Recipe: Home made Nutella (Vegan, sugar free, low carb)

Sugar Free Nutella

1 1/2 cups raw hazelnuts
1/2 cup hazelnut oil
1/4 cup coconut oil
3 tbpsn cocoa powder
2 tbpsn liquid stevia

Method

• Roast the hazelnuts on a piece of foil at 135C (275F) for 15 minutes

• Remove the tray from the oven and wrap the foil around the nuts, let the nuts sit for 10 minutes wrapped in foil as this will loosen the skin on the roasted nuts

• Place the roasted kernels on one side of a clean kitchen towel, double the towel over the nuts and rub vigorously to remove the skins

• Melt the coconut oil in a pan or microwave
• Put the nuts and hazelnut oil into a blender and pulse until grainy

• Add the cocoa, coconut oil and stevia
• Blend on "Liquify" mode until a smooth liquid is formed
• If liquid stevia is not available dissolve 4 tbspns of stevia powder into the melted coconut oil before using or a grainy texture will result
• 1/4 cup skim milk powder can be added to get that "just like store bought" taste but compensate by adding an additional tablespoon of oil
• You can buy hazelnut oil at Safeway or specialty stores but if not available substitute with a light vegetable oil like canola or grapeseed
• Pour into a jar and refrigerate
• Try not to eat the whole jar

Snapshot: Powell's Sweet Shoppe, Windsor

One of the best things in small towns is old fashioned sweet shops, or milk bars as I'd have called them. Powell's is a fantastic example in Sonoma which offers huge ranges of themed candy and gifts. Powell's have several locations around the Bay Area but since these days I only eat sugar on vacations it's best that I don't visit any of the others!

Kids delight candies abounded everywhere like cheap chews, gum, lollipops and chocolate bars. Many old fashioned selections were available and an entire wall of jelly bean flavours.

Big sections of themed sweets can be found like this explosion of pink. There were Hello Kitty, My Little Pony and romantic gifts a plenty. Super hero and less pinkified options also available.

The chocolate cabinet included selections like hand filled chocolates, truffles and dipped confections like turtles, pretzels and toffees.

The ice cream / soda bar included options for all the treats you might want from an old fashioned soda shop like ice cream sodas, milk shakes, ice cream and sundaes. The soft drinks included an array of original and natural flavours

 We settled on some simple gelato cups with an included chocolate straw, great for sharing in the park opposite the sweet shop.

Powell's Sweet Shoppe

http://powellsss.com/go/ 

720 McClelland Dr
Windsor, CA 95492

Old fashioned sweet & soda shop
Great for kids and families

Recipe: Low carb gluten free chocolate brownies

If you can't tell I recently bought a slice tray so I'm working my way through recipes I haven't made in quite some time. This recipe is a keto adapted version of one provided to me by a coworker with gluten free food restrictions. 

Low carb gluten free chocolate brownies

1 cup almond flour/meal
1 cup walnut pieces
2 cups granulated Splenda
2 tbpsn cocoa
1 tspn baking soda
pinch of salt
1/2 cup butter
3 whole eggs
115g (4oz) unsweetened chocolate
1 tspn vanilla essence

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180C (350F) and line a slice tin or square baking tin with wax paper
• In a mixer add your almond flour, Splenda, cocoa, salt and baking soda and then mix on the slowest setting until combined
• In a microwave or double boiler melt the chocolate and the butter together and then stir thoroughly
• Add eggs and vanilla essence to the flour and mix on a medium speed until a thick batter is formed
• Add the butter/chocolate mix to the batter continuing on medium speed until an even texture is formed; it should have an almost dough like consistency
• Turn off the mixer and fold in your walnut pieces then turn the batter into your slice tin
• Press with your hands or a baker's blade to evenly distribute to all corners, an even top will prevent cracking
• Bake for 25 mins then turn onto a rack to cool
• The texture is excellent whether you avoid wheat or not, carb eaters can replace the Splenda with half as much Brown sugar
• You can ice the top if desired or dust with confectioner's sugar or powdered Splenda 
• Cut into 16 Brownies - Macros below are for the whole batch - Each brownie is 192 Calories, 5.3 Carbs (2.6g Net), 17.5g Fat

Review: Harry's Grill, Cancun Mexico

Formal steakhouse dining isn't for everyone, but it's my perfect way to celebrate. After a few nights in an all you can eat resort in Cancun it was time to head out and get something different and we weren't disappointed. Our night at Harry's was the perfect kind of meal - great food, great company and great service. 

Harry's is all about great meat and good wine with old fashioned service. A pre dinner Martini and a post dinner Cognac kind of place. There's even a balcony fit to bursting with Hispanic men sharing cigars. If you are the kind of person that fears calories and machismo, this is probably not for you. This would make a wonderful place to take business partners or a convention meal; an entire table behind us was sporting high end Swiss watches and shouting about finances. 

Aging meat on display

Choosing your cut

In the theme of the old fashioned steakhouse was the presentation of choices; not only did they bring us half a butcher's window to help choose our meat cut but later they would do the same with a rolling aperitif bar.

Now unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of the entire menu, and their menu online conveniently forgets to include prices. Being clear though this was an expensive meal and we ordered as much alcohol as we did food. The Bill for two very excitable foodies came to around $500USD

We ordered waaaaay too much food, but the menu was ... everything we love and so we couldn't help ourselves but over order and try everything. We were on vacation after all! 

Rob Roy

Cucumber Martini with Chilli Lime salt ring

Each drink came with the full shaker making a Martini more like two. The bar staff are excellent and made both to order and menu items with flair. 

Fresh baked brioche with whipped butter and fresh sauces (included)

Toasted flat breads (included)

Beef Carpaccio

Another favourite - raw beef hammered thin and served with fresh herbs and spices. 

Empanadas - Blue cheese and Sundried Tomato & Six Cheese

These were amazing, no street food here! High end cheeses are folded into flakey shortening pastry and then fried. Served with fresh chili and salsa verde.

Jalapeno Mash

Honestly we didn't need this in the end  and barely touched it but I think my man got excited by the idea of rich buttery potatoes with Jalapeno chilies. 

Caprese

Honestly it was like they'd rung up our psyche and asked our favourite sites - while the boy squeed about the potatoes I ordered this caprese and then discovered it was a huge platter full.

Creamed Spinach

Again, we didn't need this at all but again... creamed spinach is one of our favourite things. They could only have topped it by adding a soft duck egg. 

Filet Mignon 8oz 420MXN

Usually my man prefers big macho cuts of steak but I think having gone a little wild on the appetizers he thought he'd order a more sensible petite filet. Melting on top are large salt crystals.

Bone in Cowgirl cut 16oz Steak 580MXN

When the staff so clearly treat their meat reverentially it seemed a must to get a bone in steak for that marrow infused flavour. This Cowgirl option is a clean cut Rib Eye on the bone, frenched in the "lollipop" style. Grilled to perfection with salt. 

2011 Terrazas Reserva Malbec

Of course good Latin beef deserves good Latin wine and there's nothing we like more with steak than Argentinian Malbec. Unfortunately most the vintages older than this 2011 were drifting off into ridiculous price territory. Of course were you in the mood to spend money they had a cellar to support any high end choice from Australian Grange to Californian Screaming Eagle.

Brownie Sundae

Having been on a diet for months it was time to blow it all with one dessert. This brownie was studded with nuts and the whole thing was topped with salted caramel. 

They billed these as "mini desserts" and so my partner ordered 2... at this point the calorie count was basically laughable so it seemed fitting.

Mini Lemon Cheesecake

Molten Lava Cake

There may have been some cognac and port that came with the dessert and coffee but honestly we were a bit tiddly by this point and I forgot to take pictures. 

Fairy Floss (Cotton Candy) included

The bill on arrival was accompanied by this huge paddle of Fairy Floss, for what I'm sure was about 20c worth of spun sugar they had the entire dining room full of otherwise serious adults wooping and cheering. 

The whole meal was absolute perfection, short of one soft egg and one order of liver parfait this was basically every single one of our favourite foods in one sitting. Add in immaculate service and a lovely setting, vacation relaxation and wonderful company... this may have been one of the best meals of my life. Had I realised how rich and plentiful the servings would have been I'd have split this meal into two visits. We chose to walk home to our resort to try and pace off some of the wine and the fat.

Harry's Grill Cancun

http://www.harrys.com.mx/

High end steak house cuisine

Harry's Grill Cancún
Boulevard Kukulkan Km. 14.2
Zona Hotelera
77500 Cancún, QROO, Mexico

The Little Mexican Cooking School, Puerto Morelos Mexico

The thing that I like to do most when I have free time is cook so when we were on Vacation in Mexico we took the time to visit the Little Mexican Cooking School. The school is located in a small hotel in Puerto Morelos a picturesque fishing town not far from Playa del Carmen, about a half hour drive from the hotel zone in Cancun. 

The day that we attended was the first time their current chef was returning after a break so he was jovial but nervous - without reason! The entire class was well organised and entertaining and the recipes were wonderful. He took the time to plan out the cooking so that our meal was all prepared and ready to eat as a multi course meal.  

We started with some lectures on the local food and how to prepare it, some misconceptions about Mexican food and the history of some of the major ingredients. Then we moved into the large kitchen to prepare our dishes; a 4 course meal. 

For some of the attendees this included some basic guidance on knife skills, seasoning, mise en place and kitchen cleanliness but it was a great tutorial for the beginner and experienced cook alike. The range of dishes included salsas, soup, appetizers, a main dish and a pastry and covered a great variety of cooking skills was covered like baking, frying, sauteing and more. 

The kitchen is large and well kept and perfectly suited for cooking classes, I was particularly enamoured of this above stove mirror system which meant the whole room could see what the chef was doing on the stove. I wish that my school had had something similar for home economics classes as a teen. 

The recipes we cooked that day focused on Caribbean Mexican food; tropical and fresh flavours combined with the familiar spicy comfort food that many were used to eating Mexican in the US.  

The class took up a whole morning finishing with the meal as a lunch so be prepared to spend an entire day at the school. This was well worth the time out of our sight seeing and relaxing schedule though and was one of the more memorable vacation days we've had travelling. 

On leaving the school they provided us with a recipe book of everything we had done that day and a lovely apron each, that I use constantly. Here I'm going to give one of the recipes that they provided but I will say that the experience, the hands on fun and the time we had as a couple make the cooking school experience worth far more than the recipes we walked away with. Much recommended.

Chilled avocado soup with tortilla sticks and chilli oil

Fresh potato and corn gorditas; including all the salsas and salads

Crusted tuna fillet with mango salsa and cilantro lime rice

Chocolate Truffle Tart with Spicy Pecans

Spicy nut topping

1/4 cup dark agave

2tspn ground cinnamon

1 tspn ground orange peel

1/4 tspn dried chile arbol (ground)

2 tbspn brown sugar

2 cups pecans

1/2 tspn salt

Method

• Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper and set asside
• Mix the agave, cinnamon, orange peel, chile arbol, brown sugar and salt together in a small bowl
• Place the nuts in a skillet and set over medium heat. 
• Add the nuts to the skillet and cook while stirring frequently for 4 -6 minutes until they start to brown and a toasty scent is found
• Add the spice mix to the skillet and stir continuously until the mixture thickens and coats the nuts, approximately 2-3 mins
• Transfer the nuts to the sheet pan and separate with a spatula. Allow the nuts to cook then use to top pastry or on their own with cheese or dried fruit

Crust

3 cups plain flour

1 tsp salt

1 cup cold butter cut into cubes

1 large egg

1 tbspn white vinegar

3 - 5 tbspns cold water

Method

• Preheat oven to 220C (425F)  
• In a small bowl mix egg, vinegar and 3 tbspn water
• In a food processor combine flour and salt and pulse slowly. Add buttter and pulse until you get a small crumb consistency
• Add the egg mixture and continue to pulse until the dough comes clean off the sides of the mixer
• Portion dough into 2 equal disks and rest the dough in the fridge for 1 hour
• Roll out the dough onto a lightly floured surface into a 20cm (8 inch) circle 
• Transfer to a shallow tart pan, cover the bottom of the pastry with a circle of foil and 2 cups of dry beans (to dry bake the pastry flat)
• Bake pastry for 10 minutes
• Remove the beans and foil and continue cooking for another 10 mins until light brown in colour
• Rest the crust for 30 mins to cool before adding the filling

Filling

1 cup heavy cream

5 oz (125g) dark chocolate

1 tablet Mexican chocolate

1/4 cup melted butter

2tbpsn toasted ground coffee

2 oz liqueur - Xtabentun for Mexican flavour or your choice of spirits

2 tspn Vanilla extract 

1 tspn ground cinnamon

Method

• In a small pot bring the heavy cream to a boil and then take off the stove
• Mix the chocolates and butter into the cream folding well until you see that the butter is encorporated
• Add the rest of the ingredients to the chocolate and mix
• Pour the chocolate mixture into the tart shell and place in the fridge for 3 hours to set completely
• Top with spicy nuts, cream or other garnish of your choosing
• Serve with fresh berries and wild honey

The Little Mexican Cooking School

http://www.thelittlemexicancookingschool.com/

A hands on, all day cooking class 

Fun for beginners and foodies alike

Av Javier Rojo Gomez
77580 Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo
Mexico

Recipe: Chocolate Chip Cookies

I like to post my 'best classics' recipes on occasion for those who are just learning to cook or looking for a great rendition of a standard dish. This cookie recipe is an excellent rendition of a classic. Not too sweet, but very rich.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

3/4 cup castor or baker's sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup (250g) salted butter, softened
2 tspn vanilla essence
1 tspn ground cinnamon
1 egg
2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup nuts - (1/2 cup Walnuts and 1/2 cup Pecans)
2 cups chocolate chips

• I use half and half Walnuts and Pecans to get that classic cookie taste but any nuts you have on hand will do. 
• Dark or semi sweet chocolate chips add the best flavour; using 2 or more brands of chocolate chips will give variation in the texture and add interest. 
• To reduce calories I use sugar free chocolate chips and replace the castor sugar with Splenda. Do not use all Splenda or the cookies will not brown

Method

• Preheat oven to 165C (325F) 
• Soften the butter either by leaving it out of the fridge or using the microwave. Butter that is partially melted has the best results for the final cookies. 

• Cream the butter and sugars together using an electric mixer, once the butter has lightened in colour add the vanilla and the egg and whip until well combined. 
• Add the flour, baking soda and salt and then mix until a dough is formed.

• Coarsely chop the nuts, if you have a herb grinder or small food processor this will give the best consistency. 
• Add the chopped nuts and the chocolate chips to the batter and then mix thoroughly using a spatula

Testing the effect of portioning on the final results - scoop cookies, chilled batter, hand shaped, spoon drop, batter balls

• I spent some time experimenting with different methods of portioning and baking the batter to give the "most attractive" cookies and these gave the most consistent results. Use a spoon or your hands if this is too much bother
• Line 2 cookie sheets with baking paper or silicon baking liners; make sure to let the sheets and liners cool before reusing them or the butter in the batter will melt and change the shape of the cookies
• Using a cookie scoop measure out the batter into drop cookies (around 1tbspn of batter per cookie) spaced around 2 inches apart

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• Do not flatten or otherwise reshape the scooped batter. Add some extra chocolate chips to the top of the mounds so that some chips will be exposed above the cookie. 
• Put the tray with portioned cookies into the freezer for 15 mins, cooling the batter gives better shape and reduces spread during baking
• Once the batter is frozen place the tray into the oven to bake for around 15 mins or until the batter is very lightly golden brown - remember that the cookies will continue to bake slightly after being removed from the oven

• Cool on a rack and serve with coffee or cold milk. Store in cookie tins lined with baking paper and keep for 1-2 weeks if you can.