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Festival of Food: Mint Cordial Recipe

Mint cordial What’s lovelier on a hot summers day than a refreshing mint cordial? Well, I don’t know, but a mint cordial definitely hits the spot. Mint is used to relieve normal pregnancy nausea, and abdominal pain. Chewing mint leaves will make your teeth whiter over the course of a couple of weeks, and eliminate toxins from the body. Some even claim mint can cure asthma, although I’ve not seen any research on that.

  • This easy recipe will make enough cordial for 3 – 5 litres of mint juice, depending on how strong you like it.

    • Welcome to the Festival of Food Carnival. This month, we celebrate Smoothies and Mocktails!  Hosted by Diary of a First Child and Hybrid Rasta Mama, you’re welcome to join us next time, or if you have a previously published recipe you’d like to share, add it to the linky below.

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Festival of Food: Mint Cordial Recipe
Recipe Type: Drink
Cuisine: Summer
Author: Luschka
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
A gorgeous summery mint infusion
Ingredients
  • 2 cups fresh mint leaves
  • 500g sugar or rapadura
  • 2 cups water
Instructions
  1. Lightly crush the mint leaves to release some of the flavours.
  2. Add sugar and water to a heavy bottomed pot and then add mint.
  3. Bring the mixture to boil for five minutes, then simmer lightly for 15 minutes.
  4. Cover and leave as is overnight
  5. Strain the mixture to remove all the leaves, then decant into a bottle and refrigerate.
  6. You can keep this in the fridge for 2 – 3 weeks.
  7. Just add to still or sparkling water to taste.
  8. Enjoy the refreshing yumminess.

Reprinted from Diary of a First Child

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Please take a moment to visit the blogs of our other Festival of Food participants. The links in this list will be live by the end of the day, as participants are all in different time zones.

Stay connected! Be sure to “Like” the Festival of Food Carnival Facebook page.

 

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Cooked Ham Stew Recipe

20130607-232527.jpg

I’m not a massive fan of ham, so when a cooked ham turned up in our organic meat delivery last week, I was at a bit of a loss as to what to do with it! It was a cold and rainy day, and I was short on time, so I decided to use up the last of our vegetable box contents, and add the ham to it.

What resulted was one of the nicest stews I’ve ever made! Even Ameli, my three year old, asked for seconds!

I’ve listed below the vegetables we used as that’s what we had on hand, but you can adapt it as you wish.

Cooked Ham Stew
Recipe Type: Stew
Cuisine: Winter, Hearty, Comfort Food
Author: Luschka
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 3-4
I’m not a big fan of cooked ham, but wow, this turned out so well! One of the biggest bonuses of stew is that you can adapt the vegetables to suit what you have in the house. Keep this to ‘mild’ vegetables so as to keep the cooked ham flavour as the prominent one.
Ingredients
  • 1 Onion
  • 2 cm Ginger
  • 3 cloves Garlic
  • 15 ml Olive Oil
  • 2 tbs flour/corn starch
  • 3 large carrots, cut in bite sized chunks
  • 1 sweet red pepper, cut in rings
  • 4 large mushrooms, sliced
  • 5 stalks of runner beans, cut in bite sized chunks
  • 300g cooked ham
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 tsp beef stock or stock cube
  • pepper to taste
  • water to cover
Instructions
  1. Finely chop the onion, ginger and garlic (3 seconds speed 6)
  2. Saute in the olive oil until the onions are soft (speed 1 for 3 minutes)
  3. Add the ham and mix (reverse speed 2) till it’s well mixed.
  4. Add the flour or corn starch, carrots, pepper, beans, mushrooms, paprika, and stock, and cover with water
  5. Boil for 20 minutes, (Veroma, Speed 3, reverse), till the vegetables are soft.
  6. Serve on its own or with bread or noodles.

 

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Quick And Easy Healthier Carrot Cake

A few years ago I made the perfect carrot cake. I don’t know what recipe I used and have never found it again, but I suspect if I did I wouldn’t use it anymore anyway – it probably had too much sugar and white flour in it anyway.

Carrot CakeI’m still in search of the new ‘perfect’ carrot cake, but these come up a really good alternative, in the meantime.

They last two or so days in a lunch box, and make a great school snack, largely because they’re ‘cake’ without being ‘cake’. We also make them without frosting to make them that little bit healthier, but really, I don’t think it needs anything more anyway.

If you don’t have Rapadura*, you can substitute for brown sugar, but Rapadura is a healthier alternative. I have linked you to the brand we use. Same for the coconut oil.

Possibly one of my favourite things about this carrot cake is that it is so quick and easy to make – no faffing required, and it is really tasty.

Recipe Type: Cake, Snack
Author: Luschka
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 18
I make these in a brownie pan, and don’t add any frosting to them at all. You could mix cream cheese and icing sugar to frost, but we like them just like this. They make lovely lunch box snacks. You can add nuts if you wish – just adjust the amount of raisins.
Ingredients
  • 2 cups carrots (roughly four or five medium sized carrots)
  • 140g raisins
  • 125ml [url href=”http://www.amazon.co.uk/Biona-Organic-Virgin-Coconut-Pack/dp/B0062Y7RTU/” target=”_blank”]coconut oil[/url]
  • 115g plain wholemeal flour
  • 115g self-raising flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 rounded tsp ground cinnamon
  • 100g [u][url href=”http://www.amazon.co.uk/Biona-Organic-Rapadura-Sugar-Pack/dp/B006MW27UG” target=”_blank” title=”rapadura”]rapadura [/url][/u](or brown sugar)
  • 2 eggs
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 160C/320F
  2. Grate carrots finely
  3. Add the rest of the ingredients in the order listed
  4. Mix together till it’s all incorporated, but work quickly before the baking powder and bicarb go ‘flat’
  5. Scoop into muffin or brownie trays/cake tins
  6. Cook for 20 minutes in cake tin/brownie pan but about 12 – 15 in muffin tins.
  7. Check by sticking a skewer in the middle. If It comes out clean, they are ready.
  8. If you’re using a Thermomix:
  9. Chop the carrots on Turbo for 3-4 seconds
  10. Add ingredients in order listed
  11. Mix on reverse speed for 30 seconds,
  12. Knead for 1 min on closed lid setting
  13. Scoop into muffin or brownie trays/cake tins
  14. Cook for 20 minutes in cake tin/brownie pan but about 12 – 15 in muffin tins.
  15. Check by sticking a skewer in the middle. If It comes out clean, they are ready.

 

 

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Goji Almond And Sprouted Buckwheat *mostly* Raw Balls

Goji BallsThese Goji, Almond and Sprouted Buckwheat balls are mostly raw, other than the choc chips. You can make your own coconut oil chocolate and then it’s completely raw! They can also be made nut free by swapping the almond meal for seeds like sunflower or pepitas. Other wise they are Vegan, Gluten free, Dairy free, Refined sugar free, Yeast free & Corn free. Can’t get much better than that!

They do call for some organization as the buckwheat needs to start the sprouting process a day or 2 before they are ready. But it’s totally worth it! These are so lovely, sweet and the buckwheat makes a nice change than just regular old nuts in the usual bliss balls (ed: the Australian version of these date balls) I make. It’s cheaper too 🙂

Goji Almond & Sprouted Buckwheat *almost* Raw Balls
Recipe Type: Snack
Cuisine: Raw
Author: Charlotte
Serves: 16-20
These balls are mostly raw, other than the choc chips. You can make your own coconut oil chocolate and then it’s completely raw! They can also be made nut free by swapping the almond meal for seeds like sunflower or pepitas. Other wise they are Vegan, Gluten free, Dairy free, Refined sugar free, Yeast free & Corn free. Can’t get much better than that! They do call for some organization as the buckwheat needs to start the sprouting process a day or 2 before they are ready. But it’s totally worth it! These are so lovely, sweet and the buckwheat makes a nice change than just regular old nuts in the usual bliss balls I make. It’s cheaper too 🙂
Ingredients
  • 1 cup medjool dates, pitted [about 14]
  • 1/3 cup almond meal
  • 1/2 cup raw buckwheat grouts, sprouted [yield: 1 cup sprouted]
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1/4 cup goji berries
  • 1/4 cup carob/chocolate chips, cacao nibs or home made chocolate or even some dried fruit like sultanas
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • pinch Himalayan rock salt
Instructions
  1. To sprout buckwheat: place the raw buckwheat grouts in a glass container and fill with water. Place a lid on it and store it in the fridge overnight to soak. In the morning, drain and rinse.
  2. Drain thoroughly and leave on the counter for 24 hours.
  3. At the 12 hour [or so] mark, fill with water and drain again and follow the steps Goji Ballsabove.
  4. Your buckwheat should be ready at around 24 hours.
  5. Spread out onto a kitchen towel to make sure most of the moisture is removed.
  6. To make balls: place dates, almond meal, buckwheat, coconut, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor.
  7. Process until desired consistency is met.
  8. Drop mixture into a large bowl and mix in goji berries and choc chips.
  9. Wet hands and roll the mixture into balls.
  10. If the mixture is too sticky, out it in the freezer for a few mins to harden up
  11. Store in a container in the fridge or freezer
3.2.1753
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Buckwheat Banana Bread

A lovely, sugar free banana bread, perfect for a healthy, nutritious snack.

Buckwheat Banana BreadI don’t use artificial sweeteners, and I certainly don’t let my children consume Aspartame. The problem with anything ‘sugar free’ or ‘free from’ is that to replace the sugar, they usually put a list of chemicals in it’s place. When that’s the case, I’d rather just have the sugar.

A great substitute for sugar in baking, is dates. Pureed with just a little water to help the machine, I often replace date puree for sugar at a one for one ratio. Try it, and see what you think!

Despite the ‘wheat’ in the name buckwheat, there is no wheat in it – it’s entirely wheat free. The consistency is a little different than normal flour and it may take a little getting used to, but it’s entirely worth it!

 

Buckwheat Banana Bread
Recipe Type: Muffins, snacks,
Author: Luschka
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 50
Buckwheat and bananas? yum, yum, yum, and guilt free too, with it’s sugar-free and gluten free ingredients.
Ingredients
  • ½ cup butter
  • 3 ripe bananas
  • 1 ½ cups buckwheat flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ⅓ cup date puree (1/3 cup dates, covered with hot water and blended)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger spices
Instructions
  1. Melt the butter and set aside.
  2. Whip the bananas until they are smooth and airy.
  3. Add the date puree, egg, vanilla, spices and butter to the bananas.
  4. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking powder.
  5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and pour into a cake or muffin pan
  6. Bake at 180C or 350F for about 30 minutes for cupcakes, 40-45mins for bread or cake
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Spelt Mountain Bread Nachos with Raw Salsa Topping

There’s nothing better for lazy food than Nachos. If you want to avoid all the fats and ‘bad things’ in conventional or take away foods though, these Spelt cracker Nachos are a great alternative. If you don’t have Mountain Bread where you are, you can use any other spelt crackers.

Spelt Mountain Bread Nachos with Raw Salsa Topping

Adjust the toppings to suit both your tastes, and what you have available. We love cheese, guacamole and salsa, but you might love something completely different! Try it, experiment and see how you get on! Then come back here and share your favourite toppings with us!

 

Spelt Mountain Bread Nachos with Raw Salsa Topping
Author: Charlotte
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
This is a quick, easy and healthy way to enjoy a usually not so healthy dinner. Fresh, low fat but very yummy nachos! This meal is a winner at my place. Even my 5yr old who hates tomato loves it.
Ingredients
  • 1 packet of [url href=”http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Food-Doctor-Wholegrain-Crackers/dp/B006CQJIJU” target=”_blank”]spelt crackers[/url]
  • Spray oil or a few splodges of refined coconut oil
  • Sprinkle of salt or other seasoning
  • 1 tin of organic[url href=”http://www.amazon.co.uk/Biona-Organic-Kidney-Beans-Pack/dp/B006JNWRCG/” target=”_blank”] kidney beans[/url], drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 a red onion, chopped
  • 3-4 tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 small lebanese cucumber, chopped
  • 1/2 a red or green capsicum, chopped
  • 1 Avocado, chopped
  • 1 handfull of chopped parsley
  • Juice of 1/2 a lemon or lime
  • Sprinkle of salt & pepper to taste (or nutritional yeast)
  • *optional:
  • 1 clove of garlic finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup of greek yogurt
  • 1 cup of grated cheese
  • Handfull of chives
Instructions
  1. Cut the bread into squares or triangles and place onto a greased oven tray.
  2. Spray or add bits of coconut oil to the chips, then season. (I use nutritional yeast, it gives a nice cheesy flavour)
  3. Put into the oven at 180’C until they change to a golden colour.
  4. It doesn’t take long, maybe 10 mins
  5. Add the beans and chopped veg together in a big bowl.
  6. Add the parsley, lemon juice, salt & pepper and mix together
  7. Once the chips are done plate them up and add the topping.
  8. Top each serving with a couple of table spoons of the greek yogurt
  9. Sprinkle with a 1/4 cup of cheese each
  10. Garnish with some chopped chives or parsley

 

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Wild Garlic And Cashew Pesto

Where my inlaws live, the public bridleway is lined with wild garlic on one side and dandelions on the other. It’s a foragers feast! Last year I picked a shopping bag full of wild garlic, brought it home, cooked with it and stuck a two plants in a pot. They looked as though they were dying, so I forgot about them and got on with the year. Cleaning out the garden this spring, I found four beautiful Ramson plants! I actually did a little happy dance, because I sometimes crave this stuff!

Wild Garlic PestoWild garlic is simply delicious stuff. In the spring it has a much milder taste than late in the summer, and unlike it’s commercial counterpart, you eat the leaves and the flowers, not the bulb (although you could).

Identification: You can smell the garlic before you see the plant. It has broad, spearlike leaves, which smell like garlic, and pretty white, star-like flowers, in a rounded ball shape, which also smell like garlic. All parts are edible, the leaves preferably in spring.

Poisonous lookalikes: The leaves do look a lot like the Lily of the Valley, which is poisonous but doesn’t smell like garlic, and if it doesn’t smell like garlic, it isn’t wild garlic.

Uses: Basically, anything you could do with Basil, you can do with wild garlic. You can make a soup, add it to salads, stir fry with onion and olive oil as a vegetable (instead of spinach, for example), and add a few dandelion heads for colour.

Here’s on my favourite recipes for Wild Garlic: Wild Garlic and Cashew Pesto

(Pine nuts are seriously expensive. Cashews are a lot cheaper, and just as good.)

Wild Garlic And Cashew Pesto
Recipe Type: Dip, Sauce,
Cuisine: Pasta
Author: Luschka
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 4 – 6
The amounts in this recipe are rough guides. If you have more or less of an ingredient, it doesn’t matter. Cashews provide the ‘bulk’ in the ingredients, and the Ramsons are very strong in flavour, so while you can add more you don’t need to.
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup loosely packed Ramsons/Wild Garlic
  • 1/2 cup Cashew Nuts
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
  • Pepper to taste
  • 1/3 cup Olive Oil
Instructions
  1. If you’re using a Thermomix, place everything in the bowl, and blits on Turbo for 3 seconds and you’re done.
  2. If you’re not:
  3. Crush the cashew nuts
  4. Grate the Parmesan Cheese
  5. Place the salt into a pestle and mortar and add the wild garlic. Use the ‘friction’ of the salt to crush them together.
  6. Add the olive oil for a smooth paste, before adding the cheese and cashews and stirring in well.
  7. Pepper to taste.
Notes
Use as a spread on a rustic bread or as pesto for pasta. Keeps for around 3 days in the fridge. Top with edible Ramson flowers for prettiness.

 

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Healthy Chocolate Date Balls

There’s a brand of ‘chocolate’ bar that we love around here, but it’s pretty expensive. They put the ingredients and roughly the amounts on the back of the packaging though, so we’ve been trying to make them the same. I think we need some kind of cold pressing equipment to make them stick together as bars, but they work pretty well rolled into balls or made in a brownie pan.

chocolate date balls

The reason I love these for my children is that apart from the cocoa – and you can substitute it for cacao – there’s only fruit and breakfast oats in it. When my daughter refuses to have breakfast, she’ll have these, and I’m just fine with that on occasion.

Another bonus of  date balls, is that they are pretty versatile. Just add the basics, and the rest is up to you.

Put them on a pretty plate, and wrap a ribbon around, and you’ve got a lovely gift too.

For twenty more date ball ideas, check out Bliss Balls For Beginners.

Chocolate Date Balls
Recipe Type: Snack,Treat, Healthy
Author: Luschka
Prep time:
Total time:
These originated from Nakd bars, which I couldn’t afford to keep buying. Looking at the ingredients on the back, we came up with an earlier version of these. They are delicious!
Ingredients
  • 1 cup dates
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup oats
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • Something wet: a 1/4 cup apple juice or 2 tablespoons peanut butter, just enough to hold the batter together.
  • [u]Optional extras:[/u]
  • You can add a variety of things – nuts, dried fruit, berries
Instructions
  1. Mix everything together in a food processor or blender.
  2. You want it well mixed, but not smooth.
  3. Either roll the batter into balls, then around a plate of coconut and place in the fridge.
  4. Alternatively spread it out on a baking sheet and refridgerate.
  5. Once set, cut into squares and enjoy.

Reposted from Diary of a First Child

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Four Thieves Vinegar

Healing VinegarFour Thieves Vinegar can be used both for food, and around the house for cleaning and decontaminating.  It can also be put in the bath or used medicinally.

Allegedly, Four Thieves Vinegar is so named after the four thieves who pillaged the homes of Plague victims but were not affected by the Plague themselves. When they were eventually captured, they would have been put to death for their looting, but were instead given their lives in return for their secret.  If you Google Four Thieves Vinegar, you’ll find a few variations on the ingredients. This is the one we use. It makes a pretty good salad dressing, if nothing else.

Four Thieves Vinegar
Recipe Type: Dressing, Cleaning
Author: Luschka
Prep time:
Total time:
Ingredients
  • 1 Tablespoon each of: [br]
  • [url href=”http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dried-Lavender-flowers-200g-www-thespiceworks-co-uk/dp/B004DA9L8A” target=”_blank”]Lavender[/url]
  • [url href=”http://www.amazon.co.uk/Abbey-Botanicals-Dried-Sage-Herb/dp/B00AGWRDPW/” target=”_blank”]Sage[/url]
  • [url href=”http://www.amazon.co.uk/AbbeyBotanicals-Herbs-Thyme-Leaf-whole/dp/B002AK258I/” target=”_blank”]Thyme[/url]
  • [url href=”http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lemon-Balm-Love-Cleansing-150grms/dp/B004BAU2F8″ target=”_blank”]Lemon Balm[/url]
  • [url href=”http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hyssop-For-Protection-Cleansing-50grms/dp/B004BAZTR4/” target=”_blank”]Hyssop[/url]
  • [url href=”http://www.amazon.co.uk/Abbey-Botanicals-Peppermint-Dried-Loose/dp/B005WGKOAI/” target=”_blank”]Peppermint[/url]
  • 3- 5 Garlic cloves
  • 1 cup [url href=”http://www.amazon.co.uk/Raw-Health-Apple-Cider-Vinegar/dp/B004JBRVAI/” target=”_blank”]Organic Apple Cider Vinegar[/url]
Instructions
  1. Place the herbs in a large sterile jar and top with the cider vinegar.
  2. Cover tightly and leave in a cupboard for six weeks, till it’s well infused
  3. Strain off the herbs and garlic and use the vinegar as needed.

 

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Raw Caramel Slice


Rawfood, Caramel Slice
I’m super excited to welcome Charlotte as an author on Keeper of the Kitchen. I met Charlotte in Perth, Australia, and I’ve always been so inspired by her adventures in raw food preparation. She makes it look so good, and I’m really chuffed that she’s agreed to share her recipes with us!

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This is a raw, dairy free, vegan (if not using honey!), gluten free caramel slice alternative. I say alternative but for me there is no question which one I would rather eat. This still has high calories like a regular caramel slice but they aren’t empty calories. With nuts, coconut oil and raw cacao powder full of healthy vitamins and minerals there is no reason not to eat this delicious slice. I like to cut it up into little squares and freeze it, perfect for that 3pm sweet craving or to have ready for unexpected guests.

I make it in the Thermomix, but you can make it in any high powered blender.

Raw Caramel Slice
Recipe Type: Desert, Sweets, Raw
Cuisine: Raw
Author: Charlotte F
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 15
Just to taunt you for now – recipe will be up shortly – is this raw, dairy free, vegan (if not using honey!), gluten free caramel slice alternative.
Ingredients
  • [u]Base[/u]
  • ½ cup Medjool dates
  • 1 cup almonds
  • ½ cup cashews
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence[br]
  • [u]Caramel[/u]
  • ½ cup tahini
  • ½ cup maple syrup or raw honey
  • ¼ cup coconut oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • Large pinch Himalayan salt[br]
  • [u]Chocolate topping[/u]
  • 3 tbsp raw cacao
  • 1 tsp carob powder
  • 3-4 tbsp coconut sugar, rapadura sugar or agave syrup
  • ½ cup coconut oil
Instructions
  1. Grind pitted dates and nuts in blender. Add vanilla & blend until it’s sticky. If it’s not becoming sticky add an extra date.
  2. With a spatula or back of a spoon press mixture into a rectangular dish greased in coconut oil.
  3. Blend caramel ingredients together and pour over biscuit base and set in the freezer for 20 minutes.
  4. While the slice is setting, for the chocolate topping blend coconut oil and all other ingredients. The heat from the blender usually melts the coconut oil if it is solid.
  5. Then pour chocolate topping over slice and place back in freezer to set again.
  6. With a warm knife, cut into small squares to serve.