Psyllium and Almond Flour Blueberry Muffins

 

Easy as recipe for the health conscious. You can replace the sugar with a sweetener.

1 1/4 cup almond flour

1/4 cup psyllium husk

1 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

2 eggs

3/4 cup frozen blueberries

1/4 cup coconut milk

Method

1. Mix the butter and sugar together.

2. Add vanilla extract, eggs and coconut milk.

3. Add in the dry ingredients.

4. Add in the frozen blueberries.

5. Spoon into your muffin pan and bake in a pre-heated oven for roughly 30 minutes at 180 degrees celsius or 350 F.

www.cindyvine.com

Aprikosenkuchen (Apricot Cake) from Germany

This is a very popular German cake which is incredibly easy to make. I first had it on a stopover in Frankfurt, and as apricots are one of my favourite fruits, I always wanted to try and make it. You can use fresh apricots or canned apricots.  Whichever is easiest to lay your hands on.  This cake does resemble a cobbler.  So if you are asked to quickly produce a cake, this cake is the answer!





10 tablespoons of soft butter or margarine
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1 vanilla pod
3 eggs
1 tablespoon lemon juice or the zest of a lemon
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk or buttermilk if you can get it
1 can apricot halves or about 10 apricots halved and pitted

Preheat the oven at 175 degrees Celsius.  Grease a medium cake tin.  In a mixing bowl, cream the butter with the sugar an vanilla.  Add in the eggs, beating well after each egg.  Add in the lemon juice/zest.  Add in all the dry ingredients and mix well.  Add in the milk/buttermilk and mix to a smooth batter.  Spoon the batter into the cake tin and smooth it down.  Place the apricot halves, cut side down, on top of the batter.  If you are using fresh apricots, you might want to sprinkle a little sugar on the top of the apricot halves.  If you are using canned apricots, they will be sweet enough.  Place in the middle of the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, depending on the size of your cake tin.  Serve with fresh whipped cream or just enjoy on its own.
Cindy Vine currently lives in Norway and is the author of Hush Baby, Not Telling and Defective.  All of her books are available on Amazon.com in both paperback and kindle format.

Pork Roast with Chimichurri from Argentina

Besides football players, Argentina is famous for its meat dishes.  It is a country of carnivores and they have perfected the cooking of meat.  Chimichurri is an Argentinian sauce made from a mixture of herbs, garlic and vinegar.  It can also be used as a marinade and a meat tenderiser.  The recipe for chimichurri sauce is elsewhere on the blog.

1.5kg pork roast
1 cup chimichurri sauce
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons chili powder

Put the pork roast in a large bowl.  Take 1/2 cup of the chimichurri sauce and completely coat the pork roast with it, massaging it into the meat.  Cover and leave for a couple of hours or overnight so that it can marinate.  Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.  Remove the pork from the marinade and place in a grill pan.  Sprinkle on the different seasonings.  Place under the grill in the oven for approximately an hour, allowing 20 minutes for 500g.  Turn over the roast half way through the cooking time.  When the roast is cooked, take it out of the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.  Serve the left over chimichurri sauce on the side or on top of the pork slices.
Cindy Vine is a South African currently living and working in Kyiv in Ukraine. She is the author of Hush Baby, Defective, C U @ 8, Not Telling and The Case of Billy B. All her books are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format. http://cindyvine.com