Cooking that gives a damn
YOU NEED
1 banana
200mls of fresh pineapple juice
½ a fresh mango
juice from half a lemon
1/3 cup of fresh orange juice
YOU DO
Chill all your ingredients in the fridge.
Blend everything and enjoy.
Servings: Serves 1
Time: Takes about 5 minutes.
Freeze: N/A
YOU NEED
1 cup of fresh pineapple juice
1 cup of apricots, halved and stones removed
the juice from 1 lime
YOU DO
BLEND.
Yields: 1 serve
Time: 5 minutes
Notes: I LOVE lime but the acidity from the pineapple may be enough for you, so taste this and then decide if you want the lime as well.
I also think this would be gorgeous with a little fresh ginger.
This reminds me of some of the drinks I had in Oman in 2011. They were rich, “creamy” and often sweetened with dates.
YOU NEED
1 cup of almond milk
fresh apricots, stone removed . I used 4 but they were tiny. I measured them in a cup to make it a and it was 1/2-3/4 of a cup of apricots.
½ teaspoon of allspice
1-2 teaspoons of pure maple syrup
YOU DO
BLEND. BLEND. BLEND…..till smooth.
This would be a perfcet way to start the day and would be gorgeous made raw with home made almond milk and dates.
Yields: 1 serve
Time: 5 minues
Notes: Almond milk is available in pretty much any supermarket these days in the UHT milk section.
I was first introduced to egg nog when I lived in Canada many years ago and I loved it. So when thinking about Xmas recipes this year, I was determined to create a dairy and egg free nog.
I researched how people were doing it and found some used avocados, some bananas, or vanilla pudding mix and also tofu. My first shot at it I tried using silken tofu to mimic the thickness, but I ended up with a really earthy flavour. Second time I simply made custard and added maple syrup to sweeten it. It was lovely, simple and I am thrilled!
Next time I am going to make it with a non gluten free custard powder though and may even use a little more so it’s slightly thicker but I tell you…I drank my weight in this yesterday at our xmas lunch.
YOU NEED
4 tablespoons of custard powder. (I used Orgran gluten free Custard Powder which I get from the health food shop. I simply followed the instructions on the packet)
1 litre of Bonsoy. (Bonsoy is available most anywhere these days. The price varies drastically though so shop around. The cheapest I have found it to date is at my local organic grocer where if you buy a slab of 6 they work out to $4 each.)
1 vanilla bean, split lengthways and seeds removed. Don’t stress if you don’t’ have a vanilla bean. It just makes the nog a little more special.
1/4 cup of maple syrup (or sugar, or agave, or brown rice syrup)
2 shots of brandy
2 shots of rum
cinnamon & nutmeg to taste
YOU DO
Make the custard as per the packet, using the 4 tablespoons of custard and the litre of Bonsoy.
Then whisk in the rest of your ingredients. Allow the mixture to cool, then refrigerate.
When you serve the cooled nog dust it with some cinnamon sugar.
# If you want it to also be soy free just use a different plant milk 🙂
I really needed this, this morning.
YOU NEED
1 granny smith apple
1 green pear
2 lemons
1 inch of fresh ginger
#optional cayenne
YOU DO
Juice the apple, pear and lemons.
Blend the ginger through the juice and add a little cayenne if you wish.
Servings: Serves 1
Time: 5 minutes.
Freeze: N/A
YOU NEED
Elderflower Cordial (I get this on the lower shelves of the cordial section of some Coles and Woolworths)
lemonade
pomegranate seeds for garnish
YOU DO Mix 1 tablespoon of Elderflower cordial and chilled lemonade into a sherry or martini glass. Drop loads of pomegranate seeds into each glass.
ENJOY ♥
Think warm summer’s day, soft breeze, the scent of rosemary & sage floating from the kitchen as your nut roast cooks, the “cheesecake” is setting in the fridge….Family and/or friends throughout the garden, the laughter of children and a full chilled glass of this..
…OR a quiet child free do and a glass of this with a generous dash of vodka :”..!
YOU NEED
½ cup of pure maple syrup
½ cup of water
¼ cup of freshly squeezed lime juice
ginger ale
lime wedges for serving
YOU DO
Put the maple syrup and water in a pot, whisk them together and bring to the boil. Simmer gently for a few minutes. Turn the heat off and whisk through the lime juice. Place in the fridge till chilled.
Pour equal amounts of the maple and lime mixture into 4 glasses filled with ice and top up with ginger ale.
Serve with lime wedges
Servings: Serves 4
Time: I haven’t timed this one.
Make a big batch of this and fill a jug with loads of mint and some slices of lime and offer it the kids instead of cordial.
Or skip the toast and enjoy this for breakfast.
YOU NEED
1 cup of fresh, chopped pineapple
1 very large granny smith apple, roughly chopped
1 juicy lime, skin removed
#optional fresh ginger to taste
1 handful of fresh mint
YOU DO
Put the pineapple, apple, lime & fresh ginger if you are using it through your juicer.
Half fill a tall glass with ice, add the mint and pour the mixed juices over the top.
Yields: 1 serve
Time: 5 minutes
Notes: Refrigerate your fruits until they are nicely chilled before you juice them.
I had an iced coffee a while ago and it just didn’t hit the mark. So I had a go at my own version of iced coffee, with one of my favourite plant based milks ~ hazelnut!
YOU NEED
1 cup hazelnut milk
1/2 cup of strong espresso coffee
2 teaspoons of pure maple syrup
a couple of generous scoops of your favourite plant based ice cream. (I used coconut ice cream)
a handful of ice blocks
YOU DO
Blend the hazelnut milk, coffee and the maple syrup until well combined.
Put the ice in a tall glass. Pour the milk and coffee mix over the top of the ice and top with your ice-cream.
ENJOY!!
Time: 5 minutes
Yields: 1 large or 2 small serves
This is why I love food! The diversity of what and how you can prepare a dish is incredible.
This needs no cow’s milk, no ice-cream…yet feels just as naughty and delicious as it’s counterparts, because the xanthium gum gives it the same consistency of a milkshake and the ice gives it, it’s chill factor 🙂
The 1st step is crucial. Believe me. My 1st trial I just threw the xanthum gum into the milk and blended it and I ended up with nasty little lumps. It turns out that xanthium gum is so incredibly fine that it sticks to itself so it needs to be ground down with another dry ingredient before being added to a wet ingredient.
YOU NEED
1 gram of xanthum gum (I got mine from my local health food shop)
1 tablespoon of cocoa
2 tablespoons of maple syrup
500mls of chilled rice milk
peppermint essence to taste
6 ice cubes
YOU DO
Grind the xanthum gum and cocoa together with a mortar and pestle.
Place the rice milk in a blender and add the xanthum gum and cocoa mixture a little bit at a time and blend. Keep adding until it is all in the rice milk, blending each time.
Add the cocoa and maple syrup and blend. Carefully add a few drops of peppermint essence at a time until you are happy with the flavour and blend.
Add the ice cubes, blend and serve 🙂
Serves: 2
Time: 10 minutes
Freeze: N/A
Notes: If you don’t want to use essence you could infuse a mint flavour into the milk by slowly bringing the milk to the boil with a heap of fresh, washed mint leaves. Allow it to cool, remove the leaves and refrigerate the milk until chilled and then proceed with the steps above.