Mango Coulis

A coulis is a thick sweet sauce made from fruits that have been cooked, blended and optionally strained. Making a coulis is quite simple as it is only three ingredients, fruit, sugar and lemon or lime juice; and can be used as a topping or a sauce for a variety of foods such as on yoghurt, ice cream, cakes and toast. I made a lime cheesecake and decided that a mango coulis would be the perfect tangy finish to this cheesecake's subtle citrus flavour. I had enough leftover to spoon over Greek yoghurt and the rest was happily added to a curry sauce. 

Mango Coulis

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400 to 600g mango - fresh or frozen

juice of 1 small lime or lemon

30g (1 1/2 tablespoons) caster sugar 

Cook all three ingredients on low to medium heat in a medium saucepan, for about 15 minutes or until soft. Remove from heat and allow to cool down for 5 minutes. Using an hand held (immersion) blender, blend until very smooth. You could also strain through a mesh sieve instead of blending however a hand blender saves time. 

Once smooth and blended, taste and adjust the sweetness if you wish and if  the sauce is too thick, add a teaspoon of water, at a time, until the desired consistency is reached. 

Allow to cool down then transfer to a jar or container with a tight seal. Keep in the refrigerator for a week. 

Hope everyone's week has been a good one. It's been heavily overcast with a few showers here and there although plenty of sunshine for the weekend! - JD 

Food Photo of the Day ~ Fruit and Yoghurt Toast

 

This is quick way to put everything on one plate while keeping it nutritious. Toast, lightly buttered or not, smothered in plain Greek yoghurt, a medley of mixed fruit, whether it be fresh or thawed frozen, a dash of cinnamon and a fine sprinkling of shredded coconut. This breakfast certain keeps one going and is absolutely delicious! 

Hope everyone is warm and well. - JD  

Chia Seed Pudding

I have had chia pudding on occasion and even added chia seeds to my morning oatmeal but never really made it into a pudding at home. It has an interesting texture, for sure, nothing more than what tapioca or rice pudding may offer. With a few simple ingredients you can have a delightful dessert or breakfast.     

Chai Seed Pudding with Fruit

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makes about 4 servings

1 cup (250ml) milk or almond milk

1/4 cup (60ml) chia seeds

2 teaspoons (10ml) honey or maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon (2ml) vanilla extract

plain Greek yoghurt or coconut milk yoghurt

fresh or frozen fruit

In a bowl mix together the chia seeds, almond milk, honey and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Once the pudding has set overnight, spoon pudding into dessert bowls and top with fruit and yoghurt; or you may serve in layers: pudding, fruit, pudding and top with fruit and yoghurt, if you wish to serve it that way.

Notes: I used frozen mangos chunks and blueberries, as that is all I had on hand. You could sauté fruit in brown sugar and cinnamon and allow to cool before serving with the pudding however I really like having tart fruit to top this pudding. You could also toast some coconut or slivered almond to sprinkle over top, if you wish.  

Hope everyone is doing well. - JD 

Yoghurt Cake with Red Currants

This classic French style yoghurt cake is pure simplicity and the red currants give a lovely tartness to this velvety lemon cake. Fantastic with or without the berries.       

Yoghurt Cake with Red Currants

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1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup plain yoghurt 

3/4 cup caster sugar

3 large eggs

1/2 cup canola oil

grated lemon zest from 1 lemon

1 cup fresh red currants

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease and flour a loaf tin and line the bottom with baking parchment paper.

In a bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine the yoghurt, sugar, 3 eggs, oil and lemon zest. Whisk until smooth and well blended. 

Add the flour mixture to the yoghurt mixture and stir until the batter is smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin and scatter the red currants generously on top.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the edges are pale gold colour and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the loaf. 

Allow to cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes in the tin; then remove from the tin and allow to cool completely on the wire rack before serving.     

Notes: if you can not find red currants try other berries such as blackberries, raspberries, or blueberries.

Hope everyone is having a good week so far. - JD 

Strawberry Smoothie

Brunch wasn't even started when we were greeted with a delicious Strawberry Smoothie, of my daughter's making. Her recipe was gathered from a discussion on calcium and milk at school. Before Spring Break she proudly came home with an easy recipe and task of making a smoothie. It relies upon 3 ingredients which means there is room for tweaking... adding a few more ingredients regarding what your required need is or taste. Regardless, this is a very strawberry smoothie great for sipping or making into yoghurt popsicle treats.

Strawberry Smoothie

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1 cup of fresh or frozen sliced strawberries

1 cup blueberry yoghurt

1 cup milk

handful of crushed ice, optional 

Place all ingredients into a blender, put the lid on tightly and blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and place a slice of strawberry on top. Enjoy!

Notes: If the smoothie has a very thick consistency just blend in a bit more milk, at a time, to make it less so. Try using greek yoghurt or almond milk in replace of milk.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend! - JD 

Crêpes Wraps and Rolls ~ Honey Pennies

In England, Shrove Tuesday has become synonymous with pancakes... folded with a scattering of caster sugar and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. In France they serve crêpes to celebrate family and life, bringing hope for happiness and good fortune in the many years to come. In most Commonwealth countries it is known as Pancake Tuesday or Pancake Day. Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian speaking countries know it as Carnival. Denmark and Norway celebrate Fastelavn which they eat fastelavnsboller, also known as, Semla (a traditional sweet roll pastry). In Lithuania people eat pancakes and Lithuanian style doughnuts. In Sweden it is known as Fettisdagen, Fat Tuesday. Although in Iceland it is known as Sprengidagur, Bursting Day, and is marked by eating salted meat and peas.  

Crêpes and pancakes do make fabulous anytime food. Sweet and savoury, simple or sophisticated many delicious ingredients have been stacked, flambéd, folded, rolled, and wrapped in and on top of crêpes and pancakes. In almost every country pancakes... or crêpes do feature in one form or another, even including street food. There are blintzes, blinis, crespelles, Dutch poffertjes, flapjacks, galettes, hotcakes, pancakes, and spekpannekoek. 

Which ever you prefer this cookbook has 110 pages full of 60 inspiring recipes for crêpes, wraps and rolls. It is a handy book for brunch and party ideas and light meals. Thought I would share this lovely recipe from the cookbook... 

 

Honey Pennies with double oat heaven

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Serves 4 

for the pennies:

130g/4 1/2 oz/1cup plus, 2 tablespoons self-raising (self-rising) flour, sieved

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 egg

2 tablespoons honey 

150ml/5 fl oz/ 2/3 cup milk

for the oats:

75g/3oz/1 cup rolled oats

74g/ 3 oz/ scant 1 cup caster (superfine) sugar

1 crisp dessert apple, grated

squeeze lemon juice

350ml/12 fl oz/1 1/2 cups Greek yoghurt

25g/1 oz/2 tablespoons butter for frying

2 tablespoons runny honey to drizzle

To make the pennies, mix the flour, salt and baking powder together in a large bowl. Whisk the egg, honey and milk together, add this to the flour and mix it all thoroughly.

For the oats, place the oats and sugar in a heavy-based pan and cook on a low heat until the sugar is dissolved and the oats are toasted. Continue to cook. stirring constantly, until the sugar caramelizes and the oats become crisp and golden. (Don't be tempted to rush this: if the heat is too high, it will burn and you will have a speckled mess!) Turn out into a bowl and leave to cool.

Mix the grated apple with the lemon juice and stir into the Greek yoghurt. Just before serving, fold in two-thirds of the crunchy oat mixture. 

Heat a griddle or heavy based pan and brush lightly with melted butter. Place teaspoonfuls of the mixture in the pan, leaving a little space in between each and cook for 1-2 minutes until bubbles appear on the surface of each penny. Carefully flip the pennies over and cook the other sides for about 1 minute more until firm, risen and golden brown.

Serve the Honey Pennies warm, topped with a dollop of the yoghurt mixture, drizzled over with a little honey and sprinkled with a little of the extra oat crunch. 

Yoghurt Chocolate Chip Cookies

Seems like we have moved on from muffins to cookies and this recipe is easy and super delicious. No eggs and little butter. This recipe creates a more soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie, that melts in your mouth. 


Yoghurt Chocolate Chip Cookies

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1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup caster sugar
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup plain low-fat yoghurt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips


Preheat oven to 375ºF (190ºC)
Grease cookie sheets or line with baking parchment paper.

In a medium bowl cream the sugars and butter until light and fluffy. Stir in the yoghurt and vanilla.

In another bowl combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir into the creamed mixture until nicely combine then add the chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoons on the prepared cookie sheet(s)... about 2 inches apart and bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Cool for about 1 minute on the cookie sheet before removing to cool completely on wire racks.

Notes: You may add a few tablespoons of applesauce when creaming the sugars and butter together. I added a teaspoon of British Mixed Spice into the flour mixture. When the cookies come out of the oven they are puffed up however I took a fork and gently pressed the tops of the baked cookies down, to get a more compact chewy cookie, before transferring them to wire racks. 

Have a great weekend everyone! - JD 

Sticky Lemon Cake

The cold weather keeps coming and regardless the sun keeps shining. What a better way to prolong those long winter months than with a slice of this easy sticky lemon cake. Simple and full of lemon flavour this is sure to please, especially with afternoon tea. 

Sticky Lemon Cake

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1 cup unbleached all purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup vanilla Greek yoghurt

3 tablespoon vegetable oil

zest of 2 lemons

juice of 2 lemons

2 eggs

*Notes - You can use whatever yoghurt you like. You may even want to try using sour cream. Dairy free options are dairy-free yoghurt or soft or silken tofu (it will provide the same texture and moistness of yoghurt). You may also want to try using olive oil or coconut oil.  

First preheat the oven to 350º. And line a 8'x8' square baking pan with parchment paper. 

In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda. 

Then add the yoghurt, vegetable oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, and eggs. Beat until smooth. Then pour into the prepared baking pan.   

Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

When ready remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes. Transfer onto a clean large surface or a cutting board, if you prefer. Letting it cool further. When the cake is still slightly warm cut into squares. To prevent the cake from sticking to the knife with every full cut, run both sides of the blade through warm/hot water. And repeat this process until all of the cake has been cut into squares. 

You can enjoy this cake as is however a nice lemon drizzle with sliced almonds on top just gives it that finishing touch.  

Lemon Drizzle

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1 well rounded cup of icing sugar (powdered sugar)

juice of 1 lemon 

zest of 1 lemon

Sliced almonds 

In a mixing bowl add the icing sugar and then zest. Squeeze in the lemon juice. Mix until you have a sticky thick, but runny, drizzle. Spoon over the surface of the cake and sprinkle with sliced almonds.

Have a good weekend everyone! - JW   

Oatmeal Apple Yoghurt Pancakes

Pancakes are a breakfast classic and this recipe gives the most worthy spin around the breakfast table. They satisfy in both flavour and taste and are also very filling. The do not stick to your ribs or sit like a stone in your stomach however you do know you have ate something substantial. I used applesauce to cut down on the amount of fat. Oatmeal to boost fibre and yoghurt for more protein. The ingredients are simple and may be found in your refrigerator or pantry. These are so delicious and disappear fast that you will want to make them often.  

Oatmeal Apple Yoghurt Pancakes

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2 eggs

1 2/3 cups milk

8 ounces of plain yoghurt

1/4 cup apple sauce

1 cup oats (quick cooking or rolled)

1 1/2 cups of unbleached all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 apples, peeled, cored and grated 

Notes: If you do not have plain yoghurt on hand then used whatever you have. Banana, strawberry, or blueberry will work, it just adds a bit of flavour. You may pre-grate the apples or grate them when it is required.

Method: 

1. First combine all the dry ingredients (oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon) together in a medium bowl. Set that aside.

2. Then in a large bowl combine all the wet ingredients (eggs, milk, yoghurt, and applesauce). Whisk until well blended. 

3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients (milk mixture) and blend with a wooden spoon or spatula until smooth. 

4. Fold in the grated apple. 

5. Cook! 

Serve warm with maple syrup or table syrup, fresh apple compote, thick apple jelly or butter and cinnamon sugar. 

Perfect for a weekend breakfast or brunch. 

Falafel and Cucumber Dip

The other day I was cruising the aisle at the new No Frill's grocery store in our neighbourhood and I found a falafel mix by Alfez which salt quantity wasn't that bad... I think it was 10% or less and which fat and ingredient contents were pretty palatal. So I purchase said box and happily walked home. That night I made the mix into falafel patties not the round meatball shape that is the usually recognizable symbol of the falafel. I was impressed as they were quite tasty. Even though I would purchase this mix again, I would still like to make falafels from scratch. 

To compliment the falafel patties I made a cucumber dip/sauce otherwise known as Tzatziki sauce. I took the remainder of the plain organic yoghurt I had and placed it in a bowl. Then I chopped up some cucumbers into tiny bits... not to fine I wanted the dip to have some crunch. Then I finely chopped a shallot and added both cucumber and shallot to the yoghurt. I then added a bit of dill, summer savoury, pepper and a pinch of salt. Stirred to mix everything together. Covering the bowl with cling film and letting it sit for and hour or so. It was very delicious! - JW 

Potato Kedgeree

On the weekend I made potato kedgeree for brunch. Normally kedgeree is made with fish and rice. The fresh lemon zest and juice gave it a lot of punch, a very summery zing which was good. The curry flavour was mild. I omitted the fresh sprigs of mint. And I really wish I had fresh watercress to add that finishing touch to the dish instead. To save time I boiled the potatoes and eggs the night before. The recipe came from a cookbook that I will be reviewing tomorrow. I will share the recipe with you all now. 
It goes as follows: 

Potatoes - 5 medium, boiled in their skins
Butter - 2 tablespoons (25 ml) 
Onion - 1, peeled and finely chopped
Mild curry powder - 2 teaspoons (10 ml)
Zucchini - 1, sliced
Eggs - 4, hard-boiled
Peas - 1 cup (250 ml), cooked  ... I used frozen 
Plain yoghurt - 1 cup (250 ml)
Lemon juice - 1 teaspoon (5 ml) 
Grated lemon peel - 1/4 teaspoon (1 ml)
Salt - 1 teaspoon (5 ml)
Pepper - 1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) 
Sprigs of mint

1. Peel the cooked potatoes and chop coarsely.

2. Melt the butter in a large frying pan. When the foam subsides, add the chopped onions and curry powder and fry gently for about 5 minutes

3. Add the chopped potatoes and fry for another 5 minutes, stirring to combine. Stir in the sliced zucchini and continue cooking for 5 minutes

4. Peel the eggs and cut into halves. Add the eggs, peas, yoghurt, lemon juice, grated lemon peel, salt and pepper to the pan. Combine carefully so that the ingredients are not mashed together. Heat through but do not overcook.

5. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with sprigs of mint.  

This is how is how I served the kedgeree, with two slices of bacon and tomato. Sausages, whether veggie or not, would do nicely too. - JW

Beat the Heat #2

Another scorcher yesterday!!! With a desperate need to cool down, one quick and easy way, is make ice pops. Take your blender and add some fruit juice (preferably one with less sugar or natural as possible), fresh strawberries, fresh blueberries and add some vanilla yoghurt, organic or not, it's your preference. Blend it all together on high until all ingredients are smooth and fluid. Adding more fruit juice if you must. Then pour the mixture into the ice pop mould. Put tops or handles on and straight to the freezer they go! Letting them freeze for several hours or overnight. To remove ice pops from their mould run under warm water and then gently shimmy to release. A delicious and healthy way to cool down. - JW 

Sunday Morning!

With the constant snow that has been falling over the past 24 hours I felt I wanted a semi hearty breakfast with a healthy twist. So Sunday morning breakfast was French toast with apples slices, vanilla yoghurt, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. Very satisfying as the snow continually fell outside. How do you like your french toast? - jw