Eggless French Toast

Eggless French Toast ღ

Eggless French Toast is a healthy breakfast recipe. It's a vegetarian and vegan version of french toast that's easy to make.

Servings: 2

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 slices white bread
• 4 cups milk or soy milk for vegan version
• 7-8 tsp sugar (adjust to taste)
• 4-6 tsp vegetable oil (or butter)
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder (optional)
• 1 tsp confectioner's sugar (powdered sugar, optional)

Preparation

In a medium bowl, add the sugar to milk and adjust the sugar to your liking. The milk should taste a little sweeter than you would want the toast to be. Remember, the sweetness will be reduced a little once the milk is absorbed by the bread. Cut the bread slices into triangular halves and set aside. Heat a nonstick skillet, and add 1/2 tsp oil. Immerse the bread in the milk, flip over, and remove quickly so it doesn't get soggy. Place on the skillet; add 1/4 tsp oil around the edges and in the middle and saute on medium heat. Lift the edge gently to see if the underside has browned lightly, and flip over gently with a spatula. Add some more oil around the edges and saute until golden brown. Remove and place on serving plate. Sprinkle some cinnamon powder and confectioner's sugar and serve the eggless french toast immediately.

Cooking Tip

The trick to making good french toast without eggs is to saute on low-to-medium heat and flip only once, when the underside is golden brown. Slicing the bread into half also makes it easier to flip as the pieces are smaller.

Viennese Whirls

Viennese Whirls ❁

Viennese Whirls are melt in the mouth biscuits which are mass produced for sale in bakers and supermarkets in Europe (and elsewhere in the world). But there is nothing to beat some which have been freshly baked in your own kitchen. 
Ingredients:
3 ounces (75g or ¾ stick) butter
1 ounce (25g) icing sugar (frosting)
3 ounces (75g or ¾ cup) plain flour
Few drops vanilla essence
Strawberry jam (for filling)
Pinch of salt 
Method: 
Cream the butter and sugar and vanilla essence together until it is light and fluffy. Sieve (sift) flour and salt and then add to the butter and sugar mixture gradually. Beat well after each addition until the mixture is smooth. Using a one inch (2.5cm) star pipe, pipe stars of approximately 1¼ inch (3cm) diameter and no more than 1/8th inch (6mm) high onto a baking/cookie sheet on a baking tray. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the middle shelf of a preheated oven at 375F (190C or Gas Mark 5). Spread a small amount of strawberry jam between the flat sides of two "whirls" to make them stick together. Dust with icing sugar (frosting). As an alternative to dusting with icing sugar (frosting), you can dip about a third of each Viennese Whirls (with jam between them) in chocolate which has been melted slowly in a bowl heated in hot water.

Ginger Wine

Traditional Scottish Recipe - Ginger Wine ♔
Ginger wine has been a popular drink for cold winter's nights - or as an addition to whisky to make a "Whisky Mac". This recipe is adapted from the original published in Mrs Beeton's famous work and makes 4.5 litres (8 pints). 

Ingredients: 
4.5 litres (8 pints) water 1.4 kg (3 lb) sugar One lemon - zest and juice 1 tsp fresh yeast 110g (4 oz) raisins, stoned and chopped 40g (1½ oz) ginger, peeled and bruised 75 ml (2½ fl oz) brandy
Method: 

Add the water, sugar, lemon zest and bruised ginger to a very clean saucepan. Bring to the boil, simmer for 1 hour. Remove any scum and transfer to a large bowl. When it is luke-warm, add the yeast and leave overnight. 
Next day, strain the lemon juice and add to the mix along with the chopped raisins. Place everything in a suitable vessel. 
Stir the wine every day for 14 days. Add the brandy. Stop the vessel down by degrees and in a few weeks it will be ready to bottle.

Cluster Beans

Cluster Beans ✔

The health benefits of cluster beans are in the protein and fiber they provide. Cluster Beans are a type of green beans grown in India. They are a flatter, smaller cousin of the regular green (French or string) beans. In India, cluster beans are commonly used in vegetable curries and lentil dals. Unlike the regular green beans, cluster beans have a slightly bitter taste. To tone down the bitterness, freshly grated coconut, or tamarind, jaggery, and tomatoes are used. Cluster bean seeds are used in commercial food products. The seeds are dried and ground into flour. This flour, known as guar gum, is used as a thickener in many food products such as ice cream (instead of gelatin) and cheese, sauces, and dressings. As a rich source of protein and fiber, cluster beans offer several health benefits in both vegetable and powder form (guar gum). Guar gum is used in nutritional supplements such as glyconutrients. Guar gum powder is a water-soluble fiber, and is used as a laxative. The fiber helps keep the digestive tract healthy and regular. Studies have shown that it's effective in treating diseases like Irritable Bowel syndrome (IBS), Crohn's disease, and colitis, and also in reducing cholesterol. 

The kiwifruit

The kiwifruit 

♥

Kiwi, or kiwifruit, originated in China, and found its way to the Western world in the 20th century. Also called "Chinese gooseberry," kiwi grows on shrubby vines, and has more in common with berries and grapes than with tree fruits. The bright green flesh is buttery-soft in texture, and tastes sweet and tart at the same time. Both the skin and the seeds are edible, although most people remove the fuzzy skin and discard it. A golden variety of kiwi first appeared in 1991, and is nutritionally similar to its green cousin.

Kiwi Nutrients

A cup of sliced green kiwi supplies 167 g of the antioxidant vitamin C, or about 150 percent to 200 percent the recommended daily value for an adult. The 562 mg of potassium in a cup of kiwi assists with the function of all your body's cells and organs, and is about 12 percent of the recommended daily value. The high vitamin C and potassium content contribute to this fruit's respiratory health benefits. Kiwi also supports eye health, due to 157 IU of vitamin A in a 1-cup serving, and 220 mcg of lutein, a carote

noid that protects against macular degeneration. This powerful little fruit is a significant source of vitamin K as well, which boosts bone density.

Kiwi Seeds

Less than 3 percent of the weight of a kiwi is in its tiny seeds. Like those of other berries, the seeds of the kiwi store nutrients for the plant's cultivation, growth and survival, and as such are nutrient-dense. Although you discard the seeds and pits of tree fruits such as apples, oranges, cherries and plums, you can eat the seeds of kiwi. In addition, the oil extracted from kiwi seeds is richer than flaxseed in alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid that promotes heart and brain health and helps regulate cholesterol. You can consume kiwi seed oil as a supplement. Because it is rich in vitamin A, this oil is sometimes a component in beauty products for skin and hair.

Dolmathakia / Vine leaves stuffed with minced meat

Dolmathakia / Vine leaves stuffed with minced meat

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Yield: About 50 pieces

Stuffed with rice, minced meat, pine nuts, and fresh herbs, DOLMATHAKIA take a little bit of time to prepare, but they are worth the effort. They can be served cold or at room temperature and are a classic Greek appetizer or meze.

Ingredients:

50-60 fresh grape leaves or 1 jar (16 oz.) brined grape leaves

1kg minced meat

1-cup olive oil (divided into 1/2 cups)

6 large onions, minced

1 1/2 cups uncooked long grain rice

1 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped

1/2 cup pine nuts

2 tbsp. dried mint

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Juice of two lemons

Preparation:

Rinse the leaves well to remove brine. Place the leaves in boiling water and boil for 3 to 5 minutes to soften them and make them more pliable. Remove from water and set aside. In a large skillet, over medium high heat, heat 1/2 cup olive oil. Sauté the onions until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice, minced meat, parsley, dill, pine nuts, mint, salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Allow the filling to cool.

Roll the Dolmathakia:

Place a leaf with the stem towards you on a flat surface. The underside of the leaf should be face up. (The veins of the leaf are raised on the underside.) Using the point of a sharp paring knife cut out the stem of the leaf. Overlap the bottom two sections of the leaf toward the center. Place a tablespoon of filling in the bottom center of the leaf, just above the stem. Fold the bottom section up to cover the filling. Fold the sides in towards the center. Continue rolling the packet up towards the top point of the leaf. Place the rolls in layers in the saucepan. Be sure to place the packets with the seam on the bottom. Pour remaining 1/2 cup olive oil over the Dolmathakia and enough water to cover them by about an inch. Place an inverted heatproof plate on top of the rolls to keep them submerged in the water. Cover the saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes to an hour or until the leaves are tender and the rice filling is cooked through. 

Happy Cooking ♥