MiRecipes

DATE AND BANANA LOAF

2018-11-09T17:06:00.001+00:00

SATISFYING A CRAVING

Our breakfast is always the same - summer berries, banana, beetroot protein smoothie! It is our staple breakfast, however normally on waking, we start the day with our homebrew mug of Italian coffee, which by the way has 40% roasted dandelion root added.

I always add the dandy mainly because it adds a lovely rounded flavour to the coffee and also for the added benefits of liver support and detox. I started drinking this coffee and dandy blend years ago when I found it just too hard to totally give up my love of coffee especially that first mug in the morning, so adding the dandy was my compromise, not a totally naughty coffee but a healthier version of it!

MUST HAVE COFFEE

So it's a mug of coffee first thing on rising and then approximately 90mins later we get stuck into our Berry Smoothie.

However, sometimes just sometimes, I think more so in winter, we both need to satisfy a craving for a little extra to go with the coffee. Usually, it will be a simple piece of our toasted homebaked sourdough rye, smothered with unsalted butter and homemade marmalade, the perfect cold morning accompaniment to have with our coffee.

On other occasions, we like to try something just a little bit more special. This is when the amateur baker man (my husband) knocks out a few fruit buns which we slice up and have with unsalted butter, but my favourite has to be when he decides to try something totally different and new and it is really delicious!

OUT OF THE OVEN - BANANA DELIGHT!

This week just happened to be one of those special treat weeks, making a loaf with very ripe bananas and some dates, and the bonus of no sugar at all in the recipe!

This recipe is from the Tesco magazine September 2018.

INGREDIENTS

4 ripe large bananas
2 medium eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (we added the vanilla to the recipe)
100g dates, chopped
3 tbsp Greek Style Yoghurt
50g desiccated coconut
2 tbsp chia seeds
300g self-raising flour
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tbsp mixed spice
pinch of salt (we added the salt to the recipe)
2-3 tbsp milk

METHOD

Pre-heat the oven to 180C, or fan 160C. With baking paper, line a 900g (2lb) loaf tin. We used the closest size we had which was a 3lb loaf tin, so our loaf came out longer and not as high. Just means you can have an extra slice!

Fork mash the 3 bananas on a large plate, eliminating all lumps. Add the banana mash into a large mixing bowl. Add the vanilla extract. Remember to add a pinch of salt. Add the eggs to the banana mash, one at a time, and with a whisk mix in well.

Add the chopped dates, yoghurt, coconut and chia seeds and fold until combined.

Sieve in the flour, bicarbonate of soda, mixed spice and gently fold into the batter.

ADD 2-3 tbsp milk to loosen the batter and pour into the lined loaf tin.

SLICE the 4th banana in half lengthways, or my preference is for round slices, and place cut side up on top of the batter.

Bake for 40mins, on middle self. COVER with foil, and bake for a further 30-40mins until loaf is golden, and a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle. This baking time is more than mentioned in the original recipe because we found it took ages for the skewer to come out clean.

Serve spread with unsalted butter or with any of your favourite topping, I like it straight!

SMACZNEGO!

This recipe is from the Tesco magazine September 2018.

BERRY, BANANA AND BEETROOT SMOOTHIE!

2018-11-09T16:56:00.000+00:00

BREAKFAST - NEVER SKIP IT!

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, my mother would always yell at the top of her voice as I would charge off out the door, running late for the train, after I had just gulped down a hot cup of strong, black coffee. Yes, yes I know I will get something on the way to work!

As a young teenager with loads of energy, I didn't have time to sit and eat breakfast at home, I preferred to commute to work and en route to the office grab a toasted sandwich and a sweet bun to eat at my desk prior to starting work, it just seemed to be more enjoyable and it was also time to catch up with the typing pool girls and gossip before we hammered out the daily workload on our Remington typewriters. Yes, it was the late 60's early 70's! Times were marvellous!

DIET WAS NOT IN MY VOCABULARY

I was young, active, played sports (netball) and ate whatever I wanted. Never had puberty acne or any greasy skin or hair and absolutely loved food. I am sure my Polish roots instilled the love of good food, loads of home-cooked meals, loads of vegetables and fruits were eaten seasonally out of granddad's and grandma's back garden, all this allowed us the luxury of eating good wholesome meals.

Those were the days, everything was fresh, freshly made, no preservatives, no colourings, no additives, no ready meals in sight. Basically, meals were all about sow it, grow it, pick it, wash it, eat it OR cook it, eat it. SIMPLE FAIRE!

TODAY IT'S ALL ABOUT HEALTH AND DIET

It is a long time since my relaxed eating habits of a teenage girl and as I have aged my body has beckoned me to be mindful of my ageing eating habits, so things have changed. I still love food, and I still love to indulge just not as often or as haphazardly as in my younger days where the body would always manage to cope with any abuse. Not so forgiving today, and the apple cider vinegar has become the remedy for all digestive upsets.

HEALTHIER EATING IN AGING

Today my husband and I are even more focused on choosing how we prepare our meals, what we eat, when and how much! The metabolism has definitely slowed down with age so no heavy meals in the evening for us. Luckily my husband, who is of larger stature than I is happy to share in the selection of meals I/we decide to cook, prepare and eat.

BREAKFAST PROTEIN SMOOTHIE

The easiest and most satisfying breakfast for both of us is this concoction of berries and rice protein, no hassles, no deciding what do you feel like for breakfast, best of all no cooking, and minimal fuss and the result is a filling smoothie which lasts a good 4-5hrs. Are you ready for the recipe? Let's get shaking!

INGREDIENTS - makes 2 smoothies

165g frozen summer berries (raspberries, blackberries, red and black currants)

1 ripe large banana

4-6 heaped tbsp Greek-style yoghurt

1 scoop Rice Protein powder (per person)

1 heaped tsp psyllium husk powder

2 heaped tsp beetroot powder

1 teaspoon Vit C (ascorbic acid) equivalent 1000mg

4 tbsp freshly ground flax seeds

2 tbsp organic cold pressed flaxseed oil

add filtered water to make up to 1 litre

METHOD

Add all the ingredients in order into a 1-litre jug, blend well with your hand-held blender. Divide the mixture between two large tall glasses and drink slowly, holding in your mouth to allow digestive juices to mix with the shake before swallowing.

You can take your morning vitamins along with this smoothie, and any other medication you normally need to take with meals.

SMACZNEGO!

APPLE WALNUT Cake

2018-10-17T18:01:00.001+01:00

Apples in the attic, Apples in the hall, Apples in the summer, Apples in the fall. Apples make you healthy, Apples make you tall. I will eat some apples, I will eat them all!

In September my partner and I decided to go PYO apples and pears from a farm near Sittingbourne, just a short drive from home. We did it last year and I enjoyed it so much I just had to go again this year. There is something very special about being able to pick your own fruit straight off the tree. It's a totally enjoyable experience and it's so easy to get carried away and pick more apples and pears than you will ever need, my excuse is that I am giving them to family and friends so I can linger longer in the apple orchard.

We were picking Windsor Apples and Cox Apples and also a few Conference Pears. Even though we picked them exactly the same week last year, this time the apples and pears were ripe for the picking about 10 days earlier so we ended up having to choose carefully and cover more ground as well to pick the few kilos we needed. It is so easy to keep picking, I was glad once again it didn't get to 10kg, I mean who needs £17 worth of fruit? LOL Don't worry it only came to £11. The price is the same whether you PYO or buy from the farm shop, £1.70 per kg THE DIFFERENCE IS YOU HAVE PICKED THEM FRESH TODAY!

Of course, we keep our freshly picked apples and pears in the fridge, it's the coolest place in the flat, and we usually eat them or cook them within 4 weeks. Otherwise, if there were many more we would store them in the cool garage.

CAKE RECIPE

This recipe is our version of the Fat Ladies "Danish Apple and Prune Cake" which they took from the Australian cook, Greta Anna. When we first tried their recipe we were a bit disappointed because it was overbaked and the apple pieces on top were overdone, so it sort of looked like an overdone pizza! We could still eat it but it was dry and crusty, not the kind of cake I was imagining eating. Anyway, I am not one to give up and this time I really wanted it to work. I made a few changes to the recipe and with "fingers crossed" it worked out perfectly.

INGREDIENTS

Cake Batter:

140g butter

170g caster sugar

2 medium eggs, well beaten

85g self-raising flour

115g ground almonds

125ml milk

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tbsp boiling water

1/2 tsp baking powder

Extra ingredients:

8 stoned prunes, chopped

115g walnuts, finely chopped

2 tbsp sugar

2 Windsor apples, peeled, cored, chopped and cooked

METHOD

Preheat your oven 190C (170C fan). Butter and line 23cm(9in) round spring-form cake tin.

Into a food processor, place all the cake ingredients, cream together, until well-blended, about 10-20 seconds. Run the spatula around the bowl and process for 5 seconds more.

Pour 2/3 of batter into the buttered and lined cake tin.

Scatter the prunes over the batter. Spoon over the walnut and sugar mixture. Arrange the cooked apple pieces on top of the walnuts. Pour the remainder of the batter over the top of the apples.

Bake for 45 mins. Test with a skewer, till it comes out clean.

Cool it in the tin.

Enjoy with a dollop of creamy Greek yoghurt, extra thick cream or creme fraiche. Tastes great on its own as well!

CHANGES TO THE ORIGINAL RECIPE:

Reduced caster sugar, added mixed spice and ground ginger, and cooked the apples. Split the batter. Omitted the extra sugar, cinnamon and butter sprinkled on top after baking for 45mins, therefore also reduced the total baking time by 25mins.

Enjoy your freshly picked apples however you like to eat them!

Greek Lamb Moussaka

2018-02-04T10:04:00.001+00:00

Aubergine (eggplant) is one of my favourite vegetables.

I first tasted it in the mid-1960's when my best friend (Nuccia) in high school shared her lunch with me. It was the best, weirdest vegetable I had tasted. Basically, it was two slices of aubergine, in the middle was a slice of mozzarella cheese, and it was battered in flour, egg and breadcrumbs, and fried. OMG so delicious! I have been eating aubergines (eggplants) ever since that day.

As delicious as this fried gem sounds, that is not what I am going to share with you today. It is early February here in the UK and today and next week we are going to have a good spell of lower temperatures, max temps of 4-5C and lows of 0C. So today was the perfect day for a hearty meal like moussaka.

Moussaka, What is it?

As with other recipes that have survived generations and crossed borders, you will not be surprised there are a few variations of Moussaka. Basic moussaka can be an aubergine or potato based, minced meat dish or it can be a totally vegetarian affair, replacing the meat with lentils and chickpeas. The dish is popular in the Eastern Mediterranean region, with many local and regional variations. It is served hot, warm, room temperature and cold, depending on the country.

This version of Moussaka which I am going to share is from Greece. The recipe involves three (3) separate layers, cooked before combining for the final bake. Grilled aubergine, cooked minced lamb and a top layer of Bechamel sauce. This moussaka recipe has 6 layers: aubergine, meat, aubergine, meat, aubergine, and finally Bechamel sauce.

Are you ready? then let's cook.

INGREDIENTS:

Aubergines (eggplant):

1/2 cup olive oil
3-4 medium aubergines, sliced

Meat Sauce:

2 large onion, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1.5 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp dried oregano
500g minced lamb (or turkey my preference)
500ml Passata
2 tablespoons tomato paste
150ml red wine
3 anchovies
black pepper
2 bay leaves
2 tsp fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Bechamel Sauce:

90g unsalted butter
1/3 cup plain flour
2 cups milk
2/3 cup pecorino cheese, grated
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Sprinkling of nutmeg

METHOD:

You can make this recipe all on the same day, or if you don't want to spend half the day in the kitchen you can prepare the aubergines and the meat a day before.

Prepare the Aubergines

1. Cut the aubergines into 1cm slices. Spread out onto a tray covered with paper towel, and sprinkle with salt. Stand for 30-50mins. Soak up the moisture on top of aubergines with a paper towel. Cover your grill tray with aluminium foil, spread out the aubergine on the grill tray and brush with olive oil. Grill until golden brown, turn over and repeat.

Prepare your meat sauce

2. Into a large frying pan put 2 tbsp olive oil and cook the onion on medium-high heat until soft. Add the garlic, cinnamon and oregano and cook for a further couple of minutes, then stir in the lamb. Turn up the heat slightly, and brown the lamb well, cooking until the mixture is quite dry. Stir in the passata, tomato paste and wine. Add bay leaves, anchovies, black pepper, and bring to a simmer, then turn the heat down low and cook for at least 50 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated, (if it is evaporating faster add some water). Check flavour and season, if needed, then stir in the mint and parsley.

Prepare the Bechamel Sauce

3. In a saucepan heat and melt the butter, stir the flour into the butter. Stir over low heat for 2 mins. Add milk gradually to the pan, stirring until smooth. Stir over medium heat for 5mins or until mixture boils and thickens. Cook for another 1min, then remove from heat. Beat in the eggs, then stir in the cheese until melted. Salt to taste and add a sprinkling of nutmeg, or more if you wish.

Layering

4. Arrange a third of the aubergines in the base of an oven dish, and top with half the meat. Repeat these layers, then finish off with a layer of aubergine, and top with the sauce.

Bake on 180C (or 160C fan forced) for about 45 minutes until well browned, and then leave to cool for 15-30mins before serving. Serve with greens or a salad.

kalí órexi - enjoy your meal!

Delicious Winter Vegetable Curries

2018-01-10T16:37:00.000+00:00

Winter is the perfect time for vegetarian curries. Whether it be a mild, medium or hot variety we enjoy them thoroughly especially on a cold wintry day. Our favourite time to eat curry is at lunch time mainly to allow the body to digest and process the heat of the chillies before we retire for the night. I am not a great eater of hot chilli but I do enjoy a flavoursome, spicy vegetarian dish with a good dollop of cucumber raita (although in my case it is more like tzatziki - yoghurt, cucumber, fresh mint or coriander, ground cumin, salt and lemon juice).

So to keep my darling (who loves very hot curry) happy, I always cook three (3) curry dishes each dish has a different level of heat. These are the three (3) dishes:-

Hot = Green Curry Cauliflower and Lentils

Medium = Aubergine, Chickpea and Mushrooms

Mild = Spinach, Tomato and Mushrooms

We love to cook our curry dishes at least every fortnight. I aim to always cook enough for three (3) meals for the two of us, and freeze in separate containers. So easy to defrost and reheat to have with or without rice, sometimes we steam extra vegetables like Brussel sprouts, green beans and broccoli to eat with the curry dishes. Ever so yummy and full of goodness!

Vegetarian Curry Dish #1

Cauliflower and Lentils

Ingredients:

2 onions

4 garlic cloves

1in (2.5cm) fresh root ginger

4 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp garam masala

120g red lentils

300ml vegetable or chicken stock

2 tsp green curry paste (I use Thai Green Curry Paste by Mae Ploy - it is 31% green chilli)

600g cauliflower florets

300ml coconut milk

150g frozen petit pois (small sweet peas)

hand full chopped fresh coriander

1 tbsp lemon juice

salt and pepper

Method:

Heat half the oil in a saucepan, add finely chopped onion and garlic, grated ginger, dry spices and fry gently for 5 mins.

Add the lentils, stir well and add the stock. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer gently for 10 mins.

In a separate frying pan, add remaining oil, green curry paste and fry gently for 3 mins. Add cauliflower, stir over medium heat for 5 mins, remove from heat.

Add spicy cauliflower and coconut milk to the lentils, bring to boil, cover and simmer for 15 mins.

Add the frozen peas, fresh coriander and lemon juice. Heat through gently for 3 mins until the peas are tender.

Check the seasoning. Add salt and pepper if required.

Serve with rice, pappadoms, cucumber raita, naan bread, or as part of a selection of other curry dishes.

Vegetarian Curry Dish #2

Aubergine (eggplant), Chickpea and Mushrooms

Ingredients:

1/2 cup olive oil

1 large aubergine (eggplant)

2 onions

4 garlic cloves

2 tsp ground coriander

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp red curry paste (I use Thai Red Curry Paste by Mae Ploy - it is 22.5% red chilli)

400g can chickpeas

400g can chopped tomatoes

300ml vegetable or chicken stock

250g portobello mushrooms

80g dried apricots or dried mango chopped

salt and pepper

Method:

Slice aubergine into 1/2in thick slices, place on absorbent paper (kitchen towel) and lightly salt one side, leave to stand 20 mins. Pat dry and place on aluminium foil under the grill, brush olive oil on each aubergine slice and grill till golden brown, turn slices over and do the same on the other side. Set aside.

In a saucepan, add finely chopped onion and garlic, spices and fry over medium heat for 5 mins. Add chickpeas including their liquid, tomatoes and stock.

Slice the grilled aubergine into cubes and add to the chickpea mixture. Cover and simmer gently for 20 mins.

In the meantime, in a frying pan, heat remaining oil and add diced mushrooms, stir-fry until browned, 4-6 mins.

Add the mushrooms and chopped apricots to the stew, cook further 10 mins.

You can serve this dish with a scattering of chopped parsley and toasted flaked almonds.

Vegetarian Curry Dish #3

Spinach, Tomato and Mushrooms

Ingredients:

2 onions

4 garlic cloves

1in (2.5cm) fresh root ginger

2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp garam masala

1 large ripe tomato or 2tbsp tomato paste

250g button mushrooms

900g frozen spinach

1/2 cup yoghurt

Method:

First, defrost your spinach at least halfway prior to using.

In a frying pan add oil and finely chopped onion and garlic, grated ginger and spices and fry gently for 5 mins. Add diced mushrooms and chopped tomato. Fry over medium heat for 5 mins. Stir everything well.

Add spinach to the mix, and cook on medium heat for about 10-15 mins. Adjust seasoning, add salt if needed. Add yoghurt at the end.

Serve with other vegetable curry dishes.

BON APPETIT! ENJOY YOUR VEGETARIAN CURRY MEAL!

Apricot Oat Walnut Bars

2015-02-23T15:44:00.002+00:00

Here is a first time recipe - using some favourite ingredients always in my pantry: dried apricots, walnuts, oats.

These apricot bars are sugar free, egg free, dairy free, wheat free. Perfect "breakfast on the run" providing complex carbohydrates, fruit, nuts and healthy fats.

This recipe is a "work-in-progress" future makings may include additions and alterations to this recipe.

However, for now, these apricot oat bars are great for our long distance walks, providing some essential slow release energy.

Ingredients needed:

1 cup dried apricots, chopped

2 teaspoons fresh ginger, chopped

3 tablespoons pineapple juice

2/3 cup walnuts, chopped

1.5 cups oats

3 tablespoons coconut flour

2 tablespoons ground flax seed

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup whole tahini

1/4 cup honey

Method:

Preheat the oven to 160C (320F). Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Place chopped apricots and ginger in a bowl. In a saucepan bring the pineapple juice to a simmer, and pour over the chopped apricots and ginger.

Mix well, set aside and allow the apricots to absorb the juice.

1. Apricots and ginger, chopped; 2. Walnuts chopped; 3. Dry ingredients

In a large bowl add all the dry ingredients: walnuts, oats, coconut flour, flax seed, cinnamon, sea salt, mix well.

To the bowl of apricots and ginger, add the oil, tahini and honey. Mix well.

Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture.

Stir until well combined.

When combined transfer the mixture to the baking paper, and spread out evenly, approximate size 8" by 8".

Press a few extra chopped walnuts to the top.

Bake on middle rack for 25-30 minutes.

Cool, and then lift with the baking paper to cutting board.

Using a sharp knife cut into squares.

Keep in airtight container at room temperature for a week. Or in fridge for longer. (unfortunately ours don't last a week - they get eaten really fast !)

Enjoy!

Grandma's Gluten Free Bread Recipe

2014-01-28T19:06:00.000+00:00

WHEAT FREE, GLUTEN FREE, DAIRY FREE AND EGG FREE BREAD

This recipe is my very first gluten free bread recipe, last time I made this wheat free, dairy free and egg free bread was thirty (30) odd years ago, when my son was diagnosed with food allergies and we had to eliminate wheat, dairy and egg from his diet.

I can tell you honestly, in those days shopping for wheat free, diary free and egg free was a huge nightmare!

Unlike, today where you can find a good range of "free from" products available, in health food stores and supermarkets.

So, you may well ask - Why am I baking "gluten free" bread today?

Recently I returned from Australia, where I spent close to 3 months residing with my daughter and grandchild. They are both eating gluten free and dairy free, and the little one also has egg issues. Therefore during my stay, it was easier for me to join in their eating habits.

I must admit I am not at all surprised that I found the gluten free diet suited me. I have always had issues with eating bread, so only ever ate very small amounts of it. Sometimes it takes sixty (60) years of living to realize you have an intolerance to gluten.

So now I am back in England and hunting down gluten free breads, and disappointed with the texture of the bread available.

Although gluten free is available in my local supermarket, it is so light and fluffy, made to resemble normal bread, which I never ate anyway. I prefer my bread to be solid, crusty and filling. Like a good Italian ciabatta.

That is why I have been searching the internet for gluten free, dairy free bread recipes, I want to make and bake my own, because I want a bread with solid texture and weight.

Also, I want to bake with ingredients which are easy to find and purchase, and most of all, I want to control what goes into my bread.

So here is my recipe for a loaf of bread which is gluten free, dairy free and egg free.

It has flavour and texture and is my preference for every day gluten free bread eating.

This recipe makes one loaf. I always cut the loaf in half and wrap in baking paper and then place in plastic zip bag. One half in the fridge and one half in the freezer, we don't eat more than a couple of slices a day, so the freezing helps to keep the other half loaf fresh.

Left: Bowl with wet ingredients and bowl with dry ingredients. Right: Bread batter in loaf pan before rising.

INGREDIENTS:
• 2 teaspoons organic coconut palm sugar
• 2 cups warm water
• 4½ teaspoons DRY YEAST
• ⅓ cup honey
• ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1½ cups GF plain flour (Rice, Potato, Tapioca, Maize, Buckwheat)
• 1½ cups sorghum flour
• 1 cup rice flour
• ½ cup flaxseed (linseed) ground
• 2½ teaspoons xanthan gum
• 2 teaspoons sea salt

METHOD:

Using an 11 x 5 inch loaf pan, grease with oil, and line with baking paper, and grease the paper too. This is to make sure the bread comes out. I had the horrible experience with my first trial of the bread sticking to the pan, I did use a smaller sized loaf pan, but that was enough for me to make sure it doesn't happen again.

In a small bowl, ADD the coconut sugar and the warm water, STIR to dissolve sugar, then ADD the dry yeast and STIR again. Allow the mixture to STAND in a warm, draft free place for approx. 10 mins.

In the meantime, in a large bowl, ADD all the other dry ingredients - GF plain flour, sorghum flour, rice flour, ground flaxseed (linseed), ADD the xanthan gum and sea salt. Give it all a good stir with a wire whisk, to combine all the dry ingredients.

ADD the honey and the oil to the yeast mixture, stir with wire whisk.

ADD the wet mixture into the dry ingredients, and stir with the wire whisk, just to combine the ingredients.

You will need to SWITCH to a wooden spoon to continue stirring the batter. ADD some extra warm water, up to ¼ cup, if batter seems too thick. I always do.

The whole process of mixing from start to finish, should only take a few minutes.

TRANSFER the batter to the lined and oiled loaf pan, forming a loaf shape. The batter does not fill the 11 x 5 inch pan.

ALLOW the loaf pan to stand in a warm, draft free place, for approx. 1hr. So the bread can rise.

BAKE in a preheated oven 175C (350F) degrees for 50 to 55 mins.

LET the baked bread stand in the pan for about 10 mins, then remove and COOL on wire rack. DO NOT CUT the bread before it has cooled completely.

MY RESOURCES:

http://www.elanaspantry.com/simple-bread
http://www.nourishingmeals.com/2009/04/best-gluten-free-vegan-sandwich-bread.html
http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/whole-grain-gluten-free-bread_17.html
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/gluten-free
http://www.dovesfarm.co.uk/recipes/gluten-free-oven-baked-white-bread
http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.co.uk/2009/02/delicious-gluten-free-bread.html
http://crabappleherbs.com/blog/2009/12/31/victory-gluten-free-bread-with-no-weird-gums-in-it
http://glutenfreegirl.com/2007/10/a-guide-to-working-with-gluten-free-flours

Spaghetti Meal with Salmon

2013-07-27T15:35:00.000+01:00

Spaghetti with Salmon and Vegetables

This recipe is my quick spaghetti meal after a good day out walking. It is amazing how many calories you burn during a 4-6 hour walk. Even though we take snacks and lunch on our walks, we still find ourselves starving when we get home.

For peak performance, we found out that muscles need carbs and protein for the recovery and repair process after a workout, so this explained why my husband and I both craved the extra calories. Now we happily allow ourselves to indulge in the extra carb intake, prior to and after our 10-14 mile walks.

Spaghetti with Salmon and Veg (serves 2)

Ingredients:

1 medium onion

3 cloves garlic

4 medium portobello mushrooms

2 baby courgettes

2 large ripe tomatoes

handful broccoli

1 cup cooked cannellini beans

120-150g fresh salmon fillets

100ml white wine

fresh basil

2 tablespoons capers

dash of tamari (for salmon)

200-250g dried spaghetti

olive oil

grated parmesan cheese

Method:

Start by cooking your spaghetti in the usual way, and whilst it's cooking, prepare your vegetables.

Into a large non-stick fry pan add a dash of olive oil, add chopped onion, saute for 3-5 mins, add cubed mushrooms, fry for 2 mins, then add cubed courgettes and tomatoes, Add capers and 30ml white wine to keep it moist.

Keep adding the wine as the liquid evaporates, then add the broccoli, chopped basil and cannellini beans, cover with a lid and turn down the heat.

Allow the vegetable mixture to simmer gently without drying out, the juices from the tomato should form a nice sauce.

In a separate non-stick fry pan, add a dash of olive oil, add sliced salmon pieces, sprinkle with tamari, and cook quickly 2 mins on each side.

Apart from flavour the tamari helps the salmon achieve a char-grilled look.

Strain the spaghetti, divide into bowls and top with the vegetable mixture and salmon pieces sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve.

Enjoy, buono appetito!

ENERGY BALLS

2013-04-26T19:03:00.000+01:00

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Sugar Free, Egg Free Energy Balls

Here is my quick recipe for those times when I need a good hit of energy. Usually when doing a long 10-15 mile walk.

Honesty, my only reason I make them, to take with us on our walks/hikes through the countryside or along the coast.

These balls are gluten free, dairy free, wheat free, egg free.

INGREDIENTS:

Makes approximately 22 balls
3/4 cup dessicated coconut
3/4 cup ground almonds (or almond meal)
1 cup dried apricots, chopped
OR 1/2 cup dried apricots 1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
1/2 cup dark tahini
1/2 cup honey
1-2 tablespoons cocoa powder

METHOD:

Mix all the dry ingredients well. Then add the wet ingredients, honey and tahini.

Stir through well.

With a tablespoon for measure, roll into balls between the palms of your hands.

Coat with dessicated coconut, and store in air tight containers in fridge.

Sprinkle coconut onto bottom surface of containers before placing balls, and sprinkle a bit more coconut on top.

Smacznego!

Warning: High energy balls = high calorie count. Only to be eaten when burning calories.

Mushroom and Spinach Roll

2013-03-27T19:59:00.003+00:00

Vegetarian Delight

I love my meatless meals and this Mushroom and Spinach Roll recipe is one of them. In the past I would make loads of these rolls, (back in the 90's), I even made them smaller as individual rolls, so my daughter and I could take them to work for lunch.

Today, I am no longer working and only have to cater for my husband and myself, so I make just two large rolls, which I can cut in half and share with my husband. One roll for dinner and the second roll for lunch on another day, these spinach rolls once baked freeze well.

This Mushroom and Spinach recipe is relatively easy, all you need is a few simple ingredients and be ready for a little prep work.

Mushroom and Spinach Roll - Makes 2 (serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 medium leek

200gr chestnut mushrooms

300gr frozen spinach

200gr cottage cheese

2 small eggs

4 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon cornflour

nutmeg

salt

dash of white wine (optional)

500gr Fresh or frozen Puff Pastry

Method:

Into a non-stick frying pan, dash of olive oil, saute sliced leek and mushrooms, add nutmeg, salt, and a dash of white wine (optional).

Remove from pan, next saute defrosted spinach with crushed garlic. Make sure you saute until all liquid has evaporated.

Allow the mushrooms and leek and spinach to cool.

Place all ingredients into a large bowl. Add eggs, cottage cheese and cornflour, and mix well.

Roll out half the puff pastry, add half the mixture, and brush beaten egg around the edges, fold over pastry and pinch edges to seal.

Brush the top with beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse salt.

Bake in hot oven 210C for 30 minutes.

Rest for 20 minutes then serve with a salad.

Perfect accompaniment - sweet chilli sauce or if you don't like the heat, good old tomato ketchup will do as well. I like mine without any sauce.

Baked Rolls can be frozen. Allow to cool completely, wrap in foil, and refrigerator or freeze for another day.

To Reheat: If frozen, allow to defrost in wrapped foil and place in hot oven for 15-20 mins to heat through. Open foil for last 5 mins to allow the pastry to re-crisp.

INDIVIDUAL ROLLS: Divide the pastry and the mixture into four, and make four (4) individual rolls in the same manner.

Bon appétit !

EASY CRUNCHY CHOCOLATE OAT COOKIES

2013-03-27T15:04:00.000+00:00

Some of my favourite things:
chocolate
cranberries
oats
coconut
cinnamon

all in one place,

IN THIS

easy chunky,

crunchy cookie recipe.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups butter, melted

(I used half unsalted butter and half coconut oil)

1 1/4 cups raw sugar

1/4 cup honey

2 eggs

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons cocoa

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups rolled oats

1 cup desiccated coconut

1 cup dried cranberries

pinch salt

Method:

Into a large bowl, shift flour, cocoa, baking soda and cinnamon,
add oats, coconut and cranberries

and mix well adding pinch of salt.

Meanwhile, melt butter gently and let cool.

Add honey and fork beaten eggs to mixture

along with cooled melted butter.

Stir well.

Place bowl of cookie mixture,

in a cool place, or in refrigerator,

for 20-30 minutes.

Using a tablespoon for measure,

roll small balls of cookie mixture with your hands,

place on baking sheet,

spaced out, they will spread during baking,

and bake for approx. 25mins,

in 180C oven.

Transfer to cooling rack,

and proceed with next batch in same manner.

Will make approx. 33-36 cookies

even more if you make them a bit smaller.

When cool store in air tight container.

Enjoy, delicious with a glass of milk.

Or your favourite hot brew.

Smacznego!

To Quince ... or Not to Quince...

2012-11-27T11:00:00.000+00:00

Without it brie is just another cheese. Quince Paste is the perfect accompaniment to soft cheese, especially brie, double brie or triple brie.

I will not survive the year, unless I have enough quince paste to last me till next season. It is a sad occasion when there is brie to be had and no quince paste in sight. boo hoo!

There are many recipes out there to follow, however my favourite recipe is the age-old Tudor recipe from the Historic Food website

Last year I made a huge batch of quince paste. I was lucky enough to get a bag full from a friend of a friend, so I literally made heaps of quince paste and enjoyed it with my brie and roasts for a whole year. So thankful I didn't run out. I still have one container full, which is great, because I will be able to do a taste test, and compare the flavour, consistency and colour with last year's quince paste.

QUINCE PASTE RECIPE (MEMBRILLO)

WHAT YOU NEED:

Quince - ripened
Granulated sugar
Lemon
Vanilla pod or extract
Water

OPTIONAL FLAVOURINGS: Choose one or use all three (3)
Cinnamon
Rose water
Chinese Five Spice

START with a few quince. fully ripened. If they are a bit green wait till they ripen in your fruit bowl. (however I have also made it with quinces that wouldn't ripen in the fruit bowl).

Today (Mon Nov 26) I made my quince paste with only three (3) large quinces, perfectly ripened. I bought them a week ago, and allowed them to sit in the fruit bowl to develop an all-over ripe yellow.

First, thoroughly WASH your quince, and then CUT into quarters and cut away the core, RETAIN the core for later, to place in muslin, and cook with the quince. LEAVE the skin on, but cut off and discard any dis-colouration or the odd weird brown bit.

CUT the quarters into smaller CUBES, and place in a large saucepan, ADD enough water to cover the quince, ADD vanilla pod or vanilla extract, and ADD cinnamon or your choice of optional flavourings. ADD some lemon juice, from half a lemon. STIR.

Allow the quince to come to the BOIL, and then SIMMER for at least 1hr 30mins, I prefer to allow the water to evaporate so there is no need to pour off any liquid. Remember to tie the cut out core pieces into a muslin bag and dangle in the quince. I tie mine with string and tie it to the handle of the saucepan so it is easily fished out later. Apparently the core pieces and the skin help with the setting of the paste, I can't remember where I read that, but it is out there somewhere. Once the cooking is done, REMOVE the muslin bag with core pieces, and with a blender, blend the cooked quince.

ADD sugar, measure out the quince (using scales), and add an 1/2 to 3/4 the amount of sugar to quince. Add the sugar in increments, stirring through the quince and taste test before you add the full amount of sugar. The flavour consists of: "cooked quinces" they taste like sour apples, with a lovely hint of vanilla and cinnamon in the background, and a nice balanced sweetness. Taste as you go, you can always add more lemon juice, or sugar, to balance the flavour. It is not meant to be sweet like jam! Remember it is eaten with savoury foods, cheeses and roast meats.

NOW, once you have added your sugar, and you are happy with the flavour, ALLOW to SIMMER on low heat for 2 - 3 hrs.

Make sure you stir frequently, to prevent it from burning.

WATCH out for the volcanic eruptions during this process, and don't get lava burns. COVER the saucepan with a cotton tea towel or muslin, stretched over the top and held in place.

DO NOT use tea towel if cooking on a gas cooker. You can cover with aluminium foil, with slits cut into it, to allow the steam to escape.

Your quince paste will start to THICKEN and develop a REDDISH hue. Don't worry at this stage, the full darker red develops once it has been dried out in the oven, and the older it gets the better it looks. (wish it was the same for us humans)

Grease and line a baking dish or tray with baking paper (not wax paper).

Gently, POUR the paste into the lined baking dish and smooth the top, keep the thickness between 2-3 cms, it will help dry the quince paste faster.

Place in a WARM oven around 100C (200F), leaving the door ajar slightly, allow to DRY in the oven for about 2hrs or more if needed.

When your quince paste has dried all the way through, allow to cool.

I also let it stand for a few days in the airing cupboard to make sure it is well set. Cover with a clean cloth and do not disturb.

SLICE into squares, wrap in cling wrap, and place in containers, and store in fridge.

Will last over 12 months.

Enjoy you quince paste with a beautiful brie and a nice glass of wine....

QUINCE PASTE is also very good with roast meats, especially pork. YOU CAN ALSO EAT YOUR QUINCE PASTE with cream cheese, cottage cheese or goats cheese.

Bon appetit, Smacznego!

Champagne Entertaining on a Beer Budget - Part 1

2011-05-01T14:39:00.365+01:00

Life is full of challenges!
There are times in life when what was, is no longer, and what is, takes us out of our comfort zone. These are the times when we need to sit up and take notice, take notice of what we do habitually and how can we change it? Of course one of our biggest habits is how, what, when and where we eat.

Generally, we habitually buy what we like to eat, we habitually shop weekly for our groceries, we habitually love to go out to eat in our favourite restuarants, and we habitually eat at certain times of the day. Geez... we even habitually cook the same meals!

Right? Right! nothing wrong with having a habitual life.... it's only when life comes along and hands you a new set of rules... and the biggest change...
a significant drop in income... challenging? oh yeah... but hey I digress a bit.

Talking Food
OK, let's get back to food. I have always loved my food and always loved to eat and nothing is going to stop me now. Personally, I have always been a huge salad and vegetable eater, however, it does not make me a vegetarian because I still love my fish, red meat and dairy products.

I prefer to eat "low carb" meals with the odd indulgence in extra special cakes, and I love my fresh brewed coffee first thing in the morning and on odd occasions a fresh croissant. I love real food. If I am going to have milk and cream I want the real stuff... none of this low fat, semi-skimmed stuff ! what the hell is that? it's like ordering a "why bother" - you know those people who order a "decaf soy latte".

Anyway this brings me to the point of wanting to share with you some of my tips on "How to Entertain on a Budget".

Keep it simple!
First Rule in budget entertaining...

simplicity - the K.I.S.S. rule... keep it simple stupid...

no fuss, no worry... stick to something you have made before. You know how it will turn-out and you know how long it takes to make and how many it will feed. Can it be made ahead and how long will it keep afterwards (so you can enjoy it later).

Second Rule...

quality and quantity - budget does not mean "cheap and nasty"...

choose quality products you can incorporate into a recipe which will stretch to feed more people.

Third Rule...

variety - variety is the spice of life! right?

provide a variety of dishes - everyone likes to be able to choose; whether it be starters, or a selection of accompaniments for the mains; and a simple combination desert, providing a choice.

Fourth Rule...

set a budget - and stick to it!

work out how much you are happy spending (or how much you can afford) on this one occasion. Are there going to be leftovers? and can you use the remaining unused produce within the week?

Fifth Rule...

make your own - as much as possible.

this means extra time preparing. The more you make yourself the more you save.

So, simple really... the hard part is deciding what you will serve...

once you have decided on your choice of recipes, write out your shopping list ...

NOW price everything... I normally get online to my local supermarket (Tesco or Sainsburys) and do a "dummie" shop. I can check the prices and what specials are available in store.

This way I know before I get to the store how much it is going to cost and whether I am within my budget, and I can also decide whether I need to change a recipe or two.

In my next blog I will give you a few simple recipe ideas...

Bon appetit!

Saumon en croute = Salmon in Crust!

2011-03-26T11:59:00.001+00:00

Saumon en croûte à la julienne de légumes - Crusted Salmon with vegetable julienne

I love to try something new every now and then especially when having friends for dinner! Maybe a bit stressful, you think? I generally don't try the recipe before the big day I just take the plunge and cook on the day and serve it to my guests! with fingers crossed and thank God when the new recipe is actually really good to eat!

This recipe is from Rick Stein's "Taste of the Sea" published in 1995, and yes I made a few adjustments to the recipe - because I wanted to cook without the wine, and also because I wanted to use what I have in my pantry.

Immediately below is the recipe as stated in the book, and just under that you will find a list of what I changed.

UPDATE (May 20, 2013) - just managed to find some photos I took whilst making this salmon recipe for the upteenth time - although without the final result of how it looks after baking - damn - have included a photo from my Spinach and Mushroom Roll - it would look pretty much the same. Also although I mention below how I changed this recipe the first time I made it, I have now made it many times, following the exact recipe. Still the super special salmon dish (everyone loves), oh and I have made it without the pastry as well, instead of using pastry, you can wrap in aluminium foil, and bake the same way. Bon appetit!

Ingredients:

100g unsalted butter
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
1 leek, cut into matchsticks
50 button mushrooms, thinly sliced
50ml white wine
2 tsps roughly chopped fresh tarragon leaves
1 tsp salt
Freshly ground white pepper
750g puff pastry, preferably made with butter
900g salmon fillet, skinned and boned
1 egg, beaten
600ml fish stock
175ml double cream
juice of 1/4 lemon

MY CHANGES:

use less butter about 50g
replace wine with chicken stock cube;
replace fresh tarragon with dried tarragon;
no salt added;
replace white pepper with black pepper;
replace puff pastry (butter based) with "Jus-Roll" Puff sheets (vegetable oil based)
4 x frozen salmon fillets (Iceland Foods)
no fish stock;
no double cream.

I used frozen salmon fillets (Iceland Foods) which by the way are my favourite salmon fillets - I always have a packet or two in the freezer. So first thing to do is take the salmon and pastry out of the freezer and allow to thaw.

In the meantime, prepare the vegetables and let cool. I allowed myself plenty of time between all the prep work and the actual dinner. I first prepared the starter "Mushroom Caviar" (a trial recipe), it needed to cool before being served, and then prepared the vegetables for the "saumon en croute".

When everything was cool I proceeded to assemble the salmon, vegetables and pastry and placed it in the fridge to chill before baking in the oven. The recipe recommends chill for 30 mins - I did mine earlier so it chilled for about 1hr 30mins. I read on a French recipe website that you can prepare your "saumon en croute" and chill for hours or even freeze. So I decided to take advantage of this fact, which permitted me to be stress-free, with everything ready to go, well before the guests arrived and time for a bit of relax!

Method:

Place 25g butter in fry pan, add the vegetables, tarragon, and chicken stock cube dissolved in 1/2 cup water, season with black pepper.

Cover and cook gently for approx. 5 mins. Remove lid and strain off the juices (keep aside for sauce), cook for another 2 mins, driving off the moisture. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Un-roll your pastry sheets, place a sheet of pastry onto a greased baking tray lined with greaseproof baking paper.

Divide your cooked vegetables in half and place half in the centre of pastry sheet, spread to the size of your salmon. Lay the salmon fillets, side by side, on top of the vegetables and cover with remaining vegetables.

Brush the edges of the pastry with some beaten egg, and lay the other pastry sheet over the salmon and vegetables. Pinch the edges together to seal. Brush liberally with the beaten egg. Place in fridge and chill minimum 30 mins.

Pre-heat the oven to 230 degrees Celsius and bake for 25 mins (Stein recommends 20 mins - I like my salmon cooked not pink in the centre so extended the cooking time a bit), and also not having cooked this before didn't want to open up the pastry to find it still pink! Anyway it wasn't and always remember to remove the salmon from the oven and leave to rest for at least 5 mins before serving.

SAUCE

Put the strained juices from the vegetables, 25g butter and approx. 100ml single cream into a frypan and gently bring to boil, add fresh dill. Give a squeeze of lemon. Pour into warm jug.

I transferred my salmon en croute to a warm serving plate (this is easy to do with the greaseproof baking sheet - just lift, transfer and slide off) and served with boiled charlotte potatoes, steamed savoy cabbage and string beans. Served with buttery dill sauce and of course, some horseradish cream.

Bon appetit!

Food Glorious Food!

2011-03-16T11:06:00.000+00:00

Undernourished!

Zurich, Switzerland - en route to Florence

Anyone would think we haven't eaten since I last blogged!

when was that again?

OMG in September 2010....

No time for posting photos, recipes and the like....

too busy travelling and eating our way around Florence....

and then Christmas, New Year and birthdays...

Chocolates in Zurich

Buca Lapi Restaurant, Florence - best steak ever!

Florence - breakfast, lunch, dinner

and my it's now March 2011....

believe me when I say we did eat and we are definitely NOT undernourished!

far from it....

Ventimiglia, Italy - en route to Paris

after New Year we proceeded to watch what we ate and added extra walking into our daily regime...

to work off all the travel and holiday eating!

Nice, France - en route to Paris

So now it's time to kiss and make-up, and start posting a recipe or two!

Check out some of the food we ate whilst travelling and partying!

Mind you we were at times too busy hoeing into the food to even think about taking a photo...

of course we ate dessert and drank too much....

who doesn't whilst on holiday?

D'Orsay Museum Restaurant, Paris, France

Loved every minute of it.........

just looking at these pictures and remembering the flavours is making me drool....

I am ready for the next trip... just a few more walks and back to starting point!

Long live gluttony!!!

Best Orange and Almond Cake

2010-09-30T10:41:00.008+01:00

Orange and Almond Cake - gluten and wheat free

FLOURLESS ORANGE AND ALMOND CAKE

This is one of the best orange cakes I have ever had the pleasure of tasting and making. This recipe came to me during 1989-1991 the years when my husband and I ventured into the tea room business, yes, that's a story for another time.

A staff member offered me this recipe to try and she assured me it was the best ever orange cake she had come across and convinced me that it would sell really well in the tea rooms.

I must admit once we introduced this delicious orange and almond cake into our selection of daily cakes, we had customers returning weekly just to feed on the super scrumptious orange cake. This orange cake was so popular with the customers there was no way we could get away with not having this cake on the sideboard.

So here is the recipe, may you enjoy making and eating this awesome orange and almond cake as much as we have.

Ingredients:

2 large oranges

6 large eggs

200g castor sugar

250g almond meal (skinless ground almonds)

1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt

butter for the cake tin

Method:

Wash the oranges and place in a saucepan add water to cover, replace lid and bring to the boil.

Turn down the heat and simmer for 2 hours. Turning the oranges and keeping an eye on the water level.

After 2 hours remove the oranges from the water and allow to cool.

NOTE: You can cook your oranges the day before and keep in the refrigerator in a sealed container overnight.

When the oranges are totalling cold, pull open the cooked oranges and remove all the pips.

Place the whole orange with skin in a food blender and blend to a pulp.

In a large bowl beat the eggs with a pinch of salt until fluffy, add sugar and beat well again.

Add the almond meal and baking powder and mix well.

Then add the orange pulp and mix again.

Use a 23cm springform cake tin with removable base and butter and line with baking sheet.

Bake in a pre-heated oven 190C for about 60 minutes.

Test with a skewer. If still wet after 1 hour, then leave a little longer.

Turn off the oven, and let the cake sit in oven with door ajar for approximately 30 minutes.

After you have removed the cake from the oven, allow to cool for another 30 minutes and then turn out upside down onto a cooling rack and remove baking sheet.

When the cake is completely cool, place on a serving plate, upside down.

Decorate according to taste.

You can sprinkle with icing sugar, before serving

Coat top and sides with warmed apricot jam, then add glace/candied orange slices OR sprinkle with almond flakes.

decadently glaze the top with dark chocolate.

The choice is yours. I like the apricot jam coating all over and prefer to keep it simple unless it's a special occasion then I will decorate with the orange slices or almond flakes or totally go all out and glaze with dark chocolate.

Bon Appetit!

Banana Date and Oat Cookies

2010-09-16T19:24:00.000+01:00

Yes it's been a while since I have posted anything about food... the truth be when you are convalescing with an upper respiratory tract infection the last thing on your mind is cooking...

So I must be getting better then?...?

Here is a delicious, yummy, and good for you, quick and easy recipe… and great for kids snack packs.

Banana Date and Oat Cookies

This is a recipe I have used since the late 80's. The original recipe was from the "Fit for Life" book by Marilyn Diamond, and over the years I have played with it and just added odd bits and pieces from the pantry, for a bit of a twist to the basic recipe of oats, bananas, dates.

Ingredients:

1.5 cups porridge oats

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

4 tablespoons sunflower seeds

1/2 cup ground almonds

Pinch of Cinnamon

3 large very ripe bananas

3/4 cup dates

1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

1/3 cup Light Olive Oil or vegetable oil

2 tablespoons Raspberry Syrup (optional)

Ready to bake

Method:

Preheat oven to 175-180C.

Place all dry ingredients into a large bowl, add half the oil, and mix well.

In a blender add the dates the raspberry syrup and remainder oil, blend to a chunky mess.

Mash bananas with a fork add vanilla extract.

Add the dates and bananas to oats and seeds mix and mix well.

Onto a baking sheet place oval shaped cookies the size of tablespoon.

Bake in a moderate oven 175-180C for 20-25 minutes. Remove and cool on cooling grid.

Bon appetit!

Bananas - are you getting enough?

2010-08-28T16:39:00.000+01:00

DAILY NUTRITION INTAKE

Have you ever thought about the goodness in the food you eat and whether you are getting enough of your daily nutritional intake or do you just eat what you like?

I was thinking about my nutritional intake the other day when I was craving a banana. That's right I had a craving for a banana, not a gin and tonic or a French patisserie but an actual banana. I thought about what could be my reason for this banana craving? Is it just a craving for the taste or is my body trying to tell me something?

According to new research by Adam Drewnowski, PhD, of the University of Washington, "Food cravings arise to satisfy emotional needs, such as calming stress and reducing anxiety."

Do you ever think about why you have a craving for a certain food and do you feel much better after you have eaten the food you are craving?

I can honestly say I was not craving a ripe banana because I was stressed or anxious, anyway, I was ACTUALLY craving a banana and I wanted cheddar cheese with it!

😝You may screw up your face or gag, but I dare you to try it, the flavours accompany each other perfectly. The salty cheddar with the sweetness of the banana. Yum Yum! 😋

CHECKING THE FACTS

I decided to check the nutritional facts about bananas and cheddar cheese, maybe my body was giving out signals for bananas because I needed a dose of potassium to help regulate an imbalance in my body? Which could be quite possible, I hadn't eaten a banana for at least 10 days and normally it is in my daily intake of fruit.

And then there is the cheese factor, which is interesting, because I prefer my white cheeses, cottage, feta and goats, and there I was craving a bit of cheddar with my banana. Very interesting! I know cheese is a good source of protein and a rich source of calcium.

Here are some interesting facts - Bananas are high in potassium which is a vital mineral for muscle and nerve function and it helps regulate blood pressure.

Cheese is a rich source of calcium and a good source of protein and it is well-known that calcium plays an important role in building stronger, denser bones early in life and keeping bones strong and healthy later in life.

Let's take this information a bit further. Did you know that -

Potassium - is a mineral that is required in significant amounts for human health, and Potassium - balances sodium in the body to regulate hydration.

Functions of Potassium:

Regulation of pressure between the inside and outside of cells. With inadequate potassium, cellular wastes are not efficiently transported into the extracellular spaces and carried away. Toxic material is left to accumulate in the cell can cause premature cell death.
Conversion of blood sugar into glycogen for storage in the liver and muscles. Inadequate glycogen storage leads to physical and mental fatigue.
Maintaining proper pH balance of the blood.
Maintaining proper body water balance
Stimulating insulin production
Maintaining digestive enzyme function and efficiency
Maintaining optimal nerve and muscle function
Relaxing muscle contraction in balance to calcium, which induces contraction.

Deficiency can lead to:

Lactic acid (and other waste metabolites) buildup in the body, which leads to -

Muscular weakness
Irregular heartbeat
Paralysis
Problems in nerve conduction, which leads to
Mental confusion
Heart disturbances
Problems with muscle contraction

Calcium - is the most abundant mineral in the human body. About 99% is in the bones and teeth - where it plays a structural role. The remainder 1% is present in body tissues and fluids - where it is essential for cell metabolism, muscle contraction and nerve impulse transmission.

Low levels of calcium in the blood and tissues can cause hypocalcemia - which involves sensations of tingling; numbness; and muscle twitches. In severe cases, muscle spasms may occur, called tetany. More likely to be due to a hormonal imbalance in the regulation of calcium rather than a dietary deficiency.

Excess calcium in the blood can cause nausea, vomiting and calcium deposition in the heart and kidneys. This usually results from excessive doses of Vitamin D and can be fatal in infants.

Complications:

Vitamin D is needed for absorption of dietary calcium - therefore calcium deficiency may be linked to rickets in children. In adults, calcium deficiency may lead to osteomalacia (softening of the bones). This may be related to repeated pregnancy with lengthy breastfeeding.

Osteoporosis can be due to calcium deficiency - which involves loss of calcium from the bones and reduced bone density. Bones become brittle and liable to fracture. Bone loss occurs with age in all individuals - usually occurs after 35-40 years and involves the shrinking of the skeleton.

Bone loss is greatest in women following the menopause - due to reduced levels of the hormone, estrogen. Post-menopausal women are particularly at risk from osteoporosis.

So it is possible my craving for a banana (potassium) with cheese (calcium) could easily be interpreted as a vital signal from my body - a possible call for help to regulate chemical imbalances.

Next time I will be closely monitoring my cravings and checking whether my body has a real need for said food craving or whether I am comfort eating because I am stressed or anxious.

What do you think?

How to Saute Vegetables without Oil

2010-08-21T10:19:00.002+01:00

Lamb Bolognese

2010-08-09T17:07:00.005+01:00

Abused Italian Ragu - Ragu alla Bolognese

My recipe for Lamb Bolognese would make an Italian chef throw his arms up in the air with dismay. The true bolognese or "ragu" would be made with beef and served with tagliatelli and not spaghetti!

However as I am not a big fan of beef, I prefer to cook bolognese with lamb (or turkey mince), for me it tastes just as good, maybe even better?

I also like to add a few extra bits, all depending on what I may have on hand, sometimes the bolognese (ragu) will be simple and sometimes it will have a variety of vegetables added, like zucchini (courgette), capsicum (red peppers), and possibly eggplant (aubergine). Yep I do like all those vegetables in my ragu (bolognese), so you can just imagine what a true Italian would be saying about my abused ragu (bolognese) recipe, maybe something like "mamma mia" with accompanying hand gestures of course!

What bacon (pancetta)?

I have never ever put bacon (pancetta) in my spaghetti bolognese, I know some chefs recommend you do, however for my recipe you don't need it, there is enough delicious flavour already.

Too much Tomato

Hey what? Apparently the use of tomatoes is suppose to be minimal, if any at all! So that must mean my ragu (bolognese) recipe is so not authentic Italian, mind you if I had started with the real Italian ragu recipe then maybe I wouldn't be making it my way, who knows? All I can say is that my family love this version of spaghetti bolognese or Ragu alla Bolognese.

LAMB BOLOGNESE RECIPE

Ingredients:

500g mince lamb
2 x red onions
4-5 x cloves garlic
1-2 x carrots
1-2 x sticks celery
50g portobello mushrooms
1 x zucchini (optional)
1 x red pepper (optional)
1-2 x bay leaves
3-5 anchovies in oil or 1 tablespoon x anchovy paste
2 x 440g tinned chopped tomatoes
1 glass x water
1/2 cup x tomato puree/paste
cinnamon stick or ground cinnamon
smoked paprika
1 tablespoon x sugar
salt and pepper

olives (optional)

olive oil
1 glass x red wine (for the bolognese - and a 2nd glass wine for the cook)

Method:

In a large pot, add a dash of olive oil, chop and saute for about 10 mins, the onions, celery, red pepper and grated carrot.

Chop the mushrooms into small cubes, add to pot and saute another 5 minutes.

Remove all the sauted vegetables from the pot and put aside.

Add a dash of olive oil, add the minced lamb and with the lid off brown the mince all over.

Add crushed or sliced garlic, careful not to burn the garlic.

Add tomato puree, seasoning (salt and pepper), cinnamon, bay leaves, smoked paprika and sugar.

Give it all a good stir, make sure the mince is well coated with the seasoning and tomato paste.

Allow to simmer for a few minutes.

Add red wine and tinned chopped tomatoes and the water. Now add the sauted vegetables.

Stir well and bring to a gentle boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for approximately 2-3 hours without the lid. Check and stir every 30 minutes.

Replace the lid and turn down the heat if juices are evaporating too quickly.

Serve with your favourite pasta, spaghetti or tagliatelli

Make sure you have plenty of freshly grated parmesan or pecorino romano cheese available so everyone can add as much as they like.

Buon appetito!

P.S.
I have made this bolognese with turkey mince instead of lamb, home-made passata instead of tinned tomatoes, celeriac instead of celery stick, added chopped dried porcini mushrooms, added eggplant, added dried rosemary, sage, thyme, and oregano, left out the red wine and water, and cooked it for only 1hr 30 mins instead of longer. And it was still deliciously yummy!

How to read your labels

2010-08-06T15:32:00.000+01:00

Do you read your food labels? Have you every wonder what the different terms and symbols mean?

Are you confused? or you never bother?

Well look here - an interactive label has been developed by Food Standards Agency's eatwell - a consumer advice and information site.

To help you learn about the terms and symbols which appear on your food packaging.

Go ahead start investigating the foods you buy.

Just click below to launch it. Then guide your cursor over any term or symbol you want to find out about, and an explanation will pop up on your screen.

The definitions provided are for guidance only.

Click here to view the interactive label

About the Food Standards Agency

The Food Standards Agency was set up by an Act of Parliament in 2000 to protect the public's health and consumer interests in relation to food.

The FSA's guiding principles are:

putting the consumer first
being open and accessible
being an independent voice

Although the FSA is a Government agency, it is independent, which means it works at 'arm's length' from Government because it doesn't report to a specific minister and is free to publish any advice it issues. www.food.gov.uk

Cumberland Pork Sausages

2010-07-31T19:23:00.000+01:00

AWESOME BREAKFAST SAUSAGES

If you are going to make me eat sausage they better be served with onions. Lots of onions and fried tomatoes and my favourite sausage is Cumberland pork, next TO THAT would have to be venison sausage.

Anyway here is a quick and tasty way to have your sausages, eaten for breakfast of course but also very good any time, especially when you just feel like having a bit of pork sausage. yummy yum yum!

Ingredients:

6 x Cumberland pork sausages

3-5 x medium sized red onions

4 x 6 medium sized tomatoes

Worcestershire Sauce

Olive oil

2 x slices brown bread, toasted

In a non-stick fry pan add a dash of olive oil and add your sausages, whilst you are browning the sausages on all sides, peel and half the onions and cut into slices.

As soon as the sausages are nicely browned move to one half of the frying pan and add the sliced onions.

Now add 3-4 dashes of Worcester sauce over the onions and give it a good stir.

Place a lid over the frying pan and turn down the heat to a medium simmer. Careful not to burn the sausages or the onions.

Whilst the onions and sausages are simmering, cut the tomatoes into thick slices, about 4 slices to each tomato.

When the onions are halfway done, add the tomato slices to the frying pan, move the onions onto the sausages, and slide the tomatoes under everything.

Place the lid back onto the frying pan, and allow to gently simmer again, checking there is enough liquid, in the pan so nothing burns.

You may need to turn down the heat if the juices in the pan are boiling away.

Keep simmering until you have a nice pan full of juicy tomato gravy with sausages and onions swimming in it.

Now toast the brown bread, cut into triangles and place on your plate, dish up the sausages, with the tomato and onion gravy.

You can serve with some Dijon mustard on the side.

Bon appettit!

LEFT-OVERS RESCUE !

2010-07-26T13:26:00.002+01:00

What to do with those left-overs?

Sometimes no matter how good your intentions of eating those left-overs the next day or the day after that, you just don't seem to get around to it.

There's the invite down to the local pub or let's have fish and chips tonight and the good old left-overs from the roast dinner or the quick stir fry keep sitting in that fridge, hoping to get eaten!

HERE IS THE SOLUTION

Before you go throwing out those left-over goodies which tasted fantastic when you had that roast dinner or the stir fry, check the contents of your containers and just see what you have. Maybe there is an imaginative meal in there? Apart from just reheating or having bubble and squeak (which seems to be a popular dish here in the UK), get a bit more creative.

You could chop up the vegetables add an egg or two, extra herbs and seasoning, mashed potatoes or breadcrumbs and make some delicious vegie patties or fritters! Want protein add some tinned salmon or grated cheese, salmon and veg patties, or cheese and veg fritters. Sounds good already!

Chop the vegetables into cubes

Or as I have done this time you could combine both lots of left-overs - left-over roast vegetables with peas and the small amount of mushroom gravy and stir fry vegetables with a hint of curry.

The idea was to make a quick lunch-time snack, something that can be eaten cold or warmed up, on it's own or with a salad. So I settled for a baked vegetable dish, sort of frittata style (see my Spinach and Salmon Frittata recipe).

My left-over containers consisted of roasted parsnip, pumpkin, carrots, a couple of roasted garlic cloves and a very small amount of mushroom and onion gravy and in the second container I had stir fried zucchini (courgettes), carrots, broccoli, celery, red peppers (capsicum) and onions. And of course there was a pathetic small slice of roast lamb and a similar sized slice of turkey breast with the stir fry veg.

First I chopped up all the vegetables and the meat into really small cubes, then I seasoned with extra ground black pepper, then into a bowl added 3 eggs, 3 tablespoons double cream, and 2 teaspoons cornflour, mixed well and added to the vegetables.

Ready to be placed into oven

Then I buttered a rectangular baking dish and coated it with finely grated pecorino romano, poured the vegetable mix into the dish, decorated with sliced tomato, a sprinkle of coriander and black pepper.

Baked in a preheated oven at 180C for 25 minutes and then turned down the heat to 160C for 20 minutes. Then let the vegetable dish rest in the oven for 10 minutes after turning off the heat.

Baked Left-over Delight served with Green Salad and Potato Salad

Serve with green salad and potato salad (which I also made from left-over boiled potatoes).

All good and a wholesome lunchtime treat!

Smacznego!

Travelling Gourmet!

2010-07-19T14:22:00.000+01:00

ALL THE TRAVEL AND ALL THE EATING

It's now a whole week since my mother and baby sister left us to return home to Australia, after a whirlwind three (3) weeks of touring in the UK, and I am now back to normal everyday life!

My husband and I had a great time taking them here, there and everywhere which included a trip to Paris by Eurostar, plus a week of touring by car all the way up to Scotland. We also stopped en route to visit some of Britain's must-see historic towns and historical sites, not to mention having a great time eating our way around the country!

So I thought it would be fun to share some of the food photos we remembered to take whilst touring and eating out.

HARRODS A MUST-SEE

One of the must-see places to visit in London is Harrods. The Harrods name is synonymous with luxury, excellence and service. I think we visited every floor, and then finally managed to relax and sit down to an afternoon bite to eat followed by coffee and cake in the Cafe Espresso in the Food Hall on the Ground Floor. (Please note: Harrods Food Hall and Restaurants have been refurbished since this blog was written.)

Unfortunately, I only managed to take one photo of my sister's dessert. The rest of us simply scoffed our food before I had a chance to even think about photos. LOL

Pistachio Loaf with Mascarpone in Caffe Espresso at Harrod's

PARIS TOURING

We travelled into London by train from Canterbury with enough time to relax before boarding the Eurostar for Paris, therefore we decided to have a light Yo Sushi meal at St Pancras International before we ventured through to our platform.

The funny thing was that SOMEBODY (let's say the person who booked the tickets) totally forgot our seating on the Eurostar included the Leisure Select meal en route to Paris. When my mother heard about the meal on the train all she said was, What we eating again? To which my sister and I answered, Why not it's included in the ticket, and we get alcohol! 😂😄😂 I think it's called gluttony!

Only 2hrs had passed since the Yo Sushi meal, needless to say, my darling husband and my mother declined the meal on the train (but took the wine), yay! and gently reminded us (my sister and myself) that after all, we were booked for dinner at 9pm at 58 Tour Eiffel that evening. Bwahaha!

Leisure Select Meal on Eurostar travelling to Paris

Above is a photo of my Eurostar meal, I left the pasta, figured I had to leave some room for the dessert, which should be eaten and enjoyed, who can resist a chocolate tart?

My sister chose a fish meal, came with the same side dish of pasta as mine as well as the chocolate tart.

On the Eurostar to Paris we had comfortable seating around a table for four (4) and the 2hrs 16mins passed quite quickly. We stayed for two (2) nights in our favourite Hotel Le Lavoisier which is nestled in a quiet street near Boulevard Haussmann, from here it is an easy walk to Champs-Elysees and in the other direction a lovely walk through the Tuileries to the Musee du Louvre.

EIFFEL TOWER DINNER

We had only two (2) nights in Paris, and on the first night we had our 9pm dinner at 58 Tour Eiffel, it was all so delicious, we all wished our stomachs were much bigger.

Mum and me deciding what to have for dinner at 58 Tour Eiffel

Lobster Salad in 58 Tour Eiffel

Once again the photo taking was limited 1. because the lighting was poor, and 2. we were more interested in the eating of the delicious dishes in front of us.

Slightly Smoked Salmon in 58 Tour Eiffel

We all agreed that the best meal on our travels would have to be at 58 Tour Eiffel, Eiffel Tower, Paris, so delicious, mouthwatering and satisfying.

Enjoying my Entree

I highly recommend you book yourself a weekday trip to Paris and have that amazing meal for two on the Eiffel Tower. You will not regret it! This is where memories are made.

Seared Scallops in 58 Tour Eiffel

Sauteed Veal Chop with Artichokes in 58 Tour Eiffel

At the end of the meal, which was superb, we ended up sharing a desert between two, I really wished I had two stomachs so I could eat my own dessert. Bugger this sharing business!

Here is the menu, we chose A la carte at time of booking, so glad we did, it was absolutely superb.

Whoops and a blurry photo of the amazing profiteroles.

Profiterol, vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce in 58 Tour Eiffel

Homemade Fraisier in 58 Tour Eiffel

PARIS CITY SIGHTSEEING BY BUS

Our trip to Paris was in June and we were unfortunate that the weather was a hot and humid 27C. So walking and sightseeing was not a pleasant experience, especially when there were not many air-conditioned places to which we could escape.

We had arranged a 48hr City Sightseeing Paris Hop on Hop off bus which included a River Cruise, we figured over the two days we could use the Hop on Hop off bus to get around Paris and see the sights and then hop off at places which we would like to see and explore, like the Louvre.

You can imagine how after the bus touring in that heat, we all needed to cool down and chill in our hotel room which was beautifully cooled with air conditioning. We bought some food from a nearby deli and relaxed in our cool rooms before we ventured out once more into the heat to enjoy Paris sightseeing from the River Boat cruise.

After Paris, we returned back home to relax for a few days before our road trip of the UK.

First Stop - BATH

Our UK road trip involved a stop in Bath for a couple of nights.

Baked Chestnut Mushroom in Jamie's Italian, Bath, UK

THIS BLOG POST IS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING UPDATED.

Courgette Fritti in Jamie's Italian, Bath, UK

Wild Garlic Tagliatelle in Jamie's Italian, Bath, UK

Blackboard special - Flounder and Funky chips in Jamie's Italian, Bath, UK

Scallop and Squid Ink Linguine in Jamie's Italian, Bath, UK

Amazing Chicken Salad in Jamie's Italian, Bath, UK

A glass of spa water in Pump Room, Bath UK

Asparagus with pesto in Pump Room, Bath, UK

Prawn Salad in Pump Room, Bath, UK

Crab with beetroot crisps in Pump Room, Bath, UK

Tamari Salmon and Greens

2010-06-08T20:00:00.000+01:00

Today after many years of cooking numerous varieties of meals, I still don't understand why we bother with recipes which take ages to prepare and cook, when a simple meal prepared in a matter of minutes tastes just as good or even better!

Tonight's meal a simple salmon fillet marinaded in tamari soya sauce, garlic, white wine and olive oil and some fresh green beans, broccoli, chestnut mushrooms and a simple salsa of fresh cucumber and tomatoes.

Just too simple! and just too delicious! nothing satisfies the taste buds more than a simple protein and greens fix!

INGREDIENTS:

2 x salmon fillets (boneless and skinless)
150g dwarf bean (handful)
small head of broccoli
4 x chestnut mushrooms
3 x cloves garlic
2 x tablespoons tamari soya sauce
2 x tablespoons white wine
olive oil
fresh lemon

SALSA INGREDIENTS:

6-8 cherry tomatoes or similar

4-5 inches cucumber

1 x spring onion

fresh dill

salt and pepper, sugar

apple cider vinegar

extra virgin olive oil

METHOD:

Crush 2 x garlic cloves into a small bowl, add tamari, olive oil and white wine, stir and add salmon fillets.

Allow to marinade whilst you prepare the vegetables and salsa.

In a hot fry pan add adash of olive oil, add beans saute under a lid, adding juice from half a lemon and then a dash of water when needed.

Cook under cover until just tender and bright green. Remove from fry pan, place in oven proof dish and keep warm in low oven 100C.

Add broccoli to fry pan, add a dash of water if no liquid in fry pan, and saute till just tender, remove from fry pan, add to beans in oven.

Now add the mushrooms to fry pan and crush 1 x garlic clove, add a dash of water if needed and a dash of tamari.

Saute for a few minutes.

Pour the mushrooms and the juices onto the broccoli and beans dish. Place back in oven, turn off the heat.

In same fry pan add a dash of olive oil and add salmon fillets, cook under lid, for 2-3 minutes (depending on thickness of fillets) and turn over, adding the marinade juices towards the end of second 2-3 minutes of cooking.

Cook for another 1-2 minutes, turn off heat.

Whilst your salmon is cooking cut up tomatoes into quarters, and cucumber into small cubes, chop spring onion and dill add all ingredients into a small bowl.

Now add salt, pepper and 1/4 x teaspoon sugar and add 2 x tablespoons olive oil and 1-2 x teaspoons apple cider vinegar, stir well.

Serve salmon fillets on warm plates (not hot) with greens in oven proof dish and tomato and cucumber salsa in small bowl.

Wash it all down with a nice light white wine if you wish!

Bon appetit!