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

Vegetarian Larb

I remember trying Larb back in the day when I wasn't vegetarian and I remember the lovely zingy flavour combination of freshly squeezed lime, lemon grass, chilli and coriander mmmm. Traditionally a Laotian dish that is largely recognised as Thai - I guess there aren't many Laotian restaurants around! I have been dreaming up this vegetarian version of Larb for a while now but only just got around to it the other day. It's my first attempt and I am sure I can improve on the texture the next time - nevertheless it was enjoyed by all - meat eaters included!

I got my first share of cauliflower in my veggie box this week, and feeling anything but like cauliflower and cheese sauce I decided to turn this wintery vegetable into a fresh summer delight- the result? I want more now!!!

I haven't attempted a raw version however this was how I originally envisaged it - so you raw babies know how to do it! Lose the wok and just mix it all together! :)


Ingredients

The Wok

• Sesame oil / peanut oil a few tablespoons of each
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 1 red birds eye chilli finely chopped (adapt this to your spicy tolerance - for less spice remove the seeds, for more simply add the whole thing and maybe more!)
• 2 handfuls of mushrooms (I used button I think but any will do - I think a variety would also be great)
• Tofu crumbled optional (not necessary but I had about 50 grams in the fridge that needed using, it does add a bit of texture)
• 1/2 head of cauliflower

Method

1. Place the cauliflower in a food processor and process until it looks grainy like rice (you can also use a grater) and set aside.

1. Heat a large frying pan or wok over medium to high heat. Ad a few tablespoons of peanut oil and sesame oil and quickly fry the chilli and ginger. 
2. Add the crumbled tofu, mushrooms saute for a few minutes. Add the cauliflower and saute for a further 5 minutes or until golden and lightly cooked. remove from the wok and place into a large bowl and let cool a little for about 15 minutes
   

The Dressing

• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce ( you could also substitute this with coconut sugar or agave nectar and add some extra chilli to the mix)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
• 1/2 red onion finely sliced

Method

1. Prepare all ingredients and mix together

The Fresh Stuff

• Bunch of coriander chopped including about 1-2 inches of the stalks
• Handful of mint chopped 
• Head of baby cos lettuce, leaves separated and washed
  
• Bean sprouts
• Two handfuls of raw cashew nuts chopped or smashed (I like to place them in a tea towel and either smash them against a brick wall or place them on the bench and give them a whack with a wooden spoon)

Assemble

1. Poor the dressing over the wok fried veggies and stir through the chopped coriander and mint. Taste for flavour and adjust to taste by adding more lime or chilli or soy sauce depending on personal preference
2. Spoon a few tablespoons into each baby cos leaf and arrange on a platter (they can be tricky to balance!)
3. Top with bean sprouts and cashews and garnish with some more coriander

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

Mediteranean Quinoa Stuffed Capsicums

Ingredients
4 red capsicums
2 cloves garlic finely diced
a few tablespoons of olive oil
1 brown onion finely diced
1/2 large eggplant, finely chopped
1 teaspoon oregano
1 cup of quinoa  (I used tri-colour quinoa but regular will do fine)
1/2 vegetable stock cube
1 400g tin of diced tomatoes
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons of capers, chopped
1 400g tin of cannelini beans, drained. Mash half the beans with a fork and leave the rest whole
Handful of freshly chopped basil
Handful of fresh ricotta
Handful of grated parmesan

Method 

1) Prepare the capsicums ...
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
Cut your six red capsicums in half and discard the seeds - if you like you can leave the green stalk on the end - it does look nice for presentation and it will also keep the capsicums together :)
Brush the insides and edges with a little olive oil and sprinkle with finely diced garlic.
Place on a baking tray and back in the upper shelf of the oven for 30 minutes.


2) Prepare the stuffing...
Heat a medium sized pot on the stove, add a few tablespoons of olive oil and saute the onion with some salt and pepper for a few minutes until soft and transparent. Add the chopped eggplant and oregano and saute for a further five minutes or until the eggplant begins to soften. Add the quinoa, vegetable stock cube, water, diced tomatoes and capers. Turn down to a simmer, put the lid on and cook for approximately 20 minutes, or until the quinoa is cooked, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. When the quinoa is cooked add the cannelini beans and stir through some chopped basil.


3) Stuff the capsicums
Fill the capsicums with stuffing, top with fresh ricotta and sprinkle with parmesan. Bake in a 180 degree Celsius oven for 20 minutes.

I served this with a simple salad of mixed baby spinach and rocket, sunflower sprouts, finely sliced red onion and baked sweet potato with a dressing of dijon mustard, olive oil, red wine vinegar and natural yoghurt. It was really yum!

Biss xx

2 orange gluten free cake

This Is a delicious cake recipe I have made a few times. It is moist and rich and especially good with double cream or greek yoghurt.

This is a traditional jewish recipe which I have taken from my very favorite tv series with my very favorite foodie Mauve O'Meara.

Get the recipe here

I have adapted this recipe slightly by substituting some of the almond meal with walnut meal & LSA. I also added a generous pinch of saffron threads . Yum!

Martin & Ju's Summer Salad

This salad is a creation of my friends Martin & Ju. It is very simple and what I love about it is that it doesn't need a dressing. The soft sweet mango flesh, crumbly, salty fetta, sweet and juicy grated beetroot, crunchy pine nuts and peppery rocket all compliment each other very well... Now with mangoes in season give this one a go! Kensington Pride Mangoes are my fave with a rich, classic, summertime, sweet, pungent and delicious flavour...

Assemble....
Place approximately 120 grams of mixed baby spinach and rocket in a salad bowl. Crumble over 100 grams of sheeps or goats fetta, one medium sized grated beetroot, the chopped flesh of one large mango and a good handful of toasted pine nuts... Toss and serve - VOILA!

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 :)

Stir Fried Long Green Eggplant with Tofu & Coconut Rice (& Steamed Okra)

Stir Fried Long Green Eggplant (Serves 2-3)


2 tbs of extra virgin coconut oil
6 cloves of garlic
1 red chilli
1 red onion sliced
175 grams of firm tofu crumbled
3 Thai long green eggplant sliced into 1cm coins
1/2 cup of water
1 large handful of basil chopped
4 tbsps of tamari
1 tbs agave nectar

Place garlic and half the red chilli in a mortar and pestle and pound until a paste is formed. Heat coconut oil in a large heavy based pan or wok. Add garlic, chilli and red onion and saute until fragrant. Add crumbled tofu and stir for a few minutes. Add eggplant, stir to combine and let sit for a minute. Add 3 tablespoons of tamari and 1/2 cup of water, cover with lid and cook/steam/simmer for 3 minutes. Remove lid and stir through 1 table spoon of tamari, 1 tablespoon of agave nectar and the chopped basil. Serve with coconut rice and garnish with a few sprigs of basil, 1/2 the sliced red chilli and some raw cashews.




Coconut Rice
1 tbs of extra virgin coconut oil
1 cup basmati rice rinsed
1 cup of water
1 cup of coconut milk
pinch of salt


Heat a saucepan, add coconut oil and rice and stir over medium heat until translucent. Add coconut milk and water a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let sit covered for a further 10 minutes.


Okra
Two handfuls of okra

Place okra in a steamer and steam for 3-8 minutes until bright green and you can pierce them easily with a fork. Remove from steamer, season with salt.

Avocado, Apple & Sunflower Sprout Salad

Salad (Serves 2 )
1 ripe avocado
1 pink lady apple
Sunflower sprouts
Couple of tbspoons of fresh coriander

Cut an avocado in half and remove the seed. Carefully spoon out avocado flesh in one piece Slice into strips. Slice 1/2 a pink lady apple into match sticks. Roughly chop two tablespoons of coriander (or if very fresh just pluck off the leaves).

Dressing

1 tsp of finely grated ginger
1 tsp of miso paste
1/2 tsp of agave nectar (or other sweetener, honey, maple syrup, sugar)
1 tspoons tamari
1 tbspoons black vinegar
2 tbspoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tbspoons water

Mix all ingredients together.

Assembly
 Arrange a handful of sunflower sprouts on two plates. Top with half of the chopped avocado, half of the chopped apple and sprinkle each with a table spoon of coriander. Drizzle with dressing and serve.

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.

Fennel Winter Salad

I love to use fresh seasonal veggies. I bought some fennel bulbs, oranges and dill at the organic markets over the weekend and this was the product of their inspiration... 

Serves 4
1 large fennel bulb – shaved (very thinly slice with a knife or use a mandolin)
2 carrots, grated
3 Tablespoons pine nuts toasted
Rind from 1 orange
Rind and juice of 1 lemon
Drizzle of olive oil
3 tablespoons of freshly chopped dill
½ red onion finely sliced

Combine all ingredients, drizzle with olive oil and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

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 :)

Raw Spiced Chocolate Drops

Want to try the healthiest and most melt in the mouth chocolate you have ever eaten? Try this! The raw movement has been taking off and you can now buy raw pre-made chocolate in most health food shops and organic cafes. However it is so easy to make yourself and nothing beats the pride and satisfaction of making something from scratch yourself.  I must admit that this recipe comes with a warning - these ingredients are EXPENSIVE! However once you have these superior quality ingredients you can make it again and try other yummy raw chocolate recipes! 

I also think raw cocoa butter would make for a much better, healthier, more nourishing, skin healing and rejuvenating body and face cream than anything else on the market (and if you look at it like that is more than likely cheaper than all of those highly processed products).

This recipe was inspired by the Choc Chic which has a lot of great info about making your own raw chocolate recipes at home. To this recipe I also added a pinch of dried chilli and a pinch of cinnamon. Instead of agave nectar I used organic maple syrup.

Why raw? Raw cocoa contains over 300 nutritional compounds and contains essential minerals including magnesium. It has twice as many antioxidants as regular heated cocoa.

Za'atar Coated Marinated Labne

This is a delicious middle eastern style cheese made from yoghurt. It is so addictive and makes everything taste amzing! You can spread it on a sandwich, eat as a dip with some toasted flat bread or in a simple sald wiht tomato, mint and olives. I first discovered labne in Goa in India of all places. With so many Israli people there, there were quite a few cafes offering middle eastern style menus and that is where our relationship began.

Don't be put off by off by the lengthy process of making it. It is so easy. Obviously it is not a last minute thing and requires some thought in advance for preparation. Once you have bought yourself some muslin cloth you can make this time and time again. It makes a great gift at christmas or for a fellow foodie's birthday. Everyone loves home-made treats. It also keeps for quite a while in the fridge as long as it's covered with olive oil.

The basics
Muslin cloth
1kg organic natural yoghurt
salt

Method
1) Place yoghurt and salt in a bowl and mix together
2) Lay muslin cloth over an empty clean bowl and spoon yoghurt into centre of cloth
3) Securely tie opposite ends together.
4) If you have enough room you can tie the ends of the cloth over tap (preferrably one that isn't used often) and suspend over a bowl . You can also attach a piece of sting to the top of the muslin and tie using this
5) Leave for 24-72 hours to drain the water or 'whey' from the yoghurt. The longer you leave it the thicker the labne will be.
6) Open cloth and you can either spoon into a dish and eat as a dip drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with zataar or sumac OR you can roll into small balls and marinate (see below).

To Marinate
1) Roll labne into small golf sized balls and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper
2) Put tray in fridge for a few hours to dry out the labne a little more (this step isn't necessary but can make the edges of the cheese firmer)
3) *Gently place in a wide mouthed jar with a couple of cloves of roughly chopped garlic, a few sprigs of thyme and rosemary and a couple of bay leaves.
4) Fill jar with extra virgin olive oil until coated
5) Store in fridge

*You can also roll each ball in a small amount of za'atar for extra flavour.

Kale Chips

Salty crunchy chippy craving? Try these as a healthy AND tasty alternative. The crappy poor quality iPhone photo doesn't do them justice....

Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees celsius. Get a bunch of any style kale. Remove stems. Tear into bit sized pices. Mix with a couple of table spoons of olive oil and 1/2 tsp of salt. Massage to coat leaves. Layer thinly on a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake for 10-15minutes until crispy. Once you start you can't stop!

Week night meals ~ Vegetarian Miso Soup

I love cooking and I especially love it when I can take the time to cook during the week. However these days due to the nature of my work I often finish work late and want to think of healthy meals that are not only full of nutrition to keep me feeling energised, but that are also balanced, simple, quick and easy week night meals (I’ll leave the more complicated stuff for the weekends!).

I think I could do a load of posts on this, so here is one of many to come!  This is actually a new one for me to add to my collection and it was a tasty success J Inspired by my favourite Yoga teacher and friend Gillian aka Gaura Lila of Avalon, whilst in the health food shop on the weekend, I salvaged all the basic ingredients I needed to make this meal complete; miso paste, dashi, seaweed. The great thing about this recipe is that once you have these three basic ingredients you are only limited by your imagination and fresh food supply to turn it into something more spectacular. Usually on Mondays if I haven’t been shopping over the weekend the variety of veggies in my fridge can be a little sad. Although it was a hot day and the last thing I felt like was soup it was still thoroughly enjoyable and was a great meal to have late as it is easily digested and doesn’t feel heavy in your tummy.

Miso has great health giving properties and is especially beneficial for vegetarians as it contains 13%-20% protein and vitamin B12.  The most important thing to remember when cooking with miso is not to overcook as it contains heat sensitive bacteria (the same found in yoghurt), that assist with digestion. (1)

I have cooked with seaweed before, however I am not a huge fan of the big chunky varietys such as Kombu and Wakame so I chose to use Arame which is in thin stringy strands. Being summer and all I used white miso as this is traditionally used during warmer seasons.

My Miso (Serves 2-3)

Ingredients

1/3 cup dried Arame rinsed

1 carrot diced/sliced/julienned however you want!

5 button mushrooms sliced

1 sachet (approx 3 tsp vegetarian dashi granules)

4 Tbsp organic unpasteurised white miso paste

300g silken tofu, drained and cut into cubes

3 schallots finely diced


Method

Place Arame in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile heat a tablespoon toasted sesame oil in a medium sized pot and sauté the diced carrot and mushrooms.

When Arame is cooked strain and reserve the cooking water. Add extra water to it to make a total of 4 cups of water and then add this, the Arame and the dashi granules to the sautéd veggies. Bring this almost to the boil and then turn it down to simmer for approx 10 minutes.

Ladle about a cup of stock into a bowl and combine with the miso paste, stirring until dissolved. Turn the hot plate off and return the miso to the pot and stir until combined.

Divide tofu evenly among serving bowls and then divide soup and veggies evenly over the tofu. Sprinkle with diced schallots and serve. You could add tamari and/or white pepper to taste.

YUM!

Miso is often made with Shitake mushrooms, however the vegetarian dashi granules had shitake mushrooms in it already. You could experiment with other other vegetables such as broccoli, zucchini or even sugar snap peas which would add a nice freshness and sweetness to the soup and balance the saltiness of the miso.

Yours in yumminess,

Biss

********************************************************************************************************

Reference

(1)         Pitchford, P. (2002). Healing With Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition (3^rd Edition) North Atlantic Books, USA.