Christmas spiced butter

I originally got the idea for this recipe from a magazine I happened to be browsing through a few weeks ago, although I now have no idea where I was when I was browsing and I have no idea which magazine...sorry about that! But I can tell you this, it was such a super simple idea that basically consisted of softening some (non-vegan) butter and whipping into it some Christmas spices. 

I took this one level further by using melted coconut oil and folding in Christmas spices along with some blitzed up dried cranberries for a pretty sparkly berry effect. You could add more or less sweetener to taste depending on how sweet and indulgent you want to make it. I actually used about 1/4 coconut butter as I had a tiny bit of homemade stuff needing to be used but all coconut oil will be fine, I wouldn't recommend all coconut butter as the 'meat' content would not give such a smooth overall blend.

This would make the perfect last minute Christmas gift too, all wrapped up in a little canister with some ideas for use on a little label....imagine it melted and drizzled over pancakes, dolloped on top of a single serve sponge watching it melt over the top or even added too some oats and nuts to make a quick baked granola!

It's barely even a recipe, but of course I've added it below. Feel free to swap in your own favourite spices or add different dried fruits. I'd advise that any dried fruit is blitzed up into very small pieces or chopped very finely so that the resulting 'butter' is not too chunky to use.

Recipe: Christmas spiced butter

Ingredients:

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/4 tsp each cinnamon/nutmeg/ginger

pinch allspice

1tbs coconut sugar or rapadura (agave etc may also be fine but I opted for a granulated sweetener to mix through)

1 tbs very finely chopped dried cranberries (or other dried fruit)

Method: 

Melt the coconut oil and mix through all the ingredients. Spoon/pour into a small jar and allow to set. Store at room temperature.

Note: the top photos were taken when the butter had set and these photos were taken when the coconut oil was still liquidy, hence the darker colour.

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Cracking crackers…two ways

Continuing the savoury kick with this month’s Daring Bakers challenge….

“Our July 2012 Daring Bakers’ Host was Dana McFarland and she challenged us to make homemade crackers! Dana showed us some techniques for making crackers and encouraged us to use our creativity to make each cracker our own by using ingredients we love”.

As I type this post, I site with my laptop rested on my knee pausing every other sentence to watch the very beginning of the opening ceremony of the London Olympics 2012….this post could take some time!  This is Britain at is best, full of its quirks, its love of routines, it classics and it’s food.  If I’d thought ahead I may have gone for my take on a more ‘classic British cracker’ like a water biscuit or a cream cracker but these are very neutral plain crackers and I love to get the taste buds going with the cracker itself not reliant on toppings.

So back to the challenge… I do love snackety foods and dips of all kinds, so what better accompaniment but crackers! Particularly crackers that are full of tasty good-for-you things…..wholesome, gluten free, vegan…what more?!

The challenge required us to make two different types of crackers with two different presentation methods which was interesting in itself. Now since I don’t have any form of pasta/cracker roller machine, I went for a ‘roll thinly and score’ option and the ‘roll into a log and slice into rounds’ option.

I had a lot of fun with flavourings to make sure these were big on taste without using butter and cheese as many of the cracker options seems to entail. You can vary the flavours as you like to achieve you own taste preference, these crackers have such a simple ingredients list you can really go to town with experimentation. The chickpea crackers in particular were a pure shot in the dark, instead of using chickpea flour I opted for chickpeas themselves and to my delicious surprise  they give a lovely chewiness to the cracker that itself has a crisp exterior. The nori crackers are loosely based on these crackers so I was more certain of their success from the outset, although the addition of brown rice was a new twist. The nori crackers were inspired in part by this recipe since I had some leftover sheets of seaweed that caught my eye as I opened the cupboard for inspiration.

These crackers retain their crispness for a couple of days but you may want to crisp them up in the oven beyond that.

Right, that’s me done…now to sit back and watch the amazing creativity and ‘organized chaos’ (words just uttered by the commentator) that all goes on behind the scenes to create a truly memorable opening sequence to the Olympic Games.

Recipe: Nori crackers

Makes approx. 12-16 crackers

Ingredients

½ cup brown rice flour

½ cup cooked brown rice

¼ cup roasted nori seaweed

½ tsp salt

2 tbs sesame seeds

Up to 3tbs water

1 tbs sesame oil

Method

Blend all ingredients together in a food processor, adding the water last a little at a time to reach a slightly sticky dough consistency. The dough should be sticky enough to bind but easy to roll out thinly.

Roll as thinly as possible (approx. 2mm thick), cut into squares and bake in a preheated oven at 180C for approx. 20 minutes until lightly golden.

Allow to cool fully before serving.

Recipe: chickpea sesame crackers

Makes approx. 8 crackers

Ingredients

¾ cup chickpeas

3tbs tapioca starch (or other starch)*

3 tbs gluten free flour (I used buckwheat)*

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

¼ cup sesame seeds

1 tbs fresh coriander (or ½ tsp dried)

Pinch chilli flakes (or other spice as optional)

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp chia and 2 tbs water

Method

Blend all ingredients together in a food processor to get a fairly smooth and even crumb mixture. Form into a ‘log’ with your hands and cut into rounds with a sharp knife. If it is too soft to cut chill for up to 30 minutes.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180C for approx. 25 minutes until lightly golden.

Allow to cool fully before serving.

* for further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Dip-tastic

It stands to reason that there are some universal truths. Fruit and veg = good. No one is debating that, right?  But, there has been lots of ‘debate’ in recent days about the nutritional quality of Green Smoothies.

(photo by nabcommunities.com)

Some highly respected doctors  and nutritionist have suggested that green smoothies are ‘bad’, the general premise being that the fibre content is so broken down and refined by the blending action the nutritional benefits are significantly reduced a with further impact of a sugar rush on the body.

Ok, I see the point, and it is does make you think. I think we all need to ‘think’ once in a while and debates like this, whichever side you may take, ensure we do that. It’s no good to simply follow the crowd off the back of the current ‘trend’. It is importantly that we understand why we do the things we do, and chose to do the things that make us feel good. We are all individuals, and what might work for one person, may not suit another.

Where do you draw the line?  The overall conclusion of these debates was that raw wholefoods in their natural state are the best. Well I guess we all knew that all along. But for me, I enjoy both raw and cooked foods in various states. For example, one could question a bowl of soup- cooked veggies then blended to make a creamy soup.  So are soups now even lower on the nutritional scale?

I personally think it a case of getting the balance right. You need to be aware of what you put in your body and make healthy choices where possible…BUT you should also enjoy what you eat. I’m not giving up my soups!  I personally haven’t yet got into the green smoothie revolution, but it was something I was keen to experiment more with.  Have these latest debates made me think twice?  Think, yes certainly, but would I now not drinks these smoothies? No, that wouldn’t change but I may be more selective with their frequency if I was a hard core green smoothie addict.  Awareness and choice is key.

So, the point of today’s post.

I agree with the general principle that raw food is best, and, for me, the notion of integrating simple raw foods into your everyday diet in an enjoyable way is the way forward.

I often grab raw veggie sticks to munch on as a quick snack any time of day….but when combined with a tatsy dip they are so much better!  My new mission is to create a selection of healthy dips that can really take the raw veg to another level.

Whether it be hummous, lentils, baba ghanoush… I want to try them all!

A big priority for me is the ability the freeze the mixture as typically the dips only stay fresh for a few days and I want to be able to make a big batch for speed and ease (my Thermomix finds it hard to make tiny portions) so making a few varieties and freezing individual portion sizes to last me for a month is my aim.

I will keep you posted on my experiments!  I’d be interested to know your thoughts on the whole ‘raw’ foods debate.

‘Twelve Days’ day 7: Mincemeat- simple and sugar-free!

When I pulled open my blind this morning I realised we’d had our first snow! Ok, so it wasn’t really much to write home about and wasn’t particularly photo worthy either…but it was still snow! Wohoo!

It now feels much more like winter, a little boost to the Christmassy spirit!

So far this year it’s been very mild outside, I’ve barely had to scrape my car at all in the mornings before heading off to work but in the last week or so there has definitely been a winter chill in the air and snowfall was only a matter of time.

Time, to cosy up indoors with snuggly slippers a dressing gown and maybe a glass of mulled wine?   No… I’m saving that for Christmas! A mug of herbal tea with have to do.

It’s time like this I really wish I had a crackling fire to sit next to as I write…no such luck, although the glow of the tree lights is nice.  Actually an open fire would probably be a bad thing…I’d fall asleep in no time!

In all the talk of warmth and spices, Christmas is not complete without mincemeat….. Oh no, I can see some of you pulling a face…stop and re-consider.  I’ve never really liked mincemeat, it always seemed full of too many currants, mixed peel  and things like that and for someone who previously disliked dried fruit it just wasn’t my thing.  So I’d never even considered making my own and certainly not realised how simple it really can be! Now I'm brimming with ideas using this basic concept...for example a 'summer fruits' or 'tropical' version for summer time- who says mincemeat is for Christmas only?

It's simple…pick the dried fruits you like (ok so ideally there should be some sort raisin/sultana combo going on but you can add other things too) blitz together and you’re done. No cooking, no sugar, not fat and no mess. This will easily store in a jar for a few weeks and freezes well too….so make it now to see you through the holidays.

As noted above this recipe is fat free and sugar free….it’s just pure and simple and needs nothing more. The dates along with the other fruits give it all the sweetness it needs.

I have a couple of mincemeat recipes coming up.  I had planned on including the first recipe as part of this post, however the daylight faded before I’d finished in the kitchen so the photoshoot will have to take place tomorrow with recipe to follow.

Recipe: Mincemeat

Ingredients

1 cup raisins

1 cup dried cranberries (I used the sweetened variety since I could not find unsweetened at the time)

1 cup sultanas

½ cup coarsely ground dates

½ cup whole blanched almonds

2 small to medium apples

grated rind of one orange
grated rind of one lemon

1 tbs arrowroot/tapioca flour (or any fine flour) optional

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp mixed spice or nutmeg

1 tsp rum extract (optional- I did not include this as it tasted great without)

Method

Peel and core the apples and chop into quarters. Chop the dates in a food processor to get a course meal. Add all the ingredients and process until you have a sticky chunky mixture. I added a tbs of arrowroot to absorb a little of the liquid and help bind the mix together but this is not a necessity. 

When I tasted the mixture I felt it really didn’t need the rum extract but feel free to add some at the end before a final whizz if you fancy. You could also include actual rum or brandy but again I didn’t feel it needed it and it would also have changed the consistency of the mixture.

Makes approx. 2 ½ cups

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Cookie dough dip

At the time I was experimenting with my bitter chocolate thins in sandwich form I also came across a recipe for a cookie dough dip on Chocolate Covered Katie’s blog. It uses chickpeas as its main ingredient which had me intrigued since I’ve used chickpeas here in my baking before. The principle of the recipe was so simple that I couldn’t help having a go myself. This is now the second time I’ve made this dip and in the process I added a few small changes to the original recipe.

In case you’re wondering I then also had to make some chocolate cookies to truly test the dip out. Cookies dipped in cookie dough …. Oh yes double whammy! 

This dip would also be great used as a frosting (thin out with a little more soy milk as necessary), as the cream for a chocolate thins sandwich or dipped with fresh fruit. Feel free to throw in some chocolate chips or whatever you fancy if you eat it on its own as a dessert.

Oh and just one more thing… the notion  of  big globs of ‘cookie dough’ then triggered an idea for another yummy twist on this recipe… don’t worry I’ll be sharing all very soon!

Recipe: Cookie dough dip

Makes 1 small bowlful

Ingredients

100g cooked or canned chickpeas

A pinch of salt

Pinch of baking soda

2 tbs soy milk powder (optional but I think it helps give a more sweet-vanilla-milky edge)

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 tbs peanut butter (or other nut butters for a more ‘neutral’ taste)

Approx. 3 tbs soymilk

3 tbs ground oatmeal

1/4 cup agave plus ¼ tsp stevia

¼ tsp cinnamon or nutmeg

Method

Blend everything together in a food processor until very smooth. If not eating straight way, store in the fridge with clingfilm pressing down on surface so a ‘skin’ doesn’t form.

P.S. You may have noted that my title bar has a new page added called ‘Baking tips’.  I’d had a few queries from readers regarding conversions for the recipes where I’ve used Metric instead of American standards.  For a while now I’d also been meaning to put together a summary of the basic principles that apply to my approach to baking as a whole. So, it was a good incentive to stop dithering and get it written… I hope you find it helps!

A quick dip

Hummous is great, and I eat a lot of it… I mean a lot!!

A dip for raw veggies, a quick and easy base for my roasted vegetable tart, a simple spread for sandwiches or tortilla wraps… the list goes on. It’s strange as I never used to like raw carrot but since discovering hummous I can devour carrot stick after carrot stick and not get bored, it’s just something about the combination of those favours that really gets me going.

But, sometimes I fancy something slightly different.

This quick and simple dip takes literally a couple of minutes to put together and is super cheap and healthy. Great as a basic dip or spread, but also as a sauce for pasta- it makes a great alternative to tomato based sauces!  If you do use it as a sauce be sure to thin it out slightly with some soy milk (or any other non dairy milk or water ) as it coats the pasta so much better and the texture is much nicer.  The first time I used it this way I didn’t thin it out and it just didn’t do it for me, the ‘sauce’ was too thick and lost the silky coating I was after.

I have included jalapeno peppers to add a bit of a kick as I like a bit of heat, but feel free to omit these or adjust the amount to taste.

                                                      

                                                                 

Recipe: pea and black bean dip

Makes one small bowl

Ingredients

2 garlic cloves (or 1tsp garlic paste)

1 ½ cups frozen peas (thawed)

1 cup cooked/canned black beans

A few green jalapeno pepper slices

2 tbs fresh lemon juice

1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp ground garamasala spice (or ground cumin)

½ red onion chopped

Small handful fresh coriander (dried if no fresh available)

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Blend all ingredients in food processor until smooth. Store in the fridge. Best used within two days.

Quick and easy marinara sauce

Marinara sauce (as previously seen on my vegan meatball sub) is a  hugely versatile and simple dish and can be jazzed up with various other ingredients to give it a bit of a twist- let you imagination run free….

Make a big batch to freeze in portioned size containers, then at a moment’s notice (well, ok 10 minutes tops!) you have a simple tasty meal- heat and mix through spaghetti topped with sweet corn, beans or whatever you happen to have to hand. You really can’t go wrong!

Recipe: Marinara sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients

400g tin of chopped tomatoes

2 fresh tomatoes- coarsely chopped

1 carrot- grated

1 small onion- finely chopped

2 tsp olive oil

Dried herbs- 1tsp parsley, 2 tsp Italian herb mix (or oregano and basil) or use fresh if you have them!

½ tsp garlic granules or puree (or 2 minced cloves)

1 tsp Tabasco sauce or chilli flakes

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Sauté the carrot and onion in the olive oil for 5 minutes. Add all other ingredients (except tomatoes) and blend wither in a blender/food processor or with a hand blender until almost smooth, add chopped fresh tomatoes (or add along with the other ingredients if you prefer a smooth sauce). Bring to the boil and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Note: To make this a super quick and efficient recipe, I have used dried herbs and spices as these are always available in my cupboard whereas I don’t always have fresh to hand- feel free to use fresh if you prefer!

 

Yummy chocolate- (use it anywhere and everywhere)- frosting!

I just love this stuff, so much so that I would probably rate it as one of my most successful recipes so far! Well, its so good it even made it to the blog banner! Aside from tasting super indulgent whilst being super healthy, it is so simple to make and can be used everywhere…..

Filling for a cake spread with a spatula

Topping for a cupcake piped with a nozzle (or simply spooned on if you can’t wait!)

Layered up in a tall glass with fruit and vegan yoghurt/cream for a ‘posh’ dessert

Eaten as a chocolate mouse-y pudding in its own right

…Basically anywhere you need a rich, thick, creamy, chocolatey accompaniment… and where wouldn’t you want that??

Shhhh- I keep a tub of it in in the fridge for quick access when I’m in need of a little fix!

Recipe: chocolate frosting

Ingredients

350g (I carton) firm silken tofu (I use Mori nu)

60g cocoa powder

25g coconut flour

2tbs lemon juice (not essential)

40g agave nectar

1/4 tsp stevia powder

1tbs vanilla extract

(This makes enough to fairly generously frost 12 cupcakes)

Method

So simple!! Put all ingredients into food processor and blend up very thoroughly. Spoon into a bowl and store in the fridge ready for use.

Oooh…some yummy variations to try….

Add 1tsp grated orange rind and 1tsp orange essence to the mixture and reduce vanilla essence to 1tsp. (if want to make frosting slightly runnier like a mouse then add 1-2 tbs orange juice).This one is my favourite flavour combo.

Add 1tsp instant coffee dissolved in 1tbs of boiling water. Reduce vanilla to 1tsp. add to the mixture. 

Add 1tsp peppermint essence and 1 tsp of ground mint leaves to the mixture and reduce vanilla to 1tsp.

Let me know of any more delicious variations you have tried!

P.S. You will notice above that I have included ‘Stevia’ in the ingredients list. You can find more info here on Stevia. You can also understand more about how and why I use Stevia in my recipes here.