Nut free dukkah

Makes nearly 1 ½ cups

If there is a seed you don’t like leave out and replace with one of the other seeds, or a nut. I have made this child friendly and have used a subtle taste of the cumin and coriander, if you like a stronger taste increase to 1 ½ tbsp. of the spices

Use this as a crumb for fish or chicken, a crust, part of your dip/olive oil such as vege sticks dipped in olive oil then dipped into the dukkah. Mix it through mayonnaise or yoghurt for a dip

Ingredients

¼ cup each of sesame, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp coriander seeds

½ tsp Himalayan rock salt

½  tsp black peppercorns

Method

In a small pan dry toast the spices until fragrant, about 2 minutes stirring to avoid burning. In a spice grinder or small food processor add the spices along with the rock salt and peppercorns and flaxseeds and blitz until reasonably fine. In the same pan, dry toast your sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds until toasted and golden, stirring. Add to your spice mix and pulse everything a few times until mostly fine. Put in a container and leave to cool. Then store in a cool dark place.

Raw salad idea

Shredded chinese cabbage
grated beetroot
sliced celery and celery leaves
sliced radish
broccoli sprouts
sliced spring onions

Then mix through your favorite dressing

Hot chocolate

Serve 1

Cacao is not just for baking! try this yummy dairy free hot choccy

Ingredients

2-3 tsp raw cacao powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp honey
200ml almond milk, or milk of choice
1 tbsp thick coconut cream

Heat the milk and coconut cream then add with the other ingredients and use a stick blender and blend until smooth and air (30 seconds) Since almond milk is not very creamy I use coconut cream to give it a creamy feel.

Chocolate almond cake

Ingredients

2 cups blanched almond flour

1/3 of a cup of coconut flour
1/2 cup (60 g) raw cacao powder
2 teaspoons gluten free baking powder
4 free range/ organic eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
125 g (rounded 1/2 cup)  melted butter or your choice macadamia nut oil or coconut oil
1 ½ cups (375ml ) your choice of milk (dairy, nut, seed, rice)
¼ of a cup of  honey or rice malt syrup

Couple of pinches of salt

Method

Preheat oven to 170 C – fan forced. 180 C no fan.
Combine almond meal, cacao, coconut flour, salt and baking powder.
Add the eggs, melted butter/coconut oil, honey and milk, vanilla then mix well to form a smooth batter.
Spoon into a 20 cm / 8 inch round baking tin or a bundt silicone cake mould(you don’t need to line the silicon ones) that you have lined with baking paper to prevent sticking.

Bake for 40 minutes or until just cooked through. It’s ok if the inside is a little moist when you remove the cake as it will create a lovely moist texture inside. Leave to cool for 10 minutes before turning out.Then cool completely before icing.

Chocolate ganache frosting

150 g good quality dark eating chocolate, chopped (minimum 70 – 85 % cocoa solids) use dairy free chocolate if you like
150 g coconut cream (1/2 cup)  or your choice of (coconut milk, cream or organic full cream milk,)
pinch sea salt

Warm the cream in a pot over a gentle heat – do not boil.
Melt the chocolate gently in a bowl over a simmering pot of water.
Remove the cream and chocolate from the stove.
Pour the cream in gently into the melted chocolate – incorporating with a spoon or whisk until smooth and creamy.
Add a pinch of sea salt.
Cool  your ganache at room temperature for about 2  hours until set.
Spread ganache over your favourite chocolate cake or cupcakes and enjoy.

Sample eating plan to get your iron

This is a chart I did with a sample eating plan to achieve your iron of 18mg.
This is for females age 19-50.


Men need just 8mg per day. Vitamin C is good to improve absorption from vegetarian sources of iron, otherwise known as non-heme iron.

Bear in mind that grains/legume/nuts contain phytates which bind to minerals such as iron, so soaking them is better for bio-availabilty of iron. Leafy greens are are great sources of iron as well, but some of these contain oxalates which bind to minerals like iron. Out of leafy's kale has the lowest oxalate content.

Leafy greens are best steamed/boiled to reduce oxalates.

Heme(meat)iron is generally unaffected by tannins and is typically absorbed at a rate of 10-30%, depending on the body’s level of need for it at the time. Non-heme iron, on the other hand, IS affected by the tannins in tea and is only absorbed at a rate of only 2-10%
Tea contains tannins which reduce the bio-availability of iron, so have your non-heme iron away from your cup of tea.

Calcium has also been shown to reduce absorption of iron

Strawberry, almond and coconut pikelets

Serves 2- makes 8 small pikelets

Ingredients

 

3 tbsp blanched almond flour

3 tbsp shredded coconut

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp baking powder

2 eggs

Strawberries, sliced and some for garnish

Method

Whisk altogether then place approx 1 tbsp of the mix in a buttered pan, on a medium heat. Once the mix is in the pan place some of the sliced strawberries on top. Cook until golden brown and then turn over and cook the other side. Serve with maple syrup, cream and extra strawberries.