Persimmon and Medjool Date Cake

It's now my fifth month here in New Zealand. One thing I've loved about being here during the autumn is trying all the beautiful, fresh fruits. Scarlett red apples straight off the tree, quinces from a friend and persimmons from, well the supermarket. I love them all. Feijoas? Not so much! I will try them again though (preferably baked into something to mask their perfumy-ness).

But back to persimmons and their role in an experimental 'cake' I made two days ago. I use the word 'cake' lightly as it didn't quite reach the height of a cake, bless it. It did taste rather luscious though which was a surprise.

I wanted to try making a vegan cake without wheat or sugar so I bundled in a few scant ingredients so I didn't waste anything. Not like the prior baking fiasco earlier in the week that involved wasting four courgettes, a cup of cocoa and too much expensive NZ honey. Just when I'd finished blending the ingredients for this persimmon cake and had said a little prayer to the vegan baking gods, I realised I still hadn't unpacked a cake tin. All I had was a glass baking bowl. What could I do but pour the mixture into the glass bowl and wish it well as it was placed into the oven and appeared to look back at me nervously, as if to ask, 'am I meant to seriously turn into a cake, luv? Look at me. I've got nowhere to go but out'.

Almost 25 minutes later out came the cake, or let's call it a torta because it definitely had a rustic, Italian thing going on. It was flat but it had turned golden and the dried fruit was peeking out here and there, quite attractively. It tasted good. It tasted even better after a day or two. Marzipan-like from the ground almonds and just the right amount of sweetness from the stewed persimmon, dates, apricots and tablespoon of agave. You only need a small amount as it is rich and dense. It's definitely worth a try if you want a sliver of a treat with your tea in the morning, afternoon or evening.

Persimmon and Medjool Date Cake
(I've doubled the ingredients below, from the version I made)

Ingredients
2 persimmons
6 medjool dates, chopped
6 dried apricots, chopped
1 cup of ground almonds
6 tablespoons gram flour (chickpea flour)
2 tablespoon agave syrup
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar

To make...

1. Preheat oven to about 180°. Grease baking pan with a bit of olive oil.
   
2. Chop persimmon, dates and dried apricots and place in a pot with a little water. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Let the mixture cool.
3. Combine dry ingredients - ground almonds, gram flour and bicarbonate of soda.
4. Combine wet ingredients - agave syrup, extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar and six tablespoons of water.
5. Mix dry and wet ingredients together along with the cooled fruit mixture.
6. Place in oven and cook for 45 minutes to an hour (when I cooked mine with half the ingredients, I needed 30 minutes so maybe keep checking on it after 45 minutes just to be safe).
7. Allow to cool on baking tray then enjoy!

Have a good weekend. I'm planning to go to the Food Show in Wellington tomorrow. Hopefully, I'll get some more inspiration for some new recipes!

Hempseed Apricot Chews

I love coming across new healthy snack ideas and I think this recipe from Whole Foods looks wonderful. Dried fruits with nutritious hempseeds as well as nutmeg and vanilla. Keep a stash in the fridge for a sweet fix in between meals.

View recipe at Whole Foods Market

Moroccan Superfood Salad

If you want a light and healthy meal over the weekend, this couscous salad from BBC Good Food looks ideal. It's bursting with goodness and flavour with beetroot, carrots, broccoli, pumpkin seeds and a sublime Moroccan dressing.

View recipe at BBC Good Food


image: BBC Good Food

Steamed Artichokes + Creamy Walnut Dip

Whole Food's recipe of the day looks divine, doesn't it? Beautiful artichokes and a vegan dip made with walnuts, vinegar, dijon mustard, garlic and chives. Stunning simplicity!

View recipe details at Whole Foods Market.


image: Whole Foods Market

Bento Boxes - Stainless Steel + Wood

A lovely reader wanted to know where I got the stainless steel tiffin box that I featured yesterday and where she could buy one. I've had my tiffin box for years so I can't remember where we got it but I have found some wonderful options for anyone looking for reusable food containers.

This two-tiered, Zen 04 bento box is made in Japan from stainless steel. There is a 'silicone seal around the inside rim of the lids' so if you want your bento even better, you could try the wood versions below.
Available at Bento & co - 39.80 EUR

Magewappa Michi is a bento box made in Japan from 'sustainably farmed sugi (Japanese cedar) wood' that is untreated.
Available at Bento & co - 65 EUR

I love this Magewappa Hana two-tier bento box. Not sure if it's too small but it could work for lunch snacks! It is also made in Japan from sustainably farmed cedar wood and is untreated.
Available at Bento & co - 89 EUR

Hope this helps! If any other readers have questions about where to find ethical products, just get in touch. I will try and find it for you!

Images: Bento & co

Coconut Date Bars

These saintly snacks from Whole Living look ever so tempting, presented in such a pretty way. To make these beyond healthy bars, you only need dates, coconut and walnuts (try organic). You can view recipe details at Whole Living.

Have a lovely weekend!


image: Whole Living

Six Vegetarian Barley Recipes

Squash & Barley Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette - BBC Good Food

I've been vegan for several years now and I was vegetarian before that but I still haven't tried cooking with barley. You think I would have mastered several stunning barley-bountiful dishes by now and yet I have not! I think these recipes will inspire me to start cooking with this 'low glycemic-index grain' that contains, 'calcium, phosphorus and B vitamins' (according to Dr Weil). I've got my eye on the salad above that is speckled with capers, olives, pumpkin seeds and basil.

Indian Winter Soup - BBC Good Food
It's summer here in New Zealand but I still want to make this with seasonal vegetables on the next blustery day.

Barley Soup with Greens, Fennel, Lemon and Dill - Epicurious
(Bon Appetit - Anna Thomas, photo by Stephen Lewis)
This can be easily veganised by omitting the feta.

Wild Rice and Barley Salad - Whole Foods Market
This salad looks easy to whip together and I like the inclusion of dried apricots and tarragon.

Barley with Apricots, Hazelnuts, Chocolate and Honey
- Whole Living
For a sweeter, vegan barley bite, switch milk to your favourite non-dairy kind and use a good quality dark chocolate (non-dairy).

Warm Barley Cereal with Dried Cherries - Whole Living
I've mentioned this one before but had to include it here. How could I not? There's almond milk and ground flax meal. I'd just use a more natural sweetener like honey or maple syrup along with any seasonal fruit.

Eat Healthily When Travelling - Breakfast

Is it wrong to love your homemade granola so much that you travel with it? When I travelled from London to San Francisco, I took a glass jar filled with granola along with a petite kilner jar and my own spoon. Most mornings I would fill this little jar in the photo and chomp away happily knowing I was eating something healthy, organic and filling. I actually ate this on its own but it would be easy enough to add your own non-dairy milk, yogurt or fruit. Eating breakfast out every morning can be pricey so I think this is an affordable way to travel and stay healthy!

Tweaking Vegan Muffin Recipes

Ah, baking without eggs, butter, milk, refined sugars and baking powder. I can almost hear Nigella scoffing and saying, 'why bother?' But bother I do and bake on, I will!

I made these apple and blueberry vegan muffins last week and now they are all gone (even the ones I froze). Granted, I was the only one that ate them and my health food palate is used to the wholegrain spelt flour and apple juice that I used. Other palates may think these muffins taste too healthy.

I still need to perfect the recipe but these worked out pretty well. Considering these little things were devoid of many, many things, I am proud that they rose at all and came out resembling muffins!

As soon as I master the muffin recipe, I will be sure to share it here. Until then, the baking and tasting continues...

Mini Grape and Rosemary Focacce Recipe

I've just made these small focaccia breads today and they're officially my new favourite things to bake! They're easy, pretty, tasty and fill you up with a little baker's pride. These small yet plump packages look rather stunning when studded with purple grapes (which were picked from outside the vines on our verandah). The sweetness is combined with a savouriness from the sea salt and rosemary and makes for a stellar combination. These would be ideal for picnics, snacks or with salads and soups.

Bread
To make the bread, I based it on a recipe by Delia which used -
2 1/3 cups plain white flour (I used organic)
1/2 t salt (Maldon sea salt)
2 t yeast
1 1/2 T extra virgin olive oil

Topping
2 t rosemary, chopped finely
1 t sea salt
3 T olive oil

To make

• Mix the flour and salt together in a bowl and then add the yeast, approximately one cup of warm water and 1 1/2 T of olive oil
• Knead for 10 minutes and then let it rest for 1 1/2 hours (covered)
  
• Knead for 2-3 minutes and then shape into small circles
• Using your fingers, make indentations in the bread and then fill with seedless grapes and sprinkle with sea salt and olive oil
• Allow the bread to rest (covered) for 30 minutes
• Drizzle the bread with some water and then bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 190°C.

t: teaspoon
T: tablespoon

Enjoy!

How To Eat Healthily When Travelling

I adore good, home-cooking and using vegan and SLO ingredients (seasonal, local and organic). Ever since I left the UK just before Christmas and have been travelling and living out of a suitcase (parted from my much-loved Le Creuset pots), I have really struggled to find the food I like. Plus, it can be so expensive eating out for breakfast, lunch and dinner!

One recipe I used for many dinners as I was travelling was this couscous dish. It's easy, tasty and economical. Using a tiffin box I had packed with me, I simply poured some couscous into it and added boiling water from a hotel or motel kettle/jug and placed a lid over it for five minutes. Once the couscous had heated through, I seasoned it with a little natural sea salt and pepper and then I added marinated artichokes and peppers, fresh cherry tomatoes and spinach. The final flourish was a generous spritz of lemon juice. This is crucial because it gives a lovely zing to the meal. Delish!

Hopefully, you can give this idea a try when you're next travelling and remember to bring your own cutlery! This way you can eat well but still save a bit of money and excess packaging and plastic.

Homemade Dried Fruit and Herb Tea

I spotted this recipe on Whole Foods Market's site and had to share. I like the idea of making my own tea from scratch and using nourishing and 'ultra-good-for-you' ingredients. There's stomach soothing ginger, refreshing and cooling mint and fennel as well as dried cranberries (or apricots) and citrus zest. I always have lemons around the kitchen but I might try switching the orange zest for clementine zest as they will be in season December and January, here in the UK.

If you'd like to try making this tea for yourself or as a lovely homemade Christmas gift, you can view the recipe at Whole Foods Market. They also have a downloadable gift tag to go with it.

Enjoy your weekend!


image: Whole Foods Market

Roast Vegetable Couscous Salad

Next time you whip up some seasonal roast vegetables, leave some aside and use them the next day in this luscious lunchtime, couscous salad. I've made this a few times now and love all the flavour!

To make

• Prepare couscous (in a bowl place 1-2 cups of organic couscous and cover with boiling water and 1/2 t turmeric, 1 t curry powder and a pinch of salt. Cover bowl and leave for five minutes).
• Add roast vegetables such as potato, sweet potato, carrots, parsnips and onions.
• Toss in some marinated vegetables too, such as artichokes and olives.
• You can also spritz a bit of lemon juice for an extra zing and freshness.
• Lastly, add a big handful of fresh coriander and mix it all together. Divine!

Vegetarian Kale Recipes

Pasta with Lentils and Kale - view at Epicurious
image: Romulo Yanes

Growing up in Australia, I didn't come across much kale. Okay, I came across no kale and hadn't even heard of it! I've only recently started eating it here in London and like many people I know who eat kale, I'm addicted to it. You can taste the vitamins and goodness in it. It's one of those health foods that are a pleasure to eat. If you're stuck for recipe ideas though, hopefully this round-up will help.

You can eat kale as they do in Kenya with Whole Foods' recipe (try eating the sukuma wiki with flatbread). If you want some grains with your kale, try the Millet Garden Medley or Quinoa with autumnal vegetables - just remember to omit the Parmesan in the recipe! If you're like me and Italian is more your thing, then the Pasta with Lentils should delight! Epicurious also have a Kale and Bean Bruschetta recipe but it is topped with parmesan. I think it would be tasty without it though, if you want to try it out.

Kenyan-Style Kale and Tomatoes - view at Whole Foods Market

Millet Garden Medley - view at Whole Foods Market

Quinoa with Mushrooms, Kale and Sweet Potatoes
- view at Real Simple (omit Parmesan if vegetarian)
recipe by Kate Merker, image Christopher Baker

Six Vegetarian Moroccan Recipes

Pumpkin, Cranberry, Red Onion Tagine
Mary Cadogan - Good Food Magazine
Perfect November dish when pumpkins are still plentiful but perhaps in need of a little exoticism. This is also served with a lemony, almond speckled couscous. Must make this on the weekend!
View recipe at BBC Good Food

Harira
Image by Ben Dearnley
This Moroccan soup is brimming with good ingredients such as chickpeas, lentils, lemon and spices like ground ginger and cayenne pepper. Taste also suggest adding pumpkin (for a little autumnal boost).
View recipe at Taste

Cauliflower and Chickpea Stew with Couscous
Kate Merker, image by Lisa Hubbard
Cauliflower will be well loved when it's coated in Moroccan spices and tumbled amongst raisins and spinach.
View recipe at Real Simple

Chickpea Tagine with Figs
Image by Ian Wallace
I love the idea of using sweet figs in your dinner. Perhaps you could tweak this recipe too, according to what seasonal vegetables are available near you.
View recipe at Taste

Vegetable Barley Couscous
Recipe by Baija Lafrid, image by Martyn Thompson
Saffron, spices and an abundance of vegetables. Not to mention an introduction to the lesser known barley couscous. You can also make a honeyed red onion confit and fried almonds to go with this.
View recipe at Epicurious

Roasted Beets with Cumin and Mint
Gourmet magazine, image by Martyn Thompson
What to do with beets? I'd never have thought of adding lemon juice, cumin seeds and fresh mint. Sounds wonderful. A side dish that could steal the spotlight.
View recipe at Epicurious

Healthy Halloween Treat

I know it's a bit late but this creepy, edible treat may be fun to make for children this evening or tomorrow when they least expect it. We made this mouse with one halved, peeled and cored pear, almond ears, dried cranberry eyes, licorice whiskers and tail. Eek!

Coriander Cashew Nut Spread Recipe

After discovering the wonderment that is cashew yogurt, it was only logical to progress from a breakfast staple to a lunchtime staple and find a blog post-worthy, savoury recipe for this talented nut.

Enter cashew nut spread. This can be used in lieu of cheese as it is creamy and strong in flavour. It's easy to toss all the ingredients into the blender and it keeps well in the fridge for several days so you can have a rather gorgeous sandwich anytime. I love it coated liberally on a freshly baked roll with tomatoes, marinated artichokes and lettuce. It's all we've been eating in my house for weeks!

Coriander (Cilantro) Cashew Nut Spread
The coriander/cilantro is optional. Play around with your favourite ingredients because this is a versatile, 'make-it-how-you-like-it' kinda dish.

• handful of fresh coriander (adjust to taste)
• one cup of cashews
• juice of 1/2 or one whole lemon
• tablespoon of olive oil
• one garlic clove, crushed
  
• splash of water
• 1/2 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
• pinch of sea salt

Combine all the ingredients in a blender until you get the consistency you like. That's all there is to it! Enjoy and let me know if you come up with any other variations.

Vegan Yogurt Recipe

I haven't had traditional yogurt in such a long time and I never really took to the vegan varieties out there. They are packaged in plastic and always laden with sugar. I also didn't want other iffy ingredients in my yogurt such as modified maize starch, stabilisers, colourings and flavourings. I think this cashew yogurt is a good and natural way to get that creamy, yogurt-like fix and you can control what goes into it, from the flavour to the sweetness.

Here's the recipe for the lemon yogurt I featured in yesterday's post. You can tweak it to suit your taste buds. Add more water for a thinner yogurt and play around with the amount and type of natural sweeteners.

Lemon Cashew Yogurt

• 1 cup of organic cashews (soaked in water for approximately 3-6 hours)
• 1/4 cup of filtered water
• Juice of one small lemon

To sweeten (add either of the following)

• 2 finely chopped organic dates + 1 t agave (or honey)
  
• 1 T agave

Optional extras

• Lemon zest
• Seeds from vanilla bean

Instructions
Drain the soaked cashews and tip into a blender. Blend them without any water first so they are ground as much as possible. Add 1/4 cup of filtered water, juice of one small lemon and natural sweeteners (either 2 chopped dates with agave or just agave). Blend until the mixture is smooth and a consistency you like. I use a normal blender and occasionally need to stir the mixture from the sides with a spoon in between blending.

Store the yogurt in a sealed container in the fridge. My yogurt keeps well for 3-5 days. I think it would be fine to store in the freezer also.

This yogurt is creamy and really complements granola and stewed fruits for breakfast. As it is mainly cashews, you don't need too much. A little goes a long way. I've only tried this lemon flavour so far but I'm looking forward to trying some others. Perhaps rhubarb, apricot or berries.

Granola Side Note
I mentioned that this yogurt was great served with homemade granola. Since posting yesterday, I've read a little bit about the need to soak your oats before using them. In order to lock in their goodness and digest oats better (and any whole grains) it is apparently best to soak them in water and an acidic ingredient such as lemons or apple cider vinegar.

I wanted to test this out and have a cup of oats soaking in two cups of water and 2 T lemon juice as I type. I believe it needs to soak 24 hours. I'm going to try and strain them and proceed with the usual granola recipe I make but hope they will not be too mushy or wet. Has anyone else ever tried making a soaked granola recipe? Quite frankly my oats and I are a little nervous! I'll let you know if it works out.

My New Favourite Breakfast

I've been like Goldilocks these past few weeks, searching for the perfect breakfast. I used to start the day with a bowl of organic weet-bix and organic oat milk thinking I was all healthy and you know, organic but I wasn't really. My cereal was processed and wrapped in plastic. I knew there had to be something better.

The breakfast search was on. I tried some sweet things such as quinoa with banana, walnuts and maple syrup (not for me). I tried some savoury things such as basic, homemade vegetable soup (a little odd first thing in the morning but not so bad. Still not right for me). Then I returned to the homemade granola recipe I used to make but had neglected to use because I could never find a decent vegan yogurt to go with it. Until now!

Now I've discovered how to make my own vegan yogurt using cashews and it's sublime. I've been making a lemon version and combining it with some seasonal stewed fruits and granola. The 'yogurt' is tart yet creamy, the stewed plums are only cooked with a splash of water and no sugar and still come out delightfully sweet and the granola is completely moreish. It's the perfect little breakfast trinity of flavours and nutrients. I'm such a fan of it. Even my non-vegetarian mum loves it and has been eating it for the past two weeks. It's a keeper!

I will post the 'yogurt' recipe tomorrow in case anyone would like to try it too. Hopefully, it will give you a new and healthy idea for breakfast in case you are also craving a different and delicious way to start your day.

Vegetarian Seasonal Soups for Autumn

Pinto Bean, Tomato and Butternut Squash Soup

Recipe - Moosewood Restaurant (photo by Beth Segal)

Rustic, hearty and warming. Everything you want in a soup. This recipe calls for canned pinto beans and tomatoes but if you're not a fan of the can, you could always opt for dried beans and passata.
View recipe at Epicurious


Chilli Pumpkin and Wild Mushroom Soup
- Allegra McEvedy

You've got to have a pumpkin soup during October and this is a good one to try. It's from the Leon Cookbook. I'd leave out the Parmesan but if you are vegetarian, remember to use a vegetarian-style Parmesan cheese as regular Parmesan is not vegetarian.
View recipe at Delicious


Creamy Mashed Potato and Leek Soup
- Real Simple (photo by Miha Matei)

For a little comfort food, try this nurturing soup made with potatoes, leeks and fennel. You just need to switch the stock to make this vegetarian-friendly.
View recipe at Real Simple


Mixed Mushroom Soup
- Whole Living

I've featured this recipe from Whole Living before but had to include it again. With its abundance of mushrooms, it's the perfect fall food.
View recipe at Whole Living

Carrot, Apple and Ginger Soup
- Whole Foods Market

This comes with a side of cheese crisps but as a vegan, I'd switch those for a hunk of country-style bread. For another carrot soup idea, you might like Gourmet's Curried Carrot Almond Soup.
View Carrot, Apple and Ginger Soup recipe at Whole Foods Market

Celeriac and Pear Soup
- Olive Magazine

Here's another autumnal vegetable and fruit combo that looks luscious (plus it's cream-free and butter-free so you can ladle up!).
View recipe at BBC Good Food

If you have...Watercress
Waitrose have a simple recipe that uses watercress with celeriac.