The best ever Chickpea Biscuits.

When I was first offered one of these Chickpea Biscuits by a fellow pre-school mum, I thought 'oh great, I bet they taste like they've been poured through an old boot', but to my surprise they were delicious and I got the recipe then and there! They are one of the best gluten free biscuits I've ever had, and even my fussy four year old is hooked.
I'm thinking I might even get a little creative with the recipe and turn them into jam drops, or add some caraway seeds to the tops. Yum. The possibilities are endless.
Even if you're not gluten free they're worth a try.

Ingredients:
2/3 cup besan flour (chickpea flour)
125g Nuttelex lite or butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup rice flour
1/3 cup potato starch or arrowroot (I use arrowroot)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp xanthan gum

Method:
Pre-heat oven to 180 ˚c. Add all ingredients to a mixer and beat until creamy in texture. Add extra rice flour if needed. Dollop teaspoonfuls onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. Ensure there is enough space for the dollops to spread. Bake until golden around the edges, 10-15 mins. Cool on rack.

Deconstructed Babaghanoush.

I came across this recipe on Pinterest and had to give it a try. It's now one of my favourites. I haven't done much cooking with eggplant, but it really is a surprisingly easy vegetable to cook. This recipe makes a great lunch, warm or cold. Tonight I plan on having it for dinner with some Quinoa and extra vegetables. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Ingredients:
1 large eggplant, sliced length-ways
Juice of half a lemon
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tsp of cumin powder
1/2 tsp of smoked paprika
1/2 tsp of red chilli powder
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup of cherry tomatoes (I used a mixture of red and yellow)
1/4 cup of parsley, chopped
Pinch of salt and pepper to taste
Garnish with sesame seeds

Tahini Dressing:
1/4 cup Tahini
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons of olive oil
(Note: My Tahini dressing wasn't smooth like the original recipe, it was more like the consistency of hummus. I'm not sure why. It still tasted good though.)

Method:
In a small mixing bowl, add juice of 1/2 a lemon, 1 tbsp olive oil, cumin powder, smoked paprika powder, chili powder, minced garlic, pinch of salt & pepper and stir to combine. Place eggplant slices on a baking sheet and thoroughly coat in the marinade.
Marinate for 15 minutes.
Heat a large non-stick grill skillet on medium high. You can use a proper grill or fry pan if you don't have a skillet.
Add 2 tbsp olive oil to the hot skillet or pan. Add slices of marinated eggplant. Do not overcrowd the pan.
Depending on the thickness of each slice, cook for at least a minute on each side. If you like it soft, cook for a little longer.
Prepare tahini dressing in a small bowl, by combining all of the above ingredients. Set aside.
Remove grilled eggplant and put on a plate to cool slightly. Chop into bite size pieces.
In a mixing bowl, add halved tomatoes, chopped parsley and grilled eggplant. Lightly toss everything with tahini dressing or serve the dressing on the side. Garnish with some toasted sesame seeds.

You can find the original recipe here.

Autumn.

We have had the most glorious Autumn. Even though it can be cool, Autumn really is my favourite season. The colours are stunning, bright blue skies highlighting warm yellow, orange, red and burgundy foliage. Autumn leaves really are beautiful.
The days have been warm and the evenings cool. My loves and I have spent countless hours gardening, toasting marshmallows in our pizza oven and enjoying being outdoors.
There has been plenty of fruit picking and cooking. We have had the pleasure of visiting a friends amazing orchard, and sampling some of the fresh fruit. The Figs and strawberries were delicious. I have orchard envy.
Driving through the Blue Mountains is particularly special at this time of year, and I have loved admiring the Autumn colours from my favourite Blackheath cafe, 'Anonymous'.
Further west is just as delightful, and I have enjoyed making trips to the lovely Portland to get my Sister's cot quilt quilted.
Autumn, please never leave.

Dolly.

I love her. She's clever, witty and doesn't take herself too seriously. Her tunes are wonderful. We all need a little Dolly in our lives.

Summer and such.

Summer was filled with warm days, fruit picking and lazy afternoons – I really do love Summer. Even though Autumn is upon us, the days are still lovely, with crisp mornings and warm afternoons. I have been drying herbs for winter and making pesto with our abundance of basil. I think I will move on to mint and parsley pestos next. I will miss my summer herbs over the cooler months, so I'm trying to make the most of them now. Once my tomatoes have finished, I'm planning on planting a crop of Kale.

Broken Heart.

“What do you know of my heart? What do you know of anything but your own suffering. For weeks, Marianne, I've had this pressing on me without being at liberty to speak of it to a single creature. It was forced on me by the very person whose prior claims ruined all my hope. I have endured her exultations again and again whilst knowing myself to be divided from Edward forever. Believe me, Marianne, had I not been bound to silence I could have provided proof enough of a broken heart, even for you.” 
Elinor to Marianne, Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen.
Image via ffffound

Cooking with Coconut Flour.

I've been doing a bit of experimenting in the kitchen of late. Being gluten free is part of it, but I really do enjoy trying new things.
I went to the health food shop in search of quinoa flour and left with coconut flour. I didn't think much of it at the time, but when I got home and started reading about cooking with coconut flour I started to get nervous. You can't just substitute coconut flour for wheat flour. Because it's so dense you use a lot less, and need a lot more eggs! I was convinced my first batch of apple and cinnamon muffins would be a flop, but they turned out well. They were very nice with some fruit and yoghurt for a breakfast treat. I used this recipe, but I think they would have been nicer with some blueberries or sultanas in them.
My next coconut flour cooking adventure was a a batch of Lamingtons. We called them 'Flamingtons' – fake Lamingtons. I was so worried at first, but for a healthy gluten free, sugar free, butter free Lamington they turned out ok. I wish I had've used normal dark chocolate instead of 70% dark chocolate, because I think they needed a little extra sweetness.
I have also used coconut flour in gluten free zucchini fritters – they were a success. The Lamington and zucchini fritter recipes are both from The Healthy Chef.
I recommend giving coconut flour a try, but make sure you do your research before you start cooking!

Truth and Simon Walker.

Firstly, I love Simon Walker's typography. It is simply wonderful. Secondly, I love this quote. It is so true. I think we all need to remember it.