orange almond cake

Finally on the mend and back at work with only a lingering cough. Being sick is just the worst, and I was definitely very miserable.

Feeling better means I'm back in the kitchen but still feeling like something pretty simple and basic, I whipped up this orange almond cake. I can't take any credit for the recipe as I picked it up in a cookbook somewhere, the name and place evades me.

I found this cake to be just so moist and flavoursome, holding its form perfectly even with no flour. I shared with my family who was also surprised at the moistness of the cake.

I didn't have almond meal, but had plenty of almonds on hand, so I processed 200 g in the food processor until fine.

Ingredients

(serves 8-10)

2 oranges

1 1/2 c almond meal (or 200g almonds ground)

6 eggs, lightly whisked

1 tsp bi-carb soda

1/2 c raw sugar

Heat oven to 160 C and line a spring form cake dish with baking paper

Place oranges in a pot and bring to the boil.

Simmer for 45 minutes, drain and cool.

Place in a food processor and blend until smooth.

Fold in almond meal, eggs, sugar and bi-carb gently.

Pour mixture into the tin and place in oven to bake for 45-50 minutes (until firm).

Remove from oven and cool.

Serve and enjoy.

herbed chickpea salad

Absolutely love chickpeas and it has been too long between friends.

Like, seriously, way too long. I even expressed to Joel how excited I was to be having chickpeas for dinner. He sarcastically responded by saying, ‘that’s great honey’.

As you may have read in the last post, we did a whole lot of gardening on the weekend and I had to harvest all my herbs. I don’t really like using up all my crops as I feel safer with still some sitting there. It’s like, but what if I want some fresh mint later in the week? What will I do then! I even get a little precious and won’t use as much as I like, just so there is always something filling the pots. It makes me feel wealthy in a very green way.

Anyways, with the massive influx of herbs in my kitchen, I have been throwing them into everything. Handfuls of mint in some mineral water, chives in my cabbage wraps for lunch, parsley on EVERYTHING.

Chickpeas are so tasty and make an awesome protein packed ‘throw together’ salad-like meal. And best of all, they are inexpensive. Joel and I lived off legumes when we travelled Europe. They were the most filling, affordable meal addition for us vegetarians/pescatarians, on a very tight budget. 30 Euro cents (40c in Aus) would get you a 500g jar of pre-prepared beans, peas, lentils etc and would easily stretch 2 meals each.

You can get super creative with chickpea salads. I’ve just thrown in whatever I felt like when digging through the refrigerator, but any fresh vegetables will work.

Ingredients

(makes 4 serves)

1 ½ c dried chickpeas, soaked for 6-8 hours (or 2 drained and rinsed tins)

1 spanish red onion, finely diced

1 cucumber, diced

½ c of complimentary fresh herbs (mint, chives, parsley etc)

½ lime juice

salt and pepper to taste

If you are using dried chickpeas, place them in a pot of water and bring to the boil.

Simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Drain and set aside to cool.

Add all ingredients in a medium bowl and toss well to combine.

Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes - 1 hour for flavours to infuse.

Serve and enjoy.

vegan curried 'egg' salad cups

I love a good curried egg salad. It reminds me of staying at my Grandma’s house when we were younger ‘kidlets’ . My Grandparents are/were mad water skiers and we would spend hours on end out on their ski boat in the summertime. My attempts of water skiing were never a great success. You see, I wouldn't let go of the rope when I fell and would be dragged under the water to the point of nearly drowning. This made me develop a bit of a phobia. So, I spent most of the time clinging for my life on the donut and cruising on the kneeboard.

Grandma would always make up a massive eski full of sandwiches and come lunchtime we were always famished. With my brother and sister we would sit with our feet in the water enjoying a super satisfying lunch of curried egg sandwiches.

As well as the lunches on the boat, during the school term when we would stay with our Grandparents, Grandma would always be up first thing in the morning making our lunches. Adding lots of homemade goodies like biscuits, fruit cake, Grandad’s dehydrated bananas and of course homemade bread with fresh curried egg and lettuce. There’s nothing better than meals full of nostalgia so that’s what this one is.

Although veganised and totally adapted from the original, it still takes me back to the summer days on the ski boat as the texture and flavours are still all there.

Ingredients

(serves 2)

300g organic firm tofu (homemade or otherwise)

2-3 tsp mild/stong curry powder

1 tsp hemp seed oil (or oil of choosing – olive also works great)

1 tblsp nutritional yeast flakes

pinch of salt and pepper

iceberg lettuce leaves

snow pea sprouts (optional)

Crumble the tofu into a small bowl, using fingers.

Stir in all other ingredients until well combined.

Lay out a lettuce cup and fill with curried ‘egg’ and sprouts (as much or as little as you like).

Roll and munch down straight away.

If you want to make it a take-away option, pack the lettuce cups and curried egg in a separate containers and make the rolls later - perfect for a picnic.

moroccan spiced homemade couscous

Sometimes I get in this mood where I’m ready to pack it all up and keep travelling. 

It certainly has nothing to do with not being completely happy and satisfied with my life at the moment, but more that I love living and experiencing all that the world has to offer.

Not to mention I love travelling with Joel; creating new memories, expanding our views on the world, planning life and dreaming together.

There is so much to see in the world and I feel we could live a thousand times over and still not truly absorb the cultures of the globe.

At the moment I am dreaming of Morocco. We were so close to getting there when we were in southern Spain, but with visa constraints, we had to be careful not to cross in and out of the EU.

So, this dish is Moroccan inspired.

I love the intense spices of the Moroccan cuisine, and teamed with a good couscous - yum!

Couscous is really easy to make from scratch, even quicker than the instant kind that you get in a packet.

Ingredients

(serves 4)

1 c course semolina

1/4 c chilled water

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 star anise, ground in a mortar and pestle

1/2 c pistachios, shelled

2 medjool dates, finely chopped

1/2 c fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 c fresh mint, chopped

1 tsp lemon rind, finely grated

1 lemon, juiced

Place semolina and chilled water in a food processor and process until crumbled.

Bring a medium sized pot to the boil.

Simultaneously, heat a saucepan on dry heat and toss cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, anise, nuts and dates for flavours to release.

Drop crumbled semolina into boiling water and bring to the boil for 1-2 minutes. 

Remove from heat, drain and rinse through with cool water.

Add the drained couscous to spices, warm through and turn off heat.

Toss through parsley, mint, rind and juice.

Serve.

baked rice paper rolls

I have a love of rice paper rolls.

But, Joel has an absolute love of spring rolls.

They are both great for dipping and serving as an entrée.

Not so long ago I wanted to see what it would be like to bake a rice paper roll, to see if it would be a healthier option of the greasy spring rolls. I was so surprised with the outcome. Retaining their freshness but still having a crunchy outer shell, they made for a great alternative.

When I gave one to Joel, he did his infamous “mmm tastey” and I knew I was on a winner.

It’s fun wrapping up the spring rolls, it can take a bit of practice but it’s super easy once you get the gist of what you are doing.

Keep in mind that these baked rolls don’t have to be Asian inspired, but could be filled with anything that you wanted really. You can even make ahead and freeze them ready for a party or impromptu entertaining.

Ingredients

(makes 20)

20 rice paper roll sheets

1 tblsp seseame oil

1/4 cabbage, finely sliced

4 spring onions, finely chopped

1/2 c basil leave

2 large garlic cloves, finely sliced

olive oil spray

Heat over to 180 C and line a baking tray with baking paper.

Heat oil in a wok and toss in cabbage, onions, garlic and basil frying for 3-5 mins until softened and fragrant.

Remove from heat and cool.

Place one of the rice paper sheets in some luke warm water to soften (I usually do this under the tap).

Once softened lay sheet on a plate.

Place a tablespoon amount in the middle of the sheet running the mixture vertically. Fold the bottom of the sheet towards the middle. Next fold the left-side so the crease is at the edge of the filling. Then fold the top down and roll the spring roll to the right.

Repeat method with the rice paper, until all the mixture is used up.

Place rolls on baking tray and spray ever so lightly with olive oil spray.

Bake for 20 mins.

Serve immediately.

grilled snapper with daikon sesame salad

It's so great to grow your own veggies especially when you have not been able to made it to the markets. 

But, nothing else in my garden seems to last like the radishes. 

I guess the kangaroos and possums have not acquired a taste for this peppery vegetable.

I've been eyeing off my daikon radish for a while now. Watching it slowly grow higher and higher!

Finally it was ready for harvest and I knew exactly what I was going to build with it.

It's so rewarding growing your own veges. I love being able to wander outside and pick a few leafy greens for dinner, or a couple of herbs to garnish a meal.

I look forward to the day the Joel and I settle on our own acreage with a HUGE vege patch. I will grow everything.. including my own olives for pressing and a small vineyard for wine.

But for now, I'm content with the few things that I am able to grow.

Ingredients

(side serves 4-6)

1 large daikon radish

2 tblsp sesame oil

1 tblsp mirin sauce

2 tsp soy sauce

1 tblsp nigella seeds

pinch of Himalayan rock salt

4-6 portions fresh snapper 

oil

Shred or grate the daikon and toss with all other ingredients, leave in refrigerator for flavours to infuse.

Heat a grill pan, lightly oil and sear the snapper fillets for 4-5 mins on each side.

Serve.

P.S. Our weekend was well spent.

rustic protein bars: vegan

We’re off to the snow this weekend for a small taster before our big week on the slopes in August.

Our snow gear has been in storage for 2 years as we missed last year’s season and the one before we were overseas. Digging out our gear was fun, it felt like Christmas again. I was constantly saying ‘Oh, I’d forgotten I had that!’. We hung our jackets and pants on the stairs to get some air, but it only made us more impatient to be at the snow.

So, we’re excited.

Joel is a snow boarder, but I’m a skier from way back. It’s always fun to tease each other on the slopes, as we’ve got totally different styles.

In the mad rush of getting everything together, I wanted to make a healthy and cheap energy hit that we could just take with us on the hill.

Because of the busyness I didn’t spend too long on the pretty-ness of these bars, so they really have that ‘rustic’ look.

I know they look rough, BUT, they are ever so yum and will do the trick for our protein and energy hits.

Ingredients

(makes 16)

Dry

1 c rolled oats

2 c popped amaranth

½ c coconut flakes

¼ c protein powder (I’ve used hemp seed protein)

½ c dried/dehydrated fruit (I recently dehydrated some fresh cranberries and gooseberries – took 12 hours)

¼ c pine nuts

Wet

¼ c agave syrup

¼ c unhulled tahini

2 tblsp coconut butter

½ c water

Heat oven to 130 C and line a loaf/slice tin with baking paper.

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Heat the wet ingredients in a small pot over the stove until tahini is well integrated.

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and stir well to combine.

Spoon mixture into the lined tray and press mixture firmly down.

Place in oven and cook for 45 minutes to an hour.

Cool completely before slicing.

Can store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or freeze pulling them out as required.

cabbage wraps with smoked trout and avocado cream

What a beautful weekend this was.

The days were so clear and the sun was out.

We went for a hike to recharge our batteries and took the pug dog as usual - I have no idea how our little fellow can keep up with the giant leaps and rock climbing.

He amazes us every time.

It was truly beautiful and felt amazing to be able to shed down to one layer again.

But, after a big hike, we needed to replenish our bodies with good wholesome foods.

We were pretty hungry by the time we got home, that's where I made up these healthy wraps.

I had to snap up a few pictures pretty quickly as we were both ready to devour these super wraps.

Joel kept hovering saying, "can we eat them yet.."

Full of healthy fats from the avocado, trout and cabbage - we felt so satisfied and wholesome again.

I reckon cabbage is a bit of an underrated vegetable. It's an excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of vitamin A. The uniqueness of cabbage in cancer prevention is due to the three different nutrient types: antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, and glucosinolates*.

*Glucosinolates: organic active compounds believed to have anticancer properties. These anticancer compounds operate in a couple of ways: acting as a natural pesticide triggering the body’s own detoxification systems, slowing cancer cell growth and supporting DNA repair.

Ingredients

(makes 10)

10 outer cabbage leaves, washed with thick vein removed

1 medium smoked trout

toothpicks

Avocado Cream

4 avocados

1 large lemon

pinch or two of Himalayan rock salt

Combine ingredients for avocado cream in a food processor/blender and whiz until smooth and 'whipped' - about 1 minute.

Spread a tablespoon of avocado and trout on the top of the cabbage leaf (horizontally). 

Then, gently roll from the bottom up.

Thread a toothpick through the top to secure the wrap shut.

Repeat and eat!

You could fill these wraps with what ever you feel like, they are super versatile.