Tahini Bread Rolls

As promised, here is the recipe for these tasty tahini bread rolls. I use these to make little burgers with my chicken or veggie patties and herb mayo (recipe to come) or as a side for a meal and they are great!! You can alter them slightly to create sweet or savoury rolls but this recipe is for a simple versatile bun.

Equipment

- Glass bowl
- Measuring spoons and cups
- Baking paper
- Baking tray

Ingredients

- 1/3 cup + 1Tbsp hulled tahini
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 Tbsp almond butter
- 1 Tbsp honey (can use other sweetener)

Optional extras:
- Sesame seeds
- herbs (chives, parsley)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F.
2. Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix with a spoon until evenly combined.
**The textre should be quite thick and sticky
3. Line oven tray with baking paper.
4. Use a spoon to scoop your dough into desired amounts and position on baking paper to allow space for expanding.
5. Sprinkle some herbs and sesame seeds onto the top of the bun.
6. Place in oven for 15 minutes. Check to see if they are cooked. If not, cook for no longer than 5 more minutes.
7. Allow to cool before serving or just eat hot. Either way is fine :)

Pretty quick and easy to prepare. I have experimented with unhulled tahini as well as other nut butters but it doesn't work. The buns crumble and fall apart. I have also used more honey and added some berries to make a sweet snack and these have worked well. Experiment and have fun making new snacks. You can also make pretzels by rolling out the dough into thin strips and cooking. Go experiment and see what you can come up with.

Coco(a)-nut Slice

After something healthy and naughty? Then this coco(a)-nut slice is perfect for you. Packed full of healthy fats in the nuts and coconut oil, this is a must try for your next gathering, or just your go-to snack for those sweet tooth cravings. Who'd believe this raw vegan goody is low starch (caocoa powder can be starchy), dairy free and sweetener free?

Equipment:

Processor
Baking paper
Rolling pin

Ingredients:

1/2 cup almonds

1/2 cup macadamias

6 medjool dates

1 Tbs cocoa or cacao powder

2 tsp coconut flour

2 tsp coconut oil  + 2 tsp coconut oil

1/4 cup shredded coconut + 1/4 cup shredded coconut

Method:

1. Place nuts in the processor until it creates a flour like consistency.

2. Add dates and process until all dates and nuts are evenly mixed and mixture sticks together upon pressing with fingers

3. Add cocoa powder and coconut flour and process for 5-10 seconds to combine

4. Add coconut oil and pulse for about 5 seconds to combine

5. Add shredded coconut and pulse for about 3-5 seconds. We don't want the coconut over processed or it will become desiccated, which isn't the goal.

6. Check consistency again. The mixture should stick well when pressed with fingers against the edge of the processor.

7. Place mixture between two sheets of baking paper and roll out flat. Fold the sides over to create square edges and continue to roll and fold several times in each direction until you have a square of even thickness

8. Place shredded coconut and coconut oil into processor and pulse a couple times to break up and combine the shredded coconut with the oil.

9. Place mixture onto your slice and spread out to cover the top

10. Place baking paper back on slice and lightly roll over the slice to gently press the coconut into the slice to allow better sticking

11. Place in freezer for approximately 20minutes or until solid.

12. Take out and cut into pieces. Keep in freezer or refrigerator until served

**To be honest I don't know the shelf life for this recipe as it has never lasted long enough before being devoured, but it should keep for at least 5 days in the refrigerator and longer in the freezer.

Veggie Patties

The first time I created these bad boys it was a complete experiment using leftover ingredients in my fridge. The leaves weren't going to last another day and I didn't want them to go to waste, so I threw a bunch of things into the blender and adjusted as necessary to get the right consistency. And there was born the ultimate AS friendly veggie pattie. Gluten/Grain free, dairy free, starch free, wholesome goodness in a pattie. Now whenever my lettuces are on the way out, I throw them into the blender and create patties then eat them or freeze them for another day.

This recipe contains garlic which is said to be quite starchy, however whenever I have tested garlic I have found it to show no traces of starch. If you don't have any iodine to test your garlic and want to err on the side of caution, you can leave it out of the recipe and the patties will still taste great.

Equipment:

Blender or Processor

Pan

Glass bowl

Spoon

Egg flip

Spatula

Tongs

Paper towel

Ingredients:

2 cups roquette (arugula)

1 cup baby spinach

1-2 cloves garlic (more if you love garlic)

1/2 brown onion

handful of fresh herbs - coriander, chives, basil, parsley

1tsp dried oregano (I don't have fresh but you can use fresh)

1/2 tsp salt (optional)

1 Tbs chia seeds

1 egg

1 cup linseed/flaxseed meal

1/4 cup lupin flour

Oil for cooking (I use olive oil)

Method:

1. Place all ingredients except the linseed meal and lupin flour into a blender or processor. Process thoroughly until all ingredients are blended together. This mixture should be quite wet.

2. Pour mixture into a bowl and add your linseed meal then mix well. Then add your flour and mix together until it has absorbed any excess liquid. The mixture should be quite firm now but still a little wet to touch.

3. Roll mixture into balls, depending on the size of the patties you would like. A bit smaller than a golf ball should be fine for a small burger.

4. Heat oil in your pan to medium heat. There should be enough oil in the pan to cover the bottom and be about 5mm deep. We are shallow frying the patties.

**While the oil is heating it is a good idea to stir it occasionally to ensure an even temperature throughout the oil.

5. Once the oil is hot enough, place about 4 balls into the pan. They should have enough room to be pressed into a pattie without touching. Immediately use the egg flip to press down onto the patties, making them flat.

6. Allow to cook for 3-5mins (depending on size and oil temperature) then flip and repeat.

7. Once cooked on both sides, use tongs to remove the patties from the pan, allow excess oil to drip off, then place on a plate with paper towel to absorb any remaining oil.

**You can place the patties in the oven to cook more if they are not cooked enough upon testing. You can also do this if you would like to keep them warm during the frying process or to reheat and serve.

So, there you have it. Healthy AS friendly veggie patties. You can serve them with sauce or dip or alternatively they can be used in a burger.

Have fun experimenting with different herbs, ingredients and accompaniments.

AS Angel

Lupin & Linseed Loaf

Craving a savoury bread is quite a challenge to overcome when you are not eating grains of any kind. Commercial gluten free breads are filled with nasties that often make the bread worse for us than their glutenous counterparts. And those breads that don't have other grains are generally nut or coconut flour based. Those with nut allergies can't have it or the bread is too sweet.

I decided to create a savoury bread that would hopefully have the ability to be toasted without crumbling to pieces. So here it is, my lupin and linseed loaf.

Lupins are part of the legume family. They are high in protein, dietary fibre and antioxidants, making them a great alterniatve to wheat in cooking. Although they are part of the legume family, they contain negligible amounts of trypsin inhibitors (known to interefere with digestion) often found in other legumes. Studies of Australian sweet lupins have revealed they suppress appetite, low the glycemic load of carbohydrate based foods and improve bowel health, just to note a few benefits. And for those following a Starch free diet, lupins are completely devoid of starch.

Linseeds (aka flax seeds) are high in dietary fibre as well as Omega-3 fatty acids. Paired with lupin flour it is full of healthy and tasty ingredients, that makes it a winner all around.

Equipment:

- Glass bowl
- Sieve
- Bread loaf tin
- Wire cooling rack
- Wooden spoon

Ingredients:

- 1 cup lupin flour
- 1 cup linseed meal
- 1 Tbs baking soda
- 1 tsp dried chives
- 1 Tbs Himalayan pink salt
- 4 eggs (small-medium in size)
- 1.5-2 Tbs honey
- 1 Tbs coconut oil

- spare coconut oil or butter

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 150°C/300°F.

2. Sift lupin flour and baking soda into a bowl with the linseed meal. Add dried chives and salt and whisk together until even combined.

3. Add remaining ingredients and combine using a spoon until evenly mixed.

4. Grease the loaf tin with coconut oil or butter to prevent the mixture from sticking during cooking.

5. Place mixture into the loaf pan and smooth out as much as possible. The mixture is quite thick so this may take a minute. Place in the oven for 45-50 mins.

6. Check if it is cooked by sticking a skewer through the middle of the loaf. The skewer should come out clean. If not, put back in for another 5 minutes and check again.

7. Take out of the oven and remove loaf from the tin. I usually do this using an egg flip to separate from the sides and bottom (in case a little bit got stuck). Place the loaf onto the cooling rack to cool.

*At this stage the sides of the loaf should feel slightly hard. They should harden a little more as it cools. If you want it a little harder you can put the loaf back in the over as is for 5 minutes.

Serve with a spread of toppings of your choice. I have used jams as well as toasted it under the grill topped with ham and cheese. It's completely up to you. You can try adding other herbs to use as a savoury side to a meal or you can use sweeter ingredients (perhaps add some soft fruit) to make a sweet bread.

Have fun experimenting with different flavours. Post a comment to let me know how it turns out.