HEALTHY SAVOURY SNACKS

Heat oven to 180 degrees centigrade.

To save energy, use the oven for coking casseroles, cooking brown rice or pea dhal or roasting meat and vegetables.

1) Mix these dry ingredients together:

(Larger quantities can be kept in the fridge)

1 cup yellow pea flour

1 cup millet flour (or substitute with barley flour or oats)

1 cup rice flour

½ cup rice bran oil or olive oil

Optional: 1 tablespoon brown sugar (or equivalent sweetener)

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1-2 teaspoons spices: chilli, salt, kaloonjie, etc.

2) Add: 1 cup finely chopped leeks, celery, dhania, etc.

1 cup water or fruit juice

1 lemon chopped with skin, pips removed.

3) Process water and lemon till smooth and fine in an electric blender.

4) Pour the liquid into the other ingredients to make a soft, fluffy dough.

5) Spoon out blobs of the dough – about a tablespoon each time onto a greased baking sheet.

6) Bake in the 180 deg C oven for15 minutes. Then switch off, and leave for about 20 minutes to firm up.Then remove and cool on a rack. If left longer, they will get harder andbecome crispy.

CHOCOLATE ORANGE COOKIES AND WHOLE ORANGE PRESERVE

This is the ideal teatime cookie as areplacement for gooey chocolate cake. Take them with you if you knowthere will be no wheat free, gluten free alternative for you to eat. Theuse of a natural orange gives them a rich flavour and adds all thehealth benefits of the orange pith that helps to lower cholesterol andadds vitamin K to the diet. The orange preserve makes a nice addition toa lunch box and goes very well with a tiny square of bitter, darkchocolate.

Learning to multi-task in the oven.

Set oven temperature to 180degrees C. I usually do this at suppertime and immediately add a bakingdish of vegetables near the top of the oven. You can try halved sweetpotatoes and slices of pumpkin, butternut, etc. in a little olive oiland some kaloontjie pepper and herb salt. Add some hamburger or homemadetuna patties or sausage to a lightly oiled pan to cook in the sameoven. Meanwhile, prepare your baking mixtures. After about half an hour,the vegetables begin to soften at this temperature. Transfer them tothe bottom of the oven and start baking the cookie dough. The cookiesneed 10 minutes at 180 deg. C and then switch off and leave for another10 minutes. This gives you time to cook spinach or broccoli or make asalad. The whole meal as well as the cookies should be ready at the sametime. The oven will still be warm. If you want really hard, crunchybiscuits, return some of the cookies to the oven for at least an hour.This oven can also be used to dry out celery for herb salt or to dry outthe orange preserve overnight.

Mix these dry ingredients together in a large bowl with the oil:

For 24 small cookies

½ cup oat bran (or barley or millet flour)

½ cup rice flour

½ cup yellow pea or lentil flour

2 tablespoons good quality cocoa powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon powder

½ teaspoon ginger powder

1-teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

2 tablespoons brown sugar or stevia equivalent

½ cup olive oil

Blend the wet ingredients in an electric liquidizer/blender to make a smooth pulp.

1 orange cut in half. Squeeze out the juice and add water to make a cup full.

Coarsely chop the orange peel, remove pips and top stalk and add to blender.

2 tablespoons of sweet molasses

½ teaspoon citric acid.

Fold the wet mixture into the bowlof dry ingredients. It will rise into a wonderful fluffy mixture. Workwith a light touch as you release each tablespoon of the dough onto thegreased baking sheet. Use a fork in the other hand to shape the dough.Bake the tray in the oven at 180 degrees C. for 10 minutes. Switch offthe oven and leave in for another 10 minutes. For a hard, crunchybiscuit they can be left in for another hour.

WHOLE ORANGE PRESERVE (orange biltong)

For people who love marmalade,here is a super, all-natural confection that is easy to make, especiallyif you are having a glut of oranges and want to preserve some of them.It’s a recipe that just works and the results are good.

Take 2 oranges, cut in half andsqueeze the juice into the blender. Remove pips and top stalk area. Chopup the orange peel and process in the blender to make a fine smoothpulp. For a variation, also add fresh, chopped ginger.

Transfer the pulp to a fireproofglass jug with ½ cup brown sugar. You can add another tablespoon or twoif you don’t have blood sugar issues. Microwave this mixture on full for5 minutes. Stir well and microwave for another 5 minutes.

Enjoy that lovely fragrance!

To make the round discs, spoon outblobs of the orange mixture onto greased baking paper, leaving about6cm for each one. Dip your fingers in water and rub them down into thindiscs of about 3mm thick. Allow them to dry in a warming drawer for afew hours or overnight in the oven after it has been switched off. Theyeven dry in the sun, taking about a day. They are ready when they are nolonger sticky and you can peel them off of the baking paper.

Keep the orange preserve stored inplastic containers in the fridge. Enjoy them as a dried fruit or use toflavour desserts. They can be slivered or finely chopped. Try home madeice cream and hot chocolate orange sauce or make chocolate custard andadd pieces of orange preserve. (For more ways to enjoy healthier formsof chocolate refer to Healthy Happy Eating by Sue Visser pages 150 –151.)

COOKING VEGETABLE CASSEROLES IN THE OVEN - MUTTON, FISH OR TURKEY CASSEROLES WITH VEGETABLES

This oven method is what I havebeen using for dinner parties for the past 10 years. It’s easy andconvenient. When entertaining, prepare one or two casseroles to cook inthe oven so you can enjoy the snacks and dips with your guests. A mildvegetarian curry will suit all blood types and cause no offence, even tovegan or Kosher guests. Make a separate meat casserole for the meateaters. Turkey and mutton suit all blood types. For fish, use tuna, cobor salmon.

If you are entertaining, begin thedish at least 2 hours before the guests arrive. Then leave the oven onvery low to keep everything warm. Make all your snacks and side disheswell in advance, preferably a few days ahead. Leave your vegetables orsalad ingredients washed and ready to toss out at the last minute. (Oropen a pre-pack, all done for you!)

Ingredients for a large vegetarian casserole to serve four people. Use fewer vegetables if you are adding some meat.

A selection of vegetables in season. Choose some or all of these:

For browning: 2 onions, 2 leeks, 2 red peppers, 1 aubergine, peeled and diced (not for Blood type A1 and O2)

For the casserole:

2 medium sweet potatoes, 1 cup of peas, 4 carrots, 4 baby marrows, 2 medium turnips, 10 green beans

2 chopped chillies if OK with everybody – otherwise serve as a sambal (see recipes)

6 sprigs of soup celery, very finely chopped

2 cloves fresh garlic (optional)

30ml olive oil

30 - 60ml rice flour to thicken

1 vegetable stock cube made into 1-2 cups of hot stock

1 cup lentil sprouts

2 tomatoes (not for A1 and B1)

1) Curry option: 2 tablespoonsmild curry powder, ½ teaspoon herb salt, 1 teaspoon grated ginger.1-tablespoon coconut cream or powder, stirred in during the last halfhour. This is when you will add the fish.

2) Tomato bredie (stew) option: I small can tomato puree, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, ½ teaspoon turmeric.

2) Tofu: add chunks of tofu during the last half hour. Or add some cooked black-eyed beans or baked beans.

Meat options:

1) Brown about 200g small chunks of turkey breast or dark meat with the onions, pepper or aubergines.

2) Add 1 or 2 thinly sliced tuna,salmon or cob fillets tossed in lemon juice, salt and spices of yourchoice. Add fish towards the last half hour of the casserole. Forvegetarians: set aside some of the casserole before you add the fish.

3) Brown 250g diced mutton stewcuts or cutlets that are tender with the kaloonjie, coriander, cumin andmustard seed mix. I find it best to place them in a flat 6cm deeproasting dish, without the salt and just coated in the spices. Placeclose to the grill and turn the oven on to 180 deg C. to warm up. Whenthe fat has browned, turn over. Now add the onions, green peppers, etc.Leave in the middle of the oven while you prepare the other ingredientsand continue with the vegetarian casserole recipe. Cover the dish withan old baking tray for the main part of the cooking time.

You normally need about 2 hours onlow heat. Then remove the lid and stir to check if it needs thickening.This makes a wonderful curry dish or tomato bredie (stew). Add someolives to make my “Greek” lamb. Transfer to a serving dish later.Leftovers freeze very well – nice if you want to prepare the whole dishin advance or cook a larger quantity.

Basic oven casserole method.Browning can be done in the oven in the baking dish. A flat 6-8cmroasting pan works very well, and it can be covered with an old bakingsheet during the main cooking time.

Vegetarian: Mix the coarselychopped onions, aubergines and peppers with the oil, ginger, garlic,chillies and other seasoning you want in the roasting pan and place itin the middle of the oven. Switch on to 180 deg C. to bring to fullheat. Leave them there for a while so the onions become quite crispy.

Now prepare the vegetables you haveselected and chop up the celery. This saves on oven time. If cookingbrown rice, yellow pea dhal or black-eyed beans, prepare them withboiling water and place in the oven. For basmati rice, prepare it withhot water in a covered dish and bake for only ½ hour. Remove when done.(See rice, legume and grain recipes for more options, cooking times andcombinations.)

Now add your vegetables to thedish. Sprinkle over the rice flour. Pour over enough stock, so that italmost reaches near the top of the contents of the dish. Cover with alid or baking sheet and cook in the middle of the oven for about anhour, with the rice, dhal, etc. For the first 20 minutes, leave on 180deg and then turn down to 120 deg.

After an hour, check on thecasserole to see if more liquid must be added or stir in a little ricepowder if it needs thickening. Now add the strips of fish and stir themin. Turn down the oven to keep everything warm. Just before serving, youcan add a swirl of yoghurt or more coconut cream to the dish, if itsuits everybody. Otherwise, offer them separately with the side dishes.

SAUCES, DIPS AND SALAD DRESSINGS

YOGHURT SAUCE FOR GREEN VEGETABLES, DIPS OR SALADS

Blend of a cup of yoghurt with a teaspoon of honey and a tablespoon of olive oil.

Add a dash mustard and some herb salt to taste. For a richer taste, add a tablespoon of tahini.

LIGHT AND LEAN ONION SAUCE

This sauce keeps well in the fridge. It can be served with green vegetables or used as a light, low fat dip.

1 large onion or two smaller onions

50ml lemon juice

1 teaspoon honey

50ml olive oil

1 teaspoon herb salt

1 clove chopped garlic

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Light a candle when you work with raw onions or cook chillies, and you will have no more tears.

Peel and chop the onions and boilor steam them until tender. Alternatively, stir fry them in a tablespoonof theolive oil and let them simmer with a tablespoon of water on lowheat until soft and glassy.

Cooked onions provide a creamy base for the sauce, without the burn!

Place all the ingredients in adeep bowl and process thoroughly with a hand-held blender. You can alsouse a food processor or an electric blender. Keep the sauce in thefridge.

Variations

Yogurt, chopped herbs, lemon juice or a little mayonnaise can be added to the basic sauce.

A red onion will make a beautiful pink sauce or party dip. Use 30ml balsamic vinegar instead of 50ml lemon juice.

Try the red onion sauce with steamed or roasted butternut. Top with fresh basil leaves or chopped parsley.

Use 30ml tarragon vinegar instead of 50ml lemon juice. This sauce is lovely with fish or chicken.

Add a small, fresh chilli instead of the mustard for more of a kick, especially for party dips.

FIERY RED DIP

This dip contains tomatoes and redpeppers, so use the alternative recipe if you need an all-type red dip.If you can find some fresh peppadew peppers, you are in for a treat asthey have a unique flavour, with quite a hot tang. This dip can beserved with carrot and celery sticks, apple slices or lightly steamedgreen beans for the lean and light eaters, or offer thin slices of ryetoast or rice crackers.

3 fresh peppadew peppers, minus the pips and chopped

Or: 6 bottled peppadews

Or: 1 large red sweet pepper with a small chilli

1 large chopped tomato

1 clove fresh garlic

½ teaspoon herb salt

50ml lemon juice

1 teaspoon honey

50ml olive oil

1 small sweet potato, chopped and boiled

Blend all the ingredients together, using a hand-held blender or a food processor.

ALTERNATIVE RED DIP FOR ALL BLOOD TYPES

Some people, especially blood typeA, don’t enjoy chillies and A-secretors and B-secretors need to avoidtomatoes, so here is a milder red dip.

2 carrots, chopped and boiled till soft

2 teaspoons paprika powder

50ml lemon juice or 30ml balsamic vinegar

50ml olive oil

½ teaspoon herb salt

2 teaspoons honey or brown sugar

1 clove fresh garlic

1 tablespoon chopped onion

Blend all the ingredients together, using a hand-held blender or a food processor.

Variations

These red dips can be served atparties. When next you serve a cream of vegetable soup, add a swirl ofyoghurt and top it off with a blob of red dip. Serve the red dip withfried slivers of ostrich meat, fish or chicken. Spread red dip onto ricecrackers and add a pile of fresh lentil sprouts, mixed with gratedcheese.

RAISIN RELISH

This sauce is very versatile andcan be used on salads, vegetables, for dips, on yoghurt and evenbreakfast cereals. It can be made on the spot, and the sweetness canvary according to your requirements. The raisins make it very sweet –far sweeter than just adding raisins to a dish. The combination of rawonions with raisins is said to be very healthy. By adding lemon juice orvinegar and some oil, the Glycaemic Index of the raisins is lowered to amore tolerable level.

1 very small onion, chopped

100ml seedless raisins

50ml lemon juice or apple cider vinegar

Optional: the grated rind of a whole lemon

100ml olive / grape seed / canola oil

A pinch of herb salt

Blend all the ingredients in atall container, using a hand-held blender. Taste it and you will findthat you cannot really detect the onion! Add more onion to make a moresavoury relish for salads or serve as is on salads, cereals or yoghurt.

Variations

1 Breakfast or desserts.Leave out the onion and salt. Add a chopped apple and a little morelemon juice. Serve with yoghurt, fruit salad or with chopped bananas fordessert. Add a pinch of ginger or cinnamon powder. Use this mixture tomake the morning oats or muesli more interesting.

2 Vegetable or curry relish .Add a large, chopped onion and more lemon juice or vinegar. Add a smallchilli and some ginger, if liked, for a quick chutney for your curry.Spoon this mixture over steamed root vegetables like butternut, sweetpotato or parsnips.

3 An unusual salad.Chop up a few lettuce leaves into the bottom of a salad bowl. Sprinkleon some olive oil and lemon juice and a dash of herb salt. Top with raw,grated parsnips or carrots and butternut. Spoon over some raisin relishand garnish with a few onion rings.

ECONOMICAL PESTO SAUCE

Pesto sauce is usually made withpine nuts that are very expensive. This recipe uses ground-up sesameseeds, almonds or walnuts. Parmesan cheese can be substituted forpecorino cheese, made from sheep’s milk.

100ml olive / rice bran / sunflower oil

50ml lemon juice / apple cider vinegar

3ml herb salt

1 clove garlic, peeled

6 small spinach leaves

10 sprigs fresh basil

100ml grated parmesan cheese

50ml ground-up sesame seeds / almonds / walnuts

Tip the oil, lemon juice, salt andgarlic into a tall container. Add a third of the chopped green leavesand process with a hand-held blender. Keep adding more leaves. If themixture gets too solid, add a little more oil or lemon juice. Stir inthe grated cheese and ground-up seeds or nuts. Do not worry if themixture looks a bit runny. After a day in the fridge the sauce becomesmore solid. It keeps well in the fridge.

KALOONTJIE SUBSTITUTE FOR PEPPER

Grind together: 1 tablespoon eachof: Kaloontjie seeds, coriander, cumin and mustard seeds. Add a teaspoonof dried chillies for an extra kick. Use generous quantities whencooking meat, fish, vegetables, casseroles, etc.