Chocolate Orange Millionaire Shortbread…

Tags

almonds, cacao, caramel, chocolate, coconut oil, dates, gluten- free, maple syrup, millionaire shortbread, nut butter, orange, raw, sultanas, tahini, vanilla, vegan, vegetarian

With the nights getting longer the streetlights pepper the scenery creating what is in my mind a beautiful setting from which to observe the city. From our top floor bedroom window we have an uninterrupted vista of Leith and Edinburgh at their finest. I don’t spend enough time appreciating this view (and nor would you if you experienced the crazy asse draught that gushes through) but at least once a night i take it in.

The beauty of (modern) life is spread out before me- people returning home from long days at work, people working on into the evening, traffic to-ing and fro-ing, taking people near and far. And it is all beautiful to me. Life in the city, well, its quite pretty.

But i’m not a city lass and every now i then i long for the countryside. For endless fields, hills and streams, for cottages, forests and single track lanes. For that unspeakably clear sky that reveals the myriad constellations of our heavenly sky. For farms, hamlets and vales. Yes, i miss and adore those things but then i am reminded, as a draw my curtains closed for the evening and i see that wonderful skyline- life right now, is pretty swell.

And just in case i need further consolation, well i whip up a batch of this unbelievably delicious millionaire shortbread and revel in the raw gloriousness of urban living.

(Makes 8″ circular slab, Raw, Vegan, Gluten Free)
For the base:

• 100g Almonds
• 1 tbsp Coconut Oil
• 6 Dates

1. Line a small cake tin with parchment
2. Blend almonds until very fine
3. Add dates and oil and blend until the mixture starts to ball together
4. Press into cake tin, cover and freeze for 10 minutes

For the Caramel:

• 50g Sultanas
• 6 Dates
• 2 tbsp Tahini (or Nut Butter)
• 2 tbsp Maple Syrup (not raw but you can sub Agave Nectar)
• 1 tbsp Coconut Oil
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 50ml Water
• 1/2 tsp Sea Salt

1. Blend all ingredients until smooth
2. Pour onto base and freeze for 1-2 hours

For the Chocolate:

• 4 tbsp Coconut Oil
• 2 tbsp Cacao Powder
• 1 tbsp Maple Syrup
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• zest of 1 Orange (optional)

1. Blend until smooth, spoon onto caramel and freeze for 1 hour or until ready to serve
2. (Remove from freezer 10 minutes prior to serving)

Blueberry, Cardamon & Coconut Pancakes…

Tags

almonds, bliss, blueberries, cardamon, coconut, Edinburgh, gluten- free, hemp hearts, lavender, Leith, maple syrup, nirvana, pancakes, vegan, vegetarian

Uh oh, we may have accidentally discovered culinary nirvana… not that thats in anyway a bad thing, but it could be dangerous. Especially since it involves pancakes. Yep, nirvana inducing pancakes. Curious? Yeah, i’ve got your attention right?!

These marbled pillows of ecstasy are extremely easy to prepare. The cooking time is slightly longer but once you start, you’ll soon be hypnotised into mindful contentment. Watching over the beautiful creation that unfolds in front of you…

Gems of deepest purple suffuse inky trickles of aquamarine in heavenly swirls. After a few minutes, notice how the berries come to life- bubbling with the constance of a heartbeat. Your olfactory sense picks up whispers of the most divine notes in nature- breathless sighs of coconut and distant echoes of cardamon.

Again, the accompanying ingredients are in themselves a theatre of delicate intricacies. See how the almonds deepen in colour as they roll happily a top a pan. Then, how they yield their tanned skins to reveal palest, creamy flesh. The griddled banana are in themselves, pure hypnotism- as they are engulfed by their own caramelising sugars, losing themselves wholly into the mystic fire of their own sweetness.

The taste is multi faceted, multi lingual and multi emotional. (yeah, i definitely made up that last term!) In one bite you enjoy a full spectrum of bliss. I can’t quite convey how truly perfect the marriage of lavender and cardamon is- i am lost to this combination for ever more. Within in this there are also so many other merry flavours. The rustic edge of maple, lingering behind the woody, almost toffee notes of banana. Grainy, earthy accents of nut and hemp seed complimenting the floral breathe of coconut and blueberry. The last word absolutely comes from the exchange between sweet cardamon and citrusy lavender. Swallow, smile, pause, smile more. That kind of dish…

(Makes 8, Vegan, Gluten Free)
(I ran out of all flours except generic gluten free, but i highly recommend using a combination of say, coconut and almond, coconut and buckwheat. I had sprinkled the lavender on top, but after the foodgasm i had, i’ll definitely put it in the batter in future)

• 30g Coconut Flour (ideally 100g)
• 170g Self Raising, gluten free Flour (ideally 100g Almond/ Buckwheat)
• 2 tsp Ground Flax + 6 tsp Water
• 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• 200ml Plant Milk (i used Oat)
• pinch of Pink Salt
• 1/4 tsp Green Cardamon Seeds, ground
• 1/4 tsp Lavender
• 1/2 cup Blueberries
• Coconut Oil (for cooking)

1. Mix the flax with the water and set aside for 10 minutes
2. Mix all the dry ingredients then add the flax gel and the milk, stir well
3. Tip in the blueberries and stir gently until just combined
4. Heat a little oil in a skillet and spoon 1 1/2 tbsp of batter onto the pan, cooking three at a time
5. Cook on a medium heat for a few minutes (about 4) until the sides start to dry and the blueberries start bubbling
6. Flip and cook for a further 4 minutes, place on a plate and keep warm in the oven until all the batter is cooked

For the accoutrement:

• 2 Bananas, split lengthways
• 1/4 cup Almonds
• 2 tbsp Hemp Hearts
• 2 tbsp Maple Syrup

1. Whilst cooking the last pancakes, heat up a griddle pan
2. Lay the bananas carefully onto the pan and cook on both sides until they start to caramelise/ bubble
3. Toast the almonds in a small pan until browned, remove and bash up in a pestle and mortar
4. To serve, arrange the pancakes on plates, carefully lay the bananas on top, drizzle the maple around, sprinkle on the almonds and hemp and decorate with a few more sprigs of lavender

Cacao, Banana & Coconut Ice Cream…

Tags

agave nectar, banana, cacao, coconut, gluten- free, homemade, ice cream, maple syrup, vegan, vegetarian

Yes, yes, yes. It’s definitely warm enough to jump gleefully onto the ice cream band wagon. And what a flavour to begin with. Potent cacao lending a serious back bone to the sweet, silky banana. The creamy coconut is subtle- it whispers gently amidst bites. The nutty maple and sharp agave dance the tango on the taste buds. All in all, this is the perfect choreograph of flavours.

And its relatively good for you. What what what? Yup, thats right- good fats for your beautiful bodies and only minimal, natural sugars.

On top of that, its such an easy recipe. Just blend, stir, freeze, wait. A voila!

(Makes 1 small tub, Vegan, Gluten free)

• 1 can rich Coconut Milk
• 4 tbsp raw Cacao Powder
• 2 frozen Bananas
• 3/4 tsp Xanthan Gum
• 1 tbsp Maple Syrup
• 1 tbsp Agave Nectar

1. Pop your can of coconut milk in the freezer, remove the bananas and allow to defrost for an hour
2. Remove the can from the freezer and carefully turn upside down, open the can and drain the watery liquid, leaving the rich cream (use the water in smoothies etc)
3. Spoon the cream into a blender and add all the other ingredients
4. Blitz until smooth, thick and creamy
5. Transfer to a container- you can either enjoy this as soft scoop, or freeze for at 3 hours
6. Allow to defrost for 30 minutes before attempting to serve

Amaranth Pumpkin Porridge, a la My New Roots…

Tags

amaranth, beauty, calcium, coconut flakes, coconut milk, gluten- free, love, maple syrup, my new roots, nutrition, porridge, protein, pumpkin puree, spices, vegan, vegetarian, wholesome

When a recipe sounds so good and intriguing, there are few lengths i will not go to in order to make it. Thus it was that i got home from a night out on Saturday and at 01.30am, starting preparing for our Sunday brunch. Quiet as a mouse (well, at least i hoped i was) i set to soaking my amaranth and made spiced pumpkin puree.

Why on earth would i be so determined to make a dish you ask? Because said dish involved an ingredient i’d never come across before- and i’m a sucker for new things. Amaranth, the vegan’s best friend. Containing more Calcium than Cow’s milk and full of Protein. Sarah details its properties perfectly so i shall usher you over to her site at My New Roots. Her admiration for Amaranth is really quite contagious and i guess thats why i went to so much effort to recreate the porridge. This seeds deserves respect. Plus, i had a surplus of homemade Coconut Milk so everything just seemed to fall into place.

This is a dish that requires attention, that requires love and effort. But when you create something that is so good for you, that has such complex and interesting flavours, well then you happily give it your all. A perfect weekend porridge. Both Callum and I were involved in its creation- to ensure it didn’t burn, that it was cooked just right. But also, its a dish of love, a dish that has as much to do with the togetherness of the people eating it as to do with the combinations of ingredients. The results are simply a bowl of good looking porridge, but you know that what you are eating is as good for the soul as it is for the body. Can you tell i’m quite enamoured by it?

(Serves 2, Vegan, Gluten- free)

• 1/2 cup Amaranth, soaked overnight
• 1 cup Coconut Milk
• 1/3 cup Pumpkin Puree
• pinch of Sea Salt
• 1/2 tablespoon of Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Ginger, Cloves, ground
• 1/3 vanilla pod
• 1 tablespoon of Maple Syrup + extra for serving
• 1/3 cup coconut flakes, toasted

1. Peel and chop 1/4 of a Pumpkin, boil for 12 minutes or until soft, drain
2. Either mash well, or blend the pumpkin with the spices and salt and set aside
3. Drain the amaranth and rinse
4. In a medium pan, combine the coconut milk, amaranth, vanilla, maple syrup and pumpkin puree, stir well
5. Bring to the boil and reduce the heat to a low simmer (keep stirring to ensure the bottom doesn’t burn) and cook for 15 minutes
6. Meanwhile, toast your coconut flakes
7. When the 15 minutes is up, take the porridge off the heat and cover, leave for 10 minutes to thicken
8. Serve with an extra splash of coconut milk, a little maple syrup and the coconut flakes

Sit down somewhere comfy, marvel at the beauty of your brunch, take in the amazing array of smells. Eat slowly and enjoy each mouthful!

Crispy Tofu & Marinated Bean Curd Parcels…

Tags

bean curd, coriander, garlic, ginger, gluten- free, maple syrup, marinade, parcels, rice wine vinegar, sesame, soba noodles, soy, tofu, vegan, vegetarian

Over the last few days i’ve visited our local Asian supermarket a fair few times. God knows why it had been so long since i’d been- everything there blows my mind. So many new, interesting, incomprehensible (sadly i don’t speak Mandarin) goods on offer. I went in search of good quality tofu and rice wrappers. Hidden away at the back of the shop was more tofu than you could shake a very beautiful bamboo stick at. Sadly i didn’t find rice wrappers though i did end up with some pretty funky Bean Curd alternatives.

I guess it started with the midnight Ramen and since then i’ve developed a serious craving for all things marinated in sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, ginger etc, etc. In my hunt for some really firm tofu i managed to pick up some Soba noodles and Nori wrapper and can’t i just feel Sushi coming on. But last night i decided to start with a baby step- steamed Bean Curd Parcels. I don’t own a steamer of any sort but made do with a sieve placed over a very shallow pan of boiling water and the results were just fine. I wanted the filling of the parcels to be as barely cooked as possible so i cut all my veg into matchsticks and marinated them in a whole heap of good stuff. To accompany both the parcels and the grainy, dark noodles i opted for an earthy, sweet marinated tofu.

Sadly the tofu wasn’t nearly as firm as i’d dreamed, instead we ended up with a kind of delicious crispy scrambled tofu affair- lush none the less. Oh well, the search continues…

Serves 2, Vegan, Gluten- Free

Crispy Marinated Tofu:

• 1/2 block of firm Tofu (good luck)
• 1 tablespoon of Sesame Oil
• 1 tablespoon of Rice Wine Vinegar
• 1/2 tablespoon of Soy Sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon of Coriander Seeds (or fresh if you have)
• 1 tablespoon of Brown Sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon of Maple Syrup

1. Drain the tofu and try to remove as much excess juice as possible- i put mine between a few sheets of kitchen roll and pop a heavy pan on top
2. Chop into slabs and lay on a roasting tray
3. Combine all the other ingredients in a cup and then pour over your tofu
4. Carefully mix this all together to ensure all the tofu is coated
5. Cover and leave for a minimum of 1 hour
6. Heat a skillet (yes! i have one now- Thanks Shelley) until smoking hot
7. Add the tofu and cook for 6-8 minutes, until crispy

Marinated Bean Curd Parcels:
(Makes 2 very large, 4 medium parcels, Vegan, Gluten- Free)

• 1 sheet Bean Curd Wrapper (depending on your wrapper)
• 2 Spring Onions
• 1 stalk of Celery
• 1 Carrot
• handful of Sugar Snap Peas
• handful of Red Cabbage
• juice of 1 Lemon
• 1 tablespoon of Rice Wine Vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon of Salt
• 2 cloves of Garlic
• 1 thumb of Ginger
• 1 Red Chilli

1. Wipe your wrappers with a damp cloth to remove excess salt, fold in half and then cut into 2 rectangles
2. Cut/ julienne all your vegetables into matchsticks, combine in a measuring jug
3. Add all the other ingredients to a blender and blitz until smooth
4. Pour over the vegetables, cover and toss to coat everything, do this every 15 minutes for 1 hour
5. Place a couple of spoonfuls of veg onto your wrappers, fold the sides over then fold the top and bottom, secure with toothpicks
6. Steam for no longer than 5 minutes

I served the tofu over Soba noodles which i drizzled in (more!) Sesame Oil and the parcels on the side with a simple radish/ leaf salad.

 

Flour-less Banana Pancakes…

Tags

agave nectar, almond butter, almond milk, banana, flour free, glaze, gluten- free, maple syrup, nuts, oats, pancakes, peanut butter, vegan, vegetarian

… don’t behave like regular pancakes. That being said, they are a wonderful change from their doughy counter parts. I used Sarah’s recipe but changed a few things, namely, more banana, the addition of almond butter and the substitution of agave instead of maple syrup. I served them with more fresh banana, toasted nuts, seeds and coconut flakes and a peanut butter/ maple glaze. Instead of flour you use oat and nut meal, and i think this is where the beauty lies- such an interesting, wholesome texture, combining with that gentle banana flavour.

So yes, they aren’t the easiest things to cook. Its less of flipping more scrapping and flopping over. Quite messy, but worth it. I got 15 little pancakes from this recipe, you could easily half the recipe (but i really wasn’t into attempting anymore conversions after my last post) or keep half in the fridge to use at another time (they’ll keep for a few days).

Gluten- free, vegan, flour- free. (I used a coffee mug to measure my ingredients as i don’t own imperial cups)

• 1/3 cup of mixed Nuts (mostly cashews)
• 2/3 cup of Gluten- free Oats
• 1/2 teaspoon of Baking powder and bicarb
• scant pinch of Salt
• 2 ripe Bananas
• 1 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
• 1 teaspoon of Coconut Oil
• 2/3 cup of Almond Milk
• 1/2 cup of Almond Butter
• 1 tablespoon of Agave Nectar

1. Blend the nuts until they resemble breadcrumbs, transfer to a bowl
2. Do the same with the oats
3. Stir in the baking powder, soda and salt
4. Blend the bananas and all the other wet ingredients until smooth
5. Stir into the dry ingredients, leave to rest for 30 minutes
6. To cook, turn your oven to 180c, heat some coconut oil in a frying pan on a high heat, reduce the heat to low and spoon one tablespoon of batter for each pancake- you can cook 3 at a time
7. Cook for 4 minutes then attempt to flip over, cook the other side for the same time, repeat until all the batter is gone, keep your cooked pancakes warm in the oven until you’ve finished the last.

To make the glaze, heat 2 tablespoons of Peanut butter in a small pan with 3 tablespoons of Maple syrup. Stir until quite runny.