FINYS FABULOUS FOODS AND FINDS

I am not a vegan, however I am avoiding making recipes that have processed sugar in them.  This can be quite difficult at times, as all my favourites do have sugar in them. Unfortunately I have a sweet tooth, so after being diagnosed with high sugar levels, I decided I had to stop eating cakes, biscuits and desserts which I had on most days! I then went down the path of making sweet morsels that had fruit in them.  I realise that the fruit still has sugar in it, however it is not processed and therefore possibly healthier than ordinary sugar. I mostly use coconut sugar or similar in these recipes, however am now making ones that do not require any added sugar as the sweetness comes from the dried fruit.  These are not as sweet as commercial cakes and biscuits, however in time I have got used to having bliss balls, or raw sweets to satisfy my sweet tooth. It is with all this in mind, that I made these raw apricot slices.  I often use either dried apric...

Lime curd or lime butter - what can I say!  It is one of the most delicious desserts or spreads for use on toast. It can either be lemons or limes and in this case I had limes on a tree, and as I do not have a lemon tree, I used up the limes. I also made my own pastry as I like to do, as I know exactly what goes into it if I make it myself.  I also find that the bought pastries are too thick, and the pastry takes over the whole tart or pie, or whatever you are making.  Hence I also do not like to buy pies as against making them from "scratch", as if buying a shop made product, in most cases the pastry is way too thick. Pastry is really very easy to make, there is no standing or resting as you do not use a rising agent so pastry really takes no longer than about ten minutes to make.  Once you have made your own, you will only go back to a bought one, when you are really in a hurry. I had also made a batch of the lime curd a few days before, and you can see thi...

I just love salmon or tuna patties.  I do not however like bought ones generally, as they usually have too much potato in them. I often make these little morsels of goodness as they are easy to make, always turn out, and can be teamed with just about any other food. I have read a lot about quinoa over the last few years, and quite honestly, do not really believe in all these new super foods which seem to be popping up almost every month!  There are just so many, and I feel a lot of them are "gimmicky", and while they may well be healthy, they are not the "be all and end all" which the media seem to turn them into. Nor do I believe in all the different diets - the only diet I have gone on is eating less quantity at each meal, cutting out in between snacks, and the 5/2 diet.  This one I did, not to lose weight, but for the other healthy benefits, as I have mentioned before in my recipes. So, back to quinoa - I bought a packet as I wanted to see what it tastes ...

Mandelbrot is German and literally means almond bread.  It is a biscuit similar to the Italian biscotti, which is crisp, and sliced into slices. It does have quite a lot of sugar in it, however these 20 or so servings go a long way, and you would possibly only eat a few of these at a time.  Beware however, as they are very moorish. They last for ages, and are great in lunch boxes or served on the saucer with a cup of tea or coffee - well, if you USE saucers, of course! Mandelbrot or biscotti is usually baked twice, however "Dresden" Mandelbrot is only baked once. I also made some as a plain round biscuit instead of the loaf type that is typical -hence the two types in my photos! This recipe makes a large amount, and unless you have a very large family,  I would suggest halving it. Preparation Time: 30 minutes Cooking Time: 15 minutes Makes: 20 servings Ingredients 3 large eggs 300 g sugar 300 g plain flour 1 tsp ground cloves ½ tsp cinnamon 1 tsp...

These small pumpkin pies are an ideal snack and could be eaten hot or cold.  They are therefore also great for lunch boxes instead of buying, spending money and getting food with chemicals in it. I usually make my own pastry for the same reason, however once again I was in a hurry and decided to use a frozen one.  When I use this type of pastry I always roll it out, as I like pastry to be nice and thin, and not take over the whole meal.  The bought pastries are always way too thick for me to cook with, and although I do not like buying processed ingredients, sometimes, my lovelies, it has to be done! You can cut everything up as large or as small as you like, and it works every time!  Basic beginners: attention - this recipe is also for YOU to impress someone. Team it with many other dishes as an accompaniment, or I generally eat them on their own with a salad, for lunch, or dinner.  They are also good when you just feel like "something" to snack on as th...

This toasted sandwich is packed with sauteed, slightly sweetened cinnamon apples and peanut butter.  Once again I am using peanut butter in a recipe as well as bacon.  Bacon is one of the most versatile foods as you can cook it with either sweet or savoury, and there is so much you can do with this product. Although this is slightly messy to eat, this toasted sandwich will please both children and adults alike. It is quick to make and could even be eaten as a breakfast or a brunch for the whole family. Preparation Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 8 minutes Makes: 2 sandwiches Ingredients 2 small apples 2 tbsp butter 1½ tsp cinnamon 8 pieces short cut bacon 2 tsp brown sugar or coconut sugar ¼ cup water ½ tsp vanilla 4 slices bread -preferably wholemeal 5 tbsp peanut butter Method Brown the bacon in a fry-pan or in the microwave.  I did this in the microwave between sheets of paper towel.  I always like to use "short cut" bacon as this has v...

Baklava is considered a national dessert in countries like Lebanon, Turkey and Greece. I love this sweet, odd shaped dessert or accompaniment with afternoon tea.  It is quite sweet, but the taste of the filo pastry mixed with butter and nuts is just divine. They are not real big, and if you didn't want to eat as much, you could always cut them into smaller shapes than I have, as mine are cut to the traditional size. I made it slightly different to the traditional Baklava you buy, however it has no added chemicals as the store ones do, and they taste absolutely delicious. Here in Australia these tiny morsels can cost up to $5.00 a piece, so I decided to make my own.  I had a few failures before they actually turned out right, but I think these are even nicer than the store bought ones as there is more  walnuts and almonds in them. An added benefit is that it's cost is so much lower than $5 a piece! Preparation Time: 40 minutes Cooking Time: 55 minutes Mak...

This is a very quick, simple recipe, and these chips are ideal as a snack, or with pre dinner drinks. Potato chips are so unhealthy that I am always looking for healthier alternatives so that I have something not sweet to snack on during the day, and particularly at night. These chip type snacks are made using a croissant and although these contain a lot of butter/fat, they are still much better than the much loved bought potato crisps. You could also make this recipe with a bagel instead of a croissant, and both ways turn out good. They are great to eat when you feel hungry in between meals, and there are only three ingredients needed for this recipe, and it is an unusual way to use a croissant! Preparation Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 10 minutes Makes: 2 - 4 servings Ingredients 1 croissant Cooking spray Salt Method Preheat the oven to 170° C, and line a baking tray with some baking paper. Using a serrated bread knife, slice the croissant as thinly as possi...

If you like sweets food, then you will love this this impressive biscuit log. It is also a great one for children to help you bake, and you only need to have a bit of this chocolate biscuit as it is quite rich. Preparation Time: 15 minutes (plus time to refrigerate) Cooking Time: 10 minutes Makes:  About 20 servings Ingredients 200 g packet of tea biscuits or plain biscuits 90 g unsalted butter 1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped ¾ cup thickened cream 100 g dark chocolate (I used Lindt 70%) 2 tbsp sugar -I used coconut sugar 1 tbsp cocoa powder 1 tbsp rum or rum essence Method Crush the biscuits into small pieces -I used a meat cleaver.  Mix these biscuits with the walnuts in a bowl. Heat the cream and butter over low heat.  Add the sugar and stir. Break the chocolate into pieces and add to the hot butter-cream mixture.  Stir until the chocolate melts, then add the cocoa powder and rum essence, and stir well to combine.  Set aside ...