WELCOME

I have started this blog so friends, family and all of mankind can enjoy my passion for all of the things that make me happy ... mostly food!

I am always trying new recipes and I enjoy nothing more than cooking wholesome, healthy food and want to share my own recipes, and other favourites, so that you can enjoy them too.

I like to give my family a preservative and additive free diet, free from any processed foods. I am lucky enough to live in an area where organic and locally grown fruit and vegetables are always available from our local co-op, local green grocers and farms.

Live, laugh, love, eat.

xo

Friday, April 29, 2011

Toad in the Hole ...



An oldy but a goody!!

I still have absolutely no idea where it got the name 'Toad in the Hole', but I loved it as a little girl and I still love it now... It's a nice fast breakfast or a very lazy supper.

A little bit of protein, served with a nice cup of tea or a glass of milk for the kids and some yummy, new season strawberries ... this is what we had for breaky today.

Slice of bread
1 egg (of the happy fee range variety of course)
nob of butter
olive oil

METHOD
cut a hole in the bread
place in a hot pan of melted butter & olive oil
Turn when browned
Cook egg to your liking, we love ours all runny in the centre
Top with hole

YUM!!!

Obviously if you are not a butter lover, or want to keep it healthy, just brush the bread with olive oil instead.



Thursday, April 28, 2011

Potato Gnocchi

I love making this with the help of my boys ... they love to help in the kitchen.

We all have a ball of our own to roll out and cut into pieces so our gnocchi is always very 'rustic' but it tastes delicious...

If you've never made pasta before, once you do it the first time, you realise just how simple it is... as long as you don't mind getting a little bit messy.

I usually make this with white spelt flour, but it can be made with plain white flour too...

4 potatoes (sebago are perfect)
salt & pepper
2C plain white flour
1/2C finely grated parmesan cheese
flour to dust

METHOD
Boil or steam potatoes with skin on
Drain really well of any excess water, remove skin and mash until smooth (I use a ricer)
Dust your table or bench with flour well
Place the mashed potato on the bench and form a well in the centre
Add a lightly beaten egg to the centre
Add half of the parmesan and half of the flour
Start mixing lightly with a fork
Add the rest of the parmesan & flour and continue to work together with the fork
Then knead with your hands until smooth, adding flour if you need to
(don't overwork it, as the more flour you add, the heavier the gnocchi will be)
Seperate into 4 or 5 balls and roll into long sausages about 2cm wide, on a dusted surface.
Cut into small pieces, about 1cm long.
Cook in a pot of boiling salted water until they reach the surface, drain and eat immediately.

If you aren't going to eat immediately you can drop the pieces into iced water to keep their shape and cool them down, and you can then place them on a flat tray in the fridge or freezer.

We eat our gnocchi with a simple pesto cream sauce, zucchini, chilli & tomato sauce or bolognese topped with freshly grated parmesan ... any simple sauce is yummy!

The Sweetest Things in Life ...

Sweet, Sweet Sugar!!

It comes in many forms, but most of the sugar in our society's diet is completely refined, has absolutely no nutritional benefits, is hard on our bodies, and creates havoc with our digestion and depletes our immune systems.

Over the years, I have discovered many unrefined sugars, and sure, initially they taste a little bit different, but it's delicious...

Refined sugars are addictive ... the more you eat, the more you want!!

I always have unrefined sugars in my pantry and sugar bowl. We like Rapadura (Brazil), Muscovado (Mauritius), Muscobado (Philipinnes) and of course we love Organic Maple Syrup and Agave Syrup.

We use these in all of our baking, porridge, smoothies, coffee and tea for friends, and anywhere a sweetener is needed. 

And sure, it is slightly more expensive as it is grown overseas under fair trade progams, so not only is it better for us, but it is also better for our natural environment, the earth we all love so much.

The unrefined dry sugars I've mentioned still have nutritional vitamins and minerals, as the cane sugar is simply squeezed, dried and ground, and the juice isn't separated and then reunited in unnatural proportions the way it is to create white, raw, brown, demerara and other sugars.

They don't create the same imbalance inour body that refined sugars create when eaten, helping to keep our moods balanced.

You can replace any recipe with equal portions and you can purchase them online or at your local natural food stores.

So, if you need a little bit of sweetness in your life today ... try using one of these sugars and your cravings will go away!

Ciao,
Sweet Ness

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Lentil Daal

This is one of my favourite recipes to cook.

It takes no time to prepare, and my boys love it too... you can just feel it nourishing your body with all of it's goodness...

olive oil
1 red onion
1 carrot
2 crushed garlic cloves
2cm sliced ginger
chilli (to taste)
salt pepper
2C red lentils
4C water with chicken stock
1-2 tomatoes frozen or fresh spinach leaves

METHOD
Heat oil over low heat and sweat onions, carrot, garlic, ginger and chilli
Add salt & pepper
Cook until fagrant
Add lentils and stir to coat with spices
Add stock
Add tomato
Cook over low heat, adding extra liquid when necessary
When lentils are soft, add spinach

We love to eat these with steamed basmati rice, topped with yoghurt and fresh coriander if you have some in the crisper, or add a touch more liquid and enjoy as a nice hearty soup.... feel the wholesome goodness nourishing your body!