Saturday 30 April 2011

Rosemary, Sage, Tomato and Flax Crackers...




I wanted to come up with a "nut-less" Cracker... 
So, I did. They are fantastic! 



Ingredients...

Pre-heat oven to 180c
1 1/2 cups Flax Meal
3 tbsp Chai seeds
1 tbsp chopped Sage
1 tbsp chopped Rosemarry
10 semi dried Tomatoes
2 tbsp Sesame seeds
2 tbsp Poppy seeds
1 tsp Celtic sea salt
1 tbsp Olive oil
1 white of an egg




 Ingredients...



 1. Place all ingredients in a bowl and whiz until balling form.



 2. Your mix will now be looking like this.



 3. With your hands first make a square out of your mix and push out as much as possible. (I placed glad wrap on my bench first and then my mix).



 4. Place another layer of glad wrap over your cracker dough. Roll out until very thin.



 5. Remove layer of glad wrap and cut out your crackers.



6. Place your crackers on greased oven trays and bake for around 25 minutes. I pulled my crackers out every 4 minutes and turned them over. Each oven is different so just ensure to watch your crackers carefully. My oven is well older than I am. New ovens will crisp them up much faster!


I Love these! 
I hope you do as well.
ENJOY!


Chocolate Fudge Slice with Chocolate & Avocado Mousse ...




I have someone close to me that has a real SWEET tooth, and this went down just nicely...


Ingredients...

Fudge ingredient

100gms 85% Dark Chocolate (melted)
1 cup (not packed) soft dates
1/2 cup Pecans
1/2 cup Macadamia nuts
1 cup Shredded coconut
1 tbsp Coconut cream

Chocolate & Avocado Mousse Ingredients...

1 large Avocado
1 tbsp Creamed Raw Bush Honey 
100gms 85% Dark Chocolate (melted)
2 tsp Chai Seeds


Fudge Process...




 
 1. Place all Fudge ingredient in a food processor and blitz just enough to be "ball" form.


 2. The Fudge ingredients will now look like this.


3. Place your now ready fudge in a medium size loaf tin and press out evenly. Place in fridge to set.


Chocolate and Avocado Mousse process...




 1. Place all mousse ingredient in a mixing bowl and whiz with your whiz stick (or blend in a food processor). Continue until well whipped.


2. Spread your mousse over the cooled fudge slice. Place your slice in the fridge for a further hour or so.


There you have it! This is so easy to put together. Its really rich, but not overly sweet.
ENJOY


Friday 29 April 2011

Mustard Sauce Baked Chicken...




If your in the mood for flavor!


Ingredients...

pre-heat oven to 200c

2x Chicken Breast
1 tbsp chopped Rosemary
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp Wholegrain Mustard
4 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup white balsamic vinagar
1/4 coconut cream
1/4 cup water
1 pinch celtic sea salt
1 tsp cracked pepper




 1. Main ingredients...



 2. In a bowl mix together Dijon mustard, Whole grain Mustard, Coconut cream, and water.



 3. In an oven safe pan (I used cast iron) Sear your chicken breast either side.



 4. Add your rosemary, garlic, white balsamic, and salt and pepper. Just lightly saute.



 5. Top next with your mixed sauce ingredients and just bring to a simmer. Place in the center of your oven for around 15-20 minutes on 200c.



6. After 15-20 minutes your chicken and sauce should be looking like this. Rich and coated! 


There you have a great baked chicken in a creamy sauce. This chicken dish goes well with my celeriac dauphanoise or even a green salad.

ENJOY!
 

Celeriac Dauphinoise...




A Paleo Styled "potato" Bake...


Ingredients...

pre-heat oven 200c

1x medium sized celeriac 
5x cloves of garlic
1x heaped tbsp fresh chopped thyme
1x brown onion
1 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tbsp sauce (in normal dauphinoise I would put 4 or 5 anchovies, but I didnt have any. Its basically put there to add that rich salty taste. So I subbed mine for fish sauce. Worked just as well).
3/4 tin coconut cream
1/2 cup finely diced bacon
Cracked Pepper (as much as you like, I put 1 heaped tsp)




 1. Main ingredients...



 2. Celeriac and brown onion as THINLY sliced as you can.



 3. Bacon Diced into tiny pieces.



 4. In a mixing bowl add coconut cream, Minced garlic, Chopped thyme, nutmeg, fish sauce, and cracked pepper. Mix all together.



 5. I used a medium sized loaf tin, and greased it. I made a layer of celeriac, brown onion, and bacon.



 6. I then poured a layer of the sauce mix. Followed by another layer of step 5.  I continued back and forth like this until all layers were finished.



7. When your done layering, your oven ready dauphinoise should look like above. I placed mine in the center of my oven. Baked it on 200c for around 45minutes, or until celeriac is soft and your sauce is rich and reduced.


This is a great side to any meal. We had it with mustard sauce baked chicken.

Enjoy!

Thursday 28 April 2011

Warm Paleo Porridge with cranberrys and chai seeds...




Mmm, This is my new Favorite quick breakfast!


Ingredients...
(mix will make around 10 or so serves)

1 1/4 cups of ground chai seeds
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup whey protein isolate 
1/4 cup ground maca root powder
1/4 cup dried coconut milk powder
1/4 cup carob powder
1/4 cup ground sunflower seeds
1/2 cup dried cranberry
1/2 cup dried apricot
1/2 cup dried dates




 One and Only Step in making mix! Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix WELL!




Keep your "porridge" Mix in a Air tight container.




Preparation instructions... 


1. Boil a jug (kettle what ever)
2. If your little like me 1/2 a cup of mix will do
3. 1 cup of boiled water and stir
4. let stand for 2 minutes while chia seeds gel
5. Top with coconut milk, almond milk, macadamia milk or what ever you'd like
6. Add your choice of sweetener (remember there was no sweetener apart from the dried fruit) I add a spoon of manuka honey to mine.
7. I top mine with raw nuts!
 



Its my new favorite working week breakfast! Even My non paleo fiance likes it (secretly he's turning to our side) It kept me fueled up and ready to start my day!


 

Macadamia Nut Cheese...




The only thing i have missed since paleo is...
CHEESE!!!


Ingredients...

180gm raw soaked macadamia nuts
juice of one lime
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp ground cumin
2 pro-biotic Capsule with acidophilus (to assist culturing, use only the capsule powder from inside)
1 tsp Celtic sea salt
1/4 cup of water




 1. Soak Nuts for around 2 hours and strain...



 2. Place all ingredient (apart from water) in a large mixing bowl and blitz (or blend in a food processor)



 3. Your mix should be looking like this. Now add the water and mix until smooth.



 4. Your macadamia mix should now look like this...



 5. Get your self a large empty mixing bowl, and a strainer. Set the bowl under the strainer.



 6. Place your "Maca" mix in the center of a cheese cloth. Bring all sides together and tightly tie a knot. Place your filled cheese cloth in the center of your strainer.



 7. Place a heavy ceramic bowl on the top, and fill it with a heavy object (I used an old bag of sugar seeing as I no longer need sugar). This will apply pressure on your mix and push out the excess liquid over process time. I then placed plastic wrap over the entire "cheese stand". I left my cheese "brewing" away over night (on my bench). When I woke I removed my cheese from the cheese cloth and placed it in the fridge until it was cold.



8. My cheese now looked like this at its plain untouched form. Its more like a dry ricotta looks wise. 


I just LOVE this. I have been hanging out for something similar to cheese. So I got reading, and created my own version!
You can crumble it on top of your food, use it as a spread, or as i did in my post photo above roll it in fresh herbs, or raw nuts and dried fruits! 

I think if you can make a healthy paleo substitute for the things you crave your less likely to go eat the non paleo form. I started paleo cold turkey. I research alternatives for the things I miss, or I look at recipes and change the non paleo ingredients. You might make a few dud's but the goodies are well worth it! Remember just because your eating like a "caveman" doesn't mean you have to think like one. 
GET CREATIVE!
&
ENJOY!

 

Garlic, Lemon, and Thyme Aioli...




This is a great "Egg-less", dairy free, and tasty Aioli!


Ingredients...
125gm soaked raw cashew nuts
1/2 of the juice from 1 lg lemon
1/2 tsp apple juice concentrate (maple, or honey would also work)
4 garlic cloves
tsp fresh thyme
1 tsp celtic sea salt
1 tbsp Olive oil
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water




 1. Cover your cashew in a bowl with water and soak for two hours. After soaking drain water.



 2. Add all of your ingredients apart from your water and blitz, or blend until paste form.



 3. Your paste should be looking like above photo at this point!



4. Add your water and blend until smooth & creamy! Cool for around an hour!



I love this egg-less aioli! Creamy and full of Zing! We add it to Our paleo bread sammies, Almond crackers, in nori wrap, or just as a dip!
Again, endless options.
Enjoy! 



Sundried Tomato Hummus!




 This Is A Fantastic Non Chickpea Hummus!


Ingredients...

1/2 cup sunbutter (sunflower seed butter)
1/2 cup tahini    
Juice of one lemon
1/8 cup olive oil
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar 
1/4 cup water
1 tsp celtic sea salt
14 large sundried tomato's
1 tsp cracked black pepper
3 Cloves of garlic



 1. Place all ingredient (apart from your sun-dried tomato's) in a mixing bowl and whiz (with a whiz stick), or blend in a food processor.



2.  Your hummus should look like above at this stage. Now add your sun-dried tomato's last and pulse just enough to be through your hummus. Best if cooled for an hour before eating. 


I love this flavored filled dip! I eat mine with carrot sticks, celery, on paleo crackers etc...
Endless options for this one.
Enjoy!

Monday 25 April 2011

Chocolate Cream & Sunbutter Crust Pie...




THIS IS AMAZING!
Id stress this for special occasions only,
DANGEROUS!


Ingredients...

Pre-heat oven 180c

Sun-butter Pie crust ingredients... 

1/4 cup sunbutter (I used crunchy)
2tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup ground almonds
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp Celtic sea salt
1/4 cup apple juice concentrate (or 100% maple syrup)

Chocolate Cream Filling ingredient...  

1 tin of coconut cream
150gm 85% cocoa Chocolate
1/4 tsp celtic sea salt
1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil
1/3 cup apple juice concentrate (or 100% maple syrup)
3 egg yolks 



Pie Crust...
 1. Add all of your crust ingredients and mix until all combined. Place in a 8inch, greased pie tin. Bake at 180c for around 15 - 20minutes.



 2. After 15 - 20 minutes your base should be just cooked. Slightly browned on the edges yet still semi soft. Set aside to cool.



Pie Filling
 1. Firstly place coconut milk into a med sauce pan at med heat and warm. Once warmed add your chocolate, mix until combined. Follow by adding the rest (except your egg yolks) of your filling mix one by one stir as you go. Set aside once all combined for 5 minutes to cool just slightly.



 2. Once filling mix has slightly cooled. While whisking briskly, and pour your egg yolks in. Mix well, and return to heat on med until just starting to simmer. Remove from heat.



 3. Pour your warm chocolate filling mix on-top of your pie crust. Mine was filled right to the tippy top!



4. I finished mine with coconut flakes and pecans. I left it to cool in the fridge for around  3 hours until completely firm.



This is so good! It reminds me a little of peanut butter cups. The chocolate filling is so smooth and rich. Great for special occasions!