Honey Fig and Ricotta Filo

 


I LOVE baklava and came across a recipe in an old Vogue Entertaining Magazine not too long ago which has inspired me to make a naughty warming brekkie filo dish. (but by all means feel free to eat it with ice cream for dessert too!)

The inspiring recipe was names 'Sardinian Cheese & Honey Pastries' the picture looked divine, but the recipe read poorly... ricotta and sultanas mixed with lemon rind, stuffed into frozen puff pastry sheets and deep fried.

The deep frying turned me off..

I was surprised the recipe didn't call for filo and couldn't stop thinking about how delicious it would be to have the feathery light and fine filo pastry with the warm spiced ricotta, and how the sticky sweetness of baklava honey/sugar syrupy pastry would work so well. well my dreaming went on and i thought about how much more i like figs than i like sultanas.... and eventually i created it.

My first attempt i mimicked the baklava recipes and poured the honey syrup over the filo triangles after baking them to a satisfactory crispiness, i found them to become too soggy and so have adapted the recipe, brushing the syrup over the triangles again and again until i am happy with the amount of coating and crispiness.

It is a naughty breakfast, i cant ignore it. But on a weekend morning like it is this time of year here in Sydney...when i am sitting in the sun, (which is giving me less than enough warmth than i would like) a nice cup of milky sweet earl grey tea and a steamy-hot, crispy-sticky, sweet filo triangle full of warm fig and cinnamon scents is perfect to warm me up!

Here is the recipe, i hope you enjoy.

Honey, Fig and Ricotta Filo

Ingredients

* 375g Ricotta (drained in a sieve for 20mins)
*100g Figs (chopped and soaked for 5mins in boiling water and then drained)
* grated rind of 1 lemon
* Juice of 1 lemon
* 2tspn cinnamon
* 5tbsn rapadura
* 1/2 packet of filo pastry
*  4tbsn water
* 1 cinnamon stick
* 150g butter (approx)

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees

Mix ricotta, figs, lemon zest, cinnamon & 2tbsn rapadura together in a bowl

melt butter and brush butter over a sheet of filo pastry, repeat with 3 more sheets of pastry laying the pastry sheets on top of one another. Cut the pile of pastry sheets in half and spoon about 2 or 3 heaped tablespoons of ricotta mix in a triangle shape into the corner of each of the piles of filo.

Fold over and over to create a triangle filo pillow, wiping butter over the pastry each time you fold it. You want to create a nice neat sealed filo triangle.

Repeat the process until you have used all of the ricotta.

Place a wire baking rack onto a baking tray. Cover with a piece of baking paper.Place the filo pastries onto the baking paper and bake in oven for 20mins (or until nicely browned and crunchy)

While they are baking heat the honey, the water, the lemon juice, and the cinnamon stick over a low heat until slightly thickened. keep warm.

Once the filo are cooked remove the baking paper from under the pastries and use a pastry brush to wipe the honey syrup over the pastries coast after coast until you achieve a still crispy but syrupy coating on top.

Eat immediately, or if saving for later, re-heat very gently in the oven to ensure you don't burn the sugar coating.

Enjoy!

xx BA

Eggs Alhambra

I made this Spanish inspired brekkie a few weeks ago, it's something a little bit differed from the usual eggs on toast. It is gluten free and also a nice hearty brekkie for a hangover cure.


Eggs Alhambra
Serves 2

Ingredients
* 4 eggs
* 1 tin diced tomatoes
* 2 tablespoons Ajvar
* 1/2 onion diced
* 2 cloves garlic crushed
* 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
* 2 table spoons diced char-grilled capsicum
* 1 tomato diced
* 1 chilli finely chopped (or a sprinkle of chilli flakes)
* 1 handful herbs (i used coriander but parsley or dill would also work great)
* Zaatar, cumin, paprika, lemon myrtle (just a selection of spices to taste don't worry too much if you don't have all of these...just cumin would work )
* table spoon red wine or balsamic vinegar

* 3 Potatoes diced, par boiled
* cumin, salt, pepper, ground coriander seed, paprika, chilli flakes or powder


Method

Par boil potatoes and set aside. Pre-heat oven to 220 degrees Celsius

saute onion, and garlic in a sauce pan with the oil. add the vinegar and let reduce for a few minutes.
Add the tinned tomatoes, ajvar & capsicum and let simmer for 5 mins.

coat the potatoes in oil and sprinkle with spices, spread onto a baking tray and bake until browned crunchy (15-20 mins)

when the potatoes are 5-10mins from done you need to complete the final step of the eggs,
divide the most but not all of the tomato sauce mix between 2 oven proof flan dishes or large ramekins, add 1/2 a chopped tomato to each ramekin.
Crack 2 eggs into each. gently spoon over the remaining tomato sauce to partly cover the eggs
Place the dishes into the oven until the eggs are cooked (5 or so mins)

serve the eggs with a side of the potatoes and sprinkled with herbs
add a dollop of sour cream if you wish.

enjoy!

xx BA

Brekkie Salad (& how to make great poached eggs)

I LOVE breakfast, i love it more than any other meal.

When i was in school i would have breakfast for breakfast, breakfast for afternoon tea and breakfast for dinner too, if Mum would let me.

Here is a healthy breakfast salad, a bit of a change from the usual poached eggs 'n' toast.

On a Sunday when I'm lazy and sleeping in & my brekkie happens to be closer to lunch....i enjoy something in-between...and so... Brunch Salad It is!

This recipe is also a lesson on poaching eggs. Which although seems a simple task is one hard to master. I do believe with a gentle hand and a few good tips (which I have listed at the bottom of the recipe), everyone can achieve the perfect poached egg brekkie!

I hope you give this a go and enjoy it....Lazily on a Sunday of course. :)

Brunch Salad

Ingreients
(for 2 people)


For salad
* 1 tin lentils
* 3 tomatoes chopped chunky (or use almost 1 punnet of cherry tomatoes)
* 1/2 onion very finely sliced
* 2 tbs caramelized onion marmalade
* 1 large handful parsley
* 1/2c sliced char grilled capsicum (you could make them yourself, or buy jarred)
* 1/2 capsicum chopped chunky
* 1/2 lemon
* handful of chopped fresh dill
* s & p

For poached eggs
* 4 eggs
* 1/4 - 1/3c white vinegar

For dressing
*4tbsp red wine vinegar (or other sweet vinegar of choice)
* 1 tsp wholegrain or Dijon mustard
* 3tbpn extra virgin olive oil


Method

* Fill a pot with water,put on stove to bring to the boil
* while waiting for the water to boil put the salad Ingredients in a large bowl and mix to combine gently with your hands
* in a small bowl add the dressing ingredients and whisk to combine , taste and adjust, you want a zingy flavour. Pour over salad, mix again
*once water comes to a gentle boil, Add the vinegar use a slotted spoon and stir water to create a whirlpool
* gently crack an egg into the centre of the whirlpool, let It slide out of the shell into the water as gently as possible. This keeps the egg in one neat little ball
* adjust the hob temperature to keep the water at a gentle boil, if it boils too rapidly you may need to remove the pot from the heat for a moment.
*wait a few seconds until the egg looks white. Stir the water again and crack the second egg into the centre as before. The first egg should be riding around the pot in the current while you crack the second egg in.
* Put a handful or 2 of salad on each plate in a neat little mound
* after about 1 min use the slotted spoon to gently lift the first gag out of the pot. Check whether the white has set. Once it is you are ready to serve it up!
* Lift the egg out of the pot using the a slotted spoon and place on top of salad. Repeat w second egg
*repeat poaching with other 2 eggs for second person
* garnish with some herbs and serve.


TIPS FOR GREAT POACHED EGGS

- for the easiest poaching of eggs use a pot at least 23cm diam and between 8-13cm deep.
- use organic free range ,
- make sure they are fresh - pick the eggs with the furthest use by date
- fresh eggs have a almost jelly-like consistency to the egg white
- make sure they are at room temperature.
- Drain the egg carefully by holding a tea towel by the spoon and tilting the spoon to roll the egg a little. (Water sometimes becomes trapped In The white)
- Add the vinegar just before you cook the eggs
- if you are cooking a lot of eggs or if the water becomes too cloudy add another splash of vinegar to the pot between poachings
- don't let the water boil rapidly for too long before you begin adding vinegar and eggs, this seems to change the water somehow and tends to make the eggs more likely the spread rather than keep in a neat little ball.

Brekkie Quesadilla

 This is my current FAVE brekkie... Whats better is this is my Husband's current fave brekkie too! As he is carnivore and turns his nose at the veggie patch...this makes me VERY happy!

This is a fantastic hangover cure....it is also a quick, easy brekkie to make and doesn't make much mess....which is great if you are feeling lazy on a Sunday ...or if you have a hangover!

I have listed the ingredients i use, however since this is basically a toasted sandwich you can alter the filling to whatever you crave, or whatever you have in the fridge. I often use leftover spicy mexican beans i have in the fridge from my mid-week taco dinner (or sometimes mince or ham for Matt) . Caramelised onion, diced capsicum, sour cream or cream cheese, pesto or even saute spinach & crumbled feta would make nice fillings too!

I haven't given quantities as just like a sandwich it is up to you how much or how little you fill it.

ingredients

* Pita Bread
* tomatoes
* avocado
* Ajvar (or some sort of chutney)
* Eggs
* Cheese
* Herbs (i used coriander)
* a little olive oil or butter


Method
*  for each quesadilla whisk 2 eggs in a small bowl, heat a non stick fry pan coat with a touch of oil (if required) and cook egg (make 1 thin omelet per quesadilla). remove pan from heat.

* lay a piece of pita bread on the bench, spread with Ajvar grate some cheese over, sprinkle with chopped tomato and avocado and herbs, lay the omelet on top, grate some more cheese over, spread another pita bread with Ajvar and cover to make a sandwich.

* Put the pan back on the heat (low-medium heat) add a little butter or olive oil to coat, place the pita 'sandwhich' in the pan and cook until crispy and golden, use a plate to cover the sandwich and 'flip' the pan upside down to put the 'sandwich' onto the plate.

* add a little more butter or oil to coat the pan again then Slide the 'sandwich' back into the pan to cook the other side. Once crispy and golden flip or slide the now 'Quesadilla' back onto the plate.

* cut into wedges and devour

Nuttylicious Mousse with Banana & Raw Cacao

Mmmmm I had this for breakfast this morning! I know you might be wondering - mousse for breakfast!? But this 'mousse' which also makes for a great dessert or snack is a great way to start the day as it is packed full of nutrients, minerals, antioxidants, protein, essential fatty acids and energy :)

I have a real sweet tooth and love it that I can start my day with dessert without feeling like crap for the rest of the day :) The discovery that raw cacao powder is full of nutrition was one of the happiest food discoveries I have made :)

This is a dairy free, gluten free, sugar free, healthy, wholesome mousse that tastes delicious. If you want to make it 100% raw substitute the peanut butter for black tahini, macadamia nut butter or abc spread (nut spread made from almonds, brazil nuts and cashews).

The maca powder isn't 100% necessary but just adds some extra nutrition. You can also use regular cacao powder but try and get your hands on raw cacao as it contains twice as many nutrients and minerals than its heat processed counterpart :) I strongly recommend that when using peanut butter to make sure it is organic as conventionally farmed peanuts are heavily sprayed with all sorts of pesticides and are usually processed with added vegetable oils.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!

Nuttylicious Mousse

Serves 2-3

2 very ripe bananas that have been frozen, chopped
1/2 ripe avocado
1 heaped tablespoon organic peanut butter (or substitute with black tahini or other nut spread)
8 dates soaked for about 30 minutes (to speed up this process you can soak them in boiling water for a few minutes)
3 tablespoons raw cacao powder
1 teaspoon maca powder
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Pinch of cinnamon
Pinch sea salt
Cacao nibs to serve

Place all ingredients in a food processor or mini whiz and blend until smooth. Spoon into bowls and sprinkle with cacao nibs to serve. For raw cacao or other ingredients either visit your local health food store or check out Loving Earth online.


:) Biss X

Buttermilk pancakes with caramelized mango and ice cream

Substituting the milk with buttermilk makes these pancakes super fluffy and blissful

To Make enough pancakes for 2 for brekkie;

1 egg
3 cups s/r flour
1 tspn baking powder (optional)
1 cup buttermilk
Pinch of salt

Caramelized mango
1 mango
Caster sugar

These qty's are approximate add more flour or buttermilk until you have the right consistency ... Not too runny. The best way to test is by making a pancake. My Mar (grandmother) and my dad both taught me that the first pancake is always a failure! So try your batter and your first pancake ...AND THEN adjust your batter, for me it's the only way to get it right

Whisk all the ingredients together until there are no lumps

Put a heavy based fry Pan on the stove on medium heat coat with a thin layer of oil or butter to stop sticking

Ladle a spoonful of batter onto the middle of the pan. Wait until the edges get firm and the middle has small bubbles forming. Flip

If your heat and batter is right the pancake should look great
After a few minutes flip to check the other side is cooked.
Time to taste test !

Adjust heat and batter and continue to cool the rest of the pancakes

Keep them warm in the oven until ready

Cut the cheeks off a mango
Sprinkle both cheeks with sugar
Heat a griddle or pan on high
Place the mango cheeks down on the pan once you see it oozing a little check to see if they are slightly charted and caramel.... Once they are you're done!

Arrange pancakes in a stack on plate
Cut mango into a grid to the skin but not all the way through and invert, place on plate or if you prefer cut the piece off the skin and pile onto the pancakes

Add a scoop of ice-cream
Serve with real maple syrup...

I would love to try this recipe with half almond meal and half s/r flour and a handful of toasted coconut flakes thrown in too. There are so many yummy varieties of pancakes to be made for any time of year, get creative!


suggestions-
Banana coconut Raisin and maple
Strawberry ricotta and hazelnut
Pear raspberry and choc sauce
Almond and orange zest w yoghurt and honey

Don't be shy!

Brekkie sauté

/>

This is a quick and easy brekkie, great for a lazy weekend morning

3 cups washed and torn or sliced kale
2 tbspn caramelized onion marmalade
3 cups sliced mushrooms of choice
1 garlic cloves chopped
Handful parsley chopped
Small handful lemon thyme chopped
1 lemon
S & p
Extra virgin olive oil
Splash red wine vinegar

Sauté garlic and mushrooms w a little oil (and butter if you like)
Add the caramelised onions and kale and continue to sauté
add a splash or 2 of vinegar
Sauté for a minute more
Add herbs stir, squeeze 1/2 the lemon over and season to taste

Serve on rye toast with a wedge of lemon.

I like to spread the rye toast with some soft goats cream cheese before topping with the Sauté

Enjoy 

Berry Green Smoothie

2 cups organic beetroot greens, stalks removed
1 large frozen banana
1 cup frozen blueberries
2 oranges peeled
1/2 cup ice
2 cups water

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend, adding water gradually until smooth and desired consistency is reached. Serve.

Springtime Green Smoothie

Whilst staying on a friends property in the hinterland of the mid-north coast, NSW this spring, I went green smoothie crazy using all sorts of organic homegrown greens harvested from their fabulous veggie garden. The silverbeet was an amazingly lucid, bright, wasabi green after being blended and quite different to the deep, dark green silverbeet I am accustomed to.

2 cups of organic silverbeet, stalks removed
Flesh from 1 very ripe mango
1 large frozen banana
2 oranges peeled
1/2 cup ice
2 cups water

Place all in a blender and blend adding the water gradually until smooth and the desired consistency is reached. Serve.
 

Mango Macadamia Smoothie

Flesh from 2 large mango cheeks ( Kensington Pride mangoes are my favourite is)
1/2 banana
1/2 cup of milk (soy, nut, cow, rice
1 heaped tablespoon of raw macadamia butter
Tsp of maple syrup/honey/agave
Cup of ice

Blend until smooth, pour into glass and dollop with a tablespoon of natural yoghurt and serve with a spoon :)

Beginner Green Smoothie

This is a great green smoothie for beginners as the 'green' cholophyll taste isn't quite so obvious. As you start to get used to them you can mix it up a lot and become very experimental and creative with flavours, using different greens and fruit combinations. Try and keep in simple only using fruit, greens and water and for optimal digestion save your smoothie supplements like nuts and superfood additions for other smoothies :)

It is very important to mix up your greens and be sure not to have the same greens everyday - as always variety is best. To begin I suggest trying silverbeet and spinach as these greens don't have an intensely strong flavour.

Always try and use organic greens in these smoothies, and if you are buying organic produce it is best not to wash the greens under chlorinated water as this will kill a lot of the nutrients. Just brush off the dirt with a cloth :)

For more info on green smoothies check out the green smoothie pioneer and her family. They have lots of recipes and I love their 15 green smoothies in 3 minutes clip - Great for some ideas :)

Ingredients
2 cups of firmly packed greens (silverbeet, english spinach, kale, purple kale, curly kale, Asian greens)
1 banana peeled
1 cups of frozen berries of choice
1 orange peeled
approx. 1 cup of chopped watermelon
2 cups of water

Method
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Makes approx. 4 cups of smoothie.

This one in the picture doesn't look very 'green' as I used purple curly kale. Was delicious though! :)

Raw Cacao Power Smoothie

Want to fulfill that chocolate craving for breakfast but feel energised with no regrets? Try this smoothie... Raw cacao is full of goodness... I have a few variations of this chocolate smoothie combo. I love banana and chocolate together, the banana adds flavour, sweetness and to sweeten and makes it thick... I made this for breakfast this morning - I feel like another - yum!

Ingredients

1 heaped tbs of raw cacao powder

1/2 tsp maca powder

2 tbs hemp protein meal

1 large banana (frozen is best)

250 mls hazelnut milk

1 heaped tbs of hazelnut meal (left over from the hazelnut milk). OR you could use LSA.

1-2 tbs of bonvit date spread OR 8 dates soaked for 30 minutes

pinch of celtic sea salt

1 tbs black tahini

Handful of ice

Method

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve and enjoy immediately.

* If you prefer it sweeter you can always add a few more dates or try adding a pinch of stevia or a drizzle of raw honey or maple syrup.

Cacao & Banana Energy Porridge

This recipe was inspired simply because I LOVE porridge for breakfast in winter and I also LOVE chocolate! Steel-cut oats are high in protein and fibre and have a lower glycemic index then instant oats, helping to sustain your energy levels for longer. Cinnamon adds to the warming nature of this dish and the raw cacao is packed with minerals and antioxidants. This brekkie is bound to get you going for the day! :)

Serves 1-2
1/3 cup Steel-cut oats (local health food store)
1 3/4 cup of water
pinch cinnamon
1/2 mashed banana, 1/2 chopped to serve
1 Tbs raw cacao
1 Tbs ground flax seeds
1 Tbs sunflower seeds
Stevia or maple syrup to sweeten
Your choice of milk to serve (rice, soy, almond, cow's)

Combine oats and water in a pot over low heat, bring to the boil, turn down and simmer for 15-20 minutes until thick and creamy (as it thickens you may need to stir it so it doesn't stick). Remove from heat and stir in cinnamon, mashed banana, raw cacao, flax and sunflower seeds. Sweeten with stevia or maple syrup. Pour into a bowl and drizzle with milk and top with remaining banana. YUM!

NB. I recommend soaking all grains before cooking them - This will not only reduce cooking time but also aid digestion. The night before place the oats and water in a jar with a squeeze of lemon juice. The next morning place content of jar into a saucepan and cook as directed above.

Nut Mylk

Brazil nuts, almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds, pepitas. Which ever is your favourite - make a fresh and healthy nutritious alternative to cow's milk, soy milk and rice milk. Try nut milk.

Ingredients
1 cups of raw nuts or seeds (or you can mix - ABC nut mix is great; almonds, brazil nuts and cashews)
Muslin Cloth

Method
1) Place nuts in a bowl, cover with water and soak overnight
2) Rinse nuts and discard water
3) Place nuts in a blender with 4 cups of water and blend at high speed until smooth
4) Drape muslin cloth over a large bowl and pour nut milk slowly into the centre. Gather the edges of the cloth together and squeeze out all the moisture from the the nut pulp
5) Place nut milk in a jar or jug and store in the fridge. Use on muesli, porridge, make smoothies or chia pudding!

Tips
Keep the nut pulp in a contain in the fridge and use over the next few days. You can sprinkle it over fruit with yoghurt or replace it in recipes instead of flour or almond meal.

Chocolate Chia Pudding

Healthy and delicious. Chia seeds are full of omega 3, fibre, protein and antioxidants. Satisfy your chocolate cravings with this beautiful satisfying raw dessert recipe. It also makes for a great energising breakfast! You can also add a tablespoon to smoothies.

1 1/2 cups of nut mylk

4 tbsp of chia seeds

1 tsp of vanilla essence

pinch of celtic sea salt

3 tbsp of raw cacao

2 tbsp of agave nectar or maple syrup or to sweeten (you could also use a pinch of stevia)

Cacao nibs to serve

Place all ingredients in a jar. Seal tightly with a lid and shake well. Keep shaking every few minutes to ensure that the chia seeds don't clump together. They will slowly start to swell. For a thick chia pudding leave in the fridge overnight. The longer you leave the chia the thicker the pudding will become until it reaches a sago like consistency. Serve with a raw cacao nibs, sifted raw cacao and a drizzle of maple syrup or agave nectar :)