Showing posts with label Great Gluten Free Recipe Challenge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Great Gluten Free Recipe Challenge. Show all posts

Saturday, 28 September 2013

Gluten Free for 99p

Well, £1 or less per portion, actually!


That was my challenge to a bunch of gluten free bloggers a few weeks ago, and the reaction was, "let's do it!" Eating gluten free on a budget isn't easy, free from food is far from cheap, so it seemed like an appropriate challenge to come up with some thrifty recipes to share. The task was simple (in theory); come up with a recipe that's gluten free, but costs less than £1 each. In reality, it turned out to be a much trickier thing to do than the initial enthusiasm suggested! Two brave souls finally joined me in creating cheap-but-delicious dishes, and here they are.


Carly: over on Gluten Free B, is annoyed that most budget recipes are a bit insubstantial, dull and take forever to make. To deal with this, she has a brilliant frugal frittata that's perfect for using up any vegetables you've got in the fridge. She rather cunningly uses leftover rice in her frittata, something I had never thought of before! This is the sort of recipe that you can make time and again, varying the ingredients so you'll never get bored.



Alex: has come up with a great leek and tomato quinoa dish that's both filling and nutritious, over on Food Allergy and Intolerance Ink. It's good to know that even those gluten free grains that we perceive to be a bit pricier can actually be used in budget dishes. Let's stop discounting ingredients because we think they're too expensive (or too posh)!

Me: I wanted to come up with a dish that you could serve for Sunday lunch, or as a dinner party meal with friends. Just because cash is tight, it doesn't mean you can't still be sociable. Get your friends to bring the booze, or a dessert and you can entertain with change from a fiver! This dish was inspired by a recipe on Domestic Sluttery last year. The rolled herby lamb breast, by Hazel (my food guru), made me give lamb breast another go after a disastrous first try. It also showed me that tasty stuffing needn't be full of breadcrumbs.


Cheap cuts of meat are often regarded with suspicion, but they're often some of the tastiest cuts, if you know how to cook them. Oxtail makes the most unctuous stews, pork shoulder is perfect for barbecue-style pulled pork and chicken wings make the greatest stock ever! If you can, chat to your butcher, they have so much knowledge to share and will tell you the very best ways to cook your meat, and how to get the most from each cut. (Same goes for your greengrocer, they'll know what seasonal fruit and vegetables are best, cheapest and tastiest.)



Lamb Breast with Boulangerie Potatoes
(Inspired by Hazel Paterson's Rolled Herby Lamb Breast)
You can buy boned lamb breast from most supermarkets, but if you chat to your butcher you'll be able to get him to prepare it and even throw in the ribs for you. Use the bones as a trivet to roast the lamb, then simmer it with some vegetables to make a fantastic stock for soup. This recipe serves four for just under £4.

a large lamb breast (£2.99)
1/2 pack of mint, chopped (35p)
3 cloves garlic, chopped (10p-ish)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp vinegar (red wine vinegar if you've got it, otherwise white wine or cider vinegar works too)
400g-ish white potatoes, thinly sliced (the supermarket value/smart price/economy ranges of potatoes are great in this dish) (34p)
1 onion, finely sliced (21p)
salt and pepper
  • Preheat your oven to 230°C (or as hot as it'll go).
  • Spread your lamb breast on a chopping board and trim any bits of sinew and thick pieces of fat. If you ask your butcher, he'll do that for you.
  • Mix the chopped mint, garlic, vegetable oil and vinegar in a bowl. Season well with salt and pepper - it's seaoning the meat too.
  • Spread the mint stuffing over one side of the lamb and roll it up. Tie securely with string. If you don't have string, I've used cocktail sticks with some sucsess before!
  • Put the lamb in a roasting tin and pop in the oven for 30 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, layer the potatoes and onion slices in an ovenproof dish, seasoning as you go. Pour water over the potatoes until it just reaches the top layer.
  • After 30 minutes are up, turn the oven down to 160°C and put the potatoes in too. Cook for a further 2 hours.
  • When the 2 hours are up, remove the lamb from the oven and let it rest for about 15 minutes before slicing. If the potaoes need to crisp up a little, leave them in the oven for a bit longer.
You can vary the herbs in the stuffing to suit whatever herbs you happen to have, parsley and rosemary work well too. Likewise, if you'd rather use leeks instead of onions in the boulangerie potatoes, they'd be great!


What are your go-to thrifty foods? Share your hints and tips below.

Monday, 17 December 2012

Free From & Festive: Christmas Future

In just one week it will be Christmas eve! It's all very exciting, but what if you don't like the traditional Christmas fare? If you're bored by Brussels sprouts or fed up with fruit cake, is the appeal of mountains of festive food all that appealing? 

Worry no longer! We have some great ideas to re-work some old not-so-favourites into wonderful morsels that everyone will fight over (in a harmonious, festive, kind of way).


Gluten Free Notebooks food hero, Claire has taken gingerbread and mellowed the fiery ginger taste with chocolate in her gluten-free double-chocolate-chip gingerbread cake with brandy buttercream icing. Who needs Christmas cake when this is on the menu?! 


If cakes doesn't tickle your festive fancy any more than dried fruit and marzipan, why not try Hazel's Christmas Tickler at Chatty Daisy Days? Bursting with cranberry and orange, this dessert is a wonderful alternative for rich and stodgy puddings.


Sickened by sprouts? Not for long! Debra at The Awkward Eater has come up with a recipe for sprout bhajis that is sure to convert even the most dyed-in-the-wool sprout sceptic. Turning these much-maligned vegetables into a spicy, crunch bhaji is a master stroke that we should all salute, come Boxing Day.


Am I the only one who can't stand parsnips? Their sweetly starchy qualities failed to win me over until I paired them with chestnuts over on Domestic Sluttery. The smokiness of the chestnuts seem to temper the too-sweet nature of the parsnip to leave you with a silky smooth starter that is Christmas in a bowl.

We hope that our Free From & Festive series has solved your Christmas dilemmas past, present and future and that you all have a very merry and gluten free time next week.

Tuesday, 11 December 2012

Free From & Festive: Christmas Presents

I'm a firm believer in the power of a homemade gift. It says, "not only do I care enough about you to give you this gift but, I put in the effort and made it myself." More the the sum of its ingredients, a homemade gift is time and loving care and, for me, that's extra special. Even more special, is when someone makes a gift that suits your dietary requirements.

We might be stretching the past/present/future theme a little with this one, but this week we're making gluten free foodie gifts! Now is the perfect time to start whipping up your presents, so we've got a few to share with you.


Carly at Gluten Free B has made a delicious mulling syrup that's sure to please everyone. It's not Christmas until you've had a warm cup of something mulled, so this gift is a festive must!


Anyone who loves coffee will appreciate this white chocolate, orange and pistachio biscottini from Claire at The Gluten Free Notebooks. She has used delicate, but definitely Christmassy, flavours to make these rather luxury little biscotti.


I love to give cranberry sauce as a Christmas gift, after all it's something that most people use over the season! I've tried many variations over the years, but I always come back to this one.

Cranberry Sauce with Clementines

a net of clementines, about 650g
300g frozen cranberries
100g caster sugar

  • Zest half of the clementines and juice them all.
  • Put the clementine juice, zest, cranberries and sugar into a saucepan and bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring all the time.
  • Leave the mixture to simmer until the sauce thickens, it'll take about 10 minutes. Taste (very carefully, it's hot!!) and add more sugar if needed. 
  • Transfer into sterilised jars whist the sauce is still hot. This will keep for a couple of months in the fridge.
Whatever gifts you give this year, we'd love to hear about them so do get in touch. 

Next week, we're putting a modern twist on old favourites. If you don't like mince pies, fruit cake or turkey, now's your chance to put your own spin on them! 

Monday, 3 December 2012

Free From & Festive: Christmas Past

Free From & Festive is back! Well, it is December and Christmas is looming at an excessive rate. This week, we're concentrating on traditional recipes, those foods that make it feel like it's really Christmas; mince pies, Christmas pudding, mulled wine. It's time to dust off our Granny's recipe cards and whip up an old favourite.


Claire at The Gluten Free Notebooks has dug out her mum's low fat mince pies recipe and given them the gluten free treatment. This really is two recipes in one, a delicious mincemeat and a light sounding citrus shortcrust pastry.


Nothing says Christmas to me like trifle for breakfast and Carly at Gluten Free B has channelled her inner 80's goddess to bring this retro offering. She's even included a brilliant recipe video for your enjoyment which is Wham-tastic!



Over on Domestic Sluttery, I have made a traditional Scottish Clootie Dumpling. It's probably more traditionally eaten at Hogmanay, but many Scottish families eat it instead of Christmas pudding on the big day itself.

So what are your favourite Christmas recipes? We'd love to know what you'll be making in the run-up to the 25th.


Next week, we're sharing our gluten free foodie gift recipes and if you want to join in you can email me for details.

Monday, 17 September 2012

A Gluten Free Beetroot Recipe Challenge!

It's another Gluten Free Recipe Challenge! 

This time we're cooking with beetroot. It's an underrated little root, sweet and earthy and delightfully purple, it never fails to make me feel autumnal in the best way possible. The challenge was to make this gem into a vegan-friendly recipe, so no daily products, eggs, honey or any other animal derived products. It was, I'll admit, a tough one. I have much respect for vegans, especially since most abstain from animal products for ethical reasons which must take gallons more will-power than I own; as for gluten free vegans, I doff my cap to you!

It's a busy time of year, holidays, back to school and hectic schedules mean that the bloggers are a select bunch this time, but they have some absolutely delicious ideas.

Claire's Mousse Cake
Hazel at Flicker of Fully Fun made Beetroot and Lentil Bake
Claire at The Gluten Free Notebooks made Chocolate, Beetroot and Orange Mousse Cake
Debra and The Awkward Eater made Beetroot and Squash Risotto

Hazel's Beetroot and Lentil Bake

I have just come home from a holiday in Wales, so I was rather pressed for time, too. Hence, my quick pickle!

Quick Beetroot Pinkle
If I was feeling pretentious, I'd call this beetroot carpaccio but I rather like the name "pinkle", because that's what colour the vinegar (and your fingers) turn.

250g (ish) beetroot
1tsp salt
75ml cider vinegar
50ml caster sugar
1 tsp cumin seeds, gently bruised
  • Scrub the beetroot and wrap them in foil, roast in the oven for about 45 minutes at 180°C. Allow to cool and peel the skins (they'll come off easily when cooked and your fingers won't end up quite as pink!)
  • Slice the beetroot finely and place in a colander set over a bowl, or the sink. Sprinkle with the salt and leave for 10 minutes.
  • Mix the vinegar, sugar and cumin seeds in a bowl and add the beetroot. Stir together and make sure the beetroot is under the level of the vinegar. Leave for a few hours before serving.
I am a little obsessed with this at the moment and tend to eat it straight without accompaniment, but it also goes will well with salads or, if you eat it, mackerel.

Monday, 28 May 2012

Mint - Another Gluten Free Recipe Challenge!

The Great Gluten Free Recipe Challenge returns!  If you haven't heard about the recipe challenge before, then have a look at my March challenge post to find out more.

This time, as well as being gluten free, the challenge specified that the recipes should also be egg free, and must use mint as the key ingredient.  As usual, my blogger friends have come up with a fantastic range of recipes for you to try.

Alex at Food Allergy and Intolerance Ink made Minted Peas and Quinoa
Annie at Annie's Supperclub made Pasta with Mint and Peas & a Pea, Mint and Feta Salad
Charissa at Zest Bakery made Melon Berry Mint Fruit Salad
Claire at The Gluten-Free Notebooks made Mint Triple-Choc-Chip Brownies
Debra and The Awkward Eater made Minty Lamb Burgers with Harissa
Hazel at Flicker of Fully Fun made Rhubarb with Quark Mint Creme
Mrs D at Adventures of a Gluten Free Globetrekker made Mint and Limoncello Granita
Saara at The Gluten Free Student Cookbook made Mint Lamb Burgers

As you can clearly see, mint is a brilliantly versatile ingredient!  You can find it being used in many cuisines, from Middle Eastern and North African, Asian, Arab and American to our own British (lamb and mint sauce, anyone?) as well as in teas and cocktails.  It is also an easy herb to grow, given that I have succeeded in growing it and I tend to have the touch of death around most plants.

Why egg free?  While egg allergies are more common in children than adults (as many people outgrow the allergy), some have egg intolerances that continue throughout adulthood.  Other people avoid eggs through choice, vegans and many vegetarians abstain from them for ethical reasons, and quite a few people just plain don't like them.


I decided to make a cake, since my previous efforts at egg free baking have ended in tears and I was determined to find a recipe that actually worked!  After trying a few, this recipe from Food.com  became the basis for my creation.

Mint and Strawberry Cake

200g gluten free self raising mix
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
50g icing sugar
300g sweetened condensed milk
100g butter, melted
90ml water
400g strawberries, hulled and halved
10g fresh mint, chopped
175g caster sugar
250ml double cream


  • Sieve the self raising flour mix, baking power, bicarbonate of soda and icing sugar together.    Add the condensed milk, melted butter and water and mix until smooth.
  • Divide the mixture into two greased and lined 20cm cake tins and bake for 8-10 minutes at 200°C, until the whole cake has risen, then turn the oven down to 160°C for a further 5 minutes.
  • Allow the cakes to cool in the tins for about 15 minutes before turning them out on to a cooling rack.
  • Put half of the strawberries in to a large sieve or colander over a bowl and sprinkle 2 tbsp sugar over them.  Leave to stand until the juices have come out of the strawberries and have collected in the bowl. 
  • Top the strawberry juice up to 250ml with water and pour into a saucepan with the rest of the caster sugar and the mint and bring to the boil.  Boil until the sugar dissolves, then simmer for about 5 minutes.  Strain and allow to cool.
  • Whisk the cream and fold in a few tablespoons of the mint and strawberry syrup - I also folded in the rest of the tin of condensed milk (about 90g).  Spread half over one of the sponge cakes and place the other on top.  
  • Spread the cake with the rest of the whipped cream and top with the remaining strawberries, glazed with syrup.

Oh, and you can use any leftover syrup to make a strawberry and mint mojito!








Monday, 12 March 2012

The Great Gluten Free Recipe Challenge!

Welcome, to the very first Great Gluten Free Recipe Challenge.

What is it?

I have gathered together some brilliant gluten free bloggers to cook or bake with a key ingredient.  With just a few restrictions on what they can make, each blogger must create a recipe to share with all of you.

Why?

Quite simply, I thought it would be fun!  More than that, however, I love a challenge, something to make me think outside of my routine, to cook something I wouldn't normally try.  Additionally; many people with Coeliac Disease, or other issues with gluten, have intolerances or allergies to other food types as well.  For most newly diagnosed Coeliacs, dairy products can pose a problem since the part of intestine that reacts to gluten is responsible for the digestion of milk, too.  Then, there are the difficult ones, like me, who have other health issues that can restrict their diets.  I have involved my other blogging friends in order to give you (and me) a wonderfully wide repertoire of recipes to try for yourself.  But, mainly because I thought it would be fun...

The Challenge.

For this first challenge, I chose oranges as the key ingredient.  Seville, blood, clementines, satsumas, tangerines, there are certainly enough to choose from!  The recipes could be sweet or savoury, as long as orange was the main ingredient.  The creations must also be dairy free and free from almonds, hazelnuts and chestnuts (as well as being gluten free, of course).


If life gave you oranges, what would you make?

Annie at Annie's Supper Club made Ginger and Orange Cakes
Bunmi at Foods You Can made Chocolate and Orange Mini Cupcakes
Christine at Christine's Healthy Kitchen made Coconut Dahl with Cauliflower, Pea and Chickpea Pancakes
Claire at Gluten Free Notebooks made Chocolate and Blood Orange Tarts
Hazel at Flicker of Fully Fun made Orange Jaffijelly
Hilary at Eat Free From made Lady Randell's Pudding
Jo at Diary of a Coeliac's Mother made Orange Drizzle Cake
Mrs D at Adventures of a Gluten Free Globetrekker made Orange Polenta Cake 
Ruby at Rubelle's Moon made Sticky Orange Tart
Saara at The Gluten Free Student Cookbook made Orange Flavoured Cupcakes
Sarah at The Gluten Free Blogger made Dark Chocolate and Orange Muffins

And I made...


Duck Braised in Orange Juice

This started life as a furiously scribbled down recipe from Rick Stein's Far Eastern Odyssey, on BBC TV, but the recipe was never published online - so I watched the show on iPlayer to catch the main ingredients. The "original" recipe has changed a fair bit since then as I've tweaked and substituted things, but it's still one of my favourite dishes.  Serves 4

4 duck legs
5 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
4cm piece ginger, cut into matchsticks
400ml freshly squeezed orange juice (about 6-8 oranges, depending on their size)
1 tbsp gluten free tamari (I used Kikkoman)
1 tbsp sugar
4 star anise
2 red chillies, sliced into rounds (de-seed if you don't want it too hot)
a bunch of spring onions, whites cut into 2cm lengths, green parts sliced into 1/2cm rounds)

  • Heat some oil in a pan and add the duck legs, skin side down, for 5 minutes to start browning the skin.  Remove from the pan and place, skin side up, in an oven proof dish.
  • Gently sautĂ© the garlic, ginger and white parts of the onions to just soften.  Add them to the oven proof dish, around the duck.
  • Stir together the orange juice, tamari and sugar, until the sugar has dissolved.  Pour around the duck legs and add the anise and chilli slices (save a few slices for serving).
  • If you have a large dish, add some water so that the liquid is about 3cm deep.  Cover tightly with foil or a well fitting lid and place in a pre-heated oven at 160 degrees Celsius (lower in a fan oven) for 3 hours, uncovering for the last 30 minutes.  The orange juice will have cooked right down to a syrupy sauce, take care it doesn't burn!
  • Before serving, sprinkle the green parts of the spring onions over the dish.

If you want to take part in the next Great Gluten Free Recipe Challenge, for more details.