groats, steel-cut, rolled, fine oatmeal

If I had to have a love affair with a food it would hands down be with oats. They are everything I could ever want in a love – sometimes tender and smooth and other times strong with a touch of bite. They nourish not only the body but the mind and soul, and are innately calming when the nervous system feels frazzled. They swing both sweet and savoury to keep things interesting, and they are reliable but completely versatile, so boredom is never an issue. The best thing is that at their heart they are so damn good for you that you get a sort of glow whenever they’re around.

origin

There are many wild and sub species of oats – mostly considered weeds – that have grown for millennia, making oats’ true origin difficult for historians to pin down.  Ancestral forms of oats were grown near the Fertile Crescent (what is now Egypt and parts of the Middle East), but oats as we know them are thought to have originated from the wild oats of western Europe around 2500 BC. It is more than likely that merchants, raiders and invaders carried oats across Europe as food for their horses, and in Scotland and Britain, where oats were one of the few grains that would grow, oats became a staple of the majority of the population, especially in Scotland.

types of oats

• Oat groats – are the whole oat kernel
• Steel cut oats – are whole oat kernals that have been cut into two or three pieces with a sharp metal blade. They are sometimes called pinhead oats or Irish oatmeal. These should be soaked before cooking
• Scottish oatmeal – are oat kernels that have been stoneground into various sizes, and are often finer than steel cut oats. It reportedly makes a creamier porridge
• Rolled oats – oat groats are steamed and then rolled into flakes. Sometimes called traditional oats
• Quick oats – oat groats that are steamed longer and rolled finer than traditional oats, making them cook in only a few minutes
• Instant oats – have been processed like quick oats but are steamed and ground finer (and sometimes precooked). They can be ‘cooked’ by just adding boiling water. Often they are sold in ‘convenient’ single serves with lots of sweeteners and additives so are best avoided
• Oatmeal – I’ve always understood oatmeal to be crushed oat groats – with varying degrees of fineness until it makes flour. But it is also used as a general term for an oat porridge using any of the above forms. I’m not sure if this is American terminology or just something I’ve missed over the years.

There is varying opinion to whether the nutritional value of oats is reduced as it goes down the processing chain. The Wholefood Council of America says that the process to make rolled oats stabilises the healthy oils in oats, though I’m not so convinced of this as exposing oils to the air/steam doesn’t stabilise any other oil that I know about. That said, I am a fan of traditional rolled oats (preferably organic or biodynamic) but wouldn’t eat anything more processed than this.

health properties

I wasn’t joking when I said oats were damn good for you. In herbal medicine, oats (Avena sativa) are used as a nerve restorative, antidepressant, brain and heart tonic and to improve stamina.

As a food, oats also have all these properties and are one of the best foods to eat if you have a tendency to stress, anxiety and/or depression. Oats are also rich in silica, which helps renew bone and connective tissue, and are great for people who are recovering from illness, as they are calming to the digestive system and restore vigour (when soaked or cooked). Oats help calm inflamed skin, having been found to be beneficial in those who have eczema or psoriasis, and are known to lower cholesterol due to their soluble fibre content.

gluten

Just to be a bit trickster, oats do contain a gluten called avenin, but it’s different to the gluten found in wheat (gliadin), rye (secalin) and barley (hordein). It is said that around four out of five people with coeliac disease can tolerate them. But as oats are often grown, transported and processed with gluten grains like wheat, they can get contaminated. Freedom foods do sell gluten-free oats (they have been tested to see whether there is wheat’s gliadin, barley’s hordein and rye’s secalin protein in them) but I haven’t seen them in Melbourne as of yet.

phytic acid

The outer bran layer of whole oats contains phytic acid, which binds to minerals like calcium preventing their absorption. This is why it’s best to not eat raw oats, but to soak and then sprout or cook them. This releases enzymes to help break down and neutralise the phytic acid (and also makes them more digestable). Because of this, cooked groats, Bircher muesli and porridge are the ideal way to eat oats.

a word on muesli

Muesli is one of the simplest things to make in the world – and cheaper than those gourmet ones in the shops at $10/$15 a pop. It gives you much more freedom to be creative – or put in whatever you have on hand – and buying your ingredients from your health food store in bulk is much better value than packets.

Natural (for Bircher/soaked muesli). Mix together 2 cups organic rolled oats; 1/2 cup nuts, 1/4 cup sunflower seeds, 1/4 cup pepitas, 2 tbsp sesame seeds – all lightly toasted; ½ a teaspoon of cinnamon or mixed spice; and 1/3 cup dried fruit (optional) and store in a large container. In a bowl, I soak 1/3 cup of muesli the night before in milk (I use rice, cashew or almond) – just enough to cover it – with half a grated apple and blueberries (or any topping you like).

Toasted. Without toasting the nuts and seeds – mix all the ingredients for the natural muesli together – except for the dried fruit - then just wet the mix with apple juice and a sprinkling of sesame oil. Spread out on a baking tray and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden. After around 10 minutes, you will need to turn and break up the muesli so it’s evenly toasted. If you add more oil – around a 1/4 cup of almond or macadamia – then you will get a crispier muesli, though it won’t be as toasted as you can buy in the shops, but these are often deep fried so…

my version of porridge/oatmeal (single serving)

Rolled oats – put 1/3 cup of rolled oats in a heavy-based saucepan with a sprinkle of cinnamon and 1 cup of rice milk (or a mix of water and rice or almond milk). Using a diffuser to cook the oats more slowly, slowly bring to the boil and cook until soft or all the liquid has been absorbed. I often slice up a small banana and cook it with the oats also. Cooked with rice, cashew or almond milk and banana means you won’t need additional sweeteners.

Steel cut oats – The night before, put 1/3 cup steel cut oats with 1 cup of water (or rice milk or a combo of both). Bring to the boil and simmer for 3 minutes. Cover with a lid or put in a food thermos and leave until the next morning. Reheat on the stove, adding any additional milk/water if necessary. Adding dried or fresh fruit, chopped walnuts and cinnamon makes a lovely sweet porridge, and finely cut up roasted veg makes for a great savoury porridge.

Anzac biscuits – with a twist

Anzac biscuits have always been my favourite. My audacious ex even declared an Anzac Biscuit Day – and managed to convince a handful of Australians there actually was said day – just to honour these delightful creations (well, mainly to be a sh*t stirrer).  I’m never shy about going back for thirds or fourths, especially when accompanied by a hefty mug of tea used for the mandatory dunk.

Now that I am avoiding dairy products, I was wondering whether Anzac biscuits could still be as droolingly delicious if they were vegan. Yes, I was quick to discover, yes they can be.

1 cup spelt flour
1 cup rolled oats
¾ cup desiccated coconut
½ cup rapadura sugar
½ tsp bicarbonate soda (baking soda)
½ cup walnuts, finely chopped (optional)
2 tbsp sesame seeds (optional)
2 tbsp brown rice syrup
140 ml refined coconut oil (or unrefined should be fine also- it will just have a stronger coconut taste)

• preheat the oven to 180° C/350° F
• combine oats, flour, coconut, sugar, nuts and sesame seeds in a bowl, then sieve the bicarb of soda in and mix in well
• if the coconut oil is solid, put the jar in a bowl with boiling water up to its sides to make it melt. Do the same with the brown rice syrup, as it makes it easier to stir through. Add both and mix well
• this is the messy bit – using a spoon or your hands, form rough balls on a tray lined with baking paper and flatten slightly. You’ll need to press them together as they are quite crumbly – don’t worry if they don’t seem to hold a shape, they spread together while cooking (leave space around them so they don’t join up)
• cook for around 10-15 minutes, or until golden
• leave on the tray to cool for around 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container – if they last that long.

Resources

Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine – Thomas Bartram
Healing with Wholefoods – Paul Pitchford

Fresh fig – is there a fruit as blissful? Nectarous and succulent, syrupy and sweet, eating a ripe fig off the tree is something akin to pure joy. Last week I went to my uncle and auntie’s farm just out of Perth to pick figs with my dad. Two trees laden with fruit, despite the complete lack of rain in months, welcomed us and we all picked and tasted while we caught up, the odd involuntary groan of delight drifting out from under the shady trees.

On our arrival home a flurry of phone calls were made to my dad’s community of food-swapping friends. People dropped in, picked up their container with such a look of pleasure on their face that it was wonderful to see how a simple act of gathering can make so many people happy. Then we made my dad’s much-loved jam. It’s a simple recipe, and I assume a common one, but it’s perfection and a shadow of anything you can buy except perhaps from country markets or a home kitchen. Setting aside a few of the more perfect ones to eat later, we sliced and chopped (the odd piece somehow making its way into my mouth) and soon a 6kg pot of jam was bubbling happily away.

Something I didn’t realise about figs is that the tree bears no flowers as such; the flower grows within a skin that ripens into the fruit, and only the female fruit is edible. Figs are native to Western Asia and have long been eaten throughout the Middle East, being especially popular in Turkish and Greek cuisine.

I regret that I couldn’t bring any back to Melbourne with me, but happily did manage to bring in two jars of jam and some that had been sundried. Hmmmm.

greg’s figtastic fig jam

Apologies for the quality of the photos, they were taken with my old camera phone. You can multiply the below depending on how many kilos of the fruit you have.

1kg fruit

750g sugar

1 large lemon, halved (organic or off an unsprayed tree if possible)

• cut the nib off the top of the fig and chop into pieces
• put in a heavy-based saucepan and sprinkle over a ¼ cup of sugar (per kilo of fruit), leaving for a few hours to draw out the moisture (no heat)
• over a low heat, heat the fruit and add the lemon, squeezing out all the juice and putting the rinds in as well. Slowly heat until the fruit warms and more moisture is released, then increase to a medium heat until the figs have softened and are cooked (the outside of the fruit is soft). Be sure to stir regularly to prevent sticking and skim off as many seeds as you can while it cooks
• only stir in the rest of the sugar once the fruit is cooked, as sugar stops the fruit from softening
• keep cooking until you gain the required consistency. To test the jam is set, keep a saucer in the freezer and put a dollop of jam on this. Leave for 5 minutes and see if it is the consistency you require
• when you are happy with it, remove peel (squeeze them with tongs to get out any juices) and remove from the heat
• allow to cool for around 10 minutes before pouring into hot, sterilised jars and seal with the lid.

My dad also makes batches with crystalised ginger (50g per 1kg fruit) or chopped macadamia nuts (⅓ cup per 1 kg fruit). Divine.

The below slice was made with a batch of last year’s fig jam, although you could use any jam (a red or purple jam would make a more interesting looking slice). Make sure you use good quality jam that has chunks of fruit in it.

Just a note, I used macadamia nut oil but have put coconut oil in the recipe below. It tasted amazing but was crumbly once a fork went into it, so I think coconut oil would hold it together better. If you‘d like to use butter, go to the original recipe that comes from Elsie Marley’s website – it has been browned and it would hold together better than oil.

fig jam and oatmeal slice

1 ¼ cups oatmeal

1 cup ground almonds (I used a mix of hazelnut, macadamia and cashew)

1 cup spelt flour

⅓ cup rapadura sugar

½ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp tea salt

zest of one orange

150ml flavourless coconut oil (refined)

1 cup good-quality fig or other jam

• combine all of the ingredients, except the oil and jam, in a large bowl and mix
• pour in the oil and mix well
• press two thirds of the dough into a small baking pan lined with baking paper
• spread the jam on top and crumble the rest of the dough over it
• bake in a 180°C/350°F oven for 25-30 minutes or until nicely browned
• cool in the tin then cut into squares.

First growing in the wilds of Afghanistan, the original carrot was pale purple, small and not very sweet. The carrot became known throughout the Islamic world during the ninth and tenth centuries and they made it to Holland in the fourteenth century. The Dutch were responsible for breeding them to be orange and they were first introduced into England during the Elizabethan period. In Australia, the first carrot seeds came out on the First Fleet and carrots were an important crop for the first settlers. It reportedly took until after World War I for the Americans to take to the carrot.

It’s not until the last few years that heirloom varieties have been grown for sale here in Australia, and it’s wonderful to see purple, yellow and white carrots grown alongside the orange. The brighter the colour, the more concentration of nutrients and carrots are one of the few vegetables that retain, if not improve, in nutrients once cooked. If you buy organic don’t peel carrots, as much of their nutrients are attached to the skin (though when grating the skin will blacken, so if making a salad keep this in mind). Their health promoting properties are numerous and are full of nutrients that protect and help the body cleanse, repair and strengthen.

I have two recipes today to make up for my shameless lack of posting this year – both are incidents of where carrots actually do take centre stage.

the best carrot cake ever!

I have always been a massive carrot cake fan and will choose it over any other. I have no idea where I got the below recipe, I’m sorry,
as I found it about eight years ago when I was looking for cake recipes for my friend’s wedding cake. I had never seen pineapple in one before so copied it down. I’ve changed the flour from wheat and the sugar type/quantity and have never entertained another recipe since. The pineapple makes it super moist and it’s one of the more healthy (and delicious) cakes around. I recently experimented to make it vegan and sugar-free and the results were delicious.

2 cups plain spelt flour (barley flour works well also)

2 teaspoons baking powder (aluminum free)

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp allspice

4 eggs*

1 ¼ cups Billingtons brown sugar or rapidura*

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 ¼ cups sweet almond oil

2 cups grated carrots

1 can (400g) crushed pineapple in juice, drained well

1 cup chopped walnuts

¾ cup sultanas (optional)

• preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Grease a cake tin and line the bottom with baking paper
• in a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside
• in a separate larger bowl, mix together the eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla by hand. Stir in the oil
• gradually stir in the dry ingredients, then fold in the carrots, pineapple coconut, walnuts and raisins
• pour the batter into the prepared pan – it will be quite runny like a caramel consistency
• bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until a small knife inserted into the cake comes out clean.

* you can successfully replace the eggs with 2 bananas and the sugar for 1 cup of chopped dates, soaked in 2/3 cup boiling water for 20 minutes then mashed. These will obviously change the flavour so perhaps try flax/chia to replace the eggs instead of banana to keep more of the original flavour. 

icing

I rarely ice this cake (as it is perfect as is) except if it’s someone’s birthday. If you want to ice it, you can’t beat a cream cheese icing – and there is a vegan cream cheese from tofutti that makes a good substitution for dairy, though it’s not particularly healthy due to being quite processed.

I played with a cashew nut icing but ran out of time to perfect it. I found a few links to some vegan icing alternatives so will try these out next time – see below.

250g cream cheese, softened

¼ cup icing sugar*

2 tsp finely grated lemon rind

2 tablespoons lemon juice

chopped walnuts to decorate

• add the cream cheese and lemon into a bowl  and mix well with a fork
• add 2 tbsp of the icing sugar and mix  well. Taste and play with the amounts to suit your like of lemon and sweetness – I used less icing sugar than ¼ a cup but then again I’m not a big fan of icing sugar
• spread over the cooled cake and sprinkle with chopped walnuts for decoration, if desired.

* if you have a coffee grinder or thermomix, you can use organic raw sugar and make your own. I’m sure rapadura would work as well if you wanted to try.

Healthier vegan icing alternatives:

• http://www.veggienumnum.com/2011/08/orange-carrot-cake-w-cashew-nut-cream-frosting/
• http://www.themindfulfoodie.com/2012/05/18/recipe-a-deliciously-moist-carrot-walnut-cake-with-a-coconut-lemon-frosting/
• http://detoxinista.com/2012/03/vegan-lemon-coconut-frosting/

I received the wonderful cookbook Simon Bryant’s Vegies for Christmas and really like his cooking style and attitude to food and ingredients. This is the first recipe I’ve made from it and it was pretty amazing. A word of warning though: this soup is quite sweet, despite the spices. I found a small bowl perfect and was won over by its tang and aroma. I didn’t have farrow so used cooked quinoa instead.

carrot, farro, coriander, mint and orange soup

3 tbsp cracked farro, soaked overnight

100ml ev olive oil

1 onion, finely diced, 4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tbsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

1 cinnamon stick

1kg carrots, diced

4 tbsp white wine

sea salt and cracked pepper to taste

finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange

1 handful each of mint, coriander leaves, chopped

½ cup Greek yoghurt*

*I used coconut cream instead –it will be a bit runnier than yogurt

• drain the farro, discarding the soaking water. Place in a heavy-based saucepan with ¾ cup water and 1 tsp salt and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook the farro for 20 minutes until it’s tender to the bite, drain and set aside
• heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and sweat the onions until soft and translucent.
• add the garlic, coriander, cumin and cinnamon and sauté for 5 minutes, then add the carrots and 3 tsp salt and sauté for a further 5-8 minutes until the carrot is coated and slightly coloured
• deglaze the pan with the wine, then add 800ml of water and simmer on a low heat until the carrot is tender
• remove the pan from the heat and discard the cinnamon. Carefully blend the soup using a stick blender. Add the orange juice and more salt if needed
• fold the orange zest and herbs into the yoghurt/coconut cream and add a pinch of salt. Place a large spoonful of farro into a bowl and ladle the soup over the top
• garnish with the herb yoghurt and finish with a splash of olive oil.

Sources:

• Onstad, Dianne, Wholefoods Companion
• http://www.carrotmuseum.co.uk

Pesto goes really well with starchy foods like pasta, noodles, grains and potatoes, but adding it to any steamed or roasted vegetables, brushing it over eggplant and roasting, adding it last minute to soups, serving some as a dip or using as a spread is equally as delicious.

Pesto originates from the portside city of Genoa in Italy’s Liguria region – though the ancient Romans are said to have made a similar sauce called moretum, and variations can be found elsewhere around Europe. There are a few stories to where the name ‘pesto’ comes from. The Genoese word ‘pesta’ means to pound or crush, (the Italian word is pestare). But as pesto is traditionally ground (rather than pounded) in a mortar and pestle, the name could also come from mortaio e pestello – the pestle part of the mortar.

Making pesto is really easy and you don’t have to stick to traditional basil and pine nut – the combination of leaves, nuts and oils are endless. Here are some of the combos I’ve made:

•      Basil and pinenut – the classic
•      Spinach and walnut
•      Rocket and cashew
•      Rocket and hazelnut
•      Coriander and macadamia
•      Mint and almond
•      Watercress and almond
•      Parsley and walnut
•      Nettles and cashew (you must carefully blanch the nettles in boiling water for 1-2 minutes before using – it will be a painful disaster if you don’t!).

making pesto

Like a lot of my dishes, I just go by feel and don’t often measure out my ingredients. But, you could follow the below measurements and change the nut and leaves used depending on what’s in your fridge or what you’re in the mood for:

100g leaves

½ cup nuts, lightly toasted

½ – 1 clove garlic

ev olive oil – around half a cup

sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste

• add everything except for the oil into a food processor
• with the lid on but funnel open, pour a glug of oil into the bowl and then turn on the food processor
• slowly add oil as it processes and stop when you have the desired consistency. You will probably have to stop the processor and push down any stray leaves with a spatula so if you don’t have a clear bowl then add a little oil and process in increments.
• taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.

* if you want to add parmesan, use around 60g of finely grated cheese. But check to see it doesn’t contain rennet or it will no longer be vegetarian.

A few pesto tips:

• For more flavour, lightly toast the nuts in a dry frypan
• Adding ½ – 1 teaspoon of miso gives the pesto umami and extra nutrients – though I do find white miso sweetish so I don’t put it in a pesto with cashews
• Pesto can be frozen – covered ice-cube trays are ideal if you only use a little now and then
• Store in a thin-ish glass jar and cover the top with a layer of ev olive oil to seal in the freshness
• Using cashews makes the pesto a bit sweeter so I find it better to use a more bitter green with this nut
• It doesn’t have to just be leaves – perhaps try combinations like semi-sundried tomato, basil and almond or roasted red capsicum, basil, olive and hazelnut.

Thanks to you all for stopping by and sending lots of encouraging words this year, it’s very much appreciated!

Wishing you all a wonderful festive season with lots of good company, laughter and delicious veggie food.

xo

p.s. I’m going to an orphan’s Christmas picnic with my lovely friend Joe and here’s one of the things I’m taking:

roast veggie salad

Ingredients

¾ cup quinoa

vegetables to roast

1 eggplant                                                      ¼ jap pumpkin

2 carrots                                                          3 small beetroot

½ cauliflower                                                 paprika

vegetables to stir-fry

1 red onion, finely diced                              2 cloves garlic, finely diced or crushed

200gm field mushrooms, chopped          100gm tempeh, finely diced (optional)*

½ red or yellow capsicum, diced               1 bunch asparagus, cut into pieces

2 tsp fresh thyme                                           2 tsp fresh oregano

1tbsp balsamic vinegar                                1tsp mirin

salt and pepper to taste

To add to the salad

½ cup chopped walnuts                              100gm semi sundried tomatoes, chopped

¼ cup sunflower seeds                                100gm marinated artichokes, chopped

100gm olives (of your choice)                     arame, soaked for 15-20 minutes and drained*

*adding tempeh and arame is great for vegans/vegetarians but it isn’t necessary, especially if you think any guests will be put off by it (strange but common)

method

cooking quinoa

• soak the quinoa for 15 minutes then rinse thoroughly through a fine-mesh colander (unless it’s the prewashed type)
• put in a saucepan with 1 cup water and cover. If you have a diffuser, use that and cook in the absorption method
• once cooked, spread out on to a tray so the steam dissipates and allow to cool

roasting

• separately, cut all the vegetables into small cubes and the cauliflower into small florets
• toss each in olive oil, adding paprika, salt and pepper to the cauliflower
• roast until tender and crispy on the outside, turning once or time

stir-frying

• heat a big splash of olive oil in a frypan and cook the tempeh until lightly crispy. Set aside
• put some more oil in the frypan and cook the onion until translucent
• add the balsamic and mirin, cooking for 2-3 minutes
• add the mushrooms, garlic, salt, pepper and herbs and cook until the mushroom softens
• add the capsicum, asparagus and tempeh and cook for 2 more minutes
• remove from heat and allow to cool

assembling the salad

• in a big bowl, add everything and stir – simple
• you will find this is moist enough without adding any more oil, but I added a few teaspoons of some left over chilli oil from some olives I had
• taste and season with salt and pepper if needed

This is enough for a large group so half the quantities if it’s just for a few of you

And so it is Christmas … again! How did it come around so soon? Am I prepared? Not really. Have I panic-bought a few Christmas gifts? You betcha!

My feeble decorating consists of three awkward strips of tinsel that look like some snakes have shed their disco skins and left them rudely on my wall. And my Christmas tree consists of a paper cut-out stuck onto the wall … Yes, a little sad I know.

But on a positive note, biscuits are a-bakin’ and fragrant fruit mince pies are cooling on the bench of my flour-kissed kitchen. The only downside is that I’m finding there is already too much sugar creeping into my post-cleanse diet, so I decided to make something that was sweet but didn’t have the sugar hit like most of the sweet treats you see at this time of year.

I found the following recipe on the delightful 101 cookbooks and made a few tweaks to it. Using coconut palm sugar means these biscotti aren’t as sweet as they would be if using normal sugar, and coconut palm sugar has proteins, minerals and nutrients that are lost in cane sugar production. It is reported to have a lower GI than sugars, honey and agave, and doesn’t contain much fructose.

These biscotti make a great gift, or are good to nibble on when you need some nutty goodness to get you through but don’t want anything too sweet.

Enjoy the festive season – may it involve good company and delicious food.

mixed nut and seed biscotti

½ cup hazelnuts

¾ cup walnuts

½ cup pistachio nuts

¼ cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

1 tbsp poppy seeds

½ tsp fine sea salt

1 ⅓ cup white spelt flour (or unbleached flour)

2 eggs

⅔ cup coconut palm sugar or rapadura sugar

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tsps orange rind

extra olive oil for brushing

• Preheat oven to 160°C/300°F
• Lightly toast the walnuts and hazelnuts, set aside to cool (remove any loose hazelnut skins by rubbing between a paper towel
• Chop walnuts and hazelnuts very roughly so they’re just broken in half or so
• Using an electric beater, whisk together the eggs, oil, sugar and orange rind.
• Stir in the nuts and seeds, then add salt and sift in the flour slowly, mixing well in between additions. The mixture will be quite thick.
• Spoon into a loaf-tin lined with baking paper, making sure you press down as well as you can to prevent air bubbles (the mix is quite sticky so using a few spoons to scrape it down can help)
• Bake for around 45 minutes, or until a knife/skewer comes out clean
• Remove from the tin and place on a cutting board. Increase the oven temperature to 220°C/425°F
• Using a serrated or sharp thin knife, cut into thin slices – around 3mm.
• Place slices on a tray lined with baking paper and lightly brush one side with oil
• Bake for around 4-5 minutes then remove, turn them over, brush the other side with olive oil and bake for another 4-5 minutes until golden
• Remove from oven and allow to cool before storing in an air-tight container. Enjoy!

It’s a simple concept, though one I couldn’t quite believe when I heard: cut up cauliflower florets, stick them in a food processor/thermomix and voila! I was sworn to ‘that you wouldn’t know the difference’ (between eating rice and cauliflower rice) – but this isn’t true. You can certainly tell the difference, but it’s a good thing.

Cauliflower rice is simple, quick and flavoursome. The texture is great, it’s not heavy (so a great summer dish or dinner) and it’s a great base for whatever veggies or pulses you have. You can have it raw, slightly steamed or stir fried with other veggies. And I’d guess you could use it as a base for a coconut curry, dahl, a tomato-based sauce or pesto – though I have yet to experiment with these myself.

And so as we go into a season that groans with rich food, this may be a nice recipe to have up your sleeve for a night when something light is called for. Enjoy.

Stir fried cauliflower rice with roasted pumpkin and beetroot

½ cauliflower (or ¼ if quite large)

½ a red or brown onion, finely chopped

1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

¼ jap pumpkin, cut into small squares

1 large or 2 small beetroot, cut into small squares

½ red capsicum (pepper), diced

½ bunch asparagus, cut into small pieces

½ zucchini (courgette), diced

200gm spinach

black olives

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp fresh thyme

olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

• heat oven at 180°C/350°F
• coat the pumpkin in oil and paprika and the beetroot in oil and roast until soft and caramelised. Set aside
• cut the cauliflower into small florets and the stem into small pieces. In 1 or 2 batches, place in a food processor and pulse for around 5 seconds at a go, until the florets resemble small pieces of rice (albeit strange ones!). If using a thermomix, put the blade on reverse
• sauté the onion and garlic in a large fry pan with some olive oil until translucent
• add the cauliflower rice and stir fry for 2 minutes to heat through
• add the capsicum and zucchini, cook for around 3 minutes
• add the asparagus, spinach, thyme, salt and pepper, stir through and cover with a lid until the spinach wilts
• uncover and turn off the heat. Add the pumpkin, beetroot and olives, and stir to combine. Serve warm.

I have made this a few times since and have changed it up each time – any vegetable you have will do. For texture and protein, I’ve added chickpeas, walnuts, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds and some cashew pulp left over from making cashew milk, although not all at the same time .

I made the below recipe and then sat down to talk about eggs. I didn’t intend to write as I have, but I’ve found that I can’t talk about eggs without talking about the unease I feel about eating them.

Not because of the mislead notion that they contribute to cholesterol build up in the body (they don’t and like many things, they are very good for you in moderation), but because of the treatment of laying and spent hens and that male chicks are killed because they are of no use to the farmer/producer. Cage eggs are the result of utter horror and most free range eggs are born of this and a lie .

I only buy certified organic eggs or from farmers who follow the humane choice guidelines (in Australia) – i.e. don’t debeak, the chickens have open fields and/or bush to graze in from dawn to dusk and have a safe, comfortable roost that they have access to at all times. Often a beautiful Maremma dog also protects them while they go about their daily lives. And I don’t usually eat many, perhaps two a week. But this doesn’t allay my unease about spent and male chickens, and I am under no illusions that eating eggs means harm to an animal, even if it’s only eventually.

And while I enjoy eggs and they have the ability to satiate me for hours unlike grains and pulses, this doesn’t stop this dilemma I have. Is only buying eggs, as I have described above, enough? I do believe eating a small amount of healthy eggs is beneficial to our health, but is that worth it when farming eggs is ultimately flawed? I would love to hear your opinions on this.

So while I debate within myself whether I should eat eggs, I would actively encourage (implore even) people who do happily eat eggs, to please make a good, not convenient, choice when it comes to buying them. An unhealthy hen means an unhealthy egg, no matter its label. And one who can’t live a life like nature intended, is in no way a healthy hen – it is living a horror. Protesting with your dollar (or whichever currency you use) is a very powerful thing. Sometimes it’s where you don’t spend your cash that makes the biggest impact.

Buying direct from an ethical farmer is the best way to buy eggs, or from a local store who has access to one. This guideline may help Australians but for those overseas, talking to the farmer/local health food store, animal rights websites and google are your best friends.

And though I give you the below recipe, which is delicious by the way, writing this post has stirred my slow burning embers of unease into a small flame of veganism.

baked eggs

Heat oven to 180°C/350°F

the sauce

¼ onion, finely diced

1 clove garlic, finely diced or crushed

4 large tomatoes, chopped

1 tsp fresh oregano, chopped

5 olives, chopped

¼ tsp chilli flakes or fresh chilli

½ tsp rapadura sugar*

pinch salt

freshly cracked pepper, to taste

glug of olive oil

• heat olive oil in a small pan over a medium heat
• cook onion and garlic until translucent
• add tomatoes, oregano, olives, chilli, sugar, salt and pepper and cover with a lid
• cook for 3-5 mins, or until the tomatoes have dissolved into a sauce
• taste and add more salt, pepper or sugar if needed.

*a little sugar balances the acidity of the tomatoes and rounds out a tomato sauce, but if you don’t want to use it then that’s fine

to assemble

4 organic eggs

• put the sauce in the bottom of a ramekin, or small oven proof dish, filling about halfway
• crack the egg with the back of a knife and gently place into the ramekin
• put on a baking tray and bake for around 10-15 mins, or when the white has set and the yolk is as you like it.

Serve with accompaniments of your choice. I put a dollop of spinach and walnut pesto on top, lightly cooked asparagus in salt, pepper and lemon juice, and mopped it up with sourdough gluten free toast.

Roasting broccoli? I didn’t expect much to be honest. But then I remembered how much I now adore roasted cauliflower and decided to give it a bash. And oh my lord, it is the best thing ever!

I suspected mush but no; the florets slightly caramelise and have a bit of a crunch to them, and the stems retain some of their crispness but are still soft to the bite. I loved it so much that I ate a whole head to myself the first time I made this so take note, you may want to cook extra for snacking on.

Not that raw, steamed and stir fried broccoli aren’t amazing too. Ever so slightly cooked to retain its crispness and colour is the most nutritionally savy way of eating broccoli, with its anticarcinogenic properties, antioxidants and calcium content to rival a glass of milk.

If you know someone who isn’t a fan of broccoli, you may want to test them out again on the roasted version, as I know many people who swear they’ve hated it since they were served it boiled as a child. In the case of broccoli, over cooking releases its sulphur compounds making it taste awful – a bit like Brussels sprouts, which are also amazing when roasted.

I saw the below recipe on The Amateur Gourmet. It’s great as a side, in a salad or mixed into a rice or quinoa dish. I made a simple pesto of basil, cashews, garlic and olive oil and mixed it into buckwheat noodles, mushrooms and red capsicum (peppers), stirring in the broccoli on the plate. Simple yet super tasty. The second time I roasted broccoli I added what I didn’t eat from the pan to a warm roasted salad.

roasted broccoli

2 heads of broccoli (or 1 if large)

olive oil

sea salt and pepper to taste

2 tsp lemon rind

¼ cup lemon juice

optional – handful of grated parmesan or pecorino cheese

• preheat the oven to 180°C or 350°F
• if it’s organic, don’t wash the broccoli. If it isn’t, give it a good rinse and dry it very well (perhaps chuck in the salad spinner if you have one). If it’s too wet it won’t go crispy
• cut broccoli into medium-sized florets. Peel or cut away the hard rind of the broccoli stem and cut the inside into chunks
• place in a bowl and toss in olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Make sure all the florets are covered then transfer to a baking dish
• bake for around 20 minutes, or until the florets are just caramelised
• remove from oven and pour over lemon juice and sprinkle lemon rind and parmesan (if using)
• serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Although I haven’t been posting, I’ve still been cooking. And one ingredient I’ve been using quite a bit of is arame. Arame is a seaweed (available in Asian and health food stores) and like all sea vegetables, it is a powerhouse of nutrients and laden with minerals and vitamins, especially A, K, calcium, iodine and iron. Plus it’s reported to be an immune-system enhancer.

The thing I like about arame, as opposed to some other sea vegetables, is that it isn’t overpowering in flavour and doesn’t go slimy once reconstituted. A little goes a long way and I’ve been throwing a large pinch into salads, stir-fries and noodle dishes. It may sound silly but it feels like I’m adding the calming energy of the ocean into my meals every time I use it.

Preparing arame is as easy as soaking the dried strands in cold water for about 10 minutes, draining the water and using as you please. Once reconstituted, it will roughly double in size. And you can use the soaking water in the garden or in a soup stock to add beneficial nutrients.

I’ve turned once again to the wonderful Jude Blereau for today’s simple and colourful recipe. I love this salad as it’s very grounding and nourishing. The root vegetables are earthy and sweet, the avocado gives it depth and the dressing is tangy and lifting – not to mention that it is delicious and excellent for boosting iron levels.

beetroot, carrot, avocado and arame salad

dressing

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp flax or walnut oil

2 tbsp fresh orange juice

¼ tsp apple cider vinegar

¼ tsp seed mustard

2 drops sesame oil

pinch of finely grated ginger

salad

2 carrots, grated

2 small beetroot, grated

1 avocado, cut into slices

1 pinch arame sea vegetable, soaked in water for 10 mins

1 tbsp currants

1 tbsp puy or green lentils

1 tsp lemon juice

If you think ahead, soak the lentils (cook ⅓ – ½ a cup and use in other dishes) with the lemon juice in water for 6 hours (or overnight). Discard soaking water and cook the lentils in boiling water until just tender – around 10 mins for soaked and 35 for non-soaked.

Mix all the dressing ingredients together and add the currants to the dressing so they can soak some it up.

Grate the carrots and beetroot and place in a bowl. Top with avocado, the drained arame and lentils, and pour over the dressing, mixing it well.

Enjoy!