Jamie’s baked carrots in a bag

April 27, 2010 at 4:53 pm · Filed under baked carrots in a bag, Vegetables

This recipe comes from Jamie Oliver’s Ministry of Food cook-book.  The original recipe calls from some bacon, but I omit that part and it still turns out delicious.

Ingredients

1 ¾ lbs carrots
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 clove garlic
1 orange, zest and juice
1 tsp marmalade
2 pats butter
Salt and pepper

Method

  • Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
  • Peel carrots.
  • Leave them whole if small, chopping any larger ones up.
  • Get yourself a sheet of aluminum foil about 2 feet long, fold it in half to make a crease, and then open it out again.
  • Pile your carrots in the middle of the aluminum foil on one side of the crease.
  • Pick the leaves off the rosemary and finely chop.
  • Peel and finely slice garlic.
  • Scatter the rosemary and garlic over the carrots.
  • Grate over the zest from half of the orange, and add the marmalade, butter and a pinch of salt and pepper.
  • Fold the other half of the aluminum foil over the carrots and scrunch and seal the two sides of the aluminum foil bag together, leaving one end open.
  • Halve the orange and squeeze all the juice into the bag. S
  • eal up the final side.
  • Place your aluminum foil bag on a baking tray in the preheated oven for around 50 minutes.
  • To serve, carefully pour the carrots and all their juices into a nice big serving dish.

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Healthy Fruit and Nut Snack Bars

April 20, 2010 at 2:44 pm · Filed under Snacks ·Tagged , , , , , , ,

These bars are a delicious, healthy solution to those sweet cravings which can attack anytime. The oats help renew bones, the dates regulate cholesterol and the pecans boost the immune system.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup raw pecan halves
  • 1 cup whole raw almonds
  • 2 tablespoons spelt flour
  • 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons flaxseed, finely ground
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 cup pitted dates, quartered (preferably Medjool)
  • 1 cup unsulfured dried apricots, cut in half
  • 1 organic egg
  • 5 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly oil a 9-inch square pan. Spread pecans in a single layer on baking sheet and toast for 7 to 10 minutes, until aromatic and slightly browned. Watch carefully, as they burn easily. Repeat this process for almonds. Turn oven down to 325°F.

2. Combine spelt flour, all-purpose flour, flaxseed, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a food processor and process for 5 seconds to combine. Add pecans and almonds; pulse 5 times to coarsely chop. Add oats, dates and apricots. Pulse 10 to 15 times, till mixture is well chopped but coarse.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together egg, maple syrup and vanilla till combined. Add fruit and nut mixture and use your hands to mix well, being sure to separate any clumps of fruit. Spread mixture in square baking pan in an even layer and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, till set and golden brown. Don’t overbake or bars will be too dry. Let cool on wire rack for 5 minutes, then cut into 25 squares. Leave bars in pan till completely cool so they’ll hold together when you remove them.

(Recipe from The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen by Rebecca Katz)

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Orange Cream Cheese Glaze

April 16, 2010 at 11:23 am · Filed under Cakes ·Tagged

Here is a wonderful glaze to put on your cakes, a healthy alternative to buttercream icing.

  • 1 cup softened reduced fat cream cheese
  • 1..4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest

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Terriyaki Marinade

April 15, 2010 at 11:10 am · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged

This is a great marinade to use for chicken, salmon or tofu.

  • 1/4 cup orange marmalade
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce/tamari
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 3 tablespoons grated root ginger
  • 1/4 cup dry sherry

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Apple Sauce Muffins

April 14, 2010 at 10:49 am · Filed under Muffins ·Tagged , , ,

This recipe comes from The Healthy Kitchen written by Dr Andrew Weil and Rosie Daly. While it calls for sugar, they are nevertheless healthy with the addition of wholemeal flour and oat bran and the end result are nice light and moist muffins. I have made them both with and without the addition of the jam – try both and see what you think.

Ingredients

Makes 12 muffins

  • 1 1/2 cups wholemeal flour
  • 1 cup oat bran
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon each ground cinnamon and allspice
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup chopped dates
  • 1 1/4 cups fresh or ready-made apple sauce
  • 1/4 cup good quality raspberry or any all fruit jam

Method

  • Preheat oven to 180C
  • Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
  • Make a well in the centre and add the egg, brown sugar and dates
  • Gradually stir in the apple sauce and mix thoroughly.
  • Spoon half the mixture into muffin tin, then drop 1 teaspoon of jam on top of each one. Drop the rest of the batter on top of the jam. The jam falls into the batter when it bakes.
  • Bake for 25-30 mins.

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Adzuki Bean Burgers with Onion Gravy

March 8, 2010 at 1:53 pm · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged , , ,

This Gillian McKeith recipe is a handy one to have in your repertoire. The adzuki, or azuki beans as they are also known,  are small, reddish-brown beans, rounded in shape with a point at one end. They have a strong, nutty, sweet flavour. If you boil the pre-soaked beans for about 40 mins until very soft, they will blend better in the food processor, or you can of course use a tin of beans instead. This recipe makes 12 mini burgers, but you can make bigger ones if you prefer.

Ingredients

  • 75 g pine nuts (or any unsalted nuts)
  • 189g soft cooked adzuki beans
  • 2 tbsp Tahini
  • 50 g roughly chopped onion
  • 2 tbsp chopped parsley
  • 1 tsp vegetable bouillon
  • 1 tsp olive oil

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6 and cover a baking tray with non stick parchment or foil
  • Place the nuts in a food processor and blend until finely ground. Add the beans, tahini, onion, parsley and stock.
  • Blend until the mixture forms an almost smooth, thick paste and roll into small balls. Place on baking tray Flatten into burger shapes with your hands.
  • Brush the burgers lightly with the oil and bake for 10 mins. Remove from the oven and carefully turn over using a spatula. Return to the oven for a further 7 mins until the burgers are cooked through.

Serve with onion gravy and lots of seasonal veg.

Onion Gravy

  • 3 onions
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp Tamari sauce
  • Sweat the onions in the olive oil on a low heat for 15 mins until soft and translucent.
  • Add a little water under the onions and cook for a further 15 mins.
  • Blend the onions and pour into a bowl. Add the Tamari sauce and serve.

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Almond Cake a L’Orange

March 3, 2010 at 11:30 am · Filed under Cakes, gluten free ·Tagged , , ,

I have discovered a wonderful source of gluten-free recipe ideas on this website. Here is one for Almond Cake a L’Orange, which looks easy to prepare and delicious. The recipe comes from Gluten-Free French Desserts and Baked Goods by Valerie Cupillard.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 c vegetable margarine
  • 1/2 c raw cane sugar
  • 1/2 c finely ground blanched almonds
  • 6 drops vanilla extract
  • 3 eggs
  • 3/4 c rice flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 T orange zest

Instructions:

Melt the margarine in a medium pan over low heat. Remove from heat and stir in sugar, finely ground almonds, and vanilla extract. Mix in the eggs, one at a time. Then mix in the rice flour, baking powder and orange zest.

Pour into an oiled bread pan and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes. Raise the heat to 425 degrees and bake for 15 to 20 minutes longer. This cake batter tends to brown very quickly, so you may need to protect it during baking.

Notes: This recipe will work with the following adjustments: regular white sugar for raw cane sugar; 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp orange zest and 2 tsp lemon extract, instead of flavorings listed.  You might want to substitute melted butter for the margarine to give the cake more of that old-fashioned pound cake flavor.

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Healthy Carrot Cake

January 7, 2010 at 2:44 pm · Filed under Cakes ·Tagged , , ,

I discovered this Gillian McKeith recipe over Christmas, and plan to make it this week. I called a truce on healthy eating over the festive season, but time to get back into those good habits again. I have switched to agave syrup as a sweetener as much as possible in my baking, and this recipe calls for the syrup, alongside some silken tofu to substitute for the usual buttercream icing.

Ingredients

  • 100g grated carrot
  • 2 oranges
  • 4 tbsp agave syrup
  • 1 free range egg
  • 150g gram or chickpea flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 100g soft silken tofu

Method

Preheat oven to 170C/Gas 3. Line a 500g loaf tin with baking parchment.

Grate the orange zest. Place it with carrot, (reserve a little for topping) and half the syrup in mixing bowl. Stir with a fork and make a well in the centre.

Break the egg into the well and whisk until light and frothy.

Mix the flour with the baking powder and then beat into the carrot mixture 2 tablespoons at a time.

Add the juice of 1 orange and mix well. Place half the juice of the second orange in the base of the loaf tin.

Transfer the carrot mixture to the preapred tin and smooth the surface with a pallet knife. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 mins or until well risen, golden and firm to the touch.

Remove from the oven and remove from tin. Allow to cool.

Frosting

Beat the tofu with the reamining syrup until light smooth, then add the juice of 1/2 an orange. Stir well to mix and leave to stand for a few mins.

When the cake is cold, top with the frosting and sprinkle over any remaining zest.

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Bananas in an orange and coconut syrup

September 7, 2009 at 6:09 pm · Filed under Dessert ·Tagged

Ok, so the first thing about this delicious recipe is that the bananas are fried on a pan, but sometimes you just need to be a little naughty and it is only a little butter :-)

Ingredients

55g/2oz creamed coconut (sold in blocks in supermarkets & health stores)

  • 125 ml/4oz fresh orange juice
  • 1 level tsp grated orange rind
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 2 large bananas
  • 1 tsp butter
  • tsp cinnamon

Method

  • Cut the creamed coconut into rough chunks and put in a pa with the orange juice, rind and lemon juice. Bring to the boil and simmer gently until the coconut has melted to give a smooth creamy sauce.
  • Cut the bananas in half and then in half again lengthwise and fry them in the butter until they begin to soften and brown.
  • Sprinkle with cinnamon and serve immediately with the orange and coconut sauce.

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Apple Cake

September 7, 2009 at 2:39 pm · Filed under Dessert ·Tagged , , ,

I serve this as a pudding with some custard in the autumn when apples are plentiful.  It doesn’t rise like a traditional cake so perhaps a pudding is a better way to think of it.

Ingredients

  • 115 g/4oz chopped dried dates
  • 90 ml/3 fl oz water
  • 115g/4 oz butter or marg
  • 170g/6 oz gluten free/rice/regular flour
  • 2 medium eggs
  • 170g/6oz sharp eating apples (weigh after peeling & coring)
  • 2 rounded tsp mixed spice/cinnamon
  • 2 rounded tsp baking powder
  • 115g/40z sultanas

    • Method

    • Grease and line a 1lb loaf tin or a 15cm/6 in deep sided cake tin and set the oven temp  to 170 centigrade or equivalent.
    • In a pan simmer the chopped dates and water on low heat until the mixture is soft and mushy and most of the water has been absorbed. Allow to cool.
    • Process the mixture with the butter or marg until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs, baking powder, flour and spice and process again.
    • Add the apples and sultanas and process for a few seconds to combine. Don’t over-process. The mixture should have a soft dropping consistency, so add a little extra water or milk if needed.
    • Place the mixture in the baking tin and bake for aprox 50-60 mins or until golden brown and firm to touch.
    • Allow the cake to cool  for 5 mins and then turn onto a wire rack and remove the lining paper.
    • Serve and enjoy!

    • Source: Cooking without made easy

    Comments (1)

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