want few coarse bits to add texture).
  2. Next add cacao and enough dates to achieve the desired texture. The mixture should be moist and easily pressed together to roll a ball.
  3. Roll balls size of a walnut, you should get about 16-20 truffles out of this mixture.
  4. Refrigerate (this will firm the truffles up) and nibble when you fancy something sweet.

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SWEDE (RUTABAGA) CORONATION STYLE

SWEDE (RUTABAGA) CORONATION STYLE


As you may probably know by now I am not a big fan of swede (rutabaga) I only like it a little more than turnip (which is not much at all). Traditionally, here in the UK, it is used in a beef stew or as an integral part of the famous Cornish pasty (to confuse the matter they call it turnip in Cornwall). As a side dish swede is often served mashed together with carrots. In Finland swede is served as a creamy bake flavoured with maple syrup. I have tried making a vegan version of this but it still needs a lot more work.

Being faced with a humongous swede ( bigger than baby’s head!) I had to think. I really didn’t want this one ending up in a compost heap like the last one (sorry). Flavours of all vegetables deepen when roasted so this seemed like a good idea. To improve the rather bland swede I decided to spice it up and sweeten it and after roasting, drench it in a very similar sauce I used for my Coronation Chickpea salad.

I cut up the swede into 1/2 inch dice hoping for this to speed up the cooking time. Still it seemed to take forever... Was it all worth the effort? I have to say it was. I will admit I was secretly thinking what other vegetable would be suitable for this recipe, but I did enjoy the swede. The next day, however, I was for a major surprise, the salad was wonderful eaten straight from the fridge. Somehow the swede absorbed all the curry flavours, its texture improved it was trylly delicious. I ate all the leftovers for lunch. Will I rejoice next time a swede finds its way to my vegetable box? Probably not. But if it does I now have a way of dealing with it.


swede-salad
SWEDE (RUTABAGA) CORONATION STYLE

Serves 4

ingredients
3 cups swede, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice
1Tbs good curry powder ( I used Byriani mix)
1/2 tbs rapeseed oil
1 Tbs maple syrup
1/3 cup raisins
3/4 cashews
1/2 water
2 tbs mango chutney
1 tbs apple cider vinegar
salt
1/3 cup flaked almonds
1 small red onion
1/3 cup coriander
lemon juice to taste

method
  1. Preheat the oven to 210C. Place the swede, curry powder, oil and maple syrup into a roasting pan that will hold the swede in one layer. Mix all ingredients together so all the swede pieces are coated with spices evenly. Roast till the swede is soft, this may take 40-45min.
  2. While the swede is roasting soak the raisins in boiling water.
  3. Put cashews, water (you can use the raisin water), mango chutney and vinegar into a high speed blender. Process until smooth.
  4. Toast the flaked almonds in a dry pan till golden brown. Set aside
  5. Cut the red onion into fine dice.
  6. In a large bowl mix red onion, swede, cashew sauce and raisins.
  7. Garnish with almonds, coriander and add lemon juice to taste.
  8. Serve immediately or wait till the next day after, it is awesome straight from the fridge.

roasted swede
roast-swede
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VEGAN MANGO AND CINNAMON CAKE

VEGAN MANGO AND CINNAMON CAKE

Some days only a cake will do. I baked this one on our very snowy Friday. School was closed, kids were defrosting from sledging and making snow angels, the dog was melting all over the floor. It sure seemed like a perfect time to make a cake.

I do not like to used too much sugar in my cooking, in this cake I used only 1/2 cup . It will serve 8 which means around 1 Tbs of sugar per serving. That is a fraction of sugar in most cakes. On top of this (of course) there is no butter, oil, or eggs used in this recipe. Quite a low cal, low fat treat.

This cake was tested over the weekend on my family and friends. My Brazilian friend H said she liked it even though she hates mangos! She told us when she was growing up in Brazil, kids would pick ripe mangos off the trees, eating them straight away with juices dripping all over their faces, hands and even hair. I thought that was an amazing image but apparently it put her off mangos for life.

If you feel the same way about mangos you can substitute your favourite fruit for them. I think peaches or cherries would be fantastic. How about blueberries or a large not too ripe pear. I have a feeling we are going to make many versions of this surprisingly light cake.

mango-cake

VEGAN MANGO AND CINNAMON CAKE
I used all whole meal (wheat) flour but to make the cake slightly more kids friendly you may want to use half white half whole meal. I must say my son enjoyed it as it was.

Makes 8 good slices

ingredients:
200g (1 and 1/2 cup) of fine whole meal (wheat) flour - or half white half whole meal
1 tsp bicarb of soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbs ground linseed soaked in 3 Tbs water
100g (1/2 cup) unrefined (or raw) sugar
250ml (1 cup) almond milk
1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
1 large mango, peeled and cut into large dice
2 Tbs flaked almonds

method
  1. Preheat the oven to 180C.
  2. In a large mixing bowl mix together the flour, bicarb of soda, baking powder and cinnamon.
  3. In a small bowl mix the ground linseeds with the water and let sit couple of minutes
  4. In a measuring jug or a medium bowl mix the almond milk, sugar and vinegar together. The mixture will curdle, that is expected no worries :)
  5. Add the soaked linseed, and the almond milk mixture to the flour mix. Mix well together using a large whisk or a wooden spoon.
  6. Fold the mango cubes into the cake batter.
  7. Pour into a 8 inch (20cm) spring form cake tin that has been lined with baking paper (or lightly greased).
  8. Sprinkle the flaked almonds on top of the cake batter.
  9. Bake in the preheated oven for about 40min. Check halfway through, it the almonds are starting to brown to quickly cover the cake with aluminium foil for rest of the baking time.
  10. To check the cake is ready insert a skewer into middle of the cake, it should come out clean.

mango-cake-2
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FESTIVE STUFFED PEPPERS/SQUASHES with MARSALA CREAM SAUCE

FESTIVE STUFFED PEPPERS/SQUASHES with MARSALA CREAM SAUCE

Christmas presents wrapped. Fridge and pantry bursting with food. The house is looking very festive. We are ready for some chilling, celebrating, eating and socializing. Christmas Eve day will be all about cooking for the evening. I love spending hours in the kitchen, pots on the cooker, gorgeous smells coming out of the oven. No rush. Yes I cook loads on Christmas Eve and just reheat and scoop on Christmas Day. Just as we did at home.

Kids love it, they can enjoy their presents without much of an interaction, me and my husband love it as we can spend time with them. And there are no mountains of dishes to wash and no feeling too stuffed to move. Perfect.

If you are still struggling to decide what to make for a veggie festive meal here is an idea. My stuffed peppers or if you prefer individual squashes. Nuts and cranberries with a hint of orange make a perfect festive combination! To make it easier, you can go for a wild rice mix, however those are usually made with white rice. I prefer brown rice therefore I went ahead with cooking my own wild and brown rice separately. The sauce is so yummy, my daughter said she could drink it! I will admit there was a bit of a fight over the last spoonful. it feels very luxurious. The best thing this meal will not make you feel heavy at all. Enough room for pudding.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

xmas-stuffed-peppers


FESTIVE STUFFED PEPPERS/SQUASHES with MARSALA CREAM SAUCE

Serves 4-6

stuffed peppers/squashes
80g (1/2cup) wild rice
90g (1/2 cup) brown basmati rice
1 celery stick, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 carrot, coarsely grated
1/2 tsp dried thyme (2 tsp fresh)
60g (1/2 cup) macadamia nut halves
60g (1/2 cup) dried cranberries
40g (1/2 cup) flaked almonds
1 orange, zest and juice
3 large bell peppers, red or yellow
or 4 small squashes

marsala cream sauce
125ml (1/2 cup) Marsala wine
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 Tbs tomato puree
sprig of fresh thyme
125mml (1/2 cup) vegetable stock
70g (1/2 cup) cashew nuts
250ml (1 cup) water

baby spinach 100g per person

  1. Cook the wild rice and brown rice according to package instructions in separate sauce pans.
  2. If you are using squash, slice the tops of and scoop out the seeds and fibres. Wrap them in some aluminium foil, leaving the top opening exposed. Place in a 180C oven for 30min.
  3. Next prepare the stuffing.
  4. In frying or saute pan heat about 60g (1/4c) water, add the onions, garlic, celery, carrots and thyme. Saute till softened about 10min, adding more water if needed. Place in a bowl.
  5. Add the nuts, cranberries, juice and zest of the orange and both the wild and brown rice. Mix together.
  6. If using peppers, cut them in half lengthways, remove the core, membranes and seeds.
  7. Stuffed the peppers, try to get couple of flaked almonds or macadamias on the top.
  8. Place the peppers in a baking dish, add 80ml (1/3cup) of water to the dish, cover with aluminium foil and bake for 25min at 180C. Uncover and bake further 5min to get the nuts on top browned.
  9. If using the squash: after baking them for 30 min remove from the oven, stuff and cover in aluminium foil. Place back into the oven and bake for 20 min, uncover and bake further 5 min.
  10. While the peppers or squash are baking prepare the sauce. In a medium saute pan, bring the Marsala wine to simmer, add the thinly sliced onion and a thyme sprig. Cover and cook for about 20min or until the onions are soft.
  11. Add the tomato puree, cook for 1 min. Next add the vegetable stock, bring to a simmer. Switch the heat off.
  12. In a high speed blender combine the onion mixture (thyme and all), cashews and water. Process till smooth. Pour back into the sauce pan and bring to a boil, turn down and let the sauce thicken, adjust seasoning. Don’t let this cook too long the sauce will thicken too quickly.
  13. Wilt the spinach in a large saute pan.
  14. Place a portion of spinach on the plate, top with the pepper and pour some sauce around (or over the top of the pepper). If serving the squash, serve the spinach on the side.
  15. Enjoy :)

xmas-stuffedpumpkin


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STRAWBERRY MILKSHAKE

STRAWBERRY MILKSHAKE

Kids have been asking for a strawberry milkshake for couple of days. Today I picked up a crate of strawberries so there wish was fulfilled. The result was a gorgeous pink milk, just like the one Lola of Charlie and Lola loves to drink. Carrying the glasses to my kids I said: “Delivery for Lola”, to my daughter’s delight.

This made me think of the Charlie and Lola’s pink milk that I spotted in the supermarket a while back. I am not sure if that particular brand is still available but I did some searching on the internet and found information about the ingredients. The ingredients list is not much different from other strawberry flavoured milks that can be found on supermarket shelves. Milk first of course, than sugar, strawberry juice concentrate (about 1%) and some preservatives. There is also beetroot red colouring.

My pink milk has a cup of strawberries and half a banana, the strawberries is all you need to achieve the perfect pink hue. There is no added sugar and no preservatives or colours. And, of course, no cow's milk either! My son exclaimed this was the best strawberry milkshake he has ever had as he proceeded to spear the garnish with his straw (boys!). Hang on is that why they call them strawberries??? :)) My daughter’s glass was empty so quickly that I have no doubt she loved it too.

pink-milk


STRAWBERRY MILKSHAKE
RAW if using homemade almond milk.

Makes 2 tall glasses.



375ml (1 and 1/2 cup) unsweetened almond milk (or other non-dairy milk)
2 cups strawberries
1 banana
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
handful of ice

  1. Place all ingredients into your blender.
  2. Process till smooth.
  3. Serve garnished with a strawberry.

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PEAR AND LETTUCE SMOOTHIE

PEAR AND LETTUCE SMOOTHIE

There has never been a better time to eat a plant based diet. According to latest research, correlated by the fabulous Dr. Greger, it can help prevent, treat or even reverse the leading causes of death. It will not prevent you from a freak accident but all the other causes may just be in your plant strong hands. Check the bellow talk by Dr. Greger and all of his other brilliant videos on his website.

http://nutritionfacts.org/video/uprooting-the-leading-causes-of-death/

Wouldn’t it be great if we could slash our chances of getting heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s or kidney failure? Especially in the light of today’s articles about chemotherapy, we need more prevention rather than treatment. According to new research chemotherapy seems to undermine itself making tumour cells treatment resistant. The BBC article noted that: “ around 90% of patients with solid cancers, such as breast, prostate, lung and colon, that spread - metastatic disease - develop resistance to chemotherapy”. Wouldn’t it be better to slash our chances of ever being in need of such treatment?

The report on chemo maybe some scary stuff but not a huge surprise, the 2004 Australian study showed : “The overall contribution of curative and adjuvant cytotoxic chemotherapy to 5-year survival in adults was estimated to be 2.3% in Australia and 2.1% in the USA.” See link below.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15630849

Nobody can guarantee plant based diet will definitely work in preventing cancer and other diseases but as far as research goes it is the best tool we have. And the only side effects are that you may just feel a whole lot better. Why not start with this great smoothie?

pearandlettucesmoothie


PEAR AND LETTUCE SMOOTHIE

Makes 2 refreshing tall glasses

2 pears
half a cucumber
1 baby gem lettuce
100ml unsweetened almond milk
thick slice of lemon
slice of ginger
I Tbs ground flax seeds
cup of ice

  1. Put all your ingredients into your food processor. I don't bother with removing the core or stalks from my pears.
  2. Blend till smooth.
  3. Enjoy!
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Rhubarb ice cream

RHUBARB ICE CREAM

This weekend was marked by my son’s 10th birthday. He was very excited about getting into “double figures”. He celebrated hard and it might have taught him a very important lesson.

Nobody expects kids sleepovers to be a subdued affair but I didn’t expect three 10 year olds to be capable of staying up more or less all night. There might have been couple of hours of sleep somewhere. When I went to take breakfast orders my sons face said it all...yes he looked terrible.

The day after sleepover morning he woke up with a sore throat and a very raspy nearly asthmatic cough. The lesson he learned was that child’s body is just not meant to got on so little sleep. It is as if his body panicked due to the stress of lack of sleep and the result was contracting an opportunistic infection. This may be just a theory but I am sure to remind him how he felt before every sleepover. Now he is on lots of vitamin C rich fruits and veggies and early nights.

This recipe is for one of mu son’s favourite ice-creams. Like me he loves rhubarb. My husband and daughter are not keen on it at all. Rhubarb is one of those love it or hate it foods. My grandma loved rhubarb however one day after eating a jar of rhubarb compote she ended up in agony with pain caused by kidney stones. Yes, rhubarb can cause kidney stones so if you do have a tendency to get them it is advisable to stay away from the pinky stalks.

Of course rhubarb needs sweetening, otherwise if will not be very pleasant. It would be actually be rather disgusting. When making this recipe I started with 4 Tbs of coconut palm sugar, but eventually had to increase it to 6. Taste as you go. Frozen ice cream will taste less sweet than the mixture before freezing.

rhubarbice-cream

RHUBARB ICE-CREAM
Don’t forget to soak your almonds overnight!

Makes 4-6 servings.

ingredients

350 g (12 oz) rhubarb
6 Tbs of coconut palm sugar (also sold as coconut nectar)
2 cups of water
250ml (1 cup) of raw almonds
375 ml (1 and 1/2 cup) of water

method
  1. Soak the almonds in water overnight.
  2. Cut up the rhubarb into half inch pieces, place into a small sauce pan with the coconut palm sugar and 2 Tbs of water. Bring to a boil and cook after the rhubarb is falling apart and you get a thick compote. Let it cool way down.
  3. While your rhubarb is cooking make the almond cream: Drain the almonds put them into your blender. Add 375ml of fresh water and process till smooth. Pour the cream into a cheese cloth and squeeze out as much as you can. Discard the almond meal (or save for making dehydrator cookies)
  4. Mix the cooled rhubarb compote with the almond cream. For best results chill in the fridge before putting into an ice-cream maker.
  5. If using an ice-cream maker follow the manufacturers instructions, all makes are different.
  6. If you don’t have an ice-cream maker, put the mixture into a container and place in your freezer. Every 2 hrs remove out of the freezer and whisk thoroughly to remove any ice-crystals (electric whisk works best). Repeat this until the ice-cream freezes.
  7. Remove from the fridge for 20min before serving.
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The Diamond Jubilee/Coronation Chickpea Sald

Jubilee-Banner

THE DIAMOND JUBILEE/CORONATION CHICKPEA SALAD

The whole of UK will be enjoying an extended four day weekend to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen’s coronation took place on 2nd June 1953 (she came to throne in February of the previous year). Sixty years on the throne deserve a recognition, many celebrations are planned including street parties all around the country. And of course we celebrate best with some great food (and drink) in hand.

Probably the most famous dish, from the two Coronation Banquets in 1953, is the Coronation Chicken. The recipe was created by Constance Spry and Rosemary Huyme. Constance suggested to make curried creamy chicken and Rosemary (the chef) executed the idea. For months now Coronation Chicken inspired dishes have been on the shelves of supermarkets, you can choose from the traditional chicken, veggie rice version or a Coronation dip. There even is a coronation ice-cream in an ice-cream shop in London.

I felt inspired and created my own plant based version of the famous dish. As in the original version I used a curry powder. When I made curries I blend my own spices but the generic curry powder taste is what makes this recipe traditional as that is what they would use in 1953. Just make sure you use a good quality one, I get mine in an Asian shop. You can also use a good curry paste.

The original version is mayo heavy and I didn’t want to just open a jar and replace the regular mayo with a vegan one. Therefore a tofu/cashew dressing was born, the quantities given make more than you will need but it tastes great and you will find other uses (great with new potatoes). The salad ingredients can be easily doubled to make enough to feed a crowd, it makes a great potluck dish.

Here is to the Queen who just keeps going with seemingly boundless energy through the ups and downs she has encountered in the 60 years on the throne. I will be raising a glass of Pimm’s to her health.

IMG_2465

CORONATION CHICKPEA SALAD
salad:
1/3 cup (60g) wild rice
1/2 Tbs rapeseed (canola) oil
1 small to medium red onion, finely diced
2 tsp mild curry powder
1 Tbs tomato puree
1 tin of chickpeas, drained
2 Tbs water
2 Tbs raisins
6 dried apricots, cut into roughly raisin size
4 spring onions, white part only, finely sliced
handful of toasted flaked almonds
handful of fresh coriander chopped

the dressing:
1/2 cup (60ml) water
1/2 cup cashew nuts
1/2 pack of Mori-Nu silken tofu (about 170g - 6oz)
1 heaped Tbs mango chutney
good pinch of saffron
2 Tbs lemon juice
pinch of salt

method:

  1. First cook the rice in 1 and 1/2 cups of water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30min. Drain and cool down. Set aside.
  2. In a frying pan heat the oil, gently saute the onion until tender but do not brown, about 10 min.
  3. Add the curry powder and cook for 30 seconds. Next add the tomato puree. Stir together.
  4. Add the chickpeas and 2 Tbs of water to the frying pan. Season with salt. Cook gently until the water is evaporated and the chickpeas are coated with thick curry paste. Let the chickpeas cool down.
  5. When the rice and chickpeas have cooled down place them into a bowl and add the rest of the salad ingredients.
  6. To make the dressing blend all the ingredients in a blender till smooth. Pour some of the dressing over the salad, mix well. The salad should be very creamy. You can overdo the dressing a bit, it thickens in the fridge. Chill.
  7. Decorate with some almonds and coriander. Enjoy.
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ALMOND AND BANANA PORRIDGE

ALMOND AND BANANA PORRIDGE

Yesterday I ran into a friend of mine and somehow we ended up talking about porridge. She mentioned topping hers with brown sugar and was keen to know about alternatives. And yes there is a healthier way of sweetening her breakfast. So this recipe is for my beautiful friend N.

Sugar. It may be delicious but good for you it is not. According to scientists sugar is as damaging and addictive as tobacco and alcohol, there have even been calls for its taxation. I believe rather than taxing it we should be more aware how much sugar we consume and make a conscious decision to cut down. Our health is indeed in our own hands.

The less sugar you eat the more sensitive you become to its taste. You will find the sweet things you used to enjoy just taste sickly and you will prefer the natural gentle sweetness of food. And if you do want something more intense, there is always my favourite nature’s candy; the mighty dates. Unlike sugar and its empty calories, dates will give you whole host of vitamins, minerals and fiber. That is sweetness worth seeking.

ALMOND BANANA PORRIDGE
There are many different porridge oats so check the ratio to milk/oats and cooking instructions of the packet for best results. I used only one Medjool date for my portion of porridge, I did find it sweet enough but you can use 2 to get you started.

Serves 1

dateporridge

300ml (1 1/4cup) almond milk (unsweetened)
1-2 Medjool dates, stones removed
55g (1/2 cup) organic porridge oats
1 banana
1Tbs flaked almond, dry roasted

  1. In a small sauce pan start heating up the milk.
  2. In the meantime, chop your date(s), it will become a sticky mess, but don’t worry the dates will dissolve into your milk.
  3. Add the dates and porridge to your milk. Bring to a boil and turn the heat down.
  4. Simmer for about 7 min.
  5. Pour into a bowl, top with sliced banana and almonds.

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DATE AND ALMOND BALLS



After eating at a new all you can eat buffet restaurant (yummy curry!) I didn’t expect my friend D would want to hold me to my promise that next time she’d come over I would make her my date/almond balls. Promise is a promise and that is why even with a full tummy (while my Earl Grey was brewing) I put a batch together.

To be honest these morsels of yumminess have been my most requested recipe. Those who taste them want to make them. They are perfect snack if you fancy something sweet. Dates are after all nature’s candy. With the help of a food processor they are incredibly easy and quick to make. I always have a huge bag of almonds in the freezer and Medjool dates in my pantry so there is never an excuse not to roll a few up.



DATE AND ALMOND BALLS

If you are using almonds from your freezer do defrost them first, it takes about half an hour, not only this will make the work easier on the food processor but the balls seem to come together better too. I store the balls in an airtight container in the fridge, they firm up a bit. If you don’t like coconut you can also use sesame seeds to roll the balls in.

ingredients

1 cup /250ml almonds
7-8 Mejdool dates, stones removed
1/2 cup/125 ml shredded coconut

method

  1. In a food processor grind the almonds, make sure the pieces keep some texture (about bulghur wheat size). You don’t want to end up with almond flour.
  2. Add the dates and process until mixture starts to come together. Test it but squeezing some of the mixture together, it should hold its shape.
  3. With wet hands make walnut size balls and roll them in the coconut.
  4. Chill in the fridge if you can wait.

Date Balls

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