These Are the Best Crackers We’ve Ever Tasted

Source: These Are the Best Crackers We’ve Ever Tasted

AVOCADO ICE CREAM CAKES

I can’t get enough of this cool recipe for avocado ice cream cakes by Lisa Habets. They are so cute and a lot easier to make than you would think. The recipe does call for a little bit of powdered sugar, so feel free to swap that for something else if you are trying to cut most of the sugar out of your diet, like banana. I love the color contrast of the chocolate and the green of the avocado. I think I’ll try these with pistachio mixed into the “ice cream” part on my next batch. Yum!

Check it out and let us know what you think or if you have a similar recipe to share in the comments below! 🙂

What you’ll need:

• 2/3 cups almonds, roasted
• 1/2 cup dates, cut in small pieces
• 1/2 cup dried prunes, cut in small pieces
• 2 ripe avocado’s
• zest of a lime
• juice of a lime
• teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 spoons of powdered sugar
• 300 gr dark chocolate
• 2 spoons coconut oil
• paper cupcake molds

How to make them:

1. Crush the roasted almonds small and mix together with the dates and prunes until it’s sticking together. If you see that it need’s to be more sticky, use some more prunes.
2. Take the paper molds, and take one spoon of the almond mix and put it inside. Press it really hard so that it all stays together. When you finish, put all the molds in the fridge.
3. Mix together the avocado, lime, lime zest, vanilla and powdered sugar until it has a smooth texture. Take the molds out of the fridge and spoon the avocado mixture ont op of the bottom. Place back in the fridge for 1-2 hours until it hardened.
4. When you see it is hardened, you can melt the chocolate and the coconut oil together in a little saucepan. When it’s melted, pour again on top of the rest.
5. Leave in the fridge for another hour or so. When it’s all hardened, it should be easy to take off the paper mold.

via Vegan avocado ice cream cakes — LISA HABETS

Smorgasbord Guest Post – Traditional foods you can eat in Cape Town — Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life

Robbie and Michael Cheadle are the publishing and baking powerhouse behind a series of children’s story cookbooks. A delight for all ages, it brings together traditional storytelling with activities to be enjoyed baking in the kitchen. In this guest post Robbie introduces us to the traditional food delights that can be found in Cape Town… […]

via Smorgasbord Guest Post – Traditional foods you can eat in Cape Town — Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life

Ogres by Author: Tania @ The Cook’s Pyjamas

Credit: http://thecookspyjamas.com/ogres-an-alternative-use-for-toasted-muesli/#comment-312714

Would someone care to explain to me why when you offer a child fruit and yoghurt for dessert they will turn their nose up at you.  Yet layer the same fruit and yoghurt in a cheapIKEA glass with some toasted muesli and suddenly it is dessert du jour?  This concoction is known as an Ogre in our house; something to do with Shrek and ogres and onions and parfait.  Sometimes it is best not to leave the room when The Princess and Mr Grumpy are on a roll.  Before you know it dessert has a name.

The Princess likes these so much she will readily make her own.  If she can’t be bothered to layer it in a glass she will make a deconstructed Ogre (known by normal people as breakfast).  If we are out of muesli however, no amount of convincing will get her to eat just fruit and yoghurt.  The crisp muesli is the key.

It took me an awfully long time to work out that toasted muesli was actually the same as the granola I had seen mentioned in many American recipes.  I lamented the fact that I couldn’t make such delights as granola cookies or granola bars, not realising that the main ingredient was winking at me from the supermarket shelves.

Toasted muesli is readily available in supermarkets and specialist grocers.  The price will be dictated by the ingredients used and can range from $3 up to $50/kilo.

Toasted muesli is very easy to make at home.  Doing so will enable you to add those luxury ingredients that would cost a fortune in ready made mueslis and will also allow you to cater for any family allergies.   I don’t like mine very sweet at all, so making my own lets me control the level of sweetness as well.

My favorite recipe is at the end of the post.  The basic process in pictures is as follows:

ONCE THE INGREDIENTS ARE COMBINED, SPREAD THE MUESLI ON LARGE TRAYS

STIR REGULARLY DURING COOKING

Ogres: An alternative use for toasted muesli

Recipe Type: Breakfast/Dessert

Author: Tania @ The Cook’s Pyjamas

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 40 mins

Serves: Fills 2 x 1.5L containers

You can use whatever nuts or seeds you like in this. If you have nut allergies just increase the quantity of seeds. Feel free to use whatever fruit you like. This recipe is barely sweet so increase the amount of maple syrup if you like it a bit sweeter.

Ingredients

• 5 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup roughly chopped walnuts
• 1 cup roughly chopped pecans
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup pepitas
• 1/2 cup sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup oat bran
• 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 3/4 cup currants
• 1/4 cup chia

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 160C
2. Measure the rolled oats, walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, pepitas, sesame seeds, coconut and oat bran into a large bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, place the coconut oil and the maple syrup and whisk to combine.
4. Pour over the dry ingredients and stir until the muesli seems slightly damp.
5. Spread the mixture onto two large ungreased trays.
6. Bake for about 30 minutes, stirring the edges of the mixture into the middle every 5 -10 minutes to ensure even baking.
7. Watch the muesli carefully towards the end of the baking time and check more frequently as it can burn easily.
8. When cooked to a golden brown, remove from the oven and allow to cool.
9. When cool, scatter over the currants and chia.
10. Mix together and store in an airtight container.

Chickpea Pudding (bread) by The Poached Plum Irish in Hertfordshire, food, genealogy, travel, archaeology & more

Credit: https://thepoachedplum.wordpress.com/

As a food lover & reluctant gym member, I occasionally have to pull back on my excesses in the kitchen.

This is the situation currently but it has led me to some interesting new recipes. With a little guidance from Slimming World (I have never signed up for anything similar before) I have looked at recipes which fit their weight loss advice.

Having recently got Jane Mason’s ‘All You Knead is Bread’ from my local library I found the recipe for Chickpea Pudding. Comparing with my Slimming World lists of food, I found the ingredients are all allowed without any of the ‘syns’ they name. Yogurt – tick, chickpeas (in the form of gram or chickpea flour) & lots of interesting spices.

Chickpea Pudding

200g chickpea flour (gram flour, from Asian stores)
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp garam masala (I had none so found a recipe online)
1 tsp salt (I used a little less)
200g plus 1 tablespoon natural yogurt
400g water
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
Pinch of ground asafoetida (again you will get this in Asian food stores)

23 cm/ 9 inch pie dish or plate, well greased

Put the flour, turmeric, garam masala & salt into a bowl & mix well. Add the yogurt & water & whisk to combine. (It will be a bit lumpy)

Dry fry the fennel & cumin seeds in a pan until they smell fragrant, then add the asafoetida. Scrape into the bowl if batter and blend again.
Cover & leave to rest for one hour until all the flour is absorbed & there are no lumps.
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Preheat the oven to 220°C / Gas 7

Whisk the batter and pour into the prepared dish.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 mins until golden and thoroughly set.

Allow to cool. Can be eaten warm or cold. Great with Indian dishes.

Chicken Burrito Bowl (Paleo)

http://indusinternationalkitchen.com/2017/05/chicken-burrito-bowl-paleo.htmlChicken

Burrito Bowl (Paleo)

Author: Indira Shyju

Recipe type: Main course

Cuisine: Mexican, Fusion

Prep time:  20 mins

Cook time:  20 mins

Total time:  40 mins

Serves: 3-4

Paleo and nightshade free version of the Mexican Chicken burrito bowl made with grilled chicken, cauliflower rice and guacamole

Ingredients

• 2 lbs boneless chicken (preferably thigh pieces) cleaned and cut into bite size pieces

For marinating chicken

• ¾ tsp cayenne pepper (or 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder)
• ¾ tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• About 2 tbsp coconut oil for sautéing the chicken

For Cauliflower rice

• 1 medium size cauliflower
• 1 tbsp coconut oil or olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped fine
• ¼ tsp sea salt

For the guacamole:

• 2 ripe avocados, peeled and mashed
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped finely
• 1 clove of garlic crushed
• ½ tsp sea salt

For the salsa:

• ½ of a red onion, chopped fine
• ½ cup cilantro chopped finely
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

For assembling the burrito bowl:

• Lettuce, shredded
• white rice cooked(for non paleo members)

Instructions

1. Dab dry the chicken pieces with a paper towel. Add all the marinade ingredients to a large bowl and mix well. Add the chicken pieces to this to coat well. Keep aside for 15 – 30 mins.
2. Heat a large frying/grilling pan and add the rest of the coconut oil. When hot add the chicken pieces and sautee lightly on medium until the pieces are cooked. (You may need to do this in batches since you don’t want to crowd the pan).Transfer the chicken pieces onto a dish and keep covered to stay warm and moist.
3. Shred the cauliflower into small pieces using a food processor or by using a knife to get a ‘rice’ like texture.
4. In the same pan that you cooked the chicken, add some more coconut oil and when hot add the cauliflower and the garlic. Saute on medium heat for about a minute until the garlic is toasted. Then add the salt and cover with a lid and cook for about 2-3 mins on low heat until the cauliflower is cooked. Do not overcook otherwise it will get too mushy. Turn heat off and keep aside.
5. Mix all the ingredients listed under guacamole in a bowl using a masher. Check for seasoning and add additional salt or pepper if needed. Keep aside.
6. Mix all the ingredients listed under salsa in a bowl and keep aside,
7. To assemble the bowls, place a few tablespoons of the cauliflower rice into a bowl. Add some chicken pieces. Add the lettuce. Then top with the guacamole and salsa. Mix everything well and enjoy!
8. Serve white rice additionally if needed.

‘Home-made’: Pizza night: Published on January 30, 2014 by Indu

http://indusinternationalkitchen.com

‘Home-made’: Pizza night:

2 Healthy Veggie Pizzas delivered!

Published on January 30, 2014 by Indu

Gourmet style Pizzas at home from scratch and that too on a weeknight? Yes, it is possible and I don’t even have a stand-mixer!!! Once in a month we have home-made pizza nights.  I used to until very recently get fresh pizza dough from the local bakery and then bake the pizza with different toppings and it was always a huge hit with my kids. Then I started experimenting making the dough at home too. Now I regularly make home made pizza dough too substituting about half the flour with whole wheat flour and  the pizzas taste awesome  – nice and crusty on the outside and soft and cheesy on the inside. Adding whole wheat actually makes it easier on the hands too to roll the dough! Did a spinach and mushroom with ricotta cheese and an another one with black beans-tostada style!.  So many options for toppings abound – anytime you are running out of ideas just gloss over the menu of your local pizza place!. In my case, the ‘black beans’ one was inspired by California Pizza Kitchen’s tostada pizza.  Most important question that you may have – How did I accomplish all this on a weeknight after work? Well I started at 5 and kneaded the dough and kept for rising for about 1 hour. I prepared the topping stuff while the dough was doing its stuff. And so at 6.15 the pizzas went into the oven (one after the other) and both pizzas were ready by 6.45. Dinner eaten and plates wiped clean by 7.15 ! 🙂

Healthy Vegetable Pizza

• Servings: 2 large 14 inch dia pizzas
• Print

This recipe will make 2  14 inch dia pizzas.  
You will need a pizza pan or a pizza stone.  
I used two round pizza pans(14 inch dia) - the ones
which have holes in them
Ingredients:
For the crust:
1/2 tbsp yeast
1/4 tsp sugar
1 tsp honey
1 tbsp warm water
1 tsp salt
2 cups all purpose flour
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking pow
2 tbsp olive oil(extra light)
about 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
For the spinach mushroom ricotta pizza
3/4 cup marinara sauce or pizza sauce (or
tomato sauce)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup onion
1/2 cup tomato
1 tsp garlic powder
2 cups spinach
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 tsp red chilli
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
For the black beans pizza
1/2 cup cooked black beans (or canned
black beans washed and drained)
1/4 cup chopped red onions
1/4 cup chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup cheddar cheese or mexican cheese blend
1/4 tsp chipotle seasoning
2 tbsp marinara sauce or pizza sauce (or tomato sauce)
1 tbsp taco sauce
1 tbsp chipotle ranch dressing (Marie Calendar's)

For the pizza crust:

Take a large mixing bowl and add about 1 tbsp warm water and add the yeast, sugar,honey and the salt. Stir well. Then add the flours slowly and the baking powder and the oil. Now slowly add the water (it should be slightly warm) and mix with your hands to form a nice soft dough.

Divide the dough into two equal portions and place in two separate bowls oiled well with olive oil. Cover the dough with a wet cloth or a wet paper towel and then cover with a lid and keep aside in a warm place to rest for about 1 hour.

After 1 hour, the dough would have risen a little (about 1.5 times its size not too much)

Now take the pizza pan and oil it well with olive oil. Also dust some flour on top.  Now take the risen dough and stretch it to form a round shape using your hands.  Then place it on the center of the pizza pan and press with your fingers and keep pulling it towards the end s thus making a circle that fits the pan completely. Using a fork make dents all over the crust.

Pre-heat oven to 475 deg F.

For the black beans pizza

Spread the black beans, onions, tomatoes,cheese and tomato sauce over the pizza base. Sprinkle the chipotle seasoning on top.  Place the pizza into the oven in the middle rack and Bake at 450 deg F for about 12-15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and crispy on the bottom. (Bake times will very depending upon the type of pizza pan used)

Drizzle taco sauce and  or chipotle ranch dressing on top before serving! Enjoy!

For the Spinach and mushroom pizza:

Take a medium size non stick pan or a wok style pan and add the olive oil. When hot add the onions and saute for a couple minutes and then add the tomatoes and cook for another 2 minutes. then add the garlic powder, salt, the red chilli powder and the oregano. Next add the spinach and mushrooms and cook for about 2 minutes on medium.

To the pizza crust as prepared above, add the marinara sauce and spread evenly. Then add the above mixture and spread to form an uniform layer. Scatter dollops of ricotta cheese here and there.  When the first pizza comes out, bake the second one exactly the same way (at 450 f for about 12-15 minutes)

Notes/Tips:

Do not worry if you are not able to handle the dough professionally like Mario Batali 🙂 The pizza will still taste good as long as you are able to stretch it thin enough to fit the pan completely. Patch working is ok!

I like to cook the spinach and mushroom mixture beforehand so that they get a better flavor than just using them raw.

As soon as the pizzas are done, make cuts on the pizzas using a pizza cutter while it is warm.