Pearl Barley Risotto

Apparently the correct term for this risotto is an Orzotto... so there you go, something new to discover around every corner! I decided to try this as a healthier option, and seeing as Barley is so cheap I thought i'd give it a  go.. Barley is high in fibre (double that of brown rice), high in protein, contains several vitamins and minerals including niacin (Vitamin B3), thiamine ( Vitamin B1), selenium, iron, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, copper, antioxidents and phytochemicals. All of which are good for your health! So eat away happy in the knowledge your doing your body a favour of which it will return to you feeling great. 
 I love the nuttiness of the flavour and chewiness of the texture.. and as I am known as being a slow eater, this meal sure took that to a whole new level of slowly grazing through.. or happily chewing away should I say. 
This recipe is loosely based on another I quickly browsed in search of a recipe, you can find this at: http://edenkitchen.com/green-vegetable-risotto/

For this you will need:

1 Onion
 A few cloves of Garlic
1 Cup Pearl Barley
5 Cups of Vegetable Stock
1 Can chopped Tomatoes
Feta
Asparagus
Spinach



Heat a pan with Olive Oil, add chopped Onion and Garlic then add Barley and slowly add stock,canned tomatoes, stirring  every now and then as it sticks to the pan so you may need to add more boiling water every now and then to prevent it from drying out and let the barley cook through. This usually takes about 40 mins all up to cook, it certainly doesn't need as much stirring and isn't as time consuming as normal risotto as you can go into the kitchen every 10 mins or so and give it a stir and add more hot water if it needs it. I chopped up the greens and added it about 5 mins away from the end of the cooking time. The results were delicious, a very hearty and satisfying meal to cook and enjoy eating. I plan to make many more times adjusting the ingriedients from time to time. Bon Appetit! :)

Delicious, Hearty & Healthy Salad

Yum, I must admit- this is one of my all time favourite salads- It is so packed full of protein that it keeps you full for ages- great for lunches!


You will need: 
Cous Cous
Red Onion
Carrot
Celery
Tomatoes
A Can of Mixed Beans
sunflower & sesame seeds
A Can of Tuna
Feta Cheese

Soak the Cous Cous in a little boiling water. Leave for a few minutes until it has soaked up all the water and fluff it up with a fork. Chop up the celery, carrots, red onion and tomato. Add all of the above to the cous cous and prepare the vinaigrette.
For this you will need a few tablespoons of Olive Oil, a teaspoon of wholegrain mustard, red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar and lime infused Olive Oil.( A friend recently got me onto this and I must say its well worth the price you pay for it- you only use a small amount at a time so it lasts ages and makes any salad taste incredible!) Put into a jar and shake up well. Sprinke with sunflower and sesame seeds and enjoy the energy this salad gives you :)

Banoffie Pie

I must admit, this pie was so tasty that I ate all of it- apart from one measly little slice!

You Will need: 


A Packet of Malt biscuits
50g Melted Butter
Whipped Cream
Chocolate Chips
A Can of Caramel Condensed Milk
3 Bananas


Crush the biscuits and add the melted Butter, set into pie tin to set in fridge. Melt the condensed milk slightly in the microwave or stovetop as it is rather set and easier when soft. Put this on top of the biscuit base, chop and add the bananas, whipped cream and choc chips. Put in fridge to set for a couple of hours and enjoy being a piggy like me! :)

Banana Meringue Pie

This is one of my most loved and remembered pies from my childhood- I would request it at every birthday and special occasion.

You will need: 


1C Sugar
2T Butter
3/4 C Flour
1 1/2 C Milk
3-4 Bananas
2 Egg Whites
2 Egg Yolks
                                                                                    Vanilla
                                                                                    2T Sugar
                                                                                    Pack of plain biscuits
                                                                                    50g Melted Butter

BASE: Crush up biscuits ( I can never be bothered with a blender but this is by far the easiest method and gives you smooth crumbs- alternatively, if your like me you can put into a sealed bag and smash up to let out any frustrations you may have until they are all crumbs.) Add the melted butter, mix together and press into a pie dish and put in fridge to set until your custard is ready.

CUSTARD: Soften Butter and add 1 C Sugar & Cream together. Add egg yolks one by one and cream. Add flour and mix, and milk & stir well. Put on stovetop for a few minutes until it thickens to a custard consistency, be careful not to let it burn, stir it continuously. Slice up bananas and add once the custard is done. Put onto set biscuit base and put into fridge for a couple of hours until set.

MERINGUE: Beat egg whites until they are glossy white and when you hold upside down it doesn't move.. you should not be able to see any little bubbles, should be a glossy and smooth consistency. Slowly add 2T Sugar and keep mixing. Put onto set pie and using the back of a spoon form peaks in an upward motion so they can brown. Cook for 5 -10 minutes in 180 degree oven until meringue slightly browns
Enjoy! p.s. this is delicious the next day cold! Can be eaten still warm from oven or cold. YUM!

Cinnamon Apple Nut Buns

I am so happy that I also spent the following night after baking these dreaming about them...



For the dough

two eggs

a stick of butter (unsalted is best if you do not want to the salt to retard the yeast)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1-1/2 cups of milk/ buttermilk (I used soy and it worked fine)

flour (good quality plain white is the easiest to work with)

yeast (first time I used fresh yeast was lovely)

---



the yeast was added to a good dollop of flour and mixed together... in a saucepan the butter, sugar and milk was stirred together on a low heat until the butter had began to melt... this was all added to the flour with the eggs and quickly blended with a big wooden spoon... then dumped on a floured surface and kneaded for a good 8 minutes till the dough was soft and elastic...

then left in a ball somewhere warm to double in size about an hour...

then it was punched down and left again for 15 minutes to spring back up into shape...

then you can roll out the dough onto your surface...

and slop over the apple mix and/or other goodies prepared...



Apple mixture...

the best thing about this is how versatile it is, next time i will try rhubarb and apple but for now here is a good apple mix...



-apple grated...

-walnuts

-cinnamon a good dusting

-brown sugar

-butter

-a dash of maple syrup

-almonds

stew this mixture in a pot a little till the butter is just melted... if you are making a crisscrossed style bun you only need to slightly slice the apples and addd armed butter...

to make a criss cross bun roll out a large oval and add the filling in a line down the middle, cut parallel lines from the middle filling out toward the edge of the oval then plait these strands down across the filling and tuck it in at the end...

To make individual buns spread the mixture over the entire rolled out rectangle then roll this up carefully and slice into individual pieces and sit them upright together in a baking dish...

leave this to sit for a further hour till the dough has again risen to fill the space...

bake for twenty minutes

then enjoy

drool

Some Alternative recipes can be found here



vegan... http://www.foodista.com/blog/2009/12/21/vegan-cinnamon-rolls/

easy... http://theblackapple.typepad.com/inside_a_black_apple/2009/02/cinnamon-rolls-for-two-insane-people-or-four-sane-ones.html

strudel... http://chefinyou.com/2009/05/austrian-apple-strudel/

eva darling salad

easy peasy lemon squeezy,
this is now my winter I wish it was summer salad, that my gorgeous friend Eva gave me, what an easy treat for any time...

red cabbage shredded
apple cut into thin slices
carrots roughly chunky grated
and a little orange juice over the top

YUM YUM YUM
great salad with great subtle sweetness and a fantastic crunch

VegChilli

You need a big pot and lots of beans...
Chilli beans, black peans, pinto beans, whatever you have really in tins if you have that washed out and drained... about 2-3 tins in totally
celery
mushrooms
zucchini/squash/courgette or wherever you come from whatever you call it
carrots
bell peppers/capsicum
beans
jalepeno peppers
chilli
cayenne pepper
salt and pepper
garlic
onion
tinned tomatos or pasta sauce or fresh tomatoes

chop onion garlic and celery and fry this in the bottom of a big pot, then add some mushrooms and chilli and peppers
usually I have a freezer full of tubs of tomatoes that have been soaked in hot water then squashed over friend onion and garlic,,, this is what a use as a base, but tinned tomatos work fine or even plain tomato pasta sauce if that what you have... these need to go in now to the thickness you want, you basically honestly can use whatever vegetables you want in your chilli such as using corn or not using mushrooms and create a heat that suits you, I personally do not use chilli in my chilli as the jalepeno peppers do just fine with the cayenne pepper...
so then you just add lots of your chosen available chilli beans... this needs to sit on a low heat for a while and let all the flavours introduce themselves to one another and hang out for a while, it is definitely a recipe that tastes great the next day when further development of flavour friendships have taken place.
so I suppose that sums up my cooking style just to use what is available in your cupboard and fridge, and not to let things go to waste... I tried to follow a recipe the other day for pastry and it all blew up in my face, or quite literally it all boiled over and almost caught fire to my oven... so i tried again on my own more flexible recipe free terms, with just an idea in my head of what I wanted in the end and it turned out gloriously but there is a another recipe for another day...
and a lesson to always learn from your mistakes, as they are valuable life experiences nothing to crush yourself into pieces over...

Lime and Ginger Vermicelli Noodles

So it is winter and it is cold and I feel like it is all taking its toll on me... So it is time for clear light gingery limey soup...

This was another made up recipes that turn out just fine and dandy...


CHICKEN STOCK
i got a little packet of chicken drumsticks from the shop to make my first ever chicken stock, as they say that is soul food and damn my house smelt good when it was simmering on the stove, not the putrid wet dead animal smell i was expecting... So this takes a bit of time, but it is not at all difficult in the slightest and it just does its thing while you do yours.
I just chopped up a small onion and some garlic cloves and fried them in some butter in a pan and then added the chicken drums when that was translucent and sweated and covered it all well with water and added some salt pepper and bay leaves bring it to the boil skimmed the junk off the top and turned the heat down and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes... then you have chicken stock, simple...

LIME AND GINGER NOODLES
I chopped up ready some fresh coriander roots, lots of ginger root, a shallot some chilli would have been good but I didn't think I could stomach it, and fried that together in some oil in a pot, then i transferred some of the chicken stock and chicken pieces as much as required (the remainder will be used for chicken and vegetable soup tomorrow)  through in handful of brown button mushrooms chopped in half, some lime leaves and a little green onion... when it was almost done and ready I threw in the vermicelli noodles and some coriander leaves, these cook so quickly that you are basically then immediately serving it  and putting it on the table and squeezing in the juice of some fresh lime...
this soup is a winter blessing ...

Beetroot Chocolate Cake

This is a delicious moist chocolate cake, that does not at all taste like beetroot, beetroot is very good for you and apparently is good for cleansing the blood or something like that.
So this was made up on the spot as with most things made by the hands of a Sally. So it is very difficult for us to recall exactly logically and rationally how we made it....
But am sure it went something like this...

peel and then chop in small pieces a medium sized beetroot drop it in a pot covered with water and boil it to a mashing point.
put some butter and cocoa powder and vanilla essence in a pot with some chocolate bits and melt the butter and chocolate and stir it all together, YUM add the mashed up beetroot mix and do not overcook it, just keep it warm,
sift in some flour and baking powder to a big mixing bowl, drop and egg or two in and some sour cream if you are feeling fancy then add the warm beet melted butter chocolate mix mix this all together now, it should be a thick runny consistency if not add some milk and ready to be put into a cake pan and into an oven at a standard baking temp...

Wholemeal Ginger Crunch

This slice is very sweet, chewy and scrumptious!

Base:
150g Butter
2T Golden syrup
3/4C Brown Sugar
3/4C Shredded Coconut
1 1/2C Rolled Oats
3/4C Wholemeal Flour
2T Baking Powder
3t Ground Ginger
1C chopped crystallised ginger

Topping:
50g Butter
3T Golden syrup
1-2C Icing Sugar
3t ground ginger

Method:
Melt Butter, golden syrup, brown sugar together. Mix in other ingredients and press into a greased tin. Bake at 180degrees for 20 minutes and cool. Topping: Melt butter and golden syrup together and mix in icing sugar and ginger and spread onto slice. Set, slice and enjoy.

Easy Potato Gnocci

 

This recipie is delish, super easy and fun to make on a cold winters evening!

4 Large potatoes
1 Cup plain Flour
2 Eggs
60g Softened Butter

Cook potatoes in boiling water. Drain and mash. Add eggs and flour, mix together. Add salt and butter, mix together and add more flour as necessary to ensure it is not too sticky as you will need to knead it and more flour is useful to stop it sticking all over your hands and bench! Knead away until it is a soft ball and not sticky and cut and roll into little balls. Add to a pot of boiling salted water a bunch at a time, they only take a few minutes to cook, you know when they're ready when they float to the top of the pot. Add to a tomoato sauce : Onion, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, courgette, fresh herbs and let it simmer away adding salt and pepper. Sprinke with fresh parsley and parmesan  cheese. Enjoy!

Gingernut & Orange dessert

This dessert doesn't sound very yummy when i've explained it to people but it is super easy and really delish!!

Take a packet of gingernuts
Freshly squeezed oranges/orange juice with pulp
Whipped Cream
Choc Chips

Soak the gingernuts for a few minutes in the orange juice and add the whipped  cream in between, sprinkle choc chips and leave to set and soften for a few hours. YUM!

The perfect family bug killer Ginger Tea

this tea is the best thing in the universe,
for stomach upsets
digestive aid
as a kill bugs in your system
boost your circulation and can even help ease period pains...

you can make this as strong as you like by changing the amount of ginger you add...
I like to add lots so I get a face burning feeling,,,  then I know that no little bugs will survive inside...

you need to grate some fresh ginger root into a small sauce pan (add as much as you like, start small by using just a tablespoons for a large cup full) then add some boiling water over this and bring it to the boil on the stove... leave it to brew on low for a while
get yourself a big teaspoon of honey and add that to your cup then squish a lemon and half it ready to add the juice of a quater to a half a lemon to each cup

strain the ginger water into the cup over the honey then add the lemon juice to this and stir and then wait till it is cooled a little as not to literally burn your face and then drink... This is a good alternative to getting the benefits of ginger without having to actually just chew on ginger root...

Salsa and Goooowaock

So the latest obsession to have thrown together for a quick snack when we can not bear to wait for dinner... salsa guacamole,,, one day I will learn to make my own corn tortillas to use but for now simple pack of plain corn chips from the store makes me happy...

so you need
a lemon
fresh coriander
salt and pepper to taste
a tomato
an avocado
garlic
red onion

take two bowls and squish the lemon on the table top and cut it in half, then squeeze half in each bowl, add the avocado flesh to the first bowl and mash it with a fork (the avocado should be quite soft, and for more flavor the softer the better, without being bruised) add salt and pepper to taste,,,
then chop the tomato and a portion of the red onion into small chunks, the coriander leaves into large rough bits and add this all to the second bowl. then chop the cleaned roots and stalk of the coriander if you have any as well as as much garlic as you like maybe a few cloves this part can be divided between the two bowls... add a dash of olive oil to the salsa and mix them and thats it... you can use a little chilli in them if you want it hot or a touch of mint in the salsa or use mango if your feeling fruity...
yum dip in

Shroom Storg

Basically this was an accident one day when we felt like a rich dinner but didn't want the messy meat business...
so I am still not sure what makes a stroganoff and I am sure the beef version tastes fine but here is a great vegetarian alternative that is now a favourite in our home, and so damn easy to make,

fry some
garlic (and a little ginger if you like, needs to be fresh and diced)
and
shallots (or just finely sliced onions)

add in some sliced
Portobello mushrooms ( or any mushrooms but the big flat ones are best, mushrooms hold a lot of water so dependent on how many your serving you will still need a good amount for example three mushrooms per person )

to this a decent dash of paprika and braggs (Yum I like smoked paprika )
then add about a cup of vegetable stock and leave to simmer
salt and pepper to taste
before adding the stock to lift the mushrooms and shallots from the pan you can add some wine if you have some lying around

then you need to cook some pasta or some rice to serve it on
We once made this recipe while camping and ate it with japanese soba noodles, it was delicious...
then when about to serve the magic ingredient is a big spoonful of quality sour cream mixed into the mushroom mixture, to match the creaminess you desire...
then I suppose you serve and eat, if your feeling fancy and if you have any a sprinkling of fresh diced parsley is nice...

Veg! Stock

You may need to save up your plastic containers to keep this in the freezer, and use it for all things including obviously soup or savory rice, lentils and whatever else you cook that absorbs water and you want a little extra ooomph of flavour...
This is a fine affair if it is a cold rainy day and you want to keep the house warm, because your stove needs to be on for at least three hours to extract all the flavour...

you will need water
salt
peppercorns
bay leaf
garlic
leeks

basically this is fun if you have a cleaver handy, or a big knife and chopping board to whack away at all these veggies, mind your fingers do not get in the way, which could include any mix of the following
celery
carrot
pumpkin
radish
fresh herbs, basil or parsley thyme and rosemary
ginger for bite
onion
best to keep it simple and flavoured to your taste which means your own choice of vegetables and herbs or chilli added if you wish.
get a very large pot and lightly fry the leeks and celery and then add all the roughly chopped ingredients and fill with water to boil, watch it doesn't overflow then leave it to simmer with a lid on for a few hours until everything inside looks a little dead and drowned... basically you want to steal all the goodness (flavour and nutrients) from the ingredients... I tend to enjoy letting it sit until it has completely cooled and then pouring it into old plastic containers to put in the freezer with enough room left on the top for expansion... and I like most the part of squeezing ever last drop of goodness and fluid out of the heap of leftovers of what used to be vegetables till I get an inedible mass ball that I can throw guilt free in the bin...
then one day it is rainy and cold and I have nothing in my fridge but some wilting sad vegetables that need to be eaten quickly they get chopped up into nice chunks and thrown into a pot with this stock from the freezer and a handful of beans or lentils or barley and voila ' vegetable soup :)

Delicious Messy Veggie Wraps

Whats for dinner tonight ???
This question always bugs me...
hmm eggs on toast
advocado and tomato on toast
thank lordy for having bread in the kitchen

Quick easy
But for tonight something more fun and still just as easy

slice into a long strips:
a red capsicum (bell pepper)
zucchini (courgette/squash)
a few mushrooms ( the delicious big field ones)
an onion


chop up to tiney tiny sized :
a few cloves of garlic
and some ginger
and a chilli

Braggs ( I suppose you could use soy sauce, but do your self a favour go buy some braggs, because braggs makes everything better and it is vegan)
Smoked Paprika ( or just paprika )


get some: wraps, pitta or whatever you have even tortillas

chop up whatever else you have and put in bowls:
lettuce
spinach
cucumber
tomato
salsa
advocado

also good to put in:
grated cheddar cheese
feta cheese
sour cream
pumpkin or sunflower seeds


place it all nicely on the table with some plates because this is messy eating
then dig in
dinner done
delicious fun eating

Simple Salmon Recipe with love from Krista

SALMON YUM.

1. In a greased glass pan, put salmon.
2. Put a bit of mayonaise on top.
3. Put Breton cracker crumbs (or any bread crumbs/cracker crumbs) on top, coated fairly well.
4. Put almost the same amount of parmesan cheese on top.
5. Spices too (I like DILL the best.)

Bake at about 400 F for 20 mins or until salmon is flaky and done. Don't forget to put a bit of water in the pan and cover with tin foil if you can.

SALMON YUM.

The Humble Choc-Chip Cookie

bless the humble chocolate chip biscuit, a sweet homey treat for any occasion...
secret to chewy choc chips is to add an egg or two

choc chips,,,
flour
butter
brown sugar
baking powder
twirl whirl mix blend till combined
spoon a BIG or small spoonful on your baking tray and bake for 15 minutes... the less time the more cookie dough consistency you keep and the longer you leave them the more crunchy and biscuity they will be ...

Give them a special touch with whatever you fancy
any type of nuts; maple syrup and walnut or white choc chips; macadamia nuts; oats; cranberries or blueberries

With love from Asha

• vegan banana bread yum yum
  
  
  ½ cup chocolate chips (optional)
  
  3 ripe banana’s mashed
  
  1 tbsp lemon juice
  
  ½ cup oil
  
  ½ cup sugar
  
  ¾ cup chopped dates
  
  1 ½ cups flour
  
  ½ cup wheat germ
  
  ½ tsp salt
  
  ½ tsp baking powder
  
  ½ tsp baking soda
  
  
  
  Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In a small bowl, mash the banana’s with a fork until the mixture is very mushy. Add the lemon juice, oil, sugar and dates and stir together. In a separate large bowl, stir together the flour, wheat germ, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Add the banana mixture to the flour mixture and fix together gently until ‘just mixed’. Spoon the mixture into a lightly oiled loaf pan and bake for 40 – 50 minutes. Test with a knife to see if done.
  
  This makes one loaf.

Yum Yum Wild Welly

Some damn fine work on putting New Zealands backyard on the table

http://wildconcoctions.blogspot.com/

http://wildpicnic.blogspot.com/

Homemade Bread

So i don't use too many measurements for this but i will try and put it into a way that makes some sense (hopefully!)

Into a bowl put:

2c white flour

1c wholemeal flour

I also add 2T gluten flour

Tablespoon of raw sugar

Tablespoon of salt

Tablespoon of active dry yeast

Mix these together well then add a little warm water at a time, making sure the dough is very wet and sticky (similar to scone mixture). On the bench put down a cup of flour, pour the mixture on top and add another cup of flour on the top and start slowly kneading and mixing in the flour. Knead for ten mins or so until the dough is able to be worked into a ball and is no longer sticky. Oil a bowl and put the dough into it, placing the bowl somewhere warm, in the oven is fine if its on the lowest, or if the heat is now turned off. Leave this till it has doubled in size (about half an hour) and punch down, this mixture makes enough for two loafs, or one loaf and the other half for pizza dough.

I half the mixture, then add pumpkin, sunflour, and linseeds and knead in a little.

Put into a well greased tin (Olive Oil) and put back in the oven on the lowest heat for half an hour till it has risen to double its size, once risen, turn up the heat to 170'c for half an hour. Enjoy!

Berry rhubarb crumble

I just had a bunch of fruit i needed to use up and crumbles and pies are great like that, just throw in whatever you have lying around (edible, that is).

So here goes...

7 big stalks of Rhubarb

cup full of frozen berries

i also threw in a few plums

any fruit you like, apples, berries etc etc

Stew the rhubarb but cutting it up into little piecies and adding 1/3c sugar and the same amount of warm water into a pot for 10-15mins until stewed, add other fruit in near the end to stew aswell.

Topping:

1/2c Flour

50g Butter

1/4c Brown Sugar

Add:

Rolled Oats, Coconut, Mixed Spice, Sliced Almonds and anything else that takes your fancy!

Pour fruit mixture into a dish and sprinkle over the topping, put into the oven at 180'c for 20 minutes or until fruit juices are bubbling away and is to your delight.

Chocolate Beetroot Cake

Beetroot just gives this a moist delicacy and can not be tasted,,,

It makes a great birthday cake

:)

Sage Mint and Clove TEA

this tea is wonderful and I thought I ought to share it

- a few sage leaves

- a few cloves

- a few mint leaves

- and hot water

:)

PIZZA

Well Pizza is one of the best meals you can make yourself, and have company over and enjoy showing off your dough throwing in the air skills. It is the meal I have at home on the day I make bread, easily enough to pull of some of the dough and throw some herbs in it and a little oil for pizza dough,,, YUM

dough requires

a couple teaspoons of yeast risen (in a cup with a small pinch of sugar and a little tepid water and then mixed till somewhat dissolved)

then a couple of cups of tepid/warm (definitely not hot) water

then add some quality bread type flour (white is easiest) to the water until you get a big dough mess

then throw it out onto a table a flour and sprinkle some salt on it and knead, knead for about ten minutes then leave it to rise...

once you get a big puffy ball of fun you can knead it again a little and leave it to rise again...

then that is your dough,,, It should be workable and not sticky,

on a floured surface roll out your dough, or whatever makes you look the most skillfull, like spinning it in the air doing backflips...

until it looks like a pizza base...

add some pesto or/and tomato paste

some bocchini (yum,,, you can use the standard mozzarella or cheddar if makes you happy)

whatever you want really

spinach

mushrooms

olives

artichoke hearts

sundried tomatoes

anchovies (if your into that kind of thing)

basil

sunchokes sliced

baked and seasoned tofu chunks

lar

lar di

dar

bake for fifteen minutes

EAT

eat delight

smile

edamame hummus

ok edamame is brilliant, having a bag in the freezer to pour into a bowl and some hot water over the top to sit for about ten minutes then drained off and served in pods with some salt sprinkled over the top...

that is so good for you, and great to munch on while watching movies or cooking up a storm...

once upon a time I was in a supermarket in Vancouver when I came across edamame hummus, so I tried and it was amazing,,,

easy to make to

just make hummus

- two cups of shelled cooked edamame

- a couple spoonfuls of tahini

-juice of a lemon

-a pinch of salt

-a dash of olive oil

-garlic or wasabi if your feeling adventurous.

mash, blend and serve

I read somewhere (here) that you can use sesame oil instead of tahini and olive oil, but then you need to add also a bunch of water... This same article says you have to use all edamame but I used half chickpeas and half edamame and it wasn't too bad at all very different but not bad at all.

Hummus hummus hunky chunky

always in the fridge for hungry boys and girls when they get home and can't wait for dinner...

- chickpeas ( just a can is easy but you can be fancy and soak a cup and a half full until soft)

- a couple big tablespoons of wholegrain tahini (you could also be fancy and make your own with blended sesame seeds)

- a lemon (just the juice)

- salt

- big dash of olive oil

- a clove of garlic (roasted if you feel you want a subtler taste, two fresh cloves or more if you want real zing)

I use a solid hand held potato masher to mash this all up and thats it

erb Crackers

ok these herb crackers are so easy and yet make you look like master of your pantry :)

so bits and pieces that taste nice in these are as follows using dried herbs and spice about a good full teaspoon should be about right depending on how plain or herby you want them

- cumin

- fennel seeds

- nigella

- rosemary

- thyme

- paprika

- allspice

- a decent sprinkle of salt and

pepper

then a mixture of seeds

- pumpkin seeds

- sesame seeds

- sunflower seeds

- Ground flax/linseeds ( these are important to bind the mixture )

- then a cup or two of wholemeal flour

- a few tablespoons of olive or avocado oil

mix this together until it is well blended indulge for a second in the smell of your hands if you are using them to mix, YUm

then add enough warm water slowly slowly until you have a somewhat solid ball of herby-flour then oil your rolling pin to press out the mixture onto a flat baking tray,

(use wine bottle if you do not have a rolling pin or if you have no wine bottle you can always just flatten it out with your hands)

it should be about 2-5 millimeters thick or less, the thicker it is the less it brakes when you dip it in your dips and business

bake it in the oven for about ten- fifteen minutes but keep an eye on it, meant to be slightly underdone and then left inside the oven after it has been turned off for a further twenty minutes to dry it out (I am notoriously bad at watching things in the oven and mine always come out too browned around the edges, but still good I say) ...

then when your ready just brake it up into the sized pieces you desire and store it, or into a bowl to serve it, goes best with freshly prepared hummus or sharp cheeses...

YUM

Salad and Orange dressing

yum salad always brilliant on the side of dinner, to keep up the seven veggies a day...

to make a simple dressing we use an old glass jar rinsed out to put the ingredients in then secure the lid and shake shake shake a drizzle over the top and toss,,,

we use sprouts, mixed greens, kale, cucumber and feta, and a few chives, mint leaves, coriander or edible flower petals, with nerds like crushed nuts like walnuts or almonds, and sunflowers or pumpkin seeds to add more nutrients and tasty fun goodness....

the salad dressing can be varied according to tastes so it is best to start with a small amount and play with the proportions till you hit a combination you like, more vinegar or more mustard everyone is different!!!

- mustard, wholeground

- vinegar, red wine

- vegetable oil, advocado or olive

- orange juice

- a teaspoon of honey

Banana bran choc spice muffins

1/2c White flour

3/4 c Wholemeal flour

1/4c Bran

1/2c Raw sugar

1 1/2t Baking powder

1/2t Baking Soda

vanilla

1 Egg

1c mashed banana

50g Butter

1/2c Milk

mixed spice

cinnamon

Choc chips

Walnuts

Melt Butter, add egg, vanilla, bananas and milk. Stir well. Add sifted dry ingredients, walnuts and choc chips and stir until just combined. Dollop into greased muffin tray and sprinkle a few choc chipies on top. Bake at 180'c for 20 mins- best eaten warm from the oven yum!

Mouth watering Plum Pie

This pie is honestly one of the best pies ever invented... its tangyness of the plums and lemon juice mixed with the sweet stickness of the golden syrup entwine together for a dreamy mouthful everytime. The best recipies i find and enjoy the most are the ones my mother made for me when i was young which makes it all the more special. Enjoy!

PLUM PIE

1 cup flour

75 grm butter

wizz together & add ice water slowly

pat into tin

halve plums - cut side up & add to pie base

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

25grm butter

wizz together & sprinkle over the plums!!

1/4 cup golden syrup

lemon juice

warm & mix together as a syrup then drizzle over pie

Bake for 220'c 10mins - then reduce to 180'c & bake for 20mins.

Take out of oven to settle, then devour to your hearts content - YUM !!!!

Leek and mushroom pie with cheesy wholemeal pastry

This recipie is one of my all time favourites.. its so easy and tastes amazing...

Cheese pastry:

90g Butter

90g Cheese, grated (1 1/4c)

1cup wholemeal flour

water

Soften Butter and cream with cheese. Add flour and mix until the dough holds together. Knead gently, adding water if too crumbly. Chill for one hour

then press into greased flan tin. Pre bake for 10-12 mins at 190C.

Filling:

garlic

1 Leek, thinly sliced

1 large carrot, grated,

1tsp oregano

mushrooms sliced, 100g

salt and pepper

oil

Fry these all up in a pan starting with garlic and leeks, add the rest and cook for 5 mins, if looks too dry add some warm water. Take off heat

Sauce:

100g Butter

5T flour

salt and pepper

1C milk

2T parmesan cheese

pinch of cayenne pepper

dash soy sauce

oregeno and mixed herbs (watever u wanna put in)

In a saucepan melt the butter, stir in the flour and cook for 2 mins making a rue. Add the millk gradually and sir over a medium heat

until very thick but still able to be stirred easily. Add parmesan cheese and seasonings. stir into the vegetables and mix well. pile into

the pastry case and bake at 190C for 30 mins, covering with tin foil for the first 20 mins. YUM!!!

YOGURT CRANBERRY APPLE MUFFINs

made these when I got back from yayoi kusama exhibition
to ground myself
these I was very pleasantly surprised with
I used

a cup of chopped frozen cranberries
a grated apple
two huge spoonfuls of plain yogurt
a teaspoon of vanilla essence
a teaspoon of nutmeg
a teaspoon of ground ginger
half a cup of soft brown sugar
a quater of a cup of vegetable oil
a cup of wholemeal flour
and a cup of self raising flour
a little baking soda and baking powder

I think that was about it
I cooked them for logner than I normally do over half and hour in my little oven
YUM