Saturday, February 27, 2010

PASSOVER 2010

PASSOVER 2010 …………………………..

The preparations for Passover always seem to be an endless task. But in fact, it can be easy. Just work it out with a time tables, buy early, prepare ahead, and have all the gifts and little items ready for your guests.

You need to work out who is coming, when do they arrive, are they sleeping over, are you fetching them. And how many adults and kiddies are there altogether. Have the chairs and tables ready a few days before. Make sure you have toiletries, towels, cushions and sheets ready. Buy a few extra toothbrushes and toothpastes, shampoos and easy wipes.

Have lots of extra plastic glasses, straws, paper plates, tablecloths, containers for left over foods. You need lots of kitchen towels and a few trays for arranging dishes on for desserts and teas. If these are ready and covered, they make the last courses easier to serve.

I have three good sources of information and recipes from the following dates……………….24th March 2009
And on 29th March 2009
And one on 4th April 2009. This one has cake and cookie recipes. Look at these and here are a few more ideas.

CARROT KUGEL.

Cream 3/4 cup of butter and 10 tablespoons of matzo meal. Dissolve 1/2 cup potato flour in 1 cup sweet red wine.
Mix these together.
Add : 4 cups grated raw carrots. 1/2 cup raisins .
1 cup chopped dates. 1/2 cup of brown sugar
1 teaspoon of cinnamon and grate a rind of the lemon for a lovely flavor.

Mix all and place in an oiled baking dish, Bake 30 minutes. Ideal to serve with a yogurt sauce

VEGETABLE TZIMMES.

2 cups of sweet potatoes, 2 cups of cut up carrots, 2 cups of peeled diced apples.
1 cup of brown sugar. 1 teaspoon of salt. 1 cup of matzo meal.
1/2 cup oil. 2/3 cup od sultanas. Oil a baking dish or casserole dish. Layer all the ingredients, and squeeze over juice of two oranges, mix in 1 teaspoon cinnamon and a few chopped almonds. Bake in a medium to high oven for 40 minutes. Uncovered, but check and stir once. Serve hot with a sprinkle of grated walnuts on top.

MUSHROOM MEDLEY.

I fry one sliced onion, two cloves of garlic, one diced rep pepper and 2 sliced zucchinis in a little olive oil in a large pan. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt , a little pepper, and a little thyme. When this looks fried, remove from the pan and leave aside. Them add a little oil and a tablespoon of parsely and four peeled, diced tomatoes to the pan and sauté. Use salt, pepper and 1/2 teaspoon dried basil. Saute and add three cups of rinsed and cut up mushrooms. I use all kinds. When these are sautéed , mix all in a baking dish and bake in the oven for 10 minutes at 180. Serve with baked potatoes, cut in half. A fresh salad and a good dressing on the side , makes a lovely meal. .

STRAWBERRY TREAT.

Wash and arrange the strawberries in a dish. Grate a chocolate over this and squeeze juice of two oranges over all of it. Then serve with cut up balls of melon. Take large glasses, pour in the melon balls, pomegranate pips and the strawberry mix. Serve with a long spoon and some ice cream on top. A lovely dessert..


WORK AHEAD, PLAN AND DO THE SIMPLE THINGS NOW. LEAVE TIME TO TRAVEL IN THE COUNTRY AND SEE THE BLOSSOMS, TREES, FLOWERS AND LOVELY VIEWS OF OUR LAND IN SPRING

LOVE AND LIGHT

RONA



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Saturday, February 13, 2010

GLUTEN FREE IDEAS, BREAD AND MUFFINS

GLUTEN FREE EATING.

Today we have an awareness that certain people cannot tolerate wheat, soy, dairy products, milk, and yeast products. We are fortunate that there are good alternative products that are nourishing and tasty.
Gluten free recipes have no wheat, rye, barley or oats. The choice as alternatives, include brown rice, corn products, potato flour, millet, soya products, tofu, tapioca and millet.
You can wander into your favorite health food store and check out the Gluten free counters, fridges and you will be amazed that pasta, flours, frozen pizzas, quiches, are made GLUTEN FREE.

I prefer home cooking, especially for people with sensitivities. Keep the food close to nature. Eat what is LOCALLY grown and in SEASON. Prepare fresh cooked food, with very simple herbs and spices. Cut out lots of sugar and salts. Use honey, agave syrup, Sunrider Stevia sweetener, cut up dates, date spread, brown sugar and vegetables salts, celery salt, zatar, sesame seeds and dried herbs if fresh are not available. Parsley, basil, oregano and mint are great in vegetables and fruits.

Skip commercial drinks, cans of foods, exotic salad dressings, spicy dried chips, salty snacks with all kinds of seasonings and artificial flavors. KEEP THE EATING SIMPLE AND BASIC.

Desserts should be fresh fruit, washed dried fruit, frozen fruit ices, rice products used in puddings, carob made into cookies and cakes, rice milk used for lollies and frozen and soya desserts.

The soya milk, rice and almond milk are good to use in cakes and cookies. You can make wonderful milk shakes with these and add fruits and carob powder.

GLUTEN FREE BREAD
My Mom often created different breads. We used to add fun things into the mixture to make it even tastier.
250 grams gluten free powder.
300 mls soda water.
1 teaspoon baking powder.
1 Tablespoon honey, or brown sugar.
You simply mix it all and place in a greased baking tin.
Bake at 180 for forty minutes. Cool on a rack and serve with honey and a bit of cinnamon on it……We sometimes added crushed nuts, raisins, grated coconut and sunflower seeds or green cut up olives and oregano and a little basil herbs.….

RICE AND OAT MUFFINS.

1 cup oatmeal.
3/4 cup of rice flour.
3 teaspoons baling powder.
3/4 cup soya or rice milk .
1 egg.
Mix the flour baking powder and salt. Mix in the soya milk and egg..
Grease a muffin tray. I sprinkle sesame seeds in the pan and some cinnamon powder. Then add the mixture.. Bake at 180 for 25 minutes. .


.POTATO LATKES…A POTATO TREAT.
5 medium size potatoes.
3 tablespoons gluten free flour.
1 teaspoon salt.
1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
1 eggadd
Oil for frying
. Peel and grate potatoes. Squeeze out the water. Add flour, salt, pepper, egg and mix. . I add grated walnuts and a grated carrot.
Fry in hot oil. Drain and serve hot with honey, cinnamon, grated carob chocolate, sesame seeds and even some cut up bananas and apple. Fun and tasty.

HOME MADE GRANOLA.
This is a treat for the kids to have with a bowl of soya, rice or almond milk.
Make your own granola. Simply use two cups of oats, some sunflower seeds, grated apple pieces, coconut, chopped nuts, chopped dried fruits, a little apple juice. Lightly grease a large baking tray and place all the ingredients except the dried fruit , on it. I soak the dried fruit in the apple juice. It is easier to eat if it is not brick hard . Drizzle some honey and olive oil on the mixture and add cinnamon . Bake it in a low oven for forty minutes. You need to stir it around fairly often. Add the fruits and bake for ten minutes more, covered………Store in a container and enjoy.

Make the kitchen gluten free happy……………have snacks for everyone that are composed of fruits, nuts and easy to make muffins and good bread, with healthy spreads.
Teach the kids to create their own foods and snacks. Have cut up celery, carrots, peppers, washed tomatoes, cucumbers, washed apples, pears and all fruits in season available. Skip silly soda pop, sugary drinks. Have mint teas, milkshakes for soya and rice milks, carob powder for hot drinks and lots of lollipops of frozen juices for hot days.

Take care wherever you are, smile and realize how lucky that we have choices. Let the differences in eating be exciting and never let the person with special eating needs feel, it is a bother. They need to know that you are happy to go out of your way so they can feel well. We always have time for those we love and it is a pleasure to eat food that is created with love and care. They even digest easier in the body.........

Have a fun week. Keep warm if you are in snowy areas, keep smiling and make each day good.

Love and light ,
RONA……
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Saturday, February 6, 2010

PURIM POPPYSEEDS, MON PEREG

PURIM....FESTIVAL OF CELEBRATIONS AND FUN.............................

Purim is a festival that is full of color and fun. We read the Scroll of Esther and find inspiration in the story of great courage and sacrifice. We celebrate the holiday with games, masquerades, jokes and loads of fun.
Today we give our friends a gift of food , cookies and hamantaschen ,to show friendship and unity Many people send gifts to needy families and the very thought of giving ,has a feeling of joy

Making goodies for Purim, always involves the poppy seeds, called "mon" or "pereg". Buy the seeds fresh and you can prepare them in many different ways.

EASY HAMANTASCHEN .

2 Cups of Self Raising Flour.
1/2 cup sugar.
200 grams butter.
1 teaspoon vanilla.
I egg.
Beat the egg and sugar . Add the butter and vanilla essence. Mix and then add the self raising flour. Work into a dough and place in the fridge for an hour. Roll and cut into rounds that you fold with the filling in it.

Make the filling.
Use 2 cups of finely ground poppy seeds. {Mon or Pereg are other names}
1 egg.
1/3 cup of honey or sugar
1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
Half a cup of raisins and chopped nuts.
Mix all the ingredients and use as a filling for the hamantaschen.

Bake in an medium oven and sprinkle with icing sugar to serve.
I make the hamantaschen for the kids with Nutella and ground walnuts, cinnamon and raisins. The kids also love chocolate chips mixed with halva as a filling.

POPPYSEED CAKE.

THIS IS A GREAT DOUGH THAT CAN BE FILLED WITH THE POPPYSEED MIXTURE.

2 cups flour.
2 dessertspoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 0zs butter. {60 grams}.
1 egg
1 cup thick cream..
A pinch of salt. .
Sift the dry ingredients . Cut the butter into slices into the flour. Beat the eggs and cream . Fold the egg and cream mixture into the flour with a knife. Allow the dough to cool. { 20 minutes} Roll out on a floured board and fill with the pereg mixture. You can add one grated apple. Roll carefully into a "log" and bake at 375f or 190c for 30 minutes.
I make a glaze that I pour over when it is a little cool. Use1/2 cup of icing sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla. Mix in a little water to make a paste and fill a tube, so you can squeeze it over in a design. You will love this.

POPPYSEED DRESSING FOR SALADS, SPINACH LEAVES AND COOKED POTATOES.

1/2 cup oil.
1/4 cup brown sugar. .
5 tablespoons of vinegar.
2 tablespoons chopped green onions.
1/2 teaspoon salt. 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard. 2 teaspoons poppy seeds. A little tarragon. Place all of this, except the poppy seeds and mix well. Stir them in at the end and serve over salad, over cut up cooked potatoes or even over cooked beets and cut up red onions. This is a fabulous dressing

Have a joyful Purim and remember the less lucky kids, who will love the goodies you share. Remember to take good photographs and year by year the memories of the costumes you created will be shared.

Love and light

RONA