Category Archives: Recipes

The best chai of all time

Posted on May 18, 2013 | 5 Comments

I’ve had quite a few requests from you for my chai recipe, seeing I rave about it all the time. Here goes!

Medicinal Chai tea recipe

I love adding vanilla to my chai mix, it gives it a sweet aroma plus it’s my favourite spice/ smell of all time. Chai is great for soothing digestion, improving blood circulation, treating colds and flu, and improving energy levels. It really is like making your own custom blend medicinal beverage except it taste great. This particular recipe fixed my cold, so quickly! By the end of the day I was feeling good again…

Ingredients…
1 star anise
8 cardamon pods (but I always put in more)
1/2 vanilla bean
1 cinnamon quill (or 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon)
8 peppercorns
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
3 bay leaves
1 of 2 slices of ginger (I add a lot more but I’m a total ginger fan! And I can deal with it suuuuper spicy)
8 cloves
1 tablespoon orange peel
pinch of grounded nutmeg
2 teaspoons rooibos tea
1/2 teaspoon of ground turmeric
2 and a half teaspoons black tea (omit if you want it caffeine free)
2 cups of water
2 cups of fresh milk

Method…
Add all the ingredients (except tea leaves) to 6 to 8 cups of water and boil in a saucepan. Turn on low heat to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes then turn off the heat and add tea leaves. Let sit for a few minutes then pour through a strainer. Sweeten with honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar or stevia and dust with cinnamon powder. Other milks you can use are almond, soy, oat, rice.

DSC_0025

DSC_0027

DSC_0028

Web

→ 5 Comments

Posted in Health, Recipes, Uncategorized

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

Cardamom Pear and Apple cake

Posted on May 16, 2013 | 4 Comments

Soft, spicy… it actually tasted a bit like a chai infused cake. Cardamom has to be one of my favourite spices… and it’s healthy! It’s good for bad breath, headaches, anxiety, settling your stomach and according to the principles of Ayurveda, cardamom helps balance the three ‘doshas’ or ‘defects’ in the body. In Ayurvedic science there are 3 body types characterised by three types of ‘dosha’ . Cardamom is a healthy spice that balances all the three ‘doshas’ and helps you stay healthy. So, its health benefits are all encompassing for all body types.

What you’ll need:

250g coconut oil, softened
1 cup unrefined brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
3 eggs
6 cardamom pods that have been soaked overnight
2 1/2 cups self-raising flour
2/3 cup milk
1 pear, soft
1 apple

Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Grease and line an 8cm-deep, 19cm (base) square cake pan with baking paper.

Squeeze the cardamom seeds out of their pods into the mixing bowl and discard the pods.

Using an electric mixer, cream coconut oil, cardamom seeds, sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.

Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating to combine. Add half the flour. Stir to combine. Add half the milk. Stir to combine. Repeat with remaining flour and milk.

Slice the pear and apple and place them evenly on the bottom of the cake tin. Spread mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Stand in pan for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool. Dust with icing sugar or cinammon.

Serve and enjoy x

DSC_0021

DSC_0025

I served the cake with a side of organic natural yoghurt, some grated ginger and chia seeds.

DSC_0028

Web

→ 4 Comments

Posted in Health, Recipes, Uncategorized

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Poached Fruit for Breakfast

Posted on May 15, 2013 | 4 Comments

According to Ayurveda, the perfect breakfast is fruit. Ayurvedic eating recommends a cup of hot water with a tablespoon of lemon juice in the morning to help with elimination. It also gets digestive juices flowing and helps in the cleansing of the digestive tract. The perfect breakfast in Ayurveda is a fruit, to be followed with some warm cereal or whole wheat bread with some honey or almond butter. Ayurveda proposes it is always better to eat warm cooked foods for breakfast as it helps wake the digestive fire.

I cooked my apples, pears and rhubarb in coconut oil with ginger and cardamom. So warming and light. I served it with a side of yoghurt, honey and chia seeds and a delicious freshly brewed coffee!

Happy Wednesday everybody :)

DSC_0014

DSC_0015

DSC_0016

DSC_0019

Web

→ 4 Comments

Posted in Health, Recipes, Uncategorized

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

Basil Hummus

Posted on May 13, 2013 | 3 Comments

I must say, this idea, which came out of nowhere, was genius. The apartment smelt of sweet fresh basil and it was just what I needed for a weekday dinner. The good news is, it’s easy!

Soak a cup of chickpeas overnight before boiling them as it makes them quicker to cook. Boil until they are very soft and add 4 tablespoons of tahini, as much olive oil as you need until it’s soft, a bunch of basil, sesame seeds, a clove of garlic, a spoon of yoghurt, sea salt, pepper and mix it, baby!

DSC_0011

Served on some sourdough bread- nothing better!
DSC_0013

Web

→ 3 Comments

Posted in Health, Recipes, Uncategorized

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Chai Energy Balls

Posted on May 11, 2013 | 6 Comments

Chai is one of my favourite things in this world. Its warming mix is just what I need on a cold day but also on Spring days like today, when the weather can’t make it’s mind up and goes from hot to cold. This is very bad for my vata, when the weather changes a lot, and chai helps me keep in balanced and feeling grounded.

The chai I’m talking about is an ancient Indian spiced tea, traditionally known as Masala Chai and is said to have dated back some 5,000 years ago. Its unique flavour comes from a blend of Ayurvedic herbs and spices. Ayurveda is the traditional Vedic Indian medicine which means “knowledge for life” and is said to be the sister science to yoga. Yoga has so much theory intertwined, it is considered a “science” or body of knowledge.

Chai helps fight off colds, keep you warm and provide immunity.

You can re-create other recipes that are based on the concept of chai, like chai cakes and these chai energy balls. They are like my amazeballs, but an ayurvedic version of.

You will need:
300g of dates
as many cardamom pods as you want (I put in a bunch as you can see in the photo, it’s one of my favourite spices and it’s not overpowering in this mixture)
a big chunk of fresh ginger, skinned
a couple of teaspoons of cocoa
a pinch of nutmeg
two tablespoons of coconut oil
almond meal and desiccated coconut

soak the dates and cardamom pods overnight. Take out the pips of the dates and put them in a mixing bowl. Squeeze out the seeds of the cardamom pods and throw away the pods. Put in all of the other ingredients, apart from the almond meal and desiccated coconut and blend until completely smooth. I sometimes put in a shot of good quality coffee to make the flavour richer. Add in the almond meal and desiccated coconut until the mixture is firm enough to roll into balls.

Makes 12 energy balls.

DSC_0012

DSC_0052

DSC_0053

DSC_0054

Web

→ 6 Comments

Posted in Health, Recipes, Uncategorized

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Aztec Hot Chocolate

Posted on May 8, 2013 | 2 Comments

A home-made hot chocolate is gooooood, but an Aztec hot chocolate is much better! One of my all time favorite drinks for the colder season is hot chocolate. We love classic hot chocolate but here’s a fun way to spice it up!

For one cup of joy, here is what you need:
- 1 cup of fresh organic milk
- 1/2 a cup of water
- 1 teaspoon of an Indian masala spice mix
- as much cocoa as pleases you
- a sprinkle of cayenne pepper
- rock sugar or unrefined sugar

Put everything in a saucepan. Bring to the boil and let simmer for a minute or two then serve. This one will surely warm the cockles of your heart.

DSC_0040

DSC_0041

DSC_0042

DSC_0044

DSC_0045

DSC_0046

DSC_0048

DSC_0049

Web

→ 2 Comments

Posted in Recipes, Uncategorized

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

My Carrot Cake Recipe: a video

Posted on May 7, 2013 | 7 Comments

A while ago Meg and I escaped to the countryside to cook, read and sleep for a weekend.
This is a bit of what we got up to…

Video by Meg Gagnard
Recipe and cake by Olivia Cummings

Click here for the recipe.

Web

→ 7 Comments

Posted in DIY, France, Recipes

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

How the French eat artichokes

Posted on April 26, 2013 | 4 Comments

Artichokes are sometimes scary to cook. In France I’ve eaten them a few times and have loved the way they eat them. Their soft hearts are sweet and with a bit of olive oil and balsamic it’s just divine. A great light but nourishing meal.

Here is how you do it à la française:

Cut the ends of the artichokes off and pull of any of the leaves that seem tough. Put them in a deep saucepan and fill up the pan around 1/3 of the way up with water. Bring to the boil and steam for around 35 minutes or until the outer leaves can be easily pulled off.

To serve: prepare a small finger bowl with olive oil and balsamic

To eat: pull off the leaves and dip the fleshy part in the oil preparation and eat this bit only (not the end bits of the leaves) until you get to the heart that is the best bit. As they say, save the best till last!

DSC_0028

DSC_0029

DSC_0031

DSC_0032

DSC_0033

Web

→ 4 Comments

Posted in Paris, Recipes, Uncategorized

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Morning Juice

Posted on April 22, 2013 | 4 Comments

There is no better way to start your day than with a fresh juice. Full of vitamins, gets your metabolism going and makes you feel bright and alive!

This particular juice was lemon, blood orange and luke warm water. Don’t have cold water first thing in the morning, it’s too hard on your system after sleeping.

DSC_0001

DSC_0002

DSC_0003

DSC_0004

DSC_0005

Web

→ 4 Comments

Posted in Health, Recipes

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Flourless Chocolate Bundt Cake

Posted on April 21, 2013 | 8 Comments

I am obsessed with a good flourless cake. Firstly because it’s so moist and doesn’t feel as heavy as flour and secondly because it’s made with almond meal so it’s a much better afternoon snack than a chocolate bar or a regular flour-based cake. This recipe calls for no butter or oil so it’s very low in calories.

ENJOY!

You’ll need:
50g (1/2 cup) cocoa powder
80ml (1/3 cup) hot water
1 shot of coffee
2 x 100g pkt almond meal
100g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
3 eggs, separated

Method:
Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush a round 22cm (base measurement) cake pan with melted dairy spread to lightly grease.

Combine the cocoa powder and hot water in a medium bowl. Make the coffee and add the it to the cocoa mixture and stir until combined.

Add almond meal, sugar and egg yolks to cocoa mixture, and stir until well combined.

Use an electric beater to whisk egg whites in a clean, dry bowl until soft peaks form. Use a metal spoon to fold a spoonful of egg whites into cocoa mixture until combined. Gently fold in remaining egg whites until just combined.

Pour mixture into prepared pan. Place cake pan in a roasting pan. Pour enough boiling water into the roasting pan to reach two-thirds of the way up the side of the cake pan. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven. Remove cake pan from water bath and set aside for 20 minutes to cool. Turn cake onto a wire rack and remove paper. Set aside for a further 20 minutes or until cooled to room temperature.

If you’re a fan of flourless cakes click here to see another one of my recipes.

DSC_0027

DSC_0030

DSC_0034

DSC_0035

Web

→ 8 Comments

Posted in Health, Recipes, Uncategorized

Tagged , , , , ,