Baked Strawberry and Quinoa Custard (gluten free, low sugar)

If you like a good old fashioned Baked Rice Pudding, then you will love this. 

It’s not often you find a high protein, low sugar dessert that’s easy to make and yum to eat. 

The original recipe is from chef Michael Moore’s cookbook, Quinoa and Healthy Living, which was a part of his Blood Sugar cookbook series. A talented chef who was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes in his 30’s, followed by a stroke in his 40’s, he is now helping educate people in how to eat well to manage diabetes and overall good health.

There’s something quite lovely about enjoying a warm dessert in winter time and knowing it’s not too bad for you after all. 

E x

Baked Strawberry and Quinoa Custard
Serves 8
A baked custard pudding, with whole strawberries and quinoa.
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 15 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 15 min
Ingredients
  1. 3 large eggs
  2. 60 ml (1/4 cup) rice malt syrup or agave syrup
  3. 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
  4. 1/2 a lemon, zest and juice
  5. 2 tablespoons quinoa flour
  6. 250 grams cooked white quinoa (approximately 1/2 cup of raw quinoa will give you this quantity)
  7. 250 ml (1 cup) cream
  8. 250 ml (1 cup) milk
  9. 350 grams (approximately 1 1/2 punnets) strawberries
  10. a handful of flaked almonds (optional)
  11. icing sugar to dust (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius.
  2. Using whisk attachment of electric beaters, whisk eggs, syrup, vanilla, zest and lemon juice.
  3. Whisk in quinoa flour.
  4. Stir in cooled cooked quinoa.
  5. In a small pan, heat cream and milk to a simmer. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
  6. Stirring constantly, pour the cream mix over the quinoa mixture.
  7. Place strawberries that have been trimmed over the base of the baking dish.
  8. Carefully pour the custard mixture over the strawberries.
  9. Scatter flaked almonds over the top, if desired.
  10. Bake for 45 minutes - 1 hour, until the custard is set and lightly golden.
  11. Serve warm, with cream or ice-cream.
Adapted from Quinoa and Healthy Living
Adapted from Quinoa and Healthy Living
cook fast eat slow https://www.cookfasteatslow.com/

Flourless Chocolate Cake (gluten free)

It was our anniversary last week. We celebrated as many middle- age-couples-with-kids do. Staying home, ordering take away and falling asleep in front of a movie. Yep, party animals, I know!

I often find myself in a reflective mood on days like anniversaries, and this day was no different. As I went about my day, with the highs and lows of the last 16 years swirling through my head, I came up with 16 lessons that the last 16 years have taught me. 

I wrote them down with the intention of sharing them with you, but that was before the argument that turned into a fight. 

I was quick to toss the list aside. 

I can’t write about marriage when we are just cooling off from our last argument? What qualifies me to share lessons from our journey? 

And then it was the conversation with a kindred spirit that had me mulling over what qualifies any of us to write and share anything at all. 

If perfection is required to share thoughts on parenting, marriage, cooking, or faith, then I really need to make this my last ever blog post and say farewell to you all. 

The truth is I, like all people who write about stuff, have it no more together or perfect than those who don’t write.

I suppose the only difference is I am willing to share the good and the not so good stuff of life through what I write.

So here they are, lessons learnt through the imperfection of the journey. Lessons we keep learning today. 

16 Lessons from 16 Years of Marriage

  1. I love him more now than 16 years ago.
  2. It’s harder than I expected.
  3. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.
  4. My husband always seems to offer the olive branch first. He shows grace and moves on quickly. I’m still working on this. 
  5. It’s ok that we are different. I’m good in the morning, he holds it together at night. I can cook, he can build the boys a billy cart. I freak out about a potential disaster, he stays calm. He can drive all day, I negotiate peace amongst the kids in the car. Different means we’re a good team, even if it makes for interesting sometimes. 
  6. We’ve grown to be the same over the years too. I love the rugby and he now knows how to book a good restaurant and sit with me for hours talking over a meal. 
  7. You don’t always needs to talk. It’s ok to sit in silence. It doesn’t always mean something is wrong. 
  8. Communication is essential. Say it. Get it out. Deal with it. Move on. Unresolved issues not spoken of will fester, bubbling under the surface and eventually rot the foundations. 
  9. We can agree to disagree on things that don’t matter. Bedtimes, clothes, job lists, holiday destinations can all be negotiated. But family, it’s direction, goals, beliefs, parenting, use of time and money – we need to be on the same page on the big things.
  10. We need to compromise with no strings attached. 
  11. Small random acts of kindness on a daily basis, like making a cuppa, calling during a busy day to see how an appointment went, offering to do something helpful, will show love sometimes more than the once off, BIG, FLASHY things.
  12. Time alone without the kids is essential.
  13. Laugh. Hold Hands. Dance in the kitchen. Life is going to get harder, so fight for joy when you can. 
  14. Give each other time to do the things they love. He has sent me to cooking classes over the years, I’ve encouraged him to cycle with his mates. 
  15. Invest in mutual friends who we can be real with. They’ll see the good, the bad and the ugly and they’ll still be a safe place for us both.
  16. Keep our eyes on Jesus. He was the ultimate example of sacrificial love, grace, forgiveness and putting others first. We’re going to need all those things to make it to the finish line together. 
Flourless Chocolate Cake
Serves 12
A rich, moist, chocolate cake made with roasted pecans and a hint of brandy.
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Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
40 min
Total Time
1 hr
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
40 min
Total Time
1 hr
Ingredients
  1. 250 grams unsalted butter
  2. 250 grams good quality dark chocolate
  3. 85 grams sifted cocoa powder
  4. 180 grams pecans, roasted
  5. 6 eggs
  6. 1 cup castor sugar
  7. 1/3 cup brandy
  8. 2 teaspoons vanilla
  9. icing sugar for dusting
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius.
  2. Grease and line the base and sides of a 20-22cm round cake tin with baking paper.
  3. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat.
  4. Add the broken chocolate and whisk until melted too.
  5. Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the cocoa, till smooth and glossy.
  6. Set aside to cool a little.
  7. Whiz the pecans in a food processor till they are as fine as possible, being careful to stop before they turn into a paste.
  8. Set aside.
  9. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar together with a hand balloon whisk till combined.
  10. Whisk in the chocolate mixture, then the brandy and vanilla.
  11. Stir in the ground pecans.
  12. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 40 minutes. The middle of the cake may still wobble a little, but if the sides are set, it is ready.
  13. Cool completely in the tin.
  14. Remove from tin and dust with icing sugar to serve.
  15. Serve warm or at room temperature with thick cream, ice-cream and berries for a special dessert.
Notes
  1. This cake will last for one week covered in the fridge.
Adapted from Mix and Bake
Adapted from Mix and Bake
cook fast eat slow https://www.cookfasteatslow.com/

 

 

 

Apple and Almond Cake (gluten free, dairy free)

These school holidays came and went in a whirlwind of park visits, skateboarding, basketball, soccer, play dates, bush walks, camp fires and bike rides.

It is my pleasure and joy to be raising three gorgeous humans who need enormous amounts of physical activity each day. It’s like constantly moving is their oxygen and absolutely essential for their survival. 

I am a slow learner, however, and always start off school holidays in the exact same, girly way.

“Boys, lets stay in today. Let’s have a PJ day, watch movies, play with toys, sip hot drinks and catch up on how each other is going. It’s been such a busy term, let’s just go slow today.”

This works NEVER.

And I am declaring it publicly so that you will remind me before the next holidays roll around NOT TO DO THIS AGAIN.

By 9.30am on Day 1 of holidays, I have ordered all cushions back on lounges instead of being used as weapons, I have yelled things like “please get off your brothers head/please take the ball outside/please stop yelling at each other/the house is not a gymnasium/get that skateboard outside/no, you cannot have WIFI yet/you can’t shoot water guns inside/stop swinging on the chair/I asked you to get off your brothers head.”

And then, we all get promptly dressed, pack the car with bikes, skateboards, RC cars, basketballs and soccer balls and head to the park. 

Peace at last. 

After a couple of days we did get into our holiday rhythm and enjoyed time with extended family and friends amongst many activities.

As exhausted as I am at trying to keep up with them during holiday time, I realise these years with our boys are precious as we make memories and experience stuff together. I know I will look back on them with fondness, remembering the time spent together more than how tired I felt. I hope so anyway.

One of our favourite days was spent with friends picking apples at an orchard. I felt like a real country bumpkin in my cowgirl boots, carrying my red bag and filling it with all types of apples, while recipe ideas swam through my head. Meanwhile the boys ran, climbed the trees to get the best apples, jumped on tractors, ran some more and picked as many apples as they could.

11 kilos in total.

Yes folks, this is the first of a few recipes coming your way with apples as the star ingredient. 

I think Apple Picking may indeed become an Autumn school holiday tradition in our house. 

This very simple, one bowl cake from the Healthy Chef, Teresa Cutter, has minimal ingredients and is a moist, almost friand-like cake. It’s beautiful warm, and if you can have dairy, served with cream or custard.

As school went back today, I thoroughly enjoyed making it, eating it slowly, still warm from the oven and then opening my computer and writing about it. And I did all of that without uttering one word. 

I feel better already. 

IMG_8404

 

 

 

 

 

Apple and Almond Cake (dairy free and gluten free)
Serves 8
An apple and almond, friand-like cake, with a hint of orange and honey.
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
50 min
Total Time
1 hr
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
50 min
Total Time
1 hr
Ingredients
  1. 2 cups (200 grams) almond meal, (or hazelnut meal)
  2. 1 teaspoon baking powder, gluten free
  3. 1/4 cup light olive oil
  4. 1/4 cup honey
  5. zest of 1 orange
  6. 2 eggs
  7. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
  8. 1 large apple, peeled, cored and finely diced
  9. flaked almonds to garnish
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees celsius.
  2. Line a 16cm or 20cm round baking tin with baking paper, on the bottom and sides.
  3. Combine almond meal, baking powder, oil, honey, eggs, zest and vanilla in a mixing bowl and stir to thoroughly combine.
  4. Fold in the apple.
  5. Press into the tin and scatter with a handful of flaked almonds.
  6. Bake for approx 50 minutes, or until golden and the middle springs back when pressed lightly.
  7. Let stand in the tin for 30 mins to cool.
  8. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
Adapted from The Healthy Chef
Adapted from The Healthy Chef
cook fast eat slow https://www.cookfasteatslow.com/

Chewy Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Sea Salt (gluten, grain and dairy free)

When you read the ingredient list for these cookies, you can’t possibly believe that they turn out as good as they do. 

A weekend baking treat for those who live on restricted diets for health reasons, or for anyone who wants to try a different method of baking, without using flour or grains of any kind. 

The sugar used in this recipe is coconut sugar, but if you wanted to make them and you don’t have it, you can substitute raw sugar. Coconut sugar is currently trending as a sugar that is ‘not refined’ and therefore better for you than refined or processed sugars. At the end of the day, it’s still sugar and we shouldn’t be eating heaps of it. If you have blood sugar problems, then these biscuits are still probably not the best thing for you.  However, compared to store-bought biscuits and other recipes, these are overall lower in sugar.

To make these dairy free, you just need to use a good quality 70% – 85% dark chocolate or a dairy free chocolate that is available in most supermarkets these days. 

They are loved by all in this house…the only issue is this recipe makes approx 13, which means they don’t last long for a family of 5!

This recipe is from www.slimpalate.com 

Chewy Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Sea Salt
Serves 12
A chewy chocolate cookie that is gluten, grain and dairy free
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Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
12 min
Total Time
17 min
Prep Time
5 min
Cook Time
12 min
Total Time
17 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 cup almond butter (this can be purchased in the supermarket in the Health Food section or speads isle)
  2. 3/4 coconut or raw sugar
  3. 1 egg
  4. 1 egg yolk
  5. 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  6. 1 teaspoon baking soda (bi-carb soda)
  7. 1/4 teaspoon salt
  8. 100 grams good quality dark chocolate, chopped into small chunks
  9. sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius.
  2. Line 1 large baking tray with baking paper, or 2 smaller trays. The biscuits need room to spread.
  3. Place the almond butter in a medium size bowl.
  4. Whisk together the egg and egg yolk in a separate small bowl.
  5. Stir the sugar into the almond butter, then add baking soda, salt and vanilla and stir until thoroughly mixed.
  6. Add the egg mixture and stir again.
  7. Fold through the chopped chocolate.
  8. Place a heaped dessert spoonful of mixture into the palm of your hand, roll into a ball and place on tray. Lightly flatten.
  9. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes. They will be ready when they are slightly golden, firm on top and have spread.
  10. Remove from oven, lightly sprinkle the top of each cookie with sea salt and leave to cool for 10 minutes on the trays.
  11. These will last a couple of days in an airtight container.
Notes
  1. The Almond Butter I use for these cookies is the Macro brand from Woolworths and is called Almond Spread. The ingredients is 100% raw almonds.
Adapted from Slim Palate
Adapted from Slim Palate
cook fast eat slow https://www.cookfasteatslow.com/

Banana Hazelnut Bread

‘Procrastibaking’, a common word used amongst home cooks, means to put off something you SHOULD be doing, like filing paperwork, paying bills, ironing or cleaning out the linen cupboard, and turning to baking instead.

Hands up those who can relate? Yep…me too.

A long to-do list of things I don’t want to do, plus a little bit of rain and BAM, I am in the kitchen, measuring, pouring and mixing.

This Banana Hazelnut bread is sitting on my bench, in a red and white spotted tin. With an extra early start needed today, I traded my usual bowl of Quinoa Bircher Muesli with greek yoghurt and berries for a slice of this bread, toasted and spread with ricotta and honey.

And not just any Honey.

Honey from our good friends, who got them straight from their bees. And, oh my goodness, I am having to stop my family from eating the honey by the spoonful, straight from the jar.

The original recipe for this bread is from Louise Fulton-Keats, culinary legend Margaret Fulton’s granddaughter. I found it in The OzHarvest Cookbook, a book compiled of famous Australian foodie’s recipes, focusing on using leftovers at home and cooking simply.

I have played with this recipe to make it gluten free and refined sugar free for a loved one with a restricted diet. It came out moist and as delicious as ever, so I am including all options below to meet all dietary needs.

Banana Hazelnut Bread

Ingredients

  • 4 medium sized over-ripe bananas, mashed. You want 1 overflowing cup of mash.
  • 1/4 cup milk (soy, nut or coconut milk can also be used to make this dairy free)
  • 1/2 cup light olive oil or rice bran oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 cup pitted prunes, chopped (or dates if you prefer)
  • 1 1/2 cups wholemeal self raising flour (gluten free self raising flour also works well)
  • 1/2 cup hazelnut meal
  • 1/3 cup rice malt syrup (or 1/2 cup brown sugar if you prefer)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • a handful of whole hazelnuts and pumpkin seeds to sprinkle on top

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees celsius.
  2. Grease and line a loaf style tin.
  3. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl, with a spoon, until all combined.
  4. Pour into tin and bake for about an hour, or until it's cooked when you insert it with a skewer and it comes out clean.
  5. If it's browning too quickly, loosely cover with a piece of foil for the remaining cooking time.
  6. Allow to cool in tin for a few minutes before you remove.
  7. Serve warm or toasted with ricotta and honey.
  8. This also freezes well, pre-sliced if you like for ease. It will last for 3 days in an air-tight container or a little longer in the fridge.