Category: Recipe

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Vegan Currant Upside Down Cake

One of our favourite recipes here at Alfalfa House. This is Ran’s upside down currant cake. And an added bonus – this cake is vegan, made with wholegrain flours and unrefined sugars. Guilt-free eating at it’s best! The final baked product is a moist and rich cake topped with currants. Further go ahead and make this vegan upside down cake all year round. It doesn’t rely on any special seasonal foods. After all we are using currants available in most bulk food stores like your very own Alfalfa House.

Note on The Ingredients

This cake uses ingredients that should be quite familiar to all. Except may be Kuzu Starch and/ or arrowroot powder. These 2 ingredients are commonly used in vegan baking. Kuzu root creates a starchy thickening texture and provide structure to the cakes. That is important in vegan baking. When we are missing ingredients like eggs and butter that do provide structure and firmness to cakes (besides fat).

So What is Kuzu ?

“Kuzu (Pueraria montana var. lobata) is the Japanese name for the kudzu plant and the starch derived from the kudzu root. Kuzu is native to both China and Japan. It is a member of the pea family.” Read more about Kuzu and it’s benefits over here

More Delicious Vegan Upside Down Cake

We have been busy searching for more vegan baking deliciousness. Try baking one of these, if you want more weekend baking projects!

If you do bake this cake, please share your creation on Instagram with #alfalfahouse

Vegan Upside Down Currant Slice

A simple recipe to make a vegan upside down currant cake. This cake is also refined-sugar free and uses whole food ingredients and flours. Guilt-free eating at it's best

  • Oven

For the Dry Ingredients

  • 1.5 cups white spelt flour
  • 1.5 cups almond meal ((ground almonds))
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • a good pinch of salt

For the Wet Ingredients

  • 1.5 cups sunflower oil ((or neutral tasting oil of your choice))
  • 1 cup  rice syrup
  • 1 cup soya milk
  • 2 medium zest of lemons
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice

For the Topping

  • 2 cups  currants
  • 1 tbsp kuzu ((or arrowroot powder))
  • 1 tbsp agar flakes

For The Cake Base

  1. Pre-heat oven to 180° C

  2. Mix dry ingredients together in one bowl

  3. Mix wet ingredients together in a separate bowl – you see the mixture becoming thicker and as the ingredients join together and emulsify

  4. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix together without overworking the mixture (this might be runnier than you think a cake ought to be – don’t worry!)

  5. If you are going to make cupcakes you can now spoon the mix into 12 cupcake cases in a cupcake tray and bake for 25 minutes or when poked with a skewer the skewer comes out clean (apart from a few crumbs of almond)

Preparing the Toppings (for upside down cake)

  1. Combine the currants on a low heat in a small pot.

  2. Stir in the kuzu and dissolve.  Stir in the agar flakes.

  3. Warming up this mixture is sufficient

Finishing Up the Cake to Bake In Oven

  1. Line a 12” shallow tart tin with baking paper

  2. Pour in the topping

  3. Very carefully pour in the wet mix – you will see the topping coming up and mixing with the cake mix – don’t worry about that, just be as gentle as you can

  4. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until when poked with a skewer the skewer comes out clean

  5. Remove from oven and allow to cool in the tin for 15 minutes

  6. Turn out tin onto serving dish and peel away baking paper.

  7. Serve in thin cake slices – lovely with a soya yoghurt or lemon sorbet.

Dessert
Australian, Baking
refined sugar-free, vegan, wholegrains
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Japanese-Style-Potato-Salad

Japanese style Potato Salad Recipe

I grew up eating potatoes every single day – my parents were Irish. Potato salad is one of my favourite things to eat.  This is a Japanese style potato salad that I found a couple of years ago. I made it for Christmas the first time. This potato salad recipe does take a little time, so I like to listen to a podcast or an interview while I’m preparing this one – Ingrid, Alfalfa House Member

Japanese Style Potato Salad

A Note on Potato Varieties

Potatoes are normally waxy or floury in texture. The waxy potatoes hold their shape when cooked . They are great in a potato salad recipe. Or maybe just boiled and cubed , then served with butter and chopped herbs. Floury potatoes on the other hand, don’t hold their shape so well once cooked and are soft and fluffy. They are ideal for mashed and baked potatoes.

For most home cooks , potatoes are a pantry staple. Use them in stocks and stews, or bake and mash the potatoes in hearty casseroles and pot pies. In Australia, we have a wide variety of potatoes to choose from. And best of all Alfalfa House stocks many of these potatoes when in season (and even some heirloom varieties that we source direct from farmers)

Further Reading on Choosing Potatoes

This link talks about different types of potatoes and when to use them

And here is A guide to every type of potato

How to choose the the right potato for your next meal

Starchy, Waxy, and All-Purpose: Potato Types, Explained

Japanese style Potato Salad

An Easy potato salad recipe. Excellent as a side dish accompanied with grilled or BBQ food

  • 1 small Lebanese cucumber ( peeled in intervals, deseeded and thinly sliced)
  • 1 small purple onion (thinly sliced)
  • 2 medium eggs
  • 1 kg Kipfler potatoes (or any other potatoes of your choice)
  • 1 medium carrot (peeled and cut into thin half moons)
  • 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
  • 1 cup Kewpie mayonnaise (I like the flavour of this mayonnaise. You can substitute any other mayonnaise of your choice.)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

  1. Toss the cucumber and onion in a little salt and drain for 15 mins.

  2. Rinse off the salt and dry on paper towel. 

  3. Bring small saucepan of water to boil and hard boil eggs – maybe 6 – 8 minutes

  4. Transfer eggs into iced water and tap the shells all over while in the water – this makes it much easier to peel the eggs.Peel and roughly chop

  5. Cook sliced carrots in boiling water for 3-4 mins, cooked and not mushy.

  6. Cook potatoes and peel while hot. Roughly chop and mash, season with salt – or not.

  7. While potatoes are still warm – not steaming hot – add the vinegar, half the mayonnaise, cucumber, onion, carrot and eggs and mix together. 

  8. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed and add more mayonnaise if required. I personally use less than a cup of Kewpie.

Salad, Side Dish
Australian, Japanese
potato salad
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What we are Reading (and Cooking)

The Gluten Free Cooking Mega List!

By Melian Jarvis

These sites are some of my favourite gluten free recipes go-tos. They are mostly gluten free, and mostly Vegan. Note that most of these sites are American, and have recipes containing oats, which are NOT considered gluten free in Australia (and Australian oats can be contaminated with wheat anyway).

Mostly gluten free & mostly vegan - my favourite recipes from the Minimalist Baker  (click through images for full details)

Mostly gluten free & all vegan - my favourite recipes from Oh She Glows  (click through images for full details)

All Vegan & all gluten free - my favourite recipes from Allyson Kramer's Recipes  (click through images for full details)

Vegan & mostly gluten free - Gluten-Free-Vegan-Girl  is an archived site but the recipes are really good.

Also Vegan Richa has a lot of flavourful plant based recipes that are inspired by the author’s Indian upbringing, including many gluten-free, soy-free, and oil-free options

Vegan, some gluten free - One Green Planet is a collection of user recipes, so quality is variable but generally pretty good.

 

Also - It doesn't taste like chicken a fun site that focuses on fuss-free cooking.

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Cauliflower Tagine

Winter Warmer – Cauliflower Chickpea Tagine with Wholemeal Couscous Recipe

North African cuisine is heavily influenced by a number of cultures including Arabic culture, with ingredients such as ginger, saffron and cumin and the matching of sweet and sour, which gives North African dishes a distinct flavour. The Spanish introduced products like olives, tomatoes, paprika and Jewish refugees introduced preserving methods such as preserved lemons. Couscous, a staple of North Africa is produced from wheat flour rolled into tiny balls of dough which are steamed and eaten as an accompaniment to tagines.

This dish uses all these ingredients to create a flavour explosive recipe for one to add to their weeknight dinner collection. If you do make this tagine and couscous recipe, please share your photos and tag us on Alfalfa House Instagram. We would love to see your creations 🙂


Recipe and images courtesy of Sandra Clark, one of our members and volunteers

Cauliflower and Chickpea Tagine

A cauliflower and chickpea tagine recipe that is warming, vegetarian and vegan friendly. It is wholesome and nourishing, ideal for winter weeknight dinners.

  • 2 Bowls
  • 1 steamer
  • Tea towel
  • sieve
  • Oven proof casserole dish
  • Knife, chopping board
  • 1 tbsp Olive oil
  • 1 tbsp butter or coconut oil
  • 1 medium brown onion (chopped coarsely)
  • 2 cloves garlic (( or 1 clove Russian garlic ))
  • 1 tsp ground coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp raw sugar
  • 400 g organic chickpeas can (drained)
  • 1/2 medium cauliflower cut into small heads (florets)
  • 400 g tin organic Tomatoes- chopped
  • 1 tsp harissa (or more if you like it spicy)  (sub for chilli powder or flakes if you can't find harissa)
  • 1 bunch  organic coriander, ( roughly chopped)
  • 1/4 medium preserved lemon ((rind only coarsely chopped))
  • 20 g sea salt
  • A pinch black pepper ((freshly ground))

For the Couscous

  • 350 g wholemeal couscous
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 3 sprigs coriander

  1. Heat butter and olive oil in a large heavy based saucepan. (I use a cast iron pan.)

  2. Add onion and fry for 2-3 minutes on medium heat until soft.

  3. Add chickpeas and cauliflower florets

  4. Add in chopped tinned tomatoes and stir in Harissa. Season with salt and pepper.

  5. Add just enough water or vegetable stock to just cover cauliflower. Bring to the boil then turn down to simmer, put on lid and cook gently for 15-20 mins.

  6. When cauliflower is almost tender, toss in half of coriander and preserved lemon and cook a further 5-10 minutes.

  7. Remove from stove and garnish with the rest of the coriander.

To make the couscous

  1. Place wholemeal couscous in a bowl and just add warm water until it resembles wet sand.

  2. Add 1 tbls olive oil and toss together.

  3. Place in a steamer lined with muslin or a tea towel. (see picture)

  4. Steam for 20-30 mins

  5. Remove from steamer and place in a large bowl and toss the couscous with a large spoon. This will make it light.

  6. Serve in a separate plate decorated with ground cinnamon and coriander sprigs or toasted almonds

Tips:
If you have a heat proof saucepan you can put the tagine in the oven at 160 degrees C. for 20 minutes.

Main Course
African
cauliflower, couscous, tagine, vegetarian
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Black Sapote Baked Custard with Blueberry Compote

Black Sapote Baked Custard with Blueberry Compote

Black Sapote Baked Custard with Blueberry Compote

Closely related to the Persimmon and native to Central America and Mexico, Black Sapote is often referred to as the Chocolate Pudding Fruit due to its resemblance to dark chocolate. However it is more suited to tropical climates. Black Sapote tastes delicious eaten as a dessert, in milkshakes, ice cream or as a replacement to chocolate due to its dark brown colour. Below we are sharing a quick and easy recipe for a Black Sapote baked custard with blueberry compote.

The Black Sapote fruit is green when picked. Wait about a week for it to ripen. When ripe, the flesh is dark brown to almost black and is soft and squishy to the touch. It has an almost bruised appearance. Further, a ripe Black Sapote has a beautiful creamy texture, similar to a ripe avocado and is sweet in flavour like a custard apple. Black Sapote has a low fat content. It is high in fibre and Vitamin C making it a great alternative to sweets. So have an open mind and try out this delicious fruit when available.

P.S. Alfalfa House Newtown does stock Black Sapote when available in season.

Use of Black Sapote In Food

Use Black Sapote in food and mostly in desserts. Here are few ways to use in different styles of desserts . (If you want to read more on this fruit, its cultural uses, harvesting etc we found this link with lots of useful info on the Black Sapote fruit. )

  • In the Philippines, the seeded pulp maybe served as a sweet treat often with milk or orange juice poured over it.
  • The Mexicans mash black Sapote pulp with orange juice to serve with whipped cream. Some times they also mix the pulp with wine, cinnamon and sugar to eat as a dessert.
  • Adding an acidic medium like lemon or lime juice to the pulp also makes a good filling for pies and pastry.
  • Churn the Black Sapote pulp with milk into ice cream
  • The people of Central America, ferment the fruit into a liqueur (tastes similar to brandy)
  • Bake this Black Sapote Bread (similar to a banana bread)

Now enjoy this Black Sapote custard Recipe here. The recipe and images courtesy of Sandra Clark, one of our members and volunteer

Black Sapote Baked Custard with Blueberry Compote

A delicious custard recipe using black Sapote served with a blueberry compote

  • 2 Saucepans
  • 2 Bowls
  • Fine Sieve
  • whisk
  • Wooden spoon
  • oven proof casserole dish or baking tray
  • glass pots or ceramic ramekins (ovenproof)
  • 1 whole black Sapote
  • 600 ml milk (any kind)
  • 1 vanilla pod (split lengthwise) or vanilla essence
  • 90 g rapadura sugar
  • 2 tbsp cold water
  • 2 tbsp hot water
  • 5 medium egg yolks
  • 1 medium egg (whole)

For the Blueberry Compote

  • 350 g blueberries ((fresh or frozen))
  • 80 ml agave ((or sweetener of choice))
  • 1/2 medium lemon ((rind and juice))

  1. Pre heat oven to 180 degrees C

  2. In a saucepan, heat milk with vanilla bean to boiling point, set aside.

  3. Cut black sapote in half, remove seed and scoop out flesh. Puree with a fork.

  4. In another saucepan heat rapadura sugar with the cold water until caramelised. Add the hot water to dilute the caramel. Put back on the heat and stir until smooth. Set aside

  5. Put the egg yolks and eggs in a bowl and slowly add the caramel. Add black sapote then pour into milk. Pass through the mixture through a fine sieve.

  6. Pour mixture into glass pots and place in a casserole dish

  7. Half fill casserole with boiling water and cover with a lid or foil.

  8. Cook for 25 mins or until just set. Leave in the hot water for 5 mins before refrigerating.

For the Blueberry Compote

  1. Place half the blueberries and the rest of the compote ingredients in a saucepan

  2. Bring to boil and cook for 8 minutes

  3. Remove from heat and add rest of blueberries.

  4. Serve with blueberry compote or fresh strawberries

Tips:
• Use leftover egg whites in omelettes or in biscuits

Dessert
Australian
black sapote, recipes

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