Chakalaka - Spicy Tomato Pepper Relish

Chakalaka is a South African tomato-based relish that has its origins in the townships of Johannesburg. 10 years ago, I was living in Johannesburg for a year and stayed at a vegetarian bachelor's house. The fridge was always empty, apart from a few lonely vegetables. But there was always chakalaka in the house. The  jarred version, but never mind. My vegetarian bachelor's friend was not much of a cook.

For dinner we'd cook some of those lonely vegetables and then drown them in chakalaka sauce. As far as I can remember, we didn't even have any grains or the otherwise very typical South African pap with it. We ate it more like a vegetable stew.
It is an awesome sauce, very versatile as you could use it as a dip with cracker, as a relish over grilled meat (not in that vegetarian bachelor's house though) or over pap. I got to taste many versions of it at various BBQs, which the South African claim they are world champions in.

There are versions with beans in it which makes it more a stand-alone meal. I prefer the simpler version with lots of green peppers: they give an otherwise regular tomato sauce (let's be honest, that's what it is) a refreshing summer kick. Then spice it up with as much chili as you like. A simple but incredibly delicious relish. Enjoy!
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CHAKALAKA - SPICY TOMATO PEPPER RELISH

(Print Recipe)

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 green peppers, deseeded and cut into 1-inch sticks
6 tomatoes, finely chopped

2-3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon mixed dried herbs
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon chili powder (or to taste)

Serves 6
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In a medium pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Fry onions for a few minutes, until softened. Add garlic and peppers and fry for another few minutes. Stir in chopped tomatoes and tomato paste. Season with herbs, curry powder, chili and sea salt.
Cover with lid and simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Serve hot or cold as a dip with crackers, or as a sauce over grilled meat or pap or polenta.

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Broccoli Cauliflower Pancakes with Tahini Raita

Not long ago, I very proudly announced 1.000 Likes of the Anja's Food 4 Thought Facebook page. To be exact, that was in November 2012. By then, I had blogged for more than three years.

Today, only 6 months later, I have reached 2.000 Likes. That is just amazing. Thank you!

I am especially proud of this number because I never forced anyone to "like" me on FB by participating in competitions or give-aways. In fact, I only had one give-away ever on my blog. Some of you may remember it: it was a one-print cookbook with recipes of mine. Someone in America won it. I sent it off with registered mail, but sadly it never arrived.

These 2.000 Likes are as organic as can be.
Regular readers may have noticed, I am pretty unsocial when it comes to social media. I hardly ever have more to say than the announcement of a new recipe on the blog. My twitter tweets are automated too. I actually never go onto twitter. Because I can't deal with so much useless information. I sometimes struggle to wade through my emails, many of them of no use or real or personalized information either. I also don't have a smartphone.

I see people on their phones all the time. I see couples in restaurants and cafe. They don't talk to each other, as each one is busy with their phone. I always wonder what they are checking. It cannot seriously be life-or-death information that's coming in on a constant stream. Or is it?

Why on earth would you be rather checking your FB page or your emails than talking to your partner or friend that you are meeting for lunch? Call me old-fashioned, but I don't get it.

Therefore, and perhaps this is even why some of you like my blog and FB page, I will keep my information output on Anja's Food 4 Thought and my FB page for real and relevant information. This is a recipe blog after all. I will not post on my blog if I don't have a recipe. I will not post on FB just to ask how you are today or what you are having for lunch. Imagine all 2.000 of you would reply.... I'd probably realize that I don't really want to know.

Perhaps I should have had a chocolate cake recipe to celebrate the 2.000 Likes. Instead I am presenting to you a real successful paleo pancake recipe. It's filled with cauliflower and broccoli. It's holding together beautifully with a mixture of eggs and coconut flour. It is very satisfying and light at the same time. It's very quick and easy to make. It can be extra refreshing with a yogurt dip and a salad on the side. 
These pancakes will surely be one of my lunchtime staples over the summer. Enjoy!

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BROCCOLI CAULIFLOWER PANCAKES WITH TAHINI RAITA

(Print Recipe)

1 1 /2 cups cauliflower florets
1 1/2 cups broccoli florets

4 eggs
2 tablespoons coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon  ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes

olive oil

Tahini Raita (non-paleo)
1 cup yogurt
2 tablespoons tahini
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup cucumber, finely chopped

Yields 4-6/Serves 2
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In a food processor, rice the cauliflower and the broccoli. Set aside.
Beat the eggs. Stir in salt, cumin and chili flakes. Then whisk in the coconut flour until mixture is lump free. Stir in the riced broccoli and cauliflower.

Lightly coat a frying pan with olive oil and heat over medium heat. Spoon about 1/2 cup of pancake mixture into the pan and spread out to the size of a CD and 1/4 inch thickness. Fry on each side until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Repeat until all batter is used up.

Serve immediately with some Tahini Raita and a fresh salad.

Tahini Raita
Stir tahini and salt into yogurt until well combined. Add chopped cucumbers. Serve cold from the fridge for extra freshness.

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Spring Favorites 2013

As Spring should be in full swing in most places of in the northern hemisphere, I think it's time for another seasonal recipe round-up. Believe it or not, I don't go through my own recipes often enough. More often than not, I stick to the same old recipes (that I know by heart) while other good ones get lost and forgotten although they surely deserve more exposure. Needless to say that all the recipes below are superbly tasty and good for you.

My spring round-up this year turns out to be 100% vegetarian and grain free (if you allow buckwheat to be counted as a seed - as it is being used in the spinach tart and the lemon cake). It mirrors the two general directions in my diet that I feel most strongly about. These are dishes that make me feel healthy, energetic, strong, lean and satisfied.

Here they are, in alphabetical order:

Broccoli Pistachio Soup:
there is many people who don't like soups when the weather gets warmer. This soup, however, is very light, yet full of flavor. The ground pistachios in there give it a cheesy taste, while being 100% dairy free. One of my new favorites.

 
Cauliflower with Mustard Seeds:
Cauliflower (besides broccoli) is probably one of the most difficult vegetables to feed to children. It's all a question of seasoning: with the right spices (and yes, the chili can be adjusted) you can make the blandest veggies interesting.

Chocolate Olive Oil Cake:
This is by far our favorite chocolate cake. It's grain free, it uses palm sugar and olive oil (instead of copious amounts of butter and refined sugar). It's always gone within a day. And it's super versatile. Two layers of it with some chocolate ganache coating makes a very good birthday cake too.

Citrus Salad with Pomegranates and Mint:
Summer, here we come. Spring in Dubai means temperatures around 30C/86F. Warm enough for simple, light and refreshing fruits or fruit salads.
Raw, full of natural tang and sweetness.

Gluten-Free Spinach Goat Cheese Tart:
This is one of the recipes (as mentioned above) that deserves more exposure, as it is simply delicious and full of goodness. A gluten free tart shell filled with all the goodness of spinach, the strong flavors of goat cheese and and crunch of walnuts. Leftovers can be eaten as snacks or fill a lunchbox the next day.







Grandma's Sweet and Sour Cucumber Salad:
Another refreshing and cooling salad, best be eaten cold from the fridge.  It's been a staple at my grandma's house, for as long as I can think. A true keeper.

Lemon Zucchini Cake:
Spring would not be spring without a lemon recipe. Lemon epitomizes Spring. And what would be a better place to use the flavors of lemon than a grain free cake that also has some hidden vegetables in it? Exactly, there is no better place.

Moroccan Spiced Roasted Mushrooms:
Another recipe from the category "How to make boring vegetables more interesting". Yes, you guessed it right: by spicing them. I love this recipe, because it's hardly any effort to make. And a delicious light meal or side dish at any time for any occasion.

Paleo Summer Wraps with Tahini:
Spring in Dubai is like summer in other places. Cool and refreshing, yet satisfying and filling meals and dishes need to be produced in vast quantities for several months. I particularly like the filling of these wraps consisting of chopped avocado, cucumber, some green leaves, chopped almonds - all held together by a tahini sauce.

Vanilla Frozen Yogurt:
What would spring and approaching summer be without ice cream? My ice cream maker hasn't stopped working much over winter. But now it will have to get ready for some extra shifts. My kids love this vanilla-flavored plain frozen yogurt. Just three ingredients needed: yogurt, honey, vanilla.






Enjoy spring!

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Savory Oat Bars with Olives and Sun Dried Tomatoes

One of my most popular recipes, here on the blog and at home with my family, are the Breakfast Oatmeal Bars whose recipe I posted 3 1/2 years ago.
Countless time I have baked these because they are so good: wholesome, crunchy without added sugar, and very tasty and filling. My husband has these for breakfast and my kids as a snack when they come home from school. Making them is easy as pie too.

A few weeks back, my husband suggested to make a savory version of it. I was immediately hooked onto the idea. My first try wasn't so successful, as I just threw random chopped veggies in. I realized, it needed strong flavors to stand up against the mild taste of the oats. I doubled the spices and herbs and opted for olives and sun dried tomatoes. A winning combination. The first batch that came out of my oven, I ate all by myself. The second batch was for my husband to try whose idea this was. He tested and approved and now loves to take a few bars in his lunchbox every now and then.

The recipe is very new and I haven't experimented yet with other flavors. I can imagine capers in there too. Or fresh rosemary. Perhaps bacon bits or even smoked salmon if it doesn't have to be vegetarian? It's worth a try and if you experiment with the add-ins, let me know how it came out. Enjoy!
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SAVORY OAT BARS WITH OLIVES AND SUN DRIED TOMATOES

(Print Recipe)

1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cups milk

1 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2  teaspoon chili flakes

1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, finely chopped
1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and finely chopped
1/4 cup almonds, roughly chopped

Serves 9
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Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Line 8-inch square tin sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, combine oats, salt, herbs & spices and ground flax. Add milk and let stand to soak for 10 minutes or so. In the meantime finely chop the sun dried tomatoes, olives and almonds. Add to oat mixture and stir well.

Pour mixture into prepared tin sheet and spread evenly. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
Let cool on wire rack. Then cut into bars/squares. Store in airtight container. Keeps well in the fridge for 3 days.

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Vanilla Sesame Cookies with Rosewater

I am as much a runner as I am a food blogger.

I need to get off my chest how disgusted I am about the bomb attacks at the Boston Marathon yesterday. There will never be a right space or time for incidents like this. But targeting sports events is one of the most distasteful things that can happen.

The Boston Marathon is the oldest and one of the most prestigious marathons. People train for years to qualify. People train for months to prepare for it. People and their families travel around the world to run the Boston marathon. And then, some idiots plant bombs at the finish line. How sickening that is!

I know someone who ran Boston yesterday. She finished about 45 minutes before the bombs went off. She is fine. She did a Personal Best, but what does it mean in the light of the bomb attacks? I see pictures of the runners that were held back a few metres before the finish line, just after the bomb explosions. Held back to finish a marathon that they trained for really hard. I think about the 8-year old boy that has been killed. I imagine that his mother or father might have been running the marathon.
I know several runners who will run the London marathon next Sunday, and equally big sports event through the streets of London.

It's a sad day for running. It's beyond my comprehension. I am at loss for words to describe my bewilderment. But we mustn't submit. As long as there is light in respond to darkness, there is hope. I know a group of runners here from Dubai that have qualified for next year's Boston marathon. Nothing will stop them. Keep on running!
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VANILLA SESAME COOKIES WITH ROSEWATER

(Print Recipe)

1 3/4 cup almond meal
pinch of sea salt

1/4 cup honey (or agave syrup for a vegan version)
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon rose water

3/4 cup sesame seeds

Yields 30-35
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Preheat oven to 150C. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a bowl, mix almond meal and salt.
In another bowl, combine honey/agave syrup, coconut oil, vanilla extract and rose water.
Combine wet and dry ingredients. The dough should be solid enough to form balls. If it's too wet, add some more almond meal.

Form balls of the size of a cherry. Roll in sesame seeds, then flatten it to 1/4 inch thickness and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all dough is used up.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown. For extra crispy cookies, flip them upside down and leave in the warm oven for a few more minutes.

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