blurry thinking: more bandwidth filler

blurry thinking: more bandwidth filler

Blessed be the vegans...

 Well last weekend I had my first all weekend function to cater for. It was the Australian Home birth Midwifery Retreat. 

60 beautiful women ( and 1 man) who all gathered at this fantastic retreat in the hills. It was a cold but cosy atmosphere, lots of love,laughter,tears and bonding going on.

My job was to feed these magnificent women who are out there caring for pregnant women and giving us the best possible births. I felt honored to do so.

An email was sent out to the retreat guests to ask if anyone had any dietary requirements so I could be prepared. Most of the guests were vegetarian and a few vegans.

I panicked at first then really embraced the idea of catering a weekend for mostly vegetarians.

The menu consisted of soups,lentil burgers,mushroom pies,sweet potato lasagne's, nuts,seeds,roasted vegetables, quinoa salads,muffins,fruit,crumbles,lemon tarts.....  I had a great time cooking outside the square and really enjoyed the fabulous feedback.

I made a particular salad that was a huge hit...it was my Savoury Quinoa Salad.

Quinoa is a super food! (pronounced  keen-wah)

It comes from the spinach family and is a seed. A complex protein! 

You need to cook it like rice and a bit like cous-cous.

Savoury Quinoa Salad

1 cup uncooked quinoa ( this will feed about 4 people)

2 cups water.

1 tbs ground cumin

1 tbs ground coriander

1 tsp sweet paprika

2 cup chopped roasted pumpkin

S'n"P to season

Big splash of olive oil

Handful fresh coriander chopped

Handful fresh mint chopped

1/2 red onion chopped into thin 1/2 rings

1/2 red capsicum diced

1/2 cup currants or sultanas

1 cup slivered almonds toasted

1/2 cup sunflower seeds toasted

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds toasted

Cook the quinoa in the water. Bring to a boil then turn to a simmer, till the water evaporates and the seeds start to sprout a wee bit and its softer to chew on.

Let it cool down.

In a bowl add all the ingredients and add the cooled quinoa. Mix together. Adjust seasoning.

You can add baby spinach or rocket.

Its a great super food. Google Quinoa and see the amazing health benefits it has for you and the kids!

I make a nice cinnamon quinoa porridge with sultanas and my little boy loves it.

Enjoy and cook some vegan food sometimes...its better for you and the environment.

Namaste.

Some like it hot...

Today I had a wonderful day sharing curries and wine with a few of my fabulous friends. It was an idea I have had for sometime but was waiting for a bit cooler weather.

I invited two couples and asked them both to bring a curry each. The result was intoxicating. 

The table was heaving with exotic ingredients and the air was filled with the smell of India. We had a lamb lentil curry, beef madras, butter chicken, cucumber raita, spinach paneer, carrot sesame relish and the usual bandits...rice and pappadums.

We all ate too much and had to go for a walk afterwards to make room for my Lumberjack cake served with lashings of cream. The dogs were all too grateful for this idea. They love a good walk around our leafy neighbourhood.

One of the relishes I made was a home made chilli sambal. It is a very easy recipe and a real hit with chilli lovers.

Chilli Sambal

 1 red capsicum

3 red long chillis

2 green chillis

1/2 brown onion

3 cloves garlic peeled

2 tsp ground cumin powder

2 tsp ground corriander powder

Salt n Pepper

Olive oil

Slice it all up roughly and toss it in olive oil with all the seasonings.

Put it on a lined baking tray in the oven about 180.c

Roast them off till soft and a little bit of color happens.

Let cool down a wee bit, then put it all in your food processor and lightly blitz till your mixture becomes chunky. Don't over puree it.

Makes about 2 cups.

Will keep in the fridge for about 2 weeks. You could make it last longer if you mix in more olive oil.

Enjoy. 

Make a cake...

Today I asked my little man when he awoke from his day nap what shall we do? His reply was "make a cake" ...

He is completely hooked on cake. Everything is cake this and cake that. We went to a wedding last weekend and the cake was made up of lots of little cupcakes with magical white sparkly icing. I took one home and we shared it. It was the most deliciously moist chocolate cupcake I have ever eaten. 

I don't make sugary chocolate cakes at home because my will power to eat one wee piece doesn't exist, so I try to make healthy,fruity low sugar cake. This way I can eat more!! Right???

So I came up with this recipe today...

Banana and Apricot Cake

160ml milk

2 tsp lemon juice

150g butter, softened

1/2 cup caster sugar

1/4 cup L.S.A mixture. (this a mixture of grounded linseed,almond,sunflower seeds)

2 eggs

2 cups SR flour

1/2 tsp bi-carb soda

1 cup mashed banana

100g chopped dried apricots.

Heat oven to about 180.c

Combine milk and lemon juice. let stand for 10mins.

Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy.

Add eggs one at a time till just combined.

Transfer mixture to a mixing bowl and add the sifted flour and soda. Add LSA mixture.

Add mashed bananas and apricots.

Add milk mixture.

Stir till mixture is just combined. It might seem a bit of a dry mix but it seems to sort itself out in the oven while cooking.

I used a slice tray to bake my cake as I wanted it to be a slice like looking cake. It's easier to freeze in portions this way.

I think it took about 40mins but check it at 30mins. I like to slightly under cook my cakes, as the heat from the cake will keep cooking it a bit more while its out of the oven and cooling down. I also put a tea towel over the cake while its cooling. I find this helps with the moisture retention.

It was a big hit with my little man. He kept saying with his mouthful " mmmm its good"

Bless his little cotton socks. 

Rainy days,Elvis movies and Soup...

Its has been raining cats and dogs today...(what a weird saying??)  I decided early on in the day that I would not be getting out of my PJ's till 3pm!

So my husband and son hung out together and made the odd visit into our bedroom to say hi and show me the playdoh creations they had made. I remained in bed snuggled under the quilt watching an Elvis Presley movie. 

It came time for lunch and my boys came into the room looking quite concerned at the fact that I wasnt getting out of bed and they might have to eat something out of a can.....Oh the terror!!

Just as well I always have a little something tasty in the freezer for such an occasion. So today we had Thai Spiced Pumpkin Soup  with a grilled cheese sandwich. Yummo!!

My favorite recipe for this soup is as follows

Its a rough measurement recipe but really foolproof.

Heat your oven to 180.c

1 smallish whole jap pumpkin ( or whatever pumpkin you like). Peeled and chopped rough

3 carrotts. Peeled and chopped rough

1 brown onion, peeled and chopped rough

3 cloves peeled garlic

Toss all of this into a mixing bowl and add enough olive oil to slightly coat ingredients.

Season with salt'n'pepper. Mix around and tip it out onto a lined roasting tray (might need 2 trays)

Roast the mixture off till pumpkin is a little bit softer.

Red Curry Paste

2 cans Coconut Cream

Vegetable Stock liquid or cubes

Fresh Corriander

In a large heavy based saucepan splash in a little olive oil and then gently fry off some Red Curry Paste ( you need to be the judge of how much spice you like). When the paste is starting to seperate a wee bit and sizzling add 2 cans of coconut cream and stir it thro to combine together. Turn your heat down to a simmer.

Add your roasted vegetables to the saucepan and then make up enough stock to give you a good soup consistency. Remember pumpkin really thickens up! 

Cook on a simmer till all the vegetables are soft enough to puree. You might need to adjust the stock and make it a bit thinner....better to add as its hard to thicken.

I use a bamix stabber to puree my soup while its still in the saucepan.

When its a great smooth consistency its ready. Check the seasoning and adjust.

I sometimes put in a tin of chickpeas or lentils after I have pureed. It gives it a nice texture.

Serve with freshly chopped corriander and crust bread.....mmmmmmm yummo.

Remember to slurp and wipe out the bowl with your bread. Its a respectful custom in some countries.

Enjoy.