ecobites.com

Making your life greener - one bite at a time.

Try to keep waste to a minimum, and in buying local, organic food you sacrifice absolutely nothing in taste.

When choosing your caterer, find one who specializes in organic ingredients. Vegetarian and vegan diets are popular for many reasons including health, ethical and environmental concerns. Support local farms,orchards and vineyards.

The demand for ecologically responsible and healthy food is a growing trend overall in the catering field. Choose organic wine which is made from grapes and grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides or other chemicals which damage soil and water.

Wedding cake: Find a baker that will make a cake with organic, natural and fair trade ingredients. Be sure to serve fair trade organic coffee!
   

Serve organic wine and natural beer, fresh organic juice punch, fresh coconuts.

Outdoor wedding and casual rehearsal dinner/weekend events for your guests, can be more eco-friendly by keeping the reduce, reuse and recycle concepts in mind:

Rent real glasses, dishes, and cloth napkins, to avoid using disposables.

Biodegradable, compostable dishes and flatware made from cornstarch, sugar cane, or tropical leaves are new inventions that make a huge difference in the solid waste generated by parties.

Cleanup

Use as few disposable items as possible, to avoid adding to landfills. Request that cleanup staff separate recyclables. If guests don't pick your tables clean, compost the flowers, or, if they're still fresh, drop them off at a nursing home, hospital, or other venue that will appreciate them.

FABULOUS ALL ORGANIC SPECIAL OCCASION CAKE

If you are making a wedding cake with different size layers, make each recipe separate, rather than mix multiple batches all at once.

Simmer 1 cup organic dates in small amount of organic fruit juice, let cool and mash with fork 

Wet Ingredients

1 cup milk of choice / yoghurt + (optional ¾ cup sweetener of choice, rice syrup / honey / maple syrup) + 2 mashed bananas + 1/3 cup coconut oil + 2 teaspoons vanilla / carob powder for chocolate celebration cake + 2 eggs

Dry Ingredients

2 cups flour of choice + 1 teaspoon baking powder, if not using SR( eg Orgran SR flour)

Preheat oven, put wet ingredients + dates through food processor until smooth .Process dry ingredients, in a mixing bowl pour together dry and wet ingredients and beat well. Pour into round cake tin bake moderate oven 25 – 30 minutes until skewer comes out clean. Cool and frost and decorate with fresh flowers, ribbons etc.

Celebration Toppings:

Blend mashed banana + lemon juice + arrowroot + yoghurt (sheep milk has a nice creamy texture) + brown rice syrup (optional)  / add fresh beetroot juice for a nice pink colour and decorate with fresh flowers.

Process 2 cups mashed banana + ¼ cup arrowroot + ½ cup carob powder.

Process arrowroot, carob powder, coconut oil and liquid.

1 cup organic dates + 1 tablespoon carob powder + 1-2 cups sesame seeds…soften dates in water, grind sesame seeds very fine, mix all together, blend until smooth.

Mix ½ cup water + ½ cup sweetener of choice + 3 tablespoons arrowroot in small pan, stir frequently until it boils and thickens, stir in 3 cups fresh coconut + small amount of coconut oil.

Organic powdered cane juice – sold as organic icing sugar.

Process 8oz organic cream cheese + 1 cup organic butter + honey to taste + lemon juice (1 or 2 lemons) + lemon peel.

60gms unsalted organic butter, softened + 1 teaspoon lemon rind + 1 teaspoon vanilla + 1 tablespoon organic icing sugar or honey…cream butter, lemon rind, vanilla and lemon juice, gradually beat in icing sugar until thick and smooth.

Cream 310 gms organic butter + 2 1/4 cups organic icing sugar, beat 4 egg yolks (one at a time), beat ½ cup mashed strawberries, add ¼ cup strawberries. Refrigerate until firm to spread.

Celebration Frosting…Cream 125 gms organic butter cubed and softened + 125 gms melted organic chocolate, Beat over ice until thick.

STAINED GLASS WINDOW CAKE

This beautiful organic cake is suitable for weddings, name days, and other special occasions. Cut the cake into very thin slices with a serrated knife and hold each slice up to the light for the “stained glass window effect”.

500gms organic honey glazed dried fruit + 1 cup organic dates + ½ cup almonds + ½ cup brazil nuts + 90gms organic butter + 1/3 cup organic rapadura sugar + 2 eggs + pinch baking powder + ½ cup organic flour – wholemeal or half and half rye and maize meal (you can add a little rum, sherry or brandy if desired)

Line a loaf tin with foil or greaseproof paper, Chop up fruit as appropriate, and mix with chopped nuts. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar, then add well beaten eggs. Add dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Combine the two mixtures. Press into the tin and cover with foil. Bake in moderate oven for 60 – 90 minutes. Leave covered until cold, then remove from tin. Leave in the fridge for 2 – 3 days before serving.

CELEBRATION FLOWER FANTASY

If you wish to skip the occasional celebration cake the following uses only edible organic varieties of flowers in season.

Immerse the blossoms face down in a wide glass bowl containing about 2.5cm organic water. Place the bowl in the freezer. After the water is frozen, turn it out onto a bed of crushed ice and arrange seasonal organic fruit around it. Organic strawberries dipped in organic chocolate for a real celebration treat. Flowers hold their colour well using this method. Decorate the table with parrafin-free candles, fresh organic flowers, ribbons etc.