Melissa Etheridge ~ Enough Of Me
Chely Wright ~ Object Of Your Rejection
Natalie Imbrugia ~ Butterflies
Bing Crosby ~ Please
Joan Jett ~ Back It Up
Fun Lovin' Criminals ~ Swashbucklin' In Brooklyn
Missy Higgins ~ Katie
Skin ~ Don't Call It Love
The Puppini Sisters ~ Jave Jive
Roy Orbison ~ It's Over
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Dolly Parton ~ Heartbreaker
The Gossip ~ Dark Lines
Boccherini: Cello Concerto in B Flat - 1 Moderato
I'm back folks! I thank you for all your emails of concern and well wishes you have sent me over the last month. My little procedure took a lot out of me and I'd not stepped near my kitchen until yesterday. Thank you for coming back to my humble blog and visiting old posts that I have written. Although I'm not back on two stable legs just yet...yesterday I managed to come up with three new dishes with the help of a great friend, Ann. She kept me going yesterday afternoon and I wouldn't be back today without her. I can't promise to post new recipes every day like before, especially as we are heading off on a road trip around Scotland very soon...but on Monday I will be back with my Suma Sponsored recipe which Ann and I enjoyed for our evening meal last night. Right...back to today's recipe...
Plumigranates! Have you ever heard of them? Nope, neither had I until a couple of weeks ago and now I am addicted. They look like a regular plum but when you cut into them they ooze the beautiful deep purple juice of a pomingranate along with its sweetness. Everyone who has stepped over my doorstep since has been given one to try and so far everyone has loved them. Somehow I ended up with a stash of them and decided to try and use the natural sweetness of the flesh in a tart. I wanted to use as little unrefined sugar as possible and use only healthy fats too.
We stood at the kitchen worktop with just the plumigranates in front of us and from there I just threw things into a bowl and Ann got busy chopping the fruit. I decided to use some recently purchased buckwheat flakes and ground almond meal as the base for my tart crust. My sweetener of choice was a very small amount of coconut blossom sugar and to provide some extra sweetness and the oil for the base, I used a small amount of melted coconut oil. I didn't want a pastry crust but a 'oaty' wholesome one. The star of this tart was always going to be the Plumigranates and so I cooked down some with 1/2 tsp coconut blossom sugar and a little water. I was left with a delicious little saucepan of jam. As I wanted simple slices of the fruit to cover the tart I decided against making a horribly sweet creamy layer. I decided to make a very basic cashew cream...no added sugar but just a little fresh lemon juice.
After the brief baking of the crust and cooling time..the layers were added and then the tart was stored in the fridge to chill. I would like to say the next part was a chore but it would be a lie. A slice was cut and then Ann and I attacked it with our dessert forks..lol. Thankfully I can report everything worked even better than I had hoped it would. The crust was wholesome, the fruit layers deliciously sweet and the cashew cream balanced it all out perfectly. Phew..I was worried I may have lost my mojo...lol Well it's been a while...
I now look forward to Plumigranate season with great excitement and hope to try out the many other recipes I have floating around my noggin. Food of the goddess..for sure..
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| Rocket & Roses Plumingranate Tart ( vegan and gluten-free) |
Rocket & Roses Plumingranate Tart Makes 1 8" tart
(Original recipe from the Rocket & Roses Vegan Kitchen)
For the crust:
1 cup buckwheat flakes
1 cup of ground almonds (almond meal)
1 tbsp psyllium husks
1 1/2 tbsp coconut blossom sugar
2 tbsp melted coconut oil
3 tbsp water
For the jammy layer;
3 Plumigranates, finely chopped
1/2 tsp coconut blossom sugar
1 tbsp water
For the creamy layer:
3/4 cup soaked (for 1 hour) cashew pieces
1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup water
For the topping:
3 Plumingranates, washed, stoned and thinly sliced
Line the bottom of an 8" tart pan with parchment paper. Heat the oven to 325'F/170'C/GM 3.
In a medium sized bowl place the buckwheat flakes, ground almonds, husks, sugar and stir well to combine. Pour in the melted oil and rub together until they begin to lump together. Pour in the water and keep kneading until the base is one large dough. Press into the lined pan and make sure the edge is even all round. Flatten out the base until its as smooth as possible. Place in the middle of the heated oven and bake until the very edges are beginning to brown. Remove from the oven and set to one side to cool.
In a very small pan add the chopped Plumingranates, sugar and water and over a gentle heat cook until they are an almost smooth sauce. Stirring frequently to avoid scorching or burning. Remove from the heat and cool quickly in a cold area of your kitchen (or in front of a fan..ahem. lol)
Drain off the liquid that the cashews have been soaking in and add the cashews to a mini blender. Add in the lemon juice and 1/2 cup of fresh water and blitz until thick and smooth. Set to one side.
To assemble:
Smooth the cooled jam evenly over the cooled tart crust. Then dollop the cashew cream on top and then spread it out over the jam. Decorate the top with the sliced plumingranates in whatever design you desire. Place in the fridge to chill for a minimum of an hour. Then devour..lol
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| Gratuitous foodie shot...look at that slice. We enjoyed every mouthful...lol |
Enjoy!
Thanks for stopping by and I hope your weekend is a very splendid one...
~Red~
NB: This is my creation and I have no problem with you using the recipe or sharing it. I simply ask that you give credit where its due. As I always try to...~R~
