Banana Energy Bites - Raw

- 1 cups of almonds

- 2 cups of medjool dates

- 2 over-ripe bananas

- 1/2 a cup of ground flaxseed

Cacao

-2 tablespoons of chia seeds

Walnuts 

If it's the first time making this, best to blend the nuts first and place aside.
Then blend the dates, bananas etc.  Stir the mixture all together in a mixing bowl.  This way you get to control and blend each ingredient to the way you prefer.
As  I like my texture to still have some nutty grainy bite, if you like yours smooth and pureed, by all means blend to you the consistency you prefer.

Source Link - Click here 

Another variation:

- 1 cup of medjool dates

- 3/4 of a cup of almonds

- 3/4 of a cup of walnuts

- 2 tablespoons of chia seeds

- 2 tablespoons of ground flax seed

- 2 tablespoons of cinnamon

- 1 tablespoon of raw cacao powder

Cinnamon was very nice here, added a homey, woody smell and taste.

Source Link - Click here

The Making of a Hamper...

".. It started with a ..... visit to my FAVOURITE spice 'everything' shop in South TLV."  

Tra..lalala....

 Love this place! Levinsky street - South TLV

 Here starts the shopping

And.....Lemons at Shuk HaCarmel

 

Apple, Nectarine, Pear Conserve.

These popped so loud when they came out!

Now for Granola Click here for Granola Recipe

Far Left and right Apple Conserve,  middle Granola

Can't believe I took this photo!

Bike break, quick ride along the sea shore

Back to the kitchen
The pale mixture in the making is, will be biscotti Click here for Recipe

Toasted seeds for Sprinkling
Black and White Sesame seeds, Pumpkin and sunflowers seeds

Just love the kitchen table full of goodies

Feels like Christmas....

Lemon Curd stacked, and  ready to go  Recipe for Lemon Curd - Click Here

Biscotti check   Biscotti Recipe Click Here

Wrapped in cellophane (aka 'cooky' chicken-an-oven-bag)

Hamper looking good...

As it's still Summer hot, so kept Fudge in the freezer till it's time.
Fudge Recipe - Click Here

Last minute brainstorm: Herbal Scented, Spicy Vinegar

Super easy, fast, and so darn pretty.  Plus another item in the basket

Scented Salt: Herbal Thyme Salt
Another super fast, great to have on the table and adds an amazing aroma and taste to everything. 
Just ground your favourite DRIED herb, ie Rosemary, Oregano, etc, add to your favourite salt and mix!  Simple!

Now time for the packing....How are we going to do this?

Unrecognizable, very well protected but not from the blasted heat.  Hope the fudge makes it.

Another little 'side' hamper wrapped in a pretty pink home-made bento bag

And inside....

Granola, Mixed Seeds Topping, Apple Conserve, Herbal Vinegar

All delivered!...And me?
Time to treat myself with a Pedicure and Manicure....What colour lacquer? Hot Choco

My toddler son kept touching my toe nails and tasting his fingers...
Yep, 'Hot Choco' Lacquer alright ....

Kale - cooked

Quick before I forget the recipe.

Chopped kale
Green Apples (tarty ones) (i didn't bother to peel)
Vinegar,
Salt
Onions chopped

Fry sliced onions till soft.
Add Kale, add apples, soften.
Add vinegar about 1 to 2 tablespoons.
Salt to taste.
Serve with pomegranite seeds for maximum impact.
Enjoy.

No Pizza-Stone Pizza

Just like in those fancy pizza restaurants....

As I am such a scrooge, I still haven't bought a pizza stone, or is it I can't find the right one?

Anyways, found this ingenious method of making a crispy, thin pizza crust, just like I like it without the *essential* stone.  Kick-start by pan frying!  Then finish by grilling in the oven.  (If you like thick crust I guess baking it would ensure base is well and truly cooked.  Luckily I don't have that issue)
I like mine thin and crispy.

Garnished with torn basil leaves and zarta or is that oregano?
Ingredients

6 cups of white flour

1/2 cup of flax seeds grounded (optional)

2 tbs of yeast

1.5 tbs of salt

Warm water about 2 cups to a sticky dough

Flour/semolina  for dusting

Pizza toppings

Mix all ingredients
Leave to rest.  If I want if after work. I make in the morning.  Leave in fridge to rest.  It still rises in the fridge. Take out when I return home.  Let it warm to room temperature and the dough is ready to go.
Source Recipe for dough

Gordon Ramsey No Stone Pizza Idea Link : @ 9:02 in clip
Am checking if this dough is freezable will update later.
Update, Frozen dough used a few days later were very convenient and very tasty.

Turn grill on.
Prepare and have ready toppings:
Aubergine anti-pasti; mozzarella; mushrooms; tomatoes; fresh/dried herbs; anchovies; procured meats; sausages; grated mature yellow cheese; spring onions etc.,

Knock out air and cut small ball out and roll to the desired thickness of pizza dough, dusting with flour or semolina.  I like it super thin which I found pretty hard to get to.  If you like it thick then don't bother rolling, just press with fingers and hand into shape.

07.22: Spray oil on to cold frying pan. 

Do not heat. Roll dough thinly on baking paper. 

Flip onto a cold pan. 

Then heat till done. F

lip onto another side. Whilst still cooking on medium/low heat, starting filling topping on top. 

Place in oven under Grill till done!

Here is Spelt dough: 
500 gr Spelt (70%)
2 tsp of active yeast
250 ml of water
2 tbps Date syrup _ mix with yeast
2 tsp of salt
Knead 5 mins - Rest 1 hour or double in size.
Knead again. Roll and top.

Anyways, heat a frying pan with a little oil, when hot carefully place the rolled-out pizza dough inside.  On high heat, cook till large bubbles start to form, brown then flip and brown the other side.
When the pizza dough is nice and crispy and still on the heat (you can lower the heat if you want more time to put the toppings on)
Add the toppings fast.  Warning, put less base sauce than needed.  I found a little less prevents a soggy crust.
Then transfer the pan with pizza from the stove to the already hot grill.
Grill to nice and crispy done.
Needless to say this is GREAT with just good olive oil and zatar too.


Serve with torn greens such as rocket.

Could the sliced tomatoes be soggifying the pizza crust???

Toppings (pic below):

No sliced tomatoes and you know what? No soggy middle!
mix of grated tomatoes with bit of ketchup around the edges of the crust.

Mushrooms,  Courgettes, Eggplant (post grilled) Pastrami, Rosemary, Oregano, Spring Onions

Mozzarella

Home made tomato base : Cook chopped tomatoes with chopped garlic, salt and pepper.  Cook till the sauce is thick and 'reduced'.
Home made pesto base: Whiz in blender, walnuts, basil, garlic, salt and olive oil.



Garnished with spring onions and rosemary

Update: Pizza upgrade - meat eaters, (lachman-jun style)



Fry ground beef with onions, season with soya and worchestershire sauce.
Top with chop corriander, and tomatoes.

Note:  Top with meat AFTER pizza base comes out of the oven.
Otherwise the meat gets dry if baked.

 Baby loved it!

Just gets better and better.

Who needs tomato-based sauce?  Only had basil pesto and guess what?  It was DELICIOUS!

Friend said she doesn't like pesto but this was divine.

For those wondering:
basil pesto; cherry tomatoes; fresh mozzarella;  mushrooms; anchovies; red onions; mixed baby salad leaves; black sesame seeds.
Looking at this pic. I somehow imagine prawns would make this totally decadent, which, could be a good thing....

Too good.....

Ain't nothing better than home-made pizza with good friends and their children...doing all the work, having fun making their own!



Below, homemade spelt pizza crust after the frying pan, cooled and bagged into the freezer for a quick, healthy pizza at home.

Took frozen spelt crust out and topped as usual - Came out a treat

Elves Gluten free bread (OLD)

 Old Recipe

 Ingredients:

1 cup / 135g sunflower seeds Pumpkin seeds
½ cup / 90g flax seeds whole or ground
1 cup hazelnuts or/and almonds or/and walnuts, whatever nuts you have.
1 ½ cups / 145g rolled oats (I use 'instant' slightly grounded, you can choose rolled oats)
2 Tbsp. chia seeds (optional)
4 Tbsp. psyllium seed husks (3 Tbsp. if using psyllium husk powder) Psyllium-husk explained

1 tsp. fine grain sea salt (add ½ tsp. if using coarse salt)
2 Tbps Date syrup (leave out if adding dried fruit)
3 Tbps of olive oil/coconut oil
4 Tbps of desiccated coconut (optional)
1/3 cup of cranberries
1/3 cup of Uzbekistan raisins

1 1/4 cups / 320ml water - pat/shape with wet fingers

Note: On occasions, I had forgotten to add date syrup, or oil, or desiccated coconut and have not noticed it in the end result.  Neither taste nor structure seemed to be affected, so feel free to experiment and find your perfect combination!

Source Recipe - Click Here
A version of this bread recipe was also given to me by my Chinese doctor who took so good care of me and guided me throughout my chemotherapy. Thank you David 💚

Method:

• Mix all dry ingredients together. See tip below
• Mix wet ingredients together.
• Add and mix well.
• Shape into a loaf tin
• Leave to set/rest overnight for the loaf to firm and solidify.
• Bake at 180 for 30 mins, middle shelf. Check firmness, it should be able to stand alone out of the tin and continue to bake uncovered, till brown all around. 
  Remember to turn again to evenly brown and crisp up on all sides.  It's done when tapped it sounds hollow.

It's nicer when the loaf has an all-around golden-brown crust.

Option 2: 

You can choose to blitz the dry ingredients in a food processor to produce a more homogenized bread.
When doing this version,  I like to add a few full nuts to 'break' the pattern as it's always pleasing to see a full servered walnut, almond or hazelnut.

TIP 1: I do not use a bowl. Everything is thrown in a clean nylon bag, (dry ingredients first) and mixed by massaging the bag from the outside. Keeps hands clean and minimum dishwashing!

Leave to cool.
TIP 2:  Semi freeze or refrigerate overnight till baked bread is firm enough to cut thinly without crumbling.  (I found a long serrated cheese knife with holes does the best job.)


To maximize oven space I make two loaves at a time, one sweet with cranberries and raisins Another with nuts and without dried fruits for a plainer more traditional "bread" but still with nutritious wonder.

Freezing:
This bread is great for freezing. For best results, slice thinly BEFORE placing in the freezer.

Note this 'dough' can also be rolled out and flattened to make awesome crackers!

It is very impressive looking and goes great with any homemade cheese (see easy cheese recipe)
I love it with cashew or almond cheese looks great and tastes divine!

This bread will regulate your bowels, even if you were not having problems, it does wonders. It kept me all during my chemotherapy and I have no doubt did other wonders in my body as it fought against Cancer as well as healing with and from the chemo.

Older recipe versions

First blog GF recipe