Category Archives: Food Blog

Caramel Sauce, dairy free and refined sugar free

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The last couple of weeks we have been indulging in “nice cream” every evening after dinner. It’s so good… frozen bananas, a little bit of cocoa, sweetener, blitz and done.

But I was missing something, something sticky on top so I came up with this caramel sauce, it’s dairy free and refined sugar free. So much better for you than the store bought junk.

It’s quick to make but you do have to let it cool about an hour or so before using. It’s great on pancakes and french toast too.

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Ingredients;

  • 1 C.  Coconut Blossom sugar
  • 2 tbsp. butter
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 3/4 C. coconut cream
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • pinch of Himalayan salt

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Method;

Place the coconut sugar, honey and butter in a pan over a medium heat. Stir gently until the sugar has dissolved and let it bubble for 2-3 minutes.

Pour in the coconut cream and keep stirring until it has fully combined. Turn down the heat and allow the sauce to simmer for 10 minutes until it has thickened.

Remove from the heat and add the vanilla extract and salt and stir well. Pour the sauce into a bowl or jar and allow to cool. The mixture may thicken a little more once it cools.

Store in a sealed jar or container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

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How about pouring this over French Crêpes. ?

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Fig and Walnut Whole grain Spelt Braid

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I had been walking around with this recipe in my head for a few months now, but with the temperatures we’ve had this summer there was no way I was turning on the oven.

So, finally the weather has become more apt for baking and to be honest I have really missed baking.

This bread is great for accompanying cheeses like blue cheese or goat cheese because  of the slight sweetness of the figs. It also goes very well with Pate or Serrano ham.

Toasted the next day is delicious too…and it freezes well.

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Makes 1 small loaf

Ingredients:

1 C. warm milk regular or unsweetened soy , about 100° F

2 tsp. yeast

2 tbsp. honey

2 tbsp. melted butter

1 1/2  C. whole grain spelt flour

1 1/2 C. plain spelt flour

1 tbsp. cocoa

1 1/2 tsp.salt

1/2 C. walnuts, chopped

2 1/2 oz. dried figs, chopped roughly

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Method:

Soak the figs in warm water for about 30 minutes.

Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk together with the honey. Let the yeast sit for 5-10 minutes or until frothy. Add the melted butter.

Put the flours with the cocoa in your mixing bowl, turn on the mixer fitted with the hook attachment and slowly add the milk/yeast/butter mixture. Mix it in and now add the salt.

Knead for 10 minutes, add the nuts and figs at the last minute, just enough to mix them in.

Turn out the dough to a floured surface and knead a few times, pushing the dough away from you with the palms of your hands and pulling it back with your fingers.

Shape into a ball and place in an oil sprayed bowl. Cover with cling film and let rise until double in bulk, about two hours.

Take the dough out of the bowl and place back on your floured work surface, give it just a little knead and shape into three sausages. Form a braid.  Place into a greased loaf pan. Cover again with cling film (which has been sprayed with oil) and cover loosely. Let rise again for 30 minutes.

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Pre heat the oven to 190 C / 375° F

Remove the cling film and place on a rack in the middle of the oven. Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes. Check by tapping on the bread, if it sounds hollow it’s done.

Every oven is different so you really need to check the bread at around 30 minutes to see how it is going.

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Whole Roast Chicken in Yoghurt and Herbs

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This is a super simple recipe I make quite often, the results are spectacular with hardly any effort, the marinade does all the work and the result is a very tender and juicy chicken seasoned throughout.

Leftovers are amazing in sandwiches or salads.

Ingredients;

  • 3 lb. Chicken
  • 2 onion quartered with their golden skins still on
  • a few carrots, peeled in chunks
  • 2 celery stalks, cut in to large pieces
  • 2 bay leafs
  • 1 garlic head separated

For the marinade;

  • 1/2 C. Greek yoghurt 10% fat
  • 20 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp. prepared mustard
  • 1 tsp. honey
  • 1/2 tsp. black pepper
  • 1 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. onion powder
  • 1/4 C. fresh parsley chopped
  • 1 tsp. each dried thyme and tarragon
  • 1 tbsp. fresh basil chopped
  • 1/2 tsp. fennel seeds, crushed

Instructions:

Mix the marinade ingredients.

Rub the marinade all over, including under the skin of the breast. Marinate in the fridge for up to 24 hrs.

Heat oven to 200 C / 350 ° F. Put the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, rosemary and the torn up bay leafs in a roasting tin. Sit the chicken on top.

Put a small oven proof container in the bottom of the oven filled with water, about a cup is enough. This will ensure a moist Chicken.

Place the chicken in the oven and roast for 1 and a half hours to 1 hour and 45 minutes or until the thigh juices run clear when tested with a skewer.  lf the chicken get to dark by the legs or the top of the back, just cover that small area loosely with tin foil.

When the chicken is done, lift out of the tin, sit in a new dish, cover loosely with foil and leave to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with the roast onions, carrots, garlic cloves and pan gravy.

Enjoy!

Endive Gratin with Baked Apples, Blue cheese and Thyme

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Serves 4 as a side dish

Who disliked Endives as a kid?… raise your hands….

Well I don’t know about you, but I really really disliked Endives when I was a child. Always prepared so very over cooked. Boiled and then rolled in some cheap ham and covered in cheese. It was bitter and the consistency was just aweful.

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Thank goodness we have come a long way since then when it comes to being creative with endive. Really there is more than just Waldorf salad and the typical gratin.

I actually love this dish and some times I eat it with just some steamed new potatoes, it’s that satisfying. But I think it goes particularly well with white meats like  chicken or pork.

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Ingredients;

6 Large heads of Endive, about 1.5 lbs.

3 tbsp butter

2 tbsp. pine nuts

2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced thin.

1 tablespoon fresh Thyme leafs

1/4 C. white wine

5 oz. blue cheese, 2 medium apples, peeled, core removed, cut in wedges

2 tbsp. honey

2 – 3 tbsp. pine nuts

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Method;

In a large frying pan, melt one tablespoon of butter and when hot add the apples. Fry for about 5 minutes then add 1 tbsp. of  honey, cook for another 3 to 5 minutes until golden brown. Transfer the apple slices to a plate and reserve.

Cut the endive in half lengthwise and remove bruised outer leafs if necessary. Slice away a small bit from the bottom.

In the same pan, add the remaining two tablespoons of butter. Add the endive cut side down and sprinkle over the thyme, season with salt and pepper.Cook for about  5 minutes before adding the garlic and the remaining honey, and turn them once in a while.  Add the white wine. Depending on how thick they are, cook for about 10 to 15 minutes. Pierce with a knife to check if they are tender but still a little bit firm.

Turn on the grill.

Transfer the endive to a baking dish and gently place the baked apple wedges around the sides.

Cut the blue cheese in slices and divide over the endive. Sprinkle over the pine nuts.

Grill the endives for about 5 minutes until nice and melted and golden. Keep an eye on it!

Enjoy

Myra Xo

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Not quite what you were looking for? How about a  Beet Salad

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