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Posts Tagged ‘snack’

  1. Rosemary & Parmesan Crackers

    June 22, 2012 by Tali

    A wine tasting you say!?

    Well, but of course! But… What shall we snack on while tasting these wines!?

    Cheese!

    Obviously.

    Now, I’m not one to pass off the opportunity to have a sip of wine here and there, so when duty called…

    With our wedding coming up (less than 60 days to go! Arghhhh!) we needed to taste some wines to be served at the reception.

    I suggested the brilliant idea of tasting the reds with a nice spread of cheese. So I popped over to the local store, and bought myself a good selection of quality cheeses.

    Danish Blue, Goats cheese, Camembert, Smoked Brie & Gouda – with that sorted I searched the shelves for a chutney to accompany (that contained no wheat or corn flour as a thickener) and set off home to assemble the cheeseboard!

    But… wait a minute! What am I going to serve the cheese on!? I can’t very well serve them a-top a generic cheese cracker – No. This called for a primal cracker like no other!

    I took the recipe I used for my Onion and Sesame Almond Crackers and flipped it a few degrees to make these delectable cracker babies. By swapping a few of the flavour elements and adding in some shaved parmesan cheese (because the cheeses on the cheeseboard weren’t nearly enough, obviously) I transformed some punchy crackers into serious taste-bud spiking gems!

    Like the crackers I’ve made before, these are simple to throw together, easy to bake and satisfy the primal eater’s need for something to put that cheese onto (assuming, of course, you’re one of those primal eaters that can tolerate dairy).

    On top of the fact that these hold up some fabulous flavours, they’re also gluten free!

    Rosemary and Parmesan Almond Crackers

    Makes:50 pieces  Takes:35mins

    Ingredients:
    2 cups Ground Almonds
    2 Tbsp Dried Rosemary
    2 Tbsp Grated Parmesan Cheese
    2 Tbsp Sesame Seeds
    1/2 tsp Onion Granules
    1/4 tsp Sea Salt
    1 Egg (beaten)
    2-3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

    • preheat oven to 180 C/350 F
    • measure and combine all dry ingredients – mix well
    • add beaten egg and olive oil mix until it forms a ball
    • divide mixture in 2
    • roll between 2 pieces of parchment paper until about 2-3mm thick. score the surface into desired size and shape of crackers
    • place onto a baking sheet, bake for 20-30mins until golden brown
    • cool on wire rack, break apart and serve as desired

    I chose to serve these with a cheese board but they could be just as delicious if served up with some dips or used as part of a lunch box.

    I’m looking forward to playing around with a few more flavour combinations!

    … Now I’m sure you’re wondering how the wine tasting went – aside from the delicious cheese and crackers of course. Well, Let’s just say we finally came to a decision and we were all pretty merry by the end of it!

    Good Times!


  2. Primal BBQ Chicken Wings

    March 12, 2012 by Tali

    Have you noticed how all fun foods are interactive?

    Fajita dinners, ‘make-your-own-pizzas’, ice cream factory, pretty much anything that requires the diner to interact with their food.

    I am a firm believer in this theory. This extends to great American foods like burgers & fries – you have to get in there. No forks, knives or spoons getting in the way. It’s one on one food to human contact.

    To me it makes the food taste better when you connect with it, and get down and dirty!

    One of the most enjoyable and messy of these types of enlightening foods are things like ribs, and chicken wings (which NEED to be smothered in some to-die-for BBQ sauce)

    Now, ribs are not something I’m likely to tackle any time soon – I’ll leave that for Mo to play around with when the weather picks up and he can make full use of the smoker he got for Chrismukkah.

    Me, I’m happy to work with the humble chicken wing. I discovered that chicken wings can be bought at quite a reasonable price, so this not only makes a delicious meal – but it also makes a super cheap one too!

    This dish came about one Sunday. My parents, myself and Mo were in the butcher looking for something to make for lunch, and there sitting in one of the chillers were masses of chicken wings! so we grabbed a few packs – overly excited by how cheap they were and went on our way to make some tasty wings!

    The recipe was a bit of a mixture from here and there. I left Mo to sort out a rub, and prep the wings (I don’t like to touch raw meat very much) while I got to work on some epic BBQ sauce!

    Mo quickly threw together his rub inspired by a recipe from Paleo Comfort Foods. As he was using whatever was available in our kitchen cupboard, his recipe went a little something like this:

    Mo’s chicken wing rub

    Makes: enough for a single wing recipe   Takes: 5 mins

    Ingredients:
    2 tsp paprika
    1 tsp cayenne pepper
    1 tsp garlic salt
    1 tsp onion powder
    1 tsp cumin
    1 tsp black pepper
    1 tsp rosemary
    1 tsp mustard powder

    • combine all ingredients
    • done!

    Epic Primal BBQ Sauce
    Adapted using a recipe from Jan’s Sushi Bar.

    Makes: about 1/2 litre  Takes: 20mins – 1.5hrs

    Ingredients:
    2 Tbsp coconut oil
    1 large onion
    2 cloves garlic, minced
    1 1/2 cups passata (tomato sauce)
    1/2 cup tomato puree
    1/2 cup honey
    1/4 cup liquid aminos/low-sodium soy sauce
    1/2 teaspoon paprika
    10-12 drops tabasco sauce
    2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

    • Melt the coconut oil in a heavy-based saucepan on a medium heat
    • finely chop the onion and add it to the pan, cook off gently for about 7-8mins
    • add the minced garlic to the pan and cook for a further 1 minute
    • add remaining ingredients to the pan and bring to the boil
    • turn heat right down, and leave to simmer for 10 mins or longer, until you have reduced the sauce to your desired consistency

    [I tripled this recipe and bottled the left-overs]

    Making Primal BBQ Chicken Wings

    Makes: 36 pieces  Takes: 30-40mins

    Ingredients:
    18 chicken wings, jointed
    Mo’s chicken wing rub
    1 recipe Epic BBQ Sauce

    • preheat oven to 180 C/350 F
    • once the wings have been jointed, and rubbed in Mo’s rub, place them (neatly) onto baking sheets and then into the oven
    • bake for 10 mins, turn each piece and then bake for a further 10 mins
    • remove one tray from the oven, and using a silicone brush, coat one side of each wing joint with Epic BBQ Sauce
    • return the tray to the oven, and do the same with the other tray
    • after the sauced wings have been baking for about 3-4mins, remove from oven, turn each one and coat the other side with the delicious sauce
    • repeat with second tray
    • return to oven for 3-4mins to complete cooking and caramelize the sauce a little
    • place wings onto a warmed serving platter with some extra BBQ sauce on the side.
    • Enjoy with celery sticks and blue cheese dip OR a side salad

    Now, go ahead and make some for yourself, and JUST TRY come back and tell me that wasn’t fun to eat!

    Ohhhh YEAH!

    Finger lickin’ ding dong dang goodness!

    Mmmmmm Mmmmmm!

    These have just the perfect amount of kick (provided by the rub and sauce combined. If you like em HOT add more spice or Tabasco!

    Go crazy!


  3. Tzatziki with Onion Almond Crackers

    March 9, 2012 by Tali

    I have always loved Tzatziki.

    Long before I realised how healthy it can be!

    Recently, Mo and I discovered that store bought tzatziki (from Sainsbury’s) was one ready-made dip we could trust (in an emergency at least – no nasty artificial additives etc).

    I know the Primal community encourages making your own, well, everything – but sometimes there just isn’t enough time! And in situations when you have last minute guests coming over or lots of people to cater for – knowing that something ready-made is just about OK… well that rocks!

    We’re not being lazy or pushed for time here, so while I may not have the patience to make my own yoghurt, I’m more than happy to make my own tzatziki (with store bought yoghurt).

    I mean, it’s made up of just a few very simple ingredients, it takes mere minutes to whip up and it just tastes YUM!

    Mo and I decided to make some last weekend. So using the best full fat Greek yoghurt we could find, we whipped up a serving of this Grecian sensation.

    Tzatziki

    Makes: 2 cups   Takes: 5 mins

    Ingredients:
    1 cup full-fat Greek yoghurt (strained)
    1 cup cubed and de-seeded cucumber
    2 cloves garlic
    handful fresh mint
    salt, to taste (optional)

    • we found a greek yoghurt that is basically ready-strained. If you can’t find such wonders, strain about 1 1/2 cups of yoghurt in cheese cloth overnight) this should leave  you with about 1 cup of strained yoghurt
    • place your cup of yoghurt in a bowl
    • peel and mince/finely chop your garlic. mix well into yoghurt.
    • cut about half a cucumber down the centre lengthways,  and scrap out the seeds. Then cut into strips, and chop into small cubes.
    • throw the chopped cucumber into the yoghurt
    • pick the mint leaves off the stalks, and very finely chop – add to yoghurt cucumber and garlic.
    • salt to taste if required – I didn’t.
    • transfer into serving dish along-side chopped up veggies or primal crackers (recipe below) and enjoy!

    This is a super easy dip to throw together. It’s fresh, tasty and contains only good stuff (assuming you’re a dairy eater).

    Mo and I thoroughly enjoyed our tzatziki with a batch of super more-ish and delightful onion crackers.

    I’ll admit that I didn’t make these. These are Mo’s babies, but he has allowed me the honour of sharing the recipe with you…

    Thanks Mo!

    Mo adapted his own recipe with a lot of inspiration from Life As A Plate.

    I’ll be honest, before I tried them, I was a little skeptical. It’s started to become fairly natural for me to turn down anything resembling a wheat product, but I gave these a taste, and my goodness, they’re YUM! So addictive!

    Paleo Onion and Sesame Almond Crackers
    Loosely based on a recipe by Life As A Plate

    Makes: 25    Takes: 35-45Mins

    Ingredients:
    2 cups Almond meal
    3 Tbsp onion powder
    1 tsp garlic salt
    2 Tbsp sesame seeds
    3 Tbsp olive oil
    1 egg, beaten

    • place all dry ingredients in a bowl, mix until well combined
    • pour beaten egg and olive oil into dry ingredients
    • stir until the mixture has formed an even dough
    • form a ball, and place onto greaseproof paper, flatten gently
    • place another piece of greaseproof paper on top, roll out until desired thickness, about 2mm
    • cut into a grid of squares or rectangles – leave together (they will break apart easily once baked)
    • place whole sheet onto a baking tray, and bake at 160 C/320 F for 20-25mins. until lightly browned and crisp
    • cool on a wire rack, and break apart crackers once cool

    I’m quite keen on trying these out with half walnut flour as suggested in the original recipe. I’m sure it will give the cracker a pleasant nuttier taste.

    I’m also quite tempted to play around with flavouring.

    Maybe using a generous measure of freshly ground black pepper in place of the onion powder to make black pepper crackers… or using a higher ratio of sesame seeds to really highlight their deliciousness. I shall have to experiment with these, because they really are quite yummy!

    As is, these crackers are VERY pleasant… maybe even too pleasant considering how addictive they are!

    So I would highly recommend giving them a go, but be warned!

    The combination of the onion/garlicky crackers with the super garlicky tzatziki was awesome! Just don’t expect to get very intimate with anyone after eating this!


  4. I’m back… with Vegetable Crisps (chips)

    March 6, 2012 by Tali

    It feels like I’ve not blogged in a VERY long time. Because, well… I’ve not.

    I got very sick at the beginning of last week which left me bed-bound for a few days and then I found myself struggling to get back into the swing of things.

    It was particularly frustrating as I was only 1 week into my 4 week 100% Primal challenge. I had been eating so well and I got sick! How cruel!

    Trying to keep to Primal guidelines while in bed and unable to physically move is tough. Particularly when your parents don’t fully appreciate or comprehend what eating Primal actually entails… I managed… somehow. Thankfully Mo came over and made me some chicken soup on Wednesday evening and (as chicken soup is known for doing so) I found I had made a miraculous recovery upon waking Thursday morning. I felt like a completely different person!

    But this overly long break from blogging and the real world left me feeling somewhat lost and unsure of where to pick myself up again. Mo suggested we spend the weekend immersed in cooking and trying out recipes we’d been gawking over for a while.

    A brilliant idea in theory!

    In practice, it left me with an over-whelming number of items I wanted to blog about and share with all of you.

    This is:
    a) a little daunting
    b) giving me a back-log of items I need to photograph
    c) delicious!

    The photographic element to this blog is really important to me. In my opinion, great food porn photos can really make a website. I personally take pleasure in drooling over other peoples’ excellent food photography, and so that is something I strive to achieve. It’s all a little new to me, and so setting up my shots takes time, and I’m often very restricted by the time of day and particularly the amount of natural light in my house.

    By the end of the weekend I had 6 or 7 recipes I wanted to share with you all.

    Crazy – I know!

    I’m going to split these all up over a few days, for my own sanity and also – to (hopefully) keep you coming back for more!

    Let’s start off with vegetable crisps – or chips as you Americans and South Africans like to call them!

    I feel I should mention I’m not a massive fan of the potato chip. I might have one or two if they were in a bowl at a party – but I never specifically go for them, I’m more of a sweet-snack kinda gal.

    Root vegetable chips on the other hand… well, that is a different story! These are always a welcome, albeit rare, treat, not widely available and pretty pricey when they are. What could be more exciting than crisps/chips in a gorgeous array of colours, made from delicious vegetables such as beetroot, carrots, parsnips and sweet potato!?

    Mo and I decided we wanted to make our own! We actually attempted a batch of parsnip crisps at his place a while ago, and they didn’t turn out exactly as planned…

    So this was our second attempt – which also involved some other veggies.

    First we had to buy a mandoline. You’ll need one of these in order to get those nice super thin and even slices.

    We then set to work making the chips/crisps.

    Vegetable Crisps

    Makes: lots  Time: 1hr plus

    Ingredients
    2 Large Parsnips
    2 Large carrots
    1/2 Butternut squash
    2 Beetroots
    Olive oil
    Salt

    • pre-heat oven to 170-180 C / 340-350 F
    • starting with the lightest colour vegetable – parsnip in this case, (your mandolin will get stained and if you start with the beets, then your other veg will get stained pink). Slice at an angle on the thinnest blade option, attempting to get the largest sized slices possible.
    • using paper towel, dry off as much moisture as possible from the slices. (this is a point I’ve found most recipes fail to mention)
    • place your dried slices in a bowl, pour in 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, and 1/8 teaspoon salt, mix until all slices are fully coated.
    • lay slices out onto lined baking sheets and place in oven. they should take  7-10mins to cook, watch them carefully! They are prone to burning easily. They may need to be turned half-way through.
    • once ready, transfer the vegetable chips to a cooling rack.
    • repeat the above procedure for all over veggies. Once all baked, crisped and cooled – Eat and enjoy! 
    • store in an airtight container.

    These can be enjoyed as a side dish to some tasty meat or fish. Or treat yourself and your guests for an occasional snack with pre-dinner drinks.

    Go crazy and try this with any vegetable you like – I would suggest sticking to low water content veggies!

    Maybe whip up a tasty dip to serve along side these, like some baba ganouch or tzatziki?