Showing posts with label comfort food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label comfort food. Show all posts

Wednesday, 8 August 2012

Finding Time

What. A. Week.

Or more accurately, few weeks. take one parent in hospital (who's fine - it's a long story but the ending is happy), one rushed trip to Glasgow (to visit said parent, despite their protests that they were ok) and two mentally busy weeks, add one very anaemic Gluten Free[k] and a day in hospital getting iron topped up and you've got very little time to breathe!

When life gets hectic, I find my refuge in the kitchen. I make stock; lovely fragrant, clear, consommé style stock that requires lots of attention and skimming. Then I make pho or risotto (there's real therapy to be found in the standing and stirring of the rice as the dish swells and comes to life). If I'm really stressed, I make curry; roasting and grinding spices, marinating the meat then gently cooking until the whole thing is tender and aromatic is surprisingly calming. Now, I have a new zen-in-the-kitchen item, soufflé...


No, I'm not going mad! Whipping egg whites, folding in creme patisserie, working quickly, but gently requires my attention. I don't have time or space to think about anything else and that is the ultimate distraction from the whirlwind that my life has become. It has taken a few trials to come up with a good soufflé, I'm sure there's more work to be done. There's no recipe for you, yet, I need to tidy up some of the quantities and test the recipe before I share it, this is just a teaser! In the meantime, why not head over to my Domestic Sluttery column and make the most of the fantastic berries that are in season just now.





Wednesday, 23 May 2012

Pepperoni Pasta

Yes, I know that I've been a bit sporadic on here since going back to work.  In my defence, I have had a fair amount going on.  On top of work and studying, I have had a few jaunts to Scotland and the New Forest to spend time with family.  Oh, and I have joined the team at Domestic Sluttery!  Check out the site every Friday for a gluten free recipe from me.

I have been eating a few more meals for one recently, too.  The Husband's job has meant that he is working away some weekends and after the first few weekends of surviving on crisps and ice-cream, I decided to adopt a slightly healthier meal plan!  Cooking for one has has its challenges - I tend to be an overgenerous cook, so attempting single portions isn't easy - especially when you are busy or tired, or both.  I am still fighting exhaustion since the operation, so I have been eating a lot more quick and easy food; buckwheat noodles with stir-fried vegetables, lentil soups, omelettes and frittata-type dishes, and this pasta.  It's basically all the things I like on a pizza, with pasta and it's jolly good.  Go on, give it a try.


Easy Pasta for One

1tbsp oil
2 anchovy fillets
50g sliced pepperoni, cut into bite-sized pieces
85g pitted black olives, sliced
1 large plum tomato, peeled and chopped
15g fresh basil, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
75g gluten free pasta (I like Doves Farm Organics penne)

  • Cook the pasta in boiling salted water, drain when ready (but reserve a cup of the pasta water for later on).
  • Heat the oil in a pan and add the anchovies, cook for a couple of minutes until it breaks down into the oil.
  • Fry the pepperoni in the anchovy and oil for a minute. Chuck in the olives and tomato and bring to a simmer.  Stir in the chopped basil. 
  • If the mixture is a bit thick, pour in some of the pasta water to loosen the sauce. Taste the sauce and season as you like - remember that the anchovies and pasta water will be quite salty anyway.
  • Add the cooked pasta and mix well with the sauce. Serve with a little Parmesan cheese, if you fancy.

Wednesday, 11 April 2012

Millionaire's Shortbread

Given the content of my blog, this may be surprising but, I'm not a natural at baking gluten free. (Which means that all recipes on the blog are all very achievable; if I can do it, so can you.)  I often struggle with the limitations of baking without gluten and get frustrated by the temperamental nature of all those different flours (some absorb loads of water, some make a delicate dough, some taste too strong to use in certain baked goods...the list goes on). I enjoy baking and it's certainly easier to share a cake at work than it is a casserole, for example, but the thing that gets me through the day is the thought of cooking dinner.  Cooking is where my heart lies, it's what keeps me awake at night and what gets me out of bed in the morning.  I seldom write about my cooking exploits on the blog because I think that most people want to read about foods they can't normally eat, made gluten free - not food that is, in the main, gluten free anyway.  I might be wrong (and do tell me if you'd rather see more naturally gf recipes on here) but, I know that when I was first diagnosed Coeliac I wanted to know how to make gingerbread biscuits and fairy cakes, not cassoulet or risotto.

The reason for my preference is this; baking is specific, measured, while cooking allows me to be more instinctual and creative.  In my mind, baking is science and cooking is art.  Of course, there are times when cooking needs to be precise and baking is more relaxed, and I am generalising here but, I feel freer when I cook.   

Why am I telling you this now?  Well, I have been feeling a bit like something is amiss from my writing recently, I don't feel very inspired.  The husband commented that it seems like the passion has gone out of my writing and immediately, I knew why - the passion has gone out of my baking.

I had a disastrous day in the kitchen on Monday.  The seemingly simple task of baking shortbread turned into a nightmare, the first batch was still liquid after 40 minutes at 180°C; the second batch was so gritty that I had half a mind to keep it until the roads freeze over again; the third batch would have worked if I had remembered to oil the tin before adding the batter to it, consequently, it fell to pieces when I tried to un-mould it.  I felt beaten and started to doubt my own ability to do anything in the kitchen.  In fact, I lost all faith in myself to do anything.

That revelation aside, my recipe for you today is more like baking than cooking.  I needed to reassure myself that I could still make something work, without failure, and I wanted to show you that sometimes you can make a silk purse from a sow's ear...



Millionaire's Shortbread.
I had to throw away two batches of shortbread on Monday, so by the time my third batch fell to pieces I was unwilling to discard it.  Millionaire's shortbread was a favourite treat in our family when I was a child and always succeeds in cheering me up.

250g gluten free shortbread
125g butter
225g caster sugar
150ml double cream
120g milk chocolate, melted

  • Melt 100g of the butter while you bash the shortbread into crumbs.  The end of a rolling pin works well, or pop them in a freezer bag and whack it with the bottom of a saucepan. This is especially useful for working out the stresses of the day!  Pour the melted butter over the crumbs and stir well.  Press the mixture into a 20cm springform tin.  Put it in the fridge to set.
  • Put the rest of the butter, the sugar and double cream in a saucepan oven a gentle heat. Once the sugar had dissolved, bring to the boil and simmer for about 6-8 minutes, stirring often.  If you have a jam thermometer, you can used that - you're looking for it to reach soft ball, or 240°F.  Pour the caramel over the biscuit base and leave to cool.  
  • (If you want a darker caramel, heat just the sugar and butter until it is deeply coloured (don't stir), being very careful not to burn.  Then add the cream - it will bubble fiercely, so be careful - then simmer as before.)
  • Once the caramel has cooled, pour over the melted chocolate and allow to set.  Cut into squares slightly before the chocolate has completely hardened.  Warming your knife in hot water first will help you to cut cleanly through the caramel layer.



Wednesday, 29 February 2012

Hot and Sour Soup

I love Chinese food.  I love the well-balanced aromatic flavours.  I love the freshness of the ingredients.  I love the ritual of the Chinese takeaway, opening the boxes to release the inviting aromas, eating with chopsticks, giving up half-way through and using a fork!  It's one of the cuisines I have missed the most since being diagnosed with Coeliac Disease.  I have yet to find a restaurant or takeaway that I am confident enough in to serve gluten free offerings.  Mostly, due to Chinese cookery making use of soy sauce as a seasoning, I worry about cross contamination.  I do make it at home from time to time and I am always on the look-out for recipes that can easily be converted to gluten free and still taste convincing.  For some time, I have been trying to find a light soy sauce alternative, as generally gluten free tamari tends to be more like dark soy, but I search no more!  Kikkoman gluten free tamari is a great light soy sauce substitute and it is now available in Sainsburys.


Recently, I had a craving for my old takeaway favourite, hot and sour soup.  It's a brilliantly spicy, comforting soup, packed with flavour and a delicious sour element from rice vinegar.  I used to have it as a starter, but with the addition of noodles it becomes a thoroughly satisfying meal.  I have a quick and not particularly authentic version that I often whip up as a speedy snack but, I wanted something more like the soup I used to get from my local Chinese restaurant.

Whenever I feel the urge to cook Chinese food there are two chefs I check out: Ken Hom and Ching-He Huang.  Ken Hom is the Godfather of Chinese cookery in my opinion, and has been cooking on TV for almost as long as I have been alive.  Ching-He Huang uses fresh and simple ingredients to reinvent traditional dishes, and between the two of them I am guaranteed to find a fantastic recipe that I love.



Hot and Sour Soup
As far as I can tell, the basic elements of this soup are, Chinese mushrooms, stock, bean curd, shredded lean meat, white pepper, soy sauce, Chinese vinegar, spring onion, cornflour, egg and coriander, everything else is probably optional and depend on your own preferences.  My version doesn't include bean curd for the simple reason that I don't really like it!  If you do, feel free to add it.

1 tsp ginger root, grated
a large handful of mushrooms (I used frozen mixed mushrooms)
2 spring onions, sliced
1 tbsp Chinese black vinegar (Waitrose Ingredients have one, but if you can't find it balsamic vinegar works just as well)
1 tbsp gluten free tamari
1l vegetable or chicken stock
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
300g cooked chicken, shredded
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 1 tbsp water
100g bamboo shoots, sliced into thin sticks
100g baby corn, quartered lengthwise
50g mange tout
10g coriander leaf, roughly chopped

  • In a little vegetable oil, gently fry the ginger and mushrooms to soften.  Add the white part of the spring onion and fry for a further minute.
  • Add the vinegar and tamari and combine well, then add the stock, white pepper and shredded chicken.  Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 5 minutes.
  • Combine the egg and sesame oil and trickle the mixture into the soup, stirring gently to produce ribbon-like pieces of egg.  Add the cornflour slurry and stir gently as the soup thickens.
  • Add bamboo shoots, baby corn and mange tout and leave soup to simmer for 2-3 minutes to heat the vegetables but do not allow them to soften (you want them to have crunch).
  • Serve soup scattered with chopped coriander and the green parts of the spring onion.



Here are the original recipes if you'd rather make one of those.
Ken Hom's Hot and Sour Soup
Ching-He Huang's Hot and Sour Soup

(Oh, and those fortune cookies are not gluten free - alas - but Saara at The Gluten Free Student Cookbook has a recipe that you can try out.)


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Monday, 20 February 2012

Chicken Curry

I have often written about the influence that the women in my family have had on my love of food. My Mum and Grandma are the root of my passion (obsession?) for cooking but they are not solely responsible...

Like many children of the 1980s, my Dad's contribution to our daily meals was primarily as the breadwinner.  My memories of his adventures in the kitchen were scrambled egg or toastie based, and of course sausage and baked bean pizzas (popularised by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, although I think you might have to be born in 1981 to truly understand...).  He was never deterred by a lack of knowledge or experience in the kitchen and was always willing to try something new.  Dad is responsible for my urge to photograph everything I cook, I have often heard the story about him baking gingerbread for my Mum, early in their relationship, and taking photos of the results!  He was a keen photographer as I was growing up and I loved sitting with him in our makeshift darkroom helping him to develop photographs.

Dad is an inspiring man for so many reasons, not least for his desire to keep on learning and to never rest on his laurels.  After taking voluntary redundancy from the shipyards, about 10 years ago, he found a local class teaching curry making (as well as CAD, picture framing and Italian for tourists, to name a few!) and signed up.  The results were spectacular!  His curries became so legendary amongst family and friends that my Mum and Godmother, not to be outdone, took the same class a few years later!  Since then, his confidence in the kitchen has grown and he can often be found in there, slicing, stirring and creating.

It is still his curries that my Dad is known for, however, and this recipe was stolen (with permission) from him as he cooked last night.

Dad's Chicken Curry

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, finely sliced
a thumb-sized piece of root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
6 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1 green chilli, roughly chopped
1 tsp salt
2 black cardamon pods
1/2 tsp tumeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 cinnamon stick
400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato puree
150ml water
1 heaped tsp garam masala
1 tbsp dried methi (optional)
3 chicken breast fillets, cut into bitesized pieces


  • In a food processor, blitz the ginger, garlic and chill together to make a thick paste.
  • Heat the oil in a heavy based saucepan and add the onion, fry until it is soft and starting to colour.
  • Add the ginger, garlic and chilli paste and fry for 2 minutes more.
  • Add salt, cardamon pods, tumeric, cumin and cinnamon stick and stir until the smell of the spices become stronger.  Add chopped tomatoes, tomato puree and water and stir well and bring the sauce to the boil.  Turn the heat right down and cover the pan, simmer for about 20 minutes.
  • Turn the heat up and add the chicken pieces, stir gently until the meat has sealed.  Simmer the mixture until the chicken is just cooked through, about 10 minutes.
  • Before serving, stir the garam masala and, if you are using it, methi into the sauce.
  

(Apologies for the photo, I took it on my phone!) 

  • You can also add chopped fresh coriander before serving.
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Thursday, 26 January 2012

Leftover Haggis?

Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o' the puddin-race!
Aboon them a' ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy of a grace
As lang's my arm. 
The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
Your pin wad help to mend a mill
In time o' need,
While thro' your pores the dews distil
Like amber bead. 
His knife see rustic Labour dight,
An' cut ye up wi' ready slight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright
Like onie ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm-reekin, rich! 
Then, horn for horn, they strech an' strive:
Deil tak the hindmost! on they drive,
Till a' their weel-swall'd kytes belyve,
Are bent like drums;
Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
'Bethankit!' hums. 
Is there that owre his French ragout
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad mak her spew
Wi' perfect sconner,
Looks down wi' sneering, scornfu' view
On sic a dinner? 
Poor devil! see him owre his trash,
As feckless as a wither'd rash,
His spindle shank, a guid whip-lash,
His nieve a nit;
Thro' bluidy flood or field to dash,
O how unfit! 
But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread.
Clap in his walie nieve a blade,
He'll make it whissle;
An' legs, an' arms, an' heads will sned,
Like taps o' thrissle. 
Ye Pow'rs wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o 'fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
That jaups in luggies;
But, if ye wish her gratefu' prayer,
Gie her a Haggis!
(Address To a Haggis, by Robert Burns)

Last night, Burns Night, the Husband and I enjoyed gluten free haggis from Findlays of Portobello.  Today we were faced with the question: what to do with the leftovers?  If you are wondering what to to with yours, I'd recommend a haggis toastie or this haggis-y version of bubble and squeak.


This is so easy!  Just combine your leftover haggis, swede and potatoes (neeps and tatties) and place the lot in a frying pan, press flat and fry on a medium heat for about 5 minutes.  Turn the whole thing over (I like to turn it out on to a plate then slide back into the pan) and cook for a further 5 minutes.  You'll have lovely crispy edges with a soft inside, a perfect lunch!

Wednesday, 4 January 2012

Not biscuits, but biscuits

Oscar Wilde said of the UK, "We have really everything in common with America nowadays except, of course, language."  Writing a food blog has made this very apparent to me over the years.  Using sugar? In the UK it's icing sugar, in the USA confectioners sugar, in the USA you have superfine sugar, in the UK we have caster sugar.  Ask for chips in the UK and you'll receive deep fried potato sticks (or, french fries for you in the USA), in the USA you'll get deep fried potato slices (or, crisps for you in the UK)...  Do you see what I mean?!

So when I saw that the theme for this month's Gluten Free Ratio Rally was biscuits... well, I knew I was in trouble.  In the UK, biscuits are the same thing as cookies (although they tend to be crisp and crunchy instead of soft and chewy) so I had to seek help.  The Husband's parents live in North Carolina, and biscuits are on his "must eat" list any time he visits them, however his description was sketchy at best!  

"Something like a scone, but not a scone, savoury, not a dumpling, but fluffy."

Great. Loads to work with then!  Armed with this sparse knowledge, and having seen a few photos on Google Images,  I hit the kitchen.  Since this was my first attempt at biscuits, I decided to keep it simple.  My efforts were definitely thinner than the photos I'd seen, but the insides had promise, nearly fluffy.  So I read and reread Ruhlman's description of biscuits in his book, Ratio, then I tried again...

The ratio is actually pretty simple, 3:1:2 - 3 parts flour : 1 part fat : 2 parts liquid.  Ruhlman suggests that the lift is created by rolling and folding the dough (as you would with rough-puff pastry), but I added baking powder to help it along!  
While this batch was baking, I spent the whole time with head in hands and bum in the air, peering into the oven to check that the biscuits were rising.  The finished product were still a bit thinner than the photos, but when the Husband tasted them his eyes lit up!  They were fluffy!  They tasted like biscuits should!  Then, the Husband told me that they should be eaten with sausages and scrambled eggs.  Now, this could have easily been a ruse, he might have just fancied scrambled egg and sausage, but they did go well together.

For the round-up of the Ratio Rally this month, head over to Gretchen's blog at Kumquat.

American Style Biscuits


110g butter, chilled
330g all purpose gluten free flour mix (I used Dove's Farm Plain GF Flour)
1tsp salt
2tsp caster (superfine) sugar
2tsp baking powder (make sure it's gluten free)
220g milk
cornflour, for dusting
a little extra milk

  • Weigh the flour into a bowl and add the salt, sugar, and baking powder and mix gently to combine.  Add the butter and rub together with your fingertips, until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. 
  • Add the milk and combine well until a wet-ish dough forms.  Tip out on to a floured surface and knead gently, be careful not to knead away those little lumps of butter.  
  • Dust your worktop with cornflour and roll the dough out to 1/2 inch thick, fold into thirds and roll out again.  Repeat this rolling and folding 2 or 3 more times.  Wrap the dough in clingfilm and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  • Remove dough from the fridge and pat out to 1/2 inch thick and cut out rounds with a 3 inch cutter.
  • Place on a baking sheet, brush the tops with a little milk, and bake for 10-13 minutes at 220 degrees Celsius.
  • Eat while still warm.

Oh, and my favourite UK/USA word-definition difference?  Pants.


And here's the rest of the gang!
Amanda at Gluten Free Maui made Classic Biscuits and Gravy
Amie at The Healthy Apple made  Gluten-Free Wasabi Parsley Biscuits
Caneel at Mama Me Gluten Free made Whole Grain Pecan Drop Biscuits
Charissa at Zest Bakery made Eggnog Biscuits with Grated Nutmeg
Erin at The Sensitive Epicure made Scallion Biscuits with Sausage Gravy
Gretchen at Kumquat made Sweet Buttermilk Biscuits
Heather at Discovering the Extraordinary made Almond Coconut Tea Biscuits
Jean at Gluten-Free Doctor Recipes made Jammers
Jonathan at The Canary Files made Vegan Sesame Shiso Biscuits
Karen at Cooking Gluten Free! made Biscuit Template with Dairy Free Substitutions
Lisa at Gluten Free Canteen made Fluffy Biscuits, Gluten Free
Mary Fran at FrannyCakes made Gluten-Free Espresso Orange Biscuits
Mrs. R at Honey From Flinty Rocks made Turkey Pot Pie with Biscuit Topping - Gobbler Cobbler!
Rachel at The Crispy Cook made Hummus in a Biscuit
Silvana at Silvana's Kitchen made Gluten-Free Sausage-n-Cheddar Bialy Biscuits
TR at No Ones Likes Crumbley Cookies made Lemon Basil Biscuits

Saturday, 17 December 2011

Free From & Festive - Day 6

There are a few spices that instantly say Christmas to me.  Cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and ginger.  The scents of any of those wafting through the house is enough to fill your soul with the sound of jingle bells!  In my opinion, the best of these spices is ginger.  I think the attraction to ginger during cold winter months is the delicious warmth that it spreads through you, hot - but not chilli-hot.

What better way to spread a little warmth and festive cheer than to celebrate gingerbread!  This versatile little item has so many forms at this time of year, biscuits, cakes, even made into houses!

Saara at The Gluten Free Student Cookbook has made some gorgeous Christmas tree decorations that you have to check out and try.
Saara's delicious Christmas tree decorations!
Fran at Fran's Food has made these really cute gingerbread man topped cupcakes, head over to Fran's for the recipe.
Fran's gingerbread cupcakes




Thursday, 15 December 2011

Free From & Festive! - Day 4


If there's anything more difficult than being a Coeliac at Christmas, it's being a vegetarian Coeliac at Christmas.  I do not envy all you gluten free veggies out there; most vegetarian options are pastry or pasta based and Christmas dinner has the potential to be just a gravy-less plate of sprouts if you're not careful.  On this day when turkey gravy is consumed and the oven is filled with that big bird, what is a vegetarian to eat?  Assuming  you don't cook goose-fat potatoes, or put pancetta through your sprouts, all you really need is a good centrepiece.

On day 4 of our Free From & Festive we are here to help!  Ruby over at Rubelle's Moon has been inspired by a vegetarian friend and has come up with a great suggestion for a gluten free vegetarian main.  If you fancy a colourful nut roast on your plate this Christmas, head over for the recipe.

I took on this challenge too, I'm guilty of a complete lack of imagination where meat-free is involved and I thought this was a good time to remedy it!

Mushroom and Kale Suet Pudding
This steamed pudding solves the lack-of-oven-space issue, and the individual puddings cook while the turkey is resting.  This recipe serves two.

1tbsp light olive oil
1 small red onion, sliced
175g mushrooms, thickly sliced
50g kale, roughly chopped
1tsp thyme leaves
100g gluten free self raising mix  (plus extra for dusting)
50g vegetable suet (Atora make a gluten free one, or try your local health food shop)

  • Heat the oil in a pan and add the onion and mushrooms. Gently fry for about 5 minutes to soften then add the kale and thyme and continue to cook for a further 5 minutes - you want to cook it so that the liquid mostly cooks away or you'll have a stodgy pudding!  Remove from the heat, season and leave to cool.
  • Sift the self raising mix into a bowl with the suet. Slowly add cold water, mixing gently to form a soft dough. Cover and put in the fridge for about 30 minutes to rest.
  • Dust your worktop and rolling pin with flour and roll out 2/3 of the dough to 2-4mm thick and line two individual pudding basins with it.  Fill this with the mushroom and kale mix.
  • Roll out the last third of pastry and top your puddings. Cover the puddings with a piece of greaseproof paper then with foil and secure with string. (If you fold a crease into both, then you'll make space for the pastry to rise) 
  • For a better description of how to do this, have a look here.
  • Steam the puddings for 45 minutes.  I just put them in a covered saucepan of simmering water, on top of an upturned plate.
  • Once cooked, remove the string, foil and greaseproof paper and turn the puddings out.
(If you want to be prepared, this will freeze well, uncooked, for up to 3 months.)


    Saturday, 3 December 2011

    Banoffee Cupcakes

    There's a bit of a cake culture where I work.  Whenever someone brings cake into the office, a kind of party atmosphere descends and everyone gets very greedy.  It would be a competition, but our admin manager used to be a chef so when he brings cake, you know it's going to be amazing.  He made Nigella Lawson's Flourless Chocolate Orange Cake weeks ago and people are still talking about how good it was!  For me, taking cakes to work is based on mainly selfish reasons; firstly, if I bake them I know I can eat them (even the odd flourless cake that makes its way into the office is hit-or-miss depending on what baking powder has been used).  Secondly, I bake so often that I have to give some cakes away or else the Husband and I would quickly become obese!  

    These banoffee cakes were a take-to-work bake that I'm quite proud of. Roasting the bananas gives a lovely sweet banana-y taste to the cakes, while filling them with dulce le leche (optional, and time consuming) adds decadence.  

    Banoffee Cupcakes

    For the cakes:
    2 bananas
    190g gluten free self-raising mix
    190g margarine
    190g light brown soft sugar
    3 large eggs

    For the icing (frosting):
    100g dulce de leche 
    75g butter or margarine, softened
    175g icing sugar
    dried banana chips, to decorate

    Optional:
    200g dulce de leche

    • Heat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius.  Place the bananas, unpeeled, on a baking tray and roast for 15 minutes.  Leave to cool, still in their skins.
    • Peel the bananas and chuck in a food processor and pulse a few times to mash. 
    • Add the self-raising mix, margarine, sugar and eggs and whizz up to a smooth batter.
    • Line a cupcake tin with paper cases and pour batter in each case, about two-thirds full.  You will get 12-15 cakes with this.
    • Bake for 17-20 minutes (at 180 degrees C), until a skewer comes out clean.
    • Leave to cool in the tin.
    Optional:  Fill a piping bag attached with an eclair filling tip with 200g of dulce de leche.  Push a knife tip into the centre of each cupcake, about half-way down.  Pipe the dulce de leche into each cupcake until you see it reaching the top of the cake.
    • Sift the icing sugar into a large bowl.  Add the softened butter and the dulce de leche.  Whisk together until you have a fluffy icing (frosting).  (You can beat the dulche de leche and butter together first, then add the icing sugar, but I find that the icing is too soft when I do it that way.)
    • Fill a piping bag attached with a star tip with the icing and pipe on to each cake (or you can spread the icing over each cake - you won't need as much icing to do it that way).
    • Decorate each cupcake with a banana chip.
    Actually, there is a third selfish reason -  I like watching other people enjoy my baking, it's a great ego boost!




    Tuesday, 8 November 2011

    Peanut Butter Cookies

    On Friday, I received the appointment letter for my colostomy and realised that I'd be spending Stir-up Sunday under sedation, so I thought I should probably start baking the Christmas a bit early this year.  It is in the oven now.  Actually, the second one is in the oven, the first one is wrapped and in the cupboard happily soaking up its first feeding of Whisky. (Yes, Whisky!  I have also switched the glace cherries for stem ginger for a bit of change this year.)  Since the Husband is allergic to nuts, the cake is nut free -  I have even found a recipe for nut free marzipan that I shall be trying out!

    On the subject of Christmas, I have teamed up with a bunch of great gluten free bloggers to bring you some brilliant recipes and reviews from the 12th December until Christmas Eve!  Just because you can't have gluten, it doesn't mean you can't enjoy mince pies, cookies, canapes, trifle, and lots of other goodies at this (most wonderful) time of year,  Tune in on Monday 12th December, and every day after until Christmas Eve, for some truly fabulous ideas to help your Christmas be jolly and bright.  (And probably a ton more Christmas puns, I can't help it, I'm sorry!)

    Back in the present.  Crohn's Disease is continuing to surprise me with new and mysterious ways to b*gger up my week.  Some horribly strong antibiotics are the order of the day (3 times a day for 7 days, to be precise), so I need something to lift my spirits.

    My photo appearing as the first of Your Katie-Boo Bakes n' Makes over at A Girls Guide to Gluten Free Baking certainly cheered me up!  Almost as much as her snickerdoodles recipe.

    Inspired by that, I made these little peanut-buttery wonders.  (The husband is in the USA this week so I'm eating all the things he doesn't; macaroni cheese, cauliflower, and peanut butter!)  They are a kind of snickerdoodle/cookie cross, seriously quick easy to make and really very tasty, too!
    Peanut Butter Cookies


    200g unsweetened smooth peanut butter
    50ml rapeseeed oil (light olive oil or sunflower oil would work too)
    250g caster sugar
    2 eggs
    225g plain flour mix (I used Doves Farm Rice Flour)
    1tsp baking powder
    24 small pieces of chocolate (try caramel nibbles, chocolate chips, or just a chocolate bar broken up)

    • Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C.
    • Combine the peanut butter, oil, and sugar until the sugar has dissolved.
    • Beat in the eggs until well mixed
    • Stir the flour and baking powder together and add to the rest of the mix.  Combine well.  (I suggest using an electric mixer with a dough hook, it's hard work by hand!)
    • The mixture will look a bit like crumbs, but when you squash it together in your hands it will come together.
    • Take a chunk of the mixture and press into a walnut sized ball.  Push a piece of chocolate into the middle of the ball and seal the mixture over the chocolate.  Flatten the ball and place on a baking sheet.  You will make about 24 cookies from this mix.
    • Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden.  Allow the cookies to harden for about 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.

    Sunday, 30 October 2011

    Pumpkin Soup

    It's been a weird old week.  I've been a bit off my game recently - I don't know if I'm just super tired, of if the pain and painkillers are getting to me.  My brain is behaving like an old car engine on a cold morning.  On Monday I confused Maidstone with Maidenhead and things went downhill from there...

    Happily, however, the world of low-residue eating has proved itself to be less dull than I was expecting.  Risottos, soups and stews are perfect, assuming that the vegetables are finely chopped. And since it's almost Hallowe'en, I decided to have a go at pumpkin soup.  

    Pumpkin and squash are brilliant sources of vitamin A (something Crohn's Disease can cause deficiency in) and are lovely soluble fibre so are ideal for the ol' low residue diet.  Most importantly, they taste great!

    Pumpkin Soup
    This easy-peasy soup is perfect for using up the scoopings from your Hallowe'en pumpkin.
    1 medium pumpkin (or any squash), de-seeded, peeled and cut into chunks
    1 small onion, finely chopped
    1tbsp garam masala
    1tbsp rapeseed oil
    500ml vegetable stock
    150ml natural yogurt
    salt, to taste.

    • Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the onion and pumpkin.  Saute until the onion is soft, add the garam masala and fry for a further minute.
    • Pour in the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the pumpkin is tender.
    • Transfer the soup to a blender and blend until smooth. 
    • Return to the pan and reheat - add salt if needed.
    • Serve with a swirl of yogurt. 
    (If you haven't carved your pumpkin you could always serve your soup in the hollowed out shell.)
    Happy Hallowe'en!

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    Thursday, 1 September 2011

    Not Barbecue Sauce

    The Husband is a connoisseur of barbecue sauce, in fact he has his favourite Sonny's sauce imported from the USA because nothing here in the UK compares.  I have attempted my own versions on a number of occasions and the verdict is always, "I like it, but it's not barbecue sauce."  Recently, I have been honing my recipe and tonight, I was sure I had cracked it.  We reached the end of the meal, and then...

    This is not barbecue sauce.

    I might retire from the attempt to create the perfect barbecue sauce, especially since I am yet to create something that can even be classified such.

    Hot and Smokey Sauce


    1/2 an onion, finely chopped
    1cm ginger root, peeled and grated
    2 garlic cloves, crushed
    1 tsp smoked paprika
    2 tsps english mustard powder
    2 tbsp honey
    50ml worcester sauce (check it's gluten free)
    100ml tomato ketchup (check it's gluten free, Sainsbury's recently changed their recipe.)
    50ml water

    • In a little oil, gently fry the onions, ginger and garlic until soft.
    • Add the smoked paprika and fry for a further minute.
    • Add the mustard powder, honey, worcester sauce, tomato ketchup, and water, stir well to combine.  Bring to the boil.
    • Simmer for about 5 minutes, then serve.
    I served this sauce with chicken, and a potato and sweet potato mash.  It might not be barbecue sauce, but it's definitely worth a try!


    Wednesday, 20 July 2011

    Gluten Free Pasta? I'm all ears!

    Way back at the start of this month the Gluten-free Ratio Rally posted their pasta recipes. If you missed it, check out host Jenn Cuisine for the round-up.  I had spent a few happy afternoons in June working on my own contributions, but as July started I found myself swept up in work and exhaustion and I missed the deadline to post it.  I had so much fun making it that I decided to post it anyway.  Better late than never, as they say!

    The ratio for pasta is 2 parts egg to 3 parts flour.  That's it.  Easy, right?  Well  read the other posts to see that it's not that simple.  'Normal' pasta uses flour that is high in gluten to ensure that the dough is pliable, without it you may find it a bit on the crumbly side.  The answer, as it turns out is to use more egg yolks than egg whites, I unwittingly did this by using duck eggs with massive yolks, if you are using hen's eggs then I'd add an extra yolk for every whole egg you use.

    I don't have a pasta maker.  It's a standing joke in my family that a pasta maker is an under-used gadget in my  Mum's kitchen (even more so than the ice cream maker...) I have avoided taking the plunge for fear that mine too will become ammunition for ridicule.  That said, I opted for orechhiette which is hand shaped, so no need for the fore-mentioned gizmo.

    Orechhiette means "little ears", which gives you a clue to what they should look like.  If you search the word on YouTube you will find videos of Italian nonas making piles of these at the speed of light.  I took much longer and the finished product was far from perfect, but given a number of years perhaps I'll have my own video online!

    Orechhiette
    As a general rule, one egg will make enough pasta for one serving.  The easiest way to measure all the ingredients is to first weigh the eggs, then you know how much flour to use (especially if you are not using duck eggs because they will be different sized.)

    2 duck eggs
    110g brown rice flour
    110g tapioca flour

    • Add the flours to a large bowl and combine.  Make a well in the middle of the flours and add the eggs
    • Combine the flour with the eggs, a little at a time, using your hands until you have a stiff dough.
    • Wrap in cling film and pop in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
    • Once the dough is chilled, flour your surface well and knead the dough to soften it slightly.
    • Break off a chunk and roll into a sausage about 1cm thick.

    • Cut of a piece, 1cm wide and using your thumb squash the dough flat then pull your thumb towards you to shape the orechhiette.
    • You can round it off in the palm of your hand if you like. 
    • Repeat until all the dough is used up and you have a pile of little ears.
    • Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and add the pasta.  Bring back to the boil and cook for about 5 minutes, the pasta should still have some bite.
    To serve, I took the skins off a couple of sausages and broke them up in a pan with some chopped garlic and tomatoes.  Once the meat was cooked I tossed in the cooked orechhiette and served with lashings of Parmesan cheese and ground black pepper.

    Saturday, 19 February 2011

    Fine Words Butter No Parsnips

    It was Christmas at our house last weekend.  Long story short, a friend of ours was very ill in December and consequently was in bed on Christmas day.  His friends thought this was an awful shame (for his wife, too, who missed out on the festivities to nurse her husband) so we endeavoured to recreate Christmas for them once he was better.  Hence, last Saturday I was up at 8am to make the Pavlova, boil the ham, stuff turkey (crowns - it's neigh on impossible to find whole turkeys at this time of year), peel veg, and decorate the house, in order to reproduce the Christmas spirit two months later.

    Mostly I cooked tried-and-tested dishes.  The glaze for the ham, duck fat roast potatoes, Brussels sprouts sauteed  with bacon and chestnuts, and apple and blackberry crumble were favourites with various friends and family over the festive season.  The parsnips, however, were a sticking point.  I am not a fan of the humble parsnip and I fully support the French in using them for animal feed.  It's the sweetness that puts me off - we're back to my sweet/savoury combination issues - so I usually cook them with as little imagination as possible.  The only way I have enjoyed the root is in my mum and dad's spiced parsnip soup.  This made me think that a spicy hit was required to make my parsnips palatable!  It's a starchy vegetable, so I was sure it would work as a gratin, and the soft, creamy texture would be a bonus with the sometimes-dry turkey breast. 
    The parsnip gratin was the surprise hit of the meal!  Even the most stubborn parsnip avoiders went back for seconds.  Husband, who is usually pretty lukewarm about the parsnip announced "we're having this again!"  I didn't even get a chance to photograph it, the dish was completely clean by the time it came back to the kitchen.  I did write down my recipe, so I can share it with you.  I made 3 times as much as this, but I was feeding 13 people...

    A daunting sight for the parsnip-ambivalent


    Parsnip Gratin (serves 4 as a side dish)

    350g parsnips, peeled and thinly sliced
    125ml double cream
    1 tbsp (heaped) horseradish sauce
    1 tsp Dijon mustard
    salt and pepper to taste
    whole nutmeg, for grating

    1. Parboil the parsnips for 5 minutes, then drain and allow to steam dry in the colander.
    2. Tip parsnips into a buttered, oven-proof dish.
    3. Combine cream, horseradish sauce, mustard and salt and pepper.  Pour over parsnips.  (You might need to push the parsnips down to make sure the cream mixture covers it all.)
    4. Grate nutmeg over the top.
    5. Bake for 40 mins at 180 degrees Celsius.
    I made it again, so here's a wee photo of that one!

    Monday, 18 January 2010

    Truffle Shuffling

    Yes, yes, I know. I'm a negligent blogger. Last year, I didn't feel like I had lots to write about. 2009 was a year I won't be in any hurry to repeat; recovery from colostomy surgery, redundancy, depression, family bereavement, and unemployment, all meant I was very happy to see 2010 dawn.

    Looking forwards now. We are eagerly anticipating our move to Kent, (less eagerly packing boxes, but I work better under pressure) and I am delighted with the kitchen in the new house. While my Husband plans where to put the furniture, I am planning where everything will go in my beautiful kitchen, what I want to cook first in my stunning range cooker, and who should come to all the dinner parties we'll have to host! Sis-in-law and Uncle will be our first house guests, and my brother, his wife, and our new niece/nephew will stay in early autumn, but how to fill the time in between?!

    I have discovered the joys of preserving. As I mentioned in my last blog (so very long ago), money was tight at Christmas, so I made our gifts; Tomato and Sweet Chilli Jam, and Cranberry and Clementine Sauce. Everyone seemed to enjoy them, unless they were all just being nice(!), so I feel vindicated to create more chutneys and jams. Now that I've realised the joys, I am delving into learning what makes jam set, what makes chutney into chutney, and the art of ketchup. Once we've moved, I need to find the local markets to make sure I get seasonal fruit and vegetables to satisfy my need to jar!

    My other recent success has been Champagne Truffles. My Mum's favourite from a Thornton's chocolate box, I decided to make them for her birthday, to much acclaim. Now, they've been requested for my next visit. In fact, they may have been used in some kind of bribe situation...
    I dipped these in white chocolate with a few red candy melts thrown in

    Champagne Truffles

    450g milk chocolate
    100ml double cream
    65g unsalted butter
    100ml Champagne (I use Jacobs Creek Sparkling Rose, and it works just fine)
    4tbsp brandy
    Icing sugar, to dust.

    Melt chocolate in a bowl sat over a pan of simmering water. Be careful not to let the water touch the bottom of the bowl, or that no steam gets into the chocolate.

    Gently heat the cream and butter together in a pan, until it just comes to the boil. Then, pour into melting chocolate.

    Add Champagne and brandy, and stir until all ingredients mix together and all chocolate is melted. Remove from heat.

    Once the mix has cooled to room temperature, spoon into a piping bag and pipe 2cm blobs on to baking parchment that you have dusted with icing sugar. Place in the fridge.

    When the blobs are cold, dust your hands with icing sugar and roll each blob, quickly, into a ball shape.

    As they are, the truffles will last 3 days, if you dip them in chocolate (white is good) they'll last up to 3 months.

    Saturday, 9 May 2009

    Summer is here?

    Officially, winter is over. Daylight Savings Time is a clue, so is my veg-box provider discontinuing their Winter Box. The part of my brain that is supposed to start craving salad and barbecue food at this time of year does not know. I'm still in the mood for soups and stews. What's wrong? I have on many occasions confessed my love of comfort food, but surely I need to get over this soon? I'm trying, my next veg-box will contain the salad box, and I'm attempting to go down the cold-meat-and-coleslaw route for lunch these days.

    Perhaps it's the fact that the house we live in is cold all year round, or that every time the sun fights it's way out it rains, or maybe it just that the extra stressfulness of my life is pushing me to seek solace in warm and starchy comfort food. Whatever it is, I'm still a big fan of chicken. Roasted, poached, grilled, or pan fried, I'm happy. Then there's the stock. Risottos and soups are abundant. My craving for comfort food, at the moment, is constant. I finish one meal and I'm planning my next. I'm always hungry! I suppose it's a good thing, it'll help me put on weight. My dietitian is still concerned for my weight and I'd be happy to gain a kilo, or five. And yet, my weight has stayed the same all month, not an ounce, or gram, have I gained. Rubbish.

    Well, I'm hungry and I have some chicken and pasta in the fridge...

    Wednesday, 1 April 2009

    Simple Pleasures


    "What is it about chicken, coleslaw, and some kind of potato product that is so satisfying?" My husband's musings last night over dinner at Nando's. Maybe it's the soft, therapeutic warmth of well cooked chicken, the creamy, slightly oniony crunch of coleslaw, combined with the cheering full-up feeling from the starch, that makes it the ultimate comfort food. Maybe it was just the thoroughly relaxed atmosphere that we were able to dine in, thanks to Nando's gluten free food (check out http://www.nandos.co.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=model.faq&cat=CU&description=Contact_Us) and the server who double checked everything in the restaurants' dietary information book. I had wrongly assumed that Nando's was off the menu, but actually, most of the menu is suitable for Coeliacs!

    My husband had a point about chicken. Tonight, I poached a chicken (RSPCA Freedom Food Endorsed, of course) in chicken stock with chopped carrots, celery and onion, a couple of cloves of garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, and a sprig of rosemary. I chopped more carrot, onion, and celery, gently sauteed until soft, added some of the beautiful, moist chicken meat and the poaching broth. Then, the last of Mrs Leepers Rice Alphabets made a delicious, nourishing supper. I'm a self-confessed comfort food addict and this was truly one of the most pleasing meals I've eaten in weeks.

    And, as an added bonus, there's plenty of chicken left to make a salad for lunch tomorrow - with leftovers, and enough stock left to make another pot of soup (I'm thinking about cock-a-leekie with quinoa). Maybe even enough for a risotto?

    Monday, 14 July 2008

    Soup-er Trooper

    To quote my husband, “soup is not a meal”. Now, I shall disagree with him - soup is a meal and a very good one at that. In fact, meat, vegetables, potatoes, pasta, noodles or rice, all combine into one tasty, complete meal. I can understand why some people are suspicious of soup if all they have tried are the thin tinned varieties; a bowl of hearty, homemade soup is a quite different experience. One to be enjoyed!


    My all-time favourites are influenced heavily by my mother and grandmother and by the coffee shop I worked in during my teens. Lentil and bacon, chunky leek and potato, chicken noodle, Cullen Skink, vegetable, Cock-a-Leekie and cream of broccoli soup all succeed in making me feel comforted and satisfied. I am convinced that soup has restorative properties, leek and potato has cured many a hangover in my life and chicken noodle is the only thing I want when I have a cold. Even if the effects are just psychological, it works for me.


    Thanks to the rubbish weather we’ve been having this week; I have been revisiting the wonderful world of soup. Despite having no hangover, I have made leek and potato soup. I like to leave some big chunks of potato in there so that I can mash it with my spoon as I eat! The coffee shop I worked in always had big chunks of potato in their soup and squashing them was a good way to pass the time while it cooled enough to eat it. The Husband and I attempted to have a BBQ on Sunday, it was rained off but I cooked everything inside and we ate with our friends in the living room. So much for all the outdoor furniture we borrowed for the occasion! However, there were chicken wings left over – chicken wings make brilliant stock so I used them to make a Thai-inspired chicken noodle soup that deserves mention.


    Thai Chicken Noodle Soup

    2 spring onions, finely sliced

    2 chicken skinless, boneless thighs, sliced into thin strips

    1 tsp thai green curry paste

    1 tsp nam pla (thai fish sauce)

    4ooml chicken stock

    1 lime leaf

    a bundle of thin rice noodles

    Add the thai green curry paste to a saucepan with a little oil and saute until the fragrance start to come out of the spices, add the chicken and brown. Then add the fish sauce, lime leaf and chicken stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Meanwhile pour boiling water over the rice noodles and leave for 5 minutes until soft. Divide the noodles between 2 bowl and sprinkle in the spring onion. pour over the chicken and broth. If it needs seasoning, use gluten free tamari to add saltiness.


    On the topic of noodles, Annabel Karmel has a range of baby food (you can buy it online or at Boots) and she produces gluten-free mini pasta stars that are brilliant in soups. I use them in minestrone and in some chicken noodle soup. They’re worth a try.

    Tuesday, 22 May 2007

    I don't know what I ate last summer

    I've had an epiphany... I'm an incurable comfort eater. Even in the height of summer I'd be delighted to scoff a big bowl of mashed potatoes and gravy. I live for stews and casseroles, pies and pot roasts, soup, baked beans on (gluten free) toast. I am renowned for cooking meat in liquid. I love curling up on the sofa with a warming, comforting meal.

    It occurs to me now, as we approach summer, that I don't know what to eat when it gets hot! I was so ill last summer that all I ate was rice crispies and tomato soup - not in the same bowl, I hasten to add. This summer, with obstruction removed, Crohn's under control and, hopefully, Coeliacs improving, I need to find summery dishes to eat.

    The Crohn's means that I have problems with lettuce so salads are not an option. I should start grilling my meat, I suppose, the BBQ season should help with that. New potatoes - no skins, Crohn's, seasonal vegetables. What's in season? Oh, is it so strange to crave stodge when the sun shines?