Tag Archives: spread

Avocado Tahini Spread

Tahini Avocado Spread

Chicken burgers are really tasty, but they can also use a little something to spice them up. We made this avocado and tahini spread to top them along with Caramelised Onions and Mushrooms in vinegar. 

This is a variation of a recipe that we also use as a dip for sweet potato chips which we cook in the Air Fryer, and we also used this spread for that as well. It would also be great with raw vegetables used as a dip. 

Ingredients

  • 1 ripe avocado
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 Tbsp tahini
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 large red chilli
  • 5 spring onions
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper
  • olive oil

Directions

  1. Put everything in a blender add around 4 Tbsp of olive oil
  2. Blend until smooth.
  3. Add a little more olive oil if the mixture is too thick or does not blend well
  4. Serve as a topping on Chicken Burgers, as a dip with Sweet Potato Chips cooked in the Air Fryer, or use as a spread for savoury dishes.

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: Netorare Fan Club – Make Believe

 

Chicken Burgers

Chicken Burgers

Our son is a big fan of burgers, in all shapes, sizes and meat and veg descriptions. This week I did an order from the butcher and managed to order chicken mince by mistake. While they have lovely anti-biotic free range chickens, somehow I managed to add chicken mince and poussin to the order… The things you do when you are not entirely concentrating on what you are doing. 

Never one to waste food, it sounded like a good excuse to make some chicken and thyme burgers. We topped them with an avocado tahini spread and red onions and mushrooms cooking in red wine vinegar. Even on an after work night it was a quick wholefood meal to whip up, that got the seal of approval from our son (empty plate = seal of approval right?)

Ingredients

  • 500g minced chicken
  • 1 egg
  • 1 Tbsp fresh thyme
  • 1 Tbsp fresh dill
  • juice of 1/2 a lemon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp Italian dried herbs (mix of dried marjoram, basil, capsicum, rosemary, oregano, parsley and thyme)
  • coconut oil to fry

Directions

  1. Mix all ingredients (except coconut oil) in a bowl. This will be a very wet mixture.
  2. Form the mixture into balls a bit smaller than a tennis ball
  3. Heat some coconut oil in a frying pan
  4. Place the ball into the frying pan and press with the back of a wooden spoon or spatula to flatten the ball into a burger.
  5. Fry for 4-5 minutes on both sides until the chicken is cooked through
  6. Serve with tahini avocado spread, red wine options and mushrooms, sweet potato chips and homemade mustard

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: Shout out louds – Howl Howl Gaff Gaff

Parsnip and Purple Carrot Hummus

parsnip and red carrot hummus

Hummus is a favourite spread for my son, and we have been trying some variations of the recipe (which is originally made with chickpeas) to create some new spreads. It is a great way of sneaking a few extra vegetables onto his plate that he wouldn’t normally eat.

Ingredients:

  • 1 large parsnip, boiled until soft
  • 5 purple carrots, boiled until soft
  • 2 spring onions, chopped
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 Tbsp tahini
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • olive oil

Directions:

  1. Put all of the ingredients into a blender including 2 Tbsp of olive oil.
  2. Blend until you have a smooth consistency.
  3. You may need to add some more olive oil to get to a thick, but spreadable consistency (about the same consistency as smooth peanut butter).
  4. Remove from the blender and place in a bowl to serve. Sprinkle with a little olive oil to serve if you like.

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: Anika Moa – Thinking Room

 

 

 

 

Garlic Aioli Mayonnaise

Garlic Aioli

Mayonnaise is something I though that we had left behind when we changed our diet, but it does not need to be the case. Mayonnaise (of which Aioli is a variation) is a simple mix of eggs and oil. This Garlic Aioli recipe is delicious with sweet potato fries or used as a spread.

Ingredients

  • 3 garlic cloves (less if you like it less garlicky)
  • 1 large egg (preferably organic)
  • 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 150ml olive oil

Directions

  1. Place the garlic, egg, lemon juice, sea salt, and pepper in a blender
  2. Blend all of the ingredients, starting on a slow speed while you add the olive oil to avoid spattering it all around your .kitchen
  3. Add the olive oil while the blender is running in a slow stream. You will need to leave off  the cap of the blender in order to be able to do this while the blender is running.
  4. Put the cap back on the blender and turn up the speed. Blend the aioli until it has formed into thick emulsion.
  5. Serve the sweet potato fries, with the Garlic Aioli.

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: Jose Gonzalez – Vestiges and Claws

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rice Cakes with Avocado Spread, Parma Ham, and Eggs

Rice crackers with guacamole, parma ham and boiled egg

When we stopped eating bread we had a gap to fill – those mid afternoon hunger moments, or a quick lunch or breakfast. This recipe has become one of our fall back ones. The avocado spread will keep in the fridge for a couple of days, so you can use it more than once.

Ingredients

Avocado spread

  • 2 Avocados, peeled and seed removed. Roughly chopped
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • handful fresh coriander
  • 1 large green chilli, stalk and seeds removed
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp salt
  • a couple of turns of freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp olive or avocado oil
  • sumac

Directions

  1. Put all the “avocado spread” ingredients except the sumac in the blender. Blend until smooth.
  2. Add to a bowl and sprinkle over the sumac.
  3. Cook the eggs in boiling water for 6 minutes until softly boiled, but no longer runny.  (You can choose to cook a little longer or shorter according to your personal preference).
  4. Spread a generous amount of the avocado spread over the rice crackers.
  5. Top with a slice of parma ham.
  6. Peel the eggs and slice into 5mm slices. Place 1 egg on each of the rice crackers.
  7. Serve with some freshly ground pepper, and a little sprinkle of sea salt.

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: French for Rabbits – Spirits

 

Garlic Aioli with Sweet Potato Fries

Garlic Aioli with sweet potato fries

Sweet potato chips (fries) cooked in our Air Fryer has become a regular feature of our meals. This weekend we were looking for something different to spice them up, and decided to make Garlic Aioli at home using all natural ingredients.

Ingredients

  • 3 garlic cloves (less if you like it less garlicky)
  • 1 large egg (preferably organic)
  • 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 150ml extra virgin olive oil
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Coconut Oil
  • Pinch of Sea Salt

Directions

  1. Cut the Sweet Potatoes into chips (fries) shapes and put into a bowl.
  2. Sprinkle 1 tsp of coconut oil over the bowl of fries and toss them to coat in the coconut oil.
  3. Add to the Air Fryer basket and cook at 200 degrees C for 15 minutes until golden and cooked through.
  4. Meanwhile, place the garlic, egg, lemon juice, sea salt, and pepper in a food processor or blender
  5. Using the metal blade of the foodprocessor (rather than the plastic one) blend all of the ingredients
  6. Add the olive oil while the blender or foodprocessor is running in a slow stream. You will probably need to take the shoot out of the foodprocessor, or leave the cap off the blender in order to be able to add the oil while the foodprocessor is running.
  7. Blend the aioli until it has formed into thickened emulsion.
  8. Serve the sweet potato fries, with the Garlic Aioli.

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: Intergalactic Lovers – Little Heavy Burdens