Traditionalists will have to just look away now because this recipe is far from traditional! Yesterday Brittany made those gorgeous strawberry and choc chip pikeletes and today I decided to enjoy the last of the strawberries as a sort of coolis syrup with my morning pancakes.
1 cup strawberries
½ cup sugar * (see notes below)
½ cup water
1 teaspoon lemon juice * (see notes below)
Method
In a pot, combine the strawberries, sugar and water and cook at a moderate heat until the syrup has thickened and the strawberries have melted. This may take about 20 – 30 minutes.
Just before serving, add a little lemon juice to freshen it up.
Pour over pancakes and serve with ice cream, cream or with a splash of icing sugar.
Observations
Traditionalists would have cooked this for a little longer, not used the lemon and would have strained it to remove the chunky fruit remains. Personally, I like those chunks for texture. Suit your own tastes on this one.
Don’t cook this too long or too rapidly. The trick is a rolling simmer. Over cooking will result in a tasteless syrup while cooking it at a higher temperature will reduce it too quickly and not give the strawberries time to melt and to give over their delicious taste.
Don’t over do the lemon juice or you will lose that strawberry flavour. A squeeze is literally enough – 1 teaspoon at most!
Diabetic Note: This would be far from diabetic friendly if I used ordinary sugar. Instead, I use a commercially produced sugar substitute. As a result, my blood sugar results are just fine.
Ethical Note: I love using odd bods that would end up in waste. The sourdough starter and strawberries are classic examples. The strawberries were looking sad with age and it was now or never for them and I chose the now option!
“Rhianna, why do your pancakes look a funny shape?” you ask. “Because, dear reader, sometimes taste tests become before you remember to take photos!”
Joe and I are quite partial to dips for a light snack or lunch. And who doesn’t love hummus on sandwiches instead of butter? I decided to give making hummus a try, and I am glad I did. It was just what the doctor ordered!
[ SERVES: Lots | TIME: 15 MIN | COST: <$3 ]
[ JOES’ RATING: 4/5 | MY RATING: 4.5/5 ]
Ingredients
400 grams chickpeas
50 grams tahini
juice of one lemon
2 cloves garlic
2 – 3 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
water as needed
Methods
Dried chickpea preparation: Soak 250 grams chickpeas for 24 hours before cooking for 30 minutes. Drain and allow to cool, reserving the cooking liquid.
Canned chickpea preparation: Drain the peas but reserve the liquid.
Add the chickpeas and slowly blend, adding water or reserved chickpea liquid if needed.
Stir in the tahini and mix well to incorporate.
To serve, place a good dollop onto a platter, forming a well. Fill the well with quality olive oil. Sprinkle generously with paprika and serve with crackers or flat breads.
Observations
How wonderful and easy is this dish? Its packed with flavour, and is wonderful either as a dip or as a spread on sandwiches in the place of butter.
I prepared some of this dip as a house-warming gift. Nothing says welcome like some home-made dip.
Diabetic note: This is a lovely alternative to cream based dips that are heavy in fats. It is also a wonderful substitute for butter. My blood glucose sugars hardly even budged.
Ethical note: The lack of dairy in this dish is a breath of fresh air for the environment. When possible, consider dairy free alternatives.
About an hour ago, Joe and I decided it was time to eat. We tossed around the usual luncheon ideas when he mentioned there was some plain wholemeal spaghetti left over from his dinner a few nights ago. The cogs started to turn, and this is what we just dined on!
[ SERVES: 2 | TIME: 15 MIN | COST: <$3 ]
[ JOES’ RATING: 4.5/5 | MY RATING: 4/5 ]
Ingredients
3 cups leftover cooked pasta
2 big handfuls rocket
1 cup cherry tomatoes
½ cup chopped yellow capsicum
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
small handful pine nuts
2 tablespoons crushed garlic
good drizzle of olive oil
shaved peccorino romano cheese
salt and pepper to taste
Methodology
In a warm dry skillet, roast the pine nuts before placing aside.
In the skillet add olive oil and garlic before frying it off slightly til fragrant. Add the cherry tomatoes and capsicum, stirring well to coat evenly. Heat through and sauté for a few minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium and toss through the pasta. Again, ensure it gets a good coating of oil, garlic and that the vegetables become well incorporated. Stirring continually.
Remove from heat and gently fold through the rocket and parsley. Season well with salt and cracked pepper.
Garnish with grated hard cheese and pine nuts. Eat immediately.
Observations
Everything in todays meal was in the fridge. I didn’t organise anything ahead of time. Even so, these flavours just worked fantastically. Joe wants more, but alas, it was leftovers so there is none left!
It could have used a freshen up with a tiny amount of lemon juice, but that’s probably more to do with me being fussy than anything else.
I am not usually one to give much salt to my cooking, but I did with this dish, and I am glad I did. The saltiness worked a treat against the sweetness of the tomatoes and the garlic flavours. Careful not to go over board, though!
Diabetic Note: My plate was the back one, and as such, it was a smaller server, and was mostly vegetables rather than pasta. Instead of eating bread, I supplemented my meal with a piece of fruit (citrus) and my Blood Glucose Levels should be happy for it.
Ethical Note: The average household wastes far too much food. Where possible, try incorporating your left overs into a quick make up meal such as this.
Rhianna's Guide to Ethical Eating 