Pumpkin Walnut Bread

Here is a lovely pumpkin bread recipe that I have had a lot of success with. Personally I love to shred the pumpkin a potato peeler to get the long strips you do for cucumbers. This results gives an even distribution of whole pumpkin and results in a lovely moist bread. In this recipe I substitute eggs with chia-water, so instead of this you could use 3 whole eggs. But keep in mind that the chia seeds do add Omega-3, Fiber, Protein, Calcium, Zinc, Vitamin B3 (Niacin), Potassium, Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) and Vitamin B.

Likewise you could substitute the coconut oil for a different kind of oil. The benefits of using coconut oil however are many and include being a source of ketone which boosts brain function, is healthier for the heart, keeps you full for longer, and is a source of lauric acid which can kill pathogens.

Either way it is a very easy and yummy bread to make, enjoy!

Ingredients

1 small pumpkin (I used an acorn squash yielding approximately 3 cups)

3 tablespoons chia seeds

9 tablespoons water

2 cups wholemeal flour

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1/4 cut whole walnuts (to top bread)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160° Celsius or 325° Fahrenheit.

2. Grease a bread pan with coconut oil and set aside.

3.Wash, peel and de-seed the the pumpkin. Shred using a grater, potato peeler, or mandolin and set aside.

4. In a large cup combine the chia seeds and water and mix well, set aside.

5. In a bowl sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix well.


6. In another mixing bowl combine the sugar, chia-water mixture, coconut oil, and walnuts.

7. Combine both mixtures. Once thoroughly combined, gently fold in shredded pumpkin.

8. Pour batter into greased bread pan and top with whole walnuts.

9. Bake in the oven for approximately 1 hour or until a knife comes out clean when inserted into bread. Once ready cool for 15 minutes inside bread before removing.

Jamón Pasta Carbonara

This recipe is simple and very tasty but does require two elements to be done simultaneously. While you are cooking the pasta you must be preparing the other ingredients so that the minute they are done you are ready to combine them. This recipe needs fresh, hot, but drained pasta to cook the raw egg just enough that it does not make scrambled eggs. It is very straight forwards. Simply prepare all ingredients first. Then while cooking pasta, cook other ingredients at the same time.

Ingredients 

2 Garlic Cloves

1 Pack Spaghetti (I use wholemeal or brown rice spaghetti). 

150 grams Sliced Spanish Jamón

2 Large Eggs

1/2 Cup of Shredded Cheese such as Parmesan or Provolone (I often substitute with whatever I have on hand, in this case cheddar)

1 Small Bunch of Parsley (in this case I used coriander as a substitute)

Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

Method

Peel and thinly slice garlic and set aside. 

Whisk eggs and cheese together and set aside. 

Wash and roughly chop fresh herbs so they are ready and set aside.

Place a large pot of water with dash of olive oil and a generous pinch of salt on high heat. 

While waiting for the pasta water to boil, add a tablespoon of oil to a fry pan and heat on medium-low heat. Gently cook the garlic for a minute or so without browning or it will turn bitter. As soon as it is softened add the jamón and gently sauté for another minute or so. 

Once the water is boiled, add pasta to the pot and cook for approximately 7 minutes until al dente. As soon as it is ready drain, but reserve a cut or so of the water the pasta boiled in. 

Immediately after draining and while the pasta is very hot combine with the raw egg/cheese mixture and stir through to allow all the pasta to be coated in egg while simultaneously gently 'cooking' it. 

Once all the pasta is coated add 1/2 - 1 cup of the reserved pasta water to thicken the 'sauce'. 

Add the cooked garlic and jamón and stir through. 

Next add the fresh parsley, and season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Serve and enjoy.  

Baked Tofu Stir Fry

This dish is very quick and easy to make. It is a great healthy choice for breakfast lunch or dinner (Yes, I have tried it for each meal!) 

Ingredients

1 Package of Firm Tofu

1 Punnet Cherry Tomatoes, halved

250 grams Sugar Snap Peas, halved

1 Medium Onion, diced

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

1 Tablespoon Ginger, minced

1 Large Egg, Whisked

Coconut Oil

Salt 

Pepper

Soy Sauce

ZhenJiang Vinegar (Chinese Black Vinegar)

Sambal Oelek ( Garlic Chilli Paste)

Method

Preheat oven to 180° Celsius or 350° Fahrenheit. 

Cut tofu into approximately 5cm cubes, dry with paper towel to remove excess moisture.

Place tofu evenly on an oven tray greased with coconut oil and season with salt and pepper. 

Bake for 20 minutes and then flip around to brown on each side. Bake on other side for another 20 minutes. 

Meanwhile, peel and mince the onion, garlic and ginger.

Wash and halve the cherry tomatoes.

Wash, trim ends and halve the sugar snap peas.

Crack and whisk egg in a bowl and set aside.

Add 1.5 tablespoons of coconut oil to a large pan. Sauté the onion on low heat until soft and translucent. 

Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute longer. 

Add the cherry tomatoes and cook for approximately 10 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft and releasing their juices. 

Add 1 tablespoon of Sambal Oelek, 1/2 cup of Zhenjiang Vinegar and 1/4 cup of soy sauce and mix through. 

Add sugar snap peas and cook for 1 minute

Add egg, mixing through to allow an even distribution.

Add baked tofu and incorporate well into sauce.

Serve on its own as a side dish or on a bed of rice as a main. 

Baltimore Day 1

Tim was sent on a bit of a last minute conference to Baltimore this Thursday and I decided to go along for the ride. 

First we were both a bit bummed since we had tickets to see the Ice Hockey match of the Philadelphia Flyers vs. the New Jersey Devils which we would miss out on. That would have been the perfect first hockey match since we are here between NJ and Philly! We did managed to sell the tickets though, so that became less of a worry and there is always next time. What can ya do?

So on the thursday morning we woke up and had some yummy/healthy/low GI oatmeal and were off to a good start to our day. Then low and behold it started to snow! When you are setting out on a roadtrip it's one of those times that the pretty snow can be a bit of a hindrance. Tim is a trooper though, and we got there without any major troubles or delays. 

Initially Tim was not selling the whole roadtrip to me by saying "Baltimore is a s@#&hole and you probably won't have anything to do there..." I was a bit surprised by his bleak outlook, especially since he has never even been to Baltimore, and was sure that he was wrong. Then I found out that we were not actually going to Baltimore city but to Towson (which I had never heard of). I was a little thrown but undeterred. I was very excited to just be getting out of the house really. When we arrived we realised that we were in a university town, which we loved! 

We stayed at the Towson University Marriott Conference Hotel which is just very lovely. It was under renovation but that did not affect our stay at all. The apartment is very spacious and has a comfy vibe to it. And the best part is probably the location. I was within walking distance to Towson Town Center Mall, heaps of great places to eat and lots, lots more.

In fact once we arrived it was about 2:30pm and the oatmeal had just about given out, we were starving! The good news is there was an awesome Vietnamese restaurant right near us called Pho Dat Thanh. Anyone who knows Tim and I, knows of our deep love and respect for Vietnamese food. It is in our opinion the best Lunch/Dinner/Breakfast/Hangover/Party/Snack/Diet/Indulgence food you can get! It's our go-to meal back in Sydney basically. So, I ordered a very delicious lunch special of Lemongrass Chicken on Rice which was just perfectly cooked and juicy. Tim had the Special Pho (surprise, surprise) which had tendon as well as beef balls and brisket which he just adored. We asked them to bring us some chili paste which they forgot about - as we were so hungry we kind of did too and just ate it without the chili and really that was no big problem. Then the bill came and it was $18.00 including the tip!! Can I get an I love Towson anyone! That was just the beginning and we were off to a great start :-)

At that point, Tim had to run off for his afternoon conference which was starting in 10mins. He made it with no problems by the way, and I was off on a shopping exploration adventure. 

I won't go into in too much detail but a good 4 hours passed before I could hardly feel my feet and decided to trek back through the snow to the hotel. On my way back in the darkness and the limited vision caused by my furry hood and scarf wrapped over my face for warmth I somehow managed to spot an Arts shop called Plaza Artist Materials & Picture Framing. I was so happy! I had just decided to get back into watercolour painting and had been on the lookout for an art supply store. Since I am travelling at the moment I also just wanted some cheap beginners stuff rather than top of the line. I managed to get a 24 colour palette, three brushes and a 12 page watercolour book for $19, again what a steal. Tim was dully impressed when I showed him and asked me to go back the next day to buy him some brushes too! So on that high I made it back to the hotel but was too worn out to go to drinks with Tim's colleagues. Instead I just enjoyed relaxing in the warm room and getting an early night. 

Cinnamon Popcorn

Cinnamon Popcorn

So good, you'll wanna make it again!

The other night my husband and I were having a little movie night and he asked if I would make him some popcorn. He has a weakness for late night snacks which I try to stay away from. Making some fresh popcorn is a nice healthy alternative which we can both enjoy together, plus it's so yummy!

I decided to surprise him with this little creative twist to a regular favourite. 

Let me just say that this is his new favourite flavour :-) 

The first secret ingredient is Coconut oil. This adds a beautiful hint of coconut flavour and is also a healthier alternative to other oils. It also gives the popcorn a fluffy texture which is just delicious.

The second secret ingredient? You guessed it: Cinnamon! Again a delicious twist to the regular popcorn flavour but with added health benefits of cinnamon (here is a link to its benefits: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/1002.html#Description). 

Besides making you feel good about yourself for making good choices and staying away from trans fat of buttered and high salt popcorn, it is also very scrumptious, really, you should try it. 

There are of course lots of ways to make popcorn. But for me the technique that I find best infuses the flavours and gives the best texture is to make it in a pot. We have tried the popcorn makers and making it in the microwave but it is just not for us. 

Here are some pics of testing the oil. This is a crucial step as if it is not hot enough when you put the kernels in they will not pop properly. 

When it sizzles and spins, pour it all in :-)

Also, when using  the stove top method you need to make sure that you have a tight fitting lid so that the popcorn can cook properly. And don't overcrowd the pan with too many kernels- it's a recipe for disaster! 

Recipe: Cinnamon Popcorn

I have not given amounts as it all depends on how large the pot you are using will be. Make sure that you choose a pot that has a tight fitting lid and only pour in enough popcorn the cover the bottom of the pot in a single layer. Also this is a forgiving recipe :-)

Shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it like a polaroid picture!

Ingredients

Popcorn kernels

Coconut oil

Cinnamon

Salt

Method

Place pot on stove onto medium high heat. Place approx 1-2 tablespoons of coconut oil into pot. When dissolved the coconut oil needs to cover the bottom of the pot. 

Once the oil is very hot test the heat by placing a single kernel into the pot. If the heat is high enough then the kernel should spin slightly. Once this occurs the oil is ready. 

At this point slowly pour in enough kernels to cover the bottom of the pan in a single layer and immediately cover the pot. 

Using oven mitts place one hand on pot handle and the other hand on the pot lid to make sure it does not move. In this way shake the pot until the kernels all pop. Do not stop shaking the pot until the popcorn has all popped and you remove the pot from the heat. 

Once cooked, pour the popcorn into a large bowl and sprinkle lightly with half a teaspoon of salt or to taste. Sprinkle with a tablespoon of cinnamon or to taste and mix well before serving. 

It is now ready to be enjoyed!

Nom nom nom