Breakfast is by far my most favourite meal of the day.  It’s the meal that I am always most hungry for, it’s the meal that sets my day and it’s something that I always allow time for.   I am definitely not one of those people who can eat the same thing for breakfast everyday, day in, day out - no way.  I like mixing it up and tend to go through phases, usually directed by what is in season or by what I feel like.

For those of you who know me well I am a huge fan of local food, farmers markets etc.  I drag my two  boys along to our local one at the crack of dawn pretty much every Saturday morning - rail, hail or shine.  Once upon a time the boys would complain, but now on a Friday evening when putting them to bed their last words usually are “see you in the morning for the market”.  It’s music to my ears.

On the weekend I met for the second time this couple who had a selection of hand crafted raw goods on sale.  Swoop I did, and came away with a few packets of their raw crackers  and their version of what I have prepared here.  My mum and I shared it, and with our last mouthful agreed we would have a go at recreating it.    My version uses rice malt syrup meaning it’s not 100% raw but hey, that’s cool because it tastes super yummy and is dairy, gluten and grain free.  It’s not as good as good natured living’s but I don’t have access to them every day so this will have to do for now, and with persimmons coming into season here I will be making this one again some time soon.


Cashew Cream, Spiced Persimmon and Salted Pistachio Crumb
Serves 2 - 3

Cashew Cream

2/3 cup cashews, (soaked for a minimum of 2 hours  or overnight)
1/2 cup coconut water
1/2 Tbs rice malt syrup
Seeds from 1/2 a vanilla bean

Drain the cashews from their soaking water
Place drained cashews in a high speed blender with the coconut water, rice malt syrup and seeds from the vanilla bean
Whiz on high speed until smooth and set aside in a separate bowl

Spiced Persimmon

2 small persimmons (165 gms)
1/2 tsp cinnamon, ground
3 Tbs coconut water

Peel the persimmon and place in a high speed blender along with cinnamon and coconut water.
Whiz until your desired texture ( I like to leave a bit of chunk to mine)

Salted Pistachio Crumb

1/4 cup pistachios
pinch of sea salt

Place the pistachios and sea salt in a mini food processor and whiz until resembles fine crumbs

To Assemble

Spoon cashew cream into a bowl and top with spiced persimmon and pistachio crumb.

It’s been bucketing down here with rain for what seems like weeks now and outdoor plans and activities have been on hold. Each morning we wander if we will ever see the sun again.  On a positive note however, the dull weather has provided some beautiful light for photography and I have enjoyed watching it dance on my subjects as I snap away and learn more with each and every click.  The boys usually join me and think it is funny to help themselves to whatever I am capturing.  Who am I to say “no” when it is something that contains mushrooms, nuts and other yummy things.  Shame they wouldn’t eat it if I put it on a dinner plate for them at 6pm each night.  This mushroom pate exceeded my expectations, is vegan and makes for a yummy afternoon snack.  




Mushroom Pate Pots
Serves 4

1 1/2  Tbs macadamia oil
1 red onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
375gms button mushrooms, quartered


2/3 cups almonds, roasted
1/2 cup cashews, roasted
4 Tbs chives, finely chopped
2 Tbs sage, finely chopped

salt and pepper to season**



Heat the macadamia oil in a large frying pan over medium heat
Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft
Increase the heat slightly and add the mushrooms and cook until soft and most of the liquid has evaporated
Remove from the stove top and allow to cool
Meanwhile place the almonds and cashews in the bowl of a food processor and whiz until finely chopped
Add the cooled mushrooms, herbs and whiz all together until your desired texture
Season with salt and pepper ** ( i used a combination of white and black pepper and some truffle salt and it was perfect! - just remember to taste)
Place in the fridge for a  little while to chill and serve as you wish.

Below is one of a zillion photos I have taken in the last couple of weeks.  With a new venture in the pipe line I am slowly collating what I need to make it happen.  I just wish I wasn’t one of those people who wants everything yesterday. Can you relate?

 Loving the little shot of purple (stolen from my neighbours garden - sorry) in this photos. With the weather having been as such it is quite possibly the brightest thing I have seen in weeks.

These little cupcakes constitute what I would regard a worthwhile indulgence and they are both grain and gluten free.


Chocolate Coconut Cupcakes
Adapted from Comfy Belly
Makes 12

Dry Ingredients

1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 cacao powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 Tbs pecan meal

Wet Ingredients

1 Tbs olive oil
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup brown rice syrup
+
1/3 cup chocolate (70%), roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 185 degrees celcius
Line a cupcake tray with patty papers
Combine the dry ingredients in a medium size bowl and use a whisk to mix together
In another bowl combine the wet ingredients and whisk together
Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix together with a spatula to combine
Add the chopped chocolate and mix again
Spoon a heaped tablespoon of mixture into each cupcake liner
Bake for 20mins or until a skewer when inserted comes out clean
Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack

For the Frosting

250 gm block cream cheese, softened
1 heaped Tbs of honey*
Juice of half a lemon

Beat all the ingredients together until combined and smooth
Adjust the sweetness if you wish
Transfer mixture into a piping bag with your chosen nozel and pipe away

* If the frosting seems a little soft then put it in the fridge for a little while to firm up then pipe.

I have had this on my list for some time now.  In fact there is a couple at our local farmers market who make and sell a version which is how I first discovered it.  The fact that it was delicious meant I couldn’t not know how to make this so I started to search the internet where I found quite a few to choose from.  Most of them seemed ok but I decided to go with one created by Robyn from Girl on Raw.  I became familiar with her work a little while ago via one of the Raw Cafes not far from us.  Also the fact that there is also an aussie connection probably swayed me as well.

Some points to note with this tart is that it needs to be sliced whilst frozen and taste as you go to ensure you create something to your palate.  Add more or less sweetener or lime juice as you desire.   The same applies to the dates in the base.  Just make sure it is sticking together nicely.  I also think some dried cranberries or sour cherries would make a nice addition to the base as well.  I garnished the tart with dehydrated limes because I could.  It just added something a little bit extra and I made double the recipe.  It was perfect for a 22cm springform pan.




For the Base

½ cup almonds
½ sunflower seeds
½ cup pumpkin seeds
½ cup shredded coconut
10 pitted fresh dates (judge this as you go as to whether you require more or less)
6 Tbs coconut oil

Place all the ingredients into the bowl of a food processor with the S blade attached and whiz until crumbly and sticky
When happy with the consistency press the mixture into the base of a springform pan that has been lightly oil and lined with a piece of glad wrap
Place in the freezer whilst you attend to the filling

Tart Filling

4 ripe avocados ( i like the hass variety but any would be fine)
2/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
4 Tbs agave
4 Tbs coconut oil
1 tsp xantham gum

Place all the ingredients into a blender and whiz and smooth
Adjust the flavours to your palate
Pour the mixture into the springform pan
Place in the freezer until set (this may vary depending on freezer)

To serve:

Remove from the freezer10 mins prior to serving
Use the glad wrap to help with lifting it from the base of the springform tin
Slice using a wet knife

The mercury is starting to rise and on the weekend we welcomed the return of the juicer from the depths of the cupboard.  It was greeted by two cheering boys, a punnet of strawberries,  fennel and a few other bit and bobs.  I only got a mouthful of this thanks to two greedy boys who decided to help themselves whilst I was photographing but I have managed to make it again since.  I love it with lots of mint and on one occasion I added some lemon but as I always say make it your own - add more strawberries, bump up the apple for extra sweetness or downsize on the mint, if you wish, then savour and enjoy.

Strawberry and Fennel Juice
Serves 2 greedy boys in this instance

1 x 250gm punnet strawberries
1 large apple or 2 smalls
1/3 of a medium size fennel
1/2 lebanese cucumber
1 small zuchinni
a handful of mint leaves

Wash and prepare the above ingredients
 Juice according to your juicers instructions.
Then add some ice cubes for some chill factor.

Perfect!

I am currently delving in a grain free way of eating and whilst i am not planning on adopting this way of eating wholeheartedly I am really enjoying getting creative with it none the less and improving my knowledge whilst doing so.

When i first came across grain free eating a couple of years ago my first thought was - What! The next thought was - what do you eat then? My what now feels like an uneducated reaction, was probably driven by the fact that I love bread and not having bread in my life is a thought I don't care to have after all I have done countless artisan bread making courses and i do believe there is nothing more beautiful on a Sunday morning for breakfast than a couple of slices of crusty freshly baked grainy sourdough lathered in something? Anyone else out there with me?

Well for the purpose of my own personal growth and development I am putting my love affair with grains aside for the time being and focussing on choosing and making more grain free choices and less of the latter and guess what - I am really enjoying it and can now probably say that I could live without wholewheat bread if i had to. The thing that i am enjoying most is that i feel "clean" after i eat a grain free meal. Make sense to anyone else out there?

I have also been doing some additional research and I have great hope that this way of eating could really benefit my fertility patients who deal with infertility as a consequence of their auto immune disease. Lets hope!!!





The following recipe Buckwheat Bread for One is adapted from Grain Free Living. Venture on over to check out more grain free recipes when you get a chance. I found it to be a wonderful resource full of practical information.

Gravalax, Lemon Zucchini and Buckwheat Bread
Serves 1

Lemon Zuchinni:


1 large zuchinni or 2 small
Juice of half lemon
Splash of olive oil
salt and peper

Slice 1 large zuchinni into strips using a vegetable peeler
Place in a bowl and add the juice of half a lemon, splash of olive oil, salt and pepper
Place in the fridge until ready to use.

Buckwheat Bread
Adapted from Grain Free Living

1 heaped Tbs buckwheat flour
1 heaped Tbs potato flour/starch
1 heaped Tbs besan (chickpea) flour
pinch of sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tspn vinegar (apple cider) or lemon juice
1 tsp olive oil
Approx 1/4 cup of almond milk or enough to make a thick creamy batter


Whisk the flours, salt and baking soda together to remove any lumps
Whisk in the almond milk to make a fairly thick mixture (something that resembles thick pourable cream)
Add the vinegar and olive oil, combine well (the mixture will thicken and get bubbles)
Heat a frying pan over medium heat
Lightly spray pan with oil or melt some ghee if you have it
Pour all the mixture into the pan to make one medium sized pancake
Cook until bubbles appear and the pancake is nicely browned
Flip and cook the other side.

To assemble:

2 - 3 slices of Gravlax (Smoked Salmon)
1/4 avocado sliced into wedges
Small amount of greens if desired such as your choice of herbs or micro-greens

Place the pancake bread on a plate
Top with zucchini salad, slices of gravlax and choice of greens
Add wedges of avocado (if you wish)
Spoon lemon juice that remains in the bowl from the zucchini over the top
Season with cracked black pepper