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Roasted beet, carrot and chickpea salad

Beetroot and carrots are such versatile vegetables: grated raw into salads, cake batters or mixed with yoghurt for tasty sandwich fillings, cut into batons for dipping, roasted with honey and mustard, lightly steamed to go with a buttermilk and dill dressing… the options are endless. For this flavourful and filling salad, I’ve paired roasted beets and carrots with a creamy hummus base, red grapes, fresh herbs and crispy chickpeas. It makes a wonderful salad to bridge the change in seasons.

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Roasted beet, carrot and chickpea salad

Ingredients for the crispy chickpeas
1 x 400g tin cooked chickpeas, drained well
15ml (1 Tbsp) extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

Ingredients for the salad
650g carrots, scrubbed and left whole or halved / quartered lengthwise, depending on size
650g beetroot, peeled and cut into quarters or eights, depending on size
extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
150g beetroot or regular hummus (store-bought* or home-made)
150g Green-style thick yoghurt (dairy-free works well too)
salt and black pepper to taste
300g red or black grapes, halved if large
handful of picked fresh oregano leaves

Method

  1. Place the carrots in a large bowl and toss with enough oil to coat, a good pinch of salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Transfer to a baking sheet and roast at 200˚C for 45 minutes. Repeat with the beetroot wedges and place on a second baking sheet to roast at the same time as the carrots.
  2. For the chickpeas: cover a large rimmed baking sheet with absorbant kitchen towel and scatter the chickpeas on top. Use more kitchen towel to rently rub the chickpeas until they are completely dry (and no longer look shiny). Discard any skins that loosen when you do this.
  3. In the same bowl you used for the veg, toss the chickpeas with the oil, salt and spices, then spread out on the baking sheet (after disposing of the kitchen towel!).  They will need to roast for 30 minutes and are best eaten straight from the oven, so do take this into account when you pop them into the oven.
  4. While the veg and chickpeas are roasting, mix together the hummus, yoghurt and additional seasoning to taste.
  5. Just before serving, spread the mix onto a large plate with the back of a large spoon. Top with the roasted veg, grapes, crunchy chickpeas and oregano leaves. Finish with a final drizzle of olive oil and serve – try it with this cornbread or perhaps some fresh crusty bread and a green salad.

* I used a store-bought smoked beetroot hummus, which worked incredibly well.

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Gluten free citrus and elderflower cake

This gluten free citrus and elderflower cake was a happy accident. After straining the elderflower syrup I made last weekend, the citrus and elderflower remnants in the sieve smelt so wonderful, that I just couldn’t bear to throw them out. I put all the citrus bits and a couple of the elderflower blooms in my high speed blender, added just enough water to blitz it all into a thick puree, which I added to the cake mix. It tasted as wonderful as I had hoped!

Cake 1

Gluten free citrus and elderflower cake

Makes 23cm cake

Ingredients
4 medium eggs
140g unrefined caster sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
80ml (1/3 cup) olive oil
750ml (3 cups) citrus and elderflower puree
100g almond flour
85g whole roasted almonds, finely ground (or use more almond flour)
150g polenta
2 teaspoons (10g) baking powder
200ml elderflower syrup

Method

  1. Line and grease a 23cm round springform. Pre-heat the oven to 180˚C.
  2. Beat together the eggs and sugar until frothy. Beat in the salt, oil and citrus puree. ,
  3. In a separate bowl whisk together the dry ingredients, then fold these into the egg mixture.
  4. Pour into prepared tin and bake for 50  – 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
  5. Remove from the oven and immediately pour over the elderflower syrup very slowly, giving it time to soak into every bit of the cake’s surface. Set aside to cool, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  6. The cake will keep for several days in an air-tight container.


Elderflower citrus cordial

I had never heard of elderflowers before moving to the UK, but here it features amongst the top local culinary delights. You can buy elderflower presse, elderflower liqueur, elderflower cordial … and they all have a lovely mellow flavour. But then I decided to make my own cordial last year (loosely based on Sarah Raven’s recipe) with oranges, lemons and limes. And oh my – this elderflower citrus cordial was SO good! I use a lot less sugar than most recipes call for, so I freeze mine in smaller portions to preserve it. PS: do try this delicious cake with the solids after you’ve strained the syrup…

Syrup

Elderflower cordial with citrus

Makes about 1.5 litres

750g unrefined cane sugar
1.2 litres water
2 oranges (organic where possible)
2 limes (organic where possible)
2 lemons (organic where possible)
20 – 25 large head elderflower, flowers only (stems discarded)
2 teaspoons citric acid, optional

Method

  1. Place the sugar and water in a large saucepan and heat over gentle heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. 
  2. In the meantime, thinly pare one each of the citrus fruits, and thinly slice all of them. Remove any pips and place zest and slices in a large stainless steel or heat proof ceramic bowl. 
  3. Shake the elderflowers to remove any bugs and other debris, but don’t wash them, as that might dilute the flavour. Add them to the sugar water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, then pour the hot liquid over the sliced and pared citrus fruits. Cover and allow to infuse at room temperature for 24 hours. 
  4. Finally strain the syrup through a muslin cloth and pour into sterilised glass bottles. The syrup will keep for several weeks in the fridge and for years in the freezer. If you do decide to freeze it, do leave enough room in your bottle to allow for expansion.
  5. If you are planning on making the cake below, reserve the citrus slices and zest and a couple of the elderflowers for the mixture.

 



Irish potato farls with chives and spring onions

Irish potato farls are a quick and easy dish to make with leftover mashed potatoes. They are delicious on their own with butter or as part of a larger meal as a bread replacement, especially a cooked breakfast. I like leaving them in the oven a little longer, to make them extra crispy on the bottom. But I know there are people who prefer them soft and pale.

Potatoes are often slated as unhealthy high-carb foods, but they contain more potassium than bananas, and they also contain fibre, vitamin C, vitamin B6, plus a bit of iron and calcium. They also contain phytonutrients like flavonoids that function as powerful antioxidants. This recipe would also be great with purple potatoes, but sweet potato mash is not “dry” enough for farls. If you’d like to use sweet potatoes or mashed pumpkin, try the South African “pampoenkoekies” instead.

Farls

Irish potato farls

Serves 4

Ingredients
500g mashed potatoes
heaped 1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
50g butter, melted
15g chives, finely snipped
3 spring onions, finely sliced
150g flour of your choice
1 teaspoon baking powder

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
  2. Mix all the ingredients into the mashed potatoes – use the back of your large spoon to squash the potatoes into the flour. As soon as you can no longer see any flour, use your hands to form the dough into 3 balls. You can add more flour if the mixture is too wet and a little milk if it is too dry.
  3. Flatten each ball with the palm of your hand and gently roll out on a lightly floured surface until about 1cm thickness.  Cut the circle into quarters.
  4. Heat one or more small cast iron frying pans with a knob of butter each over a medium heat until hot, but not smoking. Place four quarters carefully into each of the pans and bake in the oven for 10 to 20 minutes, depending on how brown you like them. You can flip them over half-way, although we just leave them on the same side until we’re happy with the colour. 
  5. Serve with butter or pesto and grated cheese, with a cooked breakfast or topped with your favourite sandwich toppings.


Vegan caramelised banana ice cream

This Vegan Caramelised Banana Ice Cream is honestly one of the best frozen desserts ever. It is completely satisfying, without being too sweet – it contains virtually no added sugar – and has a tropical-island-in-the-sun vibe. We teamed it up with a salted caramel ice cream, candied popcorn and dark chocolate sauce for our ice cream sundaes. If you are making this as a stand-alone dessert, consider adding a little more lime juice for a very moreish treat.

Bananas are such a versatile ingredient in baking and dessert making. I love the fact that they are rich in nutrients (most notably potassium and manganese), are a natural fibre-rich sweetener, lend a wonderful velvety texture to ice creams, mousses and smoothies, and add moisture to baked goods. I bake mostly with bananas, apple sauce or dates to sweeten and even though people who are used to commercial sweets and baked goods might find that our cakes and cookies are not sweet enough for them, we have found that even just a touch of sweetness is delicious when your taste buds are no longer desensitised.

Popcorn sundae 2

Vegan caramelised banana and rum ice cream

Ingredients
10g coconut oil
500g bananas, peeled and sliced in half lengthwise
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
30ml (2 tablespoons) rum, optional (but helps prevent crystallisation)
15ml maple syrup
5ml (1 teaspoon) lime juice
1 x 400g tin full fat coconut milk

Method

  1. Heat half the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat until hot. Place half the sliced bananas cut sides down into the hot oil and fry until they start to caramelise. Carefully flip them over and fry for another few minutes before scraping into a blender. Repeat with the rest of the oil and the second batch of bananas.
  2.  Add all the other ingredients to the blender too, and blend until smooth. Freeze in an ice cream machine or follow the method explained in the Fruits of the Forest Ice Cream recipe.

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Blueberry frozen yoghurt and cherry sorbet ice cream sundae

This blueberry frozen yoghurt and cherry sorbet ice cream sundae with hot blueberry lime sauce and freshly baked blueberry friands was delicious and refreshing. It was also a little more in my comfort zone – super low in added sugars, lots of natural fruit flavours and a golden thread of citrus.

If it feels like too much effort to make all the elements yourself (and let’s face it, my tolerance level for effort in the kitchen is a little higher than most…), just buy some berry or cherry sorbet, and blueberry froyo, and make the sauce and friands – they are both amazing!

Blueberry sundae

Cherry sorbet

450g stoned cherries (frozen are fine)
30ml Kirsch (or Creme de Cassis)
20ml lemon juice
30ml maple syrup
160ml (2/3 cup) coconut water 

Method

  1. Blend all the ingredients until smooth and freeze in ice cream maker according to instructions. 
  2. If you have a high speed blender, you could also add the liquids to the container, place all the frozen cherries on top and blend, using the tamper, until smooth and soft serve consistency. Transfer to a container and place in the freezer for 4 hours.

Blueberry frozen yoghurt

30ml (40g) raw honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
125ml double cream
1 x 450g tub blueberry yoghurt

Method

  1. Place the honey, vanilla and cream in a small bowl and whip until soft peak stage. 
  2. Gently stir in the blueberry yoghurt and freeze in an ice cream maker according to instructions. Place in the freezer for a few hours to reach the perfect consistency.

 

Blueberry friands

Makes 20 mini friands

45g coconut sugar (or use light brown unrefined sugar)
85g almond flour
25g gluten free (or regular) flour
pinch of salt
90g butter or coconut oil, melted
3 medium egg whites, lightly whisked
zest from 1 orange
zest from 1 lemon
80g blueberries (frozen are fine)

Method

  1. Whisk the sugar, almond flour, flour and salt in a medium bowl. 
  2. Make a well in the centre and slowly pour in the melted butter & egg whites. Start whisking, drawing in flour from the outside. Stir in the zest and blueberries.
  3. Butter 20 holes in a mini muffin tin and spoon the mixture into these. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes at 180˚C. 

 

Hot blueberry lime sauce

200g sweet blueberries (frozen are fine)
15ml (20g) raw honey, or more to taste
zest from 1 lime
15ml lime juice

Method.

  1. Heat the blueberries in a small saucepan over a medium heat until the skins start to pop. Scrape into a blender and blend with the honey and lime juice. 
  2. Keep warm until you are ready to serve.

 

Blueberry friands



Hot cross bun ice cream sundae with marmalade ice cream and roast pears

To celebrate Easter, we designed a very special hot cross bun ice cream sundae with marmalade ice cream, roast pears and a delicious verjuice caramel drizzled on top.

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Hot cross bun ice cream sundae

Custard base
750ml milk of your choice
250g honey
5 medium egg yolks
large pinch of salt
460ml double cream

Method

  1. Heat the milk in a saucepan over a medium heat until frothy around the edges and starting to steam. 
  2. While the milk is heating up, whisk together the honey, egg yolks and salt in a separate bowl.
  3. Slowly pour the hot milk onto the egg yolks, constantly whisking.
  4. Return the mixture to the saucepan and heat very slowly, while whisking, until it slightly thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Immediately pour into a cold bowl and set over an ice bath, if possible. Stir to cool down faster. If your custard does curdle, pulse it with a handheld blender in five-second intervals until it is nearly smooth. This can take up to 45 seconds,
  5. Once the custard has cooled, whisk the cream into the softest of peaks (be careful not to take it too far!) and fold into the custard.


Marmalade ice cream
30ml Cointreau (or other orange flavoured liqueur)
200g good quality orange marmalade
juice and zest from 1 orange
600ml custard base

Method

  1. Whisk the Cointreau, marmalade and orange zest together in a small saucepan. Very gently heat over low temperature until the marmalade has liquified.
  2. Stir the marmalade mixture and orange juice into the custard base and freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If you don’t have a machine, you can follow the steps for hand churned ice cream described in my Fruits of the Forest ice cream recipe.


Hot cross bun ice cream
40g melted butter
40g moist brown sugar
175g chopped up hot cross buns (small chunks or large crumbs)
100g soured cream or creme fraiche
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
600ml custard base
35g raisins
35g chopped candied lemon peel

Method

  1. Stir together the melted butter and sugar to dissolve, then pour over hot cross bun pieces, toss to coat and spread out on baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes at 180˚C or until crunchy.
  2. While the crumbs are toasting, whisk together the soured cream and cinnamon. Fold into the custard base and mix in the dried fruit. 
  3. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If you don’t have a machine, you can follow the steps for hand churned ice cream described in my Fruits of the Forest ice cream recipe. Just before the ice cream is done, add in most of the cooled hot cross bun crumbs and allow to be mixed in by the machine.

Ice cream

Roasted pears with verjuice
8 pears
40ml melted butter
100ml verjuice

Method

  1. Halve and core the pears with a mellon baller, then lay them cut sides up in a baking dish that fits them snugly.
  2. Drizzle over the melted butter and verjuice and bake for 45 minutes at 180˚C. Baste once or twice during this time.


Fruits of the forest ice cream sundae

This fruits of the forest ice cream sundae with mango sorbet, whipped cream, freeze dried raspberries and lemon curd is a delicious mix of tangy, sweet, refreshing and creamy. We also added a ginger snap biscuit dipped in dark chocolate – heaven!

Kasper's sundae

Fruits of the forest ice cream sundae

Ingredients
zest from 1 orange
125g double cream (or thick coconut milk from a tin)
350g mixed berries (red and black currants, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries and cherries)
45g-55g raw honey, to taste – it will depend on the sweetness of your berries
45ml orange juice

Method

  1. Whisk the double cream until soft peaks form. Stir in the orange zest and set aside. If using coconut cream (the thick part in a cooled tin of full-fat organic coconut milk), see the note below.
  2. Blend the berries, honey and orange juice in a blender until completely smooth. If you have the time, pass the mixture through a sieve and discard the seeds.
  3. Fold the cream into the smoothie mixture and freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Notes:
If you don’t have a machine, pour the mixture into a stainless steel container and freeze for 45 minutes. The ice cream mix will start to freeze around the edges. Remove from freezer and whisk (use a handheld whisk if you have one), then return to the freezer. Repeat this process every 30 minutes for roughly 3 hours, or until the ice cream was frozen and has the desired consistency.

For coconut whipped cream:
Working quickly, scoop out the thick, firm coconut cream that will have set at the top of the tin when refrigerated for at least 8 hours, and place in a large bowl. (If you have the space, also place your mixing bowl in the freezer before you start.) Once you have scooped off all the cream, you will only have the watery coconut milk left in the tin, which you can add to smoothies or use in curries.
Using a handheld electric whisk on high speed, whisk the coconut cream for 3 to 5 minutes until it becomes fluffy and light, with soft peaks.



Raspberry sorbet, double choc chip ice cream sundae

Here is the first instalment of our Sundae Challenge – a raspberry sorbet double choc chip ice cream sundae with almond chocolate bark! We are going to try a different sundae every Sunday whilst we are in Corona Virus lock-down. This one was definitely a hit with the whole fam!

Raspberry Sundae 2

Raspberry sorbet, double choc chip ice cream Sundae

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the raspberry sorbet:
3 cups frozen raspberries
15ml / 2 tbsp maple syrup
5ml / 1 tsp lime juice
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

Method
Place the frozen raspberries, maple syrup, lime and orange juice in a food processor or high speed blender and blend until smooth. You might need to use the tamper and don’t blend for longer than is necessary, or it will start melting. Scrape into a container and freeze for 4 hours.

For the choc chip ice cream
500ml (2 cups) milk of your choice (hazelnut milk works well)
250ml (1 cup) double (heavy) cream
60ml (1/4 cup) maple syrup
pinch of salt
5ml (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract
5 medium egg yolks
160g 70% dark chocolate, finely chopped
handful of dark chocolate chips

Method

  1. Heat the milk, cream and maple syrup over medium heat until steaming.
  2. In a separate bowl whisk the egg yolks with the salt and vanilla, then slowly whisk in the hot milk mix.
  3. Clean the saucepan, pour the egg-milk mix back into the saucepan and place over a low heat. Cook, stirring regularly, until the mixture thickens – if the mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon, it’s done. (If you do this step over a water bath, there is less chance of the mix curdling.)
  4. Lastly add the chopped chocolate and stir until it has melted. Transfer the mix to a chilled bowl and stir to cool. If your mixture looks slightly grainy, pass it through a sieve first.
  5. Add the choc chips and freeze in an ice cream maker, then place in the freezer for 4 hours (or freeze in a container, whisking the mix every 20 minutes or so until frozen).

For the raspberry coulis
Blend 3 cups of fresh raspberries in a blender (add a touch of honey if your berries are not sweet enough), then pass through a sieve to get rid of the seeds.

For the chocolate bark
1/2 cup raw almonds
100g 70% dark chocolate, very finely chopped
1 heaped tablespoon cocoa nibs
sea salt flakes

Method

  1. Roast the almonds at 180˚C for 15 minutes or until the nuts are toasty. Remove and let cool, then roughly chop.
  2. Melt half the chopped chocolate in a small bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Remove the bowl from the steam, then add the rest of the chopped chocolate and stir until this too has melted.
  3. Get a baking tray ready and line it with parchment paper. Spread the chocolate out on the paper, using a spatula to ensure it is a thin layer. Sprinkle the almonds and cocoa nibs over the chocolate and sprinkle a few sea salt flakes on top. Set aside to cool and harden. If you’ve tempered the chocolate properly, it will set and have a nice snap to it.

Assemble and enjoy!

 

 

 



Mango, lime and ginger sorbet

What better way to celebrate the change in seasons and fight off various bugs than with a zingy mango, lime and ginger sorbet? A dear friend brought me some gorgeous ripe Alphonso mangoes today and just as we were about to devour them as a snack, my little one suggested making ice cream instead. And boy, was it worth the change in tack.

Mangoes are high in fibre and a great source of vitamins A and C. They also contain folate, B6, iron and a little calcium, zinc and vitamin E. Mangoes are a good source of antioxidants, containing certain phytochemicals such as gallotannins and mangiferin which have been studied for their health benefits. A study by the Journal of Nutrition also found that adding mango to your diet could improve gut microflora, due in part to the high fibre content of mango. The phytochemicals have also been studied for their gastroprotective effects, offering both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties to the digestive system, and may even help reduce inflammation in conditions like ulcerative colitis.

Mango sorbet

Mango, lime and ginger sorbet

Serves 4

Ingredients
flesh from 3 ripe Alphonso mangoes
zest from 1 lime
juice from 2 large limes
1/2 peeled ripe avocado
30ml (2 tablespoons) raw honey
1 teaspoon finely grated ginger

Method

  1. Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until pureed.
  2. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions or place in a container in the freezer, removing every hour or so to give it a whiz in the blender. This breaks up the ice crystals and ensures the sorbet remains smooth.
  3. For those of you with a high-speed blender, you could also pour 2/3 of the mixture into a small lipped tray or baking sheet and freeze. Once frozen solid, chop roughly into small’ish cubes and place in the blender with the remaining (unfrozen) third. Use the tamper to press the mixture into the blades until you have a smooth sorbet.