Also see Vegetarian and Raw food recipes
DOSA’S
Ingredients
- 1 cup organic brown rice
- 1/2 cup organic either yellow split peas, channa or small lentils- green, brown or whole red
- 1 level tsp fenugreek
- Salt to taste- we only use Celtic Sea Salt as it is rich in nutrients
- Oil- rice bran is nice and light
Preparation
Soak the rice, legumes and spice in twice as much water. For 12 hours- overnight is good.
Blend with water (you can use the same water, as it has the enzymes from sprouting the food) till it is the consistency of pancake mix, you can always stir more water in when you cook the dosa.
Leave in a bowl on the windowsill for another day to ferment and rise. If you can wait that long, you will get away with ½ a day they will not be as tasty. Cover the bowl with a plate. In wintery months keep the bowl near the fire.
Cooking
Stir in salt to taste and give the mix a good stir to blend the mix evenly.
Heat a fry pan hot enough so that oil will heat in about 15 seconds. Cover the pan with a fine layer of oil. Use a soup ladle to pour a dosa into the fry pan and either spread it thin with the bottom of the ladle or by tilting the pan as the batter lands on the pan.
Cook to the point where bubbles have formed little holes on the surface, the edges look crispy and brown, and you can smell a delicious smell you will know if it’s not cooked well, as you will make a right mess of it turning the dosa over. Cooking is much quicker on the other side.
Eating
Dosas can be eaten like pancakes, crepes, burritos, or bread in terms of shape, toppings and fillings. I travel with them rolled up individually in a paper bag.
You can store the batter for several days either on the bench or in the fridge, they will even accompany you on a picnic in a glass jar- to be heated at your convenience. Just be sure to stir it a few times a day to keep it fresh.
MINT VINAIGRETTE
If you enjoy mint, you will find this recipe a refreshing addition to most salads. Great as a gift, along with the recipe (to be fair). Keeps in the fridge for about two weeks once opened. The colour will fade a little a day or so after opening, but the flavour and texture will still be sharp and creamy.
Ingredients (makes 600 ml )
- 2 handfuls of fresh garden mint leaves- not stems
- 1/2 cup honey- the runnier the easier, don’t try it with rock hard honey
- 1/2 cup Dijon type mustard
- 1/2 cup white vinegar
- 500 ml olive oil- not extra virgin if you are not used to the taste- or supplement up to half water for oil.
Preparation
Blend leaves till rough cut then add honey, mustard and vinegar. Blend, with lid on and slowly drizzle oil in, stopping half and 3/4’s of the way to check consistency and flavour.
Consistency- I prefer creamy to runny. It should glug out of a bottle rather than pour.
Taste test time. You have 3 main players influencing the flavour- honey- sweetness, mellows the vinegar, mustard give body to the sharpness of the mint and vinegar, vinegar gives a lift to the flavour.
So if it doesn’t taste right, try to figure out what factor is too strong and balance it.
If it’s too sloppy, you can either add more mint- or note for next time to slow down and check consistency more frequently- as you go.
MISO TAHINI DRESSING
Ingredients
Preparation
In a deep bowl blend till smooth
Use
Great with roast veges in jackets, as a spread or a dip. Store in a jar in the fridge and stir to revive.
GOMASIO
Gomasio is a Japanese condiment. It is a tasty way to jazz up the plainest of steamed veges. Very easy to prepare, grind fresh as needed. I recommend Celtic Sea Salt as it has the naturally occurring full of a spectrum of nutrients- 77 elements, including many trace minerals our bodies require.
Preparation
Toast 1/2 a cup of sesame seeds till golden
Cool and store in an airtight container with 1/8 cup of unrefined salt
Grind in a mortar with a pestle or a grinder that will grind the seeds and salt without rusting.
Use within a few weeks and make less if you tend not to use it often.
TAMARI ROASTED SEEDS
Sprinkle these over veges or eat as a snack. Nuts and seeds contain calcium, magnesium and iron. Stores for days in a jar.
Preparation
Heat a fry pan to a medium heat and place either a cup of sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds or almonds into the hot pan. Sprinkle a few table spoons of tamari over the seeds or nuts. Stir the tamari through the nuts or seeds. Keep stirring the mix every minute for the next 8 to 10 minutes till toasted. The smell will clue you in there.
ALMOND ORANGE CAKE
Ingredients and preparation
Boil 3 oranges whole for 2 hours
Cool, de- pip, liquidize.
Add 2 cups of ground almonds and 6 oz sugar
Separate 6 eggs, add yolks to mix
Beat whites, add to mix.
Bake for 1 hour at 150 degrees.
Use Baking paper to prevent burning.
CHOCOLATE CAKE
Ingredients
- 255gm butter
- 100gm castor sugar
- 300gm chocolate
- 6 lg eggs, separated
- 300gm ground almonds
Preparation
Cream butter and sugar
Add yolks one at a time, mixing well
Add Almonds
Break up chocolate in food processor or grate. Add to mix.
Beat whites until stiff
Gently add to mix.
Bake in a shallow tin, 150 degrees for one hour. Good to use baking paper.
Embellishments
Sprinkle top with broken up frozen raspberries before baking.
Decorate by inserting chocolate buttons sideways radiating from centre, into uncooked mixture.