Continue reading “Fermented Radish, Cauliflower, and Coriander Brine Vegetables”
Tag: Breakfast
Fermented Chickpea Wraps
Chickpea Flour and Ferments
I have a love affair with chickpeas and especially chickpea flour. It’s so versatile I use it for sauces, to thicken a soup, fritters, and even in savory muffins. It’s actually used in Europe as a traditional flatbread as it picks up the taste from the fillings and toppings that you use.
Pickled Eggs, Beetroot, and Onions
There is nothing quite like a group of women gathered around the kitchen bench for a day of fermenting vegetables mixed with lots of laughter and stories. Last year we did this in one of my cooking workshops; it was a cool winter day and we preceded to wash, cook, chop, slice, press, mash, and stuff jars with all sorts of edibles.
These quick-pickled eggs with onion and beetroot were pickled in apple cider vinegar which is high in acetic acid. Like other acids, acetic acid can increase your body’s absorption of important minerals from the foods you eat.
Fermented Dosa
Dosa is a thin gluten-free fermented pancake similar to a crepe. The fermentation process increases vitamin B and vitamin C and is a popular south Indian snack, breakfast, or meal that can be eaten with various fillings such as coconut chutney and dahl. Continue reading “Fermented Dosa”
Fermented Plant-based Kimchi
Fermented Sourdough Sweet or Savoury Crepes
Shelley and I shared these crepes first having some savour with beans and vegetables and then onto the yummy sweet ones with berries, mandarins and coconut yoghurt. The uncooked batter can be stored in the fridge for 5 days if it lasts that long before using it up. Just stir every few days to keep it fresh. It keeps fermenting just like a sourdough starter so if you don’t use it for 7 days remove it from the fridge, add some flour, water, stir and return it to the fridge where it should last another few days.
Ingredients
- ½ cup oat flour
- 2 cups sorghum or besan (chickpea) flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (omit if using Miso)
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons flax egg*
- 1 teaspoon chia seeds (optional)
- 2 cups lukewarm water
- 4 Tbsp sauerkraut juice or 1 Tbsp miso (this will help the batter ferment faster) optional
Method
- Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
- Add the water and juice or miso and flax egg* stirring to make a batter.
- Cover tightly. If you fail to wrap it tightly it will partially dry and will not work as well.
- Set aside in a warm place. Stir daily until bubbles appear. Usually ready after sitting aside overnight unless it very cold outside, then plan for another day.
- Place a small frying pan or skillet (for which you have a lid) on medium-high heat until it is warm. Oil pan.
- Using a measuring cup, pour ½ – ⅔ cup of batter into the centre of the pan. Quickly pick the pan up and move it to distribute the batter. Cover with lid and cook until bubbles appear then turn over and cook a few minutes longer. Repeat.
- Fill with your favourite filling- fruit, mandarins, apples, pears, dried fruit, coconut yoghurt, or leftover veg, tofu, beans, potatoes, hummus, and of course some ferments.
Flax Egg*
2 Tbsp. flaxseed meal (ground raw flaxseed) and 3-4 Tbsp. water
Add flaxseed meal and water to a dish and stir. Let rest for 5 minutes to thicken. Add to recipes in place of 1-2 eggs
It’s not an exact 1:1 substitution in every recipe because it doesn’t bind and stiffen during baking quite like an egg does
Zucchini Cashew Cream Rolls
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted cashews soaked for 30 minutes in warm water
½ cup almond milk
¼ cup basil leaves
2 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons Shiro Miso
1 large egg or Flaxseed egg *
a little leftover cooked veg.(optional)
1-2 cups pasta sauce
1-2 large zucchini or a few slices of Chinese cabbage
Method
- Soak cashews in warm water and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 200 C. Oil a sheet of natural baking paper with oil and set aside.
- Slice the zucchini into 3 mm thin slices. Lay zucchini onto an oiled sheet and roast in the oven 10 minutes. Remove and set aside for 5 minutes before moving.
- If using cabbage, drop into boiling water for 1 minute and drain and cool.
- Meanwhile, drain cashews, and put in a food processor with the rest of the ingredients Blend till lightly cracked.
- Spread some of the pasta sauce into an oiled casserole dish.
- Lay a strip of zucchini or cabbage and spread about 1-2 tablespoons of the cashew mixture over each individual strip.
- Roll up and top with a teaspoon of the pasta sauce.
- Bake uncovered 15-20 minutes or until set. Serve topped with any ferment of your choice.
- To make a flax egg, mix one tablespoon ground flaxseed meal with three tablespoons of water. Mix together, and set aside for 15 minutes to set up and thicken.
Beatrix’s Blissful Summer Breeze
Shelley brought her delightful 11-week old daughter Beatrix over for lunch. She had mama’s milk and we had a lovely summer lunch followed by a dessert to honour her delightful presence.
Hope you enjoy it as much as we did. Served with coconut yoghurt it really hit the spot.
Ingredients
- 1 punnet organic strawberries
- 4 Tablespoons agar- agar flakes
- ½ cup organic apple juice
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Coconut Layer
- 2 Tablespoons agar- agar flakes
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ½ cup apple juice
- 2 cups coconut cream
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot or kudzu
- 1 tablespoon water
- Berry Topping
- 1 punnet organic blueberries
- a few leftover strawberries
- 1 tablespoon kudzu or arrowroot
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- Chopped dates and almonds
- Coconut yoghurt (optional)
Method
- Puree all but 4 strawberries till creamy.
- Agar, juice water maple syrup into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Lower heat till agar has dissolved. Add the strawberry puree and vanilla. Remove from the heat and put into a mold.
- Combine agar-agar, maple syrup, juice together. Cook till the agar dissolves. Add the coconut cream.
- Dissolve the kudzu in the water and stir into the coconut mixture and cook till thickened.
- Cool for a few minutes until both mixtures are the same temperature. Add the coconut mixture slowly to the strawberry layer. Set aside at room temperature or for a quick result refrigerate.
6. Put the blueberries and the reserved strawberries in a saucepan and warm. Dissolve the kudzu in the water and maple syrup, add it to the blueberry-strawberry mixture and bring to the boil. Remove from heat.
- Serve with the blueberry and strawberry topping, yoghurt, dates and almonds,
Crispy Tofu
Ingredients
Bowl
- 3-4 cups seasonal vegetables- carrots, purple cabbage, squash, green beans, snow peas, etc.
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic or ginger
- Tamari to taste
- 1 cup coconut or Quinoa flour
- Grated zest of 2 small limes or lemons
- 2½ teaspoons coriander seeds
- 1 tablespoon black (or white) sesame seeds
- 2-3 tablespoons coriander leaves
- 250g firm tofu, cut into 2cm. chunks
- 1 cup chickpea, coconut or quinoa flour
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- About 100ml olive or coconut oil, for frying
- Himalayan Salt
- Dressing
- 2 tablespoon lime or lemon juice
1 teaspoon sesame or olive oil
2 teaspoons grated ginger
Himalayan salt to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
Fresh coriander leaves
Method
1. Heat skillet or fry pan. Add garlic or ginger and sauté 1-2 minutes to flavour the oil.
2. Turn down the heat to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, until al dente. Add tamari to taste. Remove from the heat cover and keep warm.
3. Next, make the dressing. Whisk together the lime or lemon juice, oil, ginger, and an eighth of a teaspoon of salt. Slowly pour in the other olive oil bit by bit, whisking as you do until fully combined and emulsified. Set aside.
4. Lightly crush the coriander seeds, then put them in a bowl with the coconut or quinoa flour, lime or lemon zest and sesame seeds. Add half a teaspoon of salt and mix well. Toss the tofu first in the chickpea flour, then in the egg and finally in the flour mixture, making sure it’s well coated all over.
5. Heat the oil in a medium frying pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add half the crusty tofu and fry it for four to five minutes, turning it over so it goes golden-brown and crisp all over. Remove with a slotted spoon, transfer to a kitchen paper-covered plate and keep warm while you cook the remaining tofu (you may find you need to add a little more oil to the pan).
6. Divide the vegetables between plates, Pour over the dressing and stir. Top with the fried tofu and coriander leaves and serve warm.
Christmas Mango-Coconut Pie
Agar is the vegetarian sister of gelatine and can be used for the perfect chilled summer dessert. Great for the holidays or even as a cooling refreshing breakfast or brunch dish. Agar is a sea vegetable gelatine and contains proteins, polysaccharides, minerals, and vitamins.
Ingredients
Base
- 1-2 cups mango flesh for puree (1 ½ -2 mangos)
- 3/4 cup water
- 4 T agar-agar flakes or 2 t. powder
- 2 tablespoon maple or 4 T. rice syrup (to taste)
- ½ cup fruit juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)
Coconut Layer
- 2 cups of coconut milk
- 2 T agar flakes
- 1 tablespoon maple or 2 T. rice syrup
- pinch of sea or Himalayan salt
- Blueberries
- Mint
Berry Topping
- 1 cup blackberries or raspberries, fresh or frozen
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon maple or 2 T. rice malt syrup
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
Method
Mango Layer
- Pureé the mango pieces to a smooth pulp. Set aside.
- Combine the water, agar-agar, and sweetener. Use a whisk to stir until the agar dissolves completely.
- Add the mango pureé and continue to stir and cook for a minute. Add vanilla.
- Pour into a glass or ceramic pie dish or square mold. Fill ½-3/4 full. Drop some blueberries into the liquid.
- Let it sit at room temperature to set completely. You may refrigerate to speed up the process, but it is not necessary. If you refrigerate bring the jelly back to room temperature (otherwise the coconut layer won’t stick properly).
Coconut Layer
- Combine the water, sweetener salt, and agar-agar in a small pan over medium heat. Make sure the agar and sweetener are completely dissolved.
- Add the coconut milk and continue to stir until the coconut milk is fragrant. Do not let it come to a boil. You want it to be hot, but not boiling. Set aside for a few minutes.
- While the coconut milk is still hot, pour over the mango layer. Make sure the coconut milk is warm otherwise the two layers won’t ‘stick’ and will come apart while serving.
- Cool and prepare the raspberry topping.
Raspberry Topping
1. Combine all the ingredients together and process until almost smooth. You may need to add some extra water to help it combine.
2. Spoon mixture into a saucepan and heat over medium heat until the mixture begins to bubble.
Reduce the heat and whisk until thickened. Cool and spoon on top in the middle of the coconut-mango pie or all over the pie.
