COCONUT MUESLI

This is like having dessert for breakfast!

Fresh coconut thinly sliced and then toasted can not be compared to dried out coconut toasted! really once you have cracked up a fresh coconut and put a thin sliver under the grill until lightly golden - oh my yum! I never knew what I was missing... I strongly suggest you try (if you like coconut that is)

ALMOND MILK

 

This recipe is so ridiculously simple that I can't believe I haven't made almond milk before!
It would be delicious to make into any flavoured milk...
And even though its not dairy it has a lovely texture and tastes really amazing.
I was even able to make frothed milk with it to create a flat white coffee! Which is great news if you need to be dairyfree. This means you can have a decent cup of coffee with frothy milk !!!  How cool!
Well at least I thought so.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE ICE CREAM RECIPE

Chocolate Ice cream recipe found on www.bettybake.co.za


We have cut down considerably on dairy but this week I had an incredible dessert craving...
something smooth and chocolatey. I wanted chocolate mousse or pudding or cold chocolate-something!

I have been using coconut milk and frozen bananas as a substitute in baking for milk and dairy but this time I just couldn't do it! I had to have cream and chocolate! So I started by making a chocolate pudding of sorts and then decided to freeze some of it in individual little cups for dessert. It was so yummy that the remainder that was in the fridge had to be turned into ice cream.

BUT I worried that if I put the mix in the ice cream maker that I wouldn't be able to share the ice cream that came out as  the amount was a little and SO YUMMY! (I wanted to gobble it ALL up) So I added a cup of milk and mixed it all together before putting it into the ice cream maker:) It was now a little less chocolatey but still so delicious. So its your choice whether you want a stronger chocolate taste or a bigger batch of ice cream. You could also not add the extra milk and leave it in the fridge - it sets to a gorgeous velvety pudding! soooo good!

INGREDIENTS
250ml cream (1 tub)
300 milk + 200ml later (optional)
1 vanilla pod
3 eggs
100g GREAT TASTING dark chocolate (the best you can afford)
2 tablespoons jaggery / brown sugar
2 tablespoons agave syrup / honey / brown suagr
2 tablespoons xylitol / brown sugar



METHOD
Place the cream and 300ml of milk in a small pot on the stove with a vanilla pod -score and scrape out the seeds into the milk and then place the whole empty pod into the milk as well.
Heat on medium until just before boiling point then take off the stove and stir through. Allow to cool quite a bit till warm (this will allow the vanilla to infuse into the milk)
In a small bowl or a jug beat/mix the eggs with the a whisk (i use a fork) till the yellows are broken and combined with the whites. Add the sweeteners (brown sugar, jaggery, xylitol) and mix.
Slowly add some of the milk to the egg/sweetener mix and stir.
Add all of the egg mix back into to the pot stirring continuously so that the egg doesn't scramble.
Place the pot on a low heat and continue to stir until slightly thickened. It won't be to thicker - just slightly and won't taste like raw egg any more. Turn off and continue to stir.
Remove the vanilla pod.
Break up and place all the chocolate into the milk mix and stir until it is melted and one uniform chocolatey colour.
CHOICE 1) place into individual small bowls and place in the fridge for chocolate puddings or the freezer for tiny ice cream mousse puddings

CHOICE 2) add the additional 200ml milk and place in an ice cream machine and make into ice cream. If you don't have an ice cream machine then place in a metal dish and place in the freezer and take out and beat to break up ice crystals every hour for 3 or 4 times.

Serve and enjoy
YUM

CURING OLIVES (RECIPE)

How to cure olives on www.bettybake.co.za

I am no Olive connoisseur, in fact I don't really like them (shock, horror) But my kid loves them! So when I came across fresh olives still in there raw state at the Earth Fair market (farmers market) the lovely stall holder insisted I should buy some fresh olives and make some olives at home. I was perplexed and said I didn't know how and don't really eat them but the lovely lady assured me that it was very simple and easy to do. She talked me through the process and handed me a recipe with my purchase of a bag of kalamata olives.

I was skeptical that it could be that easy but also trusted the lady opinion so with some hope I headed home to soak my olives and wait and see after 6 weeks if she was right. This is how I did them... apparently the results are good.

INGREDIENTS
1 kg olives (what ever variety you like)
water (filtered if possible)
100grams salt
60grams salt (this is for 6 weeks later)
a little olive oil

METHOD 
Wash the olives rubbing them lightly in a large bowl or container and leave to soak for 24 hours (don't rub to hard you don't want to bruise them) This is just to get all the dust off them and any stubborn dirt.
After 24hours rinse them off and place the olives in a container where you are able to place a lid on top with something to push the olives under the water. (I used a very large glass jar with an unusual shaped vase that kept all the olives submerged under the water/brine.)
Mix up your water and salt to make a 10% brine solution. For every litre of water you use 100grams of salt. Mix the solution then pour onto your olives. Make sure that your olives stay under this water at all times while they are curing.
Please note a moldy gunk will grow on top of the water - this is perfectly normal and your olives are not off!!! Promise! 
After 6 weeks - take out an olive rinse off and taste if ready rinse them all off but if not leave for longer checking every few days/ once a week.
When ready rinse the olives off and leave to dry on a clean surface for 3 - 12 hours. They will get dark - almost the colour they were when you bought them.
Mix up a 6% solution - 60 grams salt per litre of filtered water.
Place olives in clean jars and fill with the new brine.
Pour a little olive oil on top and seal with a lid tightly
Place in the fridge ( I am told if kept in the fridge they can keep for upto a year)
Eat as desired

We have had ours about 3 months and my kid says they taste great

SUNFLOWER SEED BUTTER

Sunflower seed butter Recipe www.bettybake.co.za

This is one of those things that gets made in my house and gets divided out EQUALLY! As to not cause world war 3. Yes i know- crazy but true! We each get a jar labeled with our name so that we can't blame each other for finishing the jar and then act like children blaming each other!

I think one of the reasons we value this yummy spread so much is because my husband is allergic to peanuts and some other nuts so we can't just go to the shop and buy whatever nut butter we want and use it.
It is very yummy and we have the added benefit of knowing exactly what is in the spread that we are eating plus we can buy the best quality ingredients to make it- eg, organic and pesticide free.

Himalayan Crystal Salt also known as "pink salt"

This is one of those recipes where you can make as little or as much as you like. I simply buy a few bags of organic sunflower seeds and place them in the oven to roast and then blend them in my electric blender.

INGREDIENTS
750grams (+/-) its up to you
Sunflower oil
Salt - 1-2 teaspoons (or to taste)
Honey - 1- 4 teaspoons (or to taste)


METHOD
Turn the oven on to bake/roast at 160- 180 degrees celcius. Place your sunflower seeds in an oven roasting dish and place in the center of the oven.
Watch CAREFULLY and stir often as the seeds burn easily - especially near the end!
Roast them till nice and golden brown in colour then remove from the oven and allow to cool. (at this stage you can place all of it in an air tight jar for a few days if you don't have the time to finish the recipe)
Place the seeds in the blender about a cup at a time and follow the directions below.
Turn the blender on and blend until a course ground flour like state.
Add sunflower oil a table spoon at a time and some salt and honey. blend and then taste.
Keep adding things according to taste and also the thickness you desire.
I sometimes add more oil depending on how spreadable i want it to be

Enjoy on toast or add to your biscuit recipes or have with cheese or fruit :)

Im enjoying Instagram on my phone and photographing my lunch is just part of the fun.



 

Disclaimer: I have been making this recipe for months. I make it often and this is just the way I make it. I have seen various recipes all over the internet to make all sorts of seed and nut butters so by no means is this an original idea but this recipe is my own as this is how I make it. 

APPLESAUCE JELLY SWEETS

So I made these as a healthy "sweets" for my daughter as she can't have any gluten or corn (most sweets contain corn syrup or glucose syrup which is often made from corn). Go ahead read the sweet packaging - you'll find corn, maize, corn syrup, glucose syrup or wheat in almost EVERYTHING! *sigh*

Anyway I had seen this idea around the web last year. Bloggers were using cooked fruit and gelatine to make jelly fruit squares. I have not used anyone's recipe but storing this idea at the back of my head but never really using the idea until now. I just tried to make them how i thought the recipe should go and did not use anybodies recipe as a guide. So this isn't copied or stolen but the original idea isn't mine.
These aren't like sweets so much as they are like cooked sweetened apples in jelly form. Easy to put in lunch boxes and healthy. A nice snack.


INGREDIENTS
apples - 3
pears - 2
vanilla pod
water
2 -3 Tablespoons Agave Syrup (you could use sugar instead)
1 Tablespoon Honey
a sprinkle of cinnamon
2 - 3 teaspoons agar agar
1/4 cup of water
a small amount of coconut oil
sugar

METHOD
Make sure you buy organic fruit - wash and place all of them in a pot that they can lay in a single layer in the pot. I removed the stems from the apples and pears and cut out any spot or blemishes. Then add water till about 3 cm high in the pot.
Split open the vanilla pod with a knife and scrape out the seeds into the pot and place the empty pod in the water too.
Turn on the stove and allow to come to a slow simmer with the lid on.
Simmer for 20 minutes then take the lid off and allow the fruit to continue to simmer slowly turn the apples and pears so that the hardest parts are moved into the water and whatever is soft and fleshy is above the water.
Squish down with a back of a large spoon every now and then.
After another 30 minutes start to check that the mixture isn't starting to stock or  burn at the bottom. Watch as the fruit becomes really soft and almost all of the water has evaporated.
Turn off the stove and allow to cool.
Push all the fruit through a sieve into a clean pot and discard the seeds and bits that won't go through the sieve and the vanilla pod.
Pour in the agave and the honey - sweeten to taste as it depends how tart your apples are and how sweet you would like it to be. You can use sugar if you prefer. (I wanted the sweets to be as healthy as possible)
Add a sprinkle of cinnamon to taste. 
Stir and add 2 teaspoons of agar agar and a quarter cup of water.
Stirring slowly bring the heat up and keep stirring
After a few minutes of thick bubbling liquid place a saucer in the freezer and put a teaspoon of the mixture on it and leave there for a bit. Check to see if the mix has set by pushing it around the saucer with your finger - if it isn't squishy and hard add another teaspoon of agar agar to the pot and stir and boil for another 5 minutes. Continue this process every 5 - 10 minutes adding more agar agar and testing in the freezer until your mixture sets nicely. (if you add to much agar agar it will go very hard! but is still edible)

Grease a dish with coconut oil or oil of your choice
Allow you mixture to cool a bit and pour into your dish
Leave to set in the fridge and then slice with a knife

*optional roll in powdered/icing Sugar or granulated sugar and serve immediately

Can be kept in the fridge for up to a week covered

PEPPERMINT AND DARK CHOC CHIP ICE CREAM

The first time I attempted to make this ice cream flavor it was a big flop! I started out with my original vanilla ice cream flavor and decided I wanted it to have real peppermint in it - not fake peppermint essence but the real thing with real peppermint health properties and taste. I figured if I took my peppermint leaves (I have a plant in my garden) and blended the leaves in a blender until juiced/fine and sieved it into the cream mixture it would have the flavor I wanted. Boy was I wrong! It tasted earthy and green and not nice at ALL!
Then after stumbling across a few peppermint ice cream recipes on the internet I realized that in order to get the real peppermint taste I wanted I needed to infuse the leaves in the cream. (check out this cool peppermint ice cream recipe). I tried it out recently and it worked. *happy dance*

Sometimes we just need to persevere.... and good things happen

INGREDIENTS
7 Egg yolks
500ml cream - 2 tubs of cream (250ml each)
1 cup (250ml) milk
2 vanilla pods (seeds scraped out)
125ml organic brown sugar
3 tablespoons honey (optional)
1 - 2 large handfuls of peppermint leaves (well washed)
50grams - 100grams DARK chocolate (i use either 70% or 85% cocoa)



METHOD:
Place the milk and cream in a heavy based saucepan along with the peppermint leaves. Slowly bring to just below boiling point. While you are waiting for it to heat up separate the eggs and mix very well with the brown sugar and honey.
When your peppermint cream mixture has been heated to just before boiling point take off the heat and stand for a few minutes (it must cool and infuse) take out the leaves. Stir into the egg mixture.
Keep stirring. Once the egg mixture has been incorporated properly put it back in the pot on the stove and warm slowly until it has thickened slightly to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Take care not to heat to quickly as the eggs will scramble once it has thicken you can now place the custard in a bowl in the fridge to cool down for a few hours (atleast 3 hours).

Roughly chop up the dark chocolate.
When you custard mixture is nice and cold place in an ice cream machine and make according to your machines instructions. Add choc chips half way through :)
*If you don't have an ice cream machine place the mixture in a low sided metal pan or bowl and place in the freezer. Take out every 30 - 45 minutes and beat with an electric beater until nice and smooth and the ice crystals have been broken up - the more time u beat and return to freezer the smoother and creamier it your ice cream will be :)  You can add some choc chips after the first beating.

Enjoy

Gorgeous Home Made Vanilla Ice Cream

INGREDIENTS
7 Egg yolks
500ml cream - 2 tubs of cream (250ml each)
1 cup (250ml) milk
2 vanilla pods (seeds scraped out)
125ml organic brown sugar
3 tablespoons honey (optional)

METHOD:
Place the milk and cream in a heavy based saucepan along with the seeds from the vanilla pod and the empty pod. Slowly bring to just below boiling point. While you are waiting for it to heat up separate the eggs and mix very well with the brown sugar and honey.
when your vanilla cream mixture has been heated to just before boiling point take off the heat and stand for a few minutes (it must cool slightly) take out the vanilla pods before SLOWLY pouring it (while stirring) into the egg mixture.
Keep stirring. Once the egg mixture has been incorporated properly (and hasn't curled - if its to hot it will curdle)  put it back in the pot on the stove and warm slowly until it has thickened slightly to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Take care not to heat to quickly as the eggs will scramble once it has thicken you can now place the custard in a bowl in the fridge to cool down for a few hours (atleast 3 hours).

Go shopping or look through your cupboards and decide if you would like to add anything to your ice cream mixture - tiny chocolate chips or a caramel sauce or some chopped up glace cherries, finely chopped nuts - the possibilities are endless :) 
When you custard mixture is nice and cold place in an ice cream machine and make according to your machines instructions. Add choc chips etc half way through :)
*If you don't have an ice cream machine place the mixture in a low sided metal pan or bowl and place in the freezer. Take out every 30 - 45 minutes and beat with an electric beater until nice and smooth and the ice crystals have been broken up - the more time u beat and return to freezer the smoother and creamier it your ice cream will be :)  You can add some choc chips or what ever you fancy are the first beating.

Enjoy

ps you can thank me later :)

COOKIE DOUGH APPLE PIE

So I came up with this concoction for the husband the other day and dare say so myself - it is DELICIOUS!
You see the husband loves apple pie and I didn't feel like making gluten free pastry etc.. So I just chopped up some apples baked them in the oven and then put my trusted cookie dough recipe i always use on top and baked it and OH WOW, Why haven't I tried this sooner?

Find the easy recipe below

COOKIE DOUGH APPLE PIE

INGREDIENTS
apples
cinnamon
raisins (leave out if you dislike them)
roughly 3 tablespoons brown organic sugar
125g butter
1egg

1 generous cup brown organic sugar

1 vanilla pod
1 generous cup gluten free flour (i use health connection)
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
cream


METHOD
Peel and cut up enough apples to fill your pie dish (i used 6)
Then sprinkle with raisins, brown sugar and a generous amount of cinnamon.
Place in the oven and bake at 180 degrees celcius, stir occasionally and cook until the apples are starting to soften but not fully cooked yet.
While the apples are baking assemble the cookie dough.
Beat the butter, egg, sugar and scraped out seeds from the vanilla pod in a medium bowl until smooth
Then stir in the flour, baking powder, and bicarbonate of soda ensuring that everything is well mixed. Add more flour if you need to the mixture should be nice and soft but not runny.
Once the apples are semi soft baking away in the oven take out the dish and plop/dot the cookie dough all over the mixture - yes it looks messy but it will spread out. The idea is for there to be little blobs of cookie dough all over your apple mixture but you can still see little bits of apple peaking through. You may have to much cookie dough for your pie - you can either bake some cookies or put it in the fridge in a sealed container for a second cookie dough pie tomorrow :) trust me you'll want another.
Turn the oven down to 150 degrees celcius and bake until the cookie dough has spread, risen a little and is light brown on top :)
cut up and serve with cream poured on top or with a good vanilla ice cream


  

APRICOT JAM - SUPER EASY!!!

After making my own apricot jam for the first time I don't think I will ever buy commercially made Jam ever again! It was one of the easiest things I've have ever made and gave such great results that I have managed to make another batch since and my fridge now has 4 pretty jars of apricot jam sitting on the shelves.
It is one of those things so satisfying to make. Almost like being Julia Child or Nigella Lawson creating something nourishing and delicious all in one. It is also so great and good that what my family is eating something that is preservative-FREE and lower in sugar than the shop bought variety and I managed to get pesticide free apricots -so less chemicals :) I hope to find some organic apricots soon :)
I think I  may try out some strawberries next or anything else that seems delicious. So many possibilities as summer is almost here and new fruit comes into season, I'm sure I'll be trying to turn all sorts of fruit into jam.

INGREDIENTS
600 - 800grams / just under 4 cups  Apricots (weigh/measure after cutting and removing the pips)
200g / 1 cup Sugar (i used organic brown sugar)
a quarter to half a lemon


METHOD
Cut the apricots in half and destone (remove the pip from each one). Trim off any brown spots or parts u wouldn't eat.
Weigh and place in pot with sugar and cover.
(Now if you are a busy person and don't have time to finish the recipe right now - you can place the covered apricots and sugar in the fridge for upto 24 hours).
Put pot on stove and slowly heat while stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Once the mixture starts to boil turn down the heat and stir every 2 - 3 minutes making sure it doesn't catch/burn on the bottom of the pot.
Squeeze the lemon over the apricot mixture - just a little bit - roughly about 2 teaspoons of liquid.
Scrape the froth off the top until your mixture is froth free.
After slowly boiling for roughly 15 - 20 min (the mixture should have thickened and the apricots should have broken up into tiny pieces)
Very carefully pour into clean sterilised jars and seal.
Store in the fridge.

My mixture made 2 jars and a tiny bit extra for toast right there and then :)