raw sea salt caramel bites

450g fresh Medjool dates
200g macadamia nuts
1 tsp sea salt
20g unsweetened coconut flakes
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp water

http://www.thirteenthoughts.com/16163/raw-sea-salt-caramel-bites

solyanka (szoljanka) - draft

bacon/lard (a few silces)
1 medium onion
1 clove of garlic
1 tomato
700g beef (for soup - shin, rump steak, etc)
800g sour cabbage
2 small carrots (200g), sliced / half-sliced
2 celery stalks (100g), sliced
10-12 black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
300ml pickled water /1 lemon
2 tbsp caper
20 green pitted olives
200g (?) pickled cucumbers

sour cream

(1 bunch of fresh parsley)
1 bunch of fresh dill

Fry out the fats from the bacon/lard in a small amount of olive oil. Add the onions, cook until soft. Add the beef and fry until brown. Add the tomatoes and water (around a liter), bay leaf, peppercorns and cook until the meat is nearly cooked through (can take from half to 2-3 hours).

Add the vegetables (carrots, celery, cabbage) and cook another 20 minutes. Add pickles, olives, capers, pickle juice, dill (if frozen) and cook for another 5 mins on low heat (do not boil).
Add fresh dill when taken off from the heat.

Serve with sour cream and bread if you like.

coconut-cocoa balls

200g dates, pitted
(I used 180g dates and 20g dried cherries, will try with other dried fruits too)
50g almonds
1 tbsp agave syrup (or other liquid sweetener)
1 flat tbsp of cocoa powder

10g desiccated coconut

put the dried fruis into a food processor, chop. add the almond, agave syrup and cocoa, chop.
roll into balls (I like small, 1cm diameter balls), roll them in the desiccated coconut.
ready to serve.
try next time: more cherries (less dates), coconut into the balls (not just rolling)

makes approx. 20 small balls (22 this time)

idea from Rachel Aust.

breakfast oat snacks

one banana, mashed (makes 1/2 cups)
1/2 cups rolled oats (plus 1/4 cups if mixture is too watery)
4 huge dried figs, chopped (or other dried fruit)
25g walnuts, chopped
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cups frozen blackberries (or other berries)

preheat oven to 170C fan.
mix the ingredients in a huge bowl, add the extra 1/4 cups of oats if mixture is too runny.
put batches into a baking sheet or to muffin caps.
bake for 15 mins.

idea from Rachel Aust.

avocado-caper-bacon lentil salad

150g lentils (use a salad variety, e.g. puy or beluga)
100g bacon
1 small onion
1 clove of garlic
3 tbsp of capers (rinse if salted)
1 avocado
1 lemon, zest and juice
a bunch of flat-leaf parsley

I like to soak the lentils, but just for up to 30 mins (otherwise they fall apart).
Cook the lentils (according to pack instructions - after soaking this will be fast, won't need more than 20 mins)

Chop the onion, garlic and bacon. I like to chop the sliced bacon into squares/chunks and do the onions with a food processor.

In a medium-sized saucepan fry the bacon in some olive oil until crisp. Add the onions and cook for a couple of minutes.
Add the cooked lentils, stir, let it warm up.
Take the saucepan off the heat, add the chopped capers, parsley, zest of lemon, juice of lemon, avocado. Season to taste with pepper (and salt if you like, my caper is salty enough).

Serve with butter toast or as a side for meats.

recipe idea from here