Quick Egg Curry with Quinoa... plus how to make Coconut Milk

 

 

This is one of those 'last-minute-slap-dash' recipes that are pretty much my trademark. Sometimes those are the best kind of recipes. Here's how it happened...

 

One dark morning, I stumbled out of bed at 5.30am to try and find something my hubby could take to work for lunch, and there was just nothing. No bread, no leftovers, just a few basic ingredients and some eggs. My fuzzy brain did a quick search and came up with 'egg curry'. I dug through the cupboard looking for the curry powder, but it was all gone. Typical. That'll teach me to menu plan more carefully. Okay, no big deal - I had the basic ingredients for a curry powder and I had a Thermomix! So I revved up Thermie and quickly ground some spices to make some homemade curry powder, using the recipe in the Indian cookbook. (No, the kids didn't wake up - they're used to me Thermomixing at all sorts of odd hours!) Then I made a quick egg curry. Hubby was out the door and on his way by 6am, and I stumbled back to bed.

 

So a month or so ago I shared this simple recipe on Facebook, and was surprised to find that lots of people loved it! I hadn't blogged it because it didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary... but maybe that's why people like it. It's simple, tasty, quick, and cheap. And really, that's what most of us want for everyday meals - right? Now and then a fancy meal, but mostly it's 'get it on the table and get 'em fed with as little fuss as possible'!

 

Have a look at the variations at the end if you'd rather chicken instead of eggs, or more veges, or a vegetarian version.

 

Quick Egg Curry with Quinoa

 

1. Curry powder: if you want to make your own, do that first. You can of course just use bought curry powder, but homemade has lots of flavour, and no anti-caking agents. The recipe I use is the Madras Curry Powder from the Thermomix Indian Cookbook but I leave the salt out. Or I just use the Garam Masala recipe from the Thermomix Everyday Cookbook - that's nice too, and very simple.

 
2. Coconut milk: if you're not in a hurry and you really want to go back to basics, you can make your coconut milk first. This saves money, and it's very simple. Here's how.

- Grind up 300g dried, shredded coconut for 10 seconds on speed 8 (in the Thermomix). You can use fresh coconut instead if you have it.

- Add 1200g water and cook for 15-20 minutes at 100C, speed 4 - until the temperature reaches 100C. (If using fresh coconut, only add 900g water.)

Blend on speed 8 for 30 seconds; strain through a nut milk bag. (I use tongs to squeeze the milk out because it's hot!)

 

 

[Optional: Return the pulp to the Thermomix bowl, add another 1200g of water, and repeat. You'll have a thick milk and a thinner milk. You can either mix them, or just use the thinner milk in smoothies/baking. ]

If you like, you can also dehydrate the pulp in a dehydrator for 6 hours on low temp, then grind it for 2 minutes speed 9 to make coconut flour! But I'm getting off the track here, back to the egg curry...

 

3. Quinoa & eggs: The next step is to cook the quinoa and eggs.

 

Weigh water into bowl:

- 900g water

 

Add rice basket and weigh dry quinoa into basket. (Don't stress if a little bit falls through the holes - not much will.)

- 300g white quinoa

 

[Note: Most of the quinoa I've bought is pre-rinsed, it doesn't have a bitter taste. If it's not pre-rinsed (or you're not sure), rinse well in a fine strainer under running water for a couple of minutes, rubbing grains through your fingers to remove saponins. (That's the natural bug-deterrant on quinoa that makes it taste bitter.) Soaking quinoa: If you're thinking ahead, you can weigh the dry quinoa into a Thermoserver or other dish, cover with water and a tsp of apple cider vinegar, and leave to soak over night or for a few hours.]

Wash eggs well and place on top of quinoa, in the rice basket:

- 6 eggs, organic free range

 

[OR place the eggs in the Varoma if you don't like the idea of them being in with the quinoa. But it's perfectly fine, as long as the eggs are clean. Some people grind up eggs shells and add them to food for a calcium supplement - egg shells are non-toxic!]

 

Cook for 20 minutes at Varoma temperature, speed 4.

 

 

Remove eggs from quinoa with tongs (scrape off the quinoa) and set aside. Tip quinoa into Thermoserver or covered serving dish to stay warm. Rinse & dry bowl.

 

4. Curry sauce: (don't worry, this is quick!)

Chop onion, garlic and coriander in Thermomix bowl on speed 5 for 3 seconds.

- 1 brown onion, halved

- 2-3 cloves garlic

- a handful fresh coriander (or parsley)

 

Add olive oil or ghee and cook at 100C, 2 minutes, speed 1:

- 30g olive oil or ghee

 

Add curry powder and lemon juice. Cook 100C, 2 minutes, speed 1:

- 2-4 Tbspns curry powder (depending how hot you like it)

- 1 Tbspn lemon

 

Add coconut milk/cream, vege stock paste and frozen peas, and cook 5 minutes, 100C, reverse speed 1:

- 400g coconut cream or milk

- 1 Tbspn vege stock paste

- 150g peas (frozen is fine)

 

Meanwhile, peel eggs and cut into quarters. Arrange on top of quinoa. When curry sauce is ready, pour over the quinoa and eggs, and serve.

 

*     *     *     *     *

Variations: You could easily jazz this up a bit by steaming chicken breast pieces in the Varoma on top while the quinoa is cooking, as well as a bunch of sliced veges. Or you could add in any leftover veges from the night before instead of the frozen peas - I tend to do things like that. If you can't have eggs, just leave them out and use chicken or veges instead. Maybe add a tin of chickpeas with the veges. Play around with it and see what you come up with. Hope you like it! :)

 

*     *     *     *     *

Layered Maqui Chia Pudding

Chia pudding (or porridge) is a staple part of my diet. I eat it for breakfast or morning tea, afternoon tea or supper. Sometimes all four! If I'm rushed, I eat it for lunch too. I'm kind of addicted to it. Here's why:

1. It's delicious. Think berries and cream with a chocolatey-nutty crunch!

2. It's quick and easy. It only takes 5-10 minutes to make my quick version.

3. It makes lots and lasts for a week in the fridge. So I can make up a big batch and have enough for a few days.

4. It's versatile. Every batch I make is slightly different to the last, depending on what I have on hand. (See variations below)

5. It's healthy. Chia has approximately 6 times more calcium than milk, as well as being high in Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, and other essential minerals. Then there's all the goodness of the Maqui berry powder with it's high level of antioxidants, the coconut cream with it's lauric acid, and the benefits of whatever other superfoods you add, like goji berries and cacao nibs.

6. It's the perfect low GI, natural, 'sweet treat'. It keeps me from getting 'hangry' halfway through the morning or afternoon. {Hangry: 'A state of anger caused by a lack of food.' Know what I mean?} Chia seeds and mesquite powder are both great blood sugar stabilizers. As my mum used to say when she gave us porridge for breakfast, "It'll stick to your ribs!"

7. It travels well. I pop a batch into a jar and take it with me as I dash out the door. I even took some on the aeroplane the other day for my lunch... The guy next to me was looking at me a little strangely as I ate my pudding and drank my green smoothie from a jar, but hey, I'd rather that than the dry white bread sandwich and softdrink he had for lunch!

And if that's not enough, here's Jess the Wellness Warrior's 13 Reasons to Eat Chia Seeds Every Day!

One Layered Maqui Chia Pudding to go...

And just in case that's not enough reasons for you to try chia pudding - it looks pretty! Especially when you layer it.

There's lots of different recipes around for chia puddings and porridges, usually involving at least 40 minutes of soaking time, or soaking overnight. Sarah from 'Homemade, Healthy, Happy' has a delicious one here that I love, but I decided I wanted a quicker version - I'm usually in a last minute rush in the mornings, so 40 minutes seems a bit too long to wait for the soaking time. I find that by warming the pudding gently for a few minutes at 37C, the chia seeds soak up the liquid just as well as when they are soaked, without being 'cooked' and losing their goodness. I also wanted to make one that was kind of fun - which is why I layered it and called it a pudding instead of a porridge. ;-)

I've tried lots of different versions of chia pudding, and pretty much love them all. But this one is how I make it most of the time - with superfood Maqui powder for an antioxidant boost, plus lots of other yummy bits and pieces. My Instagram friends come up with some great combos, and I'm continually being inspired by other people's versions, like these on my Facebook page. To give you some more ideas of possible variations, here's a few others I've seen that look great!

- Coconut Water Chia Porridge (I keep meaning to try this, but I love coconut water so much that I always drink it before the porridge gets made!)

- Apple Cinnamon Chia Porridge

- Chocolate Chia Pudding

- Pumpkin Chia Pudding

- Berry & Nut Chia Porridge

- Chia Porridge with Blueberries & Pecans

- Chia Porridge with Pear, Cinnamon & Vanilla

- Warm Chia Porridge with Herbal Tea

...and if you google 'chia pudding' and 'chia porridge' you'll come up with heaps more! The variations are endless.

{Note: Some people find too much chia can bother their tummy, especially if it's not soaked. If you find my quick version doesn't agree with you, try soaking the chia in the almond milk overnight in the fridge, then continue recipe as below. This is usually only the case for people with gut issues.}

Layered Maqui Chia Pudding 

First make the almond milk (below), or you can use coconut milk or coconut water instead.

1. Weigh almonds into Thermomix bowl and grind on speed 9 for 20 seconds:

- 100g raw almonds

2. Add water and blend on speed 9 for 1 minute:

- 550g filtered water

3. Add following ingredients, and cook at 37C for 5 minutes, speed 1:

- 85g chia seeds

- 2-3 tsp Maqui berry powder

- 1-2 tsp Mesquite powder

- 2 Tbspns Yacon syrup or raw honey

- 1 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)

- pinch of ground nutmeg (optional)

- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste

- a handful of raw cacao nibs

- a handful or two of goji berries and/or sultanas

Maqui berry powder - full of antioxidants!

4. Remove pudding to a dish or large jar to keep in the fridge. (It will be a little runny at first, but I make it like that on purpose because it gets thicker as it sits, and I don't like it too thick.) For each serving, layer the following in a glass or jar in the order given:

- a few Tblspns chia pudding

- a handful of raw cashews or macadamias

- a few blueberries

- a few raspberries

- a couple of blobs of coconut cream

- a drizzle of pure maple syrup

Repeat the layers.

Variations:

- Instead of vanilla bean paste, you can use a whole vanilla bean. Pop it in with the almonds and grind them up, then add water and blend.

- If you don't have Maqui powder or Mesquite powder, that's okay. I like to use them because they add extra goodness and the Maqui makes the chia such a lovely colour, but it will taste fine without. Try stirring in some homemade (sugar free) strawberry jam instead - my friend Emma suggested this, and it's delicious!!

- Try a coconut version: blend up the water and flesh of a young (green) coconut and use that instead of almond milk; leave out the yacon syrup or honey as the coconut water is sweet enough on it's own.

- If you can't have nuts, try coconut flakes instead, or maybe some toasted pepitas.

- Swap the coconut cream for coconut milk yoghurt, and instead of berries try some slices of mango. Drizzle over some passionfruit pulp instead of pure maple syrup.

- Try cherries with cacao nibs and chocolate covered goji berries, topped with coconut flakes. Mmmm....

- Fresh and juicy peaches, nectarines or strawberries are great too, instead of the berries.

- You could use other sweeteners besides Yacon syrup or honey or pure maple syrup - some prefer agave syrup, or coconut nectar, or carob syrup. Even stevia would work in the chia pudding. I would suggest sticking to a liquid sweetener though, as granulated sugars such as Rapadura wouldn't mix in so well.

Let me know what other great variations you come up with!

 

Now, for those of you who would like to try some Yacon Syrup, Mesquite Powder or Agave Syrup, Loving Earth has kindly given me some to give away. So leave a comment below saying what variation of Chia Pudding you'd like to try, and next Saturday (17th November) I'll pick 3 comments via Random.org and the winners will receive one of the above products to try! One comment each please, and let me know which product you'd prefer to win in your comment, so I can put you in the right prize draw. Woo hoo, thank you Loving Earth!!

{To find out more about all these interesting ingredients I use, click on the links and they will take you to pages with more info.}



Raw Superfood Fudge

 

Warning: this fudge disappears quickly!

(naturally sweetened with dates & stevia; gluten free, grain free, dairy free, egg free)

Here's a chocolate treat that you can eat guilt-free, which will help to control those chocolate cravings without overloading your body with sugar. It is not only raw and naturally sweetened, but full of antioxidants, vitamin C, protein, fibre, magnesium, immune system boosters and other nutrients to nourish your body. The raw cacao is a great pick-me-up, and I often find myself reaching for it after lunch when I need an energy boost. I tell my kids this is one sweet treat they can eat as much as they like of, which makes them pretty happy! (Although it's quite rich, so they never eat more than two or three pieces at a time.)

To maximise the goodness of this fudge, I've used two of Loving Earth's superfood powders. Rainbow Superfood Blend is quickly becoming my favourite superfood powder, because instead of opening lots of packets and jars and combining powders, I can just grab this one jar and scoop out a spoonful of maqui berry, acai, AFA, gubinge (Kakadu plum) and camu camu powders. It just simplifies things. I also add some extra maqui berry powder as this is a 'fruity' fudge! It gives it an extra depth of flavour, plus even more goodness. (If you're not sure what any of those are and why they're so good for you, click on the links to see an explanation, as well as ideas of how to use them.)

I also like to add dried, organic cherries to my fudge, or a couple of handfuls of goji berries. If you don't have any, you can either leave them out, or add some sultanas instead.

 

WIN a jar of Loving Earth's Maqui or Rainbow Superfood Powders!

Okay, so here's the exciting news... You have the chance to WIN one of the above superfood powders from Loving Earth!! They have kindly sent me some goodies to give away, so for your chance to win one of these amazing jars of goodness, just leave a comment on this post saying what you would make with it if you had some to try. There will be two winners drawn randomly in one weeks' time, on Saturday 20th October, 2012, at 5pm. The first winner will receive a 150g jar of Rainbow Superfood Blend (worth $44.90), and the second winner will receive a jar of Maqui Powder (worth $39.90). (This competition is only open to Australian residents - sorry to my overseas followers, but postage is horrendous these days! If you are desperate to try it, you can order online from Loving Earth.)

Okay, so here's my recipe for Raw Superfood Fudge ~ try it out, and don't forget to leave a comment! Enjoy :)

1. Grind up in your Thermomix on speed 9 for 30 seconds:
- 1 whole vanilla bean, snipped in a couple of pieces (no need to scrape out seeds)
- 100g raw cacao nibs

2. Add and grind on speed 9 for 10 seconds:
- 100g raw walnuts
- 100g raw cashews

[Note: nuts that are high in enzyme inhibitors (like walnuts) are easier to digest if they have been 'activated' - soaked, rinsed, then dehydrated. You can do this yourself, or you can buy them activated here. You can use regular raw nuts if that's all you have. Any combination of nuts will work - I like cashews & walnuts as they are oily, so they make a 'creamier' fudge.]

3. Add and process on speed 9 for a minute, or until fudge is smooth and begins to form a ball (as in picture below):
- 100g raw dates
- 80g coconut butter (make your own from dried coconut)
- 60g coconut oil (sometimes called coconut butter)
- 1 heaped tsp Rainbow Superfood Blend
- 1 heaped tsp Maqui Berry Powder
- 10 drops vanilla stevia or a pinch of green stevia powder (optional)
- pinch of Himalayan salt

4. Mix in on speed 3 for a few seconds:
- a handful of dried sour cherries or goji berries

5. Press mixture into a square or small rectangular dish (I use a Pyrex glass dish), and pop into the fridge to set. If you like, you can make the mixture into balls instead of squares. Keep refrigerated or it will soften and crumble.

(This is not a paid post, although Loving Earth did send me some samples and giveaways. But even if they hadn't, I would still link to them because I LOVE their products!! I think I should maybe just move into their warehouse...)

Superfood Trail Mix Clusters (Nut Free)

 

 

Superfood Trail Mix Clusters

 

Well, it's back to school tomorrow for the kids here in Queensland, and we've been tossing around lots of healthy lunch box ideas here on my Facebook page. While we were chatting, I remembered I'd been meaning to come up with a trail mix my kids would like... they're not too keen on the usual nuts and sultanas ones. So I dashed off to the kitchen and emptied half my pantry onto the bench, had a bit of a brainstorm, and this is what I came up with. Instead of a traditional trail mix, I made the mixture into little clusters, as I think it's easier to eat this way.

I used superfood berries and dried cherries instead of sultanas; seeds and shredded coconut instead of nuts; and Cacao Crunch instead of chocolate chips. (Cacao Crunch is cacao nibs rolled in a liquified form of the roasted nibs, then rolled in panela (Rapadura) - so yum! Very lightly sweet, but chocolatey and full of antioxidants!)

Cacao Crunch

For a great energy boost, munch on a small handful of these... but beware, don't eat them before bed, or you won't sleep! (I know this by experience...lol)

If you don't have the berries and cherries, just substitute with whatever you have - dried apricots or peaches chopped in bits, sultanas, currants, etc. I would suggest you try the goji berries and goldenberries, though, if you possibly can, as they're lovely and tart and SO good for you! (And again, very high in antioxidants!)

Here's some of the ingredients I used in my trail mix clusters...

 

 

Goji Berries, Cacao Crunch, Goldenberries, Organic Dried Cherries, Coconut Butter (homemade from shredded coconut) and Organic Shredded Coconut (all available from most health food stores or online)

 

 

Goldenberries, goji berries and Cacao Crunch - yum!

Superfood Trail Mix Clusters (Nut Free)

1. First, make a batch of coconut butter and remove to a jar or bowl. Or if you like, you could use bought coconut butter. (You'll need 150g.) I don't mean coconut oil, I mean dried coconut which is ground up to make a paste (like a nut butter) which sets hard as it cools. (Keep coconut butter in a jar in the cupboard - it gets too hard in the fridge.)

I used coconut butter I already had in a jar, and just chopped it up a bit with a knife so it was all crumbly. (See photo below)

 

 

2. Weigh coconut butter into Thermomix bowl:

- 150g coconut butter

 

3. Add remaining ingredients to Thermomix and mix on reverse, speed 3, for about 10 seconds or until well combined:

- 15g shredded dried organic coconut (or coconut flakes), unsweetened

- 35g goji berries

- 50g Cacao Crunch

- 40g Goldenberries

- 60g pepitas

- 30g sunflower seeds

- 60g dried organic cherries

- 50g coconut oil (extra virgin)

- 10 to 15 drops vanilla liquid stevia (or plain), or to taste

 

Mixture should be damp, and sticking together, like this:



 

 

3. Pour mixture out onto a tray and flatten a bit with your hands. Pop it into the freezer for a bit, until coconut oil solidifies.

 

4. Break apart gently into little clusters. Place handfuls into little ziploc bags and keep them in the freezer to put into lunchboxes, or to grab as you run out the door for an on-the-go snack.

 

 

 

Note: If the weather is hot and there's no cold pack in the lunch box, these clusters may fall apart. Don't worry, they can just be eaten crumbly like a 'normal' trail mix, too. :)

 

 

Variation:

 

Instead of letting mixture set on a tray in the freezer, press mixture firmly into chocolate molds, then freeze for a while. Pop them out of molds and keep in a bag in the freezer.

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoy!

Steamed Chocolate Raspberry Mudcakes with Raspberry Coconut Cream

Here's a deliciously simple recipe you can whip up at short notice... I made it tonight on the spur of the moment, and thought I'd better share! (Especially since there's going to be a riot on my Facebook page if I don't!!) You can make them either with gluten free flour, or spelt flour. They are dairy free and vegan and nut free, so that should keep quite a few of you happy! :D

The mudcake recipe is one I posted ages ago, with a recipe for orange sabayon. It's here: Steamed Chocolate Mudcakes with Orange Sabayon.

For this raspberry version, just sprinkle some raspberries in the bottom of your silicon cupcake molds, pour the chocolate batter over (only to just over half way), and steam for 20 minutes at Varoma temp, speed 2.

While cakes are cooking, freeze a tin of coconut cream, unopened, without shaking it up. This is just so the thick cream rises to the top and gets firm - it doesn't need to be frozen. You'll also want to pick out enough whole raspberries for on top of the cakes, and set them aside.

When cakes are done, let them cool while you make the raspberry cream.

Raspberry Coconut Cream

Weigh into the Thermomix bowl and mix on speed 5 for 10 seconds:
- 80g of frozen raspberries

Add:
- 30g pure maple syrup
- 1/2 a teaspoon of vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
- 150g thick coconut cream (scooped off the top of the tin of cream)

Mix on speed 5 until just combined. It's nice to have it a bit swirly, not just completely pink.

Top the cooled cakes with raspberry coconut cream, a raspberry, and some grated dark chocolate. (I used a 65% cocoa chocolate which is dairy free.)

Recipe makes 14-16 cakes.

 

If you love these little teacup and saucer silicon molds, you can buy them here!

Buckwheat & Almond Crepes (or Wraps)

Buckwheat & Almond Crepes

filled with Strawberries & Vanilla-Cashew Cream

This morning I decided to make crepes out of buckwheat and almonds for breakfast. They were the best I've ever made! The secret? Partly the recipe (which was one I made up on the spur of the moment, knowing the basic ratio for crepe recipes), and partly the way I cooked them. I couldn't wait to share the recipe on Facebook, but I held back a bit of info so I'd have something to blog about... lol!

I don't know about you, but I've always found crepes a bit of a pain to make. Unless you have a good crepe pan, they can get stuck, or tear when you try and turn them over. So this morning I decided to save time and effort, and, well, CHEAT!! I cooked them in my sandwich press. :) It worked SO well that I won't cook them any other way now. It was really, really easy. No messed up crepes, not even one! This really is the simplest, quickest way to make crepes EVER.

This recipe is obviously gluten free; practically grain free (since buckwheat is not a grain); and it's also dairy free. (It's not egg free, but I'm thinking it could be if you used chia seeds instead of the eggs, and increased the amount of water a little. I'll try that soon and let you know how it goes.) The ground up almonds plus the water make the 'milk' for the recipe. It just so simple. I love recipes that really get back to the basics, and this is one of those.

These crepes are also perfect to use as savoury wraps; just leave out the vanilla. Gluten free wraps are generally awful - they are dry, and crumble when you try to wrap them around your food. But these crepes are soft and pliable, and are fine the next day so you can make them ahead. I also find these ones don't go soggy like the last gluten free crepes I tried to use as wraps, so that's another big plus! So make up a batch, and keep them in the fridge in a sealed ziploc bag, ready for school lunches - much cheaper and healthier than bought gluten free wraps, and they taste lots better.

Oh, and by the way, you can cook them longer and they'll turn into crisp 'wafers', which you can cut into wedges and serve with ice cream! Such a versatile recipe :) Hope you like them!

Buckwheat & Almond Crepes/Wraps

Soaked method:

1. Soak buckwheat and almonds in water, with vinegar, in a glass bowl (covered), overnight:

- 150g buckwheat, hulled

- 100g raw almonds

- 450g water

- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

2. Next morning, blend soaked buckwheat and nuts in the soaking water on speed 9 for 2 minutes, adding a little water if needed. The mixture should form a vortex while blending - if it doesn't, it's too thick and you need to drizzle in water until it does. You should be able to see the metal top of the blades while it blends.

3. Add remaining ingredients and blend again for 1 minute, speed 9:

- 3 large eggs

- a pinch of salt

- 2 tsps vanilla extract (leave out if making savoury wraps)

- 45g macadamia oil (or other light flavoured oil)

4. Leave the batter to sit for 15 minutes in a cool spot, or in the fridge. It will get a bit thicker, so check it to see if you need to add any water. It shouldn't be as thick as pancake batter. (You can always add more water after the first crepe is made, if it's too thick.)

5. Preheat sandwich press. When it's ready, pour in the crepe batter, making sure you only make the crepe half the size you want it, as it will spread. (You can of course cook these in a crepe pan or frying pan instead of a sandwich press. You'll need a little oil or butter in the pan for each crepe. I would use coconut oil or ghee.)



6. Gently close lid and allow to cook until ready (about a minute, maybe a little more). If you want crispy 'wafers', cook until brown. (Don't worry if your crepes are a little bit crisp around the edges when you remove them - they soften up as they cool.)

7. Place crepes on a plate as you cook them, covering with a tea towel to keep warm. Leftover crepes can be stored in a plastic bag in the fridge for a few days.

Non-Soaked Method

(for those of you who are in a hurry to make these and can't wait!)

1. Grind up the dry buckwheat in your Thermomix bowl on speed 9 for 1 minute:

- 150g buckwheat, hulled

2. Add almonds and grind for another 20 seconds, speed 9:

- 100g raw almonds

3. Add remaining ingredients and mix for 30 seconds on speed 9:

- 3 large eggs

- 450g water

- pinch of salt

- 2 tsps vanilla extract (leave out if making savoury wraps)

- 45g macadamia oil

4. Cook as per instructions above.

I like my crepes filled with fresh strawberries and vanilla-cashew cream, and drizzled with a little pure maple syrup... How do you like yours?

Chocolate Espresso Brownies and Chocolate Pistachio Brownies

 

Chocolate Espresso Brownies with Vanilla Cashew Cream

{grain free, dairy free, gluten free, nut free (without the cream), naturally sweetened}

 

You're probably thinking, 'Why is she posting ANOTHER chocolate brownie recipe?? She's already posted Marike's Coconut Flour Brownies, Flourless Chocolate Hazelnut Brownies, Nut Butter Chocolate Swirl Brownies, Flourless Chocolate Brownie Cookies, and even Waffle Iron Brownies!!' Well, I just can't help myself - I love brownies. And I'm always chasing the elusive recipe for the perfect, healthy, naturally sweetened brownie! Besides, so many people on Facebook begged me to post this after I shared the above photo that I thought I'd better do it, before there was a riot!!! ;-)

 

So for all my fellow chocoholics, here's my latest gluten free, dairy free, nut free, naturally sweetened brownie recipe - let me know what you think. My recipe testers declared it perfect after my first batch, and wanted me to blog it immediately. I did make it once more though, just to check I had it right the first time... although I made the second batch into Chocolate Pistachio Brownies. YUM! So if you aren't keen on the espresso idea, try the pistachio variation below instead. And if you can't have chocolate, you could use carob powder instead of cacao.

 

These brownies are actually a lot better the second day. When they're hot, they're lovely, but the flavour isn't as rich, and the texture is lighter. So if you can bear it, let them sit for a day (covered, just at room temperature), and they'll become moister and fudgier and richer tasting. (If you're like me, only about half of them will get to this stage, though. Ha ha!)

 

Don't forget to check out the Chocolate Pistachio variation below, too.

 

Chocolate Espresso Brownies

 

Preheat oven to 180C.

 

1. Roughly chop chocolate and weigh into Thermomix bowl, with coconut oil:

- 160g dark, dairy free, sugar free chocolate, chopped (I use 65% Valrhona, or Green & Black's 70% cocoa chocolate, or Rapadura sweetened chocolate)

- 60g coconut oil

 

2. Cook chocolate and oil for 3 minutes at 50C, speed 2.

 

3. Add remaining ingredients, and mix for 5 seconds on speed 5. Scrape down sides of bowl and re-mix if needed.

- 1 1/2 tsps ground espresso beans (organic de-caffeinated preferred)

- 4 eggs

- 40g coconut flour

- 80g coconut sugar or Rapadura

- 1/4 tsp green stevia powder, or 20 drops liquid stevia

- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

- 1/4 tsp fine Himalayan or Celtic sea salt

 

4. Pour mixture into a square baking dish greased with coconut oil, and bake at 180C for about 25 minutes, or just until a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean. Don't overcook.

 

5. When brownies are cooked, take them out of the oven and bang the dish down on the counter a few times, to make them denser and less 'fluffy'. Allow to cool (if you can wait!) and serve with vanilla cashew cream or vanilla honey coconut cream (without the lemon juice).

 

 

Variation - Chocolate Pistachio Brownies

 

Follow recipe as above, but omit ground espresso beans and add instead:

- 80g raw pistachios

- 1 tsp ground cinnamon

- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom

 

Sprinkle the top of the brownie mixture with a little more cinnamon and cardamom before baking.