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Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Eggless Applesauce Cake

It's delicious plain, and a mere dusting of powdered sugar is pretty enough. Made this for a friends tea party. It tastes good with a cup of tea. Adapted from Vegan Applesauce Spice Cake AKA Recession Cake http://delightfulrepast.blogspot.com.au/2011/08/recession-cake-not-quite-depression.html Makes one 10-inch round layer or a loaf pan 1 1/2 cup white flour 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar(use less if preferred) 1 teaspoons baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon allspice/ cinnamon powder 1/4 cup raisins and 1/4 cup walnuts (chop) 1 cups unsweetened applesauce 1/4 cup organic canola oil 1/4 cup milk (optional) 1 teaspoons vanilla ( optional) Preheat oven to 350 deg. Use loaf pan. In large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, soda, salt and spices. Stir in the raisins and walnuts, separating the raisins. Add the applesauce, oil, and vanilla. Mix well. No electric mixer needed. Add the flour mixture and fold in. Add milk if too dry. Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes or until it tests done. Homemade Applesauce recipe- makes 1 1/2 cup Chop 1 large or 2 small sweet apples. Add 1/2 cup water and add apples. Cover and cook till stewed . Blend and use as required. Refrigerate remaining sauce and use within 2 days. Tips Can leave out walnuts, use only raisins Do not over mix batter Use flavorless oil Add 1 tsp vanilla essence for more flavor Homemade applesauce is best as it's low in sugar

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Rice Flour Cake

Recipe source

Serves 9
Brown rice flour can be used in place of all or part of the white rice flour. This is equally good with Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting or Vegan Cocoa Glaze (just make sure to use gluten-free vanilla extract). To make a double layer cake or 9- x 13-inch pan, simply double the recipe.

Ingredients
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup evaporated cane sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons gluten-free vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups white rice flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Method
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat an 8-inch square or round cake pan with olive or canola oil spray. Set aside. Cream butter with sugar in a large bowl until well blended. Add eggs and vanilla, beating with a wire whisk. Add flour and baking powder and continue to beat until well mixed. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until done when tested with a toothpick.

Nutrition
Per serving (1 slice): 230 calories (100 from fat), 12g total fat, 7g saturated fat, 75mg
cholesterol, 70mg sodium, 28g total carbohydrate (1g dietary fiber, 11g sugar), 3g protein

Monday, November 28, 2011

Recipes from Amandea Morningstar’s cookbook – Ayurvedic Cooking

Original post from http://www.balancedyogi.com/blog/2011/07/whole-foods-desserts/

Recipes are kid friendly!
The recipes below are adopted from Amandea Morningstar’s cookbook – Ayurvedic Cooking. They are not really low in sugar but that can be adapted to suit individual tastes.
Happy baking and making!

Key:
t = teaspoon
T = tablespoon
c = cup
K = Kapha
V = Vata
P = Pitta
1 cup = 8oz = 240 mL; 1 Teaspoon = 5 mL; 1 Tablespoon = 15 mL
Gluten Free Scones (Vegan)

Although I use the recipes on www.elenaspantry.com as a guide, her recipes are not vegan. I use 1 tablespoon of ground flax mixed with 2-3 tablespoons of water to replace one egg. Everyone LOVES these!
2 cups bleached almond flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup dried cranberries or cherries
1/4 cup dried apricots chopped finely
1/4 cup pistachios or hazelnuts, walnuts or any other nut; chopped coarsely.
1/4 cup sunflower seed or pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 egg or 1 tablespoon ground flax mixed with 3 Tablespoons of water.
2 tablespoons agave nectar or maple syrup
If the nuts and seeds are raw, toast them lightly. This is very easy in a dry skillet. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Add the dried fruits and nuts. Separately combine the agave and flax (or egg). Mix the wet ingredients into the dry. Form a large ball with the dough. It should stick together but not be too sticky. Add a bit more water if the dough doesn’t form a ball. Form a flat square around 10×10cm and 2 cm thick on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Cut into sixteen squares. Bake 10-12 minutes until sightly brown at the edges.

Sun balls (12 Servings)
Sunflower seeds 120 ml
Toasted sunflower seeds 6 t
Shredded Coconut (not for K) 120 ml
Raisins (not V) 2 1/2 T
Sunflower or almond butter 60 ml
Maple syrup 60 ml; For K, substitute 60ml soaked raisins for the maple syrup.
Almond extract (or vanila) 1 t
Coriander powder or cardamom powder 3/4 t
Blend/grind the seeds
In a bowl, mix together everything into a sticky dough
Form into balls and coat in extra coconut
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Date Balls (12 Servings)
Whole dried pitted dates 240 ml
Water 6 t
Brown Rice syrup 6 t
Vanilla 1 t
Tangerine peel 3 t
Blanched almonds, chopped 12 t
Carob powder or shredded coconut for rolling the balls 12 t
Cardamom (optional) 1 t
Chop the dates finely
Cook the dates, water, peel, syrup, and vanilla for 10 – 15 mins
Add the almonds and cardamom and let cool
Make balls and roll in the sugar/carob
___________________________________________
Apple Pie
Wholemeal Flour of your choice 225 g
Rising agent 5 g
Salt 1/4 t
Ground cinnamon 1 t
Mixed spice (use cloves, cardamom, ginger) 1 t
Raw brown sugar 100 g
Ghee or Butter 100 g
Apples, pealed and chopped 350 g
Egg, beaten 1
Grease and line a 19 cm square cake pan
In a large bowl combine flour, salt, cinnamon, mixed spice, sugar
Rub in Ghee or butter until fine crumbles
Add apples and egg and stir in quickly
Put in baking pan and bake at 190 degrees C for about 40 minutes.
_____________________________________________
Crepes (6 Servings)
Crepes are a healthy and festive treat. These can be filled with sauteed vegetables, a bit of cheese and pesto. My favorite is caramelized onions with spinach and a bit of tomato. Get decadent and add a bit of goat’s cheese! You can make these delicious desserts with a bit of dark chocolate and strawberries, or simply raw sugar and lemon.
Milk (Soy, Almond or Rice) 360 ml
Flour of your choice 150 g Buckwheat is traditionally used.
Pinch of Salt (3/10) t
Arrowroot or Cornstarch 18 ml
Ghee, butter or oil 18 ml
Blend everything and let sit for 1 hour at least
Cook them in a flat pan, use ghee to keep crepes from sticking. Use a spoonful of batter, spread until thin on the pan. When the crepe looks cooked on the edges turn. Place the ingredients onto the crepe and fold the four corners over the ingredients.
___________________________________________
Fruit Crisp (Serves 6)
Berry, Cherry, Peach or Apricot 5 c
Cornstarch or Arrowroot 2.5 T
Lemon Juice 1 T
Brown Sugar 2 T
Brown Sugar 100 gr – this amount can be adjusted based on your taste.
Flour 90 gr – whole wheat, buckwheat, brown rice spelt or rye and be used. The amount of oil/butter may need to increase with drier flours.
Rolled Oats 145 gr
Salt 2.5 ml
Cinnamon 1/2 t
Butter 165 gr or coconut oil for a vegan recipe.
Chop fruit and mix in other fruit-mix things
Put fruit on oiled baking dish
Mix topping ingredients together
Lay over fruit
Bake on 200 degrees C until light brown and crispy
________________________________________
Brown Sugar Walnut Squares (16 squares)

Brown Sugar 1 c
Vanilla 1 t
Egg 1
All-purpose flour 0.5 c
Baking soda 0.25 t
Salt 0.25 t
Coarsely chopped walnuts 1 c
Combine sugar, vanilla, and egg. Stir until smooth and blended. Combine
flour, soda, and salt. Add to sugar mixture; stir until blended. Spoon
into greased and paper lined 8-inch square pan. Bake in 350 degree oven 18
to 20 minutes. (Cookies will be soft in center.) Cool in pan. Remove
from pan, peel off paper, and cut into 16 squares.
_______________________________________________
Generic nut/seed balls (makes about 20 x 50 gr balls)
Seeds and or nuts, ground 600 gr
Syrup or runny honey 400 gr or substitute soaked and chopped raisins, dates or apricots 400 gr
Spices like cardamom, cinnamon, coriander 2 gr
(Tonifying spices like ashwaganda, shatavari) (20) gr
Can add spirulina 20 gr

Fruity Summer Cake Recipe without Egg

An easy and quick cake without egg for warm summer days with peaches and tangerine giving you a sweet and fruity experience.
Preparation Time:
cooking Time:
Total Time:
You need about half an hour more in between, while you are waiting for your cake to get cold.

Ingredients

For the batter:
230 g Wheat Flour
160 g Sugar
250 ml Water
15 g Baking Powder
6 tbsp Sunflower Oil

For the filling:
300 ml Whipped Cream
200 g Quark or thick Yoghurt
300 g Peach, Tangerine or other Fruit
40 g Sugar

How to bake this Cake without Egg

Take a round cake pan and, with a kitchen towel or a brush, apply soft butter or ghee to its sides and bottom so that the cake won’t stick to the cake pan later.
Mix flour, sugar and baking powder in a bowl. Add the water and the oil and mix it to a nice batter which you then fill into your cake pan. This you put into the oven for about 20 minutes and let it bake there with 180 degree Celsius. This will be your cake base. When it is baked, take it out of the oven and let it get cold.
When it has cooled down, you can take it out of the cake pan. Use a spoon or a knife and carve out the middle of the cake. Leave a border of about a centimeter to the sides and to the bottom of the cake. Save the part of the cake that you took out for later.
Cut the peach and the tangerine or whatever fruit you chose into small pieces. Mix this fruit and 20g sugar into the quark. Whip the cream and add the remaining 20g sugar to it. Now mix the quark, fruit and the cream together.
Spread this mixture onto the cake where you caved out space for it. As a last step, crumble the rest of the cake, which you had put aside and sprinkle the crumbles over the cream. You can also gently press them to the cake so that they stay in place.
And there you are: a delicious summer cake with fruit and no egg at all. You can place it into the fridge for a while before serving so that it is nicely cool!

Recipe from here

Palak Kadhi

Preparation Time: 15 min
Cooking Time: 45 min
Total Time: 60 min


Ingredients

500 g Plain Yoghurt
200 g Chickpea Flour
1 ½ l Water
500 g Spinach
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Fenugreek seeds
1/8 tsp Asafetida
1 tsp Mustard seeds
2 tsp Ginger Powder
2 tsp Turmeric
1 Bay Leaf
7 Curry Leaves
Salt and Lemon juice according to taste

How to cook Palak Kadhi

Wash and cut the spinach into small pieces. Now take the chickpea flour and a bit of the water and mix it to a nice paste with your fingers, so that all the flour is fully mixed. There should not be any dry flour anymore.

Now blend the remaining water together with the yoghurt, then add the flour paste and blend it again with a hand-held blender.

Heat up the olive oil in a pot and when the oil is hot, add the fenugreek, asafetida, mustard, ginger powder, turmeric and in the end the bay leaf as well as the curry leaves. Shortly fry those spices and when they are hot, add the mixture of yoghurt, water and chickpea flour. Add salt according to your taste and keep on stirring constantly.

When the Kadhi is boiling, you can turn the heat down a bit and add the spinach. It will softly keep on boiling and cook the spinach along. You should repeatedly stir the Kadhi. The taste of Kadhi gets better the longer you keep it on the fire. So when your spinach is done, your Kadhi is practically done but if you want to boil it a bit longer, you can, it will only add to its taste.

In India, this dish is usually made out of yoghurt that is a bit sour. This note you can also get by adding lemon juice.

Recipe courtesy http://www.jaisiyaram.com/blog/recipes/8470-palak-kadhi-recipe-learn-to-cook-kadhi-with-spinach-16-jul-11.html

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Delicious Date Balls

Delicious Date Balls
This is a great recipe for combating summertime heat. It is a non-chocolate way to get your sweet fix! This recipe is from www.balancedyogi.com

1 cup whole dried pitted dates
2 tbsp. water
2 tbsp. brown rice syrup or honey
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tbsp. organic tangerine peel or orange peel
¼ cup blanched almonds chopped
¼ cup brown sugar, shredded coconut or ground almonds or peanuts for rolling

Chop the dates finely, mix the dates, water, rice syrup, vanilla, and tangerine peel in a small heavy skillet an cook over low heat for 10-15 minutes or until all the water has evaporated off and the dates are a thick mass. The thicker it is, the easier it is to work, stir in the almonds and let cool. When cool, form into 1 inch balls. Roll the balls in sugar to get them dry enough to serve. You can vary this recipe by using other dried fruits like apricots or raisins with the dates. You can also use sesame or flax seeds instead of the almonds.

The best ever sugar & gluten free cookies

These are a great alternative to pastries or cookies make with lots of white sugar and flour. And they are very tasty. They won’t make you spin out of control on a sugar high, because there isn’t any! Using whole grains and natural sweeteners keeps your blood sugar from spiking.

Recipe makes around 16 cookies

1 Cup Nuts – almonds, cashews or walnuts
1 Cup Oats
½ cup Brown rice flour
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
½ teaspoon cardamom powder (optional)
¼ teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons of Ghee or Coconut Oil
4 Tablespoons of Maple Syrup or other liquid sweetner like Brown Rice Syrup
3 Tablespoons of Apple juice
2 Teaspoons of vanilla
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
½ cup chocolate chips – vegan chips, carob chips, or dark chocolate chips

Grind the nuts and oats in a blender or food processor. Mix with the brown rice flour, cinnamon, cardamom and salt. Combine the ghee/coconut oil, maple syrup, apple juice, vanilla and apple cider vinegar. Add to the flour/nut mixture and stir well. Add the chocolate chips and stir. Bake at 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.

Recipe courtesy