Compote, Chutney & Jam- Sugar Free, Delicious Gifts

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apples, balsamic vinegar, blackberries, caramelised onion, cardamom, chia seeds, chirstmas, chutney, compote, dates, fig, gifts, ginger, gluten- free, homemade, jam, pears, raw, red wine vinegar, sugar free, thyme, vegan, vegetarian, whiskey

So it seems this year i am actually 100% on schedule for getting this whole christmas thang going. Cue a few cups of good, fresh coffee and some Bert Jansch, a “few” hours in the kitchen and hey presto- homemade, gourmet gifts, all jarred and ready to rock.

Yep, half a day is all you need to get yourself on the homemade, healthy, high vibe gift wagon. Each of these preserves is delicious, full of love and full of nutrition. Thats right, we’re making nutrition decadent this year.

How about the stunning, whiskey kissed chutney? Onions are fantastic for ridding free radicals, reducing imflamation, are anti- oxidants and enhance your immune system. Vinegar has anti bacterial properties and the chia seeds pack heaps of omega fatty acids.

The jam is packed with anti oxidants, immune boasting minerals and vitamin C. The dates a fantastic souce of fibre and again, chia seeds bringing the omega party.

The compote, rammed with amazing flavours that are wonderful for easing digestion, full of fibre and vitamins that reduce blood pressure.

All in all, not what you’d usually expect from luxurious Christmas conserves. Guilt free, health giving and incredibly tasty. Give your loved ones something they’ll not only enjoy but also won’t cause any clogged arteries or expanded waist lines!

Ginger, Cardamom & Fig Compote:
(Makes 5 jars, Vegan, Gluten Free, Sugar Free)

• 24 Figs, soft dried, roughly chopped
• 6 inch thumb of Ginger, finely chopped
• 8 Pears, cored, roughly chopped
• 2 tsp Cardamom, freshly ground
• 600g Apples, cored, roughly chopped
• 4 tbsp Water

1. Pop all the ingredients into a large, heavy based pan
2. Cook for 40- 60 minutes until the fruit is very soft (you may even mash it up a wee bit)
3. Carefully spoon into sterilised jars, leaving an inch free at the top, cover each jar with parchment and replace the lids
4. Pop the jars into a large pan with enough water so that the compote is fully submerged (with the tops of the jars above the water line)
5. Boil for 10 minutes to reseal the jars

Caramelised Onion & Whiskey Chutney:
(Makes 5 jars, Vegan, Gluten Free, Sugar Free)

• 12 Red Onions, sliced 1/4″ thick
• 3 Red Chili, finely chopped
• 8 sprigs of dried Thyme, crumbled
• 300ml Red Wine Vinegar
• 300ml Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 tsp Sea Salt
• 3 tbsp Olive Oil
• 3 tbsp Whiskey (Single Malt is preferable)
• 3 tbsp Chia Seeds

1. Pop the oil in large, heavy based pot, heat on a medium/ high heat
2. Immediately after, add the onions, thyme, salt and chilli
3. Cook for 30 minutes or until the onions are very soft
4. Add the whiskey and both vinegars, cook for 40 minutes or until the liquid has reduced by half (you’ll want to turn down the heat after about 15 minutes)
5. Stir in the chia seeds and spoon into sterilised jars (sealing again as detailed above)

Leith’s Blackberry Jam:
(So called because the fruits were foraged just up the road but you could use any berry of choice, makes 5 jars, Raw (except for the sealing process) Vegan, Gluten Free, Sugar Free)

• 6-8 cups Blackberries
• 2 cups Dates, soaked for 2 hours
• 1 cup Water (use that which you soaked the dates in)
• 4 tbsp Chia Seeds

1. Blend all the ingredients, except the chia seeds until pretty uniform but still with some whole berries
2. Stir in the chia seeds and let sit for 20 minutes
3. Spoon into sterilised jars and reseal as above

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Sweet Potato Dosa Masala…

Tags

chutney, coconut, coriander, dosa, fenugreek, gluten- free, lime, masala, mint, mustard seeds, onion, saag aloo, spinach, sweet potato, tumeric, vegan, vegetarian

… why have i only just met you Dosa? You beautiful, delicious wonderful thing you! Traditionally gluten- free and vegan these wonderful light pancakes can be filled with a whole range of delicacies. I aimed to go traditional with Sweet Potato Masala but i guess it turned out more like Saag Aloo in that i substituted the dhal for spinach (as i felt there was enough dhal from the batter). You are meant to let the batter ferment over night which i somehow managed to overlook whilst i was preparing this dish. So i can’t really say what the difference would be, what i can say it that our Dosa turned out perfectly- light, soft and delicate. I served these alongside a cool Coconut and Mint chutney and a hot Lime and Onion chutney, and of course, plenty of fresh, raw salad.

Dosa:
(Makes 5, Vegan, Gluten- free)

• 1/2 cup of Brown Rice
• 1/3 cup of Dhal
• 4 tablespoons of water + water for soaking
• 1 tablespoon of Oil + extra for cooking
• 1 small Chilli
• 1/2 Onion (1/4 for batter, 1/4 wedge for applying oil to pan)

1. Soak the rice and dhal separately for at least 6 hours, drain and rinse well
2. Add the rice, half the oil, chilli, onion and half the water to blender and pulse until very smooth (can take up to 6 minutes)
3. Repeat with the dhal, then combine both in a bowl
4. Add more water as you need to, one tablespoon at a time, until you have a runny batter
5. Cover and leave overnight to ferment
6. Heat a skillet until very hot, pour a small amount of oil on the onion wedge and smear onto your pan
7. Add two ladles of batter to the pan and use the ladle (or a crepe roller thing) to spread the batter into a large, thin circle
8. Cook until bubbles appear and you can see that batter is heating through (about 1 minute), flip and cook on the other side for 1 minute

Saag Aloo Masala:

• 2 Sweet Potatoes, peeled and chopped into cubes
• 4 handfuls of Spinach
• 1/2 Onion, sliced
• 2 cloves of Garlic, minced
• 1 small Chilli, finely chopped
• 1/3 bunch fresh Coriander
• 1 teaspoon of Mustard Seeds
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of Tumeric
• 1 tablespoon of Fenugreek Leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon of Sea Salt
• 1 tablespoon of Oil

1. Pop the potatoes in a small pan and cover with fresh water
2. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat slightly and cook for 12 minutes, or until soft, drain
3. Heat the oil in a skillet and add the spices, onion and chilli, cook for 4 minutes
4. Add the garlic, potatoes and salt and cook for 5 minutes, stirring carefully so you don’t mush the potatoes
5. Add the coriander and spinach and cook until just wilted, transfer to a bowl
6. Wipe your skillet and heat again, add two dosa at a time (half of each will hang over the edge) add two spoonfuls of masala and fold over the dosa, press down gently and heat for 1 minute, repeat until all dosa are cooked

Cool Coconut & Mint Chutney:

• 1/2 cup of Coconut cooked flesh
• handful of Mint leaves
• teaspoon of Nigella Seeds

1. Pop everything in a blender and pulse for 2 minutes
2. Transfer to a bowl

Hot Lime & Onion Chutney:

• 1 Red Onion, sliced
• zest and flesh of 1 Lime (save the skin also)
• 1 teaspoon of Oil
• 1 tablespoon of Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of unprocessed sugar

1. Heat the oil in a small, heavy based pan
2. Add the onion and lime and cook for 5 minutes until soft
3. Add the vinegar and sugar and cook until syrupy.