Gluten Free Banana Poffertjes

Dutch children (of all ages) love poffertjes (tiny fluffy round pancakes) made in a special poffertjes pan and served dusted with icing sugar and a lump of butter alongside. Traditionally they were made with yeast and buckwheat flour but there are modern variations in which other flours and baking powder are used.

I recently had the opportunity to try some Gluten Free Pikelet, Waffle and Pancake mix from the Goodies Factory and was inspired to use this to make poffertjes. I followed the recipe for pikelets on the packet. To half the mixture I added a finely chopped (not mashed!) banana.

The poffertjes pan should be lightly greased with butter for each batch. A tablespoon of batter is ladled into each little hollow. When  lots of bubbles appear the poffertjes need to be flipped over and this is a little tricky. I used a small silicone spatula but have since read that a fork/a sate stick could also be used.

The poffertjes turned out light and fluffy and were really delicous!Dusted with icing sugar, and served with some mixed berries and yoghurt on the side they made a great brunch for both those who are gluten free and those who are not.

The recipe made heaps of poffertjes ( about 30 without bananas and another 30 with) but as they are so moorish they will vanish quickly.

Below is a picture of the electric poffertjes pan.  I found mine in an op shop in Whangaparoa. There were a couple more there so keep a look out, or they can be bought at one of the Dutch shops which are scattered throughout New Zealand.

A Feijoa, Coconut and Ginger Cooler

So simple but very refreshing and no added sugar.

Scoop out the flesh from enough feijoas to make 1/4 cup when sieved.

Make up to one cup with some chilled natural coconut water

Add a little grated ginger and sieve again,

Serve at once, and enjoy this late summer thirst quencher.

A bowl of Feijoa, Peanut Butter and Miso Noodle Soup

Sometimes I just crave some comfort food , the kind which can be made very quickly from what is in our fridge, garden and pantry. 

That's what I made last night .

I started by making some miso soup using one of those little sachets you can buy in the supermarket. I dissolved one in 1 1/4 cups of boiling water.

Then I stirred in the feijoa, peanut butter and brown miso dip (the recipe follows) and reheated the soup until it was piping hot.

In the meantime I boiled a small bundle of Japanese Soba Buckwheat noodles in  lightly salted water, stirring them from time to time until tender then rinsed them briefly in cold running water.

The noodles were laid in a large bowl.

Over the top went the miso soup and some finely shredded young spinach leaves.

Dinner was done!

Using a tasty peanut butter for this recipe makes all the difference. I used Purebread peanut butter as it is organic, and made from Red skinned peanuts , Virgin coconut oil, honey and Certified sea salt (it's seriously good!)

This recipe makes 1 large bowl/2 medium sized bowls.

(A nice variation is, after adding the dip, to bring the soup back to the boil , add some thinly sliced mushrooms and simmer for two or three minutes before pouring the soup over the noodles. Along with the spinach you can add the finely sliced part of a spring onion as well.

Or if you don't happen to have any soba buckwheat noodles simply leave them out, It will still be a restorative soup.)

Feijoa, Peanut Butter and Miso Dip 

There was a bowl of kiwifruit  (a gift from my neighbours' garden) on the table so I played around with some, added a few other store cupboard ingredients and came up with this dip which is finger licking good: earthy, salty yet sweet and with a little heat. 

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of Purebread peanut butter

1 tablespoon of reddish brown miso paste ( this has a more assertive and deeper flavour than white miso)

3 large feijoas

1 tablespoon of sweet chilli sauce

1 tablespoon of rice vinegar ( or the juice of a lime if you prefer it a little sharper)

1 teaspoon of sesame oil

Method:

Scoop the flesh out of the feijoas and sieve.

Stir the miso into the Purebread peanut butter Add all the other ingredients (including the feijoa juice) and mix well.

Serve with carrot and celery sticks.

Gluten Free Spicy Pork and Apple Meatloaf with a Feijoa Chutney

Here's a tasty lightly spiced pork and apple meatloaf. It's especially nice served with a feijoa chutney alongside. The magic ingredient is breadcrumbs made from Purebread Spicy Fruit Loaf. Which also conveniently makes it gluten free.
Nicest served hot but as it's a moist loaf it will happily sit in the fridge for several days.



Ingredients:

700 gm of pork mince (free range)

1 tablespoon of butter
1 small onion

1 large sweet apple ( I used Braeburn)

50 gm of Purebread Spicy Fruit Loaf

3 tablespoons of tomato sauce

1 tablespoon of dijon mustard

1 egg

salt and pepper to taste

To make it:

1. Chop the onion finely and saute in butter till soft.

2. Whizz 50 grams of Purebread spicy raisin loaf until reduced to crumbs

3. Put the breadcrumbs,  egg, tomato sauce, mustard  and salt and pepper in a large bowl.

4. Add the pork mince and mix well together.

5. Peel and chop the apple into small pieces and add.

6. Put the mixture in a loaf tin  and bake at 180 for about 40-45 minutes until done.

Feijoa Chutncy

Ingredients:

2 cups of chopped feijoa flesh

1/2 cup of sultanas

2 onions (chopped)

1 cup of brown sugar

1 1/2 cups of apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon of salt

1 tablespoon of garam masala

1 tablespoon of freshly ground ginger

1 cinnamon stick

Method

1 .Put all the ingredients in a bowl and leave for a couple of hours for the sugar to dissolve and the flavours to mingle

2. Then put in a large heavy-based saucepan

3. Bring the mixture to the boil

4. Turn down the heat and let it simmer gently.

5. Stir from time to time.

6. It will be done when the chutney looks thick and syrupy.

7. This will take about 45 minutes-1 hour

8. Let it cool before eating.

9. It will keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge.

10. Or it can be ladled  into sterilised jars,sealed and store in a cool dark place.

Feijoa, Banana, Almond and Brazil butter Smoothie

The feijoa season has started and we have already been the grateful recipients of some of our neighbour's crop. The flesh is so deliciously sweet and fragrant.

I made this  nutritious smoothie with some of them. The addition of a tablespoon of Purebread Almond and Brazil butter which has been lightly roasted and blended with virgin coconut oil from Samoa added an instant energy boost. What a great way to start the day!

To make it:

The night before put a sliced banana in the freezer.

Then in the morning simply whizz the following ingredients together:

The flesh of 4 large feijoas

1 frozen banana (sliced)

1 generous tablespoon of Purebread Almond and Brazil butter

a drop or two of pure vanilla essence

1/4 cup of yoghurt

1/4 cup of milk

Bircher Toasted Muesli with Chia Seeds

This is my favourite breakfast right now.

In  traditional bircher muesli rolled oats are used but I prefer to make it with lightly toasted Purebread Wild Oats Muesli (a blend of organic grains, seeds and honey).It tastes better that way, is chewier and full of goodness.

In this new recipe the chia seeds add a further healthy boost and a little crunch.

I love the way you can leave this bircher muesli in a covered container in the fridge for several days and just dip into it every morning. Such a timesaver!

The recipe can easily be multiplied.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of organic Purebread Wild Oats Muesli.

3/4 cup of light coconut milk/coconut water

2 tablespoon of white chia seeds

Method:

Mix together and soak for at least one hour or overnight.

Add some cubed rock melon and blueberries.

Serve with yoghurt alongside if you like

Variations

You can easily create your own version, and ring the changes, by substituting fruit juice/light coconut milk /almond milk for the coconut water and add other seasonal fruits.

I like it unsweetened as there is already a little honey in the Purebread Wild Oats Muesli but you can if you like dribble some runny honey/maple syrup on top. Nuts are good too.

Adding grated apple is especially  good stirred through the bircher muesli and with a sprinkling of cinnamon and toasted sliced almonds on top. I use coconut water rather than coconut milk for this version as it is lighter and more refreshing.

And if you would like a thicker bircher muesli use a little less liquid.