A Trio of Dips

Hi friends!

Thank you so much for all the feedback on the vegan challenge! I'm so excited to hear so many of you are keen to take part on the challenge and hopefully some of you have been inspired to at least consider adding a couple of vegan days on your week every now and then.

I have had a major craving for dips/spreads/purées of all sorts this week. These three colourful dips are my current favourites and they are perfect weekend food - dipped or spread on flat bread, crisp bread, wraps or enjoyed with fresh veggies.

Enjoy and I hope you have a beautiful weekend!

Zucchini Almond Dip

(Recipe adapted from Choosing Raw)

1 cup almonds, soaked overnight

2 zucchinis, chopped

2 small cloves of garlic

1/2 lemon, juiced

pinch of salt

freshly ground black pepper

1. Place all ingredients in a blender/food processor and purée until the mixture is smooth, but has some texture to it. A little bit of crunch is good.

Beetroot-Sun Dip

2 large beetroots

1/2 lemon, juiced

3-4 tablespoons sunflower seeds (soaked overnight, if you wish)

1 teaspoon mustard powder

pinch of salt

freshly ground black pepper

1. Cook the beetroot (with skin on) until tender.

2. Peel the cooked beetroot and chop into cubes.

3. Place all ingredients in a blender and purée until smooth (or crunchy, which ever consistency you prefer).

Sweet Potato Hummus

(Recipe adapted from Wholeliving)

350g cooked sweet potato, chopped

200g cooked chickpeas

2 small cloves of garlic

1/2 cup tahini (recipe to follow)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 lemon, juiced

(water)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

pinch of salt

freshly ground black pepper 

Tahini

4 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted until golden brown

1 tablespoon cold-pressed sesame oil

pinch of salt

2-3 tablespoons warm water

1. To make the tahini, place the sesame seeds in a food processor (or a coffee grinder) and blitz until smooth. Add sesame oil, salt and warm water (tablespoon at a time to reach a perfect consistency) and blitz until smooth. Set aside. 

2. Purée all ingredients until smooth. Add water if you want the mixture to be thinner.

Zucchini rolls with almond, rosemary and lemon stuffing

Hi friends, 

Did you have a nice weekend? 

I have been having really efficient phase recently and I finally feel like I am getting on top of things. I really hope it stays like this, especially when December is shaping up to be a very busy month!

Since I was getting things organised this weekend, I also had time to try a couple of new recipes. These zucchini rolls, stuffed with a delicious almond crumble are a perfect food for summer parties, but you could use the same stuffing for any other seasonal veggies - try thinly sliced pumpkin or sweet potato even! 

Mixed with finely chopped fresh rosemary, a couple of wedges of those simple preserved lemons I made earlier, and fried in virgin coconut oil until the beautiful nutty aromas swift in the air, this crumble was truly sensational. Perfect weekend snack food!

Zucchini rolls with almond, rosemary and lemon stuffing

(serves 2-4)

3 zucchinis/courgettes, thinly sliced (you could also use sweet potato, aubergines or pumpkins)

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil or coconut oil

70g almond meal

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

zest of 2 preserved lemon wedges, finely chopped

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil or coconut oil, extra

1. Brush the thinly cut zucchini slices with a little bit of oil. Heat a grill pan on medium high and grill the slices for a few minutes on each side. The slices should be just tender, but please don't be tempted to overcook them! 

2. Mix the almond meal, rosemary and lemon zest in a bowl. Heat a small amount of coconut oil in a frying pan and add the crumble mixture. Fry for 5-10 minutes, stirring and moving the mixture frequently, until the crumble starts to release its nutty aromas. Be careful not to let it burn! 

3. To assemble, place a teaspoon of stuffing on each zucchini slice and roll up. Use a small wooden pick to hold the rolls together. Serve room temperature.

Baked grapefruit with coconutty crumble

It's been a busy week with early starts and big photo shoots and I've been carrying lots of props back and forth - packing, unpacking and packing again. At the end of the day I've felt happy and content, but in desperate need of a hot shower, a big cup of tea and something sweet. My usual pick for a sweet treat would be a piece of really dark chocolate, but these quick and easy oven baked grapefruit are definitely a good alternative, too. If you have the time in the morning, you could even have them as breakfast with some thick yoghurt. Or, try with some good vanilla bean ice cream as an indulgent dessert.

I love the coconutty crumble topping - rolled oats, organic coconut sugar and the most amazing coconut oil I bought from the Organic expo just a couple of weeks a go. I'm ready to slip on my comfy clothes, grab one of these grapefruit and just munch away!

Baked grapefruit with coconutty crumble

(serves 2)

1 grapefruit, cut in half

2 tablespoons organic unstabilised oats

1 tablespoon organic coconut sugar

1 tablespoon organic coconut oil (not liquid)

1. Preheat oven to 200C. 

2. In a small bowl, mix together the oats, sugar and coconut oil. Rub the mixture with your fingers until crumbly. 

3. Place the grapefruit halves into an oven-proof dish, spread the coconutty crumble on top and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve warm.

Rosemary roasted almonds

Are you a snacker or do you prefer sticking to three meals a day? I gotta say I would love to be more of the latter, but I definitely fall into the snack-person category. I am always hungry, and whether it's due to the fact that I get quite a bit of exercise or that I prefer eating smaller meals, I love to snack. Anything from raw veggies to nuts, seeds and dried fruit is on top of my snacking list, but lately, with the cool weather hitting Sydney, I've found comfort in warmer snacks.

That is exactly why this particular treat is my favourite - warm roasted almonds dressed in delicious rosemary and olive oil. It makes a perfect antipasti too, and you could easily use walnuts or any of your favourite nuts for this. Try adding garlic and dried chilli flakes in the mix as well, they are fabulous in this! And the ultimate snack alongside with this one? Roasted rosemary. You gotta try it - it's simply delicious!

Rosemary roasted almonds

(Recipe adapted from Melissa Kelly)

1 cup raw almonds

few sprigs of fresh rosemary

 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped, extra

2 tablespoons good extra-virgin olive oil

pinch of sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 180C.

2. Place the almonds on a roasting tray with a few sprigs of rosemary and roast for 10-15 minutes or until the nuts are browned. Be careful not to burn them!

3. Place the nuts in a bowl with the finely chopped rosemary and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss well to coat. Serve with the roasted rosemary as a quick snack or as antipasti.

Cashew cream cheese

 

Every now and then I come across a recipe that really blows my mind and all I can think is "you can make that?!" Recently most of these recipes have been the ones created by and for people with different food intolerance and allergies. Hats off to these people, as they truly are the most creative when it comes to tweaking a recipe to suit their special dietary needs.

When I saw the recipe for cashew cheese I thought it was an ingenious idea. Sweet cashew cream is an old favourite amongst the raw food (and vegan) supporters, but I hadn't even thought of making a savoury version of this dish. Served with gluten-free bread or vegetables this is a fabulous snack for any occasion!

 

Cashew cream cheese

(Recipe adapted from Ruohonjuuri)

250g raw cashew nuts, soaked*

100ml home-made brown rice milk

pinch of salt

freshly ground black pepper

1tsp cumin seeds, lightly toasted

zest of one small lemon

juice of 1/2 small lemon (2 tbsp)

* Soak the nuts in plenty of water for a minimum of 4 hours or over-night. Alternatively, quick soak - place the nuts in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to boil. Turn off the heat and let soak, covered, for one hour. Drain the nuts after soaking.

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blitz until smooth and creamy. Serve with (gluten-free) bread, savoury biscuits or vegetables.

Energisers - Almond butter squares

*Phew* It's been a busy week! My mind is spinning with new ideas and inspiration and the whole week has just flown by. No matter how busy it gets, however, I just can't go without eating properly. I notice when my blood sugar and energy levels are running low and I don't like munching on just anything I can get my hands on. I often carry snacks like nuts and seeds or fresh fruit with me in case things get a little hectic and I won't have time for a proper meal.

These little squares are packed with energy and natural ingredients. You can easily change the recipe to suit your taste and preferences: try adding chia seeds and ground cinnamon, different nuts and dried berries, for instance. They make an excellent home-made food gift too!

 Almond butter squares

(Makes 16-20 squares)

1 1/2 cups raw almonds

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 tablespoon raw honey

1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract

3 tablespoon unsweetened apple sauce

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup coconut flakes

1/4 cup dried cherries

1/4 cup raw cocoa nibs

1/4 cup slivered almonds

Preheat your oven to 200C. Spread the almonds evenly on a baking tray and roast for about 10 minutes. Transfer the nuts into a food processor and process for about 10 minutes or until the texture is smooth and butter-like. Place the almond butter into a saucepan along with maple syrup, honey, vanilla and apple sauce and heat just enough to mix the ingredients together. Remove from the heat.

Mix the oats, coconut, cherries, cocoa and almonds in a separate bowl. Spoon the almond butter mixture on top and mix everything together. Be patient, the mixture is sticky but the stickier it is the better!

Spoon the mixture into a square tin (20 cm x 20 cm) rinsed with cold water. Spread evenly, then refrigerate for a couple of hours. Cut into squares before serving.

Keittiöterapiaa - Ruis- ja kuminansiementikut

On päiviä jolloin kotiin tullessa on vaikea unohtaa kiireisen työpäivän tapahtumia. Ajatukset tuntuvat laukkaavaan tuhatta ja sataa vielä monta tuntia kotiin pääsyn jälkeenkin. Tällaisina päivinä sopiva annos keittiöterapiaa on juuri mitä tarvitsen. En tietenkään tarkoita tuntikausien raatamista patojen ääressä, vaan jotain aivan vaatimatonta ja helppoakin, kunhan se vain vie ajatukset pois ikävistä tai mieltä painavista asioista. Viikonloppuna ostamani kirja "The Cookie and Biscuit Bible" on juuri tällaisiin hetkiin tarkoitettu opus. Se on täynnä mitä ihanampia pikkuleipäreseptejä, joista suurin osa on sopivan helppoja ja nopeita arki-iltoinakin toteutettaviksi. Jos on vain pienen terapia-annoksen tarpeessa, niin mikä estää puolittamasta reseptiä ja tekemästä vain pienen annoksen? Taloudellista se ehkä ei ole, mutta terapiaa yhtä kaikki.

Ruis - ja kuminansiementikut (18-20 kpl)

90 g vehnäjauhoja
75 g ruisjauhoja
1/2 tl suolaa
1/2 tl leivinjauhetta
90 g suolatonta voita
2 tl kuminansiemeniä
4 rkl kiehuvaa vettä

Sekoita kulhossa jauhot, suola ja leivinjauhe ja lisää voi. Hiero seos murumaiseksi ja lisää puolet kuminansiemenistä ja vesi. Sekoita taikina pehmeäksi. Leikkaa taikina noin 18 samankokoiseen palaan ja pyörittele jokainen pala pitkulaiseksi tikuksi. Nostele tikut uunipellille ja ripottele päälle loput siemenet. Pyörittele tikkuja pellillä jotta siemenet tarttuvat joka puolelle. Kypsennä 180 asteisessa uunissa 15-20 minuuttia ja anna jäähtyä.