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Sprinkling with freshly homemade dukkah really takes some simple baby cucumber boats with labneh up a few notches. They are quick to make, crunchy and keto-friendly - great for when you’re in the mood for a healthy snack, or entertaining.
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Select chestnuts that are heavy for their size with tight, shiny shells. Dull and very light chestnuts may be older and already somewhat dried out. Holes in the shell indicate a worm infestation. If you are not sure, you can put the chestnuts in warm water. If the nuts are fresh, they will sink to the bottom.
The chestnuts develop their nutty-sweet aroma when roasted. Enjoy them plain or with some salt and butter. The chestnut puree is delicious either warm or cold. You can spread it on bread or serve it as a hearty dip with vegetable sticks as a snack or starter! The shell is best removed when the chestnuts are still hot. Make sure that the brown, furry skin is also removed.
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A simple gluten free appetizer or snack that is ready in no time and will be a real crowd-pleaser. Bursting with flavour, it will be hard to have just one of these sweet and savoury morsels. If desired, wrap bacon around each stuffed date and secure with toothpick. Bake for 15 minutes until bacon is crisp. I garnished them with some fresh sage leaves, but next time I would make some crispy sage leaves to top the stuffed dates. If you don't have pecans, just substitute equal amounts of walnuts, macadamia, pistachios or hazelnuts.
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A farl in Gaelic literally means "fourths". They are shaped into a circle of dough and then cut into quarters, and here refers to a quarter of a flatbread, which is more commonly pan-fried, made from mashed potatoes and spelt flour. Traditionally they were made with oatmeal, that would result a coaser substance and nuttier flavour, butter and potatoes – no flour, no leavening agents. The less flour and raising agent you use, the denser and moister the farl. Using more flour, and raising agents (baking powder and baking soda) and moistening the mixture with milk creates an wonderfully light and fluffy bread-like texture.
These baked quarters can be made with leftover mashed potatoes too. Potato farls are most often served as the breakfast or at teatime. But you can absolutely enjoy these with soups or salads as a lunch. Leave out the onions, rosemary and black pepper if you want to serve them with a dollop of homemade jam. Experiment with different herbs and spices, like chives, dills, spring onions, cumin, or caraway.
