These pikelets would work well for a sunny spring outing, but equally, they could cheer you up if the weather is cool and rainy. They are easy to make and easy to eat. Whilst sweet from the dates, they are also free of added / refined sugars.
Showing posts with label orange. Show all posts
Showing posts with label orange. Show all posts
Saturday, May 5, 2018
Orange and date pikelets (mini pancakes)
It is a long weekend in the UK, and contrary to stereotypes of rainy bank holiday Mondays, the weather is set to be glorious. I hope to do our first bike ride of 2018 and fit in a picnic.
These pikelets would work well for a sunny spring outing, but equally, they could cheer you up if the weather is cool and rainy. They are easy to make and easy to eat. Whilst sweet from the dates, they are also free of added / refined sugars.
These pikelets would work well for a sunny spring outing, but equally, they could cheer you up if the weather is cool and rainy. They are easy to make and easy to eat. Whilst sweet from the dates, they are also free of added / refined sugars.
Saturday, May 20, 2017
Orange hemp energy balls
It has been a long time between hemp seed recipes. Indeed, it has been a long time since I have had hemp seeds in my kitchen. I am pleased to have a bag on the go again now and suspect you will see more recipes featuring the seeds before too long.
I like hemp seeds for lots of reasons, including, if I'm honest, their amusing hippy connotations. I feel a bit like I should be living in a commune and wearing tie dyed clothes when I use them. They are also from the same species as cannabis and so (to a closeted, non-adventurous soul) it feels rather daring to pick them up in a local store. Those points aside, hemp seeds are fantastically nutritious - rich in healthy fats, protein, iron, and a whole host of vitamins and minerals. They also have a nutty, earthy flavour that I very much enjoy.
I like hemp seeds for lots of reasons, including, if I'm honest, their amusing hippy connotations. I feel a bit like I should be living in a commune and wearing tie dyed clothes when I use them. They are also from the same species as cannabis and so (to a closeted, non-adventurous soul) it feels rather daring to pick them up in a local store. Those points aside, hemp seeds are fantastically nutritious - rich in healthy fats, protein, iron, and a whole host of vitamins and minerals. They also have a nutty, earthy flavour that I very much enjoy.
Sunday, April 30, 2017
Zucchini noodles with orange and cashews
I was recently browsing my own Recipes page and was surprised to see, first, just how many recipes are on there (well over 200!) and, second, how many dishes I have made, loved, and then not made again. My various courgette / zucchini noodle dishes are a case in point. Whilst I haven't recreated one of them here, I was inspired to pull my spiralizer out again and make a new zucchini noodle dish to match the spring weather.
This salad is dominated, in a good way, by orange. It features an orange-soy-ginger dressing as well as orange segments. A scattering of cashews rounds out the dish and I also included tofu (ginger flavoured for good measure) that I enjoyed in the mix. If you left the tofu off this would be a nice side dish but with it you can easily consume the salad as a main meal.
My tofu was the new-ish sweet ginger tofu made by Cauldron foods. If you aren't in the UK or don't have access to that, any marinated tofu would work, although one that compliments an orange-soy-ginger dressing would obviously be best.
This salad is dominated, in a good way, by orange. It features an orange-soy-ginger dressing as well as orange segments. A scattering of cashews rounds out the dish and I also included tofu (ginger flavoured for good measure) that I enjoyed in the mix. If you left the tofu off this would be a nice side dish but with it you can easily consume the salad as a main meal.
My tofu was the new-ish sweet ginger tofu made by Cauldron foods. If you aren't in the UK or don't have access to that, any marinated tofu would work, although one that compliments an orange-soy-ginger dressing would obviously be best.
Saturday, May 7, 2016
Orange-maple-ginger soba noodle bowl
Noodle bowls are something I go through phases with. They always appeal to me on restaurant menus if I'm eating out, but at home I can go for months without making them. Then, as I am wont to do, they will reach the top of my 'loving right now' list and I'll make a whole string of similar dishes close together.
I may be entering such a phase now. This orange-maple-ginger bowl is certainly worth making again - I loved the mix of flavours and that the dressing served as a tofu marinade as well as noodle sauce. I adapted the recipe from the orange-maple-miso noodle bowl in Angela's Oh She Glows cookbook. Her sauce used miso instead of soy sauce, didn't include ginger or apple cider vinegar, and had less orange juice. The vegetable / tofu components varied too - and you may want to vary them again to suit what you have to hand. It's an easy dish to customise.
I made this when my mother-in-law was visiting and it was well received by her. It was also tolerated by Mr Bite, which is as good as I can hope for when dishing him up tofu and broccoli! I found it worked equally well served hot for dinner and cold for lunch leftovers the next day.
Sunday, January 17, 2016
Vegan orange hot chocolate, for snowy weather
Last night brought our first real snow of the winter. It is still not particularly heavy - it is rare for snow to be heavy in south-east England - but it is more than the light scattering we had in early December.
After exploring the snow in many layers of running gear, it seemed like the sort of day for hot chocolate. I rarely make or drink hot chocolate, not because I don't like it, but because usually I am just as happy with tea. However, with all the seasonal hot drinks advertised across winter, the idea of an orange hot chocolate lodged in my mind some time ago. Today the idea turned to reality.
I made this using three forms of chocolate (!), which, if you can do it, I recommend: dark chocolate, cocoa powder, and the orange flavoured sugar-free Choc Shot syrup. I am a little abashed to be mentioning Choc Shot again, but it is such a useful product that I do use it an awful lot. I ought to get some sort of sponsorship deal with the company. However, if you don't have access to the syrup I am listing a way to make this without it. My orange flavour came primarily from grated orange zest, but you could use orange extract / essence if that is easier.
After exploring the snow in many layers of running gear, it seemed like the sort of day for hot chocolate. I rarely make or drink hot chocolate, not because I don't like it, but because usually I am just as happy with tea. However, with all the seasonal hot drinks advertised across winter, the idea of an orange hot chocolate lodged in my mind some time ago. Today the idea turned to reality.
I made this using three forms of chocolate (!), which, if you can do it, I recommend: dark chocolate, cocoa powder, and the orange flavoured sugar-free Choc Shot syrup. I am a little abashed to be mentioning Choc Shot again, but it is such a useful product that I do use it an awful lot. I ought to get some sort of sponsorship deal with the company. However, if you don't have access to the syrup I am listing a way to make this without it. My orange flavour came primarily from grated orange zest, but you could use orange extract / essence if that is easier.
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Tiered orange sponge cake with chocolate ganache icing {vegan and diabetes friendly}
When I offered to make my grandfather's birthday cake, I did so a little bit blithely. I hadn't fully thought through the logistics of making a cake for over 25 people, transporting it on public transport, and ensuring it was tasty enough for all but low enough in sugar to be suitable for my grandfather (he has well managed, non-insulin dependent type II diabetes). For my own benefit, I also wanted it to be vegan. Easy, right!?
Sunday, February 8, 2015
Orange and date drop scones (or pikelets. or mini pancakes)
These drop scones were made during my orange phase of early January. I figured a month between orange-themed recipes was sufficient, and so I'm pleased to share them with you now!
For those of you not familiar with my past drop scone posts, drop scones are also called Scotch pancakes and roughly equivalent to Australian pikelets. For Americans, think mini fluffy pancakes. I like mine with fruit in them and they are well suited to breakfast, afternoon tea, or snacking at pretty much any time of day.
For those of you not familiar with my past drop scone posts, drop scones are also called Scotch pancakes and roughly equivalent to Australian pikelets. For Americans, think mini fluffy pancakes. I like mine with fruit in them and they are well suited to breakfast, afternoon tea, or snacking at pretty much any time of day.
Sunday, January 11, 2015
Orange-mustard stir fry with tofu and Asian greens, and a new blog header
First, thanks so much for your enthusiasm regarding my marathon plans! It is lovely to have encouragement from around the globe and I look forward to sharing progress as April draws nearer. I managed to trip over and fall flat on the concrete on this morning's run (fortunately no major injuries) so I am hoping that gets my uncoordinated streak out of the way...
On other topics, you may have noticed a new header on my blog this week. I seem to change my headers around this time of year, and whilst I wasn't really tired of the old one yet, I thought a fresh image would be nice. I hope you like it (if you don't, feedback is always welcome). The new one ties in with my Facebook page header without being exactly the same.
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| Bite-sized thoughts over the years (2011 and 2012 along the top, and 2013 and 2014 along the bottom) |
In terms of today's recipe, I have been on a bit of an orange kick lately - something that is reflected in this post coming straight after my orange coconut ice. I actually have a few other orange recipes too, but I won't bring them all out at once. Keep an eye out over coming months, as I'll share them in spaced out doses!
Thursday, January 8, 2015
London Marathon plans and swoon-worthy, vegan, refined sugar free, orange coconut ice
When I posted my recap of 2014, I didn't share goals for 2015. The reason is that I have relatively few, but those I do have are relatively large. We want to look into moving somewhere bigger than our current 1-bedroom apartment, most likely in the commuter zone just outside of London. We may get a car to accompany that move. And...I have a charity place in the London Marathon.
Running the London Marathon has been a goal for a while, but I didn't really think it would happen this year. I completely missed the ballot (it opens and shuts almost a year before the run) and when I applied for a charity place, I did so knowing there were more applicants than positions available. When I heard that I had a place, my reaction was equal parts amazement, excitement and apprehension. I am acutely aware that a marathon is twice as long as my longest runs to date.
Of course, the apprehension doesn't detract from my overall excitement at being able to participate in the race. My charity place is with Beat, which is the UK eating disorder charity. I'm usually quite cagey about personal information, but have previously mentioned my PhD in psychology and my work in the health and medical arena. To open up a little more, most of my work centres around eating disorders. It is an area where the statistics can be quite depressing: one in seven women are likely to experience an eating disorder in their life (and one in 35 men) and around 30% of those affected will never recover. Up to 10% will die. We need to do much more to help those affected by the conditions, and Beat works hard to do that.
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| Orange coconut ice |
Running the London Marathon has been a goal for a while, but I didn't really think it would happen this year. I completely missed the ballot (it opens and shuts almost a year before the run) and when I applied for a charity place, I did so knowing there were more applicants than positions available. When I heard that I had a place, my reaction was equal parts amazement, excitement and apprehension. I am acutely aware that a marathon is twice as long as my longest runs to date.
Of course, the apprehension doesn't detract from my overall excitement at being able to participate in the race. My charity place is with Beat, which is the UK eating disorder charity. I'm usually quite cagey about personal information, but have previously mentioned my PhD in psychology and my work in the health and medical arena. To open up a little more, most of my work centres around eating disorders. It is an area where the statistics can be quite depressing: one in seven women are likely to experience an eating disorder in their life (and one in 35 men) and around 30% of those affected will never recover. Up to 10% will die. We need to do much more to help those affected by the conditions, and Beat works hard to do that.
Sunday, December 21, 2014
Made over orange, cranberry and chocolate chip biscuits
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| Spiced Christmas cookies |
Yesterday, we also had an early Christmas dinner with my UK family, making another day trip to my grandparent's home in Sussex. There were nine of us in total and it was great to be able to join in on celebrations with family here. We went out for the meal and I enjoyed a nut roast that may have been the best I've had (although I'll concede I haven't had all that many). The setting in a Tudor building was great too - quite different to Australian Christmas!
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| Christmas dinner, plant style - nut roast with a sweet potato and coriander sauce, and vegetable trimmings |
Friday, May 23, 2014
Apple-orange-ginger cider cake
I am really stringing out our Mother's Day picnic! This cake is the last creation I'm sharing from the day, and I have been postponing it for a few reasons. The first is that it involves cider, thanks to the generosity of Rekorderlig cider. I mentioned Rekorderlig in my Taste of Perth posts, and I thought you might like a little cider break before I returned to it with this cake. The second reason is that I posted an apple gingerbread cake not too long ago. This cake is different, but one apple cake a month seemed like an appropriate limit!
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Orange and almond cake, and orange chocolate truffle balls
I am picturing the horror that this post title will send through orange haters, and can only apologise even as I smile at the thought of your reaction. For those of you who think oranges are best served whole, and never paired with chocolate, feel free to look away. For the rest of you? Settle in and enjoy.
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| Whole oranges, pureed |
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Orange and almond couscous
Some things are so simple, it's hard to believe they taste as good as they do. Fresh, in-season fruits and vegetables are one such example. I would submit that this dish is another.
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Carrot and chickpea salad with orange and avocado
This salad was an impromptu side dish made to complement a roast vegetable strudel like the one I did last Christmas. The strudel was hot and appropriate to winter. The salad is probably more appropriate to summer, but it was highly enjoyable regardless. Plus, it packs a hefty dose of vitamin C, and that at least is winter appropriate.
In addition to Vitamin C, this salad provides protein from the chickpeas and it is sweet from the orange. I think corn would be a nice addition to the mix too, and in future I may try that variation.
In addition to Vitamin C, this salad provides protein from the chickpeas and it is sweet from the orange. I think corn would be a nice addition to the mix too, and in future I may try that variation.
Friday, March 15, 2013
Vegan orange cake, and an orange lesson
Last weekend we celebrated my mother-in-law's birthday (yes, another birthday!). As I have made it known that I am always available for birthday cake making, should no one else want that pleasure, I was granted responsibility for the cake.
The request was an orange cake. To my amusement, I later found out that the request would have been for chocolate cake, except that dogs aren't meant to eat chocolate cake, and my mother-in-law has a dog that is included in most edible celebrations. Some might express surprise that dogs can enjoy orange cake, but you don't know the dog in question.
When making birthday cakes for other people, I set my own taste preferences aside. Thus, if it seems difficult to make an enjoyable cake without eggs or dairy, I will make the cake with eggs or dairy. However, there are very few occasions where this proves necessary.
If you want to make an orange cake, it is very easy to find a vegan version. Some simple searching turned up several online variations of an orange cake first published in one of The Joy of Cooking cookbooks. All of the online posts talked about how easy the cake was to make, how moist and tender it was, and how it was enjoyed even by those who weren't vegan and who didn't usually like orange baked goods.
All of that sounded good, and so I made the cake a day in advance, taste tested mixture left in the bowl, and iced it on the day of the celebrations. Making a double-layer cake in two round cake tins that are slightly different in size always makes icing somewhat challenging (I should trim the bottom cake, but what a waste of cake!), but I decided to accept the somewhat messy appearance and generously sprinkle grated chocolate in an attempt to distract from it.
The cake was moist, light, fluffy, delicate, beautifully textured, and very well received by all (including the dog). However, it did not taste of orange. Having used the juice of four oranges in the mix, this was quite perplexing. I am still a little unsure what went wrong, other than that the cake may need zest as well as juice (this was done in one of the three recipes I looked at), and/or I used valencia oranges instead of the navel variety. I usually only buy oranges for juicing, and only for Mr B at that, and valencia oranges are the recommended variety for juice. It is possible that the navel variety are more flavourful for cooking.
Irrespective of the oranges you use, I recommend making my version with the addition of orange zest, or at least doing so if you want an orange flavoured cake. If you want a delicate, faintly vanilla cake you could omit the zest and just enjoy this as we did!
Do you have much experience with orange baking?
The request was an orange cake. To my amusement, I later found out that the request would have been for chocolate cake, except that dogs aren't meant to eat chocolate cake, and my mother-in-law has a dog that is included in most edible celebrations. Some might express surprise that dogs can enjoy orange cake, but you don't know the dog in question.
When making birthday cakes for other people, I set my own taste preferences aside. Thus, if it seems difficult to make an enjoyable cake without eggs or dairy, I will make the cake with eggs or dairy. However, there are very few occasions where this proves necessary.
If you want to make an orange cake, it is very easy to find a vegan version. Some simple searching turned up several online variations of an orange cake first published in one of The Joy of Cooking cookbooks. All of the online posts talked about how easy the cake was to make, how moist and tender it was, and how it was enjoyed even by those who weren't vegan and who didn't usually like orange baked goods.
All of that sounded good, and so I made the cake a day in advance, taste tested mixture left in the bowl, and iced it on the day of the celebrations. Making a double-layer cake in two round cake tins that are slightly different in size always makes icing somewhat challenging (I should trim the bottom cake, but what a waste of cake!), but I decided to accept the somewhat messy appearance and generously sprinkle grated chocolate in an attempt to distract from it.
The cake was moist, light, fluffy, delicate, beautifully textured, and very well received by all (including the dog). However, it did not taste of orange. Having used the juice of four oranges in the mix, this was quite perplexing. I am still a little unsure what went wrong, other than that the cake may need zest as well as juice (this was done in one of the three recipes I looked at), and/or I used valencia oranges instead of the navel variety. I usually only buy oranges for juicing, and only for Mr B at that, and valencia oranges are the recommended variety for juice. It is possible that the navel variety are more flavourful for cooking.
Irrespective of the oranges you use, I recommend making my version with the addition of orange zest, or at least doing so if you want an orange flavoured cake. If you want a delicate, faintly vanilla cake you could omit the zest and just enjoy this as we did!
Orange cake
Makes two round cakes
Vegan
Ingredients
Cake
3 cups plain flour
2 cups white sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 3/4 cups fresh orange juice (juice of 4 oranges)
2 tbsp orange pulp (as obtained when juicing 4 oranges)
1 tbsp orange zest (I didn't do this but would in future)
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp vanilla
Icing
3 tbsp non-dairy margarine
~2 tbsp vanilla soy yoghurt
2 1/2 cups icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp non-dairy milk
Orange-flavoured dark chocolate, optional, for decorating
Method
Preheat your oven to 175'C / 350'F and line two round cake tins with baking paper.
In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt).
In a medium bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (orange juice, pulp and zest, vegetable oil, vinegar and vanilla).
Add the wet mix to the dry mix and stir to combine.
Divide batter between the cake tins and bake for 30 - 35 minutes until golden and an inserted skewer comes out clean.
To make the icing, beat the icing sugar and non-dairy spread until fluffy and then add the yoghurt and vanilla and beat to combine.
Grate chocolate and sprinkle over the cake if desired.
Do you have much experience with orange baking?
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