Oh gosh! I hadn’t intended on posting so sporadically and given that I prepare on average twenty-one (yes you read that right) meals a week, more if we include morning and afternoon tea and the occasional dessert, it’s not like I don’t have recipes to share. My problem lies in getting a decent photograph. I’m a complete novice when it comes to using a DSLR and it frustrates me no end. I am hoping that the photography and food styling workshop that I will be attending next weekend, run by the talented Peggy Saas, will change all that. Stay tuned folks!
In the mean time, here are a few favourites from this past month…enjoy.
This has been our breakfast the last few mornings….total YUM!
Do yourself a favour and go buy this cookbook pronto! You won’t regret it…promise.
I NEED these spoons and these pins in my kitchen
And while we’re talking kitchens…LOVE this one
Waste not, want not. Two great, must read posts.
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There are some foods that compliment each other beautifully, like a match made in heaven. Carrot and parsnip is one such duo for me. I adore the subtle sweetness of the two combined whether they be simply mashed, roasted till caramelised or added to a hearty stew.
Latkes are another way I enjoy this pair and are a perfect way to use up any type of vegetable that may be lurking at the bottom of the fridge. I find the addition of fresh ginger and turmeric adds a zing and earthiness that enhances the flavour of carrot and parsnip even more so but they are just as tasty made without depending on your preference.
Gingered carrot and parsnip latkes – serves 2-3
Ingredients:
3 cups grated carrot and parsnip
handful chopped parsley
2 eggs
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp grated turmeric
salt and pepper
coconut oil/ghee for cooking
Method:
Place grated carrot and parsnip into a bowl with the ginger, turmeric, eggs and seasoning and mix to combine. Heat a tsp of coconut oil/ghee in a frypan over low/medium heat. Place 1/4 cup amounts of mixture in the pan and cook approximately 4-5 mins till golden before flipping and cooking the other side. Keep latkes warm in a low heated oven while cooking the remaining mixture as above.
Notes:
-Serve latkes topped with a poached egg
-or alongside a simple salad
-or with a dollop of sour cream/greek yoghurt and a good chutney
Never in my wildest dreams could I have ever imagined having chocolate sandwiches as a child. The fanciest we ever got was sprinkle sandwiches better known as fairy bread. On the days that I opened my lunch to find sprinkle sandwiches, I thought all my Christmas’s had come at once. In my book they bet marmite sandwiches hands down! Our older school-aged children prefer salad wraps or filled rolls over a basic sandwich but thankfully our littlest is still easily pleased in the lunch department and after going through the various spread stages of marmite, jam and peanut butter he now favours chocolate spread.
I started making nutella a year or so ago using an assortment of nuts as the base but now that our little one is at a kindy with a nut free policy I’ve had to substitute the base yet again to make it allergy friendly. Enter nut-free chocolate spread. I’ve used both sunflower butter and tahini to make a nut-free version and both go down a treat.
This chocolate tahini spread is a cinch to make and is just as delicious as it’s namesake, if not more so, and those tears and tantrums that ensued over not being able to take chocolate sandwiches to ‘school’ are now a thing of the past. I’m scoring big brownie points here people!
Nut free chocolate spread
Ingredients:
1 cup tahini (I use unhulled)
4 Tbsp coconut oil
4 Tbsp hot water
4 Tbsp cocoa
4 Tbsp maple syrup (or sweetener of your choice)
pinch of salt
splash of vanilla
Method:
Simply mix all ingredients together until well combined and smooth. Store in the fridge.
Notes:
-This recipe is easily adapted to suit your tastes. It can be sweeter, more or less chocolatey, thicker or runnier depending on how much syrup, cocoa, water and coconut oil you use. Play around and find your perfect balance.
-Recipe can be easily halved.
-This spread is perfect for icing a cake with or for using as a dip with fruit.