Christmas Cakes and Christmas Pudding Time HOHOHO

The Christmas decorations have been in the shops since August so it must be time to think of Christmas cooking.  
Every year I re-stock my bottles of dried fruit and soak them in Bundy Rum ready for my early November baking.  I was a bit slow this year but the cakes and puddings are done and look delicious.  I tried not to inhale whilst I was cooking - the aroma of rum soaked cooking was definitely in the air!

So here are the links to our favourite Christmas cake and pudding recipes
Turn on the Christmas carols and dance around the kitchen!
Enjoy and hohoho ! Colleen


http://feedyourinnercook.blogspot.com/2013/12/christmas-cake-nearly-as-good-as-nans.html




http://feedyourinnercook.blogspot.com/2013/12/very-steamy-dreamy-christmas-pudding.html
   




Cheers!  Colleen

Is it really bread? Keto low carb bread rolls

If you follow a low carb or Keto diet, one thing that you may crave/miss is bread.  A lot of the alternates taste very eggy and number 2 son is not a fan. These bread rolls actually taste like wholemeal rolls.  In addition to tasting like bread they are super easy to make.
Winner all round!

I found them on Diet Doctor Bread Roll recipe So give them a try and let us know what you think.

Ingredients

5 Tablespoons (level) Ground Psyllium Husk

1 1/4 cups almond flour (available now in supermarkets)

2 Teaspoon baking powder

1 Teaspoon salt

2 Teaspoon cider vinegar

3 egg whites

1 cup just boiled water (I did not use the entire cup)

Sesame seeds to sprinkle on top

Method

Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius

Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl

Add vinegar and egg whites to dry ingredients and stir to combine

With a hand mixer add the hot water, (only sufficient to make a "play dough" consistency), only beat for apporx 30 seconds no longer or dough will be tough.

Grease an oven tray

With moist hands form into 6 patties and place on tray.

Sprinkle the top with sesame seeds

Bake in the middle rack for 50 -55 minutes, until the bottom of the role sounds hollow if tapped.

Eggs benny here we come!

Mamma Marmalade

Chickpea Pasta with mushrooms, spinach and Passata

I have been away from my house, my pantry and my lovely oven for a few months.  It has been a challenge to create nutritious interesting meals in a tiny kitchen with few utensils and limited fridge space.  

I stumbled across these new pasta products made from chickpeas and lentils. Naturally Wilbur was super excited to try these out.  This is not an advertisement - I purchased the products as I was keen to experiment as I quite liked Soyaroni pasta which sadly seems to have been discontinued. 

Packet directions recommend cooking chickpea pasta for 7 to 9 minutes.  Mine needed at least another 5 minutes.  Even with the additional cooking time it was still quite firm.  I also feel that it needs a very strong flavoured sauce to balance the sturdy taste of the chickpea.  I would try again and am keen to try the red lentil packet later on.

It is encouraging to see producers offering alternatives to wheat based staples so I will keep exploring and testing the options increasingly available. So, check out what's new at your grocer and try something different.  Happy exploring!    Cheers. Colleen

 

Ingredients    adjust volumes for number of people you are feeding

250 gram Chickpea casarecce shaped pasta    serves 3 to 4

onion - diced
garlic - crushed
splash olive oil
mushrooms
zucchini - diced
black olives - sliced
splash red wine (optional)
Anchovy fillets (optional)
baby spinach leaves
pinch dried chilli flakes
teaspoon Pesto (optional)
herbs roughly chopped -  eg -  rosemary, parsley, basil
Premade Passata
grated Parmesan cheese
pepper to taste 

Method
cook the pasta according to packet directions but taste and cook longer until tender.
Gently heat the oil and fry the onions and add garlic.
Add the zucchini, mushrooms, anchovies and dried herbs and stir to soften
Splash in the wine followed by the passata and allow to simmer
Finish with the the olives and soft herbs and pesto.
Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
Should be ready about same time as pasta.

Drain the pasta really well and stir into the passata sauce.
Serve topped with extra basil leaves and a scattering of Parmesan.

Enloy!  Colleen