(Gluten Free, Sugar Free, Yeast Free, Dairy Free)

Very short post to go with my Easy Japanese Onigiri post.

Another super healthy school snack is hard boiled eggs. My kids love them!  Sometimes they prefer to be given them in the shell and sometimes peeled.  Other times they request a 'car' or a 'fish'. 

These 'egg molds' are available at most Japanese style stores - in HK this includes Japan Home Store and Justco $12 Living Plaza, but sometimes in the local supermarkets too.  

I recommend organic eggs, and choosing the smallest eggs in the carton for the molds - you can see what happens to the larger eggs in the car crash in the photo.

We also always bring hard boiled eggs with us when we travel - but in the shell.  They are easy to pack and provide a nutritious snack for plane rides and picnics.

Directions

• Boil organic eggs until very hard boiled
  
• Prepare a large bowl of ice water
  
• When eggs are done boiling, immediately immerse them in ice water - this makes them easier to peel (really!)
  
• Pick a small egg out as soon as it is cool enough to touch, and peel it
  
• Put it in the mold, and then immerse the mold in the ice water too.
  
• You want to leave the egg in the mold until it is really cold so the egg holds shape - I often put them in the fridge over night.
  
• The next day, pack two hard boiled eggs for school snack - one with a fun shape, and one in the shell.  

(Gluten Free, Sugar Free, Yeast Free, Vegan option)

Apologies to all my Japanese friends - please do not read this post.  My Japanese friends make perfectly beautiful onigiri (rice ball) with all the extra traditional ingredients.  Nothing beats a truly Japanese onigiri. The ones I make have three ingredients and are never quite perfectly shaped, most importantly my kids love them!

The basic concept is rice and something else smooshed together in a triangle or small shape.  Then wrap in plain nori seaweed to keep it all together.  

There are lots of other details if you want to get complicated - feel free to google things you can add to the rice, or how you can make a 'surprise' in the middle of the rice ball - but I like to keep it simple!

Next time you have rice for dinner, make a bit extra.
After dinner, put the extra rice in a bowl, and mix in whatever you have - I like using salmon, but you can use shredded chicken or bits of sesame and seaweed or anything you think will taste good.
Mix with a fork
Mash into molds
Take out of molds and store in a covered container in the fridge overnight

Another way of doing it is put the rice in the triangle molds, then use your finger and dig a hole in the middle, then add the salmon, then cover with more rice, then smoosh down - this makes for a 'surprise' in the middle.  My friend did this with feta cheese and her kids loved it, so really be experimental and try it with whatever you have!

They are great for breakfast, lunch boxes, school snacks, plane trips, picnics, and more.

Normally, you would keep the seaweed separate until right before eating.  But my kids prefer me to wrap it for them - it then gets 'soggy' but they say they like it as it holds everything together better.

Look at the photos for different mold shapes and how I make them.

Ingredients

• Cooked rice (Japanese, white, brown, jasmine, basmati, all work, a bit wet helps)
  
• Cooked salmon (see my recipes here) or other filling (can be vegan!)
  
• Plain nori seaweed wrappers
  

Directions

• Mix the still slightly warm rice in a bowl with your filling - we like salmon
  
• Slightly overfill the mold
  
• Press down really really hard! You want to mash it all together so it keeps the right shape
  
• Take the top off and use the little flap at the bottom to help push the onigiri out
  
• Once you have a plate full, either put in fridge, or wrap in seaweed and eat right away
  

All of the materials shown in the photos below are easily found at Japan Home Store or the Jusco 12 HKD Living Plaza shops located around Hong Kong.

If you can't get the molds, you can use a cup or mug line with plastic wrap it will work the same way.  

Happy onigiri making - do share below how you get on and what interesting filings you try!

(Gluten Free, Sugar Free, Yeast Free) 

I love Brazilian Cheese Bread, Pão de Queijo, as a basic recipe it is tapioca flour, cheese, butter, milk, eggs.  

When I first made them, it was in a blender and they were light more like 'popovers' very easy - but the only thing you could do with them was eat them as a snack. Similar to this recipe from Simply Recipes.

Then I discovered one of my favorite 'restaurants' ever - Mama's Cheese Bread in Brookfield, Connecticut, USA.  They took Brazilian Cheese Balls to a whole different level for me - making them into sandwiches!  I literally had 5 or 6 a week last summer when I was in the USA.  The kids had some of the balls or a sandwich every morning too.  We bought their dough and took it home to bake when guest same over, we were addicted.  Oh, how I miss them now we are back in Hong Kong.  I swear he could make a global chain of his secret recipe.

Now, what I am about to share, is nowhere nearly as good as Mama's Cheese Bread.  But I did want to play around with making a thicker dough, that could be baked into a slightly heavier 'roll' type of bread for mini sandwiches.

As with my other recipes, this is very flexible, so play around until you get a texture you like.

Ingredients

• 3-3 1/2 Cups** of tapioca flour/starch
  
• 1 Tablespoon of baking powder
  
• 1 Cup grated parmesan cheese
  
• 1 Cup yogurt cheese/farmers cheese or grated mozzarella cheese
  
• 1/3 Cup butter or olive oil (room temperature)
  
• 2 Eggs (room temperature)
  
• 1 Cup of milk (dairy or non dairy)

(**If you want them a bit lighter use less flour)
They are very bland, so if you want to spice it up you can with some black pepper, paprika or other spices - maybe a curry variety? 

Directions

• Preheat oven to 190C (375F)
  
• Prepare two baking trays with parchment/baking paper

Put all the ingredients in your food processor with the plastic S blade in the following order:

• Tapioca flour
  
• Baking powder
  
• Mix
  
• Add the cheeses
  
• Mix
  
• Add the butter and eggs
  
• Mix
  
• Add the milk - add the milk slowly as you might not use it all, you want to stop when you can *just* roll the dough into little balls and they keep their shape
  

Roll balls and put on your two baking trays.  I tend to do one tray of smaller balls, and one of larger ones which I slightly flatten to use for sandwiches (see photo below).

Bake around 20-25 minutes, until they puff up and start to turn a slight golden color.

Best eaten warm from the oven, or within 12-24 hours.

(Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free)

Going gluten free can be really hard.  Not everything is easy to make from scratch and have it come out great.  An added problem is many of the gluten free foods have some nasty ingredients - but not Namaste Brand, which is a staple in our house.

Prior to making our home wheat and gluten free, I used to bake a lot - breads, muffins, pizza dough etc... all from scratch.  I would use whole wheat flours mixed with white, I would even add gluten to my bread!  

When I first went wheat and gluten free, I would mix flours and make things from scratch... then I discovered All Purpose Gluten Free Flour - yippee!  I still make some things from specific flours, but the AP GF Flour is handy for so many recipes.

For pizzas, muffins and pancakes, all of my gluten free attempts, be they with a mix of healthy flours or using All Purpose Gluten Free Flour, were less than impressive.  I love our cauliflower and also our quinoa pizza crusts, but it's not the same really...

Then I tried Namaste brand, and my whole family fell in love with them!  

Namaste Sugar Free, Gluten Free Muffins
This mix makes perfect fluffy muffins, and we have them a couple times a month. We add cinnamon and vanilla, then a load of frozen raspberries or blueberries - soooo yummy! No sweeteners needed at all. They are best hot from the oven, okay the next day, but the third day quite chewy - so eat them fast :)

Namaste Gluten Free Waffle and Pancake Mix
Much better than anything I have made from scratch (both gluten free and non gluten free). For pancakes, I have to add almost twice the amount of recommended liquid (I like a thinner batter than most people). We just add a bit of vanilla and cinnamon.  You can also use yogurt or milk kefir as the liquid for extra fluffy pancakes.  Add liquid until the batter is the consistency you like. 
We did a taste test with the Arrowhead Mills Gluten Free Pancake Mix, we found Arrowhead Mills a bit heavier, but worth trying to see which you prefer.

Namaste Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix
We have this once a week, and it is by far a family favorite!  
I followed the instructions exactly, and used my food processor with the plastic blade to mix the batter. 
I line a baking tray with parchment/baking paper and spread the batter thin with an offset spatula.  It's never really even, but it always comes out great!
In the oven, the crust really puffs up, after the recommended 20 minutes, I take it out, flip it, press down any huge bubbles and bake it again for a few minutes for extra crispness, before taking it out again and adding the sauce and cheese before the final bake.  
My favorite cheese is to mix mozzarella and goat cheese! 
Comes out really great every time. The crust has lots of flavor, with a nice crunch. It also works in long thin strips as 'not' bread sticks.
The only negative is that it doesn't really work for 'cold pizza for breakfast' - but then again, it is soooo good, we rarely have leftovers!

Pizza Tips: 
If you have one, use a pizza stone in the oven under the tray
Always cool on a rack before slicing - you can use an oven rack if you don't have anything else

(Raw, Gluten Free, Sugar Free, Vegan)

UPDATE: If you want to buy an Excalibur in Hong Kong, you can from buy one from ME!  It comes at a 10% discount off the list price, and will be delivered to your door in most places in Hong Kong.

My dehydrator of 6+ years died a few months ago.  Within 2 days we ordered a new one of the exact same model. Then finally replaced it with an Excalibur - the work horse of dehydrators! 

Dehydrators come in two shapes - rectangle and round.  I prefer the rectangle shaped dehydrators over the round ones, they heat more evenly and are easy to taste as you go since you have access to each tray. A rectangle dehydrator has a heating element and a fan at the back to blow a constant low heat over the trays. 

I use it quite simply - to dehydrate sliced fruit for snacks, kale chips, fruit roll ups, soaked tamari almonds, raw crackers, SCOBY jerky, raw sprouted wraps/bread, raw probiotic nut cheese and more.

When drying fruits, the nutrients and sugar content stay the same, but since the water is not there they are smaller so the 'sugar per bite' is higher. 

Dried fruit is: a healthy snack in limited quantities, ingredients in meals, a way to preserve in season fruit and can be packaged in glass jars as pretty and tasty gifts.

One of the major benefits of making dried fruit at home is keeping it all natural, most dried fruits in the supermarket have added sugar or sulfur. There is no need to add anything to make it taste different or look 'prettier'.  

Fruits and Veggies to Dry

• Pineapple - it tastes amazing half way through being dried
• Mango – everyone’s favorite
• Apples - we like to slice thin, and dry them until they are crisp, adding cinnamon is an option
• Little tomatoes - cut in half, add nothing, leave the seeds in and dry them skin side down
• Bananas - cut into coins or dry the small bananas whole
• Kiwi - peel and slice into circles
• Purple dragon fruit - slice thin, they never get crispy, but are great chewy
• Star fruit - they almost shrink to nothing, but are very pretty
• Jack fruit - superbly unique taste, take the stone out first
• Kale Chips - wash, rip out the stem, and dry at 105 degrees for about 12-15 hours
• Fruit roll ups - fruit and homemade yogurt and a bit of cardamon or cinnamon - yummy
• Soaked and Dehydrated Nuts - soak 12 hours, dehydrate at 115 degrees 24-72 hours
• SCOBY Jerky - marinate and dry at 105 degrees

Timing

• Timing suggestions for dehydrators are just suggestions because everyone's humidity and starting base is different.
• Anything from 12-72 hours depending upon the fruit, the thickness, your preferred taste, etc... just put them in and taste every 6-8 hours

Storage

• Glass jars work great, and look pretty. 

Most of all, have fun with it!!

What and where to buy?
Sedona and Excalibur are by far the top of the market.  While they are expensive, they do come with warranties.  Sedona has an electric control panel and a 1 year warranty in HK. The Excalibur has a 3 year warranty in HK, and is much simpler with two knobs (temperature and time). I prefer the Excalibur as the controls are simple (no digital control panel to go wrong) and it is a total workhorse, mine is often on for 5 days non-stop!

UPDATE:  I am now selling the Excalibur dehydrators at 10% off the retail price - contact me for details!

If you live in Hong Kong or China, we bought our 'no name brand' from Taobao, and it arrived less than 24 hours after we ordered it!

If you need extra mesh liners or non stick mats, you can get them on Shanghai Street in HK or from Amazon in the USA.

Related Links

From Taobao, http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=22840772053
Learn about Taobao, http://taobaofieldguide.com/how-to-buy-from-taobao/how-to-buy-from-taobao
Taobao shopping service, http://snappyshopperasia.weebly.com/

(Fermented, Raw, Gluten Free, Sugar Free, Vegan Option)

Too much SCOBY, what a great 'problem' to have!  There are so many things you can do with a kombucha SCOBY.  Previously I have eaten SCOBY, put it in my green smoothies, put it on cuts and burns and even on a stye on my eye.  

I left the SCOBY in my continuous brew kombucha for over two months, and it was huge (see photo below).  Also there was a huge jar of 'back up' SCOBY in my fridge that was taking up space. 

For a while I have really wanted to make SCOBY Jerky.  There is a wonderful recipe for Cinnamon SCOBY Snacks in Loula Natural's amazing Culture Your Life ebook (which I cannot recommend highly enough!!), and a recipe for SCOBY Jerky at the Holistic Squid website.  

Based on those recipes, I did the following using only a couple ingredients and a very simple method.  Honestly, I was skeptical that I would not get the flavor right or it wouldn't work, so I didn't put a lot of effort into it.

Amazingly, they came out great! Savory, slightly salty, super chewy and addictive!

The photo above is of a 'tray' of SCOBY jerky after I took it off the dehydrator shelf and before I separated it.  It looks like modern art in that photo!

Ingredients

• Kombucha SCOBY (see photo below left for what I used)
  
• Tamari Sauce (can use soy sauce if you prefer)
  
• Wild raw honey (use a different sweetener if you are vegan)
• Garlic (smashed or powder)
  
• Onion (minced or powder)
  
• Cayenne pepper (just a tiny amount of powder)
• Other flavors as you like

Directions

• Take SCOBY and separate it into thinner 'pancakes'
  
• Rinse under filtered water 3-5 times until most of the kombucha is washed off
  
• Cut into strips, random sizes are fine
  
• Dip into a bowl with 1/2 cup tamari, 1/8-1/4 cup honey (more if you like sweeter), some fresh or powdered garlic, onion or other flavors you fancy, a dash of cayenne - all mixed up
  
• Make more or less of the dip depending upon how much SCOBY you have

I then took a baking tray out of the oven, and put a single dehydrator tray on it - then layed out the dipped SCOBY, and let them drip for a few minutes before putting them in the dehydrator, as I didn't want the dehydrator to get lots of drips in it.  I also lined the bottom of the dehydrator with one of my non-stick mats to catch any drips.

Put in dehydrator at 105 degrees for 12-15 hours.  At about 6 hours, check the trays, you may need to move some of them around so the thickest SCOBY cuts are at the top and back shelves.

Try it and flavor however you like!! I like savory more than sweet, but I will try some other variations next time.  My daughter has requested vanilla next time!!

(Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free, Vegan)

These are easy to make, and the kids love helping with the mixing and cookie cutter usage!  I created the recipe based on what was on the Bob's Red Mill Scottish Oatmeal bag, but wanted to make it healthier and gluten free*.  

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Cups gluten free Scottish oats 
• 1/2 Cup all purpose gluten free flour
• 1/4 Cup smashed freeze dried blueberries
• 1/8 Cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1 (slightly less than) Tablespoon honey
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 Cup coconut oil
• 1/2 Cup hot water

Directions

• Preheat oven to 160 C / 325 F
• Mix dry ingredients in one bowl
• Mix wet ingredients in a glass measuring cup
• Mix dry and wet together
• Use coconut flour or other GF flour on the rolling pin and board, then put down one sheet of parchment/waxed paper, then put the dough on, then put another sheet of parchment/waxed paper on top, then roll to about ¼ inch or more – try to make them even.
• Use cookie cutters to make any shapes you like 

Bake at 160 C / 325 F for about 25 minutes – every oven varies so check from about 18 – 30 minutes to figure out when they are done!

Let them cool on a rack, then enjoy plain or with sweet or savory toppings.

* Oatmeal is not always gluten free due to potential cross contamination, please check the labels and rely upon your own health guidelines regarding this recipe

(Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free, Vegan, Raw)

As a family, we are not milk drinkers.  My kids have organic cows milk or homemade yogurt with their cereal in the morning, and that's it.  We do like cheese, both dairy and nut cheese, lately I'm addicted to both cashew cheese and goats cheese - yum!

I sometimes use almond milk when I cook, but again, not a lot, usually just buying the sugar free most natural one I could find.  Made it once or twice, but never really got into it... just not a milk drinker.

The other day, I decide to make hemp milk:

• Super Easy - just whizz in the blender for 1 - 1 1/2 minutes
  
• Flexible - can flavor as you wish
  
• Yummy - as a dessert or with breakfast or for a snack
  

Ingredients

• 1 Cup hemp seeds
  
• 3 Cups of water 
  
• 1 Date (none for sugar free, up to 3 for sweeter)
  
• 1 Tablespoon of coconut butter/manna 
  
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla seeds (I love this!)
  
• 1 teaspoon of raw cacao powder
  
• A dash of pink Himalayan salt

Directions
Add all ingredients to a blender (I use a Vitamix, but ANY blender will work)
Blend 1-2 minutes until smooth
Taste with a straw to see if you want to adjust the flavor
Put in a jar in the fridge, will last 2 days

Optionally, you can strain out the 'gritty bits' but I like keeping them in and stirring it before drinking.  If you do opt to strain (use a 'Chinese soup' bag, muslin, cheese cloth or nut bag), use the 'gritty bits' to make raw crackers, raw balls or when baking.

Now, hemp and water on their own, are really quite bland - so you can flavor this however you like - I did the above which was very mild, but could easily go for pumpkin spice for something seasonal or more cacao for a chocolatey treat!  

Let me know how it goes and your favorite flavor combination.

(Gluten Free, Grain Free, Sugar Free, Vegan)

Usually I see a recipe, and change about 30% of it before I am happy enough to share it and call it my own.

Well, this three ingredient recipe from Ashley at My Heart Beets is absolutely perfect!  It makes the ideal wrap: stretchy, soft and flexible.  All with just three ingredients.

• Tapioca flour**
  
• Almond flour
  
• Coconut milk

The only change I have made is to make them as thin as possible and use them as wraps - and they are amazing! The photo is of my dinner tonight, some salad and mild curried chickpeas I just wrapped up and ate.  

Please note you MUST use a NON-STICK pan for this recipe.  This has been confirmed by a friend who is a superb chef, and she just couldn't get them thin and right in a regular pan.

Another option comes from Alicia at Magic and Mayhem where in the comment section below she wrote 'you can make these without a non-stick pan if you have a well-seasoned old cast iron frying pan' she also adds a drop of coconut oil to the pan.  

I love wrapping food - for lunch today I used sprouted tortillas and put in homemade vegan fermented cashew cheese, guacamole and salad. Super yummy healthy meal to throw in my bag and eat after my Cantonese class.  

One wrap from dinner was saved to have tomorrow for my mid morning snack - thinking my homemade raw almond hemp seed butter and this raw chia mango jam.

Enough from me, go to the link to get the recipe, make them thin, and enjoy superb wraps with your next meal!  Or just make mini pancakes and serve them on their own as a 'bread' or put in the kids lunch boxes.

Here's the recipe: http://myheartbeets.com/paleo-naan-indian-bread/

** Tapioca Flour is also called Tapioca Starch and easy to find in local Hong Kong supermarkets or Asian supermarkets.  If you want organic, then try this Tapioca Flour.

(Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free, Vegan, Raw)

I love the idea of yummy raw balls, but to be honest, I find many of them too sweet for my taste or feel they are only a 'treat' because they are so sweet.  I want to give my kids wholesome snacks, that are both nutritious and tasty, without relying upon sweetness as the main attraction.  

I have made many different raw balls, and the basic recipe is the same for most recipes - a sweet dried fruit like dates, raisins or figs, and nuts and/or seeds.  This week, I experimented with a less sweet version, that was full of healthy goodness.  

Although this recipe uses 20 dates, it also uses over 2 cups of nuts and seeds. Possibly because I soaked the dates for so long, these were truly not sweet. Also I made A LOT of balls, so there is very little date per ball.  

Dates provide the natural sweetness, but they also provide the fibre and nutrients to allow the body to break down and use the sugars, so therefore it places no further tax on the body. This differs from refined sugars which leech from the body and can cause harm.  

These are total winners - so say the kids, friends, my marathon running Cantonese lesson classmate and me!

Ingredients

• 20 dates (soaked over night in water until really soft)
  
• 1/2 Cup macadamia nuts
  
• 1/4 Cup cashews
  
• 1/4 Cup almonds
  
• 1/4 Cup hemp seeds
  
• 1/4 Cup unsweetened coconut flakes, more to roll in
  
• 2 Tablespoons raw cacao powder
  
• 1 teaspoon pink himalayan salt
  
• 1/2 Tablespoon vanilla
  
• 3 Tablespoons of water from the dates
  
• 1/2 Cup of chia seeds
  

Directions

• Add the dates to a food processor, without the liquid, and blend
  
• Add the nuts to the food processor, and blend for a few minutes until well mixed with the dates
  
• Add the hemp seeds, coconut flakes and blend more until well mixed
  
• Add the raw cacao powder and pink himalayan salt
  
• Add the vanilla
  
• Continue to use the food processor on high until everything is evenly mixed
• If you feel it is still too 'dry' then add some water from the dates, I added about 3 Tablespoons (see photos below for an idea of the texture)
  
• Be sure it is all mixed, then at the last minute, add chia seeds and only mix gently to have them evenly spread around the 'dough'
  

Take them out of the food processor and roll into small balls 
Roll some on coconut flakes if you like, leave some naked 

Put in freezer or fridge on plates for them to harder, then transfer to a convenient container to store.

Store in the fridge or freezer.

Great in the kids lunch box or as snacks at the office or class - or just an afternoon or evening treat.

Why did I add the chia seeds last and try to leave them a bit more whole?

• Chia seeds absorb liquid, but it takes about 10 minutes.  Since the dough needs to be 'wet' enough to roll, I thought that if I added the chia seeds last I could roll the dough easily, but then they would firm up a bit after they were made.  No idea if this theory is true or not, but it did work out well for me.
  
• By adding them last and leaving them whole, it adds a bit of a different texture to the balls.