[non-halal] Grain-free beetroot pork burger

I stumbled upon a beetroot in my fridge today which i totally forgot about it. It doesnt look newly bought fresh anymore and i had an idea to turn it into a pork patty. The outcome is really good, hubby or myself thought it looks like beef patty, the beetroot taste is invisible.

Recipe

For the pattie :
1 small beetroot, cut into chunks
1 cup of cut pork belly (i trim off some excess fat, optional)

Blend the above ingredients. Add and mix in :
finely chopped 1 medium-small onion
dash of black pepper
dash of ginger powder
dash of mixed herbs
dash of salt

(1) Heat up some coconut oil in a frying pan. Drop about 2-3 Tbsp of blended patty meat and press and form into round patty shape.

(2) Cook till slightly brown on both sides, around 5-8 minutes at 140c.

For the bun :
1 Tbsp almond meal
1 Tbsp coconut flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 Tbsp coconut oil

(1) Mix all ingredients in a bowl, dry ingredients first. Add in wet ingredients and mix well.

(2) Divide into 2 portion for top and bottom bun. Lay on a parchment paper and roughly shape it.
Sprinkle some white sesame on top of each batter and roughly press using metal spoon.

(3) Bake in preheated oven at 175c for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let it cools.

Grain-free Carrot Cake

For my daughter's 3 years old birthday, i adapted a carrot cupcake recipe from www.texanerin.com titled 'Healthier Carrot Cake Cupcakes (grain-free,gluten-free, paleo and dairy-free options). I actually tried making once before the actual one for her birthday. Im glad that i did that because the first time doing it, the recipe that i followed exactly was a little too sweet and the texture slightly oily and plain too. I then decided to reduce the oil and sugar substitute (honey), as well as adding some raw walnuts and raisins for a more complete taste and texture.

Recipe (I made 2 sets of ingredients below for 2 tiers of cake) :
1 1/4 cups blanched almond flour
2 Tbsp organic coconut flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp pink himalayan salt
1 1/2tsp organic cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg powder
2 eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup organic coconut oil
1/8 cup raw honey
2 tsp organic vanilla extract
1/2 cup grated organic carrot

Frosting :
2.5 stick 200g Philadelphia Cream Cheese (in grey box)
4 tsp maple syrup / raw honey
1 1/2 tsp organic vanilla extract
dash of salt
plain yogurt for thinning

Red Colouring :
I blend one small organic beetroot and filter over a cheesecloth for the colouring. I then add with portion of frosting, 1 tsp at a time to achieve pink hue that i wanted. For the pulp, i dried it under low temperature in oven for a good few hours (roughly 3-5 hours) and made into beetroot powder.

For the cake :

(1) Mix dry and wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix well.

(2) Bake in preheated oven at 175c with Fan for 17 minutes. Once done, remove from oven and let the cake sit in baking pan for another 5-10 minutes before removing.


Steps for setting up the cake :

(1) Spread cream cheese frosting on top of 1 cake and stack another cake on top. Trim off the side or top for smoother look or for easy frosting layering.

(2) Pink frosting done

(3) Design that i piped out. Spot something missing on Hello Kitty 's face !


Verdict : This is now a must keep recipe for us, as it is healthy, delicious and wholesome. I definitely need to improve my skill on doing a better frosting, look at the lettering that i did. Thankfully, no one complained !@

Okay, i kept the cake for a week now in fridge and it still taste good. The only difference is the pink hue slowly varnished or lightened out probably due to the natural colouring.

Gluten-Free Chicken Mushroom Pie

Hubby was in outstation on his birthday, so this is like a treat for his belated birthday. Generally, the filling were awesome but the gluten-free crust has to improve !

Pie dough Recipe -

2 cups organic gluten-free flour mix (i bought Radiant readily mixed GF flour, consists of Sorghum, buckwheat, maize and quinoa, all organic)

1 kampung egg

1/2 tsp pink himalayan salt

1/2 stick of grass-fed butter (melted)

some filtered water (or cold water)

(1) Pulse or manually mix all ingredients till a soft dough is form. Divide into 2 portions and wrap in cling wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour or till the dough slightly firm.

(2) To set the base crust, take about 1/4 of whole dough portion and press to the bottom of medium size ramekin (modify to suit thickness preference). Repeat for 2nd ramekin. Put both ramekins with the crust base in a preheated oven at 175c and bake for 10 minutes. Once done, remove and let it cools in room temperature.

Filling Recipe -

1/2 cup free-range chicken fillet (cut small)

1/4 cup brown button mushroom (cut small)

2 cloves garlic (minced)

1/2 medium size carrot (cut small, cube)

1/4 cup green peas 

1 Tbsp organic gluten-free flour mix\

1-2 Tbsp grass-fed-butter

2 medium to small size onion

1/2 cup fresh milk

sufficient water

some chopped fresh parsley

some salt and pepper

(1) Marinate chicken cubes with dash of salt and pepper for 15-30 minutes. Stir fry with coconut oil and dish out. Keep aside.

(2) Heat up frying pan again with some coconut oil. Brown garlic and onion. Add in mushroom and stir fry. Add in carrot and stir fry till soft. Add in green peas and stir fry shortly.

(3) Heat up butter, once melted add in flour. Let the flour dissolve in butter and add in milk. Once its thicken, add in all the cooked ingredients - chicken first and then vegetables.

(4) Add dash of salt and pepper or preferred seasonings. Cook in medium to low temperature. Once done, add in fresh parsley, give it a stir and dish out to cool. (Optional: To add some water if too dry, 1 Tbsp at a time)

(5) Bring back the 2 ramekins with crust base earlier. Divide the ingredients into 2 portions or scope it into 2 separate ramekins equally.

(6) Separately, using a rolling pin, roll flat the remaining dough (2 portions) and top the pie of each ramekin accordingly. Press the edge of the ramekin to close any gap. Note : The dough will be a little difficult to handle or it goes separate easily than normal gluten dough.

(7) Baked in preheated oven for 20-30 minutes or till the top crust looks lightly brown or done.