Vegan Ginger-Nut Bites

Wow …. the final week of my Baby Reflexology course tomorrow and the final week of baking for all those wonderful mamas.  It has been amazing being able to teach this through the Kāpiti Women’s centre over the past 6 weeks and great to use reflexology and my course material. The group has been a great; with some awesome connections and conversations happening. I honestly don’t think I will ever get fed up with running courses for Mama’s and bubs! 

The weather over the last few weeks here has been wet and stormy, a reminder that winter is really here I guess. So I thought I would warm the insides of everyone this week with some good old ginger-nuts.  This recipe is delicious, easy and able to be eaten raw or cooked so win/win all round I say.  With only four ingredients it is a good example that sometimes more is less too 🙂 The original recipe says that it makes 8 biscuits however we usually get at least 16 and sometimes 20 out of it so obviously it is all about size.  I tend to double up the recipe to get a decent batch and because themselves love these yummy morsels it also means I have a chance to get some too!  The fact that they don’t expand on cooking does mean that you can pack them pretty close together on your tray which I love because it means just one tray of yum.

1 C ground almonds

2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 Tb black strap molasses

3 Tb maple syrup

• Mix the almonds and ginger
• Add the molasses and maple syrup then mix until the mixture forms a dough
• Roll into small balls and place on tray
• Flatten each ball with a fork (you may need to dip the fork in rice flour or ground almonds so it doesn’t stick)
• Bake for 10-15 mins at 180C or until the bottoms start to brown.
• Cool on the rack before devouring

Hope this finds you warm, happy and content regardless of the weather outside.

Arohanui

Y

www.becominghealthy.co.nz

Frozen Vegan Fudge Ice Cream

With my newsletter due out in the next few weeks it always makes me realise just how little I have been on here! It makes sharing the blog post on my newsletter a little tricky so I thought I’d better rectify things 🙂 In my defense we have been away in the bus while herself was on the Spirit of Adventure, I’ve been busy with more reflexology clients as well as teaching and aside from that we have been having Sundays completely off screens and internet as a family. As Sunday is usually the day I write my blog I often forget about blogging until mid week, when I’m working, which then means I just don’t get on here.

The Spirit of Adventure coming back into Auckland

While I do have a vegan chocolate chip cookie I’m working on for next week’s blog I thought it was a good chance to share another recipe we have been enjoying. I found this quick and easy recipe for Coconut fudge in an Australian Women’s Weekly recipe book that was in sight as I waited at the checkout. Due to it’s adaptability it has been a winner for us, especially with the few good days that Summer and Spring offered us. Themselves think it tastes like hard ice cream despite it being called fudge in the recipe. Hence our slight name change 🙂

The original recipe had tahini in it however themselves weren’t that impressed with that so we have tried a few alternatives. Substituting in almond butter, all nut butter and peanut butter have all been successful here though I have to say that the batch I made with almond butter and golden syrup (because I had run out of maple syrup) was the favourite so far and the fastest to disappear. We have been cutting it into small blocks and eating like that straight from the freezer however you can also leave it out for bit to soften. I used black tahini (which produced the grey ones you can see in the photo) but equally yum with the usual tahini …. and probably a more appealing colour 🙂 Ultimately though it is a great recipe to play around with and create your own wee frozen treats.

Straight out of the Freezer

We just create half batches at a time so that is the recipe I have shared with you. I used a loaf tin with some baking paper as a liner; to make it easier to get out and slice once it is frozen. As you can see you can also jazz it up a little by sprinkling some sesame seeds to top before you freeze it. So without further prattle here is the recipe for you to play with ……

Frozen Vegan Fudge

1/2 Cup coconut cream

1/4 Cup Nut butter or Tahini

1 Tbs Maple syrup or Golden syrup if you want it sweeter

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

1 Tbs Coconut oil

Pinch of sea salt

• Blend all the ingredients in a mini blender/kitchen whizz until smooth
• Pour into a lined loaf tin
• Sprinkle with sesame seeds if you wish
• Freeze for at least 2 hours
• Remove and slice ready to eat.
• Enjoy 🙂

Hope this finds you happy, healthy and enjoy life in whatever shape it is taking.

Arohanui

Y

www.becominghealthy.co.nz

Oranges a plenty

Over the last few weeks I have been in the garden a lot, not because I particularly like gardening I have to say but because it is something that I don’t mind being interrupted from.  With themselves being a bit more needy since battling chest infections there have been quite a few interruptions lately so figured it was better for me, and them, that I happily interrupted.  While I managed to get most of the weeds out there is one thing that I am constantly collecting which won’t be stopping anytime soon … oranges.

Just one of our trees …. with our place in the background.

We have two amazingly plentiful orange trees and 2 just as plentiful sweet grapefruit trees supplying more fruit than we can keep up with at the moment. So of course the marmalade recipes have come out in a bid to use some of the fruit up … aside from all the juicing and fresh munching that is going on.  I have tried making sugar free marmalade before by using honey however as himself is not eating honey anymore I had to put my thinking cap on.

Preparing our chunky style marmalade

I have played around with different marmalade recipes quite a bit over the years;  reducing refined sugar, trying coconut sugar and as mentioned honey all with varying degrees of success.  The key thing I have noticed is that when you reduce or replace sugar the boiling time becomes a trial of patience.  Rather than the quick rolling boil that usually occurs it becomes a slow reducing exercise until the marmalade reaches the correct consistency.  My latest play with recipes has come up with something that I’m pretty pleased with and themselves are happy to eat so it is a win/win as far as I can see 🙂 Hopefully it will be something that you can use or modify if need be to make it yum for your family too.

Refined Sugar Free Orange Marmalade

• 1 kg sweet oranges (approx)
• 2 large eating apples
• 1/4 cup maple syrup ( or whatever amounts tickles your fancy)

– Slice the oranges depending on how you like your marmalade (thick or thin) then put in a large pot.

– Peel, core and grate the two apples and add to oranges.

– Just cover the orange and apple mixture with cold water and leave overnight (or for at least 8 hours) to sit.

– Next morning (or later that day) boil the fruit until it is soft and the volume has reduced a bit. Use a wooden spoon to push the juice out of the fruit a bit as it cooks.

– Add maple syrup and boil for a little longer before testing on a saucer. Place a little bit of marmalade on a saucer and allow to cool. It will be ready when you can run your finger through the juice and it stay separated for a bit.  With sugar marmalade it will stay separated however with alternative sweeteners it just takes longer to come back together.

– Spoon into warmed, clean jars and store until needed.

– ENJOY!!

Hope this gives you ideas to spark a bit of experimenting and finds you in the best of health heading into the new season.

Arohanui

Y

www.becominghealthy.co.nz

Marmalade

It has been a very busy past few weeks and the job list seems to keep on growing.  One of these jobs is to make the most of our own food as it is at this time of year our orange and grapefruit trees are laden with gorgeous golden fruit.  We end up giving loads away as we can never quite seem to cope with our abundance and there is only so much marmalade you can make and eat!

However tonight I will share our refined sugar free marmalade with you.  I apologise now for the lack of accuracy in measurements (I tried my best to measure what I put into my latest batch) however it really does depend on how sweet your fruit is and on how sweet you like your marmalade to how much honey you want to plonk in. 🙂

Honey Marmalade – makes approx 4 x 225 gm pots

700 gm oranges (approx) (this can also be a mixture of grapefruit and orange)

1 lemon

Water to cover

250 gm runny honey

• Finely dice up the oranges and one lemon and place in a bowl.
• Cover fruit with water and cover with a plate. Leave to sit over night.
• In the morning transfer fruit and liquid into a thick based pot and add honey.
• Boil until the liquid has reduced and the marmalade has thickened.  A good test is to put some marmalade onto a saucer and run your finger through it.  If the marmalade stays apart then it is ready and if it runs back together it needs more boiling and reducing.
• Bottle into warm sterilised jars.

Hope this finds you enjoy the fruits of your life.

Arohanui

Y

www.becominghealthy.co.nz

GF Lamingtons

Well after two gloriously warm and relaxing weeks in Australia I thought I would continue the theme into this week’s blog.  I should mention here that I have been guilty of calling these little treats a Kiwi classic however after a trip to a Queensland museum it seems that I stand corrected and declare that Lamingtons are in fact born and breed in Australia …. unlike the Pavlova but then that is another story. 🙂

Anyway I had a great GF sponge recipe given to me by a friend which when I replaced the sugar for honey turned out a little denser than hoped so waste not want not …. we made Lamingtons.

GF sponge

I have adapted this from a magazine cut out which a friend sent so apologies if it is yours and please let me know.

3 eggs – separated

50 gm runny honey

grated rind and juice of 1/2 lemon

70 gm of potato flour or cornflour

• Preheat oven to 180 c
• Beat the egg yolks, honey,lemon rind and juice until thick enough to leave a trail for 8 secs when the whisk is lifted. This is a fair bit of whisking so electric is a good option.
• Fold te sifted flour slowly into the egg yolk mixture using a metal spoon.
• Whisk the egg whites until stiff, but not dry, and fold into the mixture.
• Pour into a lined tin and bake until it is firm to the touch, puffed and golden – around 20 -30 mins for my oven.

My GF Lamingtons

• Cut your cooled sponge into small squares
• Get 2 bowls ready.  One with desiccated coconut and one with runny SF jam (if you want to make it refined sugar free) or runny icing.
• Dip each small square into some runny jam (I watered down my refined sugar free plum jam)
• Dip each jam coated square into the coconut ensuring all the jam is covered.
• Pop on a plate and …. Enjoy.

Hope this finds you creating your own sweet treats and enjoying life.

Arohanui

Y

www.becominghealthy.co.nz

GF Comfort Food

Some of you will hate it with a passion, some will tolerate and others of you will love this dessert however no matter what you feel about it there is no denying that Sago is a economical and easy gluten free ingredient!

Sago is one of those things that has been around for centuries and used in many cultures and yet ignored completely by most of us due to the horror of having it served up night after night as a dessert.  Personally I’ve only just discovered it for my own use a year or so ago when themselves asked me what it was and then wanted to try it.  It be sure you need to have a love for carbs as there is little else in Sago (it is starch extracted from a plant) which for me makes it a perfect ‘healthy’ comfort food!! A little does go a long way for me though as the whole texture thing can be a bit much 🙂

Here are two simple recipes (one from Edmonds Cookbook and one from Olwen Anderson) for you to try if you want an economical, easy and tasty gluten free, refined sugar free and diary free dessert over the upcoming cooling nights.

Sago Pudding – Edmonds recipe

3 Tablespoons Sago Pearls (you could also use Tapioca Pearls)

1 Tablespoon Honey

1 teaspoon vanilla Essence

2 cups Rice Milk (Vitasoy rice milk with chickpea gives a slight custard taste)

-Mix all in a in an oven proof dish

-Cover and bake at 150 C for 2 hours.  Stir regularly during the cooking especially in the first hour.

-Best served warm

Coconut and Sago Dessert – Olwen Anderson recipe

As taken and adapted from Olwen Anderson’s website – this is a 1/2 recipe of what she had

3/8 Cup Sago Pearls

1 Cup Coconut Milk

1/2 Cup Water

Honey to sweeten as desired

– Mix Sago, coconut milk and water in a pot and leave to soak for 30 mins

-Stirring constantly bring the mixture to the boil and cook for 10 mins.  You will need to stir to prevent sticking as the mixture gets very thick very quickly.

-Taste and add honey sweeten to your taste.

-Yum warm or cold 🙂

Hope this finds you enjoying your day.

Arohanui

Y

www.becominghealthy.co.nz

 

A ‘sweet’ weekend crafty crumble

Well after a ‘sweet’ and busy weekend of being part of the Kapiti Women’s Expo I thought I would take the easy option of giving you another adapted recipe from Ann O’Dowd Fogarty’s cook book so that my Monday is a little less cluttered with things to do.

Crumble on the ready.

This crumble recipe is super easy and very crafty because it is pretty healthy and themselves still feel like they are getting that sugary crumble! While I usually just chuck stuff in using guess-timates I have endeavoured to use Ann’s recipe to give you amount for my adaptations.  I still think the guess-timates and ‘chuck it in’ works a treat though 🙂

When making apple crumble I tend to use eating apples (Gala is a favourite with himself so invariably that is what is used) as they stew up sweet without having to add any honey.  You can even get away with a rhubarb and apple crumble without adding anything else if the eating apples are sweet enough.  So I’ll put my adapted recipe here then I’ll post the original (with adaptations in brackets) over on the recipe page.

Crafty Crumble

50gm GF flour ( I used Edmonds as the gum helps it bind in the absence of sugar)

50gm Rice Flakes

25gm Dessicated Coconut

50gm Coconut Oil in solid form

25gm honey

25gm ground almonds – could replace with LSA 

25gm ground linseed – could replace with LSA 

• Mix the dry ingredients together
• add honey and solid coconut oil and rub into the dry ingredients with the tips of your fingers until it is crumbly.
• Add more almonds/linseed/coconut/LSA (depending on your preference) if the mixture is still too moist.
• Sprinkle on top of stewed fruit and bake at 180-200 C until the crumble is golden

As with all my recipes I invite you, actually  I encourage you, to play around until you get the taste you and your family like.  You may want more honey or maybe more coconut instead of almonds so go ahead and plonk it in. 🙂

Hope this finds you enjoying your week and seeing the sweetness in it regardless of the events around us.

Arohanui

Y

www.becominghealthy.co.nz