Bircher Style Mueslii

Although mueslii is cheap to buy, you will get a great sense of satisfaction in making your own. It is very easy to do, and you will know that only quality ingredients have been used.

Ingredients:

2 cups mixed nuts and seeds: this could include sunflower seeds, raw buckwheat, flaked almonds, linseeds, pepitas or others
2 cups chopped dried fruit: these are best if they are organic, and free of preservatives. You can include any fruit, but I like apricots, figs, raisins and apples
6 cups oatmeal

Method:

Mix all dry ingredients and place into container.

To serve, place 1/2 cup mueslii into bowl and cover with milk. I use rice milk, but 1/2 water and 1/2 coconut milk is also very tasty, and any other milk, or yoghurt can be used. Leave in the fridge overnight, and serve with chopped fresh fruit.

Curry basics

Curry can be made in so many ways that the variations are infinite. The method which I have outlined below is a basis for your own inspirations. Although you can use prepared pastes and powders your own will be infinitely better.

Dry Ingredients:
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon peppercorns or 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
Other possibilities: mace, cloves, cinnamon or cassia bark, star anise, chilli, cardamom, fenugreek, allspice, caraway and many others

Moist Ingredients:
1 Onion or 5 golden shallots
2 cloves garlic
3cm ginger stem
Other possibilities: shrimp paste, galangal, chillis

Other ingredients:
Meat or vegetables
Fresh herbs as dressing

Method:
Grind the dry ingredients in a spice grinder.
Mince the moist ingredients in a blender.
Heat some oil in a saucepan and stir in the moist ingredients. Stir frequently over low heat until the ingredients are well coloured and fragrant. If the paste does not appear adequately cooked but is a little dry, add some water. Add the dry ingredients, and saute for 1 or more minutes until the spices release their scent.

The curry paste can now be used as the basis of a curry. Add coconut milk, tomatoes, stock or water and mix with the paste. You can then add your choice of meat and or vegetables and cook until the desired result is achieved. If adding meat, browning it first will add flavour. You can cook the curry in a slow cooker, rice cooker or pressure cooker, following the instructions that came with the unit.

The slow cooker does not reach high enough heat to prepare the spice paste, so you may prefer to use a pressure cooker or rice cooker so that you can cook everything in the same pot.

Serve the curry topped with chopped herbs such as spring onions and coriander or basil, maybe also some toasted cashews or peanuts. A splash of fish sauce is also nice.

Wheat and Gluten Free eating

Many people cannot eat wheat because they are gluten intolerant, and some others, including myself, cannot eat wheat because of allergies.

There are many other alternative grains and seeds that can be used instead of wheat, however there is a steep learning curve in learning to substitute them. Pictured below are just some of the many available.

When you find out that you cannot eat wheat or gluten, you quickly realise how much of the western diet involves it. Whether it is fast food, baked goods or pasta, gluten and wheat are there.

The only alternative is to order alternative foods, or to make your own. If you are dining out, salads or meat and vegetables are safe choices.

There are many wheat and gluten free products available that can assist in preparing foods at home, including pasta, flour and breads. You can find these in continental groceries or health food shops.

There are also many sources of information on the web and in books, and if you search Amazon you will find many of them.

I recommend the book “The Gluten-Free Gourmet Bakes Bread” by Bette Hagman as a great source for bread recipes. Some of the recipes call for ingredients that are difficult to find, but I have had mainly successes making bread from the book. The recipes do not require the normal amount of rising time or kneading, most are mixed once in a food processor or mix master, and then left to rise before baking. I have also had more success just baking them in the oven rather than using the bread machine, but given that they are quick to make it does not take a great deal of time. There are a lot of exotic flours used, but I have managed to find all of them after doing some searching in local stores.

Gravy - Gluten Free

This gravy recipe is intended to accompany a roast or other baked food, and be prepared in the pan from that food. Keep the other food warm while preparing.

Ingredients:
Pan juices
2 teaspoons rice flour per cup gravy
Optional: sliced onions, garlic, mushrooms.
If needed: Stock liquid or powder, worcestershire sauce, soy sauce

Method:
Skim excess fat from pan, and reserve pan juices.
Add optional ingredients and saute until soft and coloured.
Mix starch or flour with a small quantity of water until smooth.
Return pan juices, add water and flour or starch mixture to desired quantity of gravy.
Scrape all solids from base of pan and mix into gravy. Keep stirring the gravy regularly over a low to medium heat.
Taste for flavour, if lacking in taste add stock, soy sauce or worcestershire sauce.
Once thickened, strain through seive into gravy boat and serve.

Cows Milk Free Diets

Cows milk is a huge part of the western diet, however there are many alternatives, and you can eat some delicious food entirely without it. Pictured below are three readily available alternatives.

Soy milk, rice milk, coconut milk and almond milk and others are all good alternatives for drinking and for cooking. There are also alternative cheeses, tofu, soy yoghurt and many others. If you can not eat soy this further restricts things, but in a world of food there are many other things that you can still enjoy.

It is easy to substitute milks for their alternatives when it is for the drink alone, however the cooking properties of milks are different. Soy for example, curdles if overheated or mixed with acid ingredients, and so is not good in foods that have a liquid consistency. It is fine in baked goods. Apparently Rice milk works better, although I have not tried it.

Cheese is another challenge. You can use tofu as a substitute in some circumstances, but if you cannot use raw oay it is difficult. There is no real substitute, however you can change your taste paradigm.

On pizza I have used beaten egg, which when baked has a similar effect to cheese. You could use natto to add flavour over pasta instead of parmesan. Nuts and nut butters can be used on sandwiches instead of cheese.

Natto, pictured at the right, is a fermented soy product. It comes frozen in little foam dishes which contain a flavoured oil sachet, and it has a viscous sticky texture. The texture may put some people off, but once you get accustomed to it the taste is very pleasant.

If you explore the supermarket, and visit continental and asian groceries you will find an abundance of alternative ingredients that can be used to make your food interesting, and you will not feel like you are missing out.

Roast Vegetables in a Rice Cooker

I did not realise how useful a rice cooker can be until I researched on the internet. All kind of things can be cooked in a rice cooker from risotto to bubble and squeak, steamed vegetables and meats.

Roast vegetables are very delicous done in the rice cooker, and I have included a simple recipe.

Ingredients:
Vegetables: your choice from potatoes, carrots, onions, pumpkin, parsnip or others
Oil
Garlic
Herbs
Fish Sauce
Pepper

Method:
Heat the oil in the cooker on high. Add the garlic and saute until soft, then add other vegatbles and toss.

Place lid on cooker and leave for 1/2 hour, then stir. Stir again after another 1/2 hour. Test for doneness after another 1/2 hour.

When vegetables are done, turn cooker back to cook setting and add fish sauce, herbs and pepper, stir fry until golden and delicious.

Do not worry about the fish sauce making the vegetables taste fishy, it will not. It is a lighter alternative to soy, adding both flavour and a little salt.

Dog Barf Diet

Preservatives, colourings and flavourings can be harmful in the human diet, and they can also be harmful to dogs. We should be just as careful about what we feed our pets as what we feed to ourselves. It makes sense that if we can be bothered to prepare our own food we should also prepare good food for our pets.

Many people believe that we should not feed our dogs manufactured and cooked food, and that we should only feed them raw meat and vegetables. The “BARF” diet is based on these principles. There are many other sites which explain the BARF diet further. BARF can be an acronym for a couple of different things: “Biologically appropriate raw food” or “Bones and raw food.

I have made up my own recipe for “barf burgers” which is below.

Substitute other vegetables and adjust the proportions to suit you and your dog. I found that vegetables in the cabbage family should be avoided if you like your house to smell nice!

My dog had not enjoyed raw vegetables before this, however she enjoyed eating her barf and it agreed with her digestion.

Ingredients:
2 or 3 carrots
1 zucchini
2 sticks celery
1.5kg meat, such as turkey, lamb or chicken
1 or 2 eggs including the shell

Method:
Mince or puree all ingredients together, and divide into meal size servings. Try using other vegetables, but I have read that onions and garlic are toxic to dogs in any but the smallest quantities.

We freeze meal size portions and defrost them as needed.

Vegetable Juice

For the last few months I have enjoyed a glass of fresh home made juice every morning. I sip it slowly for at least half an hour so that I do not get a carb rush, and give my body time to absorb all of the abundant vitamins.

Before I started having juice I would have a coffee each morning to get me started. Although the Caffeine did get me activated, after an hour or two I would hit a slump. Since I have been having the juice instead of coffee, I feel like my energy level is much higher and is sustained throughout the day.

My juices always contain celery and carrots, and normally apple and beetroot, although sometimes it is nice to vary the recipe. I am told that vegetable juices are far more beneficial than fruit, so I always make sure that I have mostly vegetables in the blend.

The juicer which I have finely shreds the vegetables to extract the juice, however there are others which macerate the vegetables. These are supposed to be superior as they do not heat the vegetables and therefore do not damage any nutritional content. They also apparently extract more juice and nutrients, and some also have other attachments for mincing, pasta making etc.

Tomato Sauce

The picture above shows home made tomato ketchup on the left and tomato sauce on the right. I will post the ketchup recipe later, but the recipe for making tomato sauce is below. This sauce is suitable for use in cooking rather than as a condiment.

When tomatoes are abundant at the height of summer is when their flavour is richest and when they can be obtained for a reasonable price, so that is when you should make sauce.

This recipe makes about 4 700mL bottles.

Ingredients:
3kg tomatoes
2 medium carrots
1 small stem celery
3 medium onions
5 cloves garlic
8-12 leave fresh basil
2 teaspoons sugar
salt and pepper

Method:

Chop up all of the ingredients and place in a large sauce pan.

Bring to the boil, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, until the mixture is reduced. Leave until it is cool enough to handle without burning.

Place the mixture into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Return the mixture to the pot through a fine seive, removing all of the solids that remain behind.

Reheat the sauce and cook until the desired consistency is reached. It will be similar to a pasta sauce.

Sterilise the jars that you will be using, the lids and the jug that you will use to pour the mixture. Place the lids and jug into a sauce pan and bring to the boil covered for 10 minutes, then drain, leaving the lid on. Sterilise the jars in a 150 degrees Celcius oven for 10 minutes.

Using heat proof gloves, pour the hot sauce into the hot jars, filling as high as possible (within reason). Place the lid on, and screw down hard. Invert the jar, and leave for 1 minute, before placing the right way up. This ensures that there is a proper vacuum.

Leave the jars to cool, and store in a dark cool place. Once opened this will not keep, so place it in the refrigerator and use within a few days.

Quinoa

Quinoa is easy to cook, tastes good, and is good for you, being high in protein. On the other hand, it is not cheap, and you may not be able to get it in your supermarket. I have bought quinoa at one popular grains shop for about $16 (Australian) per kg, and at another organic supermarket for $8 per kg, so it pays to shop around. There was no notable difference in quality.

Quinoa is a good substitute for rice, and can be used to accompany other dishes and in salads, mains and desserts. I will explain two different methods you can use to cook it.

Preparation:
Quinoa can contain saponins which are toxic, and will upset your digestion. For this reason, place the desired quantity of quinoa into a container, add water, and swish the grains around with your hand for a minute or two. If the water stays clear the grains are clean, if it goes cloudy, drain it off, add more water and repeat until the water stays clear. Drain the quinoa in a strainer thoroughly.

Some recipes advise adding twice the volume of water to the quinoa when cooking, but I find this makes the quinoa very soft. 1 1/2 times the volume of water works well for me.

Saucepan Method:
Place the quinoa in a saucepan with 1 1/2 times the volume of water, and bring to the boil. Simmer over the lowest heat until almost all of the water has been absorbed, then turn off the heat and leave for 5 or 10 minutes. Lift the lid and fluff the grains with a fork or spoon, the leave for a few more minutes before serving.

Rice Cooker Method:

Place quinoa in cooker with 1 1/2 times the volume of water and leave until the cooker switches to warming mode. Stir the quinoa, fluffing up the grains, then replace the lid and leave for 10 minutes before serving.

Persian Style Ice Cream

This is my version of the Persian ice cream called Bastani Akbar-Mashti. The authentic version contains cream and milk which I cannot eat, so this one only contains rice or almond milk. It is also low in fat, though not low in sugar. It is also delicious! The recipe follows.

Ingredients:
2 egg yolks and 1 egg
100g caster sugar
15g corn starch
500mL almond or rice milk (seive through fine muslin to remove any solids)
1 teaspoon rose water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
40g chopped pistachio nuts (unsalted)
40g chopped turkish delight

Method:
Warm the milk gently on the stove, without boiling.

Beat the egg yolks, egg, caster sugar and corn starch until it thickens and becomes almost white (see below). If you are not sure whether you have achieved the desired result, keep beating for a few more minutes.

Gradually add the warm milk to the whipped mixture, then return to the stove and heat for another minute or two. Cool, then place into a container in the fridge until cold. Place the nuts and turkish delight into the fridge as well.

Ice Cream Machine Method:
Place the cold mixture into your machine on the icecream setting until the desired consistency is reached, then add nuts and turkish delight to machine until mixed. Freeze.

Hand Mix Method:
This will not result in as smooth a result, but it is still quite nice if a little more crystalline. Place the mixture into the freezer, and every hour or so beat the mixture to break up the crystals. Once the mixture is fairly frozen, mix in the nuts and turkish delight.

Serving:
The icecream is quite strongly flavoured, so small servings are best. Allow a little time for the icecream to soften before eating, as it can be a bit firm due to the lack of fat content. It is very nice with fruit such as fresh banana, mango or peach.

Fava Bean Dip

This arabic dish is also known by the name Foul, however it definately does not tast foul! The recipe is very easy to make, and you can adjust the seasoning to suit your taste.

Ingredients:
1 can fava beans, drained
2 to 4 cloves garlic, smashed in a mortar and pestle
3 tablespoons tahini
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
parsley

Method:
Cook the beans for a few minutes, until hot. Drain, then add garlic, and mash until a thoroughly mixed paste. It doesn’t matter if you can still see the fava bean skins. Add lemon juice and tahini and mix thoroughly. Gradually mix in water until a soft dip like consistency is achieved. Season to taste, and garnish with olive oil and parsley.

Serve this with pita bread, or chopped vegetables to be used as a dip. Delicious and healthy.

Peanut Sauce

Peanut Sauce is a tasty sauce that can be used with meats, salads and vegetables. It is commonly served with Satays and with the salad Gado Gado (recipe soon).

This sauce will keep for a few days in the refrigerator. It makes enough for a meal for 4 people.

Ingredients:

• 1 clove garlic, chopped finely
• 1 small onion, chopped finely
• 1/2 teaspoon shrimp paste
• 1/2 cup peanut paste
• 1 cup water or coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
• juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon (to taste)
• 2 teaspoons of sugar
• salt to taste
• water to thin the sauce (if needed)

Method:

• gently cook the onion in oil until soft and browned.
• add garlic and shrimp paste and fry until fragrant.
• add the peanut paste and stir until softened.
• add the coconut milk and stir until blended, then remove from heat.
• add the remaining ingredients and mix. check the flavour after adding 1/2 lemon juice and add more if needed.
• Add extra water or coconut milk (a small amount at a time) until it is the desired consistency.

Home Made Hair Gel

The good thing about home made hair gel is that you know the ingredients. This makes it a better choice for people with sensitive skin or eczema. You can add which ever scented oils you prefer, but I have used lavender as it has a pleasant relaxing fragrance.

If you have trouble obtaining the ingredients you may need to order them online. I have purchased them from Auroma, who are based in Australia.

This recipe does not have the extreme hold of some of the commercial products, but it will hold badly behaved hair in place.

Ingredients:

• 5g tragacanth gum powder(from chemist or specialist supplier)
• 15mL glycerine, warmed
• 200mL water, warmed
• few drops of lavender oil

Method:

• Warm the glycerine, and dissolve the tragacanth gum.
• Add the mixture to the water with a few drops of lavender oil and blend until smooth and thick.
• This can be used immediately, and will keep in the refrigerator for some time.

Herbal Bath Bags

I use these bath bags to soothe my skin when I am feeling hot or itchy. They are useful if you have eczema or another skin condition. You can add various different herbs depending upon what you prefer. Other than the ones I have used, Calendula or Gotu Kola are also supposed to be soothing and cooling.

If you have dry skin you could also try adding 20mL of almond oil to the bath. Shake the oil with water in a small container so that it emulsifies before you put it in the bath. This stops the oil from sitting on the surface of the bath in a layer.

Ingredients:

• 3 Tablespoons of Oatmeal
• 1 tablespoon of lavender heads
• 1 tablespoon of dried chamomile flowers (you can use chamomile tea)
• 1 tablespoon of dried peppermint leaves (you can use peppermint tea)

Method:

Mix all the ingredients, and place into the muslin. Gather the ends of the muslin, and tie into a bag with string or a rubber band. Make the bag loose so that there is room for the contents to expand when they are added to the water in the bath.

Place the bag into your bath while you run it. To assist the ingredients to be released, you can squeeze the bag a few times.

You may be surprised how fragrant and relaxing this bath is. Take care not to fall asleep! Sit in the bath for 10 to 20 minutes and make sure that you splash the bath onto your face and over your head for the full benefits.

Tahini Dressing or Dip

Tahini Dressing is an easy to make, tasty and healthy dressing that will keep for a few days in the refrigerator. It has a slightly bitter taste, due to the tahini, and it is nice on salads as a dip for sliced vegetables, or in sandwiches.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup tahini
juice of a lemon
1/2 cup water
2 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper to taste.

Method:
Chop the garlic and place all ingredients in blender. Blend until smooth. Serve as suggested above.

Tempeh Salad

This salad is quite delicious, and the essential ingredient is tempeh. Tempeh is a fermented soy bean product which comes in a solid cake. It is hard to describe the taste, but it is a little nut like. Tempeh is available in health food and asian grocery shops.

This salad is nice if arranged on individual serving plates. This recipe only uses one packet of tempeh, and will make enough salad for 2 hungry people.

Salad Ingredients:
1 packet tempeh
lettuce
1 large carrot
1/2 cucumber
1 stick celery
1 tomato

Dressing Ingredients:
Lemon juice
Olive Oil
Garlic, chopped
Pepper

Garnish:
Spring onion
Roasted cashews
Coriander

Method:

Cut tempeh in half length wise, and fry in pan until golden.

You can add fish sauce for a bit of extra salt and colour. Slice into strips and cool.

Tear the lettuce leaves, wash well and dry. Grate carrot.

Slice other salad ingredients into desired shapes and arrange on plate, topped with the tempeh.

Chop the garnishes and place on top.

Toss the dressing ingredients in a container, and pour over the salad just before serving.

Lamb Shanks in a Slow Cooker

Slow cookers have been around for years, and some people refer to them as a crockpot. That name seems to have some connotations of tasteless mush, however the slow food movement advocates cooking food slowly to extract maximum flavour and tenderness.

These shanks were one of the first things I cooked in my cooker after I purchased it. I left the cooker on for 10 hours as an experiment to see how it would work if I left it on while at work. The moisture level hardly changed at all, so I know that I will not have to worry about the cooker drying out and burning down the house! The shanks themselves were melt in the mouth soft, and literally fell off the bone.

This recipe serves four. Don’t worry about the large quantity of garlic, when cooked this way the garlic almost tastes creamy and is far more delicate that when chopped and sauteed.

Ingredients:

4 lamb shanks, sliced in half
2 sticks celery
3 medium carrots
6 to 8 medium button mushrooms
olive oil
3 medium onions, sliced
20 cloves garlic, whole, including skin
rice flour
pepper
cumin, ground
paprika, mild or hot
fish sauce
400g can of tomatoes, chopped
500mL vegetable stock
lemon zest
chopped parsley

Method:

Chop celery, carrots and mushrooms into chunky pieces and place in bottom of slow cooker dish.

Heat a heavy bottom fry pan and add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Add the sliced onions and cook gently until soft. Then add garlic cloves, and cook together until golden. Remove and set to one side.

Mix together about 1/2 cup rice flour with a teaspoon cumin, a teaspoon paprika and plenty of fresh ground black pepper. Coat the shanks evenly in the spiced flour, and fry in oil until nicely browned on all sides. Near the end of cooking, splash some fish sauce over the shanks. This helps to add flavour and salt, as well as assisting the browning process. It will not add any fishy flavour to the final dish. (trust me)

Place the shanks into the crockpot on top of the vegetables, then add the garlic and onion evenly over the top. Pour the stock and tomatoes over the top.

Turn the cooker to auto or low, and leave the cooker for at least 6 hours (I left it for 10) before checking the meat to see if it is ready.

To serve, mix through the zest of one lemon and some chopped parsley. I served this with qinoa, however rice, buttered noodles and mashed potato would all be nice.

Bechamel Sauce - Free of Cow's Milk and Gluten

Bechamel Sauce made without Cows Milk and wheat flour does taste different. This sauce is made with rice milk, which does have a sweet taste, however it can be used in recipes such as lasagna where there are other flavours. It may also help to add some salt or mustard to reduce the sweetness.

Ingredients:

• 500mL Rice Milk
• 1 each: onion, carrot, celery stalk, chopped into large chunks
• 1 bay leaf
• teaspoon of black peppercorns
• 80g margarine
• 40g cornstarch, sifted
• salt or mustard (optional)

Method:

• Put the milk, vegetables, bay leaf and peppercorns into a saucepan, bring to a gentle simmer then turn off the heat.
• Leave milk for flavours to infuse then strain.
• Melt the margarine then add the cornstarch, stirring until smooth.
• Slowly stir in the milk over a low heat.
• Once all the milk has been added keep stirring until the desired consistency has been reached.
• Taste the sauce, if it is too sweet you can add some mustard or salt to counteract.

Slow Cooker Roast Chicken

Chicken in a slow cooker is really easy to do, you just prepare the chicken, put it in the cooker and leave it until ready. I served the chicken with gluten free gravy and roast vegetables cooked in the rice cooker. The peas were just frozen ones that I zapped in the microwave.

This recipe is my own invention, it turned out to be very tasty.

Ingredients:
1 Chicken
Fish Sauce
Pepper

Stuffing Ingredients:
Quinoa (cooked) or cooked rice (brown would be better)
Onion
Preserved Lemon
Fresh Herbs like Thyme, Rosemary and Parsley

Method:
Mix the stuffing ingredients, and place into the cavity of the chicken. I have not specified quantities as it depends upon the size of your chicken. Do not try to squeeze too much stuffing in, leave a little bit of room. Close up the opening by weaving a skewer in and out of the loose skin. I use a bamboo one that I can trim to size.

Grind black pepper over the outside of the chicken, place into the cooker and splash over some fish sauce. The fish sauce adds salt and flavour, it will not make the chicken taste fishy. It is a more subtle alternative to soy sauce.

Put the lid on the cooker, and cook as per the instructions with your cooker. Mine says to leave the chicken for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours per 500g on low. You will not need to turn the chicken over. You can check that the chicken is cooked by placing an oven thermometer into a thick part of the meat, such as the thigh, and checking that it is at least 80 degrees Celsuis.

Vodka Taste Test

Vodka is a relatively flavourless drink, however there are differences between them. You will only notice these when you drink it straight, and as a mixer almost anything will do, unless it is really bad. Prices are in Australian Dollars, and reflect what I paid in early 2007 (normally lower than full retail).

I have tested the following:

Absolut:
Paid: $34
Comments: Smooth taste.
Rating: 3 1/2 stars

Eristoff Triple Distilled Premium:
Paid: $27
Origin: France
Comments: Smooth taste, slight spirit taste.
Rating: 3 1/2 stars

Finlandia:
Paid $31
Comments: Smooth taste, nice mouth feel.
Rating: 4 stars

Iceberg:
Paid: $36
Origin: Canada
Comments: Very smooth pleasant taste.
Rating: 4 stars

Sky:
Paid $32
Origin: USA
Comments: Pleasant smooth taste, slight spirit flavour
Rating: 3 1/2 stars

Smirnoff Red:
Paid $43 (for 1.1L bottle)
Comments: Quite acceptable, but has a ’spirit’ taste. Good mixer.
Rating: 3 stars

Stolichnya:
Paid $34
Comments: Smooth taste.
Rating: 3 1/2 stars

My favourite way to drink vodka? A long glass of soda with juice of half a lime and a measure of vodka. Very refreshing in hot weather. I also enjoy it straight up, with or without ice.