Weekly Highlights

These Corella pears were one of the highlights of my week - gorgeous aren't they! 

So many interesting things come to my notice each week, and I often find myself wanting to sit down and blog about them... but first the dishes, and the washing, and the home schooling, then the cooking, recipe testing, recipe writing, paperwork, phone calls, emails, answering messages and questions... and suddenly it's past bed time again. Oops.

My usual solution is to dash off little notes and mini recipes to share (with quickly snapped iPhone photos) on Instagram and Facebook throughout the day - phone in one hand, spatula or pen in the other. But then all those interesting questions and answers from readers and links to articles and recipes seem to get lost in Facebook cyberspace... And my favourite photos of the week disappear into the backlog of Instagram photos. 

One of our recent discussions was 'where in the world do you live?' 

I'm on the Atherton Tablelands, in the mountains west of Cairns, 

Far North Queensland, Australia. How about you?

I've decided to share the best discussions, photos, and links here with you each week, so that way they're easier to find again. Then next time someone says, 'What can I cook for my friend who is going into hospital and needs some freezable meals for the family?' I can say, 'There's a whole list of ideas right here!' Good idea? I think so. :)

I know Friday isn't really the end of the week, but it's a day we all look forward to because the weekend is nearly here, right? Therefore, my 'Weekly Highlights' will be shared on Fridays! I hope you enjoy the photos and find the discussions and links helpful.

Happy Friday!

Yep, this is where I live. Just around the corner from my house. Blessed.

PS On Saturdays, I'd love for you all to join in by sharing the highlights of your week (favourite blogs and FB pages, interesting articles, great recipes, best pins on Pinterest...) on my Saturday Shout Out post on my Facebook page. I want hear what you've been reading and enjoying too!

FOOD

Dairy free dulce de leche

I think this recipe was one of the biggest highlights of my week, and made quite a few dairy free people very happy! Pictured here as the topping for a chocolate chip coconut flour brownie. Recipe for dulce de leche is here if you missed it. Also includes a recipe for dairy free condensed milk.

By the way, dulce de leche is awesome on strawberries. You're welcome.

Recipes for citrus fruit

So many great ideas here, for those of you who are overloaded with an abundance of citrus fruit at the moment - and the recipes are not just for food. Check out the cleaning spray!

Winter dinner ideas
Need some ideas for warming winter meals? Plenty of inspiration here. (If you want a particular recipe, just ask!)

How to make your own gluten free flour mix

Here is my recipe for GF flour, for biscuits, slices and cakes. I've also tried it in scones with success. (You won't be able to use it cup for cup in regular yeast bread recipes, stick to gluten free bread recipes.) To make this mix into self raising flour, you just add 1 tsp of baking powder per cup of flour. (1 cup of flour = 150g)

Dry to liquid sugar substitution chart

A handy chart if you're wanting to convert recipes from white sugar to honey, rice malt syrup or pure maple syrup. (Use same amounts for honey and maple syrup.)

Bulk, freezable, cook ahead meals

We all need these now and then - when preparing for a new baby arriving, or to help out a friend who's sick. Plenty of great ideas here for cooking in bulk.

Mexican black bean & chorizo soup

Mexican feast over at Confetti Mag's blog

The Confetti Mag team and I had a bit of fun cooking together, and this week they put up some recipes and photos of our mini Mexican feast on their blog. More recipes to come! Check it out here.

(And if you haven't already, make sure you subscribe to their online magazine - it's beautiful, and free!)


HEALTH

One of the most fascinating things I learnt this week was how coconut oil can help to get rid of candida. I knew it was amazing stuff, but wow! See more on this topic here. 

"I am a walking testimonial to the benefits of a low carbohydrate/ high fat diet with regard to Candida and cystitis. I used to purchase Monistat two or three packages at a time. Now I use lots of coconut oil for cooking and eat plenty of coconut products such as fresh coconut, coconut flakes, and coconut milk. Coconut contains capric/caprylic acid and lauric acid both proven to kill Candida while leaving healthy intestinal flora intact. I was taking a long-term, broad-spectrum antibiotic for chronic cystitis for over two years and now its been two years since I stopped refilling the prescription with no recurrence! By far the most remarkable transformation occurred when I started using coconut oil and simultaneously eliminated skim milk and all soy products from my diet. And I lost weight! – Laura (The Coconut Diet Forums.)"

Ketogenic diet to manage epilepsy 
An interesting discussion here about using diet to manage severe epilepsy, and where to find out more about it.

Fructose malabsorption

I seem to get questions about recipes for those with fructose malabsorption a lot lately. In this post readers have shared ideas for high protein snacks/drinks for someone with fructose malabsorption, who is also dairy intolerant and sensitive to high salicylates and amines! She also can't have potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, sweet peppers, chili peppers, paprika and cayenne pepper.

And here you'll find more ideas for lunchbox and party foods for children with fructose malabsorption.

Low FODMAP diet

For those looking for low FODMAP recipes, here's some links and sites to help you in this post.

INSPIRATION

How to live to 116 years old... 

Love it!! (via the Healthy Home Economist)

Last week's Saturday Shout Out!

Reader's favourite blog posts, articles, sites, pins, FB pages...

I especially found this article on 'How Caffeine Short Circuits Creativity' fascinating! Think twice before you drink coffee to stay alert, if you're trying to think creatively!

My little kitchen

I don't know if you'll find this inspiring, exactly... but I thought you might like to see a glimpse of my home and my little kitchen. People who visit are often surprised that I don't have a big fancy kitchen and yet I do so much cooking and food photography. I'd love a big fancy kitchen... but you make do with what you've got, right? You don't need a big kitchen to cook amazing food. :)

My favourite photo from last week

Just had to share this one. My little girl looking for shells, Kurrimine Beach, FNQ. Taken with my iPhone, as usual. Love it.

And one last photo of those lovely Corella pears, before they get eaten...

I had to laugh... I bought these pears to look at (because I'm unpractical like that sometimes), and posted this arty photo on my FB page, and one of the comments was, 'great for constipation'. LOL! I guess not everyone thinks of pears as art. :D So funny.

Have a great weekend, guys! xx

Dairy Free Condensed Milk & Dulce de Leche

The other day I asked on my Facebook page, "What's something you reeeeaaallly wish you had an allergy-friendly recipe for (and what's the ingredient/s that is stopping you make the original recipe)?" Well. I got lots of comments. Like about 180 of them. And one that was mentioned a few times was dairy free condensed milk, so I thought it was about time I had a go at it.

There are a few dairy free condensed milk recipes online - I had a quick look for Thermomix versions and found this one over at The Thermomix Diaries, which linked back to this one on the Thermomix Recipe Community. Of course, I had to have a play with the recipe to reduce the sugar (too much for me!), change it to a sweetener I prefer, and start with a creamier (dairy free) base instead of milk. And this is what I came up with... So delicious!! 

I've made it a few times now, each time a little different, so here's two different versions - one is just a basic dairy free condensed milk made with bought coconut cream, and the other is a dairy free dulce de leche (caramel) made from homemade coconut cream, inspired by this recipe over at the UK Thermomix FB page. I'm thinking you could use the dulce de leche recipe and just cook it for less time to make a 'from scratch' version of the condensed milk - that will be my next experiment! (Thought I'd better just hurry up and get this posted!!) 

By the way, great news - not once has it boiled over, or even gotten close. I know that's the dreaded danger when you make condensed milk or dulce de leche with cow's milk. (I remember the horror stories my friend Bel told me about the sticky mess all over her countertop and under her Thermomix! Eek!) Cow's milk has a tendency to do this when boiled, but I have never had a problem with dairy free milks and creams. (Hopefully no one proves me wrong!) 

Dairy Free Condensed Milk

Place ingredients in the Thermomix bowl and cook at Varoma temperature for 45 minutes on speed 4, with the rice basket on the lid (instead of the MC) to let the steam out.

- 1000g organic coconut cream (I used 18+% fat Spiral brand)

- 200g pure organic maple syrup

Leave to cool for a bit in the bowl, blend gently again on speed 3-4 for a few seconds (as it sometimes separates a little), then carefully scrape into a glass jar. This recipe will make about 400g, so it can be used to replace a tin of condensed milk in recipes.

[Note: When it's cold in the fridge you may notice little bits of coconut cream flecked through it that have kind of solidified - don't stress, if you whiz it up they disappear. And for most recipes, it wouldn't matter anyway as it will be cooked or blended with other ingredients.]

Okay, and now for the amazing Dairy Free Dulce de Leche!

Dairy Free Dulce de Leche

First make the coconut cream. Because it's going to be cooked anyway, just make raw coconut cream, it's quicker. 

[Note: If you're thinking of making this raw coconut cream to go in your fridge to be used for other things, just be aware that it will separate quite drastically - when you cook it, it stays 'together'. If it's going to be added to a recipe straight away it doesn't matter, but if you like it in your coffee (like I do), cooked is best. (Recipe for cooked coconut cream is here.)]

1. Grind up the coconut for 20 seconds on speed 9.
- 300g organic dessicated or shredded coconut 
(you can buy preservative free coconut from the health food shop)

2. Add water and blend for 1 minute on speed 9.
- 1000g (1 Litre) water

3. Strain coconut milk through a nut milk bag into a bowl, squeezing it out really well to get as much cream as you can. 

[Set the cream aside and tip the coconut pulp back into the Thermomix. Add another 300g water, blend once more for a minute on speed 9, re-strain into a separate bowl, and you have milk for another recipe. Freeze the coconut pulp, and when you have enough you can dehydrate it then grind it up to make coconut flour.]

4. Measure the coconut cream back into the Thermomix bowl. Add other ingredients and cook at Varoma temperature for 55 minutes, speed 4, with the rice basket set on top of the lid (instead of the MC) to let the steam out.
- 1000g (1 litre) of coconut cream
- 200g organic pure maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (not essence)

That's it! Too easy. I was jumping around the kitchen in excitement when I opened the lid of the Thermomix after making this! And if you don't believe me, just ask my taste testers - they all agreed that it was totally amazing and exciting and were very happy they'd happened to stop by for a visit at just the right time!! ;)

This recipe results in about a little over a cup of dulce de leche. Sorry I can't be more definite than that - after eight people sampled it I realised I'd forgotten to weigh out the amount! Ah well, must make it again... :D

My taste testers... and the verdict was YUM!!

(You really should try dulce de leche on warm, freshly baked spelt bread rolls - mmmm!!)

Variations: 

- Try fresh grated coconut (brown skin removed) instead of dessicated coconut for the coconut cream.

- Try a different sweetener - honey, yacon syrup, rice malt syrup, rapadura, coconut sugar... different sweeteners will result in different colours, but they should all work fine. Adjust amount to taste.

- If you can't have coconut, you could use other dairy free milks, but make sure they're thick and creamy enough that you'll get a nice thick result, or just cook for longer if needed.