Florentines

Florentines, coated with chocolate on the bottom
 

From the Whare Kea lodge in New Zealand.  We were lucky to stay at this fabulous resort in New Zealand.  The chef prepared the most delicious degustation menus each night.  Every day at 4:00 pm, there would be Florentines and coffee & tea, prepared by Sarah.
She was kind enough to give us the recipe.

Ingredients

 

50 g coconut oil

50 ml water

100 g caster sugar

Pinch of salt

150 g sliced almonds

50 g coconut chips

20 g desiccated coconut

50 g coconut cream 

1 egg white

150 g dark chocolate

Method

 

Place oil, sugar, water and salt over med / high heat. Whisk

Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes till it turns golden

Mix in almonds, desiccated coconut, coconut chips and coconut cream 

Whip egg white in a small bowl till firm peaks form. Fold into coconut mixture

Place on a lined paper sheet and bake for 15 minutes at 180 C

Cool

Melt chocolate and paint onto bottom

Chill until hard

Store in a cool place or in the fridge. 

 

The coconut cream is weighed - double checked this with the chef 

Halibut with Herbes de Provence

 

 

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 6 portions of skinless Halibut (about 5 ounces each)
• 1 teaspoon of herbes de Provence
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. Whisk the oil, herbes de Provence, salt and pepper in a bowl to combine. 
3. Arrange the halibut pieces in a lightly oiled baking dish.
4. Drizzle with the oil/herb mixture and spread with a spoon over the halibut.  Leave a little space between each piece of fish.
5. Bake for 10-15 minutes in the middle of the oven, uncovered,  till it is white and flakes easily with a fork.  Be careful not to overcook the fish or it will be dry.  The fish will continue to cook a bit when you remove it from the oven.

Tips

• Serve with colorful vegetables such as red, yellow and orange peppers.  Broccoli, asparagus or green beans also go well with a white fish.  Baby Broccoli is a nice change and is milder, sweeter and more tender than broccoli.  It's sometimes call broccolini. 
• Herbes de Provence is available in the herb section of the grocery store; different brands will have slightly different mixtures.  It usually contains thyme, marjoram, rosemary, basil, fennel, sage, lavender - and sometimes tarragon.

Salmon with Hemp Seeds

This is a great recipe to incorporate healthy hemp seeds into your diet.  Look for the raw, shelled hemp seeds to add a nutty flavor and Omega 3 to your dish.

Ingredients

2 salmon filets

4 tbsp shelled hemp seeds

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup sliced fennel

1/2 cup chopped watercress

1 cup fresh radish sprouts, well rinsed

Salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Rinse and pat dry salmon filets. Rub lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Place hemp seeds in a shallow dish and dip salmon filets in on the flesh side.

Heat an ovenproof cast iron skillet over high heat for 3 minutes. Reduce to medium and place filets, seasoning side down, into the pan and allow them to cook for 2 minutes without moving them. Turn the filets over and place in the oven for 5-7 minutes, until the salmon is just cooked. Time may vary depending on thickness of the salmon.

While salmon is in oven, in a small bowl whisk the mustard, juice, vinegar and salt. Add fennel, watercress and sprouts and lightly toss until combined.

Put each filet on a dinner plate. Place a heaping handful of the salad on top of each of the salmon filets.

Coconut Oil Granola

Ingredients

2 cups of oats

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut

1/2 cup seeds (I used 1/8 cup hemp, 1/8 cup chia and 1/4 cup pumpkin)

1 tsp vanilla

3 TBS honey

3 TBS coconut oil

Method

Preheat oven to 300F

Heat the oil and honey till melted together (microwave 30 seconds).

Add the vanilla.

Mix the oats and nuts in a bowl.  Add the honey/oil mixture and combine.

Put on a greased baking sheet.

Bake or 15 minutes. Stir in the pan, and bake about 10-15 minutes more till golden brown.

Once it has cooled, you can add dried fruits like cranberries, cherries, raisins, apricots, mango.

I left the fruit out, and just use it as a topping on fruit/yogurt.

It's really good because it's not very sweet!

Chia & Coconut Pudding

Chia & Coconut Pudding

Ingredients

400g can organic light coconut cream or milk (unsweetened)

1/3 cup honey or less ( 1/8 c or 1 TBS)

1/3 cup Chia seeds

Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries to serve

Toasted coconut for garnish

Method

1) Mix the milk, honey and seeds in a bowl. Stir well.

2) Cover and store in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight to thicken.

3) Divide among serving bowls and top with berries and nuts,

4) Drizzle with a bit more coconut cream if desired.

You can reduce the honey.  I used about 2 TBS and then you can always add a bit more to taste when you serve it.

Sprinkle with toasted sliced almonds to garnish.

German Apple Pancake

This is an easy recipe baked in a pie plate or 8x8 glass pyrex dish.

Serves 2 - 3.

Ingredients

2 eggs
3/8 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
3/8 cup milk
1/8 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 TBS butter
1 medium apple, peeled and thinly sliced

Method

Preheat the oven to 400F.  Place the glass dish, (pie plate or 8x8 square glass pyrex dish), in the oven and heat.
Beat the eggs, flour, milk and salt on medium speed for about 1 minute.  In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon.

Take the baking dish out of the oven and add the butter, moving it around to coat the pan and sides. 
Spread the apple slices in the bottom of the dish.   Pour the batter in the dish.  Sprinkle with the sugar & cinnamon mixture.

Bake at 400F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and puffy.

Serve immediately.

Braised Lamb Shanks

Lamb Shank shown on Angel Hair pasta

2  (3/4-pound) lamb shanks, trimmed

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided Click to see savings

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided Click to see savings

1/4 cup diced onion Click to see savings

1/2 cup diced carrot
lick to see savings

1/2  cup diced celeryClick to see savings

2 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 cup dry red wine Click to see savings

1 (14.5-ounce) can no salt-added petite diced tomatoes, undrained Click to see savings

1 (14-ounce) can less-sodium beef brothClick to see savings

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon water

1/2 teaspoon cornstarchClick to see savings

Polenta:

4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth Click to see savings

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Click to see savings

1 cup finely ground yellow cornmeal (quick cooking polenta)

1/4 cup (1 oz) fresh, grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

1.     Preheat oven to 300°.

2.     To prepare lamb, sprinkle lamb evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Heat a large, wide Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add lamb, and cook for 12 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove lamb from pan.

3.     Add onion, carrot, and celery to pan; sauté 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Add garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Add red wine; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes or until most of liquid evaporates. Return lamb to pan; stir in tomatoes, beef broth, and 1 tablespoon of chopped rosemary. Bring to a boil.

4.     Cover Dutch oven; place in oven. Bake at 300° for 2 hours or until lamb is tender. Remove lamb from pan; set aside and keep warm. As the lamb cooks, it will shrink and come off the bone a little. Add remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper to pan; bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until sauce is reduced to about 3 1/2 cups (about 20 minutes), stirring frequently. Combine water and cornstarch in a small bowl, stirring with a fork or whisk. Add cornstarch mixture to pan; cook 30 seconds or until sauce thickens, stirring constantly.

5.     To prepare polenta, bring chicken broth, 1 teaspoon rosemary, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to a boil in a large saucepan. Gradually add cornmeal, stirring constantly with a whisk. Reduce heat to medium; cook 30 to 40 minutes or until thick, stirring occasionally (every 5 minutes or so). Remove from heat, and stir in cheese. Serve immediately with lamb and sauce.

If you buy the regular coarse - grind polenta, it will take longer to cook.  Stir for about 20-25 minutes, following package directions.
The lamb shanks are also delicious served over cooked rice, or angel hair pasta, or penne.