Christmas Cooking for Greenies
When I have the time - I love to cook, and when it comes to Christmas time, I usually put aside one full day to potter in the kitchen making Christmas gifts for family and friends.
There is something very cathartic in knowing that for one full day, all you are required to do is mix and knead and sing along to your favourite tunes.
To 'green up' your favourite recipes, all you need do is
1) Use Organic ingredients wherever possible
2) Use a worm farm or compost bin to utilise the appropriate green scraps
3) Package your gifts in recycled containers when possible
If you don't have a great deal of time, here is a great recipe you can make the night before Christmas - it's incredibly easy.
Christmas Icecream Delight
Ingredients:
1L Organic icecream
Handful of raisins
Handful of organic dried apricots (chopped)
1/3 cup of brandy (or water for a non-alcoholic version)
100g walnuts (chopped)
100g shredded coconut
Raspberries to serve
Soak a handful raisins and a handful of organic chopped dried apricots in 1/3 cup of brandy.
Get 1L of vanilla Organic ice cream or soya ice cream and let it soften slightly.
Mix in chopped up organic dark chocolate, walnuts, and the drained soaked fruit.
Stir in shredded coconut.
Line a loaf tin with baking paper - pour in the icecream mix and freeze overnight.
Turn the icecream loaf out just before serving and garnish with fresh raspberries.
Enjoy.
You can use any combination of fruit and chocolate in this desert - so start experimenting.
There is something very cathartic in knowing that for one full day, all you are required to do is mix and knead and sing along to your favourite tunes.
To 'green up' your favourite recipes, all you need do is
1) Use Organic ingredients wherever possible
2) Use a worm farm or compost bin to utilise the appropriate green scraps
3) Package your gifts in recycled containers when possible
If you don't have a great deal of time, here is a great recipe you can make the night before Christmas - it's incredibly easy.
Christmas Icecream Delight
Ingredients:
1L Organic icecream
Handful of raisins
Handful of organic dried apricots (chopped)
1/3 cup of brandy (or water for a non-alcoholic version)
100g walnuts (chopped)
100g shredded coconut
Raspberries to serve
Soak a handful raisins and a handful of organic chopped dried apricots in 1/3 cup of brandy.
Get 1L of vanilla Organic ice cream or soya ice cream and let it soften slightly.
Mix in chopped up organic dark chocolate, walnuts, and the drained soaked fruit.
Stir in shredded coconut.
Line a loaf tin with baking paper - pour in the icecream mix and freeze overnight.
Turn the icecream loaf out just before serving and garnish with fresh raspberries.
Enjoy.
You can use any combination of fruit and chocolate in this desert - so start experimenting.
posted by Gina Cacho | 3:18 PM
5 Comments:
This recipe was sent in by Louise Schofield, who wins a double pass to the Conscious Living Expo for her efforts - Happy Cooking
Nana’s Festive Fruit Cake
INGREDIENTS
250g sultanas
250g currants
250g Raisins
250g Chopped Dates
100g halved glace cherries
60g each glace pineapples, apricots, figs chopped
125g chopped prunes
2 tbls orange marmalade
2tbls grated orange and lemon rind
1 apple grated
250g unsalted butter
22g light brown sugar
5 medium eggs
1 level tsp nutmeg
1 level tsp mixed spice
¼ cup rum
¼ cup port
1 ¼ cups plain flour
¾ cup SR flour
½ level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 tbls boiling water
125g blanched almonds for decoration
METHOD
Soak all the fruit in the rum and port in a covered bowl overnight or for a few days.
Cream the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy then fold in the orange and lemon zest. Beat the eggs into the mixture one at a time then fold through the marmalade and the grated apple.
Sift the flours and the spices and fold in alternately with the macerated fruits.
Mix the bicarbonate of soda with the boiling water and fold through the mixture.
Pack the mixture in a container making sure there are no air bubbles and smooth the top over. Place blanched almonds on the top. Bake at 130 degrees for 3 hours. Check to make sure it is cooked. You may need to protect the edges to make sure they don’t burn before the middle of the cake is cooked.
Wrap cake in alfoil and a towel until it is cool then store in an air tight container. You can pour more rum on the top every few days.
I make these spiced chocolate fruitcakes every year to combine my chocolately desires in a Christmasy way.
Be prepared, the fruit takes at least a day to macerate, so you need to do the first 2 stages in advance.
I try to use organic dried fruit as it is dried without sulphur which can tend to aggravate my asthma.
Chocolate Fruit cakes
100g pitted dried dates
100g dried figs
75g glace apricots
100g raisins
75g sultanas
50g glace cherries (chopped)
1/2 cup brandy
125g organic butter
200g organic fairtrade dark chocolate
2/3 cup organic dark brown sugar
2 organic eggs(check out the lovely bright yolk colour)
3/4 cup plain flour
1 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp nutmeg (get fresh and grind yourself for best results)
1 tsp baking powder
1. Chop all the dried fruit and combine in bowl.
2. Heat brandy over medium heat, once hot pour over fruit. Set fruit aside for 1 to 4 days to macerate.
3. Put 100g chocolate in heatproof bowl over a ban of simmering water ( but not touching) and stir the chocolate continuously.
4. Beat butter and sugar in electric mixer. Add eggs one at a time. Stir in the melted chocolate.
5. Sift in the flour, spices, and baking powder and the fruit mixture and remaining 100g of chopped chocolate.
6. Divide mixture into 12 patty pans or straight into a greased cup cake tray.
7. Cook for around 45 minutes at 180 degrees.
Serve with organic vanilla bean icecream ( I use GiGis).
If there is any left over you can reheat them by popping them in the oven at 150 degreed for about 15 minutes.
They also make great gifts when wrapped up.
I hope you like these as much as I do.
These Recipe ideas from Edith Lauk of shopperHELP provide some easy holiday alternatives to additive filled snacks. There are also some great gift ideas.
Many packet custards include yellow food colouring. Carton custards may include other unwanted additives. Here is an easy recipe for real custard:
Easy Custard:
Stir cornflour (1 tablespoon) in milk (1 1/4 cups) in a glass or ceramic jug.
Heat milk mix on HIGH for 2 minutes.
Beat egg yolks (2) and castor sugar (1 tablespoon).
Stir into heated milk mix. Cook on HIGH for 2 minutes stirring every 30 seconds.
Stir in vanilla essence (1 teaspoon).
And here is what to do with the two egg whites:
Easy Pavlova:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.
Combine egg whites (2), castor sugar (6 tablespoons), malt vinegar (1 teaspoon), and cornflour (1 teaspoon).
Beat 10 minutes. Place on a tray with baking paper.
Place on bottom shelf and turn down to 120 degrees.
Cook at least one hour. Allow to cool in the oven.
No bake recipes for gifts or as party treats:
Honey Nut Crunch:
Mix butter (15 g), sugar (1/2 cup), honey (3 tablespoons) and boil in saucepan for 3 to 5 minutes.
Pour over organic coconut (1/2 cup), walnuts or peanuts unsalted (1/2 cup) and rice bubbles or cornflakes (4 cups).
Press all ingredients into greased slab tin and cut into fingers when set.
Golden Crunchy Bars:
Bring butter (110 g), sugar (110 g) and honey (3 dessertspoons) to the boil then simmer for 5 minutes.
Pour over rice bubbles (4 cups), organic coconut (1/2 cup), peanuts (1/2 cup) and press into slab tin.
Cut into squares when set.
Raisin Delights:
Stir organic chopped raisins (1 cup), sugar (1 dessertspoon), and beaten egg (1) in a saucepan over low heat until thick and smooth. Remove from heat, stir into rice bubbles (2 cups), chopped nuts (1/2 cup), vanilla essence (up to 1 teaspoon), grated organic lemon rind and pinch of salt.
When cool shape into balls and toss in organic coconut.
This wonderful recipe comes from Susanne Wilder of Fast and Fresh. This reformed Cordon Bleu Chef is a wizz in the kitchen and this is a 'must try' recipe.
LIGHT CAPE RANGE CORNBREAD
Yield 24 servings
INGEDIENTS
Cornmeal or polenta 625 gm
Baking powder 20 ml
Salt 5 ml
Brown sugar 60 gm
Butter, melted 145 gm divided
Red onion, diced 225 gm
Green, red & yellow capsicum 1 Ea
Sour Cream, light or Quark, NF 450 gm
Frozen corn, roasted 450 gm
Reduced fat extra sharp white 450 gm
Cheddar cheese (Kraft)
Eggs 2 large
Egg whites 4 whites
TO PREP
Preheat oven to 425F.
Combine cornmeal with leavening agents and sugar in a large bow; set aside. Combine 90 gm (or 3oz) onion and next 6 ingredients in a medium bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add to cornmeal mixture, stirring just until moist.
TOO COOK
Pour batter in 2 13x9-inch baking pan (or half hotel pans) coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425F. or 200C. for 25-28 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
TO SERVE
Brush with 4 Tbsp butter.
Cal 141 (29% from fat) Fat 4.6g
Pro 6.1g Carb 20g Fibre 60g
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