We all know that regularly enjoying a cup of green tea is beneficial to our health. Matcha powder is a concentrated powdered green tea that can be stirred into hot water to make a cuppa, but also be added to a variety of dishes, such as smoothies, porridge, lattes, chocolate truffles and cakes. The nutritional value and antioxidant content of matcha tea exceeds that of regular green tea tenfold, because the whole leaf, not just the brewed water, is ingested. Amongst its many benefits, matcha is packed with antioxidants, boosts metabolism and burns calories, detoxifies, calms, aids in concentration, contains vitamin C, selenium, chromium, zinc and magnesium, fights against viruses and bacteria, is rich in fibre, and lowers cholesterol and blood sugar. Well worth incorporating into your diet, it seems.

Gluten-free cacao and matcha pinwheel cookies

Makes 50 – 60 cookies, depending on thickness

Ingredients

110g butter, preferably organic and pastured

130 – 140g coconut sugar (you could also use unrefined brown sugar)

1 egg

250g gluten-free flour (try using one that contains no xanthan gum) or wholegrain spelt flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

pinch of salt

15g (2 tablespoons) unsweetened cacao powder

7g (1 tablespoon) matcha green tea powder

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F and line a large  baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix until well incorporated.
3. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt, then fold into the butter mixture.
4. Now divide the mixture in half, add the cacao powder to one half and the matcha powder to the other. Use your hands to work the cacao and the matcha into the two balls of dough. The dough will be quite sticky, but should be workable. The matcha half may need a tiny bit more flour.
5. Now flatten the cacao dough ball onto a large piece of parchment paper in a rectangular shape. Place another piece of baking parchment on top and roll out until you have a very thin large rectangle. Place in the fridge on a chopping board or tray.
6. Repeat the process for the matcha dough half. Remove the cacao rectangle from the fridge, peel off the top piece of paper, and flip over onto the matcha rectangle. Cut off any overhang to patch any gaps.
7. Sprinkle the piece of paper that you peeled off the cacao rectangle with flour, then flip the now stuck-together rectangles onto that.
8. Carefully start rolling up the dough on the long side until you have a very long and tight sausage. Place this in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before moving on to the next step.
9. When completely firm, cut the sausage in half, leave one half in the fridge and slice the other half into thin rounds. Place on the lined baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the sheet once. Repeat for the other half of the sausage.
10. Place on a wire rack to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

We love pancakes in any shape and size. And it is one of the easiest way to serve vegetables to your family – either mixed straight into the batter or as a filling. These Tuscan kale crêpes, a.k.a. dragon slayer pancakes, are delicious with a savoury cashew cream, but you could also serve them with grated (preferably unpasteurised) cheddar cheese or goat milk feta. And I usually reserve some of the batter to make a few plain ones to have with honey and lemon as a special Pancake Day dessert.

Ingredients for the crêpe batter

5 medium eggs

240g (2 cups) wholemeal spelt flour

500ml (2 cups) water

large pinch of  sea salt

200g Tuscan kale (also known as cavolo nero, dinosaur or lacinato kale), thick cores discarded, roughly chopped

Method

1. Steam (or briefly blanch) the kale until wilted, then refresh under ice cold running water.
2. Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend until well mixed.
3. Set aside for at least 1 hour.
4. To make the crêpes, heat a little ghee or coconut oil in crêpe pan until hot, but not smoking. Pour a ladleful of the batter into the pan, turning it while you pour to ensure you cover the base.
5. As soon as the edges have browned (after a few minutes), carefully slide a spatula under the crêpe and flip it over for another couple of minutes. Repeat until all the batter has been used up.

Ingredients for the cashew cream

125g (about 1 cup) cashew nuts, soaked for 2 – 4 hours in fresh cold water

100 – 125ml (about 1/2 cup) water

large pinch of sea salt

1 teaspoon nutritional yeast flakes

generous squeeze of lemon

large pinch of cayenne pepper

Method

1. Rinse the soaked cashews thoroughly, then place in a blender with just under half a cup of water (about 100ml), salt, nutritional yeast, lemon juice and cayenne, and blend until creamy.
2. If you don’t have access to a high speed blender, the resultant cream will have a coarser texture.
3. Adjust seasoning and spoon onto a green crêpe before rolling up.

Ok, full disclosure: I don’t really celebrate Valentine’s Day.

I used to, but that was before I married another Capricorn at the end of January. By the time Christmas, New Year’s Eve, our respective birthdays and our wedding anniversary have been duly celebrated, we are usually ready for a break.

I am a HUGE fan of romantic dates, however. Any time, any place. And if Valentine’s Day happens to be the next available opportunity to spoil your sweetheart, then make the most of it with this easy peasy, super sexy stay-at-home picnic for two. Open fires and games of scrabble optional.

The Ruby Noir

Makes 2 cocktails

Ingredients

60ml (1/4 cup) 100% pomegranate juice, chilled

30ml (2 tablespoons) damson, plum, blackberry or sloe vodka

1 teaspoon sweetened lime juice (squeeze out half a lime and stir in 1 teaspoon honey)

Champagne or sparkling wine, chilled

1 teaspoon pomegranate seeds

2 small and fine rosemary twigs (optional)

Method

1. Mix the pomegranate juice, vodka and lime juice, then divide between two champagne flutes, pouring through a funnel if you want to keep it extra neat.
2. Top up with Champagne, by carefully pouring the bubbly into the glass over the back of a metal spoon to “float” it on top of the pomegranate mix.
3. Carefully float a few pomegranate seeds on top and finish with a rosemary twig, if you like.

Spiced rye crackers with figgy goat’s cheese

Ingredients for the crackers

Makes about 18 small crackers, but feel free to double or triple the recipe – they keep well

50g (1/3 cup) stoneground rye flour

pinch of salt

pinch each of caraway seed, aniseed and cumin

10g (about 2 teaspoons) cold butter, cut into small cubes

15ml (1 tablespoon) or thereabouts milk of your choice (I used almond milk)

Ingredients for the figgy goat cheese

Enough for 2 people

70g (1/3 cup) soft goat cheese

1 large soft dried fig, finely chopped

1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley, leaves only

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

aged Balsamic vinegar to serve (optional)

Method

1. For the crackers: preheat the oven to 220°C / 420°F. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together the flour, spices and salt. Using your finger tips, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles fine bread crumbs.
3. Add the milk and knead the dough until it comes together in a soft ball – not too sticky, and not crumbly.
4. Roll the dough out thinly and use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes. Place these on the prepared sheet.
5. Bake for roughly 10 minutes, or until the edges have turned golden, then remove from the oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack.
6. For the goat cheese: while the crackers are baking, mix all the ingredients for the cheese in a bowl, adjust seasoning and set aside.

Scallop pops with avocado aïoli

What can be more seductive than nibbling on a sizzling scallop lollipop? These guys are the perfect mess-free picnic food and add just the right amount of spice to wake up the senses. Serve with a plate of gorgeous roasted mixed beets.

Ingredients for the marinade

handful of fresh coriander (cilantro), finely chopped

1 small red chilli, finely chopped (deseeded and membranes removed if you prefer it milder)

1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced

splash of olive oil

For the pops

6 large or 8 small scallops

knob of butter, preferably organic

4 to 6 wooden skewers

Ingredients for the avocado aïoli

1 small ripe avocado, mashed

1 – 2 tablespoons garlic aïoli or mayonnaise, preferably home-made

squeeze of lemon

sea salt

Method

1. Mix all the ingredients for the marinade and rub it into the scallops. Set aside for at least half an hour.
2. While the scallops are marinating, mix together the ingredients for the avocado aïoli and refrigerate.
3. When you are ready to fry the scallops, pick out the garlic slices, as they burn too easily, and heat the butter in a heavy bottomed skillet or pan over a medium heat.
4. Fry the scallops for a minute or two on each side – do not overcook them! – then slide one to two onto each skewer. Season with sea salt and serve with the avocado aïoli.

Chocolate-drizzled pear and raspberry lollies

For me, a romantic dinner has to be delicious, yes, but definitely not too filling. Who wants to feel stuffed and uncomfortable on a date? These refreshing, yet luscious lollies will hit the spot.

Makes 4 small or 2 large lollies

Ingredients for the lollies

teaspoon of coconut oil

2 pears, peeled, cored and quartered

1 teaspoon molasses sugar or dark brown muscovado sugar

80g (1/2 cup) frozen or fresh raspberries, plus a few extra

60ml (1/4 cup) milk of your choice (I used almond milk)

Ingredients for the chocolate drizzle

10g / 10ml (2 teaspoons) coconut oil

20g (about 6 squares) dark chocolate, broken into small pieces

Method

1. For the lollies: heat the coconut oil in a heavy based saucepan until hot, then lay the pear quarters down, sprinkle over the sugar and do not turn until they’ve developed a lovely golden colour and the sugar has melted (about 5 to 10 minutes).
2. Turn over and fry on the other side for another 5 minutes.
3. Now blend the pears, raspberries and milk until smooth. Stir in the remaining raspberries (crush them if they are frozen) and fill the ice lolly moulds.
4. Freeze for at least 4 to 5 hours.
5. For the chocolate drizzle: put them coconut oil in a small saucepan and heat over a low heat until melted.
6. Add the bits of chocolate and continue to warm over a medium heat until melted.
7. Give it a quick whisk, then set aside to cool slightly.
8. Run hot water over the moulds to remove the lollies. Using a spoon, drizzle some chocolate sauce over each and give it half a minute or so to set.

Take a look at my guest post on the Natural Gourmet Institute’s blog for instructions on how to make these guys… Oh – and happy 2015 everyone!

The moment you start changing your eating habits by steering clear of processed foods, refined sugar and white flour, your taste buds begin to transform. Suddenly, overly salty or super sweet food does not do it for you anymore, and you automatically adjust the way you cook, like adding less sugar to cake batters because you know it will still be sweet enough… Anyone who has discovered the joy of dark chocolate will know what I mean. Milk chocolate will never again be your first choice.

Every now and then, however, even I can appreciate the pleasure of a toe-curlingly sweet treat. After a long park run on a cold morning, or with a gorgeous cup of tea and your favourite book. It is for moments such as these that I usually keep a few of the buckwheat crispie bars in the freezer. They are crunchy and syrupy, and a honey bee’s dream.

Ingredients

80ml (⅓ cup) liquid coconut oil

125ml (½ cup) organic smooth peanut butter

125ml (½ cup) runny honey, preferably raw

large pinch fine grain sea salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

zest of 2 medium organic oranges

200g (about 2 cups) rolled oats

140g (about 1 cup) sprouted buckwheat groats* (dehydrated or dried in low temp oven)

100g walnuts, chopped (yields about 1 cup)

160g dried organic apricots, chopped into small chunks (yields about 1 cup) dried sour cherries for a less sweet bar

60 – 80g (about ½ cup) mixed seeds (chia, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, hemp)

30g melted dark chocolate to garnish (optional)

Method

1. Ensure all the ingredients are at room temperature.
2. Whisk together the peanut butter, honey, coconut oil, salt, cinnamon, ginger and orange zest until well mixed.
3. In a large bowl combine the oats, buckwheat, walnuts, apricots or cherries, and seeds. Ensure the apricot pieces are separated and coated in oats. buckwheat and / or seeds – use your fingers to do this.
4. Pour the dry ingredients into the peanut butter mixture and stir well.
5. Line a Swiss roll pan with greaseproof paper, allowing for an overhang on the long side of the tin.
6. Spoon the mixture into the pan, pressing down firmly with the back of the spoon or your fingers until it is very tightly packed all the way into the corners.
7. Now refrigerate the tray for at least 2 to 3 hours or place in the freezer for roughly 1 hour.
8. When firm, lift the granola mixture out of the tin and onto a chopping board by grabbing hold of the greaseproof paper.
9. Cut the slab into small bars or squares. If you are using chocolate, place the sheet with the bars back in the Swiss roll tin.
10. Spoon the melted, slightly cooled, chocolate into a small sandwich bag. Twist the top and then snip off one tiny corner. Use like a piping bag to drizzle chocolate over the bars.
11. Return the bars to the fridge until the chocolate has set, then store in an airtight container, preferably in the fridge or freezer.

Note: *To sprout raw, un-roasted buckwheat (not kasha), soak 2 cups of groats in three times the amount of fresh water for 12 to 18 hours, changing the slimy water once during this time. Then drain, rinse off any sliminess, and leave in a sprouting jar, mesh bag or sieve, loosely covered with a kitchen towel or cloth for a day or two, rinsing well twice a day. Once most of the grains have started sprouting (you will see a little tail forming), spread them all out on a tray or baking sheet and dry in a dehydrator or at a very low temperature (about 65°C) in the oven until crisp (usually this takes 12 to 24 hours). This low temperature is essential to preserve the enzymes in the sprouts, but if you are pressed for time, you could increase the temperature, thereby reducing the baking time.

One of the highlights of our summer in Denmark was a visit to Fuglebjerggård, roughly 50km north of Copenhagen. Here we wandered through the gardens and soaked up the sunshine and tranquility, while the children squealed with delight each time they succeeded in scooping a tiny velvety kitten into their arms. Camilla Plum, a renowned Danish cookbook author and TV personality, has been managing Fuglebjerggård as an organic farm since 1996 and the variety of crops grown on the land is astounding.

Lunch consisted of new potatoes, freshly picked lettuce, unctuous home-made mayonnaise, pickles and what can only be described as the perfect dressing – a meal that was absolutely delicious in its simplicity. We allowed ourselves a raspberry slice afterwards, each one of us secretly wishing that time could stand still just for a little while.

Warm potato salad

Ingredients

New potatoes, scrubbed and boiled in their skins and sliced

Fresh green loose leaf lettuce, washed, dried and roughly torn

Kalamata olives

Pickled cucumbers, sliced on the diagonal

For the dressing

125ml / 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive oil

45ml / 3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

3 purple spring onions, washed and finely sliced

1 small bunch dill, washed and chopped

2 tablespoons non-pareille capers, rinsed

Sea salt to taste

Method

1. Arrange the salad ingredients on a plate.

2. Combine the ingredients for the dressing in a glass jar, screw on the lid and shake vigorously.

3. Serve on the potatoes and greens, with a dollop of mayonnaise on the side.

One of the tricks I often rely on to encourage the whole family to eat more vegetables is to offer crudités before the main meal – when everyone is starting to feel really hungry. Another is to incorporate vegetables into as many dishes as often as possible. Here is a recipe that will give you the opportunity to be most cunning and do both!

Ingredients

1/2 cup haricot / cannellini beans, soaked for at least 24 hours in filtered water

2 cloves garlic

1 small onion, peeled and halved

1 bay leaf

Small (2cm or 1”) strip kombu / kelp

500g golden beets, washed and peeled

1 tablespoon coconut oil

5 to 6 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons tahini

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Juice of 1 – 2 lemons, depending on taste

1 teaspoon sumac

Method

1. Bring the beans, 1 garlic clove,  onion, bay leaf and kombu to boil in a pot with enough salted water to generously cover the beans. Simmer until beans are tender, skimming off any froth that forms on the surface.
2. While the beans are cooking, toss the beets in the liquid coconut oil, add the thyme leaves and season with salt and pepper. Roast in a moderately hot oven (160°C / 320°F) for about 40 to 50 minutes, or until the beets are tender.
3. When the beans and beets are both tender, add them to the bowl of a food processor, together with the tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, the other clove of garlic and salt and pepper. Use the bean cooking liquid if you need to thin the dip a little.
4. Sprinkle over some sumac just before serving.