Flap Jacks - Pimped!

Coming out of a cookery hibernation - writers creative mind drought, call it what you want.
I want to share with you a totally foolproof Flap Jack recipe, I have pimped from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's cookbook "River Cottage everyday".
I love his way of cooking and his philosophy about food.
When my Mother on law was still alive, we visited his "canteen" in Axmister many times. I can highly recommend it.

He call this recipe a Booster bar, but it is a good old fashion Flap Jack - just healthier.

Set the oven to 160 degrees and let start baking !! 

Ingredients 
125 gr vegetable spread or butter
125 gr brown muscovado sugar
125 gr no-sugar added smooth or crunchy peanut butter
75 gr of honey
grated zest of an organic lemon

Put these in to a pot and cook on low heat until it is all melted together. Keep an eye on this you don't want this to boil!

In another bowl :

200 gr Oat
150 gr dried fruits of your choice - I used dried cranberries and sour cherries in mine
150 gr Mixed seeds - Sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, poppy etc. Holland and |Barret got a premix called Omega sprinkle.
1 tsp w/top cinnamon - for the blood sugar
and some real vanilla powder or from a pod to bring the flavours out.

Mix the dries with the wets, and push it down with a spoon in a lined baking tray.
That is very important to line the tray, or you can't get it out afterwards. Been there - done that!

Into the oven for 30-35 min 160 degrees.
Allow it to cool before you cut it into squares. Please be patient and then enjoy!!

Pimp my Tex-Mex Left-over casserole

When I cook rice, I always cook too much. So when I found this recipe in a cookbook by Jean Carper, I was delighted. I have done it many times since, but it always turn out a bit different every time - depending what is left in the fridge and store cupboards. But here is the basic recipe:

Tex-Mex left-over casserole

• Cooked rice - how much do you have?
• Tomato Salsa from a jar or some small diced up tomato with some added spices
• Chilli powder - how hot can you take it?
• 1/2 can of black beans ( I love black beans xxx), you could also use kidney beans. Make sure to rinse them well before use.
• Tin or frozen sweetcorn a good handful
• If you like olives, add some chopped up olives black or green.

Mix it all together and into a oven-proof dish. If you really like it hot, add some pickled jalapeños.

Top-up with cheese of you choice - mine is dairy free!

Into the oven on 200 degrees for around 20 minutes until the cheese has melted.

Cook this once and I promise you, it will go on your frequent cooking list for the future.

Sweet Jacket smokey potatoe

This recipe is so simple and so tasty. It is from a danish cookbook called "Aldrig mere sukkerkold" meaning : no more sugar cold. It is all about controlling the GL in what your eat, to keep the blood sugar even and at the same time keep the big flavours. 
In Denmark you can buy this amazing smoked cheese called "rygeost" = smoked soft cheese.
But since I don't live in Denmark anymore and don't eat dairy products, i have pimped the recipe to suit my stomach. But i will give you the original version in brackets.

Jacket Sweet Smokey potatoe
 
(original version in brackets)

• 1 Sweet potatoe
• 1/4 cup Vegan Tofutti cream cheese (smoked soft cheese)
• 2-3 Tbsp Unsweetend soya milk or hemp milk (same amount as cheese of some greek youghurt)
• 1/2 tsp Liquid smoke (don't need this for original recipie)
• Chives
• Salt and pepper

Bake the sweet potatoe i the oven 200 degrees 40-60 minutes, this depending on the size of the sweet potatoe.
Meanwhile mix the creamy filling in a food processor or stire/mix together with a fork : cream cheese, soya milk, liquid smoke, salt and pepper. At the end stire in the chives.
Cut the steaming hot sweet potatoe open and add a big dollop of creamy smokey filling.
Beautifull!

Pimped Hummus

It has taken me years to get the perfect, to my taste, Hummus recipe.
So here it is with a little help from Rip Esselstyn and a bit of pimping (a lot) from me. Without any further nonsense :


Pimped Hummus

• 1 can of chickpeas - rinsed and drained
• 2-3 cloves of garlic
• 3 Tbsp Lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp Tahini
• 2 tsp Tamari or Braggs liquid aminos (is a soya sauce)
• 3-5 Tbsp water
• 2-3 Tbsp Vegenaise (egg free mayonaise)
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 Vogels herbamare herbal salt

Everything into the food processesor and blend untill the right texture.
You migh twant to add more water or salt. That is all up to your tastebuds.

Now you got all this wonderfull Hummus to eat.
Here is a brilliant way of turning it into a quick a tasty meal.
Got the idea from Neal Barnard's book Get healthy, go vegan

Humms Pizza

• One pita bread - I use "The food doctors" whole grain pita breads, but any whole grain pita will do.
• Tomatos
• Olives
• Soy cheese or any othe melting type of vegan cheese

Turn the oven on to 200 degrees. Spread the hummus onto the the pita bread. Cut the tomatoes into small chunks and slice the olives into thin slices. Add the two on top of the hummus and grate some soy cheese on top. In the oven for approximately 8 min.
Badabing!! Lunch is ready!

Caesar Salad - My way!

I absolutely love Ceasar Salad! But the shop bought dressing are calorie laden and full of dairy product, which is not on my menu. So here is my version with a little help from Rip Esselstyn and Kris Carr. 
But as always pimped by me.

Start with your croutons. Heat the oven to 150 degrees and chop some wholegrain bread into little squares, that could be gluten-free read as well. Spray the croutons with olive oil and Braggs liquid aminos. Sprinkle with 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder and some freeze dried parsley. Toss it around, spread out on a baking tray and into the oven for 5 - 10 min. The amount of spices depend of course on how big the portion of croutons are.
Remember to keep an eye on them, you want them golden brown, but not burned.

Now the so delicious dressing :

• 1/2 Cup Vegan mayonnaise  - egg free mayonnaise
• 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• the juice from 1/2 small lemon
• 1 tsp Nutritional yeast
• Dash of Lea and Perrins Worcestershire sauce
• a dash of fish sauce - optional.
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Blend the dressing, add water to get the right consistency. Drizzle it over a big bowl of Romaine and/or other mixed green lettuces.
Mix gently and shatter your croutons on the top before serving. Enjoy!!

Jammie Cookies

This is the time where I should be writing about salads and lovely light summer food. And instead I feel like baking!

The weather isn't brilliant here and that always set me in the mood for warmth and comfort cooking.

My Dad was a baker so there might be some deep and meaning full connection there. 

Bought new cook book by Gwyneth Paltrow the other day - Yes, the girl can cook too.
Lots of nice things to cook and some lovely pictures in the book.
But poor Gwyneth has to be pimped my me as well.


Jammie Cookies

Set the oven to 180 degrees. 

200 grams grounded almonds 

50 grams soya flour 

100 grams brown rice flour

100 grams Kamut flour

1 tsps cinnamon

1/4 tsps  salt

125 ml. agave syrup

125 ml. cold pressed rapeseed oil

Sugar free jam for filling. I used Blueberry jam.

Put everything into a mixing bowl or electric mixer and combine. Form into little balls and press with a wooden spoon handle or your finger a little hole in the middle of each cookie for the jam.

Put the cookies on lined baking trays and bake for 17-20 min. Put them on an air rack to cool.

And do wait until they have cooled of so you don't burn your lips and they get nice and crispy.

So much better and healthier than Jammie Doggers!!!

Slow porridge for busy girls (and boys)

Mornings can be very stressful. It is in our home. A total mad house!

I want to make sure we all get a good breakfast, before getting us all out of the door.

We all know how important it is to eat breakfast, to set you up for the day.

You need good food to fuel your body, to keep blood sugar levels even trough out the day.

One of my sons has been diabetic since the age of two, so this is something very close to my heart.

Here is a brilliant way to preparer the breakfast the night before, to give you a calmer morning.

And all you have to do is, pop it on the stove the next morning.

This recipe has been pimped from Danish super cook Umahro Cadogan’s book “Kokken revolution pa hoje haele” only in Danish so fare.

This my Slow porridge for busy girls (and boys)

Soak in a pot the night before:

• ½ cup of oat (for each person, depending on size)
• Cover with water
• Add cinnamon to your liking, a little bit of pure vanilla powder, ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar. (This helps to soften the oat)

Lid on and go to bed!

Next morning:

Turn on the stove.

You might want to add more water or milk of your choice (from a cow, soy, rice or almond) into the porridge.

Cook and stir. Keep an eye on it.

 Add honey, agave syrup or xylitol to sweeten. Don’t go mad!

When the porridge is velvety smooth, scoop it into bowls.

There are lot of nice toppings to put on your porridge. Here is a few we like:

• Banana slices
• Chopped up Almonds or other nuts of your choice.
• Sliced up apples or pears. Vitamin -C
• Apple puree
• Blueberries. Antioxidants
• Ground flax seeds with cinnamon

A few healthy facts about the ingredients :

Bananas rich in potassium and carbohydrates (the good ones). Good carbs has a nice relaxing effect on the body so it can produce neotransmitters in the brain – serotonin which gives you a sense of calm.

It is important that the carbohydrates you choose are high in fibre and the slow acting kind.

Blueberries rich in vitamin C and stuffed with antioxidants.

Apples and pears - vitamin C and fiber.

Nuts gives you Selenium and magnesium.

Oat – Full of healthy soluble fibres that lower the cholesterol. Oat is also loaded with phytochemicals which helps the digestive system and blood sugar levels, which have an adverse affect on stress.