Besan Crackers

I've just found this wonderful recipe on www.themindfulfoodie.com and want to share it.

    1 cup (250 ml) chickpea (besan) flour
    1 cup (250 ml) almond meal
    2 tbsp (30 ml) ground linseeds (flaxseeds)
    2 tsp roasted, ground cumin (optional)
    ½ tsp sea salt
    2 tbsp (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil
    100–120 ml water

Preheat oven to 180C/350F (160C/320F fan-forced)

1.   In a bowl whisk together the dry ingredients.
2.   Add the oil and gradually add the water.
3.   With clean hands form a dough. The dough should not be sticky — it should come together easily to form a ball.  If it’s sticking to the bowl, add a little more chickpea flour. If the dough is too dry, you can add a little more water.
4.  Halve the dough. Roll one half between two sheets of baking paper (so it doesn’t stick) until ~2 mm thick. 
5. Cut into squares and spread on lined baking tray
6. 6  Bake for 15–20 minutes until lightly browned. Cool on wire rack before serving.
   
   Repeat with remaining dough.

All ready to go

Mixed ready to roll out

Ready to go into the oven

Ready to eat with a yummy pate

I'll

Enneagram Retreat

I've just spent the past four days in an Enneagram Retreat at Byron Bay in N.S.W. There were 18 wonderful people who attended along with Robert and Mackayla who are the facilitators.

The setting is quiet and peaceful and very restful. The programme leads you down the path of self knowledge and self awareness and understanding of yourself and others. You are asked to looked intensely at yourself and your personality and behaviours. An entirely interesting and self probing four days.

Robert and Mackayla are very experienced facilitators, gentle, compassionate and bring together the teachings of many spiritual teachers.

If you want more understanding of yourself, family and close friends - embrace this Enneagram work.

http://enneagramsydney.com.au

The Enneagram is a powerful approach to understanding the psychology, emotions and behaviour of ourselves and others.

 

The Enneagram symbol, a nine-pointed diagram (ennea is the Greek word for 'nine'), has its origins in many different traditions. In the last four decades it has been combined with modern psychology, evolving to describe the nine fundamental personality types of human nature. The modern Enneagram is a condensation of universal wisdom, commonsense philosophy and psychology which provides extraordinary insights into human behaviour, particularly our own. The primary goal and purpose of the Enneagram is self knowledge; its ancillary benefit is that it allows us to understand the behaviour of others, and with that understanding, to be more accepting and compassionate.
The Enneagram is a reminder that we do not have to remain captive to the dictates of personality, but can relax into the awareness of true essence and the experience of Love.

The Enneagram is not a religion and it will not interfere with any religious orientation.

Spicy Sunflower Seed Cake/Slice

I love experimenting with food and have been making cakes/slices with no flours/starches. Today I made this cake to take away for a weekend at Byron Bay where I'm spending four days in an Ennegram Retreat.

2 ½ cups       Sunflower seeds, soaked for 2 hours and wet
2 Tbsp           Coconut Oil melted
1 Tbsp           Butter melted into coconut oil
1/3 cup          Raw Honey or Kitul Syrup
4                   Free range eggs
1 tsp              Sea Salt
1 tsp              Cinnamon
½ tsp             Cloves
½ tsp             Nutmeg           
½ cup            Currants

Sesame seeds or dessicated coconut optional for topping

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
Puree wet sunflower seeds in food processor until smooth.
Add all ingredients except the currants
Blend well.
Remove blade from food processor and fold in currants.
Pour into greased 30cm roll tin. Bake at 180 degrees C for 50-60 minutes.
Test with knife or toothpick inserted in the center.  If it comes out clean, it’s done.
Cool on rack and then slice into squares

Makes approximately 25 servings.

Sally Fallon on lacto-fermented foods

 

Sally Fallon author of "Nourishing Traditions" - the only recipe book you'll ever need.

Sally bases her recipes on REAL FOOD and the writings of Weston A Price who travelled the world and visited 14 traditional cultures to see what food they ate that allowed them to be caries free with broad jaws that allowed full growth of their teeth and jaws.

Coconut Yogurt

Coconut is such a delicious and healthy food. Just look at how easy it is to make this highly nutritious food. Coles actually sells young coconuts for $2.00. Keep on practicing opening them - it gets less difficult over time.

Raw Milk Black Market

What an interesting and accurate report on raw milk. Cleopatra's milk is great for bathing in..........

http://au.news.yahoo.com/video/queensland/watch/30255915

Vandana Shiva on the Problem with Genetically-Modified Seeds

Vandana Shiva speaking about our food supply, genetically modified seeds, interconnectedness. A lesson for all countries and cultures

Fresh Herbs at Markets

Had an interesting morning at Northey Street Organic Markets today. There are some lovely fresh vegies - greens in particular - that are produced by some Asian growers. They always have baskets of freshly picked herbs. I want to show you Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum)  which has been used for over 2,000 years as an herbal remedy for a variety of ailments, particularly liver, kidney, and gall bladder problems. Silymarin has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and it may help the liver repair itself by growing new cells.

It's the Mother Herb of the Liver. You can see why it's named milk thistle as the plant is very milky looking.

A young Asian woman was choosing this herb along with Stinging Nettle as she was making juice for her mother who has gall bladder problems. What a simple and traditional way of making our own medicine.

Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica and the closely related Urtica urens) has a long medicinal history. In medieval Europe, it was used as a diuretic (to rid the body of excess water) and to treat joint pain.

Stinging nettle is used in many forms, including as teas, tinctures, fluid extracts, creams and soups.

 

The use of herbs is a time honoured approach to strengthening the body and treating disease. Herbs, however, can trigger side effects and can interact with other herbs, supplements, or medications. Do take care with herbs and do your research or find an expert who can advise.

This was a delicious salad mix, freshly picked in the early hours of this morning.