Apricot & Filo Tart with Pistachios & a Mandarin Glaze

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YOU NEED

I sheet of filo pastry, cut into 4 squares that measure approximately 15cm by 15cm oil to brush the pastry with (I used rice bran oil) 1 tablespoon of brown sugar

¼ cup of unsalted, roughly chopped pistachios

1 cup of apricots, halved and the stones removed

1 tablespoon of mandarin marmalade

1 teaspoon of vanilla essence

1 teaspoon of white sugar

squeeze of lemon juice

 

YOU DO

Preheat your oven to 175c.

Grease a single serve pie dish and set aside.

Lay one of your filo squares onto the bench and brush it with a little rice bran oil. Then sprinkle some brown sugar and pistachios evenly across the top. Lay the next square directly on top so the 2 squares fit together perfectly and also brush it with a little oil. Cover with a sprinkle of brown sugar and pistachios. Repeat this until you have done all 4 filo sheets, then place them into your pie dish to form a pastry shell and set it aside

Place the apricots, marmalade, lemon juice and vanilla essence into a bowl and mix well to combine. Place all ingredients into your pie dish and into the oven for about 20 – 25 minutes.

After about 15 minutes gently remove the pie from the pie dish and place it back in the oven so the underneath and sides of the pasty can colour.

Near the end of the cooking time, sprinkle the sugar over the apricots and increase the oven temp to 200c for 5 minutes or so to caramelise the top of the apricots.

Serve with your favourite dairy free ice-cream and another sprinkle of crushed pistachios too if you wish.

 

Serves: Serves 1 but there is plenty for 2!

Time: About 30-35 minutes. The cooking time will vary depending on your oven.

Notes: I happened to have some “thick filo” in the freezer so used that up for this but I usually use Borgs brand filo which is available in Coles and is dairy and palm oil free.

I use mandarin marmalade, but if you don’t have mandarin just use what you do have.

Rosemary, Garlic & Bean Dip

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This is so so easy and the result is rich, creamy, fragrant gorgeous dip. It’s perfect for a kids snack with vegetable sticks or at a party or BBQ.

YOU NEED

1 x 400 gram can of Cannellini beans, washed well and drained

1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons of olive oil (I use a cold pressed olive oil)

½ teaspoon of salt

2 cloves of roasted garlic

1 extra tablespoon of chopped fresh rosemary leaves

 

YOU DO

Blend all the ingredients except for the extra tablespoon of rosemary leaves.

Once the ingredients are all well blended and smooth, stir the extra rosemary through the mixture and serve.

If you wish you can pour a little extra olive oil over the top when you serve it.

 

Serves: Makes about 1 cup of dip

Time: Seriously takes about 5 minutes

Freeze:  I wouldn’t

Note: I made this using raw garlic and the garlic was too sharp on your tongue. I just popped a bulb of garlic in the oven on a low to medium temperature – about 150c with oil and cooked it until it was soft and well coloured. I then added 2 cloves to this and the result was so much better. Roasting the garlic takes that raw harshness away and you end up with a lovely sweet result.

Chocolate Mandarin Pudding

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I’m a bit into mandarins at the moment so purchased a massive bag of them the other day to play with some recipe ideas. Here is my 1st effort! It turned out just as I had imagined so I am thrilled:)

…………It is incredibly simple. So simple in fact that I was tempted to keep playing with it, but sometimes “less is best” and this is a perfect example of that old adage. I didn’t use a lot of mandarin but its notes still shine through in the pudding.

And it’s **full** of flavour.

 

YOU NEED

1 x 300gram pack of silken tofu (I use Blue Lotus organic silken tofu)

2 x mandarins

4 tablespoons of cocoa (a really good quality one will make a difference such as Dutch Cocoa but if you don’t have that don’t stress and just use what you have)

3 tablespoons agave syrup (if you do not have agave syrup use icing sugar to taste)

 

YOU DO

##GENTLY## grate the skin of the mandarins with a citrus zester (I highly recommend investing in one of these if you like a lot of recipes that use fruit zest. I have never had the same results with a normal grater for jobs like this. I end up with large chunks and pith which is not pleasant. Doing this with a zester will impart the flavour of the mandarin without chunks.)

Blend the zest and the rest of the ingredients together till smooth.

Refrigerate for a few hours

 

Servings: 2 -3

Time: Takes me about 5 minutes to make this one.

Freezing: Not suitable for freezing

White Minestrone

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White minestrone tends to take a back seat to its tomato based sibling. It’s a perfect alternative to people seeking recipes without tomato though. I use no oil in this dish as I am not trying to brown any of the vegetables and garlic is optional too. I just let the vegetables and flavours speak for themselves. You don’t get the same punchy hit you get from tomato based minestrone, but what does result is an earthy, creamy, nourishing dish, that is calm on the palate.

 

YOU NEED

1 large leek, use only the white part, wash and finely slice it

#optional 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced

1 cup of button mushrooms roughly chopped

1.5 litres of vegetable stock

1 cup of penne pasta

1 small turnip, peeled and cut into a small dice

1 large brown potato, cut into a dice. Make this dice a bit larger than the turnip though because the potato will cook faster than the turnip.

2 cups of green cabbage, finely sliced

2 cups of cauliflower, cut into small florets

1 cup of zucchini, cut into a small dice

1 can of butter beans, washed thoroughly and drained

1 can of chick peas, washed thoroughly and drained

 

YOU DO

Put the leek and the garlic into a large pot with a little water and sauté till the leeks soften. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook until they too have softened.

Add the stock and bring to the boil.

Add the pasta, potato, turnip. cabbage and cauliflower to the pot and simmer on a gentle heat for 10-15 minutes. Just before the pasta is cooked and the vegetables are tender, add the zucchini, butter beans and chickpeas and simmer for another few minutes.

 

Serves: 4 to 6

Time: 30-45 minutes

Freezing: Wouldn’t recommend.

Notes: You can use the green part if the leek if you wish. I prefer not to for this dish. I keep the green section and utilise it in other recipes.

Gluten free options would be to eliminate the pasta or simply use gluten free pasta.

tom yum gai (Asian soup recipe)

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YOU NEED

1.25 litres vegetable stock (I use Massel brand)

1.5 tablespoons of fresh galangal, grated or finely chopped (I didn’t have fresh so I used galangal powder which I found in an Asian grocer)

4 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons of vegetarian fish sauce (I get mine on line from the Cruelty Free Store)

2 teaspoons of red curry paste (There are a few without shrimp paste. I used “Maesri Red Curry Paste” which is in a small red tin with a little black and white picture of an elderly Asian lady. Found it in the Asian section in Safeway)

6 kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced

I stem of lemon grass. Just use the white section, remove the core and discard it and finely slice the rest

100 grams of shitake mushrooms, leave stems on and cut mushrooms lengthways in 4 large slices

1 cup of fresh bean shoots

1 cup of carrot (cut into matchsticks)

300 grams of fresh rice noodles.

½ cup of fresh mint, washed and roughly chopped

½ cup of coriander, washed and finely chopped

spring onion for garnish (also known as scallions)

# optional~ 1 small red chilli, finely sliced

YOU DO

Heat the vegetable stock in a large pot with the kaffir lime leaves, galangal, lemon grass, red curry paste, fish sauce and lime juice. Bring to the boil and then simmer for about 5 minutes.

Add the mushrooms and carrots and simmer gently for another 2 minutes.

Add the fresh rice noodles and simmer gently till they break up.

Throw in the bean shoots and herbs and serve garnished with some spring onion.

 

Serves: 4

Time: Takes about 30 minutes

Freezing: Not suitable for freezing

Mushroom & Rosemary Soup

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Mushroom and Rosemary Soup wm

 

YOU NEED

2 tablespoons of rice bran oil

1/2 cup of water

1 large brown onion, peeled and roughly chopped

2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

8 cups of mushrooms (I used cap mushrooms), roughly chopped

3 cups of Bonsoy organic soy milk

1/4 cup of dry white wine

1 cup of vegetable stock

2 tablespoons of fresh rosemary leaves, washed well

1 teaspoon of salt

pepper to taste

 

YOU DO

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large non stick pan. Add the onions and cook on a slow to medium heat until they are caramelised. Add the garlic and stir through over a medium heat for a minute or 2. Place in a large pot and set aside.

Heat the remaining oil in the same pan and add the mushrooms. Cook them on a medium heat till soft and  browned. Transfer the cooked mushrooms into the large pot.

Turn the flame up to high under the pan you have cooked the onions and mushrooms in and deglaze it, using the white wine. Pour the  juices, and the remaining ingredients into the pot. Bring the soup to the boil.

Carefully blend. Check the seasoning. Heat again if required and serve.

I often toast some sourdough, drizzle it with olive oil and sprinkle some rock salt over it to serve with the soup.

 

Yields: 2 large or 4 small

Time: 3o minutes

Notes: If the soup is too thick add vegetable stock until you achieve the consistency you like best.

Cheesy Semi Dried Tomato & Olive Scrolls

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YOU NEED (for the bread)

1kg of plain flour

3 x 7gram sachets of dry yeast

2 tablespoons of salt

625ml of warm water (NOT hot)

 

YOU DO (for the bread)

Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl, add the water and work into dough.

Turn out onto a floured bench and knead for about 5 minutes until it becomes silky. If it’s too wet, add a little more flour. If it’s too dry add a little more water.

Place the dough back into the bowl, cover it with a tea towel and allow your bread to proof until it doubles in size.

Once proofed, place the dough back onto a floured bench and roll it into a long rectangle.

 

YOU NEED (for the filling)

200 grams of semi dried tomatoes

1 cup of raw cashews

1/2 cup of the oil from the semi dried tomatoes (you may need to top it up with some olive oil)

3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast, also known as savoury yeast flakes. (This is where you get the cheesy flavour from)

3/4 cup of Kalamata olives, pipped and quartered

 

YOU DO (for the filling)

Blend all ingredients except for the olives

 

YOU DO (to assemble)

Using a butter knife evenly spread the cashew mixture onto your dough rectangle being sure not to cut the dough.

Sprinkle the olives evenly across the dough.

Gently roll the dough from the longest side of the rectangle onto itself until it is completely rolled.

 

Evenly slice the roll into 12 smaller rolls and place them into a large (baking paper lined) tray.

 

Allow the rolls to proof.

Place them into a preheated oven at 200c for approx half an hour. Once cooked, remove and cool on cooling rack.

 

Servings:  Made 12 large or alternatively you could cut smaller slices for 24 small.

Time: Haven’t timed this one

Freezing: Not suitable

Mushroom Miso Broth w/ Udon Noodles

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YOU NEED

1 cup of dried Asian mushrooms, soaked in boiling water for 10 minutes, drained and set aside

1 cup of enoki mushrooms

1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely sliced

½ teaspoon of minced ginger

1 small red chilli, sliced in half, seeds removed and finely sliced

6 x 18 gram sachets of instant miso paste

960mls of boiling water

½ cup of coriander stems, well washed and cut into 1 cm lengths

10 snow peas, top and tailed

10 baby corn

270 grams of udon noodles, cooked as per packet

#optional 1 cup of firm tofu cut into cubes (I use Blue Lotus brand)

¼ teaspoon sesame oil

oil for cooking.

 

YOU DO

Heat the sesame oil and a little vegetable oil in a large pot. Gently sauté the garlic, chilli and the ginger.

Add the water and the instant miso paste, whisk to combine and bring to a simmer.

Place the cooked udon noodles, the snow peas, corn and enoki mushrooms equally into 2 large bowls.

Add the rest of the ingredients to the miso pot and bring to the boil. Pour into the bowls over the noodles and vegetables.

Servings:  2 large or 4 small.

Time: 20-30 minutes

Freezing: Not suitable

Barley Cupcakes w/ Lemon Icing

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I really like how these cupcakes turned out. They have a similar texture to banana cake. Using the barley flour and the almond milk gave them a really moist, earthy flavour and texture.

YOU NEED

1 tablespoon of white vinegar

1 1/2 cups of dairy free milk. (I used almond milk)

2 cups of organic brown sugar

2 1/4 cups of barley flour

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 a cup of rice bran oil

 

YOU DO

Throw all the ingredients into a large bowl. Stir to combine and whisk.

Pour into cupcake paper lined muffin trays.

Bake on 180c for approximately 20 mins. (This may be slightly less or more depending on the strength of your oven)

Cool on wire racks. (This is important as they need to cool properly).

Ice with icing sugar. # I didn’t measure the icing. I just started with a tablespoon of *fresh* lemon juice and added icing sugar until I achieved a thick but still soft texture.

 

Servings: 12

Time: 35 minutes

Freezing: I have not frozen these but someone made them and reported back that they are great to freeze so give it a shot!)

Chai Spiced Poached Pears

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YOU NEED (for the poached pears)

4 small pears, peeled. I leave the core in and stem on. 200 grams of brown sugar (I actually used an organic coconut sugar but brown sugar is fine) 1.5 litres of water 3 cardamom pods 1 cinnamon stick 4 cloves 3 star anise

 

YOU DO

Put all the ingredients into a small pot except for the pears and bring to the boil. Once boiled turn the temperature down so that the mixture is barely simmering. It should look like there is no movement in the water.

Place the pears in the pot. Cover with a cartouche or be lazy like I was and just carefully balance the top from another smaller pot on top of the pears to keep them submerged in the liquid.

Poach until the pears are cooked through. Test by using a bamboo skewer. You are looking for next to no resistance from the pear when you pierce it with the skewer.

YOU NEED (for the syrup)

200 grams of  brown sugar 200ml of water 3 cardamom pods 1 cinnamon stick 4 cloves 3 star anise

YOU DO

Place all ingredients in a small pot, stir to combine, bring to the boil then turn down the heat till a slow simmer for approx 5-10 mins.

Once all the sugar has dissolved, the mixture no longer looks watery, takes on a gloss and looks syrupy. Turn the heat off.

Place syrup and pears onto serving plates and serve immediately.

*Be lovely with coconut yoghurt.

 

Servings:  4

Time:  Approximately 20 minutes

Freezing: Not suitable for freezing

Notes: Instead of sugar you can use pure maple syrup or agave