Blueberry Flapjacks

A heart healthy sweet treat to celebrate love week.

Ingredients:

• 12 tablespoons (15ml x 12) chickpea flour
• 10 tablespoons (15ml x 10) potato starch
• 1 tablespoon (15ml x 1) vegan rice protein powder
• 1 teaspoon (5ml x 1) ground cinnamon
• 1.5 - 2 cups (375 - 500ml) filtered water
• 2 handfuls of blueberries
• 1 teaspoon (5ml) oil
• your favourite jam
• double thick cream (optional)

Method:

1. Sift the dry ingredients together.
2. Whisk in 375ml of water till batter is lump free. Add more water a little at a time if a thinner batter is required.
3. Stir through the blueberries.
4. Use a non-stick crepe pan, lightly oiled, to make the flapjacks. Flip when bubbling.
5. Spread with yummy sweet jam and add some double thick cream for decadence.
6. Bon appetit!

And to my bu: you make every day of the year love day! :)

Fragrant Jasmine Rice with Pumpkin, Peas and Arugula

A quick (from start to finish in 20 minutes if you use pre-sliced/frozen vegetables) and tasty meal with a nice mix of flavours that compliment rather than clash. You would not believe it doesn't have butter in it, as the pumpkin lends such a rich and buttery flavour to the dish (so it's healthy too).

• 2 cups of jasmine rice
• 500 grams of diced pumpkin
• 250 grams of frozen green peas
• 40 grams of fresh rocket/arugula
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 3 teaspoons of olive oil
• 1 large green chilli (optional)

1. Cook the rice in salted water according to the instructions on the packet, which is usually approximately 20 minutes. Boil the pumpkin in the same water. If the pumpkin chunks are small enough, they'll be cooked within this time.
2. About 7 minutes before the cooking time for the rice is up, add the green peas.
3. At the end of the cooking time, drain any remaining liquid. Stir through the rocket/arugula and the olive oil. As you do this, the pumpkin pieces will break up and become mushy, adding a lovely butteryness to the dish.
4. If you prefer an extra zing to your dish, use a kitchen scissors to finely slice in a large green chilli. If not, garnish with something mild like a herb of your choice or cherry tomatoes.
5. Serves 4 - 6 people.

Crunchy Salad

I love finding new ingredients while grocery shopping.

Woolworths is now selling fresh julienned beetroot in small bags in the fresh vegetable fridge.

Beets are one of those maligned vegetables, hated by many due to their association with the bottled pickled variety. But fresh beetroot sliced thinly makes a crunchy, sweet and colourful addition to any salad.

J's Crunchy Salad
Serves two as a main salad or four as a side salad

• 2 x 40g bags of rocket (arugula)
• 1 bag of julienned fresh beetroot (approx. 4 small beets)
• 240g tinned chickpeas (drained)
• 75g raw pistachios (shelled)
• olive oil
• salt

Toss together, dress lightly with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Enjoy.

Carrot and Apple Cake

In addition to gluten-free, I've been baking egg-free and dairy-free of late as well. This recipe is a great place to start if you're baking for someone who has multiple allergies or problems with cholesterol.

I concocted the recipe using my Mom's gluten-free, egg-free banana bread recipe as a starting point, and playing around with egg and butter substitution.

My Mom generally substitutes half a large mashed banana per large egg in a recipe for sweet baking.

For sweet or savoury baking, I've begun substituting 1 tablespoon of whole flax seeds and 4 tablespoons of water per large egg in recipes.

You can also use chia seeds in the same proportions without needing to grind them first. They have the benefit of being milder tasting than flax seeds as well.

Egg-free doesn't have to be scary. Have fun with it.

Click image to enlarge

Click image to enlarge

The Energy to Thrive

Life begets life.  Energy begets energy.  

It is by spending oneself that one becomes rich.

-  Sarah Bernhardt -

Energy highs and lows are the norm for humans.

But for those people operating with autoimmune diseases, it can feel as if the dial is constantly turned to low.

Prior to my celiac diagnosis, energy was a difficult thing to muster. Most afternoons were spent sleeping for hours at a time, with intense headaches, stomach and joint pains, numbed by some form of painkiller. Exercise was an intense chore which left me feeling more broken rather than more energy-filled. 

Cutting out the foods I was allergic to was like an energy awakening. Suddenly, exercise became something to look forward to (imagine that!)

I read a book recently which made a big impact. 

It was one of those impulse airport bookshop grabs just prior to a flight that you can't imagine never having read. It's called: Born to Run by Christopher McDougall.

Filled with epic adventure and pure inspiration, the book brings across the thrill of rediscovering what it should be like for every human who has the physical capacity for movement to run (and actually enjoy it...injury free). Minimalist running or barefoot running is another strong topic of debate in the book, which for anyone who has ever had an injury caused by running is something which might peak your interest. 

Inspired by the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico's Copper Canyons, whose culture is built around running long distances in remote locations wearing leather sandals, the book also delves into the scientific aspects of running and running shoes. For instance, have all the advances in running shoe technology really led to injury-free running? For many people with expensive running shoes that control pronation, give arch support and have enough cushioning for your heel striking gait to feel like you're running on clouds (but who still sit with shin splints or foot fractures), the answer is a resounding: "NO!"

I've been pondering this for a few months now, using myself as a guinea pig of sorts. Over the years of starting and stopping running, most often due to shin or knee complaints; upping the weekly mileage has mostly been in new running shoes.  You know, the ones you pay a whole lot of money for to prevent those injuries.

Well, for the past couple of months or so of running, I've been using old running shoes. The ones you're supposed to retire on the advice of running magazines because their cushioning isn't so great anymore, and the support has worn down. You know, the ones that are now supposed to be causing you injuries.

The verdict?

Not a knee or shin complaint in sight.

The premise of minimalist running is simple.

Take away the running shoes designed to alter your foot's natural way of hitting the ground during motion, bring back the feedback your foot should be getting from the ground which allows you to land more carefully, and what you get is a stronger foot and an adapted natural shock absorption system (i.e. your legs) that eventually self-corrects posture and alignment, allowing you to run injury free.

The way a child would run barefoot across a field out of sheer joy.

It's an interesting premise, I think.

So buoyed by months of running happily in old shoes, and a sale on at the Cape Union Mart, Simeon and I came home yesterday excitedly clutching our Merrell barefoot collection shoes.

Now before you scoff, since barefoot running should indeed be free and shoeless, would you relish your foot being cut up by a rusty aluminium can or smeared in dog poop? Me neither.

Thus, barefoot shoes a la Vibram five fingers or the like.

Notice the differences in design from a regular running shoe in terms of slope and cushioning?

Merrell Women's Barefoot Collection: Pace Glove in Dark Shadow

Merrell Men's Barefoot Collection: Trail Glove in Black/Molten Lava

Donning our shoes for the first time, we set out on our evening run marvelling at how much of the ground we suddenly felt and how differently our feet were landing to adjust to that fact. It was the first time while running through the veld that I didn't almost twist my ankle, and I realised it was because I was stepping more carefully over the rocky paths because I could feel the ground! 

Another interesting fact is how much lighter the shoes are versus regular running shoes. Your feet literally feel less heavy to pick up.

Are we hooked?

Definitely!

We'll be interspersing the use of these shoes with our old running shoes, allowing our feet/calves/legs/posture time to adapt gracefully to the landing modifications required. For as Benjamin Franklin said: Energy and persistance alter all things.

To read more about minimalist running online, I recommend the following Running Times article as a starting point: Much ado about minimalism

And in closing, for those of your who have ever not felt quite right after eating a meal (or, let's face it, just felt anywhere close to crappy for days on end after eating certain foods), please do your self a favour and get tested for allergies. Your life will thank you!

Ina Garten's NY Apartment

Happy 2012!

I've been watching episodes of the Barefoot Contessa on YouTube (user "Mr Melodifestivalen" has quite the stash), chuckling at Ina Garten's overuse of catch phrases: 'Use good [insert ingredient]'; 'How easy is that?' (which has apparently been trademarked), etc. and rolling my eyes at the East-Hampton smarminess which inevitably oozes through in some episodes.

Photo: Food Network Humour

Watching Ina interact with her numerous friends at dinner parties, beach grills, and so forth; one really picks up on her inherently controlling nature in the way she orders people around at parties, controls the conversation, tells people what to do/buy, etc. Whether this is a product of editing; an on-screen persona or the true Ina is hard to tell. However, personally, I find these somewhat irritating traits forgivable due to her jovial character (almost always clothed in shents [shirt-tents]) which doesn't come across as overly critical at the best of times.

Juxtapose that with Martha Stewart, the ultimate control-freak and perfectionist who, in my opinion, while being undoubtedly magnificently successful as well, does not posses Ina Garten's on-screen charm; ability to laugh easily (albeit nervously), or warmth of character. I found it interesting to note that, according to the article on Wikipedia, Ina Garten was mentored by Martha Stewart. Hmmm.

And then there's Jeffrey Garten, Ina's puppy-dog-like husband. This man is immensely successful in the business world, which must require the tenaciousness of a bulldog with all the right connections, and yet is content to be portrayed as a soft-hearted slightly dim-witted character in Ina's productions. I have wondered whether his business colleagues watch him onscreen (assuming the upper echelon business types in the US would watch an episode of the Barefoot Contessa starring Jeffrey) and think to themselves: WTF? Regardless, whether his on-screen time portrays anything close to his real-life character or not, it must be love, right.

Photo: Food Network Humour

But whatevs. Her shows are fun to watch for all the things that make them cringe-worthy, with each episode containing enough butter in every cake recipe to stop the heart of an ox (although, nobody rivals Paula Deen on the butter front), as well as the voyeuristic ability to check out the house/garden/beaches/stores of the richer contingent of American society.

Photo: Food Network Humour

Speaking of how the other third lives, I found an article on Ina Garten's New York pad over at HouseBeautiful. Who wouldn't love to walk into a house, see a window and tell the realtor: I'll take it. My goodness, it must be fun to be that rich :-)

Photo: HouseBeautiful

Love the photo/painting above the fireplace. It's so striking.

Photo: HouseBeautiful

 Great pumpkin-coloured tablecloth.

Photo: HouseBeautiful

A window above the sink overlooking the city must be a cool thing to have.

Photo: HouseBeautiful

Photo: HouseBeautiful

Photo: HouseBeautiful

For the full set of photos, and a Q&A with Ina, head over to HouseBeautiful.

Have you seen the Gingerbread Man?

A few months ago, I came across an interesting hobby which harkens back to earlier years, where pen pals found through the Garfield monthly magazine were the norm (as was waiting weeks for a reply to any correspondence).

The fun of collecting stationery, and receiving interesting letters/postcards from around the world has surprised me. And I find it funny how hand written correspondence has become an oddity in today's world of instant messaging.

Every now and then, you come across a particularly fun project.

Take for instance this class postcard project:

Mrs Schindler's Kindergarten Class have a Gingerbread Man in their classroom. They will read stories about him, until one day he will disappear and they will discover he has run away (like in the story). The class will make a plan to get him back and try to solve the mystery of where he went.

They need people to send postcards from around the world to report sightings of their missing friend. They will map each postcard and track his journey.

If you'd like to join in the fun of Jinjee spotting, send a postcard to the address below keeping the following points in mind:

• Begin each postcard with "Dear Madison".
• Say that you were doing something ordinary when you spotted the Gingerbread Man.
• Report that you tried to stop him, but he turned and shouted "Run, run, as fast as you can. you can't catch me I'm the Gingerbread Man!"
• Mail them to:

        Mrs. Schindler's Kindergarten Class

      Nottingham Country Elementary

      20500 Kingsland Blvd

      Katy, TX 77450
      USA

Here's the one I'm sending. Don't you just love the stamps? I bought them at the Brooklyn Post Office. They ask interesting questions regarding facts (most are about South African history), and then the person who receives the postcard gets to scratch the gold ink off to see the answer (like a lotto card). How clever!

Speaking of Gingerbread Men, here's a link to a gluten-free, corn-free, egg-free gingerbread recipe:

GF Jinjee Biscuits

P.S. If you're interested in doing some writing, Postcrossing is a fun place to start, as you are guaranteed to get replies from all over the world (and writing postcards is quick and fun, as is shopping for them [or even designing your own on zazzle.com]).

Gluten/Dairy/Egg/Corn-free Fruit Crumble

Perfect for when you're craving a little afternoon sweet treat to accompany your tea, this gluten/dairy/egg/corn-free fruity crumble wont disappoint.

Single Serving Fruit Crumble

• 1 sweet apple
• 1 sweet peach
• 3 tsp rice flour
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp sugar
• cinnamon (optional)
• hazelnuts (optional)

- Cut the apple and peach into bite size pieces, and put them in the bottom of a tiny baking dish. 

- Mix together the rice flour, olive oil and sugar and sprinkle over the top of the fruit.

- Bake until the topping is beginning to brown.

- When it comes out of the oven, sprinkle with cinnamon (optional).

- Use a dry pan to toast some hazlenuts and then sprinkle them over the crumble (optional).

In honour of breast cancer awareness month, Roanne of Ms. Veronica's is hosting a Heart the Boobies auction, all the proceeds of which will go to EmbodiWorks, an organization that educates and empowers people affected by cancer. Please stop by and bid on any items you like, knowing that good will come of any money spent in the auction.

Have a grand week.

Curry Sunset

Curried Brown Rice with

Sweet Potato Purée and

Roasted Green Beans

Rice:

• 1 cup brown rice
• 1 tsp salt crystals
• 1 Tbsp crushed curry leaves
• 1 tsp black mustard seeds
• 0.5 tsp cumin seeds
• 3 - 4 cups of water
• 1 tsp butter (optional)

Method:

• Simmer rice and spices for approximately 40 minutes until all the water has been absorbed.
• Add the butter right at the end and stir through.

Purée:

• 800 grams of sweet potatoes, scrubbed
• 3 large carrots
• 1 apple
• 1 tsp of salt
• 1 tsp of butter or cream (optional)

Method:

• Cut sweet potatoes, carrots and the apple into chunks.
• Pour over boiling water (just enough to cover), add the salt and boil for 20 - 30 minutes until vegetables are tender.

• Drain three-quarters of the water, then use a stick blender to zhoesh the veg all together until the purée is smooth.
• Stir through the teaspoon of butter or cream, and check the seasoning.

Green Beans:

• 700 grams of green beans
• olive oil
• salt

Method:

• Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
• Wrap an oven dish in heavy foil.
• Brush a light coating of olive oil over the bottom of the covered roasting pan.
• Use a scissors to top and tail the green beans, and give them a good rinse.
• Throw the beans in the pan, drizzle them with olive oil and a liberal sprinkling of salt.
• Oven roast for 20 - 30 minutes, until crispy on the outside but tender on the inside.

A sunset the colour of sweet potato peels and carrots, taken by Simeon from the roof of our house on the evening I made this meal.

Sunday Lunch

The Table Setting

The Menu

Starter

Gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free savoury pancake
with butter bean hummus and wild rocket.

• Savoury Pancakes: See this recipe.
• Butter Bean Hummus: 1 tin of butter beans (reserve half of the liquid) zhoeshed in a mini food processor with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, cumin and salt.

Main Course

Baby spinach salad with fried aubergines, grilled tomatoes, 

chickpeas and goat's milk feta; with a side

of carrot-nut stuffed green peppers.

• Salad:
• Wash baby spinach well and mix with goat's milk feta and a can of chickpeas.
• Fry aubergine slices (1 cm rounds) in a little olive oil and salt. Cut up into bite size pieces before adding to the spinach.
• Grill tomato slices (1 cm rounds) in the oven, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper. While still warm, toss tomatoes into the salad (the goat's milk feta will melt deliciously).
• Season to taste.
• Side dish:
• Cut peppers along their natural lines to create little pepper bowls.
• Use a food processor to finely chop a handful of raw cashew nuts, some carrots, wild rocket, salt and olive oil to create the stuffing.

Dessert

Gluten-free, egg-free banana bread served with

fruit salad and double thick cream.

• Mom's Banana Bread:
• 125ml butter
• 125ml sugar
• 4 large or 5 small bananas
• 2 cups gluten-free cake flour (e.g. Nature's Choice)
• 1tsp bicarb
• pinch of salt
• 125ml milk
• Mix ingredients together and bake at 180 degrees Celsius for one hour in a loaf pan, or 30 minutes in a rectangular oven dish.