TEFF | The World's Smallest Gluten-Free Grain | No comments:

Whilst there seems to be a minor stigma attached to being Gluten Free, I think it's pretty cool! Firstly, it requires you to think outside the box, experiment with alternatives and find solutions in cooking! When it comes to gluten free grains, PSHHH, we sure do have an abundance of options to choose from. So, my newest discovery and absolute favourite, most flavourful grain of them all has to be the Teff grain! Pardon? Yes, it seems that most people are still yet to discover this ancient Ethiopian superfood grain which is strong, versatile and sweet to taste. The grain itself is the world's smallest grain and is able to sustain and thrive in even the most difficult of climates; making this grain a staple in Ethiopian cuisine. If you didn't know about it, I am so happy you now do as it opens up a brand new door in GF cooking, so dance on in and have fun experimenting with all the new ways of using it! It can be eaten whole, ground and used as flour, cooked, boiled, baked and is so pretty versatile.

The Super-Powerful Health Benefits That Exist in the World's Smallest Grain

~ Excellent source of protein
~ Contains a balance of all 8 essential amino acids to promote our body's growth & repair
~ 180mg of Calcium per 100g (a great essential source of calcium for Vegans!)
~ Manganese, phosphourous, iron, copper, aluminium, barium, thiamin and Vitamin C!
~ Recommended for anaemic's as the iron is Teff is absorbed easily into the blood stream
~ Has a low-glycemic index and has 20-40% resistant starches which helps regulate the blood sugar levels in diabetics
~ Contains fibre to ease constipation and keep you fuller for longer
~ Low in fat
~ Benefits colon health
~ Anti-inflammatory and can help you out on the month that mother nature comes along - can help reduce cramping and flow (sorry not sorry)

Food for Thought...

Forgetting our health for just a moment. Let's think about the source of our food from cradle to grave. Let's be honest most of today's health and superfoods are grown and harvested in underdeveloped countries stricken by hunger and poverty. Do you ever stop to think about what it takes to get that grain, berry or seed on to your plate. Let's think beyond the short journey of sourcing the product online or at your local supermarket for 5 minutes...

Maybe you never thought about it, maybe your initial reason for buying exotic superfoods was purely for their plethora of health benefits which we all seek for our external and internal beauty. I am always seeking ways to purify my skin, stop my unwarranted hair loss and manage my digestive issues. More often than not, these health foods are exported from underdeveloped countries, resulting in an increase in exports to Western countries such as the US and the UK. Teff flour is exported from Ethiopia, and with it's increasing rise in popularity, Ethiopia’s returns on exports are increasing, contributing to curbing hunger and poverty.

On August 6th, 2015, The USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) released a statement: “Ethiopia is preparing to export limited amounts of Teff flour to the United States and other foreign markets to capitalise on the growing demand for gluten-free grain products. Exports are expected to begin in early 2016 with annual totals the first year expected to reach between 6,000-8,000 metric tons. To avoid potential inflationary pressure from the export of Teff flour, the Government of Ethiopia (GOE) will tightly control the volumes produced for export. In addition, to meet foreign countries’ import requirements, the GOE will institute the proper food safety and quality-based measures.”

We can assume that when it comes to trying to fight poverty, products such as Teff can be a way to contribute to third-world countries by increasing demand and in turn accepting the inalienable high prices; except for the fact a rise in global popularity can sometimes cause their exports to become industrialised, therefore,  those countries can result in further suffering from the corruption of large corporations exploiting farmers and not increasing pay, and instead taking advantage of it. This is a problem, and so it was with Quinoa. Now that’s some food for thought…

So! Where can I find it?

UK Supermarkets
Whole Foods
Sainsburies
Various health food stores including Holland & Barrett

UK Online
Holland and Barrett  £6.49
Tobia Teff Ltd  £4.95

Tel Aviv
Divan Organic Health Supermarket HaShuk Carmel
Health food stores

Wants some inspiration? Get started with my delicious sweet Teff bread, serve with homemade butter or margarine. Serve warm for breakfast, dessert or as a snack..cheeky!!

Recipe: Vegan + GF Dried Fruits Ethiopian Teff Bread

Kisses,

Bea xo

DINE WITH BEA: Jewish Penicillin - My Favourite Chicken Soup | No comments:

When we are in the wars, as my grandmother would say, we all crave our favourite comfort food. Growing up, chicken soup was quite literally the cure for everything, we don't call it Jewish Penicillin for nothing! When I am poorly, there is nothing more satisfactory than a bowl (...or several) of my mother's chicken soup. My mother's chicken soup was a little less traditional than her inspiration, my nanny Pauline; except, my mother, who acquired her Cordon Bleu through Raymond Blanc's cookery school, would add seasonal vegetables such as suede, parsnip, leek, sweet potato and even potato to deepen the flavour of the stock and add various textures and flavours to each and every mouthful. The root vegetables are earthy and sweeter in taste, suede is the most flavourful of them all, textured similar to a carrot, yet the sweetest of them all and it is delicious!! The most delicious winter warmer...

Mother's Kneidels (Matzoh balls) were always made from scratch and abstractly large. I mean let's just say you definitely got your servings worth, and they were fluffy, and moist; not dense. I personally am more in favour of the traditional Kneidlach for chicken soup, dense and small; with the larger, fluffier Matzoh ball dumplings perfect for accentuating winter stews. Except they aren't Gluten Free so I will need to experiment in the kitchen to create an alternative, seeing as Matzoh meal contains wheat! I've used past tense, don't fret my mother is still alive. In fact she is currently indulging in 'Gambas Pil-Pil' on Mistral Beach in Marbella. It is here that I tasted the spiciest, freshest and most delicious Prawn Pil Pil IN THE ENTIRE WORLD (to date), which undoubtedly has been enjoyed every year since the age of 6. I like my spice... If you are reading this, HI MUM! HOPE YOU'RE HAVING AN ABSOLUTE HOOT - I am shouting because you are F A R    A W A Y!

My mother and step-father at Mistral beach, my favourite beach in Marbella. The food here is incredible, gigantic tiger prawns on skewers along with lobster, beautiful seabass and THE BEST PRAWN PIL PIL IN THE WORLD. Have an amazing time guys - Miss You xo

But anyways, seeing as I did move over 2200 miles away, to the sun-bronzed, cosmopolitan metropolis that is Tel-Aviv. My new home is far away from the bitter, jaw-chattering winters and unforgivable, foreseeable rain showers. Except I now have to fend for myself (and I love it)! Yes that means I have been able to perfect my own chicken soup recipe, one that will be passed down to my children for them to also experiment and perfect, but most importantly enjoy every sip with happiness and love.

In regards to being young, fun and no longer living with mum (I like this rhyme a lot); The other night I procrastinated for 2 hours before putting my freshly laundered bed sheets on my bed - TED talks got the better of me. My slight OCD means that NOTHING clean can touch the floor without having to be washed again (give or take depending)- it involves standing on a higher surface, getting inside the (inside out) duvet cover, grabbing two corners and flapping about like a bird trialling lift-off. Lets be honest - I don't lift off, instead smile in relief, feeling fully-accomplished and often hot and slightly bothered. It's a real palava, mum thank you for all the years that you made my bed, I definitely took it for granted.

Whilst I didn't grow up in a religious family and we didn't keep shabbat, we did have my favourite chicken soup! For Ashkenazi Jews, it is part of tradition to indulge into a bowl of their mother/grandmother's chicken soup at sundown on Friday's, or in all of our cases when the flu gets the better of us. My Nanny, Step-mother and Step-grandmother make a more traditional jewish chicken soup, which has inspired my own recipe a lot. I have gained inspiration from each and every one of them and developed my favourite recipe, which I now want to share with you all :) It doesn't matter who you are, where you come from, this is a recipe to be enjoyed by everyone! Trust me it is the best cure for anything! You feel poorly? You need chicken soup! Did your boyfriend break up with you? Yeah you definitely need chicken soup! You want to lose weight? So...it's chicken soup week! Whatever it is...chicken soup can cure it. Enjoy my very own recipe:

My Jewish Chicken Soup

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 4-12 hours

Serves: 6-8

(It's chicken soup week for me and whoever comes over for supper!)

What's in it?

- 1 Fresh Whole Chicken (take the guts out BLEURGHH)
- 4 Bay Leaves
- Handful of Parsley
- Handful of Dill
- 1 White Onion
- 2 Stalks of Celery
- 6 Large Carrots
- 1 Leek
- Handful of Black Peppercorns
- 3 Tsp Salt
- 2 Tbsp Osem Chicken Stock (find in Kosher section of Supermarket - PS check for Gluten Free options as they aren't always GF, so if you are Coeliac YOU MUST CHECK)

Make the Magic Happen...

1. I always get my meat from the fresh meat counter, you can also visit your local butcher for a prime bird, but it is whatever floats your boat. Make sure all the gross insides are firmly OUT OF THERE! For those who enjoy a Jerusalem Mixed Grill (you know who you are).. save them for later...
2. Once your bird is prepared, pop her in a large stock pot with 3 tsp Salt and cover with water. Bring to the boil on a low-medium heat for 45 minutes.
3. In the meantime, prepare you veg! Peel the carrots and chop into circles around 2cm thick. Chop the celery; peel and slice the Onion into quarters; chop the leek into 1-2cm rounds and place in a bowl with the peppercorns, parsley and dill.
3. Getting a ladle, lightly skim all the fat off the top into a bowl. The fat is separate from the water and floats on the top in an oil-like consistency. You can leave some for flavour, but I remove the majority.
4. Once you have removed the fat, add all the veggies etc from the bowl and simmer on a low heat for 1 hour and 30 minutes with the lid on. I often make the night before and leave to stew overnight with the lid on (no heat) as it is always better the next day and the heat remains for quite a few hours, leaving the flavours to stew and ferment.
5. In the morning remove the chicken from the stock pot onto a large plate and remove the skin and bones, taking all the beautifully tender chicken breast and adding it back in to the soup.
6. Bring to the boil on a low simmer removing all the fat from the top once more, and topping up with any lost water (depending on how many you are feeding) and continue to simmer for an hour, until piping hot.
7. Serve and enjoy piping hot...but don't burn your tongue.

TIP: Serve with cracked black pepper on top! 

As we say here in Israel: 

BETE AVON! 

Or in other words, Bon Appetit my darling dolls! 

Kisses,

Bea xo.

DINE WITH BEA: Middle-Eastern Hummus | No comments:

Dipping vegetables in Hummus with some fiery Tabasco has to be my favourite snack EVER, a healthier alternative to the absurd consumption of chocolate which my roommate and I find ourselves consuming far too often. Our New Year's Resolution? TO DO US. Eat healthy, be good to ourselves and locater ourselves and others. So now that the hundreds of duty-free cadbury's chocolates are officially hidden, we decided to give Hummus a go.

Living in Israel, hummus and falafel are a regular favourite of mine, the hummus in the middle-east is honestly incredible and because I don't eat bread due to my gluten-free lifestyle, falafels are a wonderful accompaniment and delicious alternative to the forbidden fruit: fluffy pitta bread. 

Due to a devastating terrorist attack yesterday here in Tel Aviv (RIP), my roommate and I stayed indoors and decided to distract and cheer ourselves up my being creative in the kitchen. Cooking is a real release for me, it allows you to be creative and I find it therapeutic. Our Hummus turned out to be SO DELICIOUS! Far better than the shop bought stuff, except due to our love for garlic, we may have used a little too much, so I give you a revised recipe below with less garlic. By all means if you don't care add more, but poor little Sally had a date yesterday...LOL! 

So Dolls, Check out my recipe below and ENJOY! 

BEA'S MIDDLE-EASTERN HUMMUS (Serves 2)

WHAT YOU NEED: 

1 Can of Chickpeas (already soaked/save a small handful for garnish)
2 Tbsp fresh Tahini

1 Clove Garlic (crushed)

1/2 Tsp Salt

BIG Squeeze of Lemon

2 Grinds of Black Pepper

1/2 Tsp Hot Paprika

4 Tbsp Olive Oil (add more if you need, and decorate with it at the end)

4 Tbsp of Chickpea Juice from the can

Nutribullet or Food Processer
Tabascon for SPICE 

For the Vegetable Croutons:

1 Israeli Cucumber (1/4 Large English Cucumber)
1 Carrot

1 Red Pepper

MAKE THE MAGIC HAPPEN: 

1. Drain the Chickpeas, keeping some of the liquid to add when blending 
2. Pour the chickpeas into the blending cup. EASY PEASY LEMON SQUEEZY RIGHT?
3. YEP! Now add a big squeeze of fresh lemon
4. Add the tahini, paprika, salt, olive oil and juice from chickpea can
5. Crush one clove of garlic and add to the mix
6. BLEND IT UP BABY!
7. Serve into a bowl and garnish with remaining chickpeas this adds texture and flavour 
8. Drizzle with olive oil and season with hot paprika
9. Cut the veggies into croutons AKA sticks
10. Now it's time to dip, scoop and ENJOY! If you like spice eat with Tabasco. TOTAL LOVE!

For more recipes please like my DINE WITH BEA Facebook page here: DINE WITH BEA

Follow me in Instagram: The Sartorial Doll

I would love to hear your feedback and your Hummus Recipes, so feel free to comment below :) 

BETE AVON DOLLS!

Kisses,

Bea {x}

DINE WITH BEA: Orange, Pear, Walnut & Gorgonzola Salad with Fig Vinagarette | No comments:

Make yourself a healthy and SUPER FLAVOURFUL lunch in no more than 8 minutes, come on Dolls...CHOP CHOP!

INGREDIENTS (couldn't do it without 'em):

~ Handful of Lettuce (I used soft lettuce leaves as opposed to the crunchy Romanian lettuce)

~ 1 Red Pear

~ Handful of Cherry Tomatoes

~ 1/2 Orange THE JUICIEST KIND

~ Blue Cheese 

(I opted for a creamy one, I can't lie and say I know which because the packet is in Hebrew. I bought it on a whim and it's GREAT. Creamy and strong tasting.)

~ Handful of Walnuts

- Fig Vinaigrette TOTAL LOVE!!!!!!!

MAKE IT HAPPEN:

Do I have to tell ya? No, I Didn't think so, just make it look FRUITY & FABULOUS! Presentation is key and food made with love is the most delicious, heart-warming kind, don't disappoint my darling dolls..

Yeah, so 7 weeks, no no 7lbs later, oh I mean heavier my clothes are definitely feeling snug, oh SHIT. My love for cooking and mixing together flavours has spiralled out of control, I have never been so inspired by flavours and spices in my life. I have had to take a healthy turn and give the carbs a rest for a few days. MEGA LOLZ. Whilst hummus and falafel are a popular tradition here in the middle-east, I have stretched far beyond the stereotypical flavours that you can imagine here in Israel. Firstly, all the produce here is fresh, the fruit is straight off the trees...no, no I mean quite literally, cute, and the vegetables are straight outta the ground here in Israel. In London, the produce is usually imported due to the not-so-tropical climate, not so fresh as you say you are HEY. The markets here are incredible for a foodie like me, a wonderland of colour, freshness and flavour. LOVES IT!

This morning I strolled down by the port in Tel-Aviv, unlike the usual setting of the Shuk Carmel that I usually find myself wandering through week in/week out. I stumbled across a local produce stand sampling an array of fruity vinaigrette's open for testing. WOW. These are mind blowing, from Strawberry, to Fig, to Mango...I GOTTA GET EM. I bought the fig and mango, and for sure will be going back for more. The taste is delightfully pleasing the the taste buds and complements fruity salads and creamy blue cheeses. I could tell this from the moment I placed the sample in my mouth. Fruit and salad go impeccably well FYI. The recipe creation that I grace you with here is a perfect healthy treat, full of complex flavours, textures and colours. Great for a summer dinner party or just as a quick lunch, it is quick, easy and so damn DELICIOUS! Strawberries go exceptionally well with basil and balsamic vinaigrette, or balsamic reduction/syrup. Be creative, I can guarantee you it won't fail. 

THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF FRUITS & NUTS:

~ The addition/garnishing of nuts (walnuts being my fave in salads) come with many health benefits such as added dietary fibres, a wide range of essential nutrients including several B group vitamins, vitamin E and minerals such as calcium. 

~ Citrus fruits, they're not just zesty, juicy goodness, they contain VITAMIN C...which apparently helps you see better! They lower the risk of strokes, help fight weight gain, cancer and supposedly lowers stress

- An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Apples are FULL OF FIBRE, I don't need to say the rest...you got it.

- Berries. Small but POWERFUL. Full of antioxidants, they help your body fight oxidative stress caused by free radicals that cause illness.

A diet rich in fruits and vegetables help reduce the risk of heart disease, but too much fruit isn't too good as remember they are full of natural sugars. 

Enjoy preparing your summery salads dolls, and if you are in cold countries, bring some sunshine to your lunchtimes with these summery salad ideas. 

Kisses,

Bea {X} 

#DINEWITHBEA

(If any of you try my recipe's, I would LOVE to hear your feedback) :)