Banana Cake with peanut butter frosting – egg free

In the late 90s when I was younger and carefree there was this amazing pancake restaurant in Hamilton – it was open 24 hours and was the perfect place to go after a night out in the clubs. There is nothing like a huge carb loaded meal after a night of drinking. I have to admit, as I’ve got older I can’t handle too much alcohol or high carb meals, which is just sad.

Anyway, I digress.

It was at this restaurant that I was introduced to the most amazing taste combination of peanut butter and banana and was so delicious on top of pancakes.

A-m-a-z-i-n-g

Sadly, that restaurant was actually closed down by the department of health, but oh well, I never suffered after eating there. Although most people probably put sickness down to too much alcohol.

Anyway, I have recreated those pancakes plenty of times. I’m the only one in my family who enjoys peanut butter on pancakes – or on anything as a matter of fact. Are these children actually mine?

I have always wanted to try the combination in a cake – and in the weekend I finally got my chance. I took it to work for the other peanut butter nutters to try and received a resounding thumbs up. One of my colleagues is wheat intolerant so she just ate the peanut butter frosting off a piece – of course no one wanted that piece of cake after she was done. But she got to enjoy some of it, which I’m thrilled about.

So, anyway, here is the recipe:

Cake:

90g softened butter

1Tbs honey

1/4c raw caster sugar

2 large mashed bananas

1tsp vanilla extract

1c plus 1tbsp buttermilk (1cup of milk with 2tsp vinegar left to sit for 10mins)

2Tbsp Greek yoghurt

2c all purpose flour

1tsp baking powder

1/2tsp baking soda

Frosting:

1c icing sugar

2Tbsp smooth peanut butter (I use and highly rate Pics)

1tbs butter

1/c water

Method:

Set oven to 180°C

Cream butter and sugar and add all other wet ingredients. Once blended spoon all dry ingredients in till it’s a smooth batter. Place in pre prepared round baking tin and bake 35-40mins or until skewer comes out clean.

Once cooled, prepare frosting. Blend softened butter and peanut butter into a smooth paste. Add icing sugar and slowly add water and mix until it’s a spreadable mixture.

Spread icing on the cake and sprinkle chocolate chips on top, or do what I did and add crushed chocolate coated peanuts for that crunchy texture and added nutty taste.

Enjoy with gusto. My colleagues did, this cake was gone in 10 minutes.

Warm winter sausage and vegetable bake

I love fast food – and not the ‘takeaway’ kind. Nope, I like food that’s fast and easy to put together and this bake is one of them. It’s so full of warm spices, fresh roasted vegetables sausage without fillers. It’s a winter warmer – and a winner.

The great thing about this bake is it will last a few days and once baked you just need to pop some in the microwave. It also uses one of my favourite vegetables – the humble cauliflower, but you can use whatever vegetables you have on hand.

I recently discovered Franks Sausages, they are based in the Waikato, made to order and have no nasty fillers – so if you are keto or have a funny tummy, then these sausages will suit you just fine.

What makes this dish so delicious is a secret ingredient I discovered at the 2018 food show. It’s called MetaBuz. It’s an amazing taste sensation full of tumeric, cinnamon, fennel, vanilla, black pepper and a whole lot of other amazing anti-inflmmatory beauties. It’s designed to be a chai tea, but I use it to marinade chicken pieces, roasts, in soup bases and anything else savoury.

So, enough of that – here’s the recipe:

2Tbsp olive or coconut oil

1 carrot

1/2 cauliflower cut into florets

1 small broccoli cut into florets

2 kumera – roughly chopped

1 onion

2c Spinach – roughly chopped, or baby spinach leaves left whole

2Tbsp fresh chopped basil

2tsp ground tumeric

1Tbsp Metabuzz

1/4 block of feta or 1/4c grated or diced cheese (optional)

3 franks sausages, cut into thin rounds – I like the Bratwurst the best, but the Cumberland adds a little heat. You may need to slightly boil the sausages first so they are easy to cut.

Method:

Preheat oven to 200°C

1. Add chopped kumera and carrot to a large baking dish, add all the spices and oil and mix till veges are coated – bake 15 minutes

2. Once baked, add remaining vegetables and sausage and mix until all the vegetables are coated in the oil and spices. Switch to fan bake and bake a further 20 minutes

3. Remove from the oven and add the cheese while hot. Serve immediately and enjoy with gusto. It’s just as nice without cheese if you don’t want to add it.

The flavour of this dish increases after a day in the fridge, so hold some aside and enjoy for lunch the next day.

 

Basil pesto pizza – vegan

 

Cauliflower is incredibly versatile, I have been discovering all kinds of uses for it – from bakes, baking, soups and even pizza bases.

The wonderful thing about a cauliflower pizza is how light it is and gentle on the tummy. This was a once a week dish, but cauliflower is currently $5 per head, so I am being a bit thrifty with it.

To make this pizza, you will need to steam the cauliflower until just soft, allow it to cool, rice it and then squeeze as much moisture out as you can. While this seems like a laborious task, I make it easier for myself by steaming half a head and then leaving it in the fridge for whenever I need it though the week. Then all you have to do is rice it and use it for whatever you wish.

For this recipe I went vegan, but if it’s not for you, certainly don’t avoid using meat and dairy products. I haven’t tried the recipe with an egg and I am not sure how much moisture it would add.

Base ingredients:

1cup cauliflower (steamed and riced)

1/4c almond flour (or meal)

1x flax egg

1tsp basil pesto

Toppings:

*35g of Tomato paste

**3/4c Veesy mozzarella (or dairy mozzarella)

1Tbsp chopped basil

4 cherry tomatoes – thinly sliced

1/4 red onion (diced)

2 thinly sliced large button mushrooms

2Tbsp basil pesto

Additional options: Ham, cooked chicken, spinach, pineapple (no juice), feta

Method:

1. Mix 1Tbsp ground flaxseed with two Tbsp water – leave for 10 minutes to thicken
2. Squeeze as much moisture out of the steamed/riced cauliflower. One cup of cauliflower should expel as much as 1/2c liquid
3. Add cauliflower to a bowl with remaining base ingredients and mix into a dough, it will be slightly wet
4. Place the dough onto a baking tray and spread into a flattened circle or rectangular shape
5. Bake 15-20 minutes
6. While base is baking, prepare toppings
7. Once cooked spread tomato and basil pesto over the base
8. Sprinkle 1/4c veesy cheese over the base
9. Add all other toppings, finishing with the remaining cheese
10. Return pizza to the oven and bake a further 15 minutes

*(Add more paste to the base if you want, but I find it very salty)

**I noticed the vegan cheese under the toppings will melt but the topping won’t.

Straight from the oven the base is a little flimsy, so better eaten with a fork, however it holds its shape much better the next day (if it lasts that long). This is a perfect small meal with a freshly poured glass of rose.

Enjoy with gusto

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Double Chocolate Scones

 

Winter is absolutely my favourite month. I love dressing in warm clothes, wrapping myself in wool and wearing scarves, gloves and beanies. We aren’t quite in winter yet, so by mid afternoon I am usually shedding layers as it warms up – only to get cold again by late afternoon.

What I love most about this season is how well timed my trip to work is to coincide with the sunrise and sunset. I have been getting some amazing photos of the Matamata-Piako District. We are so blessed here to have the gorgeous Kaimai Range in our back door step. The cloud sets low on the range on a cold morning and sometimes in the middle of winter you can spot snow on the peaks. There are ample walking tracks, some leading to some gorgeous waterfalls and the vista from the very top is quite breathtaking. It really is quite a special place.

Another wonderful thing about winter is creating delicious baking that warms the insides – and that’s where the inspiration for this recipe came from. I hope you enjoy it as much as my colleagues did.

Unlike normal flours, the sad thing about gluten free flour is it’s inability to keep muffins and scones light and fluffy for longer than a day. However, the great thing about this recipe is, after the first day they taste just like afghan cookies, meaning they can keep on being enjoyed.

So, without further ado – here is the recipe:

35g cold butter (grated or diced)

1.5c self raising gluten free or normal self raising flour

1/2 c rolled oats

2tsp cinnamon

2Tbspn Cocoa

1/4c maple syrup

1c milk (I used almond, but you can use whatever you like)

1/4c chocolate chips

1Tbsp milk.

Method:

Use a pastry cutter, or your finger tips to blend the butter, cocoa, cinnamon and flour together.

Add rolled oats then make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients. Bring together with a spoon, or your hands until all the flour is incorporated into the wet ingredients.

Like with a scone, place a bit of flour on a board and tip out the dough, bringing it together into whatever shape suits your fancy. Using a sharp knife cut the dough into triangles, squares, rectangles or use cookie cutters to make interesting shapes. Place chocolate chips on top and slightly press into the dough.

Brush the second measure of milk over the top.

Bake 20mins at 200°C in the centre of the oven.

Enjoy with gusto while warm, with a little butter and berry jam, or even peanut butter (although, that may just be my preference cause I think PB goes with everything).

Till next time

 

 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Lunchbox Slice

Hey, so sorry, it’s been a wee while since I last posted a recipe – thanks for sticking with me.

There are a few reasons why I haven’t posted anything – one being I got a new job and I now work out of town, leaving me only a few hours in the day to balance baking and cooking and spending time with my family. The other is my allergies have taken a step up – and to be honest I kind of lost my motivation. I created this site for people like me, who have to be careful what they eat, however even when I bake with alternate ingredients I still haven’t been able to eat any of it. It’s difficult and incredibly frustrating to bake for others and never be able to enjoy it myself, it’s a constant reminder of how limited my diet is. Sometimes I am at peace with it, other times not so much.

At the moment I’m at the end of my tether. In another effort to get to the bottom of it I have recently taken a SIBO test, at the recommendation of Vinka Wong, a functional nutritionist and diagnostic tester based in Matamata.

I had never heard of SIBO – otherwise known as Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth. This is caused when the balance of good and bad bacteria in the gut gets out of whack in the digestive tract. The test requires eating a very specific diet for 12 hours and then fasting for 12 hours. Following that you need to drink lactulose and then breathe into 10 glass vials (one every 20 minutes over 3 hours). From these vials the technicians will look at hydrogen and methane levels in my breath.

I am currently waiting on the results and living in hope that there may be a positive result and I can get it sorted. If it’s negative, we go back to the drawing board. Lucky for me Vinka is a determined woman and says she likes a good challenge.

So…aside from that it’s Mother’s Day, a time to honour those who brought us into the world, whether they are still with us or not. It’s not only about Mum’s but also a nice time to honour the women in our lives who may have played that role in some form or another such as an aunt, older sister, teacher, neighbour, babysitter or grandparent.

The things I remember most fondly about my time growing up, was how much time my mum spent in the kitchen. There was always baking for the lunchbox and it’s something I appreciated. Not only that, but Mum and I often spent time together baking. There are skills from this early teaching that I still apply to my own baking today. I admit i’m not as patient as my own mum and I find it difficult to put aside my need for perfection to teach Amelia these basic skills. It’s something I am working on though.

So, here’s to all the influential women in our lives – may we always remember what they taught or continue to teach us.

So, back to the reason I am here – the dairy and egg free recipe.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Lunchbox Slice

3/4c coconut milk (I used 2Tbsp coconut powder with 3/4c water)

1 flax egg – or 1 real egg (a flax egg is made with 1Tbsp of ground flaxseed with 2Tbsp water and leave for 10minutes to thicken)

1/4c pure maple syrup

1/4c Pics smooth peanut butter

1 1/4 C plain flour

1tsp baking powder

1tsp cinnamon

2Tbsp chocolate peanut butter (I used Fix and Fogg)

Mix all wet ingredients (except chocolate peanut butter) together until smooth, then add dry ingredients and mix into a smooth batter. Pour into a slice tin and smooth out then dollop small amounts of chocolate peanut butter onto the top of the batter and use a teaspoon to create a swirly pattern.

Bake at 180 degrees C for 20minutes and once cool devour with gusto

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comforting Crunchy Crumble

Dessert – there is nothing more comforting on a cold winters evening than a delicious dessert.

Now I was always more of a chocolate dessert kinda gal, and growing up we enjoyed chocolate self saucing pudding, but more often than not apple crumble was the dessert we ate after dinner. So it’s always nice to honour a childhood dessert and add my own special twist.

Mum’s version of the dessert, which was the original, was full of white flour and oats, loads of butter, about a cup of brown sugar for that caramel taste, and extra on top of the apple.

It was in one word – delicious!

As an adult, I am not so keen on all that sugar and carb loading after dinner.

What I love about my version of the recipe is that it contains less carbs, sugars and dairy products but still tastes amazing. Now, my Mum would probably disagree, she says why change the original when there’s nothing wrong with it…which is true, but I think we can still enjoy the original, but also eat more of a healthier variation.

You can make apple crumble way ahead of time and keep it in the fridge until you want it. Once dinner is served, chuck it in the oven for about 20 minutes. Dessert is always best straight out of the oven.

Once cooked, it keeps for about five days in the fridge, so you can enjoy crumble for a few more nights (if the whole thing isn’t devoured that very night). My kids like it with ice cream, but it’s also delicious with yoghurt – or keep it simple with just a bit of milk.

So with no further a-do, here is the recipe:

Ingredients for the fruit base:

2 large apples (peeled and roughly chopped)

1/2c water

2 star anise

1c blueberries (fresh or frozen)

2Tbsp coconut sugar

1/2c water

Topping:

1/2c dairy free butter – melted

1c coconut

1c ground almond

1/2c finely chopped apricots

1/4c sultanas or raisins

1/2 c wheat flakes, or keep it gluten free and add quinoa flakes instead

2 Tbsp coconut sugar

1/2c water (optional)

1Tbsp maple syrup (optional)

Method:

Place the apple in a saucepan with the water and star anise and gently cook for about an hour.

While the apple is cooking, start the topping.

Add all dry ingredients, plus the fruit to a bowl. Melt the butter and pour over the top. Mix well. The mixture should be completely coated in butter but not overly wet. Set aside till apple is ready.

Once apple is nice and soft, remove the star anise but do not tip out the remaining water. Tip the contents of the saucepan into an oven safe dish with the blueberries and sprinkle over the sugar and extra water.

Add the topping and make sure the fruit is completely covered.

For added sweetness add the optional maple syrup to the water and pour slowly around the edges of the dessert.

Bake for 20 minutes at 180 degrees C.

Enjoy with gusto, with a small topping of ice cream, yoghurt or milk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vegan Chocolate Brownie

All parents want their kids to be healthy, happy wee human beings.

I dislike having allergies, but if I have to have them, then I am glad I got them as an adult. There is so much research about them now than ever before and I am responsible for feeding myself.

It’s annoying to be restricted but I am quite used to it by now – it’s just the way life is. In the grand scheme of things, it’s a fairly easy to manage disorder.

However, I was pretty frustrated when my three-year-old son started showing signs of a gluten and dairy intolerance. Now, the bonus is I know quite a bit about that, so it’s been an easy transition for him.

We are trying a month long elimination diet – but its disappointing to see that his health and digestion has improved, meaning it’s likely he will live without one or the other. Whether its gluten and dairy that’s the culprit is yet to be seen, another couple of months will give us the answers.

So, with both his and my eating disorders in mind, I came up with this brownie.

No wheat or dairy for both of us, but also no eggs and very little sugar, which is also tolerable for me.

I was dubious it would work out actually, so cutting into that slice and seeing its rich gooey chocolate centre was bliss! And it held together so well…another bonus.

It was stable in the pantry at room temperature, and also in the fridge but I haven’t tried freezing it yet.

It got the big thumbs out from the remaining family members who can eat what they like.

Just a wee tip regarding ingredients: I haven’t made it enough times to know if alternatives can be used. So, if you defer from the ingredients in my recipe then the outcome will probably differ.

I do not suggest using any alternative sugars than coconut sugar – its the closest alternative for brown sugar, giving it a gooey brownie like texture and caramel taste. If sugar isn’t an issue for you, use brown sugar if you like.

Both cacao and cocoa will give produce a similar tasting brownie.

Guar gum is a must have, as it prevents crumbling.

As far as the linseed as an egg alternative goes, it will only work if the seed and water has time to thicken…so make sure to allow for that. I haven’t tried it with eggs.

I tried the recipe with both unsweetened almond and coconut milk – with no difference in taste.

So…here you go.

Ingredients:

1/2 c cocoa or cacao powder

1 1/2 c almond flour

1/2 c coconut flour

1tsp baking powder

1tsp guar gum

3Tbsp coconut sugar

2Tbsp ground linseed or flax seed mixed with 1/4c water (Equivalent of 2 eggs)

1/3c melted coconut oil

1 1/2c non dairy milk

1tsp vanilla essence

Method:

Preheat oven to 180degrees c and prepare a slice tin.

Mix the ground flaxseed or linseed with water and set aside for at least 10mins to thicken.

Completely melt the coconut oil.

Add all dry ingredients to a bowl and whisk together.

Make a hole in the centre of the dry ingredients, add all the wet ingredients and mix well.

Place in a slice pan and bake for 25mins.

Allow the brownie to cool completely before removing from the pan and cutting.

Enjoy with gusto and be sure to share your experience x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cacao nib Cookies – Gluten, grain and egg free

Everybody loves a cookie, and there’s no reason why cookies should be out of reach to people with allergies.

The cool thing about these cookies is I can eat them. That’s a huge win for me.

These cookies have no flour, egg, sugar or grains.

I can’t eat chocolate chips, but I can eat cacao nibs.

Cacao nibs are chocolate in a pure form.

They give you all the benefits off rich dark chocolate, without all the additives used to make a chocolate bar.

They are high in fibre, protein and antioxidents.

Add a small spoonful to your smoothies – but expect a bit of crunch at the bottom of your glass, as the hard unblended bits will sink.

Make sure you buy fair trade cacao nibs where possible – as some of the worlds coffee and chocolate harvesting is still done unethically – many companies still favour profit over people.

Like Dr Seuss said -“Unless someone like you cares a whole lot, nothing is going to get better, it’s not.”

Read more about the unethical side of the chocolate industry Here

Of course if sugar isn’t an issue for you – then add chocolate chips instead.

And as usual with cookies like this, they have to be cared for and stored very differently to normal cookies.

These cookies are super fragile and must be kept cold in order to keep them together.

Without the cold, they will fall apart when you try to pick them up and bite into them.

Anyway, this is a pretty short post as the day is running away from me.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Ingredients:

125g softened butter or vegan butter (room temperature)

2Tbsp coconut oil

1Tbs almond butter

1tsp cinnamon

1.5c almond flour

3/4c tapioca flour

1/4c cacao nibs or chocolate chips if you can eat them.

2tsp norbu sweetener

Method:

Mix butter, nut butter, norbu and coconut oil together until smooth.

Add all the other ingredients and mix on high till it’s completely combined.

Turn the oven on to 180degrees celcius.

Refiridgerate for about 15mins and then roll into balls and press down slightly.

Bake for 17mins.

Cool and carefully remove from the baking tray into a container and store in the fridge for up to a week.

 

 

 

 

Plentiful Porridge

With a whole heap of allergies, its pretty hard to find food that sustains me through the day.

This proved even more difficult when I took up a 250 day running challenge as part of an #outruncancer campaign to support my husbands Grandma (the nicest person you will ever meet) through her cancer treatment. Take a look at the global movement. outruncancer

This means whatever the weather, however tired I feel, I get out an run once everyday.

Cancer is hard, but running everyday is not hard.

Grandma has to face the ups and downs of a hideous disease and the treatment without any choice – I have a choice and it’s the least I can do. And it means a lot to her.

I am not very good at running, and I am pretty slow, but that’s the great thing about the campaign.

Everyone faces cancer at their own pace – it’s full of highs and lows, hard days, less challenging days. Some people do it with a support team, others do it solo.

Just like running. Everyone does it differently and it’s okay.

But as much as I chose the pace, my energy levels didn’t sustain a decent run and I would run out of energy pretty quickly.

So I needed to look for a food source that would give me that protein kick following a morning run and that would also keep me full.

I came up with the plentiful porridge – you can make a large amount and just re-heat a single serving everyday.

It also makes for a nice snack in the afternoon.

I am happy to say, at day 62 (as of March 4) I am now running up to 5km a day – with a little bit of help from my good friend Amy who gave me some great tips on how to maintain the pace.

Anyway, I hope you love the porridge and as usual add what you like to make it your own.
Ingredients:
1/4c buckwheat
1/4 cup LSA or ground flaxseed
1/2c desiccated coconut
1c ground almonds
2Tbsp almond or other nut butter
(optional) 1Tbsp vanilla or plain protein powder
1Tbsp cacao nibs/chocolate chips/dried fruit
2tsp cinnamon
1/2tsp norbu or 1tsp of other sweetener
3c water
Method:
Add the buckwheat and 1c of the water to a saucepan – bring to a boil, then turn to the lowest setting and place the lid on for 10mins.
The buckwheat will absorb most of the water and soften the grain.
Add all the other ingredients plus the remaining 2c water and cook on a low temperature until thickened (about 12-15mins). Stir often.
It will be quite thick, don’t worry.
Place the porridge in a container and store in the fridge for one week.
Serve about 1/4 c porridge and milk of your choice and mix well to combine. Microwave or heat on the stovetop to the temperature of your liking – add fresh berries or fruit of your choice on top.

Tummy lovin’ choca berry smoothie

For the past two years now I have been having difficulty with allergies.

I don’t know what brought them on or how to get rid of them.

About 11 years ago I was diagnosed with gluten and wheat intolerance, and avoiding gluten was fairly easy. It’s something I continue to this day.

However, two years ago I developed fructose malapsorption but my body also couldn’t handle other sugars either and it cut out pretty much anything that came in a packet – as most processed foods are high in all kinds of sugars.

No big loss, processed food is not all all nourishing.

I have spent the last two years experimenting with different sugar substiutes, such as norbu and stevia. Both claim to not raise a person’s glucose levels, and in small doses and used very rarely, they aren’t too harmful on my tummy. That’s why I use them in a lot of my recipes.

Two months ago, I decided enough was enough and I wanted to heal my gut. I found a book by a lady named Lee Holmes, called Heal your Gut. You can read more about her book Here on her site supercharge food She had Auto Immune Disorder and by using a liquid diet over a month, eliminating dairy, wheat, soy, gluten and sugar and increasing ant-inflamatory ingredients, she did just that, healed her gut.

It was a long month, I was hungry most of the time, but I have a strong will and I got through it. I was disappointed by the end of the month. My gut still ached and if anything I was tolerating even less.

However, after two weeks of feeling sorry for myself I had another look at my diet and decided I would eliminate a food that was included in the dietry plan – eggs.

After two weeks of no eggs, and including Nutra Organics Natural Gelatin into my daily smoothies, just like that, no more pain or discomfort.

Gelatin has so many benefits, such as anti-inflamatory properties, aids digestion, improves collagen and has been linked to healing leaky gut – and that’s just a few of its many benefits.

It was freeing to be pain free, I was hugely relieved and felt fantastic. Until I ate something with an egg in it and boom, just like that, back to pain, bloating and agony. So, I am back to a two week cleanse after which I hope to be back to being pain free.

So, I am now allergic to wheat, gluten, grains, dairy, eggs and sugar. That doesn’t leave much, but I am okay with it. I have adjusted. And staying off these foods means I can tolerate little bits of things like natural sugars, gluten free toast and a few grains ocassionally.

Lee was right, cleansing my gut helped. It didn’t heal as I hoped, but it helped.

So, I am going to share a wee smoothie recipe I make every morning. It is dairy and grain free. I have half in the morning and half in the afternoon. It has gelatin, so by the afternoon it’s a bit of a solid mass, but a good shake in a reusable take away cup or another blitz in the blender gets it back to a liquid.

I hope you enjoy it.

Oh – Happy New Year everyone. I hope you made some goals that you can stick to and be proud of by the years end.

Tummy Lovin’ Choca Berry Smoothie.

• Ingredients:

3/4c Frozen or fresh blueberries

1/4c Frozen or fresh raspberries

3 Strawberries

2Tbsp Avocado

2Tsp Peanut or almond butter

1 Scoop of gelatin

1/2c Coconut water

3/4c Almond or coconut milk

1Tsp Cacao

• Method:

Blitz all the ingredients, excluding the gelatin and nut butter until it’s a smooth paste. Remove the lid and add the nut butter and gelatin and blitz again till combined. Add more liquid if you find it too thick.

• Don’t like cacao? Try 1Tbsp lemon juice and 1Tbsp lemon rind to the mix. The citrus burst is refreshing.

Enjoy with gusto.