Lactose Free Mini Icy Pink Cupcakes

For little girls  who love pink ( especially my lactose intolerant  granddaughter).

For kids who are lactose intolerant Greek yoghurt may also be fine. (From what I have read some lactose intolerant people are able to tolerate Greek yoghurt but I decided to play it safe)

Icy Pink Cup Cakes

Mix together

1 cup of Cheese Barn lactose-free organic Yoghurt
1 tablespoon of honey (or to taste)
1 heaped teaspoon of  Fresh As freeze dried blueberry powder

Spoon into a silicone lined mini cupcake mould. They will pop out easily when frozen,
.
To make them a little bit more special flatten a larger cupcake paper and lie it in a small bowl. Rest the icy cupcake on top and provide a d toothpick alongside to  push into the cupcake  when it has softened a little after a minute or so. Although on one of those hot, steamy Auckland summery days we have been having recently they will probably dispense with the toothpick and just enjoy holding the icy cupcake in their hands. Have  serviettes or a paper towel ready to clean up messy fingers.

Very Berry Cabbage and Carrot Salad

This crunchy colourful healthy salad is almost a meal in itself. I created it while I was playing with some Fresh As freeze dried blueberry powder this weekend.
The blueberry flavour was not as strong as I had hoped as the pomegranate molasses stayed dominant but it added some fruity depth.
I usually make this salad with orange juice but the freeze dried blueberry powder in the dressing made a nice change.

The next time I made it I added a handful of pitted and sliced cherries as they are in season right now turning it into very berry salad.

Ingredients:

1/4 red cabbage finely chopped
3carrots
a handful of chopped mint
a handful of pistachio nuts
3 tablespoons of raisins
a handful of pitted and sliced cherries

Dressing:
Shake together until well mixed
4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons of pomegranate molasses
2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon of Fresh As Freeze Dried blueberry powder
A pinch of salt

Fresh As Blueberry Salad

Christmas is over and our waistlines have expanded. Time for some healthy food!
Here's a salad I created with some Fresh As Freeze Dried Blueberry Powder which was given to me by a friend to play with.

In a bowl arrange some soft fancy lettuce leaves , some shelled pistachio nuts, cubes of feta and blueberries.Drizzle the following fruity dressing , which is a gorgeous intense bluish purple colour, over the top:

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon of Fresh As Freeze Dried Blueberry powder
1/4 teaspoon of dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon of honey

Whizz these ingredients together in a small food processor until well mixed.

Oven Baked Ratatouille with a Japanese Dressing

Oven baked ratatouille is one of our summer standby recipes as its so easy to make . Having just come back from Japan and loved the food I experimented with adding a Japanese dressing and it's so good! This dish will last for a few days in the fridge as well.

I tossed baked cubed eggplant, sliced red peppers, sliced onion and courgettes in some garlic infused  olive oil and baked them for 20 minutes at 180 degrees C in a fan forced oven. Then I added some chopped tomatoes which had been squeezed to remove some of the seeds, and  baked the vegetables f for a further20 minutes.

I waited until the ratatouille was like warm, then tossed the dressing through and served it at room temperature sprinkled with the toasted sesame seeds .

The quantities of vegetables are flexible but if you do a large quantity you may want to double the dressing. Taste as you go!

If you use plain olive oil I'd add some crushed garlic at the same time as the tomatoes.

Japanese dressing

I found  this dressing in a recipe for a Snowpea salad in  Vegie Food, a little Murdoch book.

1/2 teaspoon of dashi granules
1 tablespoon of soya sauce
1 tablespoon of mirin
1 teaspoon of soft brown sugar
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 teaspoon of very finely chopped ginger
1/4 teaspoon of sesame oil
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
1 tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds