Recipes

Spelt Oregano Crackers

| Liz Thomas

Go simple, easy and natural. This easy, very loose “recipe” will alleviate the salt-max-out that usually accompanies already salty cheese. And if you have chosen one lovely cheese, instead of 5 factory plastics, then you will highlight its unique characteristics instead of having a salt sandwich!
Rough instructions for cracker bread: to about a cup of spelt or another yummy whole organic flour, add some seeds like nigella, sesame, linseed, poppy etc say 2-3 tablespoons, large handful of oregano leaves (or other herb), good teaspoon of chilli salt or some other mineral rich salt, 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, and slosh of water. Keep adding small amounts of water and oil until it comes together. I refrigerated for an hour but that because I was going out! Otherwise roll it out to 2-3mm thickness and bake at 200 degrees Celsius for approx. 20mins. Keep an eye on it though. Delicious and very impressive for you party this silly season. mmmmmmm
Thanks to my fellow foodie friend Jan for the inspiration.

Namaste
Liz

/home/wpcom/public_html/wp-content/blogs.dir/9ce/71447122/files/2014/12/img_5541.jpg

Camembert/Brie Potato Pie

| Liz Thomas

The last time I ate this I was 16 years old and eating at a relative of my boyfriends “relos” house. He always hated it when we had to go, I on the other hand loved it. His relatives were of Italian heritage and they, along with the wealth of multicultural friends I had during highschool, taught me how to eat well! I remember this dish vividly although I did not ask for the recipe, it was so delicious as was my first taste of Frangelico I was offered after dinner. I will always be grateful for such experiences.

This is a wonderful dish that is easy to prepare ahead of time, refrigerate and pop in the oven when required, perfect for dinner parties as a side dish or served with a crisp salad for lunch on a cool day. Here is my interpretation of a long-held memory tweaked with the experience of a few years in between. Honey and cheese are a match made in heaven that I first tried in a french restaurant on toast! Sounds weird tastes amazing 🙂

Camembert/Brie Potato Pie

Camembert/Brie Potato Pie

Ingredients

1                          wheel of brie or camembert cut into eight wedges

500g                   peeled potatoes

2                          garlic cloves squashed against the chopping board

60 g                    butter

splash  milk

1/4 cup              grated cheese

1 tablespoon    fresh thyme leaves

1 onion               sliced finely

1                           teaspoon honey

extra oil

camembert/brie potato pie

Method

  1. Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees C.
  2. Boil potatoes and garlic  in salted water for 10 mins or until soft.
  3. Whilst cooking potatoes prepare onion, thyme and 20 g of the butter ready for cooking in a small saucepan.camembert/brie potato pie
  4. Drain potatoes, remove garlic skin and garlic if desired.
  5. Mash potato with milk and remaining butter.
  6. Cover the base and sides of 20cm dish with mash potato,
  7. Place brie wedges on top,  spoon the rest of the mash around the wedges pushing potato between the spaces.
  8. Leave the top rough sprinkle with cheese. Bake for approx 30mins until the cheese has browned on top.
  9. Whilst baking slowly cook onions in the saucepan with the thyme leaves butter and some extra oil is required.
  10. Turn up the heat on the onions when the pie is ready. To frizzle them, cook on high till brown. Add the honey at the last moment stirring off the heat. Pour over the pie.
  11. Garnish with thyme leaves and flowers if you have them.

IMG_5389

Enjoy! Namaste Liz 🙂

 

Red Meat and Bitter greens

| Liz Thomas

Lean beef is a wonderful source of protein but so is kangaroo, lamb or goat. All of which would work perfectly with this salad. The yoga approach to meat consumption (we are not all vegetarians) is to eat small amounts of meat compared to our vegetable content on our plates. I eat red meat for iron and it makes me feel good. Of course its your yoga and you must do what is right for your body and philosophy.
Try growing your own bitter greens in the garden or in a pot on the balcony. The fresher you can get your greens the more nutrients they have, and the crunchier the salad.

IMG_0833.JPGIngredients
Marinade
1/2 brown onion
3 bay leaves
1-3 cloves garlic smashed
1 glass of red wine
6 peppercorns
2 tablespoons olive oil

1 eye fillet, kangaroo fillet/rump, lamb/goat backstrap marinated for at least 4hrs or overnight is preferable.
Enough Bitter greens or Mixed leaf salad to cover your platter abundantly: try using lots of colours and shapes for nutrient and visual variety eg. chickory, raddichio, sorrel, rocket (agrulia)
10 large basil leaves finely sliced
Balsamic vinegar, the best you can afford
Olive Oil

Method

1. Barbecue or pan fry meat till medium rare to rare. and crusty on the outside.
2. While its cooking dress leaves lightly with a little salt, vinegar and oil.
3. Rest meat for 10mins covered.
4. Slice meat finely and arrange over the leaves.
5. Pour juices over meat, a little drizzle more of balsamic and olive oil, salt, pepper and sprinkle with basil.

IMG_0784.JPG

 

Roasted Capsicum(Red Pepper), Potato and Artichoke Salad

| Liz Thomas

This a whole meal right here healthy eaters. Eggs have an excellent nutrient profile, a complete food. I recommend you include eggs in your diet and source them as close to home as possible. With backyard growers and local free range farmers, healthy eggs have never been more accessible and the taste!

IMG_0785.JPG

Ingredients

700g steamed potatoes, peeled or skins left on for nutrient density
1-2 Sliced Roasted Red capsicum: Cut into 4, blacken the skins under the griller, place in a paper bag till cool enough to handle and peel off the skin
1 400g can artichoke hearts, or 6 marinated hearts from the delicatessen. Cut in half or quarters depending on size.
6 soft boiled eggs: bring eggs to the boil in a small pot, simmer for 2-3 minutes, refresh under cold water, cool, peel, halve
1 lemon zest and juice
olive oil
finely chopped parsley
S & P

Method

1. Cook potatoes till soft, stir though zest and parsley with a drizzle of oil. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Arrange all ingredients on a platter, squeeze juice over, particularly the cut surface of artichokes to prevent browning.
3. Scatter a little parsley
3. Lovely served still slightly warm.

 

IMG_0802-0.JPG

Rosewater Spiced Rice Pudding

| Liz Thomas

A special treat on a stormy south coast day and an excellent way to use up some excess milk. This will stick to your ribs and warm the cockles of your heart (whatever that means). It smells divine and as you will see doesn’t need a lot of sweet additives to be delicious.
Rosewater Spiced Rice Pudding

Serves 4-6
Ingredients

Pudding
1 1/2 cups Aborio or shortgrain rice
3 cups milk
1 scraped vanilla pod or few drops of essense
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamon
1/4 ntmeg grated or half teaspoon ground
1 broken cinnamon/cassia stick or 1/2 teaspoon grond
1/4 cup rosewater
2 tablespoons Honey

Garnish
1/4 cup chopped pistachio
Lavender flowers or rose petals

Method

1. Simmer, as gently as possible, all pudding ingredients for 15mins till rice is cooked and milk absorbed. Keep an eye on it so it doesnt boil over or burn on the bottom, stir occassionally.
2. Remove cinnamon stick and vanilla pod, garnish with nuts and flowers serve immediately in summer and warm in winter.

IMG_0898.JPG
Namaste Liz

Fennel and Apple Salad

| Liz Thomas

A refreshing salad treat, ideal with fish.
This is the easiest recipe without doubt. If you have a mandolin it takes about a minute to prepare. I don’t really recommend making this more than a couple of hours ahead because both the fennel and apple will brown after a day even with the lemon juice on it.

IMG_0786.JPG

Ingredients
Fennel with its tops
Sweet apple like a pink lady
lemon juice
option parmesan cheese
Method
Finely slice fennel bulb and apple
dress with lemon juice and sprinkle the finer fronds from the fennel tops over the top
Option grate parmesan cheese with a potato peeler and sprinkle on top
eat

IMG_0802-0

 

Quinoa Tabouli made gluten free and turned superfood

| Liz Thomas

In Australia, we may have got our taste for tabouli from the late night kebab shop after a night on the tiles, but its favour endures way past our extended adolescence.
The trick is to do all the chopping and then fridge it till your ready to eat and dress at the last minute.
This is a beautiful salad to eat with falafel (chickpea fritters) or grilled fish and meats, maybe with a little tahini sauce. Its so good for you with all the parsley and mint but the quinoa pumps up the nutrients with its complete amino acid profile.
Play around with the ingredient ratios, they are approximate and made to my taste. Enjoy getting it right for you.

Quinoa TabouliIMG_0801-0.JPG

Ingredients

2 cups finely chopped parsley
1 cup finely chopped mint
1 cup spring onions finely sliced
1 cup tomatoes, seeds removed and finely diced
1 cup cooked quinoa, you cook it like rice with the absorption method. Boil two cups of water,add thrice rinsed quinoa, simmer on low for 10mins ,rinse again under cold water.Drain.Makes more than you need for this recipe, use leftovers in soup, patties or as a as rice substitute.
S&P
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
Drizzle of Olive oil and juice of half a lemon juice
Method

Combine and serve!

Make a tahini sauce for spooning over meat/falafel by mixing 1 tablespoon of lemon juice with one teaspoon of tahini in a small bowl with the back of a spoon, add salt and grated garlic if you wish. Thin with a few drops of water to your liking. mmmmmm
And before you ask can Yogis eat meat? Yes they can! Vegetarianism is a personal choice.
Namaste Liz

Don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the rest of the recipes! Look in the top right corner.

IMG_0802.JPG

 

 

Middle eastern Rice & Lentils- with optional lamb or goat

| Liz Thomas

The spices in this dish are the heroes. Dont skimp and try to freshly grind them if you can.
Great for using up leftover roast meat or utilising mince. This feeds alot of people, double the ingredients and easily feed a party.

From a yoga perspective it has more vegetable content than meat so it is quite balanced. However it will be really yummy without the meat!

IMG_0845.JPGIngredients

300g       lamb/goat mince or chopped left-over roast
1-2cups  white (I use basmati for its higher GI) rice
400g       cooked lentils, canned or simmer dry brown or french lentils with garlic, half an onion and cinnamon stick for 10-15 mins till tender

3                red or brown onions caramelised: slice and fry in olive oil or butter and 1-2 tablespoons of butter for 1/2 hour on medium, add 1 teaspoon of brown sugar/honey and 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and fry for 10 mins till reduced.
1                clove garlic
1/4 cup   chopped, roasted almonds and/or cashews
1-2 cups  stock
1 teaspoon each cinnamon, allspice, and cumin
S & P

Method

1. If using mince fry in olive oil till brown and finely broken up
2. Add garlic and spices fry for 1-2 mins
3. Stir in rice and fry for 2 mins
4. Add stock, cook covered on low heat for 10-15 mins and rice is tender.
5. Add onions, lentils, nuts, S & P. Stir well.
6. Garnish with parsley and/or coriander.

Namaste Liz

Yummiest Raw Muesli x 2 Cherry Choc & Mango Pistachio

| Liz Thomas

IMG_0796.JPG

70% Oats: whole rolled oats is cheap and yummy, not mention a superfood, in fact this recipe is all super-foods!
10% Raw Nuts: Pistachio, macadamias, almonds, cashews
1% Chia seeds
9% Dried Coconut, flaked or shredded
10 %Dried Fruit: Sultanas, chopped mango, currants, cherries
2-3 tablespoons Cinnamon or Raw Cacao/Coco powder

The fun of making muesli is that there are no rules however I have found that these combos work really well. All my airbnb guest love em too. I have had requests for the recipe so here are two.

Combine the above ingredients in roughly the described quantities in a very large jar and shake.

IMG_0798.JPG

For a Cherry Ripe flavour profile dominate with dried Cherries and Cacao.
For a Tropical Treat use plenty of mango and pistachio.
ITS THAT EASY!

You can just eat it with milk, but, there is an art to eating raw muesli that minimises the feeling that you may need to chew all morning. Just pour boiling water over your muesli and let stand for about 10mins, it will soak up the water and soften the ingredients, helping with digestion and chewability.
I stir through some plain, unsweetened yoghurt. I find that its sweet enough for me with all the dried fruit, but you may wish to add fresh fruit or a drizzle of honey.

 

 

 

IMG_0797-0.JPG

Namaste and Bright Blessings Liz