ROCKING Rhubarb and Strawberry Compote

Tags

AIP, Autoimmune Protocol, Breakfast, dessert, Healthy Dessert, Paleo, Rhubarb, Rhubarb and Strawberry, Stewed Rhubarb, Summer Dessert

(Image by TSL)

Well, Art is Art, isn’t it? Still, on the other hand, water is water. And east is east and west is west and if you take cranberries and stew them like applesauce they taste much more like prunes than rhubarb does. Now you tell me what you know. (Groucho Marx)

LM loves rhubarb. And, I mean really loves it. 

Rhubarb is fairly ubiquitous at our farmers market on Saturday mornings. But, for some reason, it has been a while since I bought some. Not sure why – it is so easy to cook.

…I guess the big thing about rhubarb is that it usually requires quite a bit of sugar to make it really sing. And, it is fair to say that this recipe is no exception. Just because I have used coconut syrup and strawberries doesn’t mean it isn’t still a pretty sugar-heavy choice. But, as with most things in life, it’s all relative!

We are pretty careful about our sugar intake here at Casa TSL.

Having said that, LM still has a seriously sweet tooth (I may have mentioned that once or twice before!) and I guess there are far worse options in the sugar stakes than my take on rhubarb and strawberry compote.

Take a few strawb’s…

Add some chopped rhubarb…

And together you have a magical combination!
(Images by TSL)

Compote is really just a fancy way of saying ‘stewed fruit’. And, when I say stewed fruit, I always think of custard (another of LM’s favourites!). Guess I better hurry up and reintroduce eggs – successfully! – so that I can whip up a dairy-free custard to go with LM’s rhubarb and strawberries…

As with almost all of my recipes, this one is a doddle to make, but big on flavour. We’re heading into summer down here, but I bet it would taste fabulous in the winter-time made with frozen strawberries and served over a grain free porridge option for breakfast…

• Servings: 6-ish
• Time: 30 minutes tops
• Difficulty: could not be more simple
• Print

Ingredients:

1 x bunch organic rhubarb (approx. 450g when washed, trimmed and chopped)
1 x pun net organic strawberries (approx. 250g when washed, topped and chopped)
2 – 3 x Tablespoons coconut syrup (or maple syrup or honey)*
1/2 x teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 x Tablespoons filtered water
Fresh mint for garnish (optional)

Method

1. Wash your rhubarb and then trim and chop into 3cm pieces. Wash your strawberries, and then top and quarter them. Throw into a sized medium pot. Add water, coconut syrup and cinnamon.

2. Bring to a simmer, stir, and then cook until the rhubarb softens (between 5 and 10 minutes).

3. That’s it! All done.

4. Serve your compote either warm or cold as a breakfast accompaniment to nutola and coconut yoghurt, or for dessert over vanilla ice cream (dairy free, of course!)

*I used 2 Tablespoons but you may prefer your compote sweeter

E N J O Y !

AWESOME Nut-Free Granola Crunch

Tags

AIP, AIP Reintroduction, Breakfast, Healthy Breakfast, Healthy Granola, Nut Free, Paleo, Scroggin, Trail Mix

(Image by TSL)

I tell you, I’m really not what you’d call into your basic kink, even though we do live in Hollywood, which is a little bit like living in a box of granola. (McLean Stevenson)

Small brag – not sure if you know this but I’m sort of world-famous for my Christmas granola. And, by world-famous, I mean I have two friends who have come to expect a H U G E jar come the silly season every single year. These two generally start dropping hints about their granola expectations in November. And, while the super-secret base recipe remains the same, each year I change it up. One year it might be cranberry and white chocolate. Another, it may be dark chocolate and macadamia. I haven’t decided on this year’s flavour combo’…

But, here’s the thing. It’s fortunate that I’m really fond of these two because my home-made granola is a bit of a labour of love. Wanna’ know why?

Because I can’t eat it!

It has oats in it. And oats do not agree with me. All part of that autoimmune thing. Bah humbug.

So instead, pre-autoimmune protocol, I had been known to indulge in the very yummy ‘Nutola’ – a grain-free granola recipe. Expensive, but v e r y good. And, it’s become a staple for my health conscious brother-in-law. I’m looking forward to indulging in my Nutola – activated nuts and all – in the not too distant future.

But now that I’ve been on this restricted way of eating for so long, I started thinking about all those peeps who can’t eat granola because of the nut-factor. And, even worse if they have complications with oats and nuts.

And then, because I have one of my favourite people visiting me from New Zealand later in the week, and she doesn’t have any of my dietary challenges, I started thinking about what I was going to feed her for breakfast in my house that has no eggs and no toast and no cereal and very little fruit…

I’ve been making LM raw milk yoghurt and I reckon the granola crunch will work beautifully with that!
(Image by TSL)

And I came up with the idea of a nut free granola crunch… 

You know me. I like recipes that work and that are not too complicated. And, that taste good! This one is so easy, I reckon’ I could almost do it in my sleep.

It’s also a goodie for those who are starting to reintroduce foods on the autoimmune protocol. Seeds are usually near the top of the list for being least likely to cause an inflammatory response. Especially if they are activated!

• Servings: depends on your appetite!
• Time: 30 minutes + activating
• Difficulty: ridiculously easy
• Print

Ingredients:

200g sunflower seeds preferably activated/soaked
200g sesame seeds
250g Pumpkin seeds (pepitas) preferably activated/soaked
50g organic coconut oil, melted
3 Tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Method

1. Heat your oven to 180°C/3600°F.  Line a rimmed baking tray with baking paper (makes cleaning up a lot easier!)

2. Mix all your ingredients thoroughly together in a large bowl. Spread evenly over the baking paper lined tray.

3. Bake until golden – about 25-30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes and keeping an eye on the mixture so it doesn’t burn (nuts and seeds can burn easily and will turn bitter)

4. Remove from oven and allow to cool before storing in an airtight container. I keep mine in the fridge.

Serving suggestions: – serve over fresh or stewed fruit, yoghurt or ice cream, mix into homemade ice cream for ‘crunch factor’, would also make a great topping for cheesecake and can be eaten as trail mix (better still with some dark chocolate added!)

E N J O Y !

I’m at the reintroduction stage of my autoimmune protocol adventure. That means I can start reintroducing foods that have previously been excluded. This is managed in a very systematic way – one food at a time, starting with things that are least likely to cause a problem (or that I miss the most!). I’m keeping a food journal and recording any unusual symptoms or changes in mood. It’s actually proving to be more work that strict AIP!

A Week of AIP-Friendly Breakfasts (a Photo Montage!)

Tags

AIP, Autoimmune Protocol, Breakfast, Breakfast Hash, Easy Breakfasts, Elimination Diet, Paleo

(Original image from here)

“When you wake up in the morning, Pooh,” said Piglet at last, “what’s the first thing you say to yourself?”

“What’s for breakfast?” said Pooh. “What do you say, Piglet?”

“I say, I wonder what’s going to happen exciting today?” said Piglet.

Pooh nodded thoughtfully. “It’s the same thing,” he said.” (A.A. Milne)

I’m currently on the Autoimmune Protocol, a nutrient-rich elimination diet that removes foods that irritate the gut, cause gut imbalance and activate the immune system. You can read more about the protocol and why I’m doing this here. And, if you want to know why I’m on the sugar-free version of the Autoimmune Protocol, you can read about that here.

I think my Dad and Pooh have a lot in common when it comes to breakfast. I suspect Dad wakes up thinking about what he’s going to have for breakfast most mornings. I can’t blame him one bit – breakfast is probably my favourite meal of the day. And, when you’re following the autoimmune protocol like me, the question you get asked most often is “What do you eat for breakfast?”.

Way back in March of this year, I wrote about the magic that is the No Recipe Breakfast Hash. And, I’m here to tell you, nothing has changed. If anything, my love of the breakfast hash has grown. Once you get over the fact that you can longer eating cereal or toast, that the carbs you know and used to love are off the table, the advantages of the hash are many.

Here are a few:

• Hash is an awesome way to get more vegetables into your system. Your Mum was right about eating your greens (most of us still don’t get enough)
• Hash is a great way to use up all those leftovers in the fridge. Less waste has gotta’ be a good thing – for your wallet and for the planet!
• Hash tastes seriously good. Especially when it’s made from last night’s leftover slow cooked meal. Our current favourite is the Jamie Oliver Inspired Four Hour Lamb. I’ve worked out I can fit two shoulders of lamb into my le Creuset and this gives us extra meat for days!
• Hash is a great way to get more healing bone broth into your tummy
• Hash is quick. It takes me less than 10 minutes to whip up my basic hash with leftovers and a few wilted greens. You could even do enough for the week, portion everything up and then zap it in the microwave when you get to work.
• Hash tastes even better with a side of fermented vegetables. A great way to get even more nutrient-dense goodness into yourself.

Today, I thought I would show you just how much I love my breakfast hash. A picture paints a thousand words and all that!

So, without any further ado, here are my last five days of AIP-friendly breakfasts…

Day 1
A medley of shredded sprouts sautéed in coconut oil and a little bone broth, smoked mackerel and diced avocado, served with leftover salsa verde
(Image by TSL)

Day 2
Bacon and leek sautéed in bacon fat and a little bone broth, and served with half a diced avocado (market day tomorrow – the fridge is looking a wee bit bare)
(Image by TSL)

Day 3 (Brunch with LM)
Meatloaf Hash – LM’s world-famous AIP-friendly meatloaf sautéed with bacon, red onion, leek, and shredded sprouts in coconut bacon fat and bone broth
(Image by TSL)

Day 4 (another brunch with LM)
Leftover 4 hour lamb and minted gravy with last nights leftover roasted veggies, cavalo nero and leek
(Image by TSL)

Day 5
The last of LM’s world-famous AIP-Friendly meatloaf and the last of the minted gravy hashed with leek and shredded sprouts sautéed in coconut oil
(Image by TSL)

Instead of telling the world what you’re eating for breakfast, you can use social networking to do something that’s meaningful. (Edward Norton)

I’m choosing to believe that Ed Norton may just be wrong on this occasion. The autoimmune protocol can be a daunting exercise to kick off – especially at the beginning. And, I think breakfast choices require the biggest mind shift. It is fair to say that I still miss having eggs and I’m certainly looking forward to the day that I can reintroduce them. But, for now the AIP-friendly breakfast hash is a winner here at Casa TSL.

If you’re on the autoimmune protocol and have any alternative breakfasts to share, please feel free to comment!

KNOCK OUT Plantain Hotcakes with Raspberry Sauce and Coconut Yoghurt

Tags

AIP, Autoimmune Protocol, Breakfast, Brunch, Dairy Free, Grain Free, Hotcakes, Paleo, Pancakes, Pikelets, Plantains

(Image by TSL)

I’m currently on the Autoimmune Protocol, a nutrient-rich elimination diet that removes foods that irritate the gut, cause gut imbalance and activate the immune system. You can read more about the protocol and why I’m doing this here.

I don’t have to tell you I love you. I fed you pancakes. (Kathleen Flinn, Burnt Toast Makes You Sing Good: A Memoir of Food and Love from an American Midwest Family)

When I was a little girl and my parents were going out for the evening, it was traditional for my Mum to make pancakes for my sister, brother and me. No take aways for us, thank you very much. She used to make her pancakes à la minute*. And, except for the first one in the batch (which is never perfect), they were seriously good. So good that my sister, brother and I used to gobble them down and then argue over who was due the next pancake.

Mum is originally from Germany. Her pancakes definitely lean more towards the thin French crêpe than the fluffier American flapjack or hotcake. And, she served them with lemon juice and sugar. Just thinking about them now makes me want to be back in the kitchen with Mum making pancakes…

But, that’s not going to happen. I’m in Australia. She’s in New Zealand. And, regular pancake batter is full of dairy, eggs, sugar and gluten… (sigh).

But AIP-friendly plantain hotcakes are another story…

Now, as a rule, I’m not really a sweet breakfast kind of girl. I definitely prefer a savoury start to the day. Of course, LM needs no excuse to indulge in sweets at any time of the day. AND I have been promising him plantain hotcakes for months. Ever since I first spotted a recipe for AIP-friendly pancakes on the Paleo Mom’s blog. The problem was, the recipe calls for black plantains. That is to say – über ripe ones. And usually my plantains don’t last long enough to get past the green stage.

But! – LM bought me a few plantains a wee while ago. Because my kitchen was in such disarray after our move, I threw them into the back of the fridge and forgot about them. How fortuitous…

(Images by TSL)

And, these wee beauties are pretty scrummy as a weekend brunch option. I will definitely be waiting for my plantains to blacken in the future so that I can whip up some more. Next time, I’m thinking stewed rhubarb and apple with vanilla coconut cream…

These hotcakes are so easy to make. Really. And, if I wasn’t on the autoimmune protocol, I might play around with the spices and adding some sultanas or nuts for flavour and crunch.

• Servings: 8 hotcakes
• Time: 45 minutes
• Difficulty: easy-peasey
• Print

Adapted from a recipe by The Paleo Mom

Ingredients

Raspberry Sauce:
1 x cup frozen raspberries
1 x Tablespoon maple syrup

Plantain Pancakes:
2 black plantains
½ tsp ground mace
½ tsp ground Cinnamon
3-4 Tbsp extra virgin coconut oil

1/3 x cup coconut yoghurt

Method

1. Pop your frozen raspberries and maple syrup into a small pot. Give it a stir to combine. Heat over medium heat until bubbling. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Give them a good stir until pureed. Set aside to cool.

2. Peel and roughly chop your black plantains. Throw them into a food processor and give them a good whiz. Add your spices. Whiz again until thoroughly mixed.

3. Heat half of the coconut oil in a non-stick fry pan over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low.

4. Spoon 1/4 cup-sized portions of the plantain batter into the frying pan. Using a spoon, spread them into your desired shape and thickness. I easily managed four hotcakes in the pan at a time, so two batches.

5. Cook for 7 minutes on the first side (I used a timer and kept an eye on them. You don’t want the temperature too hot). Flip them over and cook for another 7 minutes on the other side. Add more coconut oil to the pan before cooking subsequent batches.

6. Serve with a generous dollop of coconut yoghurt and raspberry sauce.

E N J O Y !

*to order

No Recipe Breakfast Hash

Tags

AIP, Autoimmune Protocol, Autoimmunity, Breakfast, Breakfast Hash, Gluten Free, Health, Leftovers

(Image by TSL)

I’m currently on the Autoimmune Protocol, a nutrient-rich elimination diet that removes foods that irritate the gut, cause gut imbalance and activate the immune system. You can read more about the protocol and why I’m doing this here.

It’s a good thing I was born a girl, otherwise I’d be a drag queen. (Dolly Parton)

I really have become the queen of the breakfast hash. Seriously…

To understand why breakfast hash has become such a big deal here at Casa TSL, you kind of have to get that all the usual culprits are off the breakfast menu on the AIP. No cereal – not even my favourite grain-free granola. No toast – not even the gluten-free kind. No eggs – at least until they’re successfully reintroduced. No tomatoes – they’re a nightshade. The good news? – bacon is still on the menu! And, so is avocado!

I think breakfast is the biggest mind shift required on the autoimmune protocol. I can’t really put my finger on exactly why that is? – Perhaps because we have been indoctrinated into believing that breakfast must consist of different foods to our other meals?

Well, if you want to eat breakfast while on the AIP, you definitely need to get over the need for cereal and toast, ‘toot sweet’. And, one of the logical solutions to this wee problem is hash.

Today’s hash: Bacon, onion, lamb, pumpkin & broccoli served with homemade red kraut
(Image by TSL)

Not only does hash meet all the AIP requirements, it also happens to taste GREAT and it’s the best way I know to use up all the leftovers in my fridge. And, you don’t even need a recipe.

What you do need for great hash is the right combination of
protein + starchy vegetables + greens.

While it is certainly possible to make an adequate hash with a combo’ of either protein + starchy vegetables or starchy vegetables + greens. To make your hash sing, you need all three.

And, if you want it to really sing,
a base of slowly sweated onion and bacon is a must!

I know I said this was a ‘no recipe’ hash BUT I’m going to give you a recipe, sort of. It’s more like a framework – something to loosely refer to as you experiment with your hash flavours.

And, if you’re not following the AIP, throw an egg on top of your hash – fried or poached. It will only make everything taste even better!

• Time: 20 - 30 minutes
• Difficulty: easy-peasey
• Print

(Image by TSL)

Ingredients

Base Recipe (all measurements extremely approximate and subject to fridge contents!)

1/2 – 1 Tablespoon ‘happy’ fat of choice (we think coconut oil is best)
1 onion, diced
3 rashers happy bacon, diced
1 cup leftover roasted/steamed/mashed starchy vegetables (think pumpkin, kumara/sweet potato, yams, parsnips, carrots, celeriac)
1 cup leftover roasted or grilled meat or fish (beef, pork, lamb, chicken, salmon – whatever tickles your fancy)
1 cup leftover roasted/steamed green vegetables (think broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, cabbage, zucchini)
or
1 cup shredded leafy greens (spinach, kale, silver-beet/chard)

Optional

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh herbs (Parsley, chives, coriander/cilantro)

Method

1) Melt your fat in a large fry pan over a medium-high heat. Add onions and sweat for 5 – 10 minutes. Add the bacon and cook for another 5 minutes.

2) Turn up the heat a little and throw in your meat and starchy vegetables. When ready, add the vegetables (This is a bit of a judgment call – I like my hash crispy around the edges which takes a little longer. Some don’t). Check for seasoning.

3) After plating, add your chopped herbs

Great on it’s own or served with sliced avocado, sliced fruit and/or fermented vegetables.

E N J O Y !

SUPER SIMPLE Breakfast Burger Patties

Tags

AIP, Batch Cooking, Breakfast, Breakfast Ideas, Breakfast on the run, Breakfast Sausage, Dairy Free, Easy Breakfasts, Gluten Free, Lewis Carroll, Lunchbox Ideas, Paleo, School Lunch Ideas, The Autoimmune Protocol

(Image by TSL)

Sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast. (Lewis Carroll)

I’m currently on the Autoimmune Protocol, a nutrient-rich elimination diet that removes foods that irritate the gut, cause gut imbalance and activate the immune system. You can read more about the protocol and why I’m doing this here.

One of the most often heard questions for newbies who give up grains is, “But, what do I eat for breakfast?” No toast. No muesli. No corn flakes. No cocoa-pops. No pancakes or waffles. Answer – there are a hundred and one ways you can eat eggs.

But, what on earth do you eat when eggs are off the menu, too?

To be honest, it does require a paradigm shift. I have found you kinda’ have to get rid of the notion that ‘breakfast’ has a separate set of foods to lunch and dinner. And, as with all things AIP, it needs some planning ahead. So, here at Casa TSL there are quite a lot of hash-style ‘combos’ made up of leftover mash or roasted vegetables (parsnip, kumara*, celeriac, pumpkin, carrot) with some animal protein – often bacon – and some form of vegetable, usually wilted greens of some description, all finished of with some bone broth and a side of fermented vegetables. And – I promise I’m not pulling your leg – it tastes great. Even LM thinks so!

But sometimes a change is in order.

The thing about breakfast is that it comes with a sense of urgency. Unless it’s the weekend, people generally do not have time to linger. You want something fast.

(Image by TSL)

Enter the super simple Breakfast Burger Pattie**… I’ve started making these every time I make the trek to my butcher. A kilo of whatever mince*** tickles your fancy on the day + whatever herbs you have handy + a little garlic, and salt & pepper (and, if you want to be really sneaky, throw in some finely chopped liver. It’s a great way to add it to your diet without noticing it’s there).

I mix everything together thoroughly with my hands, before measuring out patties of around 120g each (or just over 4 ounces). Pop them in the oven, and then once cooked and cooled, they go into individual wrapped parcels into the freezer.

Simples!

Pop one out of the freezer the night before and – at it’s most basic – it’s ready to eat with some avocado and, maybe a piece of fruit, in the morning.

• Servings: 8 - 10 patties
• Time: 40 minutes
• Difficulty: easy-peasey
• Print

(Image by TSL)

Ingredients

1 kg good quality mince meat from happy animals (I used 500g beef mince, 500g pork mince this week)
3 – 4 Tablespoons fresh herbs of choice (today I used parsley, coriander and chives)
2 cloves garlic, minced OR 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Generous pinch of salt
100g fresh liver, finely chopped, lamb or chicken (optional)
2 rashers bacon, finely chopped (optional)

Method

1) Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F.

2) Throw all the ingredients into a large bowl and give it a seriously good mix with your hands. Don’t be shy!

3) At this point, I’m a bit anal – I want my patties to be the same size so I weigh the sausage mixture and work out how many patties I can make at close to 120g (just over 4 ounces). If you are not anal, skip this step!

4) Form evenly sized patties with your hands and place on a rack over an oven tray.

5) Bake for approximately 20 minutes.

E N J O Y !

* sweet potato to you guys up north

** aka – breakfast sausage

** ground meat to the Americans!

Best Sydney Breakfast Spots: Bathers Pavilion Cafe

Tags

Australasia, Australia, Balmoral, Bathers, Breakfast, Brunch, Cook, New South Wales, Plenty, Recipe, Saturday, Shakshuka, Sydney, Yotam Ottolenghi

View From the Bathers’ Pavilion Cafe
(Image from here)

Welcome to the first in a wee series I am calling ‘Best Sydney Breakfast Spots’. I LOVE breakfast. Honestly, it’s probably my favourite meal of the day. So, having a few favourite spots for a good brekky in Sydney up my sleeve is kind of important to me…

We had some friends visiting Sydney over Easter. We wanted to take them somewhere nice for breakfast. And, for those of you who aren’t familiar with the massive cultural phenomenon that is ‘brunch*’ in Australasia, let me tell you it is huge.

Brunch in Sydney is a potential minefield for the uninitiated – especially if a) you want to take advantage of the super harbour views; b) you don’t want to queue for hours; and c) you want good food.

This time, we decided on the ever reliable Bathers’ Pavilion Cafe.

The Bathers’ Pavilion Cafe
(Image from here)

The Bathers’ Pavilion at Balmoral
(Image from here)

The Bathers’ Pavillion is owned by well-known chef, Serge Dansereau. Frankly, it’s a Sydney institution and offers a number of ways to enjoy eating or drinking within the old beach changing shed pavilion. And, for my money, the café offers one of the better spots in Sydney for a breakfast that ticks all my boxes.

We arrived early – for a Public Holiday, anyway. The café doesn’t take reservations, which is frustratingly common for breakfast service in Sydney. Our party of 6 were all present and correct at just before 9am and we were pleasantly surprised that a table was waiting for us.

We had a lovely time – the food and the service were spot on. The ‘Three egg omelette with goats curd and herbs’ ($23) was apparently “superb”. The ‘Balmoral breakfast of Eggs – your choice – on toast with bacon, sausage, mushroom, potato and roast sea salt tomato’ ($25) was declared “just what you want from a traditional breakfast, and the sausage was excellent”. The ‘Basque style baked eggs with cured ham and chorizo’ ($22.50) were a big hit with the remainder of our party (including yours truly) – if just a smidge light on chorizo.

To be honest, I have had mediterranean-style baked eggs on the foodie part of my brain for some time now. All those onions, capsicums (peppers) and tomatoes sautéed with herbs and spices, then topped with a perfectly baked egg (or two) is my idea of breakfast heaven. Or, at least it is until my next ‘must try’ dish comes along.

I did a wee bit of digging, and as a result, this coming post-farmers market Saturday morning, LM and I will be dining on Yotam Ottolenghi‘s Shakshuka recipe from his cookbook ‘Plenty’, made by me. (Seriously fab’ cookbook, by the way!)

Shakshuka from Plenty
(Image from here)

I may have to bastardise it just the tiniest bit with some Eumundi chorizo, but here is the recipe I will be using…

Shakshuka from Yotam Ottolenghi’s ‘Plenty’
Recipe serves 8

Ingredients

½ tsp cumin seeds
190ml light olive oil or vegetable oil
2 large onions, peeled and sliced
2 red and 2 yellow peppers, cored and cut into 2cm strips
4 tsp muscovado sugar
2 bay leaves
6 sprigs thyme, picked and chopped
2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 bunch fresh coriander, chopped
6 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
½ tsp saffron strands
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper
Up to 250ml water
8 free-range eggs

Method:

In a large saucepan, dry-roast the cumin on high heat for two minutes. Add the oil and sauté the onions for two minutes. Add the peppers, sugar, bay leaves, thyme, parsley and two tablespoons of coriander, and cook on high heat to get a nice colour. Add the tomatoes, saffron, cayenne, salt and pepper. Cook on low heat for 15 minutes, adding enough water to keep it the consistency of a pasta sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning. It should be potent and flavoursome. You can prepare this mix in advance.

Place four saucepans on medium heat and divide the mixture between them. Break two eggs into each pan, pouring into gaps in the mixture. Sprinkle with salt, cover and cook very gently for 10-12 minutes, until the egg just sets. Sprinkle with coriander and serve. YUM!

Hopefully the sun will still be shining and we can sit outside in the garden…

The Bathers’ Pavilion Cafe at Balmoral Beach on Sydney’s lower north shore is open for breakfast Monday – Sunday from 7am to midday.

Yotam Ottolenghi’s cookbook ‘Plenty’, and his more recent and equally fabulous cookbook ‘Jerusalem’ are available through Amazon.

*BRUNCH:A late morning meal eaten instead of breakfast and lunch.

Recipe Friday – Grain Free Granola (a.k.a Nutola!)

Tags

Breakfast, Coconut oil, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Grain Free, Granola, Healthy Breakfast, Healthy Recipe, Recipe

Grain Free Granola (Nutola)
(Image bt TSL)

Despite the fact that this wee blog has a focus on my personal love affair with design-oriented, creative, haberdashery pursuits; I also spend quite a lot of time reading about, creating and eating good food. It is also true that my recipe posts seem to get more hits than almost any other  – with the exception of my last-minute decision to post about Rupert Grint being Ed Sheeran’s doppelgänger, which subsequently turned into my top rated post of all time! Who knew?

Anyhoo – this post is a recipe post. It is for a seriously yummy, not to mention healthy, grain free granola that I first discovered on The Healthy Home Economist. I have tweaked it the tiniest bit to suit my tastes, but I promise you IT IS SO GOOD!

The other great thing about this recipe is that it is a doddle to make, especially compared to making a proper traditional granola, which has to be cooked and stirred often to ensure perfect golden goodness. I’m considered the tiniest bit of a Granola aficionado in this neck of the woods – I have two friends who expect my Christmas Granola every year. This is very definitely the healthier alternative.

I’m now on my third batch of this ‘Nutola’ and it is fast becoming a staple. To date, my favourite option is to have it with berries and a little coconut milk, but the teenager swears by banana and mango yoghurt with his…

So, here it is Grain Free Granola (Nutola)…

Grain Free Granola (Nutola)
(Image bt TSL)

Recipe makes generous gallon (which is just over 3 1/2 litres for us metric users)

Ingredients

3 cups raw almonds
3 cups raw walnuts
3 cups cashews
1 cup pumpkin seeds
1/Ž4 to 1/Ž2 cup coconut oil 
1/Ž4 cup raw honey
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup shredded coconut 
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 1/Ž2 tsp Celtic sea salt 

Method

1. Chop nuts and place in a large bowl.  It is easiest to chop the different nuts if they are not mixed together. Much to my Mum’s astonishment, I did this by hand the first time. I have since followed her advice to use the magimix. MUCH faster!

2. Mix nuts. Then, combine coconut oil, honey, vanilla, cinnamon and sea salt in saucepan over low heat until fully mixed. Pour this over nuts and mix well.

3. Add dates and shredded coconut. Store in an airtight container and pop into the fridge.

Oh – and just one more thing – because nuts are the primary ingredient, you don’t need a lot to fill you up.

Thanks to Sarah, the Healthy Home Economist!

TSL, Nut Balls and the Art of Zen

Tags

Breakfast, Dairy Free, Diet, food, Green Smoothie, Health, Herbal Tea, home, Lifestyle, Nut Balls, Recipe, Snack

(Image from here)

I am attempting a dairy free diet for 3 months to see what happens*. At the time of writing, I have been off dairy for 29 days**. I’ve surprised myself – it isn’t quite as hard as I imagined BUT I do miss my coffee. I just can’t drink it black. I’ve tried. And, I’m only allowing myself one soy coffee a week. So, I am becoming an herbal tea connoisseur. Not quite the same, but I have discovered the Byron Bay Tea Company have some really fab’ teas. And, they deliver to your door.

I do miss my morning coffee…
(Image from here)

After enlightenment, the laundry (Zen proverb)

Anyhoo, as part of this dairy free gig, I’ve been doing some experimenting. LM is keeping an open mind. The teenager, not so much.

The green smoothies for breakfast are a small mind-shift from my previous breakfast favourite of greek yoghurt with fruit and nuts. My current favourite is a combo’ of frozen mango cheek, banana, a few strawberries, kale, coconut water and ground chia and flaxseed. Looks like a super green fruit cocktail and tastes great (promise!)…

Green Smoothie
(Image from here)

I’ve also been making balls. Yes, I did say balls. Nut balls to be precise.

Chocolate Seed & Nut Balls
(Image from here)

LM, the chocoholic, has declared these Chocolate Seed & Nut Balls his favourite so far. They are a doddle to make and quite good for a healthy mid-afternoon pick me up (with a cup of herbal tea!)

Chocolate Seed & Nut Balls

Makes 20

Ingredients:

2/3 x cup almonds
2 x Tbsp sunflower seeds
2 x Tbsp pumpkin seeds
2 x Tbsp desiccated coconut
2 x Tbsp flaxseed
2 x tsp sesame seeds
2 x Tbsp cocoa powder (best quality available)
2 x tsp cinnamon
6 x Tbsp almond butter (I use macadamia butter)
2 x Tbsp tahini
3 x tsp coconut palm sugar
3 x tsp sugar, xylitol or sweetener of choice

1. Place all the ingredients into a food processor. Mix until the mixture starts to stick together.
2. Roll the mixture into balls approx. 1 Tbsp in size
3. Keep in the fridge until ready to gobble up

I like to think they make me a little more zen…

*I am allowed a little butter.

**It’s no coincidence I will hit the 3 month mark as we arrive in France!

Heston’s Way to a Perfect Soft-Boiled Egg

Tags

Boiled egg, Breakfast, Easter, Egg, Heston Blumenthal, Recipe, Thomas Keller

Image from here

So, it’s Easter and it’s a long weekend AND (possibly most importantly) last night we watched the fabulous Heston Blumenthal on ‘How to Cook Like Heston’ teach us how to cook the perfect soft-boiled egg.  I have been lucky enough to attend a dinner cooked by the man himself (along with the equally fabulous Thomas Keller), and I have a teensy crush on him.

All good reasons, I think, to share Heston’s way with you. Nothing beats a perfect soft-boiled egg with soldiers for breakfast, I reckon’! Heston’s way will ensure you have a beautifully runny yolk BUT the white will be cooked.  The man is a legend!

Image from here

As with many things in life, it is not difficult BUT you must start with the freshest of ingredients.  In this case – eggs!

You will need:

• Enough large eggs for one per person
• Salt and Black Pepper

Method:

1. Place the eggs in the smallest pan available and only add enough cold water to cover them. Put the lid on the pan and place over the highest heat possible.
2. When the water comes to the boil, remove the pan from the heat and wait for 6 minutes.  (I will be using a timer.)
3. After the time has elapsed, remove the lid and carefully remove each egg. Cut the top of each egg before serving in egg cups.
4. (Optional) Eat your perfect eggs with your soldiers.

We’ll be having this after collecting our fresh eggs from the market tomorrow. Happy Easter!