Roast Capsicum Dip

Last Friday night I had unexpected visitors.  I wanted to throw together some nibbles and I really wanted a dip but it was the end of the week and supplies were low.  I went searching in my cupboard looking for a can of chickpeas to blend.  No chickpeas.  I did however find a small jar of char-grilled capsicum and decided to use that.  I placed the capsicum pieces into my blender shaking off most of the (sunflower) oil.  I added a handful of fresh basil leaves from my garden, one clove of garlic crushed and finely chopped, a couple of squeezes of fresh lemon juice and whizzed it all up.  I served it with pieces of toasted garlic and herb Naan Bread and some chopped veggies.  My guests loved it!

I will try this again when I can plan ahead and roast 2-3 capsicums myself.  I would then add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil before blending.  In the meantime though I think that I will continue to keep a small jar of char-grilled capsicum in my cupboard in case of another impromptu visit.

~ take every opportunity to put the good stuff in ~

This blog is about me, what I'm doing, what's working for me, and what's not. It includes my experiences and opinions. It is for general information only and is in no way intended to replace the advice of a health care professional.

Zucchini Macaroni

If I find myself home alone for a meal I tend to experiment . . .

I have seen on other blogs people using zucchini to make "pasta".  They usually use a fancy tool called a spiralizer to cut it into lovely noodle-like shapes.  I don't have one of those gadgets.  I do however have a Genius Nicer Dicer Plus (also known as my chopping gadget) which is great for chopping vegetables.

To Dairy, or Not to Dairy? That is the Question!

When doing the detox program another thing I had to give up was dairy.  By dairy I mean specifically cow's dairy.

This is a controversial subject.  For years we've been told that dairy is essential to meet our daily calcium needs but now a number of people are suggesting that this is not the best source and in fact that long term consumption of dairy may be having detrimental effects on our health, actually contributing to osteoporosis and heart disease!  Here is some "food for thought":

Herbs 'n Stuff

Avoiding processed and packaged foods creates a real challenge to find quick healthy flavoursome alternatives.  So I find myself having to learn how to use a lot more fresh herbs and spices.  This recipe has become a family favourite.  I must admit I was a bit cautious at first about so much coriander, but it's a delicious combination!   This recipe comes from the Clean Eating App.

Making It From Scratch: Coconut Yoghurt

I like to have a daily dose of yoghurt for some probiotics in my diet.  When I did the detox program I had to cut out cow's dairy.  I found it difficult to buy yoghurt alternatives here in Darwin as the supermarkets do not sell these.  I did find one shop where I could buy yoghurt made from goat's milk, buffalo milk and coconut milk (Coyo).  I tried the Coyo and was hooked right away. It is delicious!  I enjoyed this for a couple of months but found it was quite expensive and unfortunately rather out of my way to go to this shop for regular supplies.  So I turned to Google once again to find out how I could make my own coconut yoghurt.