Snickers sea salt truffles

22. December 2016
by troutandhawk
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Sweets

The idea for this sweet began with some serious Snickers cravings and the discovery of red and purple confectioners foils. Dark chocolate, peanuts and caramel – sounds easy enough!

Snickers sea salt truffles
(yields 20 truffles)

150g high quality dark  chocolate,65 to 80% cocoa
100g peanuts
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon coconut oil
sea salt flakes 

  1. Melt the chocolate in a bowl in a hot water bath.
  2. Spoon a little of the melted chocolate into every confectioners foil and gently turn each of them so that the chocolate covers the sides of the foil as well. Place them in the fridge or freezer. (You should have at least half of the chocolate left, for covering!)
  3. Chop the peanuts roughly; it’s perfect to have both small and bigger pieces. 
  4. Roast them in a small pan.
  5. Take out a third or half of the roasted peanuts and let them cool already.
  6. Add the sugar and coconut oil into the pan with the other peanuts, and on a low heat, stir continuously until the sugar melts, and caramelises your peanuts. Let them cool while you proceed with the next step.
  7. Take the little chocolate bowls out of the fridge or freezer and half fill them with dry roasted peanuts. Then put the caramelized peanuts on top (they go solid when cooling down, but don’t panic: you can chop them again if they turned into a massive caramel block)
  8. Lastly, cover the little bowls with melted chocolate again. Put them into the fridge for a few minutes, then you can add sea salt sprinkles (without them sinking). Then leave them in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. 

 

melted chocolate in a bain marie snickers trufflessnickers trufflessnickers truffles

mango + almond mousse topped with caramelized cranberries

15. December 2016
by troutandhawk
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Sweets

Surprisingly the mixture of mango and almond puree creates an entirely new flavour. You almost can’t recognize the two components. It’s neither fruity nor nutty. Instead it tastes well balanced, gentle and fresh with a hint of amaretto.

mango + almond mousse

1 ripe mango
3 tablespoons organic raw almond puree
Blend both ingredients and refrigerate.

caramelized cranberries

150g fresh cranberries 
4 tablespoons brown sugar
In a  nonstick pan melt sugar on low heat until it starts to caramelize. Add the cranberries and cook, stirring every few minutes, until they begin to pop, turn soft and coated with caramel , about 10 minutes.  
Remove from heat and let cool down.

 

caramelized cranberries cranberries

 

stewed prunes with citrus + a walnut flavoured semifreddo

1. December 2016
by troutandhawk
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Sweets

For those times when you need a dessert, but might not have the time or nerves to make something from scratch.

walnut flavoured semifreddo

1 l vanilla ice cream
250g whipped cream
3-5 tablespoons walnut liquor (here’s David Lebovitz’s homemade version)

Buy vanilla ice cream in a shop. Yes, that’s your main ingredient! I used I goat milk ice cream. Other vanilla ice creams will do as well.  Mixed with whipped cream and walnut liquor it will go back to the freezer until it’s solid again. Using proper ice cream as your base will prevent you ending up with a brick. 

 stewed prunes with citrus
(recipe by Molly Wizenberg, A Homemade Life)

1 small organic orange or 1/2 small organic orange and 1/2 organic lemon
500g best quality pitted prunes
1 cinnamon stick

Cut the cinnamon in half from stem to tip, and then slice it very thinly, peel and all. Put the orange slices in a medium saucepan with the prunes and the cinnamon stick, and add water just to cover. Place over medium heat.
Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, adjusting the heat as needed so the liquid barely trembles, for 30-45 minutes until the prunes are tender, the orange slices are soft and glassy, and the liquid is slightly syrupy.Remove the cinnamon stick, cool slightly and serve.

Stewed prunes improve with rest, so it’s a good idea to make them in advance. You can store them in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week.

 

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golden milk smoothie to-go

24. November 2016
by troutandhawk
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Breakfast / Drinks / Snacks

Do you remember my post about the many benefits of ayurvedic golden milk? Well, this is a light and vegan version of it. 
Curcumin, the active agent in turmeric is packed with anti-inflammatories and antioxidants.  It has been proven to fight free radicals, to rejuvenate the cells, cleanse the liver, protect the heart, boost moods and support the brain.

golden milk smoothie to-go

250ml almond or hazelnut milk
1 banana
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon chia seeds

Mix all ingredients in your blender until creamy. 

(photo by Casey Ho)

haddock marinated with lime, ginger, honey and spring onions

17. November 2016
by troutandhawk
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Dinner / Lunch

haddock marinated with lime, ginger, honey and spring onions

4 haddock filets or any firm white fish
1 tablespoon coconut oil
a handful shiitake mushrooms
100ml cream
salt and pepper
a handful fresh  cilantro leaves, chopped

for the marinade:
2 limes, squeezed
a generous piece of raw ginger, grated
2 teaspoons honey 
1 red or green chili pepper, finely chopped
3 spring onions, chopped

Combine the ingredients for the marinade. Put the haddock into a dish and rub the marinade all over the fish. Let it rest for 2-3 hours. 

Heat  the coconut oil in a saucepan and stir-fry the shiitake mushrooms. Remove the haddock from the marinade. Pour the marinade over the shiitake, season with salt and pepper and  cook until the liquid has thickened. Add the cream and stir to combine.  Add the haddock filets and let them simmer until cooked. Before serving sprinkle generously with fresh cilantro leaves. 

 

marinated haddock

 

3 ingredients raw apple sauce

10. November 2016
by troutandhawk
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Breakfast / Sweets

This might be the fastest and easiest way to make a yummy apple sauce. Tastes like the real thing just fresher. It just takes a 1 : 1 apple to date ratio and a generous pinch of vanilla. Cinnamon is optional, but I love the flavour as it gets colder.

3 ingredients raw apple sauce
(yields 2-3 servings)

3 apples
3 medjool dates, pitted
a pinch of vanilla

To help it blend, put a little bit of water in.

 

raw apple sauceraw apple sauce

 

prawn and lettuce rice paper rolls

3. November 2016
by troutandhawk
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Lunch / Salads / Snacks

prawn and lettuce rice paper rolls
(inspired by Donna Hay)

200g prawns
2 spring onions, chopped
a few leaves of lettuce and arugula
1 carrot, shaved
a few coriander, mint and basil leaves
lemon, salt and pepper

Top softened rice paper rounds with fried prawns, leaves of lettuce and arugula, chopped spring onions, carrot shavings and fresh herbs. Sprinkle with lemon, add salt and pepper to your liking. Fold over the ends and roll to enclose.

 

pumpkin soup with a Bali memory

27. October 2016
by troutandhawk
comment 1
Soups

Back in Bali, I tasted a soup (which wasn’t even Balinese, as I found out later!) and it had an unusual flavour combination: essentially it was a savory banana soup.

I tried the original recipe and failed badly, but I found a shortcut to a similar taste. The secret lies in a creamy butternut squash and coconut soup, which is the perfect base for a tiny bit of fresh banana.

 

pumpkin and banana souppumpkin and banana soup

 

pumpkin soup with a Bali memory

1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 shallots, thinly diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 chili pepper (or more for heat)
1 small butternut squash
a pinch of sea salt and black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
400ml light coconut milk
500ml vegetable broth
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 ripe banana

Heat a large pot over medium heat.
Once hot, add oil, shallots and garlic. Sauté for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add butternut squash and season with salt and pepper, curry powder and ground cinnamon. Stir to coat, then cover and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add coconut milk and vegetable broth.
Bring to a low boil over medium heat and then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until butternut squash is fork tender. Add maple syrup and the ripe banana.
Blend until creamy and smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Top with roasted pumpkin seeds.

pumpkin and banana soup

 

vegan pull-apart cake

20. October 2016
by troutandhawk
comments 2
Breakfast / Cakes + Cookies / Sweets

It feels as if this summer has gone much too quickly. The warm and sunny mornings, the lazy afternoons under the big umbrella in the garden . Cappuccinos and sweet extravaganzas prepared by my oldest daughter Viktoria who always brings something new and fancy into our “test kitchen”.

 

pull apart cake

pull-apart cake

for the dough:
150g flour
100g freshly ground spelt flour
150ml almond milk (lukewarm)
1/2 sachet dry yeast (= about 2 teaspoons)
2 teaspoons sugar
1 pinch of salt
1 teaspoon coconut oil (melted in the lukewarm almond milk)
a pinch of ground nutmeg

for the filling:
80g coconut oil
2 tablespoons sugar (I take muscobado)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
a pinch of vanilla powder
the seeds of 3-4 cardamom pods

In a large mixing bowl combine flour, spelt flour, yeast, sugar, salt and the grated nutmeg. Add the lukewarm almond milk/ coconut mixture and stir in. Knead with your hands until the dough comes together. Cover with a towel for at least 20 minutes.

Prepare the filling and preheat the oven to 180°C.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead again until smooth and elastic. Flatten the dough with a rolling pin and cut it in long strips the width of your baking dish. Spread the filling evenly onto the dough. Fold the dough like an accordion into the dish.

Bake for 45 minutes at 180°C.

 

Viktoria

stuffed aubergine rolls

13. October 2016
by troutandhawk
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Dinner / Lunch

stuffed aubergine rolls

2 large aubergines
2 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt

 
for the tomato sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
400g canned or bottled tomatoes
2 or 3 fresh tomatoes , chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

for the filling:
200g couscous (millet or quinoa also works well)
1 clove garlic
4 tablespoons grated parmesan, plus extra for serving
30g pine nuts, plus extra for serving
2 tablespoons pickled capers, drained and chopped
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 eggs
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

a handful of basil leaves to decorate

For the tomato sauce heat the oil in a saucepan, add garlic and sauté for a moment. Add the puréed tomatoes, the fresh tomatoes, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 20-30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Slice the aubergines lengthwise into thin slices. Brush them slightly with olive oil on both sides. Sprinkle with sea salt and roast them in the oven until soft and browned, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile cook the couscous. Cover and set aside.

Place the couscous in a mixing bowl. Add all the filling ingredients, except the eggs. Mix well. Add the eggs and combine.
Place the grilled aubergines in front of you with the larger end towards you.
Add a couple of spoonfuls of the filling and roll upwards. Place the rolls on a baking dish in lines, ends down.
Pour the tomato sauce over and bake for 15-20 minutes (oven 200°C).

Remove from the oven and sprinkle with grated parmesan, pine nuts and basil leaves.

(inspired by Green Kitchen Travels)

 

stuffed aubergines