Feijoa Kasundi (GF, DF, EF)

My dad's house has a prolific feijoa tree and they have been falling to the ground in droves.  Rather than letting them go to waste I thought I would try a recipe that I have been thinking about since having a delicious brekkie at Ripe cafe recently - Smashed Avocado with Feijoa Kasundi on a toasted bagel.  So yummy! 

I have used, and slightly adapted a recipe from Nicola Galloway that featured in NZ Gardener magazine.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 tsp brown mustard seeds
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 ½ tsp minced chilli 
• 2 tsp minced ginger
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 5 cups feijoa pulp (scoop out of the inside of them) 
• 1/3 cup malt vinegar
• 3 Tbsp soft brown sugar
• 1 tsp salt

Method:

1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil and add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric and chilli.  Stir over heat for 1 minute – smell the aroma! 
2. Add ginger, and garlic and stir for another minute.
3. Add remaining ingredients and stir well,
4. Bring to a simmer and cook over low heat with no lid until thickened.  Approx 20 mins. Stir every few minutes so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
5. While the Kasundi is cooking, sterilise 2 jam jars and lids (boiling water, or hot from the dishwasher). 
6. Add the sauce leaving a small gap of at least 5mm at top of jar and screw on lids.  
7. As jars of Kasundi cools, the lid will indent. 

Store in a cool dark place for up to 6 months. 
Once opened, store in the fridge and use within 1 month.

Feijoa & Banana Muffins (DF, EF, V)

Ingredients:

• 300gm olive oil spread (butter alternative)
• 1 1/2 c white sugar
• 4 tsp egg replacer mixed with 3 tbsp of water
• 2 tsp vanilla essence
• 4 cups white flour
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup plant-based milk
• 3 bananas (salad bananas are good)
• feijoa pulp - several large

Method:

1. Cream spread and sugar together
2. Add all other ingredients and mix thoroughly till smooth.
3. Spray muffin tins lightly with oil and dust with flour
4. Spoon in mixture. 
5. Bake at 180 degrees for approx 20 mins until lightly golden.

Enjoy!

Keep in an air tight container.  

Variations:  Sprinkle with icing sugar or ice with a buttercream icing.  Alternatively, bake in a cake pan. 

Makes approximately 24 muffins.

3 Ingredient Cookies! (V, DF, EG, NF)

Well, it's been a long hot minute between recipe posts!  Here's an easy one to kick

-start things again ...

Ingredients:

• 2-3 salad, old bananas
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Method:

1. Mash the banana and mix rolled oats through banana.  
2. Fold through chocolate chips.
3. Use a wet spoon and place small spoonfuls onto a lined baking tray.
4. Squish with a fork.
5. Bake for 10 minutes at 180 degrees till golden. 

Enjoy!

Best kept chilled in the fridge if you prefer a firmer cookie, or if you like soft and chewy, store in an air tight container in the pantry.

Makes approximately 12 cookies.

Apple Scrolls (V, DF, EG, NF)

Ingredients:

• 3 sheets of Vegan puff pastry
• 3 apples 
• 3/4 c dark chocolate buttons
• Cinnamon
• Brown Sugar
• Icing sugar 

Method:

• Wash apples and grate (I like the skin on, but you might prefer to peel them first).
• Sprinkle grated apple across the first third of a sheet of vegan pastry.
• Sprinkle 1/4 c of chocolate buttons across the top.
• Sprinkle cinnamon and brown sugar over the top.

• Gently and tightly roll the pastry with the apple filling.
• Slice into scrolls approximately an inch wide.
• Bake at 180 degrees until golden (approx 8-10 mins).
• Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve warm.

Mushroom Calamari & Thousand Island Dressing (V, DF, GF, NF)

Ingredients:

• 1 tin Vegan Calamari
• 1 cup white flour
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 1.5 cups icy water
• Salt & pepper
• Vegan garlic aioli
• Tomato relish
• Fresh chopped parsley

Method:

1. Make tempura-style batter. In a bowl mix flour, cornflour, salt & pepper and icy water.  Use a stick blender to mix to a smooth batter.  If mixture is too thick, add more water.
2. Open tin of Calamari and drain in a sieve.  
3. Carefully place Calamari rings in batter and coat evenly.
4. In a frypan, heat vegetable oil until it spatters with the addition of a drop of batter.  
5. Carefully place battered Calamari piece by piece into hot oil, and cook until golden.  Carefully flip Calamari so both sides are crispy and golden.  Be careful of oil spatters.
6. Make Thousand Island dressing by combining Vegan Garlic Aioli and relish. 
7. Drain oil from Calamari, then serve hot with Thousand Island dressing.
8. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.
   
   

 

Roast Vege & Spicy 'Chicken' (not-chicken) with Lemon Aioli dressing (DF, EF, V)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup couscous
• 1 tbsp Olivani
• Crushed garlic glove
• Vegetable stock
• Water
• Diced carrot, beetroot, potato (or pumpkin)
• Sliced red onion, spring onion
• Lemon
• Baby spinach leaves
• Vegan garlic aioli

Method:

1. In a saucepan, melt butter.  Add garlic and sautē until golden.  Add vegetable stock and 1.5 cups water.  Put lid on and bring to boil.
2. Turn element off, add couscous and stir.  Put lid back on and leave until remainder of dish is ready.  The couscous will absorb the water.
3. Dice potato (or pumpkin), beetroot, carrot.  Sprinkle with olive oil, salt & pepper and cook in air fryer for approx 20 minutes.  Alternatively, back in 180c oven for approx 30 minutes, until golden brown.  
4. Whilst vegetables are cooking ... In a frypan, add a dash of olive oil and cook red onion.  
5. While onion is cooking, chop spring onion, zest lemon and rip baby spinach leaves and combine in a bowl. Add red onion.
6. In a bowl, combine protein (e.g. diced firm tofu, meat alternative), a dash of olive oil, a sprinkle of mixed spice, paprika, salt & pepper.  Stir to coat. 
7. Wipe pan clean and cook protein.  I used Fry's Chicken Strips.  
8. In a glass, mixed a large spoon of vegan garlic aioli and a generous squirt of lemon juice.  Stir to combine.
9. Combine couscous, greens, onion and roast veges in a bowl.
10. Serve couscous salad, top with protein and dress with lemon aioli dressing.  Serve warm.

Crumbed Banana Blossom Poke Bowl (V, EF, DF)

Ingredients:

• Jasmine rice
• Garlic
• 1 tbsp Olivani
• Ginger & lemongrass paste
• 1 red onion
• 1 carrot
• 1/2 telegraph cucumber
• Rice wine vinegar
• 1 tspn white sugar
• Long green beans
• Asian greens (bok choy)
• Vegan teriyaki sauce
• Panko bread crumbs
• 1 tin Banana Blossom
• Olive oil
• Salt & pepper
• Chopped peanuts

Method:

1. In a saucepan, melt butter.  Add garlic and sautē until golden. Add rice and water and bring to boil. Simmer for 5 mins and then turn element off, leaving lid on.  Rice will absorb water whilst you prepare the remainder of the dish.
2. In a small bowl, add a generous dash of Rice Wine Vinegar, white sugar and stir.  Slice red onion thinly and add to vinegar mix.  Top up with enough water to cover the onion.  Stir and leave to 'pickle' whilst you are preparing remainder of dish.
3. Slice the carrot thinly, cut the ends of the beans off, wash and slice the Asian greens.
4. In a fry pan heat a dash of olive oil and lightly cook vegetables.  Add the lemongrass and ginger paste and stir through thoroughly.  Set aside.
5. Open the tin of Banana Blossom and drain using a sieve.
6. Dust the Banana Blossom in flour, then spray lightly with cooking oil and dip into panko breadcrumbs. 
7. Wipe frypan and heat a generous amount of Olive Oil.  Fry crumbed Banana Blossom, until golden on each side.  Drain on a paper towel/oven rack to absorb excess oil.
8. Drain vinegar mixture from onion.
9. Pack a small dish with the rice and turn over into a mound on the plate.
10. Top with lemongrass and ginger vegetables and Banana Blossom.  
11. Garnish with chopped peanuts and season with salt and pepper.