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Family friendly ratatouille

Ratatouille makes me think of my mum, and to be honest I’m not even sure why. I don’t think she made it much, as she isn’t a fan of tomatoes, but somehow thoughts of her are wrapped up in this dish.

It’s strange how evocative food can be, how a taste can transport you. Pistachio icecream takes me to France. To waiting in the supermarket laundrette for another load to be done. The laundrettes were always glass boxes, heated by the summer sun & the driers on full pelt. Pre smart phone days, there were few entertainment options whilst you waited for the weekly wash other than a game of uno & a tub of icecream.

Cinnamon and cardamom will always take me straight to Oslo. To bakeries & snowy days. To Sunday afternoons when we would “go for a run out” in the car, a flask of coffee and some buns packed to keep us going (probably alongside the snow shovel & the thermal blankets…just in case).

To be honest I’m not sure where ratatouille fits in. Maybe it makes me think of France, maybe it’s because the smell of freshly picked tomatoes is one of my absolute favourite smells. Maybe we did eat it a lot growing up but I have forgotten. Either way, this was the perfect meal to share with the baby today as we woke up to the arrival of autumn here in Munich. It is seriously chilly. Nippy hands, rosy cheeks, thick jumper chilly. Ratatouille is warming, comfort food. Perfect as the evenings get longer, and perfect for the end of season tomatoes.

This recipe is a simple one. The best usually are. Serve with doorsteps of crusty bread or another grain. Puree or mash if needed for the little ones. Dish up, snuggle up and enjoy.

Ingredients (serves 4)
6 large ripe tomatoes chopped

1 large courgette cubed

1 aubergine cubed

1 red pepper cubed

2 tsp herbs de Provence

3 tbsp rapeseed oil

1 shallot

Method
Finely chop the shallot and add to a large pan with the oil and herbs

Gently soften and then add in the aubergine

Cook the aubergine for 4 mins and then add in all the other vegetables

Stir well and cook on a medium heat until the tomatoes begin to break down

Turn down the heat, cover and allow to cook on a low heat for 25-35 minutes until all the vegetables are soft and well cooked

Serve and enjoy

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Tamari roasted nuts

Oktoberfest is almost upon us and it feels like the city is in countdown mode. I am not quite there yet. Firstly, it is September, and I hate to point this out to the organizers, but it is called OCTOBER-fest. I just don’t feel ready for it, or the hordes of people about to descend on the city but a part of me is excited. I love love love the fact that everyone suddenly wears lederhosen and dirndls…to work, to school, to the office. It feels so colorful and happy somehow. I also really love that everyone is in love with the city. Its like a big gingerbread heart surrounds Munich and everyone just wants to show off all that this place has to offer. There is a buzz in the air, the streets feel busier, the beer makes people friendlier and chattier.

I also have to confess that we didn’t go last year. It was our second month living here but I was 40 weeks pregnant and we were in the midst of a heatwave. You also have to walk a pretty long way to get to the wiesn and I just couldn’t face it. Instead I lived vicariously through our friends stories. I admired their dirndls and laughed at their crazy drunken antics. We did sneak down very early one morning, way before it opened so that I could walk round and see the huge tents. Amongst all the tales, I have to admit that I was impressed by how much people consume. Personally I couldn’t drink 5litres of anything and especially not beer. I read that on average people consume 800kcal an hour at Octoberfest, which makes sense with all the beer, pretzels, and pancakes! To get me into the spirit of the upcoming festivities I thought I would make this week all about the snacks. Snacks that you can pair with beer (or not) and snacks that are slightly more nutritionally dense than what the tents have to offer

These tamari roasted nuts are seriously addictive. They are rich and earthy, salty and crunchy. They are delicious on their own or crushed on top of a buddha bowl. I used cashews but you can use any nuts you like. Let the beer fest count down begin.

Ingredients
300g cashews

3 tbsp tamari

0.5tsp chilli oil

Method
Place the cashews into a jar with the tamari and oil, cover and leave overnight to soak

The next day, preheat the over to 180C

Spread the cashews out on a lined baking tray and roast in the oven for 20mins

Leave to cool before enjoying

Will keep in a jar for up to 10days

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Mama on a Monday – baked courgette chips

I know that it feels like the day often revolves around making three balanced meals, but sometimes you just need a little snack. These courgette chips are exactly that. They are the most delicious, mid afternoon, makes a change from a yogurt or a box of raisins, snack. They are also a perfect side dish, a side to salmon burgers, or a late summer BBQ. They are really easy to make and follow the same system as the crispy avocado slices so whilst you are making one…you could make the other for a double snack whammy. All day long we have been nibbling these off the baking tray, warm out of the oven, dipped in homemade ketchup, Crazy delicious, crazy addictive.

Coating slippery vegetables in bread crumbs makes it much easier for small hands to pick them up. I also use a crinkle cutter for fruit like melon or mango to make it easier for the little one. This recipe would also work with pepper slices, marrow and green beans too. For older kids you can add grated parmesan into the breadcrumbs and for kids of any age you can add ground fresh or dried herbs or spices into the breadcrumbs to keep their tastebuds happy.

Ingredients
2 courgettes cut into batons

1 egg whisked

4 tbsp breadcrumbs

2 tbsp flour

Method
Preheat the oven to 180C

Lightly oil a baking tray or large dish

Place the egg into one bowl, the flour into a second and the breadcrumbs into a third

Dip each baton first into the flour, then the egg and finally the breadcrumbs

Place onto the baking tray, spray with a little oil and bake for 20mins or until golden brown and crispy

 

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YNBO Vegan genoise cake with a chocolate glaze

Did you watch it? You know what I’m talking about right…. The magic that is Great British Bake Off is back and I for one could not be happier. Obviously I already have my favourite: Benjamina but I’ve got a soft spot for Val. I spent the entire hour glued to the show, looking away only to text my Aunty & sister who were also watching. Last night we had the joys of drizzle cake, Jaffa cakes & of course a genoise sponge with a mirror glaze as the show stopper. I have two things to say – firstly who bakes Jaffa cakes???? And secondly I have decided to enter the GBBO this year, or rather I have decided to set myself the challenge of baking a plant based healthier version of the show stopper for you each Thursday.

Welcome to YNBO – Yolanda’s Natural Bake Off

This morning was a little bit stressful. Genoise sponge is a type of sponge that doesn’t use a raising agent. To get volume you whip up egg whites and sugar. When you set yourself the challenge of plant based it means no eggs and you have to think hard about alternatives. In my panic I turned to chickpeas, no seriously, this cake uses chickpeas.

I had heard about chefs using Aqua faba as an alternative to egg whites when making meringue. Aqua faba is the water in a tin of chickpeas. This unassuming liquid is magic and despite the fact that I had to whip it by hand (bicep ache!!), it really did allow me to make an egg less sponge.

For the mirror glaze you traditionally use gelatin to give it the shine and so I crossed my fingers and used agar-agar. My cake is certainly not super smooth and polished but if you want yours to be, you can either cover it first in a cream and then allow it to chill before glazing or you can trim the top of the cake to get a perfectly flat surface.

This cake is two very simple flavors but you could get creative. Pistachio & lemon cake or orange & rose water would be delicious. You could also infuse your cream in the glaze with rooibos tea, ginger or elderflower.

I have no idea what is coming up each week or even if I will manage to recreate a plant based version each Thursday….but for now here is my (chickpea) vegan genoise with a chocolate mirror glaze.

Ingredients – makes one 6inch sponge
2/3 cup chickpea water

3/4 cup raw unrefined sugar

1 cup plain flour

1/4 coconut or rapeseed oil

Method
Place the sugar and chickpea water into a large clean bowl

Whisk together until the mixture thickens & can form soft peaks

Gently fold in the oil & then slowly fold in the sifted flour

Place into a greased cake tin & bake for approx 40mins

Leave to cool

Ingredients – chocolate glaze
4 tbsp cocoa

1/2 raw sugar

1/2 oat cream

1/2 cup water

1 serving agar agar dissolved in 1 tbsp water (or according to packet)

Place the cocoa, sugar, cream & water into a pan

Heat gently, whilst stirring till the mixture thickens

Remove from the heat & add in the agar-agar

Stir well to dissolve

Allow to cool & then pour over the cool cake

Decorate & enjoy

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No churn chocolate and almond icecream

Today I came to the conclusion that I do like almond butter, as long as it is mixed with dates, chocolate & coconut milk and then frozen. Basically I like it if it is turned into icecream!
I’ve never been able to get on the almond butter train till now, or the peanut butter train…and whilst I’m confessing I also don’t like avocados or plain coconut water or bullet proof coffee. I know they are all “superfoods” but in my mind, if they aren’t super for me, then they aren’t a super food.
Almond butter has, despite my aversion, often found its way into recipes. It works wonders in a dressing for Asian inspired salads or noodle dishes and it’s great in cookie dough as it yields a chewy consistency. I thought about trying it as an icecream ingredient because it’s high natural fat content makes it ideal for freezing as it will set but not rock solid.
This simple 7 ingredient ice cream is vegan, refined sugar free & also no churn, (because who needs another piece of kitchen equipment). I used almond butter and cacao but you could use peanut butter or maybe even seed butter if you are a nut free kitchen, you can even leave the nut butter out totally & sub in another milk. Instead of cocoa you could add in espresso and you can add in things too like cacao nibs or chocolate chips or freeze dried berries and chopped nuts.

We just put decking down in the garden and it’s been blissful to sit outside in the evening sun & eat icecream. It’s also surprising what a huge difference it makes to have icecream cones!!! Seriously an icecream at home game changer.

Next on the list is definitely homemade icecream cones….maybe with buckwheat flour? But I’m also currently obsessed with baked donuts so who knows what will be next out the kitchen

Ingredients
2 cans coconut milk chilled in the fridge overnight
16 dates pitted
80g raw/unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
40ml unsweetened almond milk
4 tbsp almond butter
1 tbsp cinnamon

Method
Place the dates into hot water & leave to soak for 10mins until soft
Drain & then place into a food processor
Process until you have finely chopped dates then add in warm water until a thick paste forms
Open the coconut milk & with a spoon remove the solid top “cream” and place into a mixing bowl
Add in the rest of the ingredients including the date paste
Blend or mix well until all ingredients are well combined (easier with an electric blender)
Pour into a shallow dish & place into the freezer
Freeze overnight
Remove 15 mins before serving

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