The Wholefood Pantry

by Amber Rose

  Put the vanilla pod and milk in a medium saucepan and bring slowly to the boil. Just before it starts to bubble, remove from the heat.

  Whisk the egg yolks and maple syrup in a large bowl.

  Remove the vanilla pod from the hot milk and slowly pour the milk into the egg yolk mix, whisking all the time.

  Use the tip of a sharp knife to split open the vanilla pod and scrape out the seeds into the custard mixture.

  Return the mixture to the pan and stir over a gentle heat until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Be very careful not to allow the mixture to boil or it will split.

  Once the custard has reached the desired thickness, pour the custard into a cool jug or pouring bowl (if you leave the custard in the pan even away from the heat it can still split from the residual heat at the base of the pan).

  Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon to prevent a skin forming.

  Serve warm or cold.

  Dark chocolate custard.

  SERVES 6

  Wonderful on caramelised bananas, banana cake, roasted pears or peaches and any kind of crumbly spongy pudding.

  600ml full-cream milk

  4 large egg yolks

  3 tablespoons maple syrup

  200g good-quality dark chocolate, finely chopped

  Put the milk in a medium saucepan, bring slowly to the boil, then remove from the heat and set aside.

  Whisk the egg yolks and maple syrup in a large bowl. Slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking all the time, then add the chocolate. Return the mixture to the pan and stir over a gentle heat until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and pour into a cool bowl or pouring jug. Stir occasionally to prevent a skin forming. Serve warm or cold.

  Jams and Curds.

  Strawberry and vanilla chia jam.

  MAKES 1 450G JAR

  Chia jam provides an excellent and delicious way of getting more of these super seeds into your daily diet. It’s really easy to make and it uses less sugar than the more traditional jam recipes. It doesn’t last as long but it will keep in the fridge for a good week. I use it for decorating cakes, topping nut butter on toast, swirling through slow-cooked porridge with yogurt, on cookies, and mixed with granola with fresh fruit and coconut yogurt. Chia seeds are one of the most nutritious foods on the planet, loaded with fibre, protein, omega-3 fatty acids and various micronutrients. What’s not to love?

  180g strawberries, fresh or frozen

  2 tablespoons honey, or more if desired

  Squeeze of lemon juice

  ½ teaspoon vanilla powder

  ½ tablespoons chia seeds

  Put the strawberries, honey and vanilla in a small saucepan over a medium heat, add 1–2 tablespoons of water, just enough to get them to release their juices. As they start to bubble, simmer on low for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Add the chia seeds and stir to prevent any lumps from forming. Leave the mix to stand for another couple of minutes, then stir again. Repeat this three or four times. Pour the jam into a clean glass jar and transfer to the fridge for several hours or overnight to thicken up and chill. This jam will keep for about 10 days in the fridge.

  Variation: Raspberry and rose chia jam

  Replace the strawberries with raspberries and use ½ teaspoon of rose water instead of the vanilla.

  Raw goji, orange and cardamom chia jam.

  MAKES 1 450G JAR

  This jam will last for about a week in the fridge, and it also freezes well. It’s great on hot buttered toast or layered up with granola and yogurt or served with a cheese board as an accompaniment.

  2 whole unwaxed oranges

  3 tablespoons raw honey, more to taste if you like

  80g goji berries, soaked in water for 4 hours and drained

  2 cardamom pods, seeds only, finely ground

  3 tablespoons chia seeds

  Sea salt

  Grate the zest from the oranges using a very fine zester or grater (a microplane works best). You need 1 teaspoon of compacted zest.

  Peel the oranges, removing the pith and any pips, then pulse the orange flesh in a food processor or blender along with the zest, honey, cardamom and a tiny pinch of salt until smooth.

  Add the goji berries and chia seeds to the blended orange mixture, stir and leave for about 15 minutes.

  Pulse the mixture a couple of times so that the goji berries are blended in but still chunky – you may need to pulse a couple more times.

  Pour the mixture into a glass jar and transfer to the fridge to set overnight.

  This jam will last for about one week in the fridge, and it also freezes well. It’s great on hot buttered toast, layered up with granola and yogurt or served with a cheese board as an accompaniment.

  Honey and lemon curd.

  MAKES 2–3 225G JARS

  Lemon curd is a most unctuous and decadent thing. It’s beautiful in tarts, as a topping for pancakes, on French toast, and on yogurt and fruit. Use it for the parfait recipe, right – it’s a cinch to throw together and is a perfect way to end a late summery Sunday lunch.

  Finely grated zest and juice of 6 unwaxed lemons

  250g light honey

  150g cold butter, cubed

  4 eggs and 1–2 egg yolks (medium-sized eggs)

  Begin by sterilising several glass jars, either by putting them and the lids through the dishwasher or by boiling them in a pan of water for 10 minutes.

  Place the lemon zest, juice, honey and butter into a medium heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over a pot of barely simmering water, making sure the base of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Allow the ingredients to melt and come together, helping this process along a little by stirring with a whisk every so often.

  In a separate bowl, give the eggs a thorough beating with a metal whisk. Slowly pour the eggs into the lemon mix and stir continuously for 9–10 minutes, or until the mix is custard-like, beautifully thick and irresistible.

  When the curd is ready, remove it from the heat and set aside, but do give it a little stir every now and then as it cools to keep a skin from forming. Scrape the lemon curd into sterilised jars and seal. It will keep for several weeks in the fridge.

  OPTIONAL ADDITIONS

  Add ¼ –½ teaspoon rose water to make lemon and rose curd.

  Add ¼ teaspoon vanilla powder to make lemon and vanilla curd.

  Lemon curd, rose and clementine parfait.

  SERVES 6–8

  Homemade meringues give you the ideal combination: crisp outside and a chewy centre.

  EQUIPMENT

  900g loaf tin, lined loosely with clingfilm or waxed paper

  650ml double cream

  1 teaspoon rose water

  2 tablespoons raw honey or maple syrup

  200g meringues, lightly broken up into pieces

  10 heaped tablespoons lemon curd

  Grated zest of 4 clementines

  Before you begin, place a mixing bowl into the fridge to chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour before using.

  Place the double cream, rose water and honey into the pre-chilled mixing bowl and whisk until soft peaks form. You want it thick and soft with the cream just holding its shape, with no stiff peaks whatsoever. Don’t be tempted to go too far – over-whipped cream is not what you want here. Soft and unctuous is key!

  Add the meringues and lemon curd, then grate in the clementine zest. Give the whole mixture a gentle fold to combine all the elements. You want distinct marbled layers. Be very careful not to overmix.

  Using a soft spatula, carefully scrape the mixture into the prepared tin, cover lightly with a piece of baking parchment, then pop into the freezer for 4–5 hours, or overnight, until set. The parfait will last for several days in the freezer, but do take it out at least 20 minutes to soften a little before serving.

  To serve, lift the parfait up and out of its tin and slice. Serve just as it is or with a scattering of fresh rose petals and fresh mint tea.

 
Raw peach and ginger no-cook jam

  MAKES 1 450G JAR

  This is a super-simple and delicious jam, great for topping pancakes, toast, granola and yogurt. You could also use it to layer chia pudding pots or add it to crumbles and pies. In New Zealand I get these wonderful big dried peaches, but if you can’t find them, just use unsulphured dried apricots.

  550g dried peaches or apricots (or both)

  170g raw, light honey (or brown rice syrup or maple syrup)

  1–2 tablespoons lemon juice (start with 1 and add more to taste)

  ¼ teaspoon ground ginger

  Or ½ vanilla pod, seeds scraped out (keep the empty pod for scenting coconut sugar or adding to stewed fruit)

  A tiny pinch of pink Himalayan sea salt

  Start by placing the peaches in a glass or ceramic bowl. Pour over enough very hot water to completely submerge the dried fruit and place a plate over the top to cover them and hold in the warmth. Leave the fruit to soak for at least a few hours or overnight.

  When the peaches have rehydrated and become plump and juicy, drain them thoroughly, discarding the soaking liquor, and pop the fruit into a high-speed blender or food processor.

  To the blender add the honey, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, the ginger or vanilla and the salt, and blitz until you have a lovely smooth jam-like consistency. You can leave it a little chunky if you prefer – some texture is no bad thing. If your jam is too stiff and not blending well, simply add a little water, a tiny amount at a time, to loosen the mix.

  At this point taste the jam. If you think it needs more lemon juice or more spices, add more to taste. When you are happy that the flavours are balanced, scrape your beautiful homemade jam into some clean glass jars and keep in the fridge.

  This delicious fruit jam will keep for one week or up to 10 days if kept chilled.

  Chocolate.

  My classic dark, raw chocolate.

  MAKES ABOUT 260G

  This raw, dark chocolate can be made and eaten as it is or used as a base for other recipes, such as the fruit and nut wheel in here, served warm as a raw chocolate fondue or drizzled over ice cream, fresh fruit, caramelised bananas or pancakes. Raw cacao has multiple health benefits, so no need to feel guilty when eating this. It is packed full of antioxidants and good fats, which make our skin glow and support brain and metabolism health.

  EQUIPMENT

  Cooking thermometer (not essential but recommended)

  Silicone chocolate moulds or a tray lined with silicone paper

  225g cacao butter

  4 tablespoons coconut oil

  4 heaped tablespoons raw cacao powder

  4 tablespoons raw honey, maple syrup or brown rice syrup

  Put about 3cm of water in a small saucepan and set over a low heat. Place a bowl on top of the pan that fits snugly over the top without the base of it touching the water. Put the cacao butter and coconut oil into the bowl and very slowly melt the butter. Check the temperature and don’t allow the mix to go higher than 40–45°C; if you think it’s going to get hotter than that and some of the butter hasn’t melted, take the bowl off the heat and allow the residual heat to melt the butter.

  When the butter/oil mix has fully melted and is at that critical 40–45°C, measure in the cacao powder and raw honey. Whisk until the mixture is completely and thoroughly emulsified and the temperature has come down to 28–30°C. You need to mix it well at this stage, otherwise it will separate, so mix until it looks beautifully smooth and glossy. However, do be careful not to over mix or the chocolate can stiffen. If this happens pop the bowl back over the heat and stir for a few moments until it relaxes again.

  When the chocolate is ready and it is around that 28–30°C mark, pour the mix into the moulds or lined tray and pop into the fridge to set. Once it has set, either pop the chocolate out of the moulds or break it up from the tray. I find it melts easily, so I put mine in a glass jar in the fridge, where it will keep well for up to three months.

  Fig, date and apricot salted caramel chocolates.

  MAKES ABOUT 20

  These gorgeous little treats are a great way to use my raw chocolate.

  1 quantity of my classic dark raw chocolate, still liquid

  10 unsulphured dried apricots

  10 dried figs, hard stems removed

  10 medjool dates, pitted

  Sea salt flakes

  Line a baking tray with silicone paper. Make the raw chocolate until the point where it is smooth and glossy.

  Put the dried fruit in a high-powered blender or food processor and blitz until you have a thick paste.

  Take little teaspoonfuls of the mix and roll into small balls with damp hands, laying them on the prepared baking tray as you go. Next, use a skewer or cake fork to dip them into the cooled liquid raw chocolate, transfer back to the tray and sprinkle each ball with a few flakes of sea salt – not too much. When all the balls are rolled, dipped and sprinkled with salt, put the tray in the freezer. If the chocolate is melting off the balls, keep the tray in the freezer and freeze as you go.

  Raw chocolate nut butter cups and Raw chocolate chia jam cups.

  MAKES 12

  These heavenly little raw chocolate, chia jam and nut butter cups are so delicious and packed with healthy fats, protein and energy-boosting goodness. They do require a few different elements coming together but the end reslt is divine. Little ones enjoy helping with the stirring (and bowl licking!).

  2–3 quantities My classic dark, raw chocolate, still warm

  1 quantity of your favourite nut butter (see here – roasted almonds and cashews with maple syrup would be incredible!)

  1 quantity of your favourite chia jam (see here)

  Line a 12-hole cupcake tray with paper cases. Pour some of the warm raw chocolate into the paper cases to a depth of about 5cm, then put the tray in the freezer for 20 minutes to harden the chocolate. Take the tray out of the freezer and pop a teaspoonful of nut butter onto the centre of six of the chocolate-filled cases, then do the same with the chia jam and the remaining six cases. Flatten the butter and jam a little, but try to keep it in the centre of the cases. Now pour more chocolate over the top so that the nut butter and chia jam are completely covered and the tops are flat. Pop back into the freezer for a further 30 minutes, or until completely set.

  Keep refrigerated until ready to eat.

  Fruit and nut raw dark chocolate wheel with rose and bee pollen.

  SERVES AT LEAST 20

  This is my grown up, healthy take on an after dinner chocolate. It’s best served in delicate little slices. It’s a super-intense hit of raw chocolate, and the different textures from the nuts and dried fruit give it a pleasing crunch to contrast with the velvety smooth pollen on top. The rose petals are pure whimsy, but worth it for the visual pleasure.

  2 quantities My classic dark, raw chocolate

  1 teaspoon vanilla powder

  4 tablespoons tahini

  8 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped

  80g brazil nuts, chopped

  80g lightly roasted almonds, chopped

  TO DECORATE

  2 tablespoons bee pollen

  A few generous pinches of dried rose petals (optional)

  Line a 20cm round cake tin with silicone paper. Follow the instructions for making the dark raw chocolate to the point where you have added the cacao powder and honey and mixed until it is smooth and glossy. Mix in the tahini, then add the dates and nuts.

  Pour into the prepared tin and refrigerate. When the chocolate is just setting, remove the tin from the fridge and sprinkle over the bee pollen and rose petals, then pop it back in the fridge to set fully.

  I like to keep this raw chocolate wheel in the fridge and just take it out and cut off thin pieces when I feel like a treat with my afternoon tea. It makes a lovely after-supper treat to serve with peppermint tea or coffee if you’re having a dinner party.

  Jelly.

  Homemade gut-loving jelly.

  SERVES 4

  Love it or
hate it, jelly can be nutritious and wonderfully delightful. It can be childish, in a good way of course, but it can also be sexy and grown up. Homemade jelly is far cry from the overly sweet and terribly flavoured shop-bought stuff. Providing homemade jelly is made with good-quality gelatine, it can also be incredibly good for you in numerous ways (see here for more information).

  FOUNDATION JELLY MIX

  950ml liquid (see flavour options right)

  3 tablespoons grass-fed gelatine (this gives a soft set; if you like it really firm, add 1 more tablespoon)

  To make the jelly

  Choose which flavour you want to make from the flavouring suggestions and pour the liquid into a small saucepan. Stir well to combine. Sprinkle the gelatine over the cold liquid and stir.

  Allow it to sit for 5 minutes – this gives the gelatine time to bloom. Place the saucepan over a medium heat and bring the liquid up to quite a hot temperature but NOT boiling. Boiling the liquid will destroy the setting agents in the gelatine.

  When the liquid is hot, give it a really good stir to fully dissolve the gelatine. Try to stir the liquid gently and not whisk it as you don’t want lots of foam on the top of the jelly.

  If you have made foam you can scoop it off with a small fine-mesh sieve. Take the pan off the heat and pour the jelly into four equal-sized moulds (I like to use ramekins) or one big bowl. Pop the moulds into the fridge to set – this will take about 2 hours (longer if setting the jelly in a big bowl). When you are ready to serve the jelly, just pop the moulds into a bowl of very hot water for a few seconds and then turn the jelly out onto a dessert plate and serve with cream or fruit.

  FLAVOURING SUGGESTIONS

  To make rhubarb jelly with rose cream.

  For the liquid: 175ml rhubarb, rose and lime syrup and 750ml filtered water. Serve with rose cream.