Pina Colada Smoothie

1 cup coconut milk fresh or canned
1/4 fresh pineapple pieces
4-6 berries of your choice
Honey to taste (optional)
Ice

Place all ingredients into a blender and process until smooth and fluffy. Serve over ice.

Breakfast Smoothies - A Healthy Way to Start the Day

Over the next few weeks, I will be posting some delicious smoothies that you can whip up in no time, for breakfast, for the kids or any time of day for healthy snack. Smoothies are filling, tasty and packed with nutrition and they are a great way to get more fruit into your diet.




Coconut and Apricot Smoothie

250g Fresh apricots de-seeded
1 cup coconut
A small handful of berries of your choice
Honey to taste (optional)

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and fluffy. If you like your smoothy really cold, you can freeze the apricot flesh and blend while still frozen. Alternatively you can add some ice cubes during or after the blending process.

Enjoy!!!

Gayatri
Australian School of Meditation and Yoga

Moroccan Recipes

Well that wraps it up for the recipes demonstrated at our Moroccan Delights vegetarian cooking class held in 2009. Next I will be posting recipes from our Exotic Indian cooking class. These recipes are very delicious and were a hit at the cooking class.

Gayatri
Australian School of Meditation

Semolina Slice (Basboosa, Namoura or Harisi)

Cake:

1 kg coarse ground semolina
2 ½ cups sugar
1 cup soy milk
125g Nuttelex (or other vegan spread of your choice)
¼ cup blanched almonds

Sugar Syrup:

3 cups water
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 ½ cups sugar
2 teaspoons orange blossom water

Method:

1. Make sugar syrup by combining the water, juice and sugar in a saucepan. Stir to dissolve sugar, bring to a boil and then turn down to simmer 20 minutes until syrup reduces to about 2 ½ cups. Cool and then add orange blossom water.
2. Preheat oven to 150C. Grease a 20 x 30cm lamington pan.
3. Combine the semolina and sugar in a large bowl. Melt the Nuttelex and then pour it and the soymilk into the bowl with the semolina and sugar. Stir well to combine.
4. Spread the mixture into the pan and smooth the top. Press almonds into top in an array.
5. Bake uncovered for 1 hour 20 minutes until golden brown and slightly firm to the touch.
6. Cut the slice while it is still hot from the oven so that there is an almond on each slice and then pour the syrup evenly over the slice. Cool in the pan.

Gayatri
Australian School of Meditation

Moroccan Spinach Fatayer

Pastry:

7 cups self raising flour

½ cup olive oil

1 tsp dry yeast

1 ½ tsp salt

cold water

• Dissolve yeast in a tablespoon of tepid water
• Stir in olive oil, flour and salt
• Add enough cold water to make a stiff dough
• Cover and let stand 30 minutes while you prepare the filling
• Roll out on floured board
• Cut with biscuit cutter
• Put a tablespoon of filling on each pastry
• Fold edged up into a triangular shape
• Press edges together
• If the juice from the filling gets onto the edges dust with flour
• Place on well oiled baking sheet and bake in hot oven until very lightly browned

Filling:

2 large bunches English spinach

1 cup chopped onions

1 cup chopped walnuts

½ cup chopped raisins or dates

4 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons ground sumac

• Wash spinach
• Shake to dry
• Chop finely
• Mix with other ingredients

Gayatri
Australian School of Meditation and Yoga

Moroccan Mock Chicken with Lemon and Olives

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
½ packet of mock chicken pieces
8 potatoes – cut into chunks
Pinch of salt
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
Peel from 1lemon, rinsed in cold water, pulp discarded, peel cut into thin strips
1 cup green olives, pitted
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Method:
1. Combine all the spices in a large bowl. Place the mock chicken pieces in a bowl, coat well with the spice mixture. Let the mock chicken stand for one hour in the spices.
2. In a large, heavy bottomed pan, heat the olive oil on medium high heat. Add the mock chicken pieces, and potatoes, sprinkle lightly with salt (go easy on the salt, the olives and lemons are salty), and brown, skin side down for five minutes. Lower the heat to medium-low, add the garlic and onions. Cover and let cook for 15 minutes.
3. Turn the mock chicken pieces over. Add the lemon slices, olives, raisins, and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a simmer on medium heat, then lower the heat to low, cover, and cook for an additional 30 minutes, until the mock chicken is cooked through and the pumpkin is quite tender.
Mix in fresh parsley and cilantro right before serving. Adjust seasonings to taste.
Serve with couscous or rice.

Gayatri
Australian School of Meditation and Yoga

Moroccan Chickpea Patties

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium fennel bulb, chopped (stalks and core discarded, roughly 1-1/2 - 2 cups)
1⁄8 teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
2 cups cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 medium clove garlic, chopped
1-1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil for purée
2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt
1⁄4 teaspoon cumin
3⁄4 teaspoon paprika
1⁄8 teaspoon cinnamon
1⁄3 - 1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup good quality breadcrumbs (see note)
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
1⁄8 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon olive oil for frying patties
Method:
1. In a skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the fennel, salt and pepper and cook for 5-6 minutes. Add the red pepper and cook for another 5 minutes or until the fennel has softened. Remove from heat.
2. In a food processor, combine the chickpeas with the garlic, vinegar, olive oil, ginger, salt, cumin, paprika and cinnamon and purée until the mixture becomes smooth (scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed). If still a little chunky, add a touch more oil or water, and purée again until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, and stir in the fennel/red pepper mixture and green onions. Stir through to combine well. If you have the time, refrigerate for at least an hour—the mixture will firm up and be easier to shape.
3. Mix the breadcrumbs, sesame seeds and sea salt, and pour onto a plate. Take a mound of the chickpea mixture (roughly 1/3 cup) and form patties; then dip both sides in the breadcrumb mixture.
4. In a skillet over medium heat, heat the oil and fry the patties for about 7-9 minutes on each side, until lightly browned (flip only once or twice to prevent breaking up patties).
Note: For a wheat-free version, make your own breadcrumbs using wheat-free bread.

Gayatri
Australian School of Meditation and Yoga

Pumpkin and Bean Tagine

Ingredients:

20g butter
1 tbsp olive oil
2 medium brown onions (300g), chopped coarsely
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4cm piece fresh ginger (20g), grated
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind
1kg pumpkin, chopped coarsely
400g can chopped tomatoes
2 cups (500ml) vegetable stock
400 green beans, cut into 5cm lengths
1/3 cup (55g) sultanas
1 tablespoon honey
¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
¼ cup finely chopped fresh mint

Method:

1. Heat butter and oil in a large saucepan, cook onion and garlic, stirring, 5 minutes. Add ginger, spices and rind, cook about 1 minute or until fragrant. Add pumpkin, undrained tomatoes and stock; bring to a boil. Simmer, covered, about 15 minutes or until pumpkin is just tender.
2. Add beans to tagine mixture, cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Stir sultanas, honey and chopped herbs through tagine off the heat just before serving with couscous.

Gayatri
Instructor
Australian School of Meditation and Yoga

Spiced Moroccan Rice

Ingredients:

300g butter
1 medium brown onion (150g), chopped finely
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 cardamom pods, bruised
½ cinnamon stick
2 cups (400g) basmati rice
1 cup (250ml) vegetable stock
1 cup (250ml) water
¼ cup (40g) roasted pine nuts

Method:

1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add onion, garlic, cardamom and cinnamon; cook, stirring, without browning, until onion is softened. Add rice; stir to coat in butter mixture.
2. Stir in stock and the water; bring to a boil then simmer, covered, about 15minutes or until stock is absorbed.
3. Remove from heat; stand, covered, 5 minutes. Stir in nuts.

Gayatri
Australian School of Meditation and Yoga

Orange & Radish Salad

Ingredients:

6 large seedless oranges (1.8kg)
4 large red radish (200g), sliced thinly
½ small red onion (50g), sliced thinly
1 cup (180g) kalamata olives, seeded

Lemon Dressing:

1 clove garlic, crushed
½ teaspoon sweet paprika
½ teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon white sugar
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon orange flower water
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Method:
1. Combine ingredients for lemon dressing in screw-top jar; shake well.
2. Peel oranges, removing white pith; slice thinly.
3. Overlap alternative slices of orange and radish around edge of serving plate; overlap remaining slices in centre. Top with onion and olives; drizzle with dressing.


Prep time: 30 mins
Serves: 4

Gayatri
Australian School of Meditation and Yoga