Dairy free Toffee Pecan Cake

This recipe is inspired by the very talented Quirky Cooking's Sticky Pecan Muffins. And it is addictive! I adore pecans & toffee, and they go together deliciously in this tasty cake. It is dairy free and if made using almond meal is also gluten free. This recipe could easily be made using a food processor if no Thermomix is available, just make the toffee sauce on the stove top.

Preheat oven to 180c. Grease and line a slice tin (very important to line with grease proof paper as the toffee & pecans are very sticky).


70g raw pecans
Chop pecans on Speed 4, 5 seconds, until roughly chopped.
Sprinkle in slice tin.

3 tbs rapadura
2 tbs honey
1 tbs coconut cream (or nuttelex)
Melt in TM. 2 minutes, 100c, Speed 1.
Pour over pecans in slice tin.

130g raw pecans
110g macadamia oil
80g rapadura
80g spelt flour or almond meal (I use dehydrated pulp from my almond milk, but store bought almond meal is fine)
3 eggs
1/4 tsp vanilla powder
1/2 baking powder
1/2 tsp Himalayan rock salt, ground
Place in TM, Speed 4, 6 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl. Mix again Speed 3, 5 seconds.

Pour mixture into slice tin, try not to disturb the pecans and toffee to much.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until skewer poked into middle of cake comes out clean.

Enjoy =)
Kylee

'Cheesy' Raw Kale Chips

Kale is everywhere at the moment, not long ago it was hard to find, now the local supermarket carries it. I have to admit I have never actually cooked with it, but only used it in juices or to make these tasty chips. This recipe is so simple and so tasty. Abigail enjoys helping make them, and loves to help sample them!

Kale is a form of cabbage, it's very high in beta carotene, vitamin k, vitamin c and rich in calcium. Kale also contains sulforaphane, a chemical with potent anti-cancer properties. So these 'cheesy' chips are actually super good for you!

'Cheesy' Kale Chips

1 bunch curly kale
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbs savoury yeast flakes (also known as nutritional yeast)
1 tsp Himalayan rock salt, ground

Wash kale, remove stems and rip into bite size pieces.
Combine olive oil, yeast and salt in a medium sized bowl.
Massage the mixture into the kale leaves, then place them onto dehydrator trays*, dehydrate on 58c for 2-3hours, until crispy.

Abigail the Taste Tester.

Enjoy =)

Kylee

*I believe these can also be cooked in the oven, place on oven trays and cook on 200c for about 2 hrs, or until crispy.

Banana & Strawberry Smoothie

This smoothie is a cool pick me up on a hot afternoon. It is sooo easy and very tasty. It's made here on homemade cashew milk but any milk would be fine. 

We have a large zip lock bag full of bananas in our freezer at all times, ready for smoothies or banana 'ice cream', just remember to peel and cut into 2cm lengths before freezing........ Tim!

Banana & Strawberry Smoothie

Place in Thermomix or power blender
2 frozen bananas
1/2 punnet strawberries
1 tbs honey
Speed 8, 1 min

Add
500 mls cashew milk
Speed 8, 30 seconds

Serves 2-3
Enjoy =)
Kylee

Almond Milk

Here at the Saunig household we try to limit our dairy intake. If I overdose on dairy it causes my tummy to hate me, If Abigail does she comes out in a nappy rash, so we no longer keep it in the house. Also I believe there is something unnatural about consuming the milk of another species (cow milk is for calfs, right?)...could just be me.  Anyway, I do sometimes have a little dairy, but at home we make our own Almond Milk. It's quite simple to make, very tasty, not to mention far cheaper than buying it in the Supermarkets, and you know exactly what is in it. Abigail really enjoys it, she has this in her bottle before bed and every morning on her favourite breakfast: Porridge with Goji Berries..Anyway, here is my recipe for Almond Milk. 

Place in Thermomix or high powder blender.
1 cup Almonds (soaked in water overnight, drained & rinsed)
2 fresh dates
1/4 tsp vanilla powder
Speed 9, 1 Minute.

Add
1 ltr water
In TM, Speed 4, 1 Minute.

Squeeze through a nut bag/muslin cloth and store in the fridge. Use within 2-3 days.
Enjoy =)
Kylee

My take on the Magic Bean Cake.

There is a popular cake in the Thermomix world known as the Magic Bean Cake. It's a wonderfully tasty chocolate cake made with a special 'secret' ingredient....well that is until you tell your guests the name of the cake. It is gluten free (actually it's free from any flour at all) which is very appealing to me but I also try to limit or avoid dairy too. So I set out to make this delish cake; Saunig family friendly! And you know what? I think my version is even better....yay!! Try it for yourself.....

400g can butter beans
1 tbs water or coffee (I use a shot of decaf from our coffee machine)
1/4 tsp vanilla powder
1 egg
Add to Thermomix. Speed 7, until smooth. Set aside.

Add to TM
120g Coconut oil (I use Loving Earth Coconut butter, such a lovely flavour)
170g Rapadura
Speed 5, 30 seconds.

Add
4 eggs
Beat speed 4, 20 seconds.

Add
Bean mixture
Speed 4, 5 seconds.

Add
70g Cacao powder
1tsp baking powder (If you require gluten free cake, make sure your baking powder is gluten free, if not just use normal baking powder)
1/2 tsp Bi-carb Soda
Pinch of Himalayan Rock Salt
Speed 4, 10 seconds.

Pour batter into greased and lined ring tin and bake on 180c for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. 
Enjoy =) 
Kylee