Eat without Wheat

Gingerbread Men, Women and ???

2012-01-26T22:33:00.000Z

Wheat Free YesGluten Free Yes
Makes xxxIngredients
Method1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Enjoy!

If you read my previous post you may wonder about the reference to the gingerbread. Well here they are...

Enough said ;-)

Pasta almost disaster!

2012-01-26T22:24:00.002Z

Sunday night, ingredients all bought, time to test drive the shiny new pasta machine. As said in a previous post, I had to modify the recipe I wanted to use so I was a tad nervous...would it work?

Well to start with I thought no! My dough was sticky, the machine clogged up and yucky holey pasta was produced. Nothing like the lovely pasta I usually admire when watching the likes of Masterchef. Disappointment quickly manifested into frustration and my usual calm nature in the kitchen was replaced with despair, why wasn't it working? It didn't help that a hungry toddler was whining and a certain person had decided to wreak havoc in the rest of the kitchen by attempting to make gingerbread (but that's another story!).

After a lot of moaning, complaining and at one point raking in the cupboard for a packet of ready made pasta to use I stepped back, took a deep breath and analysed what was wrong. The dough was wet, the recipe had stated to use three eggs which did seem a lot so the answer seemed to be to add some more flour. Slowly I reworked the dough and as I put it through the machine it started to work and lovely sheets appeared.
With a smile on my face I got a bit carried away and went the whole hog. this resulted in a batch of tagliatelle.

My next hurdle was how long to cook it for, the recipe stated ten minutes but I was sure from watching TV it was a lot less. I popped it in a large pan of boiling water (salt and a dash of olive oil added). Within a minute the pasta had risen to the surface. With gnocchi this usually means it is ready but it seemed to quick so I left it a bit longer...and longer...and longer.

Eventually I drained it and added it to my sauce. Time to taste...

I have to be honest I was a tad disappointed. It was OK, but the sauce I had made was a bit bland and the pasta itself had a slimy texture. I am not sure why, but after reading up on the Internet I think either the mixture was too wet or wasn't rested enough. A lot of the recipes recommend putting the dough in the fridge for an hour before putting it through the machine.

I think a bit of practise is required before I publish my recipe. I want to do the machine justice and produce some perfect pasta (gluten free of course).

To be continued...

Can you cook?

2012-01-17T13:53:00.000Z

People are often asked "Can you cook?" to which most people say either they can or they can't. The ones who say they can't usually mean that they are unable (or haven't tried) to follow a recipe or cook something from a batch of ingredients. Cooking usually means they throw something in the microwave, pop a ready-made meal in the oven or stick some toast in the toaster.

I decided to look up 'cook' in the dictionary:

verb

1 [with object] prepare (food, a dish, or a meal) by mixing, combining, and heating the ingredients: shall I cook dinner tonight? [with two objects]: she cooked me eggs and bacon (as adjective cooked) a cooked breakfast
[no object] (of food) be heated so that the state required for eating is reached: while the rice is cooking, add the saffron to the stock
(cook something down) heat food and cause it to thicken and reduce in volume: cooking down the chutney can take up to 45 minutes
Judging by that description I reckon most people can 'cook'. Even if it's just scrambled eggs or beans on toast it's all 'cooking'.

Judging by that description I reckon most people can 'cook'. Even if it's just scrambled eggs or beans on toast it's all 'cooking'.

So there you have it; you can cook. The next step is to decide what you want to cook...

Master the pasta...

2012-01-10T08:57:00.000Z

I was lucky and excited to receive a shiny new pasta machine for Christmas this year, something I've wanted for a while now. You can get good GF pasta from the local supermarket; most stock Doves which is fine but it's expensive and I get fed up eating pasta shells or fusilli all the time.

As a family of pasta lovers I think this wee machine is going to be well used and I have been desperate to test-drive it.

After scouring the Internet for a pasta dough recipe it seems that tapioca flour is rated best for making GF pasta. I thought all I had to do was pop along to my local Real Foods and pick some up however it turns out that tapioca flour is almost impossible to get your hands on at the moment. They suggested I use manioc flour as a substitute, a flour I have never even heard of!

So as usual I am tweaking a recipe and hoping for the best!

I am keen to make some ravioli and since the famous Crombie of Edinburgh is next door to Real Foods I popped in and got some lovely GF spicy sausages. I plan to remove the lovely sausagemeat from the skins and use it in the ravioli.

So I have all the ingredients, pasta machine is patiently waiting to be removed from its box, all I need to do now is get cooking...

Big cook little cook!

2011-10-31T14:42:00.000Z

As I spend a lot of time in the kitchen, Faye decided that being allowed to watch on the sidelines and put the odd potato in the pan was no longer sufficient. It was time to proper 'help'. Having a 20 month old stirring and mixing will probably fill lots of you with dread, but it was a quiet Sunday afternoon, we were at a loose end and so I thought to myself it's time to let her loose with some baking. I picked my tried and tasty muffin recipe as it's quick, easy and very little can go wrong. It is also measured in cups as expecting her to operate the kitchen scales was perhaps a bit over-ambitious!

So here is the art of making raspberry muffins al la Faye.

First we add 3 cups of GF plain flour, 3 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1tsp of Xanthum gum to a big bowl.

VERY serious effort and concentration required here...

...just need to check it's all mixed in with 1/2 cup light brown soft sugar and a pinch of salt.

Now in a separate bowl mix together an egg, 1 1/4 cups milk and 1/4 cup olive oil...

...and in a third bowl bash some frozen raspberries. This was a really fun part!

Now mix everything together. Mummy said with muffins it's really important not to over-mix (but I didn't really listen as it was all gooey and fun)

Carefully drop the mixture into a mini muffin pan. Mummy has a really good one that doesn't need oiled or paper cases, the muffins just slip out when they are cooked!

I like this part a lot!

Can you tell which ones are Mummy's and which ones are mine?

Now Mummy put the muffins in the oven. I wasn't allowed to do this bit as I am not big enough to reach the oven and Mummy said it was very burny!

So I drew a bit whilst they were cooking...

Once they were ready they looked deeeeeeeelicious

I wasn't very happy as I had to wait until they cooled down on the rack. Mummy said I need to learn some patience.

Now is the best bit. I got a glass of milk to go with my tasty muffin and I even licked my lips with excitement!

The good thing with these muffins is there is no paper for them to stick to so you can break them up...

AND POP THEM STRAIGHT IN YOUR MOUTH...YUM!

They tasted as yummy as Mummy's. We were tempted to eat them all but Mummy said we should keep some for Daddy to try later.

THE END

Another little hobby of mine...

2011-09-14T15:33:00.000+01:00

I thought you might like to see some of the other hobbies I like to get up when I am not cooking. The painting was one I did when the kids were also drawing and painting; another use for the kitchen table!

Crocheting is something I taught myself over the Winter last year and now the dark nights are drawing in I will return to.

Both hobbies are almost as relaxing as cooking!

Wheat-free does not = lack of taste!

2011-08-23T14:01:00.000+01:00

At the weekend I organised a charity walk in memory of my Uncle Ian and in aid of Starthcarron Hospice. This was the second year organising the event and the deal was you pay an entry fee, walk a scenic 10K route around Bo'ness where I grew up then eat as much home baking as you could manage at the finish line.

Lots of people, including myself baked an obscene amount of goodies and they were all laid out on the tables for folks to enjoy. In true fashion I stuck to my motto of "If I can't eat it I don't make it" so all my tasty bites were wheat-free and the muffins were also dairy-free. I decided to put a little label on the plates, just in case someone was there who had an allergy or intolerance and it meant they could enjoy them too.

What I found interesting was nearly all my home baking was left behind. Now I made almost the same things as last year but never labelled them so I can only conclude that people without allergies are 'put off' these as they think they won't be as nice as 'normal' home bakes. When it comes to buying pre-packaged cakes they are right there is no comparison but I think I can say that you wouldn't taste the difference in mine. In fact I would go as far as saying my muffins are better! I thought this was due to my wonderful baking skills but when on BBD Ed Baines told me that a lot of American bakeries choose to use wheat-free flour when making muffins as it works better than normal flour. Normal flour reacts with the other ingredients (hence why you must never over-stir the mixture).

Potato Patch

2011-07-19T14:05:00.000+01:00

Well we finally managed to move two tonnes of soil from the front garden, around the back, up the stairs and into the raised beds. It took a while...but it's done. The problem is we need another tonne to finish it!

In the meantime, the potatoes were sown and grown. I aptly grew some 'Nicola' potatoes, not a variety I've eaten before, I usually buy Maris Pipers or Roosters. I've also planted some New Potatoes, but they are a few weeks behind.

Potatoes are a strange thing to grow, there is so much happening 'up above' but you have no idea until you dig up your first crop just how well they have grown. I patiently waited on them flowering then the excitement took over and with fork in hand I dug up the first plant. I was so proud to see the beautiful potatoes underneath.

The next question was, what to do with them?

Craig wanted homemade chips so they were sliced (skins left on) and coated in some olive oil. They were put on a stone slab and cooked in a very hot oven for about 25mins, in my opinion by far the best way to make chips!

Unfortunately they were scoffed before I could take a picture!

It is wonderful having your own produce that you can nip out, collect and have in the oven ready to eat. This year is just a taste of what it will be like next year as the garden will be bursting with fresh homegrown produce :-)

Busy busy busy...

2011-04-22T08:16:00.000+01:00

I have so many tasty things I want to add to my blog but finding the time is proving to be difficult at the moment. Four kids, working and partner who is now has a leg in plaster is taking up a lot of time!

I am desperately trying to get a new veggie patch up and running. I had big plans for this year and was really wanting to have lots of fruit growing. Sadly I missed the boat on purchasing fruit trees and canes as you have to buy them before they start to shoot, usually by the end of March. I will have to wait until September now.

I have a load of potatoes ready to go in, it's just taking a while to get the soil prepared. Hopefully they will go in soon and in about twelve weeks time we will be eating the first lot from the garden. I can't wait.

In the meantime I will try and get writing again.

Birthday Treats

2011-03-25T21:34:00.000Z

I am helping to organise a surprise birthday bash for my friend tomorrow night and she would never forgive me if I didn't take my luscious lemon cheesecake. It is a recipe passed to me by my Auntie Pat and it is simply divine. I use hobnobs for the biscuit base but if you want the recipe to be GF then just use GF biscuits.

After making a lemon drizzle cake last year with potato it has always been a bit of a joke with Liza that I can make a cake from any veg. To prove that I can I am thinking of making a chocolate and courgette cake. I have heard it's yum but the proof will be in the eating.

I am thinking of having a play with this recipe and making it GF:

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/633634/chocolate-courgette-cake

My Big BBD Adventure

2011-03-20T16:02:00.000Z

Last week I jetted off to London to take part in the regional heat of Britain's Best Dish. I was head-to-head with a lovely contestant called Rose who was making a rice pudding with a whisky cream and raspberry compote.The judges were calling it 'The Battle of the Whisky' as both dishes featured it.

It was quite an experience. The three judges (Jilly Goulding, Ed Baines and John Burton Race) all sat and watched on monitors but it was possible to hear every word they were saying. Some people found this unnerving but I kept my calm and worked through the components of my dish.

The first part went without a hitch and much to the amazement of the film crew and Jilly I produced six lovely round chocolate cups from balloons and a bowl of chocolate.

The next stage was to make the shortbread dough and pop it in the fridge to harden. I had concerns as this stage as the fridge didn't seem particularly cold.

Onto the mousse and my first disaster struck. When separating the eggs I burst a yolk. The eggs have to be room temperature as they are beat into the warm chocolate. My replacement egg was freezing cold and the chocolate wasn't very forgiving with this. I could hear Ed saying that the chocolate was a disaster but I kept beating and once I put the whisky in it seemed to calm down and go lovely and glossy...phew! The whites went in fine and the mousse looked lovely in light. It joined the shortbread dough in the fridge to chill.

The dough still wasn't firm but with time ticking on I had to use it. I cut out twenty-odd biscuits and popped them in the oven. Immediately they spread out and were a disaster. I put the remaining dough in the freezer but it was too late, I didn't have enough time to leave it.

Two minutes remaining and I plated up my lovely mousse and not so lovely biscuits.

The judges tasted the rice pudding first and were not that impressed. It looked amazing and it was a lovely concept as it had some wonderful spices through it but Rose had used basmati rice and was heavily criticised for it. Ed said there were some classics you should never mess with. One is steak and the other is rice pudding.

My turn to be under the spotlight and John reckoned when the show is televised I will start a national craze of kids wanting to make the chocolate pots. They enjoyed the mousse, said it was lovely and light. They also liked the light thin crisp biscuits although they weren't shortbread!

My favourite comment was Ed saying that he really enjoyed watching me cook as I had a really nice approach to each process and was confident in the kitchen.

I got all three judges' votes but having seen the main course that had just gone through I knew that to progress I would have to up my game and bring some extra sophistication (turns out the winning dish will be on the menu at The Savoy) to it. Ideas were already whizzing through my head at this point.

Sadly only two of the four winners of the regional heats can go through to the regional final and I wasn't picked. I am undeterred though I made the most of the experience and I am already planning my dish for next time...

Marinated Salmon

2011-03-08T22:56:00.002Z

Wheat Free Yes Gluten Free Yes
Makes 4

Ingredients

4 salmon fillets

For marinade:

Splash olive oil

1 shallot chopped

1 clove garlic chopped

2cm piece ginger chopped

1tbsp GF soya sauce

1tsp Worcester sauce

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1tsp honey

1/2 tsp chilli powder (more or less depending on how you like it)

1 kaffir lime leaf

black pepper

Method

1. Add oil to pan and soften onion, garlic and ginger
2. Blend all other marinade ingredients together
3. Spoon over fish and leave to marinate, preferably for at least three hours
4. Heat oven to 180 degrees centigrade
5. Wrap fish in tinfoil
6. Cook for approx 20min (depending on thickness of fish)
7. Serve with rice and stir fried vegetables (sugarsnap peas, babycorn etc)
8. Enjoy!

Salmon

Paul's Marinated Salmon

2011-03-08T22:56:00.000Z

The best bit about working on a Tuesday is getting home and enjoying a lovely meal prepared by Paul. He is an experimental cook in the kitchen, rarely follows a recipe and his meals are always yummy.

I arrived home tonight to find Faye already tucking into tea and a wonderful aroma in the kitchen. The meal was so delicious I had to pinch the recipe and add it to my post.

Chocoholics Dream!

2011-03-05T08:24:00.000Z

I made the decision to use Green & Blacks chocolate in my BBD recipe because not only does it taste amazing, I agree with the ethics of the company and the white, milk and dark are certified gluten free. It's great when companies go to the effort to state this on their website, it makes sourcing ingredients so much easier.

The problem with practising the dish so much is the cost as the 100g bars are £2.09 each. I decided to contact G&B, explain my predicament and ask for a few samples. I was not disappointed! A parcel arrived yesterday with a whopping 1.8kg of chocolate!

Included was some cook's chocolate which I have never used before. I am excited to use it, both in my BBD creation and in some new recipes.

Thanks G&B!

POP!

2011-03-05T08:15:00.000Z

I decided to practise my chocolate baskets as I usually melt the chocolate in the microwave and the show contacted me to say there wouldn't be one on the set. I have to revert to the traditional method of a bowl over simmering water on the stove. All seemed fine, the chocolate looked lovely and glossy so I blew up the balloons and started dipping them in the chocolate, admiring the lovely patterns I had made.

What I hadn't anticipated was the method must heat the chocolate up more. This didn't have a great affect on the balloons as one by one they burst and I got covered in chocolate!

A bit messy; the kids were gutted they missed it!

A nice surprise...

2011-03-02T16:12:00.001Z

I was lucky enough to receive a flour hamper in the post today, courtesy of Healthy Supplies They offer a wide range of huge supply of different products and their website is well worth a visit. They have a large range of GF flours and I am excited by some of the unusual ones I have been sent. I can't wait to conjure up some tasty GF recipes form them.

A big thanks to Healthy Supplies :-)

Herby Potatoes

2011-03-02T16:06:00.001Z

Wheat Free Yes Gluten Free Yes
Makes 4 portions

Ingredients
4-5 large potatoes (I like to use Maris Piper)
Large glug of olive oil
Mixed dried herbs (I like Italian seasoning)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220oC
2. Cut the potatoes into small chunks (no need to take the skin off)
3. Dry the potatoes with some kitchen roll then put into a bowl
4. Coat in olive oil and a good sprinkle of herbs
5. Place on a pre-heated baking tray then cook in the oven for 25-30min or until crispy and golden brown.
6. Enjoy!

Peking Pork Chops

2011-03-02T16:04:00.001Z

Wheat Free Yes Gluten Free Yes
Makes 4

Ingredients

1/4 brown sugar
1/4 cup tomato ketchup
1/2 cup GF soya sauce
4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp Chinese 5 spice
8 pork loin steaks

Method

1 Layer the pork loin steaks in the bottom of the slow cooker
2. Mix all ingredients together and spoon over the pork
3. Cook on a low heat for three-four hours (this depends on the slow cooker, I tend to judge myself how long it takes)
4. Enjoy! I like to serve it with herby potatoes and corn on the cob.

Going out with a bang...

2011-02-26T22:22:00.001Z

I decided this week that I would work on perfecting the shortbread for the show. As I am now putting it on the side I have to make it in individual rounds. This alters the cooking times.

The first batch wasn't great, it had been overworked, was too soft and it just flattened out in the oven. It just didn't have the rich buttery texture and taste and was a real disappointment.

Batch 2 and I had it sussed. Beautiful taste and texture, just a bit on the big side. I need a tiny cutter.

Batch 3 went off with a bang...literally! The power tripped in the house as the cooker decided to pack it. How is that for bad timing! A quick phone call to a local repairer and they sent someone round that day. I really must use the "I need it fixed I am going on the telly" excuse more often as usually they can't send someone out for about a week!

Anyway it's fixed now so on with perfecting the shortbread...

Practise practise practise!

2011-02-23T18:31:00.000Z

Well now that I am going to actually be on the show it's time to get serious with my dish! The producers were so taken with my shortbread and thought it was a waste to put it as a base, so I have taken their advice and put it on the side. But how to serve my mousse? Well after various attempts at making a chocolate cup I had a flash of inspiration and thought I would try balloons. Normal balloons were too large (I don't want a big massive wide cup) so I opted to use small water balloons. As you can imagine, February is not really balloon fight weather in Scotland so with a little searching a found a source and forked out a whole 45p for a bag of them.

Crazy thing is, when you go online there are tons of videos on using balloons! I had no idea.

Anyway balloon and pump in hand I blew up a few, got the chocolate melted and hey presto...baskets a plenty. I couldn't wait for the chocolate to dry so I could see if they would work...and they did! I am so chuffed with the quirky method and I am sure it will look really fun on TV :-)

I now need to put some extra effort in perfecting the shortbread. I am no longer making it in a tin, therefore the cooking times have changed and I am having problems with it spreading out. I want it to keep its lovely round shape.

I have three weeks left to perfect it...watch this space...

Woo hoo!!!!

2011-02-16T19:01:00.000Z

Guess who is off to London next month to the televised stage of BBD?

Yiiiiiiiiiiippppppppppppeeeeeeeeeeeeeee :-D

Local Whisky...

2011-02-06T09:42:00.002Z

A local malt whisky blend: Sheep Dip

Audition for Britain's Best Dish

2011-02-06T09:36:00.003Z

After realising that I wasn't perhaps wacky enough to be on Come Dine with Me (have you seen the show lately; it's full of nutters!), or brave enough to enter Masterchef I decided to go for it and apply to Britain's Best Dish. For those of you who haven't seen it (but I am sure most of you foodies have as it's a good show) it's on ITV at teatime and the point of the show is basically to find Britain's Best Dish. Regional auditions are held and you can enter a starter, main course or desert and it must be true to your region. If you get to the TV stage you go head to head with other contestants and eventually the entries are whittled down to a final. Another massive bonus is the prize is £10,000.

Well obviously my entry had to have two key component elements; Gluten free and chocolate! I immediately opted for a desert as I am fed up going to restaurants and finding ice-cream the only option on the menu. As I have said before I also find some GF cookbooks frustrating as the recipes are lengthy with lots of blended specialist flours. My aim was for my dish to be tasty, locally sourced and relatively straightforward for others to recreate. The recipe had to be mine, not a slight adaptation of a recipe but all mine.
A few ideas immediately sprung to mind. I really fancied using shortbread; it's true to us Scots and if you can make a good GF shortbread you can make a good GF anything! Shortbread should be crisp, buttery and have that wonderful melt in the mouth texture.

Jam was also on my mind. As you may have read in earlier blogs we frequent Cairnie Food Farm a lot (the kids love it) and we had a great time there in the Autumn berry picking. It was a real family effort and we still have loads of jam to use up.

My other idea was whisky; can't get more Scottish than that! I also found that a Malt blend is produced at Spencerfield Farm, a mere stones throw from here.
So with all these ideas on the go my initial thought was a dark chocolate mousse with strawberry shortbread.

The tricky part was getting the blend of flour right in the shortbread. I read that cornflour is sometimes used to give shortbread the smooth texture (not sure if traditional shortbread makers would agree?) but since it's GF I decided to blend it with the GF Dove's Flour you get in most supermarkets. The other tricky part was how to incorporate gooey sticky jam into the shortbread. I found by rolling the dough between clingfilm worked a treat, it let the jam ooze about without sticking to the rolling pin.

That was the shortbread sorted now onto the mousse. I kept the recipe simple. My first attempt just used dark chocolate but I found it too rich. Again it was a case of trying different quantities of dark to milk. I used Green & Blacks because not only is it divine, the milk chocolate is certified GF. Once the balance of chocolate was sorted it was time to add the whisky. How much to add? This had to be down to taste and taste alone.

Once the recipe was done and dusted the big debate was how to serve it? Two options; the mousse in a cup with the shortbread on the side? Or a shortbread base with the mousse on top? This is still under debate!

So onto the auditions, how did it go? I was really excited but when I got there the nerves kicked in. Seeing other people with their masterpieces makes you realise there are lots of people out there just as passionate about food.

Once I went in and spoke to the producers my nerves disappeared. I just told them about my dish and why I feel it is a winner (and it is!). I was proud that it was GF and more so it was Scottish...very Scottish!

The worst part of the audition was being filmed whilst you say a little something about the dish. I came out thinking "Just how cheesy did I sound?" I also realised when I got on the train home I was so wrapped up in saying it was Scottish I forgot to mention on camera it was gluten free!

So how did I do? All I can say is I did my best and it's up to the producers to make their decision now. I should hear in the next seven to ten days so fingers crossed.

...in the meantime, chocolate mousse anyone?

Good Food...Great Day!

2010-11-07T08:17:00.000Z

Courtesy of The Big Issue (where I won tickets in a competition) Paul and I headed for a much deserved day out to The Good Food Show in Glasgow. Having never been before I was really excited at spending a day there and I wasn't disappointed. The sight of aisle upon aisle of various produce was amazing and the smells were tantalising!

We had quite a methodical approach of wandering up one aisle at a time and sampling the delights of each stand. It was quickly obvious that most of the produce was Scottish, something I never expected but was excited to see and taste. We tried sausages, cheese, fish and various chutneys to name but a few.

We treated ourselves to tickets to see Gordon Ramsay in the theatre and I have to say it was well worth the money. He was even better in the flesh and managed to cook a three course meal in forty-five minutes! This made us hungry and we had a quick bite to eat at the Masterchef cafe...a small main course for a fiver...nice but a bit odd eating it with a wooden fork and a plastic spoon!
We then went to A Taste of Scotland for a twenty five minute show 'Sweet Treats'. This was rather disappointing and wasn't worth the £3 a ticket.

If I could change one thing I would have ditched the £5 meal and the £3 ticket and opted for Nick Nairn's Cook School. It was £10 to cook a dish (quite a few on offer to choose from) and you got to eat it once you were done. I think it looked good fun and value for money.

All in all a great day out, especially since the tickets were free!

In the bag

2010-10-02T07:26:00.003+01:00

As a member of the UK Food Bloggers Association I received an interesting invitation to an event yesterday called 'In the bag'. I basically have until 14th October to come up with a recipe using the following three ingredients; mushrooms, nuts and herbs.

Stuffed mushrooms immediately sprung to mind. Too obvious? What do you think? I have since bashed a few ideas around and there seems to be quite a lot of 'stuffing' going on. I quite like the idea of stuffing chicken with the ingredients (maybe using porcini mushrooms) and sitting it on a bed of risotto.

I saw some lovely pork fillet at the butchers the other day. I don't cook a lot with pork so maybe I should try something different.

Hmmmmmm choices choices...

Lazy lovely Saturday mornings...

2010-09-05T22:43:00.001+01:00

Saturday mornings are a bit of a treat in our house with lie-ins and late breakfasts (apart from poor Craig who usually has a footie match to go to). The highlight of the morning is usually breakfast where tradition is boiled egg and soldiers or bacon butties, closely followed by lovely warm homemade pancakes. I love pancakes, they are so easy to make yet always seem like a real treat.

There is a bit of a divide in our house when it comes to pancakes, some like big thin pancakes that they can roll up, others like little thick pancakes and of course there is the big debate over choice of topping; syrup or jam! At the moment with jars upon jars of homemade jam in the house it is a clear favourite.

Consistancy of the mixture comes with practice and over time you get a 'feel' for it. Big thin pancakes need a runny consistancy wheras thick 'American style' pancakes warrant a thicker mixture. As they say, practice makes perfect!
Once you have eaten your pancakes all that is usually left is to wipe up sticky jam and syrup from the kitchen table! It doesn't seem to matter how big you make the pancakes, kids (and adults) seem to get sticky toppings everywhere :-S

Perfect Pancakes

2010-09-05T22:32:00.001+01:00

Wheat Free Yes Gluten Free Yes
Makes lots!

Ingredients
2 cups GF self raising flour
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
2 cups milk (might need more or less depending on the shape of pancake)

Method
1. In a bowl mix together the flour, sugar and salt.
2. Make a well in the centre and add the milk and eggs.
3. Using a whisk mix until smooth.
4. Leave for 10 mins.
5. Coat a griddle or non-stick pan with a little oil (wipe excess off with some kitchen roll). Put on a medium-hot heat.
6. Using a ladle pour onto the pan and use the back of the ladle to smooth it out. Once bubbles appear all over the pancake flip over.
7. Keep warm under a clean teatowel and repeat until all the mixture is used up.
8. Enjoy!

Silly Sausage...

2010-08-29T09:23:00.001+01:00

I was making a chicken casserole and I often throw in a few sausages to bulk it out a bit (it's not cheap feeding six!). I usually buy normal sausages and I just stick to eating the chicken.

Whilst in Asda I popped a packet of sausages in the basket that were just a £1. 'They'll do' I thought to myself.

It wasn't until I was home cooking and about to put the empty wrapper in the bin that the words 'coeliac association' caught my eye. It turns out that Asda pork sausages are gluten free and this is not advertised on the front of the packaging, so you don't have to pay the usual hiked up prices for sausages anymore!

Very Entertaining...

2010-08-22T08:47:00.002+01:00

Faye is now six months so it was deemed time to be brave and try entertaining! A couple of friends came over, usually we go a bit OTT in the cooking but last night we kept it simple (and cheap!). A lovely lemon drizzle cake (made with mashed potato!) was thrown in the oven in the morning and left to cool. This was to be served later with the homemade ice-cream from last week.
We had four chicken fillets in the fridge and a garden full of herbs so Paul and I punted a few ideas back and forth before finding a lovely recipe on the BBC Good food website.
Mushroom stuffed chicken with lemon thyme risotto
The chicken we had was skinless so it was stuffed with the mushroom mixture then wrapped in parma ham.
The risotto was made in tandem with Faye getting her supper and we dished up just as she went to bed...perfect timing!
The freshness of the risotto was amazing. If I was to make it again I think I would butterfly and flatten out the chicken, spread over the mixture then roll it up and ballotine it (wrap the cylinder in clingfilm). I would then cook it for about 15min in boiling water. This would keep the chicken beatifully moist. I would then cut it into 'pinwheels' and lie it on the risotto.

Beat but not giving up...

2010-08-16T08:52:00.001+01:00

I feel quite confident now at adapting recipes and in general the results are pretty good but one thing has me beat...scones!

I can get the taste right but they never rise the way a good scone should. I have tried various recipes from the web, adapted a few of my own, switched flours and quantities and still the results aren't perfect.

With all this jam in the cupboard now I just have to get the recipe right. There is nothing like the taste of a warm homemade scone drizzled with jam and some cream, yum!

I refuse to give up though. The boys go back to school on Wednesday so if all goes to plan they will come home to the aroma of delicious scones rising beautifully in the oven. I could of course make traditional scones but there is an unwritten rule in our house...if I can't eat it, I don't make it!

Jam...and lots of it!

2010-08-15T08:49:00.002+01:00

Wednesday night was spent making jam...and Thursday...and Friday! Rather than stand over a boiling pot I decided to use my breadmaker. I have had it for years and never used the jam setting as it just seems a bit odd!

First we (the boys and I) made seedless raspberry jam as Craig and Alistair like smooth jam best (moaned like mad last year when I didn't make any). Al spent the better part of an hour pushing the fruit through a seive. To start with a wooden spoon was used, then a pestle and finally we just used our hands (messy but fun!).

Four cups of sugar was put into the breadmaker along with four cups of fruit and half a lemon. Jam setting was selected and all we had to do was wait an hour and twenty minutes. Easy!

The first batch was lovely, slightly on the runny side but beautifully sweet. We couldn't wait on it cooling so it could be spread on some toast.

We ended up making seedless raspberry, raspberry, chunky strawberry (my favourite) and smooth strawberry. I think I counted twenty-five jars so that should keep us going for a while!

...next stop homemade ice-cream!

Berry Nice!

2010-08-13T09:48:00.001+01:00

Wednesday morning and we were all set to have a day berry picking at Cairnie Fruit farm. The weather had other ideas but undeterred we packed up the car and headed off.

Cairnie Fruit farm is so much more than just a fruit farm. The highlight is a huge six acre Maize Maze which is grown in a different shape each year. You have to find ten markers within the maze and believe me it's not easy! We split into two groups and it still took over an hour to complete the challenge. If that's not enough there are go-carts, trampolines, flying-fox and giant bales to name but a few other fun activities.

Once you are tired and hungry you can head to the cafe which is a real treat. All the cakes are made in the kitchen and there are quite a few gluten-free options. The best bit is they are not overpriced. A GF shorbread will cost you the same price as the normal one (£0.85). It is also the first place I have been to offering GF pitta pockets with chicken and salad. Yip "no need to go for the baked spud option" I hear you say!

We did the berry picking first as it was quite rainy and the cover on the strawberries kept us dry. There is something very therapeutic about berry picking, even the boys were quiet! Onto the raspberries and we think they were a different variety from last year as they were huge!

Once the berries were all paid for and packed away in the car it was time to spend the afternoon having fun and the day was ended with a delicious homemade ice-cream from the cafe. I opted for the strawberry variety (made with the farm's fruit) and it was deeeeeeeeeeelicious!

A great day out for adults and kids of all ages:

Cairnie Fruit Farm

Back to blogging...finally!

2010-08-08T09:06:00.002+01:00

Well Faye is now six months and I am finally returning to my blog (took just a tad longer than expected). I am going to try and write on a Sunday morning, no promises mind!

As well as cooking for the family Faye is now weaning so I am conjuring up yummy meals for her too. I just love to write about cooking, read about cooking, watch people cook on the TV (Masterchef is my favourite programme) and of course COOK! Maybe I need a change in career?

My ultimate goal is to write a gluten-free cookbook, one that contains simple recipes that are usually not gluten-free (dishes that normally contains wheat or gluten). Many of the recipe books on the market are quite frankly a waste of money as they contain recipes that are gluten-free anyway. For example why do I need a recipe for gluten-free risotto when a general recipe will suffice?

Anyway my goal for the time being is to update this blog on a regular basis.

Remember folks - these recipes are just as tasty for the wheat-eating majority and trust me, they won't taste any difference! I recently made dessert for fifty people (my sister's Silver Wedding bash) and I made all of them wheat-free.

Chocolate Birthday Cake

2010-08-08T08:52:00.003+01:00

Wheat Free Yes Gluten Free Yes
Makes 1 Large Cake

Warning - This cake is super-chocolatey and a trust me, a tiny slice will suffice!

I made this cake for my son's birthday. He does not follow a gluten-free diet however there is unwritten rule in our house that if I can't eat it, I don't make it! I also made it for my sister's Silver Wedding anniversary bash. It is very rich, some kids find it too rich so I would class this as a real 'adult' indulgence.

The recipe is based on a BBC Good Food recipe however I have tweaked quite a few of the ingredients, the number of tins used, oven temp and time so I would class it now as my own.

Ingredients

175g good quality dark chocolate , about 70% cocoa solids

25g good quality milk chocolate

200g butter, softened

1 tsp instant coffee granules mixed with 125ml cold water

85g Gluten free self-raising flour

85g gluten free plain flour

1⁄4 tsp bicarbonate of soda

200g light muscovado sugar

200g golden caster sugar

25g cocoa powder

3 medium eggs

100ml milk

grated chocolate or curls, to decorate

For the ganache:

175g good quality dark chocolate , about 70% cocoa solids

25g good quality milk chocolate
284ml carton double cream

Method

Preheat the oven to fan 160C/ gas 3
Grease and line three shallow cake tins
Break the chocolate in pieces into a medium, heavy-based pan. Tip in the butter, then pour in the coffee mixture. Warm through over a low heat just until everything is melted (don't overheat).
While the chocolate is melting, mix the two flours, bicarbonate of soda, sugars and cocoa in a big bowl, mixing with your hands to get rid of any lumps. Beat the eggs in a bowl and stir in the milk.
Now pour the melted chocolate mixture and the egg mixture into the flour mixture, stirring just until everything is well blended and you have a smooth, quite runny consistency. Divide this evenly between the three tins and bake for about 25 minutes. If you push a skewer in the centre it should come out clean and the top should feel firm (don't worry if it cracks a bit). Leave to cool in the tins then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
When the cakes are cold make the ganache. Chop the chocolate into small pieces and tip into a bowl. Pour the cream into a pan, add the sugar, and heat until it is about to boil. Take off the heat and pour it over the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.
Put the ganache in the fridge to firm a little (spreading consistancy)
Sandwich the layers together with just a little of the ganache. Using a palette knife cover the top and sides of the cake. Decorate with grated chocolate, chocolate icing (shop bought fudge writing icing is fab) or a pile of chocolate curls. The cake keeps moist and gooey for 3-4 days.

Enjoy!

Wee update...

2010-02-09T01:49:00.001Z

Well I haven't been on here much lately, so apologies to anyone who has been checking for updates. I am hoping to get blogging again and add lots of new recipes that I have tried over the past few weeks. Mind you with a new baby due in just under a week posts may be a little sporadic! I'll try my best though...

Roti

2009-10-29T13:27:00.004Z

Ingredients

400g GF plain flour

4 1/2 tbsp Baking powder

3/4 tsp Salt

370 ml water

butter or ghee, as needed

Method

1. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together into a large bowl.

2. Add the water and mix in thoroughly to form a firm dough. Knead until smooth and set aside to rest for 30 minutes.

3. Knead the rested dough and divide into 12 small even-sized balls. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each dough-ball into a thin circle.

4. In a hot griddle or frying pan cook each roti for about one minute each side, remove, brush with butter or ghee then place onto a naked flame of a gas hob for a few sec each side. This will puff the roti up slightly and give it a mode traditional look and taste.

5. Keep warm under a clean towel until ready to eat.

Gluten Free Fish Supper…from a Chippie!

2009-10-29T13:19:00.003Z

I am afraid I am not very good at keeping this blog up-to-date. I now have a huge backlog of recipes and ideas to add, it's finding the time that's the problem. When you write for a living, it's sometimes hard to be bothered in the evening to stick the PC back on!

Anyway, enough of whining from me, I have a little well kept secret to share. Whilst on holiday last week I found a chippie (fish and chip shop) that sells Gluten Free Fish suppers. They can't guarantee there will be no contamination, as they use the same fryer for other fish but for me it was fine. It tasted amazing, really crispy and it was impossible to tell the difference.

So if you are up in the Dunkeld area I recommend you give it a go. It's the chippie on the main street.

Guide to Flour...

2009-10-06T14:13:00.001+01:00

Amaranth flour

Amaranth flour is made from the seed of the Amaranth plant, which is a leafy vegetable. Amaranth seeds are very high in protein, which makes a nutritious flour for baking. Alternative names: African spinach, Chinese spinach, Indian spinach, elephants ear.

Wheat free yes Gluten free yes

Arrowroot flour

Arrowroot flour is ground from the root of the plant, and is very useful for thickening recipes. It is tasteless, and the fine powder becomes clear when it is cooked, which makes it ideal for thickening clear sauces.
Wheat free yes Gluten free yes

Barley flour

Barley only contains a small amount of gluten, so is rarely used to make bread, with the exception of unleavened bread. It has a slightly nutty flavour, and can be used to thicken or flavour soups or stews. Blended with other alternative flours it is also fairly versatile for cakes, biscuits, pastry, dumplings etc.

Wheat free yes Gluten free no

Brown rice flour

Brown rice flour is heavier than its relative, white rice flour. It is milled from npolished brown rice so it has a higher nutritional value than white, and as it contains the bran of the brown rice it has a higher fibre content. This also means that it has a noticeable texture, a bit grainy.

It does have a slight nutty taste, which will sometimes come out in recipes depending on the other ingredients, and the texture will also contribute to a heavier product than recipes made with white rice flour.

It is not often used completely on its own because of its heavier nature.

Bulk buying is not recommended as it is better used when fresh, store in an airtight container.

Wheat free yes Gluten free yes

Buckwheat flour

Buckwheat flour is not, despite its name a form of wheat, buckwheat is actually related to rhubarb. The small seeds of the plant are ground to make
flour.

It has a strong nutty taste so is not generally used on its own in a recipe, as the taste of the finished product can be very overpowering, and a little bitter. Alternative names: beech wheat, kasha, saracen corn.

Wheat free yes Gluten free yes

Chick pea flour (also known as gram or garbanzo flour)

This is ground from chick peas and has a strong slightly nutty taste. It is not generally used on its own.

Wheat free yes Gluten free yes

Cornflour

Cornflour is milled from corn into a fine, white powder, and is used for thickening recipes and sauces. It has a bland taste, and therefore is used in conjunction with other ingredients that will impart flavour to the recipe.

It also works very well when mixed with other flours, for example when making fine batters for tempura.

Some types of cornflour are milled from wheat but are labelled wheaten cornflour.

Alternative name: cornstarch.

Wheat free yes Gluten free yes

Cornmeal

Ground from corn. Heavier than cornflour, not generally interchangeable in recipes.
Wheat free yes Gluten free yes

Maize flour

Ground from corn. Heavier than cornflour, not generally interchangeable in recipes.

Available in the UK in wholefood stores.

Wheat free yes Gluten free yes

Millet flour

Comes from the grass family, and is used as a cereal in many African and Asian countries. It can be used to thicken soups and make flat breads and griddle cakes. Because it lacks any form of gluten it's not suited to many types of baking. Available in the UK in wholefood stores.

Wheat free yes Gluten free yes

Potato flour

This flour should not be confused with potato starch flour. Potato flour has a strong potato flavour and is a heavy flour so a little goes a long way. Bulk

buying is not recommended unless you are using it on a very regular basis for a variety of recipes as it does not have a very long shelf life.

Wheat free yes Gluten free yes

Potato starch flour

This is a fine white flour made from potatoes, and has a light potato flavour which is undetectable when used in recipes. It's one of the few alternative flours that keeps very well provided it is stored in an airtight jar, and somewhere cool and dark.

Wheat free yes Gluten free yes

Rye flour

Rye flour is a strongly flavoured flour, dark in colour. Breads made with rye flour are denser than those made with wheat, for example pumpernickel which is virtually black. Rye flour has a low gluten content, but it can also be used for recipes such as pancakes and muffins.

Wheat free yes Gluten free no

Sorghum flour

This is a relatively new flour on the market, and not readily available in the UK. It is ground from sorghum grain, which is similar to millet. The flour is used to make porridge or flat unleavened breads. It is an important staple in Africa and India.

This flour stores well under normal temperatures.

Wheat free yes Gluten free yes

Soya flour

Soya flour is a high protein flour with a nutty taste. It is not generally used on it's own in recipes, but when combined with other flours is very successful as an alternative flour. Can be used to thicken recipes or added as a flavour enhancer.

It needs to be carefully stored as it is a high fat flour and can go rancid if not stored properly. A cool, dark environment is recommended and can even be stored in the refrigerator.

Wheat free yes Gluten free yes

Spelt flour

Despite what many flour and product manufacturers will tell you, spelt is an ancient form of wheat and should be avoided for wheat free cooking.

Some people with a wheat intolerance can eat spelt flour, but this is on an individual basis.

Wheat free no Gluten free no

Tapioca flour

Tapioca flour is made from the root of the cassava plant, once ground it takes the form of a light, soft, fine white flour. Tapioca flour adds chewiness to baking and is a good thickener. Although difficult to source in the UK tapioca flour is an excellent addition to any wheat free kitchen. It's a fairly resilient flour, so storing at room temperature is no problem.

Wheat free yes Gluten free yes

Victoria Sponge Squares

2009-10-02T14:07:00.007+01:00

Wheat Free Yes
Gluten Free Yes

Makes 20 Small squares

Ingredients
150g Softened butter
150g Caster sugar
1tsp Vanilla extract
2 eggs
150g Plain flour sifted (gluten free specialist flour)
1tsp Baking powder
3 tbsp Milk

Filling:
Jam
Whipped cream

To finish:
Dusting icing sugar

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 170oC
2. Beat together the butter, sugar and vanilla extract
3. Add the egg, flour and baking powder mixture and mix together
4. Spoon into a greased and lined oblong baking tin
5. Bake in the oven for approx 15-20min
6. Leave for a couple of minutes to cool then remove from tin and cool completely on a wire rack
7. Cut into 20 small squares
8. Slice each square across the middle and sandwich back together with jam and cream
9. Dust with icing sugar and enjoy!

Coffee Morning Calamity

2009-09-25T12:37:00.003+01:00

After remembering at 9pm last night I had promised to bake for a Macmillan Coffee morning today, I went to the baking cupboard and found I had a bit of a flour crisis on my hands. Lack of flour was the problem, however tucked at the back was a bag of WF/GF plain flour.

The intention was to make a Victoria sponge, however I seemed to have mislaid one of the round baking tins. So it was time to improvise again and the whole mixture got poured into an oblong baking tin, chucked in the oven and fingers crossed! It turned out a bit uneven, but maneagable. Once cool I cut it into small squares, cut each in half then sandwiched back together with some homemade raspberry jam and cream. A wee sprinking of icing sugar on top and hey presto, the boys are off to school today with a tin of yummy sponge squares. I have made it clear that anyone can eat them, not just us allergy sufferers! Recipe to follow...

A splash here and a dash there...

2009-09-22T14:24:00.001+01:00

I have come to realise that the trickiest bit about this blog is the recipe writing. The problem is, I very rarely measure when I am cooking. If it's a cake recipe then yes I do tend to pull out the scales but for most meals I don't bother, it's just a splash here and a dash there. It makes cooking quick, but writing the recipes down a bit more work.

Can I get away with splashes and dashes on my blog I wonder? What do you think?

Oat, Chocolate Chip & Cranberry Cookies

2009-09-15T22:41:00.005+01:00

Wheat Free Yes
Gluten Free Yes (if you use GF flour, baking powder and oats)

Makes 24

125g Butter
125g Light brown soft sugar
1tsp Vanilla extract
1 egg
90g Plain flour sifted (gluten free specialist flour or rice flour. If using rice flour also add a splash of milk otherwise they will be quite dry)
1/2tsp Baking powder mixed with 4tsp warm water (check label as some powders contain gluten)
140g Porridge oats (for gluten free cookies uses GF oats)
185g Milk choc chips & cranberries (you can use one or the other or I like a mixture of both)
25g Dessicated coconut
75g Raisins

Method
--------
1. Preheat the oven to 170oC
2. Beat together the butter, sugar and vanilla essence
3. Add the egg, flour and baking powder mixture and mix together
4. In a separate bowl mix the remaining ingredients
5. Mix both mixtures together
6. Place rounded spoonfuls onto a baking tray
7. Bake in the oven for approx 10min
8. Leave for a couple of minutes to cool then cool completely on a wire rack
9. Enjoy!

Recipe Update

2009-09-15T22:37:00.002+01:00

Not been on here for about a week, just been far too busy! Managed to cook loads, just not had the time to write it all down. Did some home baking this week...really must give you my infamous cookie recipe (I don't share it with everyone you know!)

Saturday's ratings

2009-09-07T13:29:00.004+01:00

Just remembered, need to rate Saturday's posh dinner:

Pan fired scallops with lime and coriander
-----------------------------------------
This was nice but not quite as tasty as I expected. Maybe more lime would have done the trick, 8/10

Grilled hake with spring onion mash and morel mushroom sauce
-----------------------------------------------------------------
This was very tasty, the hake was amazing and the sauce really reminded me of being in Italy. We couldn't get morel mushrooms so used porcini. The recipe Paul used was a bit vague and I think incorrect at times so there was a bit of improvising along the way. 8 1/2 out of 10

Lemon drizzle cake
-------------------
I was intrigued by this recipe as it used almonds and mashed potato instead of flour. It tasted amazing, so light and lemony! The only thing I would change is the lemon drizzle. I would use a lemon syrup (and will amend the recipe accordingly). I wasn't sure about using almonds but you don't taste them at all. 9/10 :-)

Last Night's Tea

2009-09-07T13:25:00.003+01:00

Bit out of sync here as I didn't get around to posting after tea last night. On the menu was chicken kebabs in a yoghurt, lemon & coriander marinade, with couscous (for the wheat0eaters) or quinoa (for the non-wheat eaters). Spiced the quinoa up with some beans, tinned tomotoes and fresh chilli. It was a bit sludgey but tasted great.

Leftover lemon drizzle cake for desert!

All was a bit hit, kids and adults alike :-)

Vegetable & Chickpea Curry

2009-09-07T13:23:00.003+01:00

Wheat Free Yes
Gluten Free Yes

Part 1
----------
In a wok or large pot add some oil, when hot add the following:

4-5 cloves
Sprinkle Fennel seeds
Sprinkle Mustard seeds (watch these ones pop and jump out the pan)
Sprinkle Caraway seeds
3-4 Cardamon Pods
3 garlic cloves (crushed)

Mix for a minute to release the flavours.

Part 2
---------
You can use any vegetables, I used:

Small cauliflower broken into florets
Brocolli cut into florets
Mooli cut into discs
Large carrot cut into discs
Packet sugarsnap peas
Packet babycorn (cut into three)
4 medium potatoes cut into chunks
1/4 cabbage cut into strips

2 tins chopped tomatoes plus 1/2 tin cold water
Tin chickpeas (drained and rinsed)

*Note I made the veg chunky however it can also be tasty if cut into smaller pieces. The trick is to try and make the veg roughly equal size bites. Other vegeatables I have used before

Add all ingredients (except the cabbge) to the pan and mix.

Part 3
---------
Add to the mixture:

4 teaspoons Cumin powder
4 teaspoons Garam Masala
4 teaspoons Turmeric
1 teaspoons of Fenugreek
1 Teaspoon Coriander powder
1 teaspoon of Hot Chilli powder (or fresh chillis if available)
Black Pepper
4 Bay Leaves

Part 4
---------
1. Leave to simmer with the lid on for one hour. If required, add more water to make the sauce runnier. Taste the sauce every 15 min and if it is not quite to your palatte, experient adding a little extra of the spices. It's all about tasting, adding and checking, there is no hard and fast rule for accuracy.
2. Add the cabbage about five minutes before the dish is ready.

Serve with rice, naan bread or roti.

2009-09-05T17:37:00.002+01:00

Tea was yum, making curry is a breeze :-) I will post the recipe soon.

Going for a posh tea tonight, I am on the starter and desert, Paul is making the main course.

Menu
-----
Pan fired scallops with lime and coriander
Grilled hake with spring onion mash and morel mushroom sauce
Lemon drizzle cake

These are recipes we have chosen from various website, no doubt they will be adapted a little here and there.

The hake and scallops are from a fantastic little fishmongers at the bottom of Broughton Street (not the more pricey one at the top). The scallops are huge!

The lemon drizzle cake is wheat and gluten free and uses mashed potato instead of flour! I am looking forward to tasting it. The potato is on the windowsill cooling at the moment.

Will give feedback later...as they are not my recipes I will be giving it marks out of ten :-)

2009-09-04T13:16:00.004+01:00

Bit worried about tonight's task in hand. Making an Indian curry from scratch (no curry powder involved!) with no real recipe (apart from the sketchy one Paul has given me). Never made a curry before so fingers crossed...seemingly lots of taste testing involved.

I've given up making good quality wheat free naan breads and usually make nice rotis. They are simple to make and a lot healthier. The kids love the part where I put the roti straight onto the flame on the gas hob :-)

Not sure about posting the curry recipe as I won't be measuring much. Will post the roti recipe later though.

Yummy Muffins

2009-09-03T13:43:00.002+01:00

Muffins are yum! They are in packed lunches today so we will see what marks out of ten are later :-)

Muffins

2009-09-03T13:22:00.006+01:00

Wheat Free Yes (if you use Spelt flour then No)
Gluten Free Yes (if you use Spelt flour then No)

Ingredients
------------

Sift together:
2 cups gluten free plain flour (I use spelt flour, but my wheat intolerance is not affected by it)
1tsp xanthan gum
3 1/2 tsp gluten-free baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup brown sugar

Beat together:
1 egg
1 1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup of extras (this list is extensive but I have so far tried):
blueberries
raspberries
choc chunks
fudge chopped into small bites (lovely and gooey when they melt)

all are delish!

Method
--------

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. The trick with muffins is not to overmix. Stir until only combined (batter will be lumpy)
Add 'extras'
Fill muffin cases (makes about 10 large ones). To make good quality muffins it is best to sit paper cases into a muffin tin.
Cook in oven for approx 20mins at 170oC
Enjoy warm!

Note - Can be frozen and reheated in the microwave.

Verdict
Jerry (age 12) 10/10
Craig (age 10) 10/10
Alistair (age 8) 10/10

Slight change to recipe

2009-09-02T15:46:00.000+01:00

...OK just got home and tried the concoction...more worcester sauce and a little chilli powder required just to spice it up a bit. Will amend the recipe accordingly :-)

Sausage & Chickpea Casserole

2009-09-02T12:35:00.006+01:00

Wheat Free No (but you may be OK with just a splash of Worcester sauce)
Gluten Free No (Worcester sauce may contain gluten, check for GF varieties)

Serves four
-----------
8 good quality wheat/gluten free sausages (I like the ones from Crombie's on Broughton Street, although Tesco do quite nice ones in their Free-From range)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 carrot
4 medium potatoes, quartered
1 onion, thickly chopped
1 red pepper, thickly sliced
parsley, finely chopped
300ml chicken stock (I use home-made to ensure it is WF)
tin chopped tomatoes
tin chickpeas
big splash worcester sauce (note some contain wheat)
sprinkle of brown sugar
2 tsp chilli powder (or more if you want a kick)

Brown sausages (either in a pan or grill)
Add all ingredients to a slow cooker and give a good mix
Cook on low for 8 hours
Enjoy with some crusty bread!

Feel free to vary the vegetables, I just used what I had. Not sure is the parsley added much flavour either, maybe basil would be nicer.

If you don't have a slow cooker stick in the oven in a large casserole dish for a couple of hours, probably about 170o

Verdict
Jerry (age 12) Chickpeas made it interesting! 7/10
Craig (age 10) Good 7/10
Alistair (age 8) Doesn't like sausages but luckily Mum had chucked in some chicken, so for the chicken 8/10

Today's Concoction

2009-09-02T12:31:00.001+01:00

Very (well almost) organised this morning, got kid's friends coming for tea so I have enlisted the help of the slow cooker. A giant sausage and chickpea casserole is bubbling away as I write. Not sure what it will taste like as it is a completely made up recipe, but I will let you know later.

I will add the recipe (maybe not try it until I have commneted on how it tastes)

...in fact I will get the kids to mark it out of 5 (oh the pressure is on!!!)

A bit about me and why I am writing this blog...

2009-09-01T17:18:00.000+01:00

Microsoft Word - udpdn.doc

For years I suffered from tummy problems and about eighteen months ago they were so severe it was impacting my day-to-day life. I had been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome and felt pretty hopeless as all the advice/medication given by the doctor did not help at all. It was then I made the decision to cut out wheat from my diet. Much to my amazement within three days I was cured! Since then on the odd occasion I have eaten wheat the effects have been apparent within a few hours. I don't have to go into too much detail, anyone who is allergic/intolerant to wheat will know the symptoms well!

I am lucky that I have a real passion for cooking and always cooked meals from scratch anyway, therefore the only big changes to my diet were cutting out bread (I always ate sandwiches at lunchtime), eating wheat-free pasta and no more shop bought biscuits! Initially cutting out bread was a nightmare and a few tears were shed. I don't mind making my own bread but the specialist wheat-free bread making flours do not, in my opinion, make bread that tastes like normal bread! They always have a sweet, almost cake-like taste and the texture is not doughy and bread-like at all.

My other problem I have is with wheat/gluten free cook books, especially ones for baking. Yes they have lovely looking cakes but often plain or self-raising flour is replaced by a combination of five or six flours, often ones which are not available on the high street (for example amaranth flour).

I have therefore been experimenting with my own recipes and adapting them to make them as easy as possible. I want to share them with you and hopefully you too can enjoy some lovely but simple recipes.

One thing to note before starting is I often use Spelt Flour (both white and wholemeal) in many recipes. I have found that I can tolerate this so long as don't each too much of it (for example I don't eat spelt bread and pasta at the same time). Your intolerance may be different to mine but it's worth trying as many people with wheat allergy or wheat intolerance can tolerate spelt. Spelt flour is closely related to common wheat and is not suitable for people with coeliac disease. It is becoming more available in the UK and can be found in many specialist food shops.

I hope to many of you this blog is helpful. I can't guarantee how often I will write in it as with a full-time job, three boys and a baby on the way life is pretty hectic, but I will try where I can and share my tips and tricks of living with a wheat intolerance.

A last note - these recipes are suitable for anyone, you can't tell the difference...honest! I had a housewarming party recently for thirty people and we had a proper meal with tons of lovely wheat free salads, pasta salads and deserts, each as simple and tasty as the next :-)

So if you chose to make any of these recipes don't just make them exclusively for yourself (although the oaty choc chip cookies you might not want to share!), they are suitable as part of any family meal. In addition to being wheat-free, I like to think most of my recipes are healthy (well apart from the gooey chocolatey ones).

Enjoy and feel free to add your own experiences :-)

Nic