Passionfruit Cupcakes (DF, V)

My go-to for milk is usually almond milk and I'll often substitute rice milk in baking.  Today I didn't have any and had my daughter's friend over who is allergic to nuts, so I made up some coconut milk and used that instead.  Loved the result!  The cupcakes were light and fluffy with a really subtle coconut flavour which I thought would be complimented by passionfruit.  Delicious...

Makes 12 good-sized cupcakes

Ingredients:

250 gm dairy-free spread (Olivite or Olivani)
2 tsp vanilla essence
1  c caster sugar

8 tsp (+ 4 tbsp water) of No Egg (egg replacer by Orgran)
2 c plain white baking flour

4 tspn baking powder

1 c coconut milk (watery)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 170°C. 
2. In a mixer cream dairy-free spread, vanilla and caster sugar until light and fluffy.  Add No Egg and mix again.
3. Combine flour and baking powder into the creamed mixture. 
4. Add coconut milk and mix till smooth (take care not to overmix).
5. Using a wet spoon, share mixture into cupcake wrappers.
6. Bake for approximately 15 minute until golden and they spring back to the touch.
7. Cool on a wire rack and then ice.

Passionfruit Buttercream:

50 gm dairy-free spread (Olivite or Olivani)

1 c icing sugar 

1 tspn vanilla essence

Generous dollop of passionfruit pulp

Method:

1. Cream all ingredients until light and fluffy.
2. Spread onto cupcakes and drizzle with passionfruit pulp to decorate.

Recipe by Alina @ LittleByLittle

Little Miss Nine's variation on the decorations ... 'Ice Cream Cupcakes'! 

'They'll be coming back for seconds' Lasagna (DF, V)

I do apologise for the lack of updates lately.  I have been baking/cooking (we're a family of four so not doing so isn't really an option, lol) but have been busy with work & life so just sticking to the basics and the 'old favourites'. I'm off work this week though and my son has been begging for "yummy lasagna" for ages, so whipped up this beauty today.  Far out ... it was DELICIOUS and we all went back for seconds!

Serves 6 (single serves)

Ingredients:

2 tsp oil
1 medium onion finely chopped
2 cubes of frozen spinach
3 large mushrooms chopped finely
1 zucchini chopped finely
2 medium carrots grated
1 small orange kumara grated
1/2 head of broccoli cut finely
2 400gm tins of chopped tomatoes
Generous dollop of tomato paste
1 tbsp Worcester sauce (check label to make sure it doesn't have anchovies in it)
1 tsp sugar
1 tso dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
salt & pepper to taste
San Remo Large Instant Lasagna Sheets (375g family pack)

Cheese sauce:
2 tbsp dairy-free spread (Olivite or Olivani)
2 tbsp white flour
Almond milk
2/3 cup of Angel Food Dairy-Free Mozzarella alternative grated
Angel Food Dairy-Free Parmesan alternative

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. 
2. In frying pan, cook onion in oil until soft.
3. Add frozen spinach, kumara and carrot and cook until thawed/softened.
4. Add remaining vegetables and cook through.
5. Stir through tomatoes, paste, Worcester sauce, sugar
6. Finally, add herbs and seasoning to taste.
7. Line a small roasting dish with baking paper.  Spread a thin layer of the sauce evenly across the bottom.  Top with lasagna sheets.  Repeat layers, with a tomato sauce layer on top.
8. Clean frying pan and put back on the stove top.  Melt dairy-free spread.
9. Add flour and using a whisk, briskly stir until mixture is 'foamy'.  Slowly add almond milk, whisking carefully as you do so to ensure there are no lumps. As mixture thickens again, continue to add milk until you get a creamy, runny mixture.
10. Add 1/2 of the grated Mozzarella alternative and mix until melty.  Pour carefully over the top of the layered lasagna mixture.
11. Spread remaining grated Mozzarella on top and sprinkle some Parmesan alternative on top.
12. Bake for 40 mins.

Recipe by Alina @ LittleByLittle