Sunday, January 26, 2014

Bliss balls

Produced a variation of my usual bliss ball recipe which was so delicious and rich and truffly I have to write down at least the ingredients, if not the proportions (which were of the "plonk things into the food processor til it looks right" variety). I usually use almond or hazelnut meal but I have run out, so used the seed mix instead, and I think I prefer the result.

dates (about half the volume of the recipe)
sultanas (about half as much as the dates, maybe a bit more)
coconut
pepita and sunflower seed mix
2 scoops peanut butter (about 2 tbsp)
1 heaped tbsp cocoa
more coconut for rolling

If you're more strictly paleo than me, tahini works fine instead of peanut butter. I'm glad the kids and my Beloved don't like these, they will all go in the freezer for me!

Sunday, January 19, 2014

Black Bean Brownies (grain and processed sugar free)

I found a recipe for black bean brownies on the internet which I really liked, but foolishly did not bookmark it or save a copy, and then forgot where I'd found it, and forgot the recipe as well. So this is my attempt at figuring out a recipe for myself, which avoids most of the things which really mess with my health. These are moist and fudgy (at least if you don't overcook them) and delicious. I slice these about 1 inch square and freeze them, otherwise they would disappear extremely fast.

1 ½ cups cooked black beans
16 dates, soaked overnight and drained
2 eggs
4 tbsp cream
4 tbsp honey (or maple syrup)
3 heaping tbsp hazelnut meal
3 tbsp cocoa
½ tsp vanilla essence (optional)
2 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 180C and line a small baking dish with baking paper. Combine in the food processor until smooth. Pour into tray and smooth the top. Bake for 30 minutes, slice then leave in tray to cool for a few minutes before turning out.

This recipe is veganisable if you sub maple syrup for the honey, coconut cream or nut milk for the cream, and 2 tbsp flaxseed meal mixed with 5-6 tbsp warm water and left to gel for a few minutes for the eggs.

Sunday, January 05, 2014

Fish Patties

I take it back, quinoa does not agree with me as much as I thought it did. I think I've been off grains and grain-like things long enough to really feel them if I indulge. Although it did give me the perfect opportunity to use the word "borborygmi", for which much can be forgiven. Might try that recipe with riced cauliflower for me next time instead.

Lunch today was fish patties. I had Mackerel and Sweet Potato Patties on the menu plan, except the elder daughter has an aversion to sweet potato. Also that recipe involves steaming the sweet potato first and my steamer saucepans were both occupied (ie. waiting to be washed up). So I went for my other recipe, which is one of the "Stick everything in the food processor and whizz" ilk and thus required me to do the extra washing up afterwards rather than before. This recipe works with pretty much any vege which you can grate or shred into it and is therefore a useful bottom-of-the-vege-crisper day staple.

2 onions, quartered
1 carrot, grated
2 large cauliflower florets
broccoli stem, grated
handful of cabbage
1 tin mackerel in oil, drained
1 tin sardines in oil, drained
3-4 tbsp quick oats
3-4 tbsp ground almonds (or use all almonds)
2 eggs

Chop all the veges finely then add the rest of the ingredients. Splodge dessert spoonfuls of mix into patties. I cook mine in my large sandwich press, which is pretty much the only use said sandwich press gets now we don't eat bread. This quantity made 20 small patties, of which the five of us polished off 14, served with a big salad. Be warned it will probably stink out the kitchen while cooking; at least it did according to my elder daughter, who pointedly wandered in and out holding her nose.

Quinoa Paella

I don't seem to react as badly to quinoa as I do to wheat or rice, and I like it a lot, so I still eat it occasionally. I've made this dish a few times and the previous incarnations (involving tomato) haven't been very popular with the kids, but this version I omitted the tomato and everybody ate it. Not necessarily with cries of enthusiasm, but so long as most of it went into them rather than into the chickens tomorrow morning I'm okay with that. I usually add prawns to this recipe but didn't have any this time; add them if you wish (I dislike 'em but the rest of the family are fans).

3/4 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 1/2 cup chicken stock or water
knob of butter
2 small onions, diced
1 cooked chicken breast, shredded
150g diced ham
1 cooked sausage, diced
1 chorizo, diced
1 garlic clove, diced
1/2 tsp chilli
1/2 red capsicum, diced
1 carrot, grated
1/2 cup cabbage, finely shredded
1/2 frozen spinach
chicken stock
1 tbsp paprika
salt and pepper

Cook the quinoa in stock or water until tender, using the absorption method. Meanwhile saute the onion in the butter, adding the meats and other vegetables when the onion is golden, then the garlic, chilli and other seasonings. Stir, adding tablespoonfuls of chicken stock occasionally if it's sticking to the pan. When everything is nicely browned and flavoursome stir in the drained quinoa and heat through, adding more stock if necessary.

Saturday, January 04, 2014

Cheesy Mushroom Muffins and Beany Tomato Soup

There was a terrible crisis precipitated by the discovery that I was making tomato soup for (late) dinner tonight and there were no bread or bread products obtainable in our little country town at 7pm. To pacify the revolting horde (aka my husband) I whipped up some quick muffins instead. They were devoured to cries of acclamation, although since I didn't eat any I can't personally vouch for them.

300 grams of plain flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup grated cheese
250g mushrooms
2 eggs
1/2 cup of olive oil
2/3 cup of milk
salt, pepper
Preheat oven to 180C. Combine flour, baking powder, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. Whizz the mushrooms in the food processor until finely chopped. Stir mushrooms and cheese through flour. Beat liquid ingredients together then stir roughly through dry ingredients and spoon into muffin tins. Bake for 25 minutes.


May as well add my soup recipe as well.

2 onions, diced
1 carrot, diced (or grated if you want it to cook quicker)
1 stick celery, diced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp chilli
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 bottle passata
1 bottle water (add more if necessary, which it will be if you use lentils)
tin of butter beans (normally I make this with 1 cup red lentils but I was going for speed tonight so used a tin of beans instead)

Saute everything sauteable. Add everything else and cook until is tender. Smoosh. Serve.