Kale and spinach dumplings

Ever craved something italian, but didn't want the refined carb overload that most pasta dishes offer? Try these little green dumplings made with super-for-you kale, spinach and quinoa. You can serve them either naturalmente with a glug of good olive oil and some grated Parmesan cheese; or with a thick, rich tomato sauce. Best of all, the batter can be prepared in advance and kept in the fridge overnight. 

Ingredients
250g sauteed kale
250g steamed and well-drained spinach
1 onion, chopped and sauteed 
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

2 garlic cloves, minced

salt and pepper
110g quinoa flakes
50g-60g grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg white, lightly whisked
1 heaped Tbsp gluten-free or regular flour

Method
1. Place the kale, spinach, onion, garlic, salt, pepper and nutmeg into the bowl of a food processor and process until all the ingredients are finely chopped.
2. Now stir in the quinoa flakes, cheese and egg white.
3. Lastly sift over the flour and mix until just combined.
4. At this point, I usually cover the bowl and leave the mixture in the fridge for a few hours. I find this helpful, as it gives the quinoa flakes time to soak up any excess liquid and the batter is slightly easier to handle.
5. Once you are ready to cook the dumplings, use a colander or steamer insert in a saucepan with some shallow boiling water to steam little spoonfuls of the mixture for roughly 10 minutes. You can brush some olive oil onto the insert to avoid the dumplings from sticking to it. 
6. Serve immediately.

NOTES:
- Make sure you squeeze out as much liquid as possible before weighing your spinach.
- You can use 2 teaspoons to make the dumplings, scraping the batter off the one with the other, or roll each scoop of batter between your hands to make a neat little ball of a dumpling. 

Tomato sauce

For the tomato sauce, sautee 1 chopped onion and a couple of crushed cloves of garlic. Then add some turmeric, freshly ground cumin, salt and pepper, and a large pinch of sweet paprika. Allow the spices to develop some flavour by frying them a little before adding a tin of tomatoes and enough passata to give you a good amount of sauce. Turn the heat down and allow the sauce to simmer for at least an hour (longer if possible), stirring occasionally. Adjust the seasoning (a touch of unrefined sugar or Agave syrup may be necessary) just before serving. 

Peach sorbet with macadamia nut brittle

Stone fruit are having a great year. Lots and lots of flavour, and more than enough sweetness to be eaten on its own for dessert.

But if you have time and don't mind making a little bit of effort (and the weather forecast looks promising), try this peach sorbet.  

Peaches are high in a number of nutrients such as niacin, thiamine, potassium and calcium. They are also high in beta carotene, an antioxidant that converts to Vitamin A, which is essential for healthy hearts and eyes. The darker the peach’s colour, the more Vitamin A it has in its pulp. The antioxidants may also help in maintaining healthy urinary and digestive functions. Peach tea, a brew made from the pits, is known in Eastern cultures to be a kidney cleanser and used in detoxification. Due to their high fibre and potassium content, peaches could also provide relief for stomach ulcers and other digestive issues like colitis and kidney disease.

Ingredients

500g peaches, peeled and stoned

60g / 1/2 cup macadamia nuts, roasted

125ml / 1/2 cup Greek-style natural yoghurt

squeeze of lemon

Agave nectar to taste

Method

1. In a high-speed blender liquidise all the above ingredients. 

2. Chill the sorbet mix in the fridge and then pour into an ice cream maker.

Note: if your blender is not powerful enough to finely grind nuts, consider pushing the mixture through a sieve before freezing.

Macadamia nut brittle

The caramelised nuts really are quite delicious with this sorbet, but feel free to omit them if you are catering for children or looking for a healthy dessert.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1/2 Tbsp Agave nectar

1/2 Tbsp  butter

1/2 cup / 60g macadamia nuts

Method

1. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the sugar, Agave and butter until bubbling.

2. Add the nuts and roast for about 5 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. Keep an eye on the caramel, and remove the pan from the heat as soon as the nuts have started roasting and the caramel has started browning. (I sometimes leave them a little longer, as I am quite partial to burnt caramel.)

3. Pour the nuts and caramel onto an oiled piece of tin foil. Allow to cool, then peel off and break into smaller chunks.

4. Drop the caramelised nuts into the ice cream machine while the ice cream is churning, and set a few aside to sprinkle on top just before serving.

Gosh. More than a year has passed since my last post...
I won't bore you with excuses or throw "my my, how the time has flown" at you.
I'm just happy to be back! :-)
Watch this space...

Sweet potato and corn fritters

The only way to survive maternity leave with a stroppy toddler and a newborn, is to get out of the house as often as possible and preferably meet up with other parents who have the same approach to keeping their sanity in tact (here's to you, Ladies of Brunswick!). The past couple of weeks have finally brought some much longed for summer weather and with it the opportunity for picnics in the park. These little fritters are easy to make and even easier to eat while out and about. They can be prepared in advance and keep well in the fridge for a few days. Kasper loves them with lots of butter and perhaps a slice of cheddar cheese. I prefer them with a smear of honey and a cup of tea, after the kids have gone to bed.

Ingredients
2 cups / 500ml cooked sweet potato, mashed and drained
1 cup / 250ml cooked quinoa
kernels from 1 raw ear of corn
3 eggs, separated
1/2 cup / 125ml flour (I use gluten-free or spelt flour, but regular flour is fine too)
pinch of salt

1 tsp / 5ml baking powder

Method
1.  Mix together the sweet potato, quinoa, corn kernels and egg yolks.
2. Sift in the flour, salt and baking powder and gently fold it into the sweet potato mixture.
3. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form and fold into the fritter mix.
4. Fry tablespoonfuls in a little butter or coconut oil and flip when golden (after a minute or so).

Ideas
- try replacing the sweet potato with mashed butternut squash or use half of each
- add ground toasted coriander and cumin seeds, and chopped fresh coriander to the batter for a more adult version
- omit the sweet corn, and instead add ground cinnamon and a cup of mashed banana