Doing it for the kids this Saturday at Oranjezicht City Farm Market and a recipe for sugar free gummy sweets

Posted on August 20, 2015 by Sweet Like Candi

This weekend at the Oranjezicht City Farm market at Granger Bay, we’re doing it for the kids! We will be selling signed copies of the brand new kids’ book, “Raising Superheroes” by the authors of the Real Meal Revolution. Jonno Proudfoot says, “This is the most important book on childhood nutrition in the world. You simply cannot raise a child without reading it.” Powerful words – and we agree! A 2014 report from the “International Obesity Task Force” estimates that worldwide more than 200 million school age children are already overweight or obese!

The sad fact is that children who are obese are likely to become overweight as adults, with all the associated risks such as Type 2 Diabetes, Hypertension, Metabolic Syndrome, Gout, Cancer and Dementia. This is especially high if obesity occurs before age 10.

So let’s join together and focus on raising happy, healthy children. The first step is through food education and eliminating sugar and harmful grains like gluten from the diet. It’s about having fun with food, but respecting it at the same time. To encourage this, we will have some exciting kid-friendly treats at the market.

In the meantime, here is a super-simple recipe for sugar free gummy sweets – that we just love and the kids do too!

(Makes 10 – 12 gummy sweets)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice or juice from mashed raspberries/ strawberries
4 leaves gelatine, soaked in water for a few minutes or 3 Tbs powdered gelatine/ agar agar for Vegan option
2 – 3 Tbs xylitol or 30 – 40 drops liquid debittered Stevia

Method:

Whisk all ingredients in a small saucepan
Heat over low heat until mixture starts to liquefy and gelatin has dissolved
Transfer mixture to an easy-pour container
Pour mixture into shaped rubber ice tray moulds
Allow gummies to set for 10 – 15 minutes in the freezer
Remove sweets from moulds and store in the fridge

My Story

Posted on August 19, 2015 by Sweet Like Candi

I started my business, Sweet Like Candi, a little over a year ago because I saw the need for delicious gluten free and sugar free treats.

I have had an interesting health and food journey – in my eyes, both food and health are inexorably linked. I am a firm believer that you are what you eat.

I suffered in excess of eight years of my life with intestinal ulcers, bloating, insomnia, brain fog, mood swings and a number of other uncomfortable and painful symptoms, until I was lead to a Homeopath, (after all a doctor could prescribe to me were anti-depressants, which I refused to take).

Months of elimination tests culminated in some blood tests that stated that I had intolerances to gluten, dairy, eggs, yeast and garlic.

Knowledge is power, and I equipped myself with as much information as I could on the subject. At first, I was immensely overwhelmed because when reading food labels, it became apparent that these items were in the majority of store bought and ready-made foods.

This sparked my passion for cooking because I realized that the only way that I was going to be able to eat anything, was to make it myself.

Baking became my biggest challenge as I was determined to bake without the likes of flour, eggs, milk, sugar and yeast. I realized that baking was a science, and the only way to bake without an ingredient was to figure out what the ingredient actually did, in order to replace it.

I did extensive research, wrote articles, experimented for hours on end, forced my friends to be my guinea pigs, and eventually I started a blog about my food journey because I reasoned that there must be other people out there in the same position as me.

Six years ago, it wasn’t an easy task to eat out at restaurants, if you had allergies or intolerances. Trying to explain what I wanted to eat became a five day game, because I would forget to mention no basting on my steak or no dressing on my salad, and landed up sending my food back more often than not. My friends, I’m sure, dreaded going out with me. So, I was faced with a choice, stay at home or just not be strict when going out and suffer the consequences. I still wanted a social life, so I chose the latter, which became a bit of a downward spiral as one cheat lead to another, and one compromise led to another until eventually I was not healing myself.

I landed up at an Iridologist who looked into my eye and summed up my health woes in one word – Candida. Candida is a yeast infection. The organism Candida Albicans is already present in our bodies, such as the mouth and gut, in order for us to function correctly. Factors such as stress, poor diet, a compromised immune system, extended use of antibiotics, alcohol and birth control pills can cause it to grow out of control.

In my case, the Candida was the worst he had seen. It was in every organ of my body and he said that if I continued the way I was going, I might not be able to fall pregnant. And thus started my new blog, and my new food journey, Sweet Like Candida.

This blog is just focused on eliminating gluten and sugar – and I thought how amazing it was to be able to bake with eggs and dairy again.

I started finding ways to replace the sugar and gluten, making my own gluten free flour mixes and I even made a few cakes using beans. I pushed the boundaries with ingredients, much like I had done before.

But, even though I now had a new eating plan, I wasn’t feeling healthy and I still wasn’t losing the fat roll around my middle – a sure fire sign that I was insulin resistant.

Around this time, my step mom found out that she had Type 2 Diabetes. Her health journey led her to Tim Noakes, The Real Meal Revolution and Banting, which in a nut shell is about eating real food and avoiding anything processed and ready-made. In an ironic twist of fate, it seemed like my food journey had come full circle.

I devoured the Real Meal Revolution book from cover to cover and became excited when it mentioned reversing Candida, which had by now become my life’s mission.

The main aim with Candida is to starve it of all sugar, and foods which convert into sugar, which it feeds on – thus Banting is the perfect diet for me.

When I learned about the phenomenon of hidden carbs in foods, it was like a light bulb went on in my head; it made complete sense to me, because although I wasn’t eating gluten or sugar, per se, I was still eating rice and potatoes and some fruits and vegetables, which all, because of their hidden carbs, converted into sugar in the body, fueling my Candida.

The book made me feel like someone understood where I was coming from, and how I still absolutely needed my food to taste delicious and that I didn’t want to feel deprived because I was eliminating certain things from my diet.

The huge amount of fat did cause me to panic at first because all my life I had been taught that fat was bad and unhealthy. But, with the constant repetition from my step mom that fats are good and carbs and hidden carbs are the enemy, my mind began to shift as I tested it out and began to see the results in myself.

I no longer experienced the yo-yo effect with my weight – losing it and then putting it back on. The bloating stopped and so did the mind fog and mood swings. I had so much energy, with no more tired slumps or lethargy. I was happier than I had felt in forever and I just wanted to share my good fortune with the world, and so began my new task, with my new business – Sweet Like Candi.

Sweet Like Candi specializes in cakes, desserts and savoury items for all occasions. Some examples include: cauliflower pizza bases, bread, truffle squares and a variety of cakes and cupcakes. Only the best ingredients are used: free range eggs; grass fed butter, cream and yoghurt; organic chocolate, cocoa and coconut oil; vanilla extract (to name a few).

The reason I choose to use xylitol in my baking is because it does not convert into sugar in the body like other sweeteners such as fructose, honey, coconut sugar and agave – although these are all seen as natural, they have the same effect on the body as sugar. Xylitol also has proven anti-fungal properties, inhibits Candida yeast and reduces tooth decay. (Although it is not safe for dogs and may have a laxative effect in some people.)

All of my products are Banting, low carb, Diabetic friendly, grain free, sugar free – as well as dairy and egg free (where applicable).

Children’s diets have become very important to me – I feel that the sooner we start, not only feeding them better, but educating them on the foods that they consume, the better they will feel and the better equipped they will be to fight, and even prevent, health issues in the future. I am constantly creating treats and snacks that are delicious, healthy and kid approved.

I am excited about a healthy future. All it takes is a choice and the want to live a happy, fulfilled life.

Creamy Roasted Garlic Macadamia “Polenta” with Sundried Tomato Jam

Posted on June 18, 2015 by Sweet Like Candi

My phone rang, it was ZZ2 with an unexpected delivery. In my line of work, I receive deliveries all the time, but this was no ordinary delivery – it was the ZZ2 Mouthwatering Box!

I raced downstairs to collect my bounty of some of South Africa’s best produce. The box popped with delicious colour; I spied tomatoes in a multitude of shapes and hues; from large “every day” tomatoes, to tomatoes with beautiful names such as Romanita, Bacio, Rigoletta and Sante, but what peaked my fancy the most were the sundried tomatoes! The box also included onions, garlic, avos and even a nifty avo tool!

I was beyond excited to get cooking! How could I not be with such fantastic ingredients?

I wanted to create something that would celebrate these ingredients, and my mind went straight to Italy. It must have been the exotic tomato names! But also because Italians are known for celebrating food in every sense of the word.

Winter is here, and to me, there is nothing more comforting than a bowl of creamy polenta. Since polenta is a grain and I am Banting, I decided to create my own “polenta”. I wanted something with a neutral colour, I first thought of coconut, but it has quite a sweet taste, and then I went to almond, but it was still not quite right. I settled on Macadamia flour because of its earthiness, which would go perfectly with this dish. But, if you would like to recreate this dish at home, please feel free to use almond flour or polenta 🙂

With the box of deliciousness, ZZ2 had asked us to create a dish that would hero two or more of the ingredients. I chose the garlic, Bacio vine tomatoes and of course, the sundried tomatoes.

Creamy Roasted Garlic Macadamia “Polenta” with Sundried Tomato Jam, Roasted Tomatoes, Mushroom, Rocket and Macadamia Nut Oil

(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

Macadamia Polenta:
1 cup macadamia nut flour
1 – 11/2 cups water
1/2 tsp Oryx desert salt (or similar)
1/4 – 1/2 cup cream (or more water)
1 knob butter
handful grated white cheese (parmesan, pecorino or cheddar)
1 head ZZ2 garlic, broken into cloves

Sundried Tomato Jam:
1/2 cup ZZ2 sundried tomatoes
water
pinch chilli flakes *optional
fresh thyme
pinch of xylitol *optional
salt and pepper to taste

Other:
2 large brown mushrooms
ZZ2 Bacio vine tomatoes
rocket
cheese shavings
macadamia nut oil or olive oil

Method:

This is a multi-tasking kind of recipe. You can move onto the next process, while the previous element is cooking, or you can follow the recipe step-by-step – it’s up to you.

Heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
Place garlic cloves on an oven tray, skin still on, and roast until soft and “squishy” and when they can slide easily out of the skins (the kitchen will start to smell amazing at this point)
While that is happening, put sundried tomatoes into a pan and just cover with water to allow them to re-hydrate for a few minutes. Bring water to the boil once the tomatoes are plump
Add in the rest of the ingredients and reduce down until you have a jam-like consistency
Mash 1 clove of roasted garlic into the jam and leave on low heat, while you get on with the rest of the processes
Taste as you go. I chose the sundried tomatoes because they are packed full of flavour. You are looking for a punchy jam that zings with flavour
Add macadamia nut flour, salt and 1 cup of water to a saucepan and stir with a whisk to smooth out the lumps
Cook on medium heat until it forms a porridge-like consistency and the flour has cooked out and the liquid has been absorbed – reduce the heat to a simmer here (you may need to keep adding some liquid until you are happy with the consistency). Stir with the whisk every now and again. It will take anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the type of macadamia nut flour you use
Mash about 6 cloves of roasted garlic and stir into your “polenta” – this should provide a beautiful, yet subtle garlic flavour
Stir some cream, butter and cheese into the “polenta”. You should have something that is smooth, creamy and a little runny in consistency
Add salt and pepper to taste and keep on low heat until ready to serve
Place the mushrooms and vine tomatoes on a baking tray. Season your mushrooms with salt and pepper and drizzle them, as well as the vine tomatoes, with macadamia nut oil or olive oil
Roast until the tomato skins are wrinkled and the mushrooms have started to change colour and release their juices

To plate, place some “polenta” into a bowl or onto a plate, top with the tomato jam and slices of mushroom and the rest of the ingredients. Drizzle with a little macadamia nut oil or olive oil, finish off with a few shavings of cheese.

And there you have the perfect Winter warmer, using some of the best ingredients South Africa has to offer.

To win your very own Mouthwatering Box, an avo tool and a Checkers voucher worth R1000, tell ZZ2 what you’d create with this same box of ingredients by leaving your entry as a comment on their Facebook Page here. Good luck 🙂

Sun Butter – The Best Thing on Sliced (Low Carb) Bread

Posted on February 9, 2015 by Sweet Like Candi

I’m going to be honest hear and tell you that I have never been much of a fan of peanut butter. *Gasp* (I know, right?) Peanut butter is one of those things you either love or you hate – there is not much space for in between.

I think I am not a fan because it never made me feel good when eating it.

BUT, I must tell you that I simply LOVE sun butter – isn’t it such an amazing name? Sunshine in a bottle, sunshine on toast, sunshine in my life… And that’s exactly how I feel when I eat it, with a spoon straight from the bottle, or smothered on some homemade seed loaf, thick with butter…. YUM!

And it’s really easy to make. YAY!

Sun Butter (Makes 250 mls)

Ingredients:

2 cups sunflower seeds
3/4 tsp sea salt
1 Tbs xylitol
2 tsp coconut oil

Method:

Heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
Toast sunflower seeds on a baking tray in the oven until golden brown (about 5 – 6 minutes)
Transfer seeds to a food processor and add salt
Grind the seeds in the processor for about 15 – 20 minutes, stopping every 2 minutes to scrape down the sides
Add the Xylitol and coconut oil after about 10 minutes
It takes a while for the sunflower seeds to release their oils. You are looking for a creamy consistency, so don’t stop until you have achieved this
The seeds will first break down and look like powder and then they will start to bind together to form a paste – keep blending until it has become smooth, creamy and easy to spread
Store the sun butter in a sterilised glass container in the fridge – because the sun butter is made with coconut oil, you may need to bring it to room temperature before using
Serve on low carb bread or toast, with green apple slices, or eat straight from the jar, like I do 🙂

Low Carb Cauli-Roti

Posted on January 19, 2015 by Sweet Like Candi

I just love curry.

Making curry is one of my most favourite and relaxing things to do. Building up the flavours as I go along and creating the perfect balance of sweet, salty, and spicy, to me, is an almost spiritual creative-release. Not only because of the intricate layering of flavours, and the intoxicating aromas, but because with each chop of the blade and sprinkle of spice, I allow my mind to wander, peacefully, to uncharted territories.

Something as beautiful as the perfect curry, dolloped with a cooling mound of thick yoghurt and fresh sprigs of tangy coriander, deserves the perfect accompaniment – whether you are mopping up the juices or wanting to house the curry in a “bread-like” cocoon, for the ultimate spicy sandwich.

Once again, the versatile cauliflower allows for such an accompaniment – the low carb cauli-roti!

Low Carb Cauli-Roti (Makes 2)

Ingredients:

1 Cup Cooked “Cauli Snow”
1 Large Egg
2 Tbs Psyllium Husks
2 Tbs Coconut Flour
½ tsp Salt
½ tsp Cumin Seeds

Method:

To make “cauli snow”: Cook cauliflower florets until soft; pulse in a magimix until fine; transfer mixture to a tea towel, wrap tightly and squeeze out all the liquid.
Transfer “cauli snow” back to magimix, add all ingredients, except the cumin seeds, and mix until dough-like.
Add cumin seeds and mix into a “dough ball”.
Divide dough in half and roll each piece between two sheets of baking paper, dusted with coconut flour.
Cut out a round shape by placing a side plate on top of the rolled out dough and tracing around it.
Place roti into a hot, dry pan and cook on either side until golden brown.
Serve with filling of your choice.

New Year’s Resolutions and a Detox-Boosting Juice

Posted on January 12, 2015 by Sweet Like Candi

The first week of a new year has already flown by and with that the grip of new year’s resolutions could be loosening…

Promises of “getting fitter”, “losing weight”, “detoxing from the festive indulgence” already fading into the background of stress-filled excuses.

Isn’t is amazing how easily we can fall back into old habits and let all of our good intentions fall by the wayside?

This year, to try and prevent this, I’ve decided to make a visualization board depicting all of my goals for the year, and putting it in the best place for maximum bombardment of my positive intentions.

One of the most common sentiments for starting a new year, and one that I’m sure we’ve all uttered at least once in our lives, is wanting to “detox after the festive madness”.

Last week I watched the documentary “Hungry for Change”, which resonated with me deeply and reiterated much of what I already knew. Like most things in life, it came at the perfect time and reminded me that every positive change we wish for ourselves can only become possible with self love.

Unfortunately, there is no quick detox fix. We can’t take a pill, or drink a magic potion, to reset our body back to normal. All we can do is take it one day at a time.

Let’s decide that today is the day that we are going to start treating our bodies with kindness and, with love, fill them with foods that will help support the body’s natural detox process so that over time we will have a healthy vessel to allow us to become the best versions of ourselves.

As I mentioned above, we know that old habits are hard to break, so if you find yourself falling back into the old trap of bad behaviour, don’t beat yourself up about it. Just be aware of it and promise to try a bit harder the next day. Treat yourself like you’d like others to treat you and eventually that kindness you are giving yourself will make way for self love.

To break old thought patterns, we need to replace them with positive ones – so, a possible idea would be to write a mantra and stick it to your bathroom mirror, which will be visible every day. In “Hungry for Change” they mention that it takes 30 days to break an old belief, the mantra that was suggested was, “I accept myself unconditionally right now” – this means that you accept yourself warts and all and although you are not perfect, you appreciate that you are taking the small steps each day to becoming the person you want to be.

I think it’s important to pat yourself on the back for how far you’ve come and not dwell on how far you still have to go. Every victory, no matter how big or small, should be celebrated.

I wish you an amazing 2015 and here’s to a year of self discovery and self love <3.

Juicing is a wonderful way of extracting as much of the goodness from foods as possible. What better way to start the day than a nutrient packed juice with your morning mantra?

This year my focus is on: a healthy mind, body and soul.

Here is my recipe for a Detox-Boosting Juice (Makes 250 mls)

Ingredients:

1/3 large cucumber
1 large celery stalk (including leaves)
2 baby fennel bulbs and stalks
1/2 green apple
1 bunch parsley
1 bunch coriander
1 bunch mint
1 thumb-sized knob ginger
*optional squeeze lemon juice and 2 tbs Chia seeds

Combine all ingredients in a juicer to create a delicious and refreshing morning booster. Chia seeds become gel-like, which is great for digestion as the gel helps sweep out the digestive tract.

All of the ingredients above have been carefully selected for their health benefits including: rehydration, toxin flushing, digestion support, Diabetes prevention, Cancer fighting, brain and heart health and mood boosting

Spiced Chocolate, Pumpkin and Pecan Cake

Posted on July 2, 2014 by Sweet Like Candi

I was paging through my Eric Lanlard, “Chocolat”, recipe book the other day, for some inspiration. This book is not only exquisite, but every glorious recipe is dedicated to chocolate! (Some pages might show a few drool stains… Just kidding ;))

When I find a recipe I’d love to recreate, I know instantly. It practically jumps off the page and says, “Make me!” “Make me!” My heart beats faster, my palms start to sweat, I get this bubbling feeling of excitement welling up from my stomach, my lips form a huge smile and my mind races, scanning through all the possibilities for adaptation as I skim through the recipe.

This is the perfect Winter cake. Imagine the scents of cinnamon, vanilla and chocolate circling through your home, from the kitchen, and enveloping everything in pure, comforting deliciousness.

Put your feet up as you snuggle under a throw with a steaming cup of tea or coffee and savour a moist, decadent, spiced, chocolate slice of heaven.

Spiced chocolate, pumpkin and pecan cake

Serves 8 – 10

Prep time: 20 minutes, plus cooling and resting overnight

Cooking time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup pecan nuts
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp olive oil
1 cup dark chocolate, roughly chopped (I use Cocoafair’s 95%)
1/2 cup butter, plus extra for greasing (replace the butter with coconut oil for a dairy free version)
1 cup Xylitol ( I use Sally-Ann’s birch bark Xylitol)
4 medium / 3 large free range eggs (I use Solitaire free range eggs)
3 tsp vanilla extract ( I use NoMU’s vanilla extract)
1 cup water
1.5 cups ground pumpkin seeds
3 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarb
1/2 cup grated raw pumpkin

Directions:

Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius
Grease a 23cm springform cake tin and line with baking paper
Coat the pecan nuts with the cayenne and olive oil. Spread out on a lined baking tray and bake for 10 minutes, until roasted. Leave to cool and roughly chop
Melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave for 1 minute or until smooth with no lumps
Beat the eggs and Xylitol until light and fluffy
Beat in the chocolate mixture
Add the vanilla and water and beat again
Mix the ground pumpkin seeds, cinnamon, baking powder and bicarb together and fold into the chocolate mixture
Fold in the pumpkin and chopped pecans
Pour the mixture into the cake tin and bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean
Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto the cooling rack to cool completely
Wrap the cake in cling wrap and store in the fridge for 24 hours
Allow to return to room temperature, dust with cocoa, slice and serve

Low Carb Seed Bread

Posted on May 12, 2014 by Sweet Like Candi

I long for a bread that tastes delicious, is moist, not as hard as a rock and that doesn’t send daggers of pain shooting into my stomach with every mouthful – and this bread fits the bill!

I am loving this low carb diet, but I am loving the challenge of modifying recipes and experimenting with different ingredients and techniques even more.

I have been on an elimination diet since 2009 – back then I was baking without gluten, dairy, eggs, yeast and sugar, which was an immense challenge, but actually creating something quite delicious that was similar in texture and taste to the real thing was the best feeling!

This recipe is an amalgamation of various recipes and I think that this version is yummy – nothing quite beats a slice of bread, fresh out of the oven slathered in a thick layer of butter!

Low Carb Seed Bread (51.89g carbs per loaf)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup ground sunflower seeds
1/4 cup ground sesame seeds
3/4 cup ground flax seeds
1/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/2 tsp salt
4 large eggs
60ml liquid coconut oil (warming the solid coconut oil, creates the liquid)
1 tsp bicarb
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
120ml warm water
1 tsp baking powder
1 Tbs birch bark xylitol

Optional:

1 tsp whole sesame seeds
1 tsp whole sunflower seeds
1 tsp chai seeds
And a mixture of seeds for sprinkling on the top of the bread

Directions:

Heat oven to 220 degrees Celsius
Grease a small bread tin – this recipe doesn’t rise as much as other breads, so using a smaller tin should give you some extra height
Grind seeds in a coffee grinder
Combine ground sunflower seeds, ground sesame seeds, ground flax seeds, almond flour, coconut flour and salt
Beat eggs until fluffy and slowly add coconut oil
Mix the bicarb and vinegar together until it froths and bubbles
Add it to the warm water along with the baking powder and xylitol
Add the remainder of the ingredients to the eggs, alternating between the dry ingredients and the warm liquid
Stir well to combine
Add in the whole seeds if using
Transfer mixture to the greased bread tin
Sprinkle with seeds for decoration
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes until crispy on the top
Remove from oven and allow to cool before serving

Lemon and Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Spiced Almond and Coconut Crumble for World Diabetes Day

Posted on November 13, 2013 by Sweet Like Candi

Today, more than ever, I am astounded at the way that life works.

Tomorrow morning, I will be cooking the below recipe on LIVE tv for an audience of about 1.2 million people (so no pressure there haha).

A chance suggestion has resulted in this monumental occasion in my life – life just seems to fall into place when the timing is perfect, don’t you think? Although I am beyond nervous (which is natural right?? ;)) – the excitement is starting to take hold of me.

I. AM. GOING. TO. BE. ON. TV. (Sound the trumpets and throw the confetti)

I have to pinch myself every so often to remind myself that it’s real… Yay, to 5 minutes of fame – here I come! 🙂

There is another reason why making this recipe means so much to me and that’s because my step mother is Diabetic. I have witnessed her journey back to health, have seen her highs and lows (literally – as she has spiked) and have been amazed at her courage and tenacity. I have also noticed her fall in love with food again, through her discovery of exciting recipes that make her feel fantastic at the same time.

Nothing can compare to the feeling of being healthy!

Seeing her excitement at food return has increased my passion for creating healthy sugar free and gluten free recipes even more!

My step mom has discovered that it was the hidden carbs in the foods she was eating that was making her spike – as these turn to sugar in the body. I can’t encourage you to read food labels enough; familiarise yourself with everything you’re putting into your body. Your body is your temple! A Diabetic should have no more than 20g of carbs per day.

I have used Stevia in this recipe, which is a natural sugar substitute made from the plant with the same name. It has no carbs and is recommended as the sugar-substitute of choice for Diabetics. It is 200+ times sweeter than sugar, so every drop counts. I encourage you to taste as you go, to figure out the sweetness that is best for you.

(I made this recipe for 9 of my friends over the weekend, none of whom are Diabetic, and they all enjoyed it too :))

This light and fresh dessert is simple to make and perfect for the Summer months coming up. I hope you enjoy every mouthful with complete abandon and joy!

Lemon and Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Spiced Almond and Coconut Crumble

(Makes 4 – 6 depending on size of the mould)

Total number of carbs per serving 3.9g (depending on size of panna cotta)

Prep time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Setting/ chilling time: 4 hours

Spiced Crumble Ingredients:

40g whole almonds with skin, coarsely ground
40g coconut flakes
15g melted butter
¼ tsp mixed spice
¼ tsp cinnamon
8 drops Health Connection Wholefoods Stevia Liquid
½ Tbs grated lemon zest
½ tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Panna Cotta Ingredients:

1 Cup (250mls) Clover Cream
1 Cup (250g) Pick n Pay Cultured Cream
1 Vanilla Bean, sliced down the middle
1 Tbs Lemon Zest
30 drops Health Connection Wholefoods Stevia Liquid
1 Tbs water
3 leaves gelatine softened in water for 15 minutes

Method:

• Heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
• Mix all crumble ingredients together
• Press out onto a lined oven sheet
• Bake for 10 minutes, until crumble has become golden in colour
• Allow to cool

• Spray moulds with spray and cook
• Add cream and cultured cream to a pan on the stove
• Scrape out the seeds from the vanilla pod and add the pod and seeds to the pan
• Add the lemon zest, stevia and water
• Gently heat mixture, stirring with a whisk until it is smooth – do not boil!
• Simmer gently, allowing the zest and vanilla to infuse the liquid for about 10 minutes, stirring intermittently – still do not allow the mixture to boil
• Add gelatine (squeeze out all the water)
• Whisk well to combine
• Strain mixture through a mesh sieve to remove zest and vanilla pod
• Pour mixture into panna cotta moulds
• Chill in the fridge for 4 hours

• To remove panna cotta from mould, take a knife around the rim of the mould to help loosen the panna cotta
• Place the panna cotta mould in a shallow hot water bath for a few seconds until you see the panna cotta start to come away from the edges
• Turn over onto a plate
• Sprinkle the crumble over and finish off with a few strands of lemon zest

Catch me on @expressoshow | facebook.com/expressoshow.sabc3 tomorrow at 6:37am 🙂

In case you missed it, here’s the link to my Expresso Show debut 🙂

Pan Fried Fillet of Fish with Avo and Coconut Veloute topped with Avo and Horseradish Ice Cream and Sweet Chilli Sauce

Posted on July 28, 2013 by Sweet Like Candi

It’s official, avo has taken over my life! I eat, dream and think about it constantly (this is not a bad thing :p)… And yay, all that thinking paid off as I finally figured out how to put my savoury ice cream to good use! 😀

This is my third and final entry into the “More than just guacamole!” Afrikado Blogger Challenge, held by ZZ2 Farming and it is quite a mouthful!

Pan Fried Fillet of Fish with Avo and Coconut Veloute, topped with Avo and Horseradish Ice Cream and Sweet Chilli Sauce

(Serves 2)

Avo and Horseradish Ice Cream:

(It’s a good idea to prepare this the night before)

Ingredients:

1 egg
3/4 cup milk (I used lactose free)
3/4 cup double thick cream
Flesh of 1 ripe medium sized avocado
2 1/2 tsp lemon juice
3 1/2 tsp horseradish (I wanted to use fresh, but couldn’t find it anywhere. Eventually I found prepared horseradish, which didn’t contain vinegar or sugar)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Whisk egg and milk in a pan on the stove, over low heat, until it forms a loose custard – be careful not to split or curdle
Strain to remove any residue and add mixture to a blender
Add double cream and mix
Add flesh of avocado and mix until smooth. It should thicken immediately
Add horseradish, lemon and salt and pepper (gradually add these as the horseradish can become quite overpowering) and taste
It is very important to keep tasting
Once you are happy with the flavour, freeze for a minimum of 4 hours

Sweet Chilli Sauce:

Ingredients:

2 – 3 Tbs water
2 Tbs chilli (if you are using fresh make sure it is finely chopped or you can use dried)
2 Tbs Xylitol (sugar substitute)
A pinch of salt
Juice of a lemon

Directions:

Add water, chilli, Xylitol and salt to a pan
Cook on low heat until sauce thickens
Add lemon juice and cook further, on low heat, you don’t want the lemon to go bitter
When it takes on a reddish tinge and Xylitol becomes quite sticky remove from pan and allow to cool
Flavour should be sweet, tangy, with a hint of heat

Avo and Coconut Veloute:

Ingredients:

1 Tbs butter
1 small white onion, finely diced
2 more Tbs butter
2 Tbs cornstarch (original recipe calls for flour, I replaced this)
1 1/2 cups fish or chicken stock (I used Fish Stock Concentrate from Woolies as it contains no yeast, gluten or sugar), heated in a separate pan
1/2 cup coconut milk, preferably cold (to cool down the sauce so not to cook the avo)
Flesh of 1 ripe medium sized avocado, mashed (preferably cold, to cool down the sauce so you don’t cook the avo)
10g parsley, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

A veloute is a white sauce that is made with stock instead of milk
Fry onion in butter until translucent
Add 2 more tablespoons of butter and the corn starch and stir until it forms a roux. Cook out for a few minutes on low heat
Gradually add the hot stock and keep stirring until the sauce thickens
Allow to cool for a bit before adding the coconut milk and the mashed avo
blend well
Sieve to remove the onion so you are left with a smooth sauce
Return to stove on very low heat, to gently heat through
Add parsley and salt and pepper to taste
Finish off with a dollop of butter and a squeeze of lemon juice

Other ingredients:

2 fillets of firm fish, with skin still on (I used Jacopever, which I was assured was on the green sassi list)
Mashed potato
Micro herbs

overall Directions:

Make ice cream as illustrated above and freeze for 4 hours. Remove from freezer about 10 minutes before plating
Make chilli sauce (can also be prepared the night before)
Make your mash (an excellent way to make mash is to bake the potatoes in their skins. Once they are cooked, remove skins and then mash with a fork, this will result in a fluffy mash with no lumps. Add butter, a little milk, salt and pepper)
Make veloute as illustrated above
Pan fry your fish fillets. Score the skin to make it look pretty (cutting through the skin only, diagonally about 3 times, a few cms apart). Season the skin with salt
Add some oil to a pan and heat. When the pan is hot add the fish, skin side down
Season the flesh side with salt
The fish will want to curl up a bit, press it down so that it cooks evenly for a few minutes
You will notice that the flesh will change colour (become whiter)
When the colour change is about 1/4 of the way up the fish, flip over and cook for a further few minutes on the other side
Add a bit of butter to the pan and spoon over the fish to give it a nice golden colour
Remove fish from pan

Plating:

Add your mash to the centre of the plate
Pour your veloute around it
Place your fillet of fish on top of the mash
Add a dollop of the ice cream on top of that
Finish off with a drizzle of chilli sauce (not too much, as it is supposed to lift the dish, not kill it) and a few micro herbs

And there you have a stunning fish dish zinging with a multitude of flavours. Wow your guests are your next dinner party 🙂