Cooking Class - Grain Free Christmas Baking

Celebrate this Christmas with a beautiful grain free meal

We will explore how to make some traditional Christmas foods grain free

DATE: Saturday 16 November 2013

TIME: 10.30am - 1.30pm

LOCATION: Peakhurst, Sydney

COST: $90

 

 

Let's make a delicious grain free Christmas dinner:

Chicken stuffed with grain free cranberry herb stuffing (we will make the bread to use)
Steamed Christmas puddings served with coconut custard
Gingerbread almond cookies
Trifle with a fermented twist
Honey Marshmallows


At the end of class we will share our Christmas lunch!


Everything will be free from gluten and grains. We will be using nuts and eggs in this class. This class is not suitable for those following RPAH Elimination and Failsafe diet. We will be using the Thermomix to make our goodies.



Places are limited so please email now to confirm your place kerstenskitchen@bigpond.com

Cooking Class in Sydney Term 3, 2013

 
 

Grain free cooking

We have a one day class coming up in Sydney learning to cook without grains

 

Date: 

Saturday 7 September 2013

Time: 

10-3pm

Cost:

$150

 

Location:

Peakhurst, Sydney

 
We will be making savoury main meals, as well as sweet treats and desserts.

 

Learn how to

 
create main meals using healing ingredients, including grain free lasagne
make broth and basic soups
bake with seeds and nuts
bake with coconut flour and oil
 
 
You will also get to sample other delicious goodies

 

 

Please email me at kerstenskitchen@bigpond.com if you would like to attend and I will send you all the details.

Newcastle Cooking Classes - August 2013

Failsafe to Healing

Date: 17 August 2013
Time: 12-4pm

Date: 18 August 2013
Time: 10-1pm

Cost: $300

Location: Wallsend

We will be cooking in the lovely Natasha's kitchen so places are limited.

The classes will cover the following:

Transitioning from failsafe to grain free healing diet
Transition recipes - snacks and mains
Basic fermented veg and drinks
How to make broth and basic soups
Grain free meals including lasagne
Coconut oil and flour baking

Please email me at kerstenskitchen@bigpond.com if you would like to attend and I will send you all the details.

Melbourne Cooking Class July 2013

Gluten Free and Grain Free Baking

DATE: Sat 20th July 2013
TIME: 11 - 4pm
COST: $150
WHERE: Narre Warren North


We are cooking in the lovely Joanne's Kitchen so places are limited. She has kindly offered up her place for me to stay so I have been able to reduce the cost of the class significantly.


We will be making (everything gluten and nut free)

Failsafe:

breads using different gluten free grains
wraps
pear muffins
carob brownies

Grain free and refined sugar free (using coconut flour):

chocolate coconut cupcakes
crepes
banana bread

We will also sample some other grain free delights including coconut yoghurt... the rest will be a surprise


Please email me for details if you would like to join us... kerstenskitchen@bigpond.com

muesli

add that crunch back in...

Ingredients

1C Buckwheat Flakes
1C Macadamia Nuts
1C Shredded Coconut
1C Coconut Flakes
1/2C Sunflower seeds
1/2C Goji berries
1/2C honey
1/2C coconut oil

Method

Roughly chop macadamia nuts (in Thermomix - pulse 2-3 times)
Put all dry ingredients into a large bowl and add the nuts

Melt honey and coconut oil
Pour into the dry ingredients and combine with a wooden spoon until everything is coated

Place in a lined baking dish and bake 180 degrees for approx. 15-20 minutes until golden
Stirring occasionally

Allow to cool in the dish, then crumble up using a wooden spoon
Store in an airtight container in the pantry

Perfect on top of your coconut yoghurt for a filling breakfast or snack on the go...

Passionfruit Curd

Perfect on pancakes or with coconut yoghurt

Ingredients

2 eggs
80g honey
3 passionfruits
60g ghee

Method

Insert the butterfly into Thermomix bowl
Add all ingredients in the bowl
Cook 8 minutes, 80 degrees, speed 3

Pour into a container and allow to cool. Store in fridge

Coconut Yoghurt

Smooth and Creamy Yoghurt, no dairy!

The gelatin in this recipe does two things: it sets the yoghurt and it gives you a smooth and creamy mouth feel

Ingredients

800ml coconut milk
(I use AYAM brand: 3 x 270ml tins
or 2 x 400ml tins)
2t  honey
1 1/2t gelatin*
1/32t yoghurt starter**
1/32t probiotic culture**

Method

Add coconut milk, honey and gelatin to Thermomix bowl
Heat until gelatin dissolves, 5 minutes, 80 degrees, speed 3

Allow to cool until around 37 degrees (about 5 minutes)
Add yoghurt starter and probiotic, mix 30 seconds, speed 3

Pour into containers and leave in yoghurt machine for 24 hours

When done, it will still be liquid and will have separated. Shake well, then refridgerate for 8 hours or until set.



When set it will look firm. All it needs is a quick stir with a spoon until smooth. Now you can use as is, or flavour with homemade jam or fruit puree. My favourite combination is with passionfruit curd.





*Gelatin - make sure you use a good quality gelatin

You can vary the amount of gelatin to vary the thickness of the yoghurt
pouring yoghurt - 1t
normal thickness - 1.5t
thick greek style - 2t

I find 1.5t enough. Coconut sets when cold, so you will find the yoghurt will firm up just from being cold.

**Yoghurt Starter

I use the dairy free culture from www.greenlivingaustralia.com.au as well as their probiotic. You can use a probiotic like Polybac 8 too (or whatever you have in your fridge).

Note: To measure such small amounts, grab a set of tiny measuring spoons from Green Living Australia when purchasing your cultures



Perfect to use with Squeeze 'ums... fill up the small 80ml for school lunchboxes or 200ml for a snack for mum

Fine Almond Meal in Thermomix

The impossible... right???

Well I have read all sorts of hints and tips on how to get your almond meal fine in the Thermomix... none got it very fine. Ok for some recipes, but terrible for cookies.

After some mouldy activated nuts, I decided I had better keep them in the freezer.







I wanted to make some Almond Bread and just chucked in some almonds and pulverised for 20sec speed 9... and low and behold, the meal was nice and fine!

The problem with nuts is they are full of oil and as you grind them, the heat releases the oils... hence a few seconds for a coarse flour, a bit too long and you have nut butter. When the nuts are cold, you get a bit longer before the oils are released so the Thermomix can make a finer meal.

I am using Almonds with the skin on, if you used blanched nuts, you would no doubt get an even finer result.

Very pleased I don't need to purchase expensive almond meal any more to make my cookies!


So the secret is simple

 

FREEZE YOUR NUTS BEFORE YOU GRIND

Gingerbread cookies

Chewy spicy and lovely...

Ingredients:

1 1/2C fine almond meal
1/2C honey
3T coconut oil
1T ghee
1/4t mixed spice
1/4t ground ginger
1/4t salt
1/4t bicarb soda

Method:

Warm honey, oil and ghee in a small pot
Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl
Add melted liquids and stir until combined with a wooden spoon

Roll into small balls and place on a lined baking tray with space between to allow for spreading (they double in size)
Press flat with either your hand or a damp cup

Bake 180 degrees for 15 minutes until lightly golden... watch carefully as the honey cooks quickly

Cool on the trays (they will harden on cooling)



If you store in the pantry, they will remain chewy... If in the freezer, they are super crunchy

To flatten cookies, use a flat measuring cup... dip in water and press gently but firmly on cookie ball... carefully lift off cup... then repeat for remaining cookies

White Sauce

Creamy Cauliflower...

Use this white sauce as a soup or for lasagne or just a dollop on top of some baked salmon...

Ingredients:

half a head of cauliflower
3 heaped T duck fat
3 heaped T ghee
1C broth (lamb or chicken)

Method:

Cut off all the fibrous parts of the cauliflower
Place the florets into your pot with the fat and ghee
Cook over medium heat, stirring as the fat melts... combine it all together
Reduce to a low heat, place lid on pot and cook for 10-15 minutes... stirring occasionally
Add the broth once the cauliflower has started to soften
Replace the lid and cook until very soft

Pour mix into your Thermomix, blend 20 seconds speed 8
Add salt and pepper to taste, combine10 seconds speed 4




This is very thick, just right for a white sauce for lasagne or to dollop... If you want to use it for a thinner soup, add another cup of broth.

Almond Bread

Lovely and light... satisfies my craving for cake and bread

This makes a very small quantity and a thin slice. I use a small dish 18x12cm. It works well doubled.

Ingredients:

1/2C activated almonds
1T coconut flour
1T honey
1/4t bicarb soda
2 eggs

 

Method:

Using your Thermomix, Process almonds until they are almost a paste 30sec speed 8
Add honey, 10sec speed 4
Add eggs, 20sec speed 4
Add flour, 10sec speed 4

Pour into lined baking dish (don't be alarmed it should be runny)
Bake 180 degrees for 20 minutes until golden
Lift out of tin and cool on rack

Slice and freeze in portions if desired.

Chocolate Avocado Mousse

Cacao plus Avocado equals amazing

Who would have thought these two ingredients together could be so delicious and flexible... You can enjoy this as a mousse, as an icecream, as an icing on cupcakes, as a slice, or just with a spoon!

Ingredients:

2 avocadoes
70g coconut oil
60g raw cacao
2-3 heaped T honey (to taste)
1/2 vanilla bean (seeds only)

Method:

Put all ingredients in Thermomix and combine 20sec speed 5
Taste and add more honey if you like it sweeter

As a mousse:

Put in a container and store in the fridge - eat with a spoon or use as a spread

As an icing:

Use straight away, put cupcakes in fridge to set, then remove cakes half an hour before serving

 

As an icecream:

Freeze... it will set hard. If you use it within a couple of hours of making, it will still scoop. For longer storage times, remove from the freezer an hour before use.

As a slice:

Prepare a base, spread topping... freeze until set (one hour approx), then slice into portions and freeze each portion ready for use

Nut Base:

150g ground nuts (pecans or walnuts combine well with this dish)
100g dates
Combine and spread on the base of a small lined dish, top with mousse

Cookie Base:

Use Coconut cookie recipe
120g cookies
40g ghee
Chrush cookies and combine with ghee
Spread on the base of a small lined dish, top with mousse

Chocolate Cupcakes

Chocolate Coconut Cakes

These taste like chocolate cakes to me, but if you don't eat a lot of coconut, they will taste like a lamington

 

Ingredients:

5 eggs
130g honey
1/2C coconut oil
3T coconut flour
1/4C raw cacao
1/2t bicarb soda
pinch salt

Method:

Put all ingredients into your Thermomix bowl and combine 20sec speed 5

Do not be alarmed that this is indeed a very runny batter... if it was normal gluten free flour it would never work, but coconut flour absorbs A LOT of liquid, so it will all be ok when baked...

Pour into patty cases (half fill)

Bake for 15 mins 180 degrees celcius until puffed and when pressed gently in the centre, they spring back

Remove from the muffin tray and cool on racks



Once cool you can ice with chocolate avocado mousse and top with coconut or just serve warm with icecream and chocolate sauce

Coconut Cookies

Crunchy Cookies...

these remind me of the cookies in the big biscuit tins my parents would receive at Christmas

 

Ingredients:

70g ghee

30g coconut oil

55g honey

1/2 vanilla bean (seeds only)

1T dessicated coconut

1/2C tapioca starch

1/2C hulled millet

1/2C buckwheat kernals

1/4t bicarb soda

 

 

Method:

Grind millet and buckwheat in Thermomix for 130sec speed 9

Add remaining ingredients and combine 15sec speed 4

Scrape down if necessary and mix 10sec speed 4

 

Roll into balls and press lightly with a fork

OR use a cookie press

 

Bake 180 degrees for 15 minutes until lightly golden

Honey burns quickly so please check often... if you have a very hot oven, reduce temp to 160

 

Store in an airtight container in pantry

Pancakes

Pancakes with Fruit

Ingredients:

1/3C buckwheat kernals
1/3C hulled millet
1/4C tapioca starch
1T coconut flour
1/4t bicarb soda
1C kefir (coconut or goat/cow)
1 egg

Fruit
sliced banana
sliced strawberries
blueberries

Method:

Prepare flour

Grind buckwheat and millet in Thermomix, 1 min speed 9
(If you don't have a TMX, buy flours)
If you want to ferment these grains, add kefir now and leave for 6 hours (or overnight)

Prepare batter

Add other ingredients and whisk to combine
Stand 30 mins to thicken

Cook 

Add a little ghee to the pan on medium heat
Pour in a small amount of batter (these work best if they are small - medium in size)
Drop in a few pieces of fruit (if desired)
Once bubbling, carefully flip
Cook a few minutes on the other side

Serve with yoghurt or maple syrup/honey

 

If you want to keep these Failsafe,

omit the coconut flour and do not ferment, use water instead of the kefir. Add the water slowly and stop when you have a thick batter (it should still pour but not be runny)

Crepes

Grain free Crepes/Wraps

You can use these sweet as crepes or as wraps for savoury...

 

Ingredients

1/2 C buckwheat kernals
1/2 C hulled millet
1 C water
2 T goat whey
1/2C tapioca starch
2 large eggs or 4 small

Method

Prepare your flour

Using your Thermomix, grind the buckwheat and millet 130 sec, speed 9
(if you don't have a TMX, buy flours instead)
Put flours into a big glass bowl
Add water and whey and stir to combine
Cover with gladwrap and leave to ferment for 6 hours (or overnight)

 

Prepare batter

Add tapioca and eggs and whisk until you have a smooth batter

Cook

Warm a small amount of ghee in a pan and pour on a 1/4C of batter, swirl the pan around until the batter coats the whole pan

Carefully flip when the edges start to come away from the pan
Cook a minute or so on the other side

Watch with care as these cook very quickly




Serve with yoghurt and honey or maple syrup for a sweet treat
Use as a wrap to make your lunch

TIP: Can be frozen, between layers of baking paper and defrosted on the bench or microwave before use.

Are you still Failsafe and want to make these? Just omit the whey and the fermenting and mix batter and use right away. The fermenting process will create amines...