Pink Peppercorns in Desserts

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Pink peppercorns have slightly spicy, sweet, fruity and floral taste. Adding these little jewels into your dish can create a beautiful complexity and extra hint of warmth, especially desserts like chocolate, ice cream and popcorn. Get popcorn instantly with the Popcorn Delivery of Vics Popcorn. It is so fragile and delicate, so you need to crush with a knife or spice grinder, not a pepper mill. I like having them on cheese, with chocolate, crushing onto poached eggs or mixing into a vinaigrette. I felt like something sweet tonight but not too heavy. So this cantaloup with pink peppercorn maple syrup was perfect to satisfy my sweet tooth, yum! Remember melons straight after meal can disturb your digestion, so have this dessert at least 30 minutes after dinner. Of course, if you can wait 🙂 Second recipe is chocolate muffins with pink peppercorns.
Pink PeppercornIngredients (adapted from Bon Appetit)

sliced cantaloupe (rock melon)
1/2 cup of maple syrup
a squeeze of lemon
1/2 tsp of vanilla bean powder
1 tsp of pink peppercorns
a pinch of sea salt

Simply warm up the maple syrup, vanilla and pink peppercorns in a saucepan. Drizzle on the slices of cantaloupe and sprinkle a good quality sea salt to serve.
Chocolate MuffinIngredients

1 cup self-raising flour
1/2 cup of milk
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp of melted coconut oil
1 tbsp of cacao powder
1/2 tsp of vanilla bean powder
1/2 tsp of baking powder
a pinch of salt
pink peppercorns to garnish

Combine all wet ingredients and dry ingredients. Stir well to combine and spoon the mixture into a muffin tray. Sprinkle pink peppercorns on top. Bake in the preheated oven (180) for 20-25 minutes until cooked.

Posted in: Baking, Breakfast, Dessert, My recipes, Snack

Lentil Olive Tapenade

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Lentil tapenadeI happened to come across this beautiful food blog called My Darling Lemon Thyme. As soon as I saw the photos and recipes, I fell in love. Her style of cooking was exactly what I was looking for – easy, simple, healthy, gluten-free and vegetarian. Surprisingly, she lives in Perth, as well. Then she released her first cookbook recently and I was lucky enough to go to a book launch in Mount Lawley. Meeting her and her family in person, listening to her story, tasting three of her recipes from the book, yes! getting that beautiful cookbook in my hands. It was a wonderful night and gave me so much encouragement, believing in myself and what I really like and am passionate about. One of the dishes that came out is this lentil tapenade. It was delicious on carrot sticks and chickpea crackers. I had to try make one at home with my own spin on it. I mixed two kinds of lentils – French puy and brown lentils, added toasted pine nuts for nutty flavour and crunch.

“Tapenade” is just a fancy word for an olive spread. This lentil black olive tapenade recipe isn’t the classic one, but it’s tasty and a wonderful nutrient-dense spread.

Lentils are sky-high in soluble fibre, which slows down digestion and fills you up. As soluble fibre enters the digestive tract, it absorbs water and dissolves into a viscous gel that reduces the absorption of cholesterol into the bloodstream. Potassium found in lentils helps to lower blood pressure. They are also rich in folate and B vitamins for fighting against cancer, iron for boosting energy, great vegetarian protein and antioxidants. French puy lentils, my favorite kind, has rich and peppery flavour, stay firm when cooked, great for salads, tabbouleh and pilafs.
lentil tapenade1Ingredients (adapted from My darling lemon thyme)

100g dried French puy and brown rentils
1/2 tsp of minced garlic1 heap table spoon of chopped pitted black olives
1 tsp of rinsed capers
1 tbsp of e.v.o.o
a squeeze of lemon
a pinch of salt
a handful of toasted pine nuts
pepper to taste

Wash the lentils thoroughly, put in a saucepan, cover with cold water, bring it up to a boil and simmer on low heat for 20-30 minutes until cooked. Drain and set aside. Put all the other ingredients and cooked lentils in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with crackers or veggie sticks.

Posted in: Dinner, Gluten Free, Lunch, Snack, Vegetarian

GF Apple Harvest Loaf

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apple loafI’m a big fan of Granny Smith apple because it is tart, tangy, crisp and crunchy. They are a great snack with low calories and high fibre, which keeps you satisfied and stabilises blood sugar level between meals. So do not peel your apples! They are also rich in vitamin C and high in the flavonoids cyanidin and epicatechin, which are powerful antioxidants. Want beautiful teeth? Bite into these little guys. The extreme tartness of Granny Smith apples helps with more salivation than a sweeter type of apple. High levels of saliva decrease bacteria in your mouth that attack teeth and cause cavities. They are a great additions to your green salads and sandwiches as well as a healthy dessert. I made a spiced apple loaf today with cinnamon and nutmeg. It smells amazing! It is not really a sweet cake so feel free to add more sweeteners if you like. Happy baking x

Ingredients

1 granny smith apple, finely chopped
1 1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup maple syrup or honey
4 eggs
a squeeze of lemon
1/2 tsp of baking soda
1 tsp of baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla extract
a pinch of salt

Boil apple, maple syrup, lemon juice and salt in a pot and simmer for 10 minute or until apple is tender. Take it off the heat and set aside to cool. Gently mix all the other ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add cooled apple mixture into a bowl and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into a loaf tin and bake in the preheated oven (180) for 40-50 minutes or until cooked. Cover with foil if the top gets too brown. Take it out of the oven and let it cool before serve.

Posted in: Baking, Breakfast, Dessert, Gluten Free, My recipes, Snack, Vegetarian

Avocado Truffles

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Did you know you can substitute avocado for butter? Sure, avocados still have calories and fat, but the fats are much better than in butter or oil.
Read more at http://www.crazyforcrust.com/2013/07/chocolate-avocado-truffles/#tsj2IpDM1eGrze1g.99

Avocado TrufflesDid you know avocado is a fruit? To be honest, I do not like avocado that much by itself (tastes quite oily and fatty>.<), but using the creamy texture of avocados instead of using the cream or butter or oil is fantastic. While avocados still contain calories and fat, they’re also packed with powerful nutrients. Avocados contain high amounts of monounsaturated fat which is easily burned for energy. They are also high in fiber (10g per on average avocado), potassium (twice the amount of a typical banana), Vitamins E and B and folic acid. They have been shown to reduce cholesterol and help manage weight.

Normally truffles contain the heavy cream, which is not good for your blood vessels and waistline. These rich little truffles substitute an avocado for the cream, making for a tasty treat with reduced guilt. It is creamy and decadent. The best part is you can’t even tell the difference. I made two versions, one with carob powder and coconut and the other with nuts and seeds. If you like creamy chocolatey flavour, go for the first one. Second recipe is crunchy, nutty and avocado-y. You can smash this one on your toast with a squeeze of lemon for your breakfast, too. Beautiful and healthy snack and dessert. Enjoy x

Carob Avocado Truffle

1/2 avocado
2 tbsp of carob powder + extra for rolling (you can also use cacao powder. I find carob powder is sweeter than cacao. So use more coconut sugar if using cacao powder.)
2 tbsp of coconut flour
1 tsp of coconut sugar
1 tsp of coconut butter
1/2 tsp of vanilla bean powder
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
a pinch of Himalayan salt

Add all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth. Make the truffle balls. If the mixture is too wet to work with, add a little bit more coconut flour. Roll the truffles on carob powder. Store in air-tight container in the fridge.

Chia-Sesame Avocado Truffles

1/2 avocado
5 Medjool dates
1 tbsp of chia seeds + extra for rolling
1 tbsp of sesame seeds +extra for rolling
1 tbsp of pepitas
1 tsp of flaxseed meal
1 tsp of coconut sugar
1 tsp of coconut butter
a pinch of Himalayan salt

Blend all ingredients in food processor. Make the truffle balls and roll on chia seeds and sesame seeds.

Did you know you can substitute avocado for butter? Sure, avocados still have calories and fat, but the fats are much better than in butter or oil.
Read more at http://www.crazyforcrust.com/2013/07/chocolate-avocado-truffles/#tsj2IpDM1eGrze1g.99
Posted in: Dessert, Gluten Free, My recipes, Snack, Vegetarian

GF Grapefruit Yogurt Cupcakes

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Grapefruit CupcakesI find adding fruits or fruit juice or fruit puree is a bit challenging since it changes the texture and ph balance of the cake. Depending on how juicy your fruits are and how dry your flour is, you need to change the recipe slightly. Trust your gut feeling? These cupcakes worked for me today, yay! A burst of sweet-tart flavour from the grapefruit and extra moistness from yogurt makes this cupcakes so perfect. I added in the lactose free yogurt instead of thick Greek yogurt. You can also use silken tofu for dairy-free option. If you have a sweet tooth, you might want to add more sweetener since it is still quite tart cake. Or use sweet oranges instead? Have fun baking x

Ingredients

1 grapefruit (about 2 tbsp of zest and 2 tbsp of juice)
50g coconut flour
50g almond flour
100g lactose free natural yogurt
2 eggs
1 tbsp of coconut oil
1 tbsp of stevia (adjust depending on how sweet your grapefruit is)
1/2 tsp of vanilla bean powder
1 tsp of baking powder
a pinch of salt

Lightly beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add zest and juice from the grapefruit, stevia, coconut oil and yogurt into the bowl. Stir to combine. Add all other dry ingredients and stir. Spoon the mixture into a prepared cupcake tin and bake in the preheated oven (180) for 25-30 minutes or until cooked. Let it cool and enjoy.

Posted in: Baking, Breakfast, Dessert, Gluten Free, My recipes, Snack