Gingerbread Oaty Bake

 What a great little recipe I found on Pinterest-  Gingerbread Baked Oatmeal With Walnut Streusel

You can find the original here.

In a bowl or jug add:

1 medium very ripe banana- mashed

2 1/2 cups of rolled oats

OR as I did:

1 cup rolled oats, 1 cup ground almonds & 1/2 cup of coconut either fine or thread

2 cups of milk

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 dsp molasses

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 large dsp ground ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 tsp salt

Mix all together.

Sit for half an hour.

Add 1/2 tsp baking powder, stir & pour in to a slice tin lined with baking paper.

Topping mix together:

1/2 cup of walnut pieces

1/2 cup of chopped prunes (optional)

1/4- 1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup coconut

1 tbsp of flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup melted butter or coconut oil

Mix together the sprinkle over the top of the oat mixture & press down lightly.

Bake for around 40 minutes in a moderate oven.

Catherine

Delicious Raw Ginger Slice

I came across a recipe months ago just here for a raw ginger slice. I finally got around to making it today- my way. I'm not in to "plant based" or vegan diets so I have reinvented the recipe for myself & it is so delicious!

My amounts are pretty approximate as I was making it up as I went along.

Make to taste & according to what you have a available & your own needs & preferences.

I really like this simple base that's blended altogether in a food processor:

1/2c walnuts, 1/2c raw cashew pieces & around 8 large soft, stoned dates.

Add a few pieces of glace or crystallised ginger.

Blitz in together until it's nice & fine & blended.

Add a tbsp of melted coconut oil & pulse to mix.

Press in to container- couldn't think what to use & then I found this pie dish.

I've used some natural waxed paper underneath.

Pop the base in to the fridge.

Topping:

1 cup of broken raw cashews soaked in unchlorinated water for 4 hours, or overnight. 

Drain- & put in to the food processor with

10- or so stoned dates, 1 large tbsp of honey, a squeeze of lemon juice, a tsp of true vanilla essence, 1/2 tsp of good salt, 3 good tsps ginger powder.

Blend until smooth.

Add 1/2 cup of coconut cream or milk & 1/2 cup of a mix of melted butter & coconut oil.

Blend some more.

Taste & adjust the balance to suit.

Pour over the base & pop in to the fridge until set.

Keeps well in the fridge.

Pickled Myoga Ginger Flowers & Sushi Ginger

Myoga ginger is a Japanese woodland ginger that is used mostly for the edible flowers that appear in early autumn. These flowers are rather peculiar as they grow at ground level which is most surprising indeed.

Pick the flower buds and remove any tough outer layers.

Give them a little wash and pat dry.

Slice 8-10 buds finely which ever way takes your fancy.

Bring to the boil in a little pot:
1/2 C of apple cider vinegar & 1/ 2 C of rice wine vinegar (or just one or the other- your preference).
Add 1/4 C raw sugar & 1/2 tsp good salt.

Stir to dissolve.

Pour this mixture over the sliced ginger & add some red shiso leaves (also known as beefsteak) if you have them.
Leave to cool and infuse for several hours, or overnight.
Store in the fridge.

If you want to make more to keep just make the pickle into a sterilised jar with a plastic lid and seal. Keeps well for ages.

The red things in the colander are hyacinth beans and the green ones are Peans.

I added the few hyacinth beans & some shiso leaves to this pickle.

Very quickly the ginger is pickled & turns a wonderful pink colour and tastes amazing- perfect unami flavours.

 Lovely with radicchio..

 and fresh figs, feta, gynura bi-colour (red vegetable- tastes like gingery spinach) and avocado.

Any left over pickle juice can be used to make vinaigrette dressings. 

Just as easily made, is Sushi pickled ginger.

if I had realised sooner, just how easy it is to make Gari or Amazu Shoga, I would have made it years ago.

Peel & finely slice around 250 grams of good, tender looking fresh ginger root.

Put in to a bowl & sprinkle with 1 1/2 tsps sea salt. Stand for 30 minutes & then transfer in to a clean jar of a suitable size.

Bring 1 cup of good rice wine vinegar & 1/3 c sugar to the boil- stirring as you go to dissolve the sugar. I used a fine raw organic sugar.

Pour the hot vinegar over the ginger in the jar. Cool. Put on the lid & store in the fridge for a day or so until well pickled. The rice vinegar will turn the ginger pink quite quickly, but for a deeper shade you can also add a few Red shiso leaves.

Red shiso is a really tasty & interesting summer annual herb that we find delicious.

Red Shiso

Katie X