Real Food Recipes

Gluten free lemon drizzle cake

2012-02-09T09:55:00.002Z

This cake is fairly heavy on the carbs but is light and delicious.

200g butter
20g powdered sucralose
50g milk powder
4 eggs
175g almond flour
250g mashed potatoes
zest of 3 lemons
2 tsp gluten free baking powder
juice of 1 lemon
4 tbsp sugar

Cream together the butter, sucralose and milk powder until soft and light. Gradually beat in the eggs. Mix the almond flour, potatoes, lemon zest and baking powder and fold into the egg mixture. Pour into a greased and lined cake tin and bake at 160 oC for 40 minutes. Leave to cool in tin for 10 minutes before turning out. Dissolve the sugar in the lemon juice and drizzle over the cake before serving.

Gluten free lemon meringue pie

2012-02-08T16:18:00.004Z

I've had a bit of a sweet tooth of late, which isn't like me! My partner and children have not been complaining though... This pie was a great success - even with no gluten or added sugar.
The pastry case is based one from Elana's pantry.
The pastry and lemon filling also made some delicious jam tart style treats. Just press the pastry into a cup cake tin, add the filling and bake for 15 minutes. No need for blind baking with the little ones.

For the pastry case
2 cups almond flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter (or coconut oil)
1 tsp sweetener (I used Truvia)
1 egg

For the lemon filling
zest and juice of 2 lemons
3 level tbsp potato starch (or corn flour)
1/4 cup sweetener (if using truvia use less - I used about a quarter cup)
4 egg yolks
40g butter

For the meringue
4 egg whites
3/4 cup sweetener (I used half a cup of sucralose and 1/4 cup of truvia. Next time I'll just use the 1/4 cup of truvia)

Heat oven to 180 oC (160 for a fan oven). Put the almond flour in a food processor and add the salt and sweetener. Pulse to mix. Then add the 2 tbsp of butter (or coconut oil) in and blend until mixed well. Add the egg and process until it forms a smooth ball. Then press the dough into a loose bottomed pie dish. I found the easiest way to do this was the pull off small balls of dough and put them over the bottom of the dish, then press flat with the back of a spoon. Then form a lip around the edges in the same way. Take a piece of parchment paper and scrunch it a few times to soften it. Line the pastry case with it and fill with baking beans, or even better, loose change. Coins work best as they heat up quickly and transmit the heat well. Bake the pastry case for 10 minutes lined, then 5 minutes with out the coins and paper. Set aside and lower the oven temperature by 20 oC.
Next make the lemon filling. Fill a jug with 10 fl oz of cold water. Mix the sugar and cornflour/potato starch in a bowl and add enough of the water to make a paste. Put the remaining water and the lemon zest into a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Gradually add to the flour mix, beating all the time. Return this mixture to the pan when all the water is added and carefully bring up to a simmer, stirring all the time in case it burns. Remove from the heat when it starts to simmer. Beat in the lemon juice, then the egg yolks and finally the butter. Pour the mixture into the pastry case. Put the egg whites into a large bowl and whisk until they form still peaks. Whisk in the sweetener, a little at a time. Spoon the meringue mixture over the lemon filling and use a palette knife to make sure it's totally covered. Put into the oven and bake for 45 minutes. Allow to settle for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Fried sprats

2012-01-26T12:36:00.002Z

Little silver sprats are a wonderful thing. They are cheap (under £2 a kilo), tasty and as you eat the whole fish (more or less), full of goodness.
If your sprats are small, you can coat and fry them as they come. With larger ones, remove the intestines and my daughter insists that hers have the head removed. So it's up to you and how much time you have how much you prepare the fish.
Either way, give them a good wash and them dry them gently, as much as possible. I use a clean kitchen towel to pat them with after shaking them off in a sieve. Put some rice flour into a plastic bag with some salt and pepper. Add the sprats and shake to coat them. Heat some butter in a large frying pan and fry the sprats in batches, 2 minutes on each side, until they're golden and crispy.

Serve with butter sauce, garlic mayonnaise, ketchup, salad... what ever takes your fancy.

Butter Sauce

2012-01-26T12:30:00.003Z

This recipe is really useful. It goes well with so many different things and is rich and delicious. I had it for lunch today over green beans and a poached egg. I tried Heston Blumenthal's method for making the egg and I'm impressed. Came out perfectly - the white soft but totally set and the yolk runny.
This sauce also works well over fried sprats (or tinned sardines), chicken, hard boiled eggs... what ever you have handy.

1 egg yolk
2 tbsp butter
1/4 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp white wine vinegar

Put all the ingredients into a bowl over a pan of hot, steaming water. If you have a very thick bottomed pan you might just get away with making it straight in there (I have one that works) but it is much less likely to scramble over an indirect heat. Keep stirring while the butter melts and then until it begins to thicken. Serve immediatly.

Water kefir

2012-01-25T11:06:00.002Z

I've been regularly making dairy kefir for a long time and made some non dairy kefirs using the grains. But last year I was given some water kefir crystals and they've been great! I tend to mostly use them in the summer to make cool fizzy drinks to go with the evening meal. And in cooler weather I have successfully frozen them. As these drinks are fermented you might want to give them a taste before serving them to children as they may become slightly alcoholic. Mine have not done that so far but if they do you can try reducing the sugar and the number of grains.

The basic recipe that I use is 1/2 cup of sugar, 6 cups of water, 1 cup of water kefir grains, 1 tbsp lemon juice and some dried fruit, generally a fig or a tbsp of raisins. I brew this in a big glass jar for 24 hours in a warm spot in my kitchen. Then I strain off the kefir grains and remove the fruit and transfer the liquid to another big glass jar to flavour it. The grains go back into the first jar with fresh fruit and sugar water. If you find your end result is too sweet then try either reducing the amount of sugar you start the liquid with or brew it for longer (or both). As all kefir colonies will work differently you will need to experiment a little. So think of these recipes as a starting point for your own kitchen science experiments!

Rosehip and hibiscus
This pink drink is my daughter's favorite. I think more due to the colour than anything else!
6 cups basic kefir liquid
1 tbsp dried hibiscus petals
1 tbsp dried rosehips (or 6-8 fresh rosehips if you have them)

Add the dried herbs to the liquid. If using fresh rosehips, mince them slightly. Allow to brew for a further 24 hours in a warm, preferably dark spot before straining out the herbs. Bottle into seal able bottles (I use ones with a wired cap rather than screw tops to help prevent explosions with very fizzy batches) then drink after a further 24 hours.

Lime and mint
6 cups basic kefir liquid
2 tbsp fresh mint leaves
2 tbsp lime juice
1 slice of lime

I like to use lime juice in place of lemon juice when making the basic kefir for this recipe but you don't have to. Add the mint leaves and lime juice to the kefir water and brews as for the previous recipe. This is also very tasty with basil in place of the mint.

Ginger Beer
For this recipe I make a slightly different kefir water. It does leave your kefir grains with a brown tinge but this will do them no harm and will soon disappear.
6 cups water (5 cups cold, one cup hot)
1 cup kefir grains
1 tsp treacle
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 dried fig
1-2 cubic inches fresh ginger root

Dissolve the treacle in the hot water then add to the cold. Add the kefir grains, sugar, fig, lemon juice, baking soda and sugar. Allow to brew for 24 hours then remove the kefir grains and fig. Peel the ginger then either slice and add to the kefir water, or you can grate it and crush with some sugar to remove the juice then add that. When I'm making this for kids I tend to slice the ginger. Personally I like my ginger beer hot so I use plenty of ginger, grate and add the juice then put the grated ginger in a cloth infusing bag and add that to the jar. Just to get all the flavour possible! I also sometimes add a couple of cloves, a small piece of cinnamon stick and some black peppercorns. Allow to brew again for 24 hours before straining and bottling. I find that brews with ginger in tend to be more fizzy so open bottle with extreme caution!

A note on opening bottles.
As water kefir is a live drink the results can be quite varied. Some batches are more tingly than fizzy. Others are... enthusiastic! So I always open the first bottle of any batch over the sink. I also cover the top of the bottle with a tea towel to help stop truly over excited batches from decorating the ceiling. That only tends to happen in the height of summer when I've forgotten about a bottle for a few days, but be aware it can happen!

How to take high vitamin butter oil (chocolate truffles)

2012-01-24T10:39:00.003Z

Every morning I torture my children with a dose of fermented cod liver oil and a dose of high vitamin butter oil. Why? Not (as my children occasionally wonder) because I hate them and want to make them sad. But for the fat-soluble vitamins that modern diets tend to be deficient in. More information can be found here.
My little troupers will take their cod liver oil (or skate liver oil as they currently have) without too much moaning, as long as it is orange flavoured and they have some milk or kefir to chase it with. Bless their little hearts! But the butter oil is another matter, one that I am inclined to agree on. None of us like the taste and as it's more solid we find it much harder to take. So yesterday I made some small chocolates containing a little butter oil and they are now clamouring for more! Each chocolate contains about a sixth of a teaspoon the way I made them. I might be a little braver and add some more butter oil next time but as it's so expensive and we do eat plenty of grass fed butter, I'm happy with this dose! How much is in each of your chocolates will depend on how big you make them but if you count up at the end it isn't too hard to work out. I made mine in a silicon ice cube tray, but this isn't necessary. Just easier!

Nutty Chocolates (with sneaky butter oil)
80g dark chocolate (I used one with 75% cocoa solids)
3 heaped tsps nut butter
3 tsp butter oil
1 tsp butter
In a small saucepan, heat some water to the boil. Put the chocolate, nut butter and butter into a bowl that will fit over the pan without touching the water. Turn off the heat under the pan and put the bowl over the pan to melt the chocolate. When it's melted take it off the pan. Add the butter oil and stir to mix. If you are using a silicon ice cube tray you can now put the chocolate mixture into that and then chill to set. If not, put the bowl of chocolate mixture into the fridge for 2 hours. After that, use two teaspoons to take out some of the mixture and quickly roll into balls. I find it helps to wash your hands in cold water before doing this to chill them. You can then roll the balls in some cocoa powder or shredded coconut if you like. Chill again until they're solid. This made 18 chocolates when I did it.

Black Pepper chocolates (with sneaky butter oil)
80g dark chocolate
1 tsp black peppercorns
2 tbsp cream
Tiny pinch of salt
1 tsp butter
1 1/2 tsp butter oil

Crush the peppercorns slightly then add to the cream. Leave for 2 hours to allow the pepper flavour to infuse. If you like you can then strain out the corns, or if you are living with a total pepper freak like I am, you can leave them in. As for the previous recipe, melt the chocolate, butter and cream gently over a steaming pan. Then remove from the heat and stir through the butter oil. Form into cubes or balls as above. This recipe made 9 servings for me.

This recipe could be adapted to all kinds of flavours. You could infuse the cream with basil, along with the pepper, use mint, chili, orange zest... whatever flavour of chocolate takes your fancy. The scent of butter oil is still there while warm but when cooled I found it was nicely hidden.

Edit. My pepper fanatic partner thinks that the pepper chocolates could use even more pepper! So if you want them hot you may want more than a tsp.

Gluten free chocolate brownies

2012-01-14T20:53:00.002Z

We were in need of some chocolate a few nights ago so I decided to improvise a chocolate brownie. And as luck would have it it came out really well! This isn't sugar free (still working on getting the texture right without sugar) but it is very tasty.

4 eggs
170g melted butter or coconut oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup vanilla flavour whey protein powder
1/2 cup ground blanched almonds
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup dried milk powder (because I ran out of sugar!)
1 tsp baking powder (gluten free)

Mix together the eggs, vanilla extract and sugar. Sift in the dry ingredients and add the melted butter. Stir only as much as it takes to just get everything mixed together (no more than 50 times) then pour into a greased and lined baking tin. Bake at 170oC until it's just set in the centre. Takes about 12 minutes in my hyperactive fan oven. Take it out of the oven and cool in the tin. Try to wait until it won't burn you before eating it...

Pork and pear forcemeat stuffing (gluten free)

2011-12-24T17:23:00.005Z

I made this stuffing as a variation on the traditional pork and apple as I was out of apples and none of us could face the thought of the supermarket on Christmas eve! I'll have to wait and comment on the success or otherwise after tomorrow.

900g pork mince (you can use sausage meat if you like - I bought a cheap joint and minced it)
4 slices gluten free bread
2 pears, peeled and chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tsps mixed dried herbs (I used sage, thyme and basil)
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper

Mince the meat if not already done (my cheap plastic hand mincer works fine for this). Mix with other ingredients and put into a buttered oven dish or roll into balls. Cook in the oven for 10-30 minutes, until cooked through.

Edit. This was a tasty, light and sweet stuffing. It was popular with every one, although I thought it needed a little extra something to give it some zing. Will experiment with it as no one will mind seeing it again!

Christmas ham

2011-12-24T15:18:00.004Z

I'm making a glazed ham as part of a buffet on boxing day. This recipe does use quite a lot of sugar but the amount in each serving is small and it's very tasty. I'll also be making smoked salmon crust-less quiches, dips with crudites, king prawns with garlic mayonaise, a big salad, a trifle, Christmas pudding and Christmas cake.

A ham large enough for all your guests
About 10 cloves
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp whole grain mustard
2 tbsp brown sugar

Boil the ham for 25 minutes per pound, plus 20 minutes in a large pan of water. You can do this in advance to save time. When the ham is cooled, push the cloves into it, spread around all over it. Score any fat on the top. Mix the honey, sugar and mustard together. Put the ham into a roasting pan lined with foil (this is important - believe me!), and spread the honey mustard glaze over the top and sides. Roast the ham for about half an hour (keep an eye towards to end to make sure it doesn't burn). When cooled you can slice and enjoy.

Beef stroga-not with matchsticks

2011-12-22T18:24:00.005Z

I read a recipe for beef stroganoff this morning and really fancied making it for tea. Unfortunately I was lacking some of the ingredients but I improvised and came up with something very tasty!

1 large potato
Beef dripping for deep frying
150g mushrooms
1 onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp paprika (hot or mild)
800g minced beef
1 cup stock (anything but fish - I had chicken)
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup soured cream/creme fraiche/Greek yogurt
1 tbsp butter

Cut the potato into matchsticks (this link is useful for this). Put them into a bowl of cold water and set them aside. Then finely chop the onion and fry that and the paprika in the butter over a low heat. When the onion is translucent, add the garlic and sliced mushrooms and fry gently for another 5 minutes. Switch off the heat and set aside.
Rinse and drain the potato matchsticks then dry them using a clean tea towel. Heat the beef dripping (or whatever fat you are most comfortable deep frying in) in a very deep pan until a cube of bread turns golden and floats quickly. Add the matchsticks in small batches and fry until golden brown and crispy. Put them on a plate lined with kitchen paper and keep them warm in the oven until you're ready to serve.
Take the onion and mushroom mixture out of the frying pan and set aside. Season the mince and form into meatballs. Heat some cooking oil in the pan and brown the meatballs, in batches if necessary. Pour off the excess oil in the pan if your meat was fatty and then de-glase it with the stock. Put the meatballs back in and cover and simmer for 10 minutes until the meatballs are done. Remove the lid and put the meatballs in a dish in the oven to keep warm. Reduce the stock until thick at the bottom of the pan. Add the onion and mushroom mix and turn off the heat. When it has come off the boil add the lemon juice and add the soured cream slowly, mixing into the sauce. Taste to check for seasoning.
Pour the sauce over the meatballs and serve topped with the potato matchsticks.

We all really liked this although I would have preferred the sauce a little sharper. You could also add a dash of brandy to the stock while making the sauce. Another thought I had was to do mixed root vegetable matchsticks instead of just potato. I can see this recipe being made a fair few more times and tinkered with! But as it is it's very tasty.

Paleo friendly breaded chicken

2011-12-22T11:37:00.004Z

Today's lunch is baked 'breaded' chicken from Everyday Paleo by Sarah Fragoso. I can highly recommend this book - we've enjoyed every recipe we've tried so far and the exercise tips are great - the whole family has used them.

12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 cup almond flour
1 cup coconut flour
1 tbsp garlic powder
Pinch of salt and pepper
2 eggs *

Mix the flours, garlic powder and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. Dip the chicken in the egg mixture, let the excess drip off, then press into the flour mixture. Turn over and press in again, making sure that it's well covered. If I have any mixture left over I tend to press it onto the tops of the chicken before baking as it's so tasty! Put the chicken pieces onto a greased baking tray and cook in the oven at 180 oC for 35 - 40 minutes (until the chicken is cooked through and juices are clear).

* to make this recipe egg free you can use melted butter instead. It tastes amazing and sticks just as well but isn't strictly paleo.

Custard

2011-12-22T09:14:00.003Z

Homemade custard is nice and easy and very tasty. You can make it without the flour but it's slightly tricker and you need to cook it over a double boiler. I tend to make this cheaters version!

10 fl oz cream
3 egg yolks
1 tbsp splenda
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cornflour or arrowroot

Put the yolks, cornflour and sweetener in a bowl and mix. Heat the cream and vanilla to near boiling. Pour a little of the hot cream into the yolk mixture and stir quickly in. Keep adding the cream a little at a time until it's all combined. Pour the custard back into the saucepan and gently heat until thickened.

Gluten free banana bread

2011-12-22T09:02:00.002Z

This recipe is slightly adapted from the paleo banana bread recipe here. We had it for a Solstice breakfast with hot custard. It was easy to make and really tasty! Mine isn't so paleo as I used sweetener instead of honey and butter, but still lovely and much healthier than standard grain based cake. My eldest son made this more or less by himself - it's quite a kid friendly recipe.

3 ripe bananas (riper the better)
4 eggs
2 tsp vanillla extract
60g butter or coconut oil (1/4 cup)
1 tbsp splenda
2 cups almond flour
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt

Line a loaf tin (I love those nifty premade loaf cases that are like cupcake liners) and preheat oven to 160oC. Slice the banana and put into a food processor. Crack in the eggs and add the butter/oil and vanilla extract. Blend until smooth. Add the sweetener, almond flour, baking soda and salt. Briefly blend to mix. Pour batter into tin and bake for 50 - 60 minutes - until a skewer comes out clean.

I think next time I'll add some dark chocolate chips just to make this extra indulgent! But it was sweet, moist and very tasty.

Spicy Stuffed Chicken

2011-12-22T08:47:00.004Z

We had these for dinner last night. They were delicious but not perfectly shaped - you need to wrap them extremely tightly and use plenty of clingfilm. I served them with salad and raitha.
Makes 5.

6 chicken breasts or boneless thighs- skin on.
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp minced ginger
2 tsp fennel seeds
1 small onion
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp passata
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp coconut flour or dessicated coconut
salt and pepper
coconut oil or ghee for frying

Remove the skin from one of the pieces of chicken and cook (either fry, microwave, steam - whatever's easiest). Chop the onion and fry until translucent in the oil. Add the spices and fry for a minute. Then add garlic, ginger, passata, lime juice and chicken and cook for another minute. Add the coconut. Set aside to cool a little. Put the mixture into a food processor and pulse into a rough paste.
Put the chicken pieces one at a time between two pieces of clingfilm and hit with a pan or rolling pin until about 4mm thick. Divide the mixture between them, putting it in a line along the middle of the meat side. Using a large piece of cling film, roll each chicken piece into a sausage, skin side out, wrapping tightly in cling film and twisting the ends to form a sealed package. Put the wrapped sausages into the fridge to cool for at least two hours. Heat a pan of water to the boil and add the sausages. Simmer them for 20 minutes. Take out of the water. Carefully unwrap then packages and put the rolls into a pan with a little coconut oil to crisp up the skin. Serve sliced thickly.

Edit - you can also use 5 chicken pieces and left over cooked chicken or turkey. I did this with a small amount of left over turkey after all the curries and soups for some variety!

Creamy chicken crepes (Gluten free)

2011-12-20T15:03:00.003Z

This was today's lunch made with left over roast chicken and went down a treat. It's very rich and filling with a nice salad. It served two adults and two kids who were all really hungry!

6 eggs
1 + 1/3 Cups cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
30g butter + a little more for frying
1-2 cloves of garlic (I used two but then I adore garlic!)
2 cups chopped, cooked chicken
Salt and pepper
Chopped fresh parsley to serve

Melt the butter in a saucepan and add 1 cup of the cream. Simmer very gently for about 5 minutes to reduce it and make it thick. Add the Parmesan, crushed garlic cloves, and season with salt and pepper. Stir over a low flame until the cheese is combined. Add the chicken and set aside for a few minutes (you might want to heat the chicken separately until it's hot through if it isn't freshly cooked).
Beat the eggs with the remaining 1/3 C of cream and season the mixture. Heat a little butter in a frying pan and when hot, pour in a small amount of egg mix - just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Swirl it around to cover the pan evenly and leave until set on top. Then up-end the pan over a plate and let the pancake drop out (flipping them tends not to go too well...). Continue until mixture is used up. Then divide the chicken sauce between the pancakes, sprinkle with chopped parsley and roll up.

Almond flour waffles

2011-12-19T16:40:00.003Z

The blogger who posted this recipe for waffles has earned a place forever in the hearts of my children who are all in favour of sweet things. And also breakfast. These, topped with a pat of butter and some crisp bacon are the current best thing that can happen to them before 9am apparently!

1 1/2 cups almond flour (I get mine here)
2 tbsp xylitol
2 tbsp vanilla flavoured whey powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/4 tsp salt
5 eggs
6 oz Greek yogurt
3 tbsp melted butter or coconut oil
1/4 cup milk

Grease a waffle iron and heat up. I found this works best with my iron set to about a third of the possible heat but they're all different! Separate two of the eggs and beat the whites to stiff peaks. Mix the almond flour, xylitol, whey powder, baking powder and soda, xanthan gum and salt in a bowl. Beat the egg yolks, remaining eggs. yogurt, milk and butter/oil together. Mix into the dry ingredients and then gently fold in the beaten egg whites. Spread onto your waffle iron roughly two spoonfuls at a time (doesn't spread out like thinner wheat batters I've used) and cook for 3-4 minutes. Makes about 10 in my waffle maker.

Gluten-free trifle

2011-12-19T14:15:00.004Z

I made this for a big family buffet yesterday and it was very popular. The texture of the sponge fingers was fine in the jelly and they taste rather good out of it too!

1 pack of sugar-free jelly (or you could make your own with fruit and gelatin which would be even better!)
250 ml whipping cream (or double cream)
3 egg yolks
250 ml double cream
1 tsp corn flour
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp splenda (or other sweetener)
5 egg whites
1/2 cup vanilla flavoured whey protein powder
1 tsp cream of tarter
1 banana and any other fruit you like
2 tbsp chopped mixed nuts
1 tbsp grated dark chocolate

I got the recipe for the sponge fingers from this tiramisu recipe which is next on my list of things to make! Beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks (tip the bowl and if they don't start to fall out then you're good) then fold in the cream of tarter and whey powder. My whey powder needed sieving before hand. It is also quite sweet but you might want to add a little sweetener here. Pour the mixture into a greased 9 inch pan and then bake at 160 oC for about 25 - 30 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Make up your jelly according to instructions and then leave to cool for a while, until luke warm but not yet setting.

Slice the sponge fingers into strips about 2cm wide and arrange in your trifle dish. Pour over the jelly mixture. One problem I had with these fingers over cake was that they float so you might want to weigh them down with something while the jelly sets. You can also add other fruit like raspberries or strawberries to the jelly (but not kiwi, pineapple or papaya or it won't set). Put the dish in the fridge to set.

In a bowl, mix the egg yolks, corn flour, vanilla extract and sweetener. Heat 250 ml of double cream in a saucepan until almost simmering then pour a little into the mixture in the bowl. Whisk it smooth then add a little more of the hot cream. Repeat until it's all combined then pour back into the saucepan and heat very gently until it starts to thicken. Take off the heat and keep stirring for a few minutes to keep it lump free. Set aside to cool.

Whip the cream with a pinch of sweetener if you like. Then assemble the trifle. I put a layer of sliced banana, then the custard, then whipped cream and top it all with the nuts and grated chocolate. If there are any kids in the kitchen then hundreds and thousands tend to happen too...

Ketchup

2011-05-11T18:05:00.001+01:00

I was having a domestic goddess like day today and made three bottles of this! It's from a Jaime Oliver programme I think.

2 onions
2 tsps fennel seeds
2 heaped tsps coriander seeds
4 cloves
2 thumb size pieces of ginger
4 cloves garlic
2 red chilies
500g ripe tomatoes
handful of fresh basil
1 litre passata
250 ml red wine vinegar
50g brown sugar
12 level tbsp sucralose (splenda)

Chop and sweat the onions with a little olive oil for 15 minutes. Grind the fennel seeds, coriander seeds and cloves with a coffee grinder or pestle and mortar and add to the onions. Chop the ginger, garlic and chili and add. Halve the tomatoes and add with the passata, vinegar, sugar and sweetener. Cut the leaves off the basil and set aside. Chop the stems and add. Simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes. Take off the heat and add the basil. Blend it in batches and sieve. Bottle in sterilised jars.

Note - my kids liked this but much prefered the next batch where I used about 170ml of vinegar instead. I loved the sharper one but it's not so kid friendly.

Grain free chocolate chip cookies

2011-05-11T17:58:00.000+01:00

My kids love me so much today! This is based on this recipe.

1 cup ground almonds
1/2 cup ground hazelnuts
1/4 cup coconut oil (melted)
1 large egg + 1 yolk
1 heaped spoonfuls of sucralose (splenda)
1/2 tsp each salt, baking powder and vanilla extract
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Mix together the dry ingredients with the eggs and vanilla extract. Melt the coconut oil and stir into the batter. Put in tablespoon size drops on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes at about 170 oC.

Cauliflower cheese

2011-04-20T10:47:00.002+01:00

Serves 4

1 large head of cauliflower
1 tsp mustard
300g cream cheese
4 tbsp cream
1 egg
1 cup cheese

Steam or boil cauliflower until stems are starting to soften. Mix together cream cheese, mustard egg and cream. Stir in cauliflower, season and top with cheese. Bake until golden and crisp on top.

Tuna melt

2011-04-20T10:40:00.002+01:00

Serves 4

2 tins tuna in olive oil, drained
4 tbsp mayonnaise
4 tbsp creme fraiche
1 head broccoli
1 cup grated cheese

Cut broccoli into florets and chop the tender parts of the stem. Lightly steam until just beginning to soften (about 5 minutes). Mix the mayonnaise, tuna and creme fraiche in an oven proof dish and fold in broccoli. Top with cheese and bake until the cheese is melted and golden.

Pasta-free lasagna

2011-04-15T12:38:00.002+01:00

Makes 9 servings

800g minced beef
8 large eggs
1 cup passata/jarred tomato sauce
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup red wine
1 slice bacon, chopped
4 tsp garlic powder
1 tub ricotta
1 tub cream cheese
2 cups grated cheese (I tend to use a mixture of mozzarella and Parmesan)

Beat 6 of the eggs and add a splash of water. Make into 3 large omelets and set aside. These act as the pasta layers. Fry the onion and brown the beef and bacon. Add the tomato sauce and red wine. Reduce to a thick sauce and season to taste. Beat together the ricotta, remaining eggs and cream cheese. Add the garlic powder. Spread a layer of the cheese mix in the bottom of an oven proof dish and put one of the omelets on top. Add a layer of meat sauce and continue layering until you've used up your egg 'lasagna'. End with a layer of cheese mix. Top with grated cheese and bake until the cheese is golden.

Breakfast casserole

2011-04-15T12:34:00.002+01:00

The kids love this hot or cold. I think I actually prefer it cold. Lovely with some ketchup or salsa on the side.

Makes 9 servings

450g pork mince
6 eggs
200g cream cheese
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup double cream
1 cup grated cheese

Spread the mince over the bottom of a large casserole dish. Beat together the eggs, cream cheese, garlic powder and cream. Pour over the mince and top with the cheese. Bake for about half an hour, until the eggs are set and the meat cooked.

I usually make this in the evening when I'm doing dinner as the kids are not prepared to wait in the mornings!

Lamb meatballs with herby gravy

2011-04-15T12:11:00.002+01:00

This is a seriously rich and tasty dish! Goes equally well with pasta, mashed potatoes or over veg.

Serves 4

400g minced lamb/mutton
4 slices un-smoked bacon
2 cloves garlic
2 spring onions
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 pint (10 fl oz) beef (or other) stock
4 tbsp fresh dill or parsley, finely chopped
4 fl oz double cream
1 large egg yolk

Put the mince, bacon, garlic, onions and cinnamon in the food processor and blend until nearly smooth. Using wet hands form the mixture into meatballs. Brown the meatballs in batches in the cooking fat of your choice. Place into an oven proof dish with a lid. Pour the stock into the frying pan and bring to the boil, stirring to dislodge the tasty bits on the bottom. Pour the stock over the meatballs, cover and place in the oven. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove the meatballs from the stock and keep warm. Pour the stock into a pan and simmer to reduce by about a half. Beat the egg yolk and herbs into the cream. Season. Take the stock pan of the heat and stir in the cream mixture. Heat over a very low flame for about 10 minutes until the mixture thickens. Don't' allow to boil. Pour over the meatballs and serve.

Roasted cauliflower

2009-10-21T18:37:00.002+01:00

The first time I heard of this I was dubious. But seriously - this is one of the greatest things you can do to a cauliflower!

Just cut the washed cauli into florets. Add a little sea salt and drizzle generously with olive oil. Roast in a hot oven until the it browns (takes 20 - 30 minutes). A little blackening around the edges it fine - it will be sweeter.

Apple sauce

2009-10-21T18:16:00.004+01:00

Sooo bad at keeping up with this blog! Have been seriously off the healthy food wagon for a few months and feeling it. Ugh! Boy#1 is now off egg, tuna, lentils and crustaceans. Most of those aren't a problem but no eggs or lentil has been hard on our food budget!
I had a load of apples going spare today so I made apple sauce using my crockpot. Love doing that - it is easy and makes the house smell so good.

knob of butter
loads of apples *
spices of your choice

Put a knob of butter in your crockpot. Core and peel the apples and bung them in too Add any spices that you like (I use mixed spice, a couple of cloves and a pinch of ground cardamom). Cook on low for a few hours, until the apples are soft. Mash or puree.

The kids had this with yogurt for pudding and I am going to freeze a load for future pies, crumbles and sauces.

* If you are using a cooking apple like bramley then you may need to add some sugar. I find eating apples are plenty sweet on thier own.

Milk Kefir

2009-05-15T16:10:00.003+01:00

Just realised I never posted properly about milk kefir. I've been making it for over a year now. I started off just using it in smoothies as it was yeasty and tasted horrible to me. But once the grains settled down they started making a really tasty drink. For information on the wonderful properties of kefir I can highly recommend this epic website. I can't think there can be any questions about kefir not addressed there somewhere!

To make kefir you just add some grains to some milk and leave them alone at room temperature. The time taken to turn the milk into kefir depends on how many grains you have, the temperature and how much milk they are in. The kefir is done when the milk starts to coagulate. You can then strain out the grains and either drink the kefir straight away, or put in a clean jar to further ripen (for more info see website linked above).

Apple juice kefir

2009-05-15T15:53:00.003+01:00

Sadly the almond milk kefir was a bust. So I tried out apple juice kefir instead and boy#1 has declared it delicious. I agree - not as sweet as apple juice (which I find too sweet) and slightly acid and fizzy. A great replacement for Appletizer (which I have a serious weakness for!) and a strong probiotic to boot. Instructions are again fantastically easy to follow.

1 cup apple juice
kefir grains

Rinse the grains thoroughly in filtered water to remove all traces of milk. You might want to make a couple of batches in juice before trying it out with dairy sensitive folk (who may still react but many don't apparently so it could be worth a try). Add the grains to the juice in a clean jar and leave in a cupboard overnight. Strain out the grains. You can either drink the kefir now, or put into a jar and refrigerate. I did this for a few hours and it made the drink fizzier.

Sauerkraut

2009-05-13T12:07:00.005+01:00

I love lacto-fermented sauerkraut. It is so easy to make the real deal and it has so many health benefits. When I first started making it I used 1.5 litre jars. But now I have found a big ceramic pot that works really well. Not perfect - it has a lip that means I can't get a plate in to cover all the vegetables, but it does fine.
I basically follow the instructions here for making it. I chop my cabbage because it is easier than putting it through my decrepit and slightly broken food processor. Then I add lots of grated carrot and thinly sliced onion. Apple is also really nice. When you have your veggies prepared then you need to salt them. Add about 3 tbsp sea salt to 5 lbs veggies. I also like to add a bit of the last batch of sauerkraut to get things started but this isn't necessary. Mix thoroughly and then add to your container. You then need to give them a good bashing, to squash them down tight and to start to break down the cell walls of the veg. I use the end of a rolling pin in jars and my fist in the big pot. Keep pounding until you have all that tension worked out and the veg is tightly packed. Then you need to weigh it down with something. If you have a plate that fits your container then put that in with a jar full of water on top to keep it down. If not, then fill a plastic food bag with water, seal tightly and put on top. Over the next 24 hours keep pressing the veg down as you remember. Water will be drawn out of the veg by the salt slowly. After about 24 hours the veg should be covered. If it isn't then you can add a little more brine - mix a tsp salt in a cup of water and put in enough that the veg is covered. Then leave it to ferment for 1-4 weeks. After the first week then you can start to sample the sauerkraut to see if it is done to your taste. How long it takes really depends on the temperature and how much salt is in there. When it is finished you can store it in the fridge if you have space. If not then put it in a cool place and make sure that the brine is always covering the vegetables after you have taken some out.

Here are two rubbish photos trying to show my arrangement for fermenting sauerkraut. It is a ceramic bread crock from Tesco and a freezer bag full of water on top for a weight. If you are sitting down then have a look at the 'proper' fermenting crocks (click on 'wholesome gadgets' in the link). There - looks a lot less naff when you have seen the price of real ones doesn't it!

Almond milk kefir

2009-05-13T11:54:00.004+01:00

Today's kitchen science experiment (and I do lots of these - regular visitors are getting very wary of peering into jars and bowls in my house ;0) ) is almond milk kefir. Normally my kids eat lots of yogurt and take a probiotic to keep them stocked up with good bacteria. Now that my son is off dairy for the time being (at least) I needed to find new sources. Lucky for me he likes sauerkraut, but he isn't going to love it if I feed it to him every day!
I have been making milk kefir for a while and I did know that the grains could be used to make other kefir drinks. But it didn't occur to me to make some for boy#1 until I read this. I'm trying out almond milk kefir first because I think it sounds tasty. If he doesn't like it then I'll use it to make pancakes and try fruit juice kefir. Let's just hope the poor child doesn't mind being experimented on...!

Instructions are the same as for milk kefir - put the liquid to be 'kefired' in a clean jar with the grains, leave for 24 hours, strain out grains and drink. The only big difference is that the grains won't grow in non-dairy milk and will eventually die. So you need to keep some growing in dairy milk to replace them or this will quickly become very expensive!

Almond milk #2

2009-05-13T11:45:00.002+01:00

This method isn't much more effort than using ground almonds but it does need starting ahead. I found that it wasn't quite as strongly almond flavoured but was still delicious. And better than milk (and nearly as good as cream) in coffee.

1 pack almonds - either in skins or skinless
warm water
pinch salt
more water, stock or wine

Put the almonds in warm water with a good pinch of sea salt and soak overnight. In the morning drain and rinse them and place in a blender with some more water, or some stock or wine (depending on what you will be using the milk for). Blend into a smooth paste and then dilute to the texture of double cream. Leave to stand for 5 - 10 minutes.
Strain through cloth into a clean jar or jug. You can then use the milk as is or dilute it further, depending on what you are using it for. A thick milk can substitute for cream, and a thinner milk is great over cereal.

Gluten and dairy free stuffing

2009-05-10T18:09:00.003+01:00

Stuffing is an important part of Sunday dinners for my kids. In fact if it didn't appear I think I would have a riot on my hands! So I experimented with some gluten and dairy free this week. It came out quite nice - every one liked it.

1 gluten free bread roll (I used a Tesco's multi seeded one)
1/2 an onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried herbs (plain sage or mixed)
stock or water
egg

Grease an oven proof dish. Grate the bread into crumbs. Heat the olive oil and saute the onions until starting to turn golden. In a bowl, beat the egg and then add the onion, breadcrumbs and herbs and a pinch of sea salt. Slowly add some of the stock, stirring until the stuffing mix is moist. Then put into the oven proof dish and bake in the bottom of the oven until cooked through.

Coconut jellies

2009-05-10T17:59:00.002+01:00

I made a couple of different jellies for pudding last night and all have been very popular with the kids. I wasn't keen on the chocolate one but it disappeared super fast and my eldest declared it great. I think next time I will try it with melted chocolate and almond milk.

Raspberry coconut jelly
1 tin coconut milk
3 tbsp sugar/sweetener (I used coconut sugar and I bet maple syrup would be great)
1 sachet (10g) unflavoured gelatin
1 cup raspberries (I used some blue berries too)

Heat the coconut milk in a saucepan. Add the gelatin and whisk in until dissolved (don't let the mixture boil). Take off the heat and allow to cool slightly. Puree half the berries. Mix the sugar into the milk and then fold in all the berries. Put into glasses or bowls and chill until set.

I got this recipe from here and it uses lime oil and zest which sounds great.

Chocolate jelly
1 tin coconut milk
1 sachet gelatin
3 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp cocoa powder

Heat the coconut milk in the saucepan and whisk in the gelatin (as above don't boil!). Allow to cool slightly and then whisk in the sugar and cocoa powder. Put into bowls or glasses and chill until set.

Mayonnaise

2009-05-08T21:31:00.003+01:00

I love home made mayonnaise - so creamy and delicious. It isn't that hard to make (despite it's reputation) and the process is like magic - how the glossy and creamy mayo appears from yolks and oil! Plus it makes a great dairy-free butter substitute for my son (we have also been using hummus but I can't see that making a great egg salad).

1 egg yolk
6 fl oz oil (I used a light olive oil but any oil or fat will work - even lard)
pinch salt
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
* 1 tsp whey or sauerkraut juice (optional)

Whisk or blend the egg yolk with a pinch of salt. Add a drop of oil and whisk/blend in. Once that is gone then add another drop. Keep adding oil - really slowly - for a few minutes. The mixture should be getting thicker. Add the mustard and lemon juice and whisk in. Then keep adding the oil. As you go on you can start adding the oil a little faster but be patient and don't rush things. If you do add the oil too quickly and the mixture curdles then don't panic. It can be fixed really easily. When no one is looking grab a clean bowl and a new yolk and slowly add the curdled mixture a drop at a time (like you were adding oil). It will come out just as normal. You can also get creative and add things like garlic, chopped herbs and spices to make flavoured mayonnaise's. They will keep for 3-4 weeks in the fridge.

* If you can tolerate dairy then you can also add a tsp of whey to the mixture. Then if you leave it to stand for 7 hours at room temp before refrigerating you get a probiotic mayonnaise which will be a little thicker and last longer. If dairy is a problem then you can substitute sauerkraut juice to the same effect.

Almond milk #1

2009-05-08T18:04:00.002+01:00

I made this milk today and it is sooo tasty! Sweet and almondy and super easy. It tastes great on cereal and can be used in cooking. I will be trying making milk with soaked almonds at the weekend but I had some ground almonds around and wanted to see if my son liked the milk.

Makes 1 cup
2 oz ground almonds
8 fl oz boiling water

Pour the boiling water over the ground almonds and leave to stand for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain through a sieve or in a muslin bag. Alternatively blend until all the almond is combined.

Dairy and Gluten free waffles

2009-05-07T16:19:00.002+01:00

These turn out really nice. Sweet all by themselves and very kid friendly. They don't get really crispy and they are prone to catching a little from the sugars in the apple juice so turn your waffle maker right down.

1 cup grain of your choice (I used rice but any grain will do)
1 1/4 cup apple juice
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 egg
pinch salt
2 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp coconut oil (or any other fat you like to use)

Put the grain, apple juice and vinegar into a blender and blend for a few minutes until smooth. Leave to soak for 12 - 24 hours (you can skip this if you like but it helps to release more of the nutrients in the grain and make it more digestible). Add the rest of the ingredients and blend smooth again. Cook in a waffle iron. If you don't have a waffle iron then you can cook these as griddle scones (Scotch or American pancakes) - just reduce the apple juice to 1 cup.

Gluten and dairy free chocolate muffins

2009-05-07T16:12:00.002+01:00

We are trying out a gluten, dairy and soy free diet out with my eldest at the moment and I wanted to make him a treat to start it off. They worked well - very tasty and with a pretty good texture. And very popular with the kids!

4 1/2 oz gluten free flour mix (I used Dove farm's)
pinch salt
1/2 tbsp gluten free baking powder
1 tbsp cocoa powder
3 oz sugar (I used coconut sugar but any would do)
1 egg
3 fl oz oil (I like coconut oil for this)
4 fl oz apple juice

Preheat oven to 325 oF/190 oC/ gm5. Place the egg, oil and apple juice in a bowl and whisk together. Sift the other ingredients on top and mix together. Put into muffin tins and bake for 20 - 25 minutes.

Spanish rice casserole

2009-04-29T11:26:00.003+01:00

I made this from this recipe on A Year of Crockpotting. It called for a pound of browned meat but I had loads of left over roast turkey from the weekend so I chopped that up and used it instead.

1 lb meat - any kind (browned mince or chopped leftovers)
1 onion, chopped
1 cup brown rice
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 clove garlic, crushed
Large pinch mixed herbs
salt and pepper to taste
water or stock

Brown your mince if not using leftovers. Add it to the crock pot with the onion, rice, garlic and herbs. Drain the liquid from the tomatoes into a measuring cup and put the tomatoes in the crock pot. Make up the juice from the tomatoes to 2 cups with water or stock and add. Cook on low for 2-4 hours, until the rice is tender. Season to taste.

Yuk Sung

2009-04-29T11:21:00.004+01:00

This is most likely a completely unauthentic recipe but it uses ingredients I had and we all loved it.

1 lb pork mince
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
2 spring onions, finely sliced
1 small tin waterchestnuts, finely chopped
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tsp five spice
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Ice berg lettuce

Brown the mince in a large frying pan or wok. Add the carrot, spring onions, water chestnuts and other ingredients (except the lettuce). Cook for a few more minutes, until the mince is cooked but stop before the veg has lost it's crunch.
Serve the mince rolled in the iceberg lettuce leaves. A drizzle of hoi sin sauce on top is really good too.

Slow roast leg of lamb

2009-04-13T14:33:00.003+01:00

Leg of lamb
Sprigs of rosemary
2-4 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
Pinch of seasalt
splash of water

Preheat oven to gas mark 4/190 oC/ 375 0F Make a small cuts in the lamb and tuck a sliver of garlic or a small sprig of rosemary inside them. Sprinkle over a little seasalt. Place the lamb in a roasting pan with a splash of water and cover with tin foil. Roast in the oven for 3 1/2 hours.

Phoebe's chowder

2009-04-11T18:42:00.004+01:00

My daughter loved this soup so much she insisted it had to be named after her! It was a big hit, although the little guy needed his sieving as he hates the corn skins in it.

50g shell-less prawns
100g mussel meat
1 large tin sweet corn (or a cup or two)
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 onion, finely chopped
2-3 medium potatoes, scrubbed or peeled and diced
1.5 litres stock
Large dash of milk or cream
salt and pepper to taste

Put all the ingredients except the milk or cream and salt and pepper into a crock pot. Make sure the mussels are beard free! Cook on low for 6 hours. Add the dash of milk or cream and blend (you can leave it partly or completely whole if you prefer). Check the seasoning and serve with chopped parsley on top if you are feeling fancy!

The amounts and types of shellfish are pretty arbitrary. Just add what is available. Blending them into soup gets all sorts of interesting sea foods past small children!

Spoonbread

2009-04-10T20:32:00.003+01:00

This is an adapted recipe from Nourishing Traditions. I've made it on top of casseroles before but I made it on it's own this week and really enjoyed it. I managed to leave out the baking powder which gave a denser texture, somewhere between fluffy spoon bread and polenta. I really like it that way so I'm going to pretend I did it on purpose.

1/2 cup fine polenta (cornmeal)
1 cup buttermilk (or another slightly acidic soaking mixture)
1 large egg
pinch of salt
pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
1 oz grated cheese
1/2 tsp baking powder (or not)

Soak the polenta in the buttermilk for 12-24 hours at room temperature. In NT there are instructions for a previous soak to free up the vitamin B3. I've never done this as quite honestly, getting my act together to soak it once is enough of a challenge!
Preheat the oven to gas mark 5 /375 oF/ 190 oC. Separate the egg and place the white in a large bowl. With a pinch of salt, whisk the white until it forms soft peaks. Add the yolk to the polenta and whisk in. Add a pinch of salt, baking soda (if using) and the cayenne pepper and mix well. Stir in the grated cheese. If your bowl is big enough, then add the whites to the polenta mixture and cut in very gently with a metal spoon. If not then do it the other way around, but with a great deal of care so you don't lose the air in the whites.
Put the mixture in a buttered dish and bake for 45 - 60 minutes. I suggest letting it cool somewhat before serving as it gets easier. This dish is also delicious cold as a snack.

Sausage casserole

2009-04-10T20:23:00.003+01:00

This is a great way to stretch a few left over sausages into a whole meal. However in my house there are never any leftover sausages but I like this so much I often cook some specially for it.

2 - 6 cooked sausages, sliced
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tins chopped tomatoes (or passata)
2 cups / 1 tin cooked chickpeas
1 red pepper, de-seeded and chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
A little salt and pepper

Bung all the ingredients into a crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Above is the basic recipe to which I always add an assortment of things. Anything in the fridge about to turn feral goes in. I add spices and herbs according to my mood. This is lovely hot with Moroccan style spices or cool with french herbs. Chorizo or pepperoni as the sausage is lovely. Or just leave it as it is and enjoy.

Chocolate mousse

2009-04-01T18:52:00.004+01:00

Serves 6
12 oz dark chocolate (70% at least)
6 eggs (good ones - they are going to be raw so absolutely need to be free range and preferably organic)
1 oz of butter (unsalted)
pinch of salt
A little sugar if you have a very sweet tooth - up to 1 tbsp

Gently melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over some simmering water. Meanwhile separate the eggs, placing the whites in a large mixing bowl. Whisk the whites with a pinch of salt until they are fluffy and forming peaks. If you are using sugar, whisk it into the yolks, a third at a time. In another bowl, break up the yolks a little. Take the chocolate off the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. Stir into the yolks. Add a spoonful of the egg whites and stir in gently. Then, using a metal spoon, gently fold in the rest of the egg whites, retaining as much air as possible. Pour the mousse into glasses or ramekins and refrigerate for 2 hours to set. Remove from the fridge about half an hour before serving.

Cauliflower pizza

2009-04-01T11:09:00.005+01:00

I got this recipe from here. I often use cauliflower rice with curries - even the children like it. So this recipe looked to be a good way to get some veg into them as well as tasty. It doesn't turn out quite like pizza (or at least it didn't for me) as you can't pick up the slices to eat them. But it is delicious and very filling.

Makes 1 10" pizza (will serve two)
1 cup cauliflower rice, cooked
1 egg
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
1/2 cup cottage cheese
Pinch of herbs and salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450 oF/gas mark 7. Mix the ingredients and press into a pizza base shape on a greased baking tray. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes. Top with your favorite sauce and (cooked) pizza toppings then grill until the cheese is melted.

This was quite a success. All the children ate it, with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Most surprisingly the little guy declared it was 'yummy' and had seconds! I had to scrape my jaw off the floor - this from the child who hates veg. My eldest quite liked it but says he prefers 'proper' pizza. My daughter wasn't keen but ate it as there was chocolate chickpea cake for afters.

*** I just had some of the leftovers of this pizza cold for lunch. Wow! It is so tasty cold. It was nice last night but today it was delicious. I might just make it in advance and serve it cold in future it was so good.

5 minute chocolate cake

2009-03-31T19:37:00.003+01:00

A while ago some kind soul sent me the recipe for 5 minute chocolate cake. I must remember to get them back at some point.... Anyway, that recipe is at least partly responsible for me needing to lose a stone at the moment, so I've had a go at making it healthier. Still a work in progress so any ideas or comments are welcome!

1/2 cup cooked chickpeas
1 egg
1 heaped tsp cocoa powder
1 tsp unrefined sugar or honey
1 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp melted coconut oil (optional)

Blend together the ingredients and pour into a mug (I used an immersion blender in the mug which saves on washing up a bit). Microwave for 3 - 3 1/2 minutes on full power.

The cake is light but a little dry I find. You can serve it with a big dollop of creme fraiche to help with that while I work on making it moister!

Rice pancakes/crepes

2009-03-13T12:45:00.002Z

This recipe is from 'The Mood Cure' by Julia Ross. They are very nice - I had them filled with chicken and sweetcorn last night and fried bananas this morning. Yum!

1/2 - 2/3 cup of cooked rice
3 eggs
pinch salt
Fat to fry

Blend the rice, eggs and a little salt until smooth. Fry into pancakes and enjoy! I fried mine in coconut oil but ghee, olive oil or lard would also be great.

Ginger snaps

2009-03-08T15:59:00.003Z

This is a recipe from Nourishing Traditions. My eldest son and I made it this afternoon and we all agree these are the greatest biscuits.

1/2 cup ground almonds
1/2 cup wholemeal flour (3/4 cup freshly ground)
1/4 unrefined sugar
pinch salt
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp mixed spice
3/4 tbsp water
1/4 cup coconut oil or butter, melted

Preheat oven to 300oF/gas mark 2. Mix together the ingredients and form into walnut sized balls. The mixture is crumbly and needs some squishing together but don't fear - it turns out fine in the end! Place the balls onto a buttered baking sheet and cook in the oven for 5 minutes. Take them out and gently squash with a fork. Put back in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes. Let the biscuits cool down before eating (this is really hard but worth it - they are more biscuity, less crumby). Try not to eat them all at once!

The recipe in the book calls for using 3/4 cup of 'crispy almonds' instead of ground almonds. These have been soaked and dried out again to make them more digestible. You then process them into fine crumbs in a blender before using in this recipe.

Rice pudding for breakfast

2009-03-08T08:48:00.005Z

The lady who writes this crock potting blog is a genius. Rice pudding is a great idea any time but waking up to it for breakfast on a Sunday morning? Fab.

1 oz butter
2 small apples, cores removed and chopped
3/4 tsp cinnamon
pinch each of nutmeg, ground cloves and salt
3/4 cup short grain brown rice (soaked and drained if you remember)
1-2 tbsp honey
2 1/2 cups milk (or apple juice or a mix)

Place the ingredients in the crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. 6 is better but I couldn't find my plug-in timer so it went for 8 and was fine - just caught a little on one side. I used 1 tbsp of honey and this was plenty sweet for us. You can always add more once it is cooked if you like it sweeter.

I bet coconut milk would be divine in this but I haven't tried it yet.

*edit to add - yes coconut milk in this is really really good! Might even be better than the traditional rice pudding with dairy milk..... *

Soaked flour tortillas

2009-03-07T12:53:00.003Z

I've made these two days running and the kids can't get enough of them! If you have any left over they freeze really well. Fat chance around here!

2 cups wholemeal flour (3 cups of freshly ground)
2-3 tbsp melted coconut oil or lard
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 tsp salt

Mix the ingredients in a bowl. Knead for a few minutes until a soft but not sticky dough is formed. Put in a bowl covered with clingfilm and leave at room temperature for 12 - 24 hours.
Divide the dough into 8 - 10 pieces (about golf-ball sized pieces). Roll the pieces into balls, flatten with the palm of your hand and roll out on a flour dusted surface. Heat a cast iron frying pan to a medium/low heat. Fry the tortillas for a minute on one side and 30 seconds on the other.

Slow-cooked sausage and potatoes

2009-03-06T15:32:00.003Z

I made this in my crock pot when we were going to have a busy afternoon. I loved it. The potatoes and onions took on a lovely flavour and were soft but not too mushy. The kids loved the sausages (they find the tougher skins of grilled sausages a little hard at times) but weren't so keen on the potatoes. I haven't given amounts as it doesn't really matter - just put in what you want to eat.

Chopped onion
Several potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled, diced
Sausages
Salt and pepper
Olive oil (a couple of tbsp)

Pour the olive oil into the crock pot. Add the veggies and salt a pepper to taste and toss to get them all covered. Put the sausages on top and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

This recipe comes from the blog 'A year of CrockPotting' which has so many great ideas! I'll be trying a lot more of them soon.

Cottage cheese griddle scones

2009-02-26T16:11:00.003Z

These are yummy and full of protein. We had them this morning dusted with cinnamon and topped with some chopped fruit.

1 cup cottage cheese
3 eggs
pinch salt
2 tbsp coconut oil (or butter), melted
1/4 cup wholemeal flour

Blend together the ingredients into a smooth batter. Fry in a large frying pan or on a griddle.

This recipe comes from The Mood Cure by Julia Ross.

Pancakes!

2009-02-24T19:33:00.003Z

It's Shrove Tuesday so I have been dusting off my pancake making skills. Usually I make griddle scones instead of pancakes for the kids as for some reason they intimidate me. But this year I seem to have cracked it! I managed to flip them all too. (note - pancakes are best flipped in the air after both sides are cooked. That way they flip easier and if it goes wrong the pancake isn't ruined. But your kids still think you are amazingly talented!)

250g flour (I use wholemeal, but white or a blend makes for lighter pancakes)
2 eggs
600ml buttermilk (or watered down yogurt)
Pinch salt
Lard for frying

Blend the flour with the buttermilk and leave in a warm place overnight. About half an hour (at least) before you want to make the pancakes, add the egg and salt. This is easiest to do in a food processor as you don't want any lumps. The batter should be runny but thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (dip a spoon into the batter, take it out and turning it upside down. Some batter should coat the back of the bowl if it is right). You can always tweak the flour or milk to get the right consistency when the batter is made. Put it to rest in the fridge.
When you are ready, fry up the pancakes! If you need more batter (and I have yet to manage to make enough to satisfy my kids!) then make it up with milk - it works fine even without chilling in the fridge, just not quite as well.

These are really good with savoury as well as sweet fillings. Leftover meat in a white sauce is a favorite with the kids. I love mushrooms and bacon in mine.

Pasta

2009-02-22T13:32:00.003Z

I posted a recipe for sourdough pasta, but lately I haven't been using that one. Mostly because I don't have an active sourdough culture at the moment (it is dried and in the freezer). Instead I have just been making an egg pasta and leaving it to rest for longer to help soak the flour.

Serves 3
250g freshly ground wholemeal flour
2 eggs
1 tbsp buttermilk (or yogurt or another acidic liquid)

The easiest way to do this is to bung all the ingredients in a mixer and turn it on! The dough is ready when it is smooth, silky and elastic. If you don't have one or would like to get some arm exercise then put the flour on the counter. Make a well in the centre and break the eggs into it. Add the buttermilk and beat with a fork. With your fingers mix the flour in until it is combined and then knead away.
When your dough is kneaded then wrap it in clingfilm and leave it out on the side to rest. Leave it at least half an hour, a few hours if you can.
Then it is ready to be rolled out as thin as possible and cut in to shapes. If you have a pasta machine it helps but it is by no means necessary. Dust the surface you are rolling on with flour and dust the top of the rolled flour again before cutting out the shapes you want.
Cook as usual in salted, boiling water. It will be done very fast (in a minute or so) so keep checking on it.

Red lentil spaghetti sauce

2009-02-22T13:26:00.004Z

1 cup red lentils, soaked 7 hours in water (optional) and rinsed
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and grated or finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp mixed herbs
2 cups stock or water
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Salt and pepper to taste

Saute the onions in the oil until translucent. Add the garlic and fry for a minute or so. Add the remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until the lentils are soft. Serve over spaghetti with cheese.

I tend to puree this to get the veggies past fussy kids, but I also enjoy it left chunky. You can add pretty much any veg you like. This is the basic recipe that I use, and then I add extra veggies depending on what I have around.

Cheesy bean burgers

2009-02-21T13:19:00.004Z

These were lovely and a hit with the kids.

2 cups cooked beans (or 1 can)
1 onion, roughly chopped
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp ketchup
1/2 cup cheese

Place the beans, onion, oats, cheese and egg in a food processor. Blend until chopped and mixed. Add a little ketchup if the mixture seems dry but not too much - you don't want it runny. Add the cheese and briefly process to combine. Leave to rest for a few minutes.
Heat a pan to a medium heat with the cooking fat of your choice (I used ghee). Shape the mixture into burgers with your hands and fry on both sides until golden and crispy.

I think next time I will add another 1/4 cup of Parmesan to the cheese (I used cheddar) to make the taste a little stronger. If you are concerned about soaking grains then you could substitute the oats and egg with a cup of cooked porridge.

Clafoutis

2009-02-21T09:52:00.004Z

Oh my word this is good! This can be a delicious breakfast or a tasty pudding.

1 cup fruit (anything larger than a berry, sliced)
3 eggs
2-3 tbsp sugar of your choice (I used raw cane sugar)
1/2 cup flour
1 cup cream, coconut milk, milk, water or a mixture
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 375oF (gas mark 5). Oil a 9" oven proof dish and scatter the fruit over the bottom in a single layer.
Whisk together the eggs and sugar. When they are well combined then start to whisk in the flour, a little at a time. Make sure there are no lumps! When all the flour is well combined then whisk in the remaining ingredients. This should form a thin batter. Pour the batter over the fruit and bake in the oven for about half an hour. The edges should be puffy and browned and the centre just set. Eat fast before the kids wolf the lot! If it should get a chance to cool it is also delicious at room temperature.

Technically if you use a fruit other than cherries this is a 'flaugnarde' rather than a clafoutis. I made mine with cherries, strawberries and blueberries. Banana and strawberry has been requested for next time and I can imagine that apple is totally delicious.

Another bread recipe...

2009-01-17T16:14:00.003Z

But you really need to try this one! It is a no knead recipe where you make the dough in advance for 2 weeks and just take out pieces as you need it. So far the bread has been good, but not perfect (tastes great but I am having trouble with getting it the shape I want). But it is so worth doing to be able to make fast naan breads and pizzas whenever you like! I can see there being a bucket of dough in my fridge on a permanent basis.
The recipe is from a book and there is a free sample online here. And a blog with a handy Q&A section and some more recipes.

Roasted chickpeas

2009-01-13T14:20:00.003Z

Sometimes you need something to nibble on and these are really tasty. Sadly not so quick but well worth the wait.

1 tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or equivalent of dried peas, soaked and cooked)
curry powder (optional)
salt and pepper
Oil

Take the cooked chickpeas and toss them in the salt and pepper, curry powder (I use a teaspoonful or so) if using and oil. Place them on an oiled baking sheet and put them in the oven at about 450oF/230oC/gas mark 4. They will take 30-40 minutes to get crispy (you need to keep checking on them towards the end as there is a fine line between crispy and crunchy and burned!). When they are ready they will rattle when you shake the baking tray.

You can use various seasonings on them. Different spices, garlic salt, etc.

Honey Baked Lentils

2009-01-13T14:05:00.002Z

I can't believe I've not posted this recipe yet! Its cheap, tasty and easy to make. Another one from the mothers at MDC - and everyone should know this recipe!

1 cup lentils
2 cups stock or water
1 potato, peeled and diced
2 sticks celery, chopped
1 red pepper, de-seeded and chopped
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp ground ginger

Combine the ingredients in an oven proof dish, cover with tin foil and bake for between 1 and 1 1/2 hours until the lentils and veggies are soft. You can vary the veg according to what you have and what your family likes. You could also make this in a slow cooker.

Baked egg custards

2009-01-10T10:47:00.004Z

These would make a great pudding. But they make an even better breakfast! They can be made in advance and keep nicely in the fridge. Especially if you were lucky enough to get a set of 1 cup glass ramekins with lids for Christmas (thanks Mum)! This recipe came from a mother on the traditional foods board of MDC which is always an inspiration.

Makes 2 ramekins full

2 large eggs (beaten)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla essence (or less if yours is strong)
1/2 cup berries (I've used raspberries and blueberries and both are great)
1 tbsp honey

Mix ingredients together and pour into ramekins or a small baking dish. Place the containers into a larger baking dish filled with water. Bake at 350oF/gas mark 4 until set (takes quite a while - 45 mins to 1 hour).

Ghee

2009-01-08T18:21:00.001Z

This is so easy to make and is a really great cooking oil. You can either make it on the stove or in the oven. I do mine in the oven usually, after something else has finished baking.
Put unsalted butter into a pan or oven proof dish. Heat the butter until it melts and then simmer gently until the white particles have turned golden brown. Strain through a double layer of cheese cloth or handkerchiefs. It doesn't need refrigerating (but can be if you like or don't use it much). I just keep mine in a jar by the stove and use it for frying most things (especially onions).

Crab risotto

2009-01-08T11:33:00.004Z

This served me and the kids but if you are cooking for 4 then you will probably want to double it.

500 ml stock (fish, vegetable or chicken), hot
1 tbsp butter
1 stick celery
1 - 2 leeks
1 onion
100 ml white wine
200g arborio (or other risotto) rice
Dressed crab (or small tin crab meat)
Dash of cream
Parmesan
Salt and pepper

Heat the butter in a pan. Add the (finely chopped) leeks, celery and onion and fry until soft. Add the rice and fry for a minute or two until the rice starts to turn translucent. Then add the wine. Cook over a gentle heat, stirring, until the wine is absorbed. Then start to add the stock, a ladle full at a time, stirring. Keep adding the stock when the last lot has been absorbed until the rice is soft and creamy. Gently stir through the crab and cream and season to taste. Serve topped with finely grated Parmesan.

Potato cakes

2009-01-02T13:25:00.004Z

These make a great lunch or breakfast with some veggies and a slice of cheese, or a great side dish for a main meal. Always worth making extra mash so you can have these the next day!
Don't worry too much about quantities. I've never measured this out so I am guessing. Just use what you have. You can also add chopped cooked meat and/or veggies to the cakes for extra flavour and goodness. Sliced spring onions or leeks are particularly good.

2 cups cold mashed potato
1 egg
2 tbsp flour
Salt and pepper
Oil for cooking (I use lard)

Beat the egg and mix into the flour and potato. Season. Heat a frying pan and when it is hot add the fat and turn down to a medium heat. Add the potato mixture in spoonfuls and flatten them to form cakes. Fry until golden and crispy then turn and repeat!

Fish curry

2008-12-16T10:43:00.002Z

I love this curry. I can't get cod cheeks very often so it is a real treat when I can make it.

1 onion
1 tbsp butter
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 apple (eating type), cored, peeled and chopped
1 tsp - 1 tbsp curry powder (depending on your taste)
1 tsp branston pickle
1 lb cod cheeks

Chop the onion and saute gently in the butter until starting to colour. Add the curry powder and saute for another minute. Add the apple, tomatoes, cod and pickle and simmer gently until the fish is cooked through.

Brussel sprouts

2008-12-15T13:40:00.001Z

These are so good - I eat these as a meal in them selves with a fried egg.

1 onion
1 tbsp butter/lard
3 rashers bacon
brussel sprouts, outer leaves removed and stalks trimmed

Slice the onion and cook very slowly in the lard or butter until caramelized and brown (at least half an hour). Grill the bacon until it is crispy. Lightly steam or boil sprouts until they soften (but don't over cook) - about 5 minutes. Slice the sprouts into about 4 slices and add to the onions. Slice or crumble the bacon in with the sprouts and onions and cook for another minute or so. Season to taste and serve.

Cheese dip

2008-12-15T13:36:00.003Z

This is a very simple and lazy cheese dip and it tastes just divine! Just add some finely grated cheese to creme fraiche and enjoy! You can use different cheese for different tastes - blue cheese is delicious but a mix of cheddar and Parmesan is more kid friendly (to most kids - mine love Stilton - definately my kids!).
You can add extras - like onion or chives. Or leave out the cheese and add garlic and dill. All good!

Malt Loaf

2008-11-30T22:05:00.002Z

This isn't like the sticky, dark, sugar loaded stuff you get in the shops. It is less of a cake and more of a bread. But a delicious snack - especially thickly spread with butter.

7 fl oz buttermilk or thinned yogurt
12 oz wholemeal flour
3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp honey
1 1/2 tsp malt extract
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp yeast
1/2 cup raisins or other small pieces of dried fruit

Mix the buttermilk and flour and leave in a warm place for 12 -24 hours. Put the malt extract and honey into the bread machine pan. Place the flour mixture on top. Add the salt and butter in opposite corners of the pan. Put the yeast into an indentation in the middle of the ingredients. Run the machine on a whole wheat setting, light crust. Add the raisins 5 minutes before the kneading finishes (or when the beeper goes off to remind you to add extra ingredients - not all machines have this feature).

Fried Mush

2008-11-27T19:06:00.002Z

Another nourishing traditions recipe! The kids loved this and it was very easy to make from leftovers.

1 1/2 cups cooked porridge
1 egg
Cooking fat

Mix the porridge with the lightly beaten egg. Try in small cakes until golden on the outside and cooked through. Lovely served with honey or maple syrup. Could also be made savoury with porridge cooked in stock and served with ketchup or salsa.

Roman lentil soup

2008-11-27T18:57:00.002Z

This is a recipe from Nourishing Traditions. We all really liked it - I can see it becoming a regular fixture.

1 cup red lentils (soaked for 7 hours)
2 leeks or onions, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 litre stock (beef or chicken - or veg if you are vegetarian)
1 tsp fresh thyme
1/2 tsp crushed green peppercorns
Fish sauce or sea salt to taste
Splash of lemon juice or whey
Creme fraiche to serve (optional)

Gently fry the leeks and carrots in the butter and olive oil for half an hour. Add the stock and lentils and bring to the boil. Skim off the foam that rises and then reduce heat. Add the thyme and peppercorns and simmer for another half hour. Liquidize and stir through the lemon juice or whey. Season to taste and serve with creme fraiche.

Bean burgers

2008-11-27T18:51:00.004Z

Finally beans the kids will eat! Other than sugar loaded tinned baked beans of course. ;0)

1 can beans (or equivalent of dried, soaked, cooked beans)
1 egg
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 tsp curry powder
pinch salt (unless beans were salted in the can)

Drain and rinse beans. Place ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Fry batter in small blobs until set.
You can also add more veggies to this. Grated carrot and finely chopped broccoli are good. I have promised my daughter than next time I'll try them with cheese instead of spices so I'll update with how well that works (or not!).

Potato bread #3 (soaked version)

2008-11-16T10:34:00.003Z

I am totally in love with potato bread! I made a loaf yesterday with the flour soaked and using the timer on the bread machine (is there anything nicer than getting up to hot, fragrant fresh bread? OK - anything not involving Johnny Depp?). Soaking the flour overnight in something slightly acidic like yogurt or buttermilk helps to reduce the phytic acid content and unlock the minerals in the wheat. For more information this is a great place to look. If you can't eat dairy products then you could use water made acidic with a little lemon juice or apple cider vinegar.

7 fl oz yogurt or buttermilk
10 oz wholemeal flour
3 oz white bread flour
4 1/2 oz cold mashed potatoes
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp butter
1 1/2 tsp raw sugar
1 tsp yeast

Mix the yogurt and wholemeal flour. If you use a food processor you could probably also mix in the butter but I didn't bother. Place in the bread machine pan. Put the mashed potatoes and white flour on top. Put the salt and sugar in opposite corners and the butter in the third corner (unless it is in the flour). Make a small indentation in the white flour (making sure it doesn't go down to the wet flour underneath) and put the yeast in it.
Leave your bread machine in a warm spot and set the timer so it will be ready when you need the bread.

Vanilla extract

2008-11-12T15:54:00.004Z

I use quite a bit of vanilla extract and the price always makes me flinch! So I am having a go at making my own. Very similar to the blueberry gin instructions - put vanilla in vodka. Leave. Done!

1 cup vodka
2 vanilla pods (the recipe I read called for 3 but they are expensive! I'm hoping I can get away with 2 if I leave it a bit longer)

Cut the pods almost all the way along their length (leave them joined at the top). Put the vodka into a clean glass jar (clear lets you see how dark it has got). Push them down into the vodka so they are submerged. Leave in a dark place for 8+ weeks until it has developed a dark amber colour. Pour into dark glass bottles.

* Update *
This worked perfectly. The vanilla extract is dark and tasty. I keep it in a cupboard with the pods still in the jar rather than decanting it (unless I am giving some away). When I am running low I can just top up the vodka a few times. Eventually I will need some new beans but so far so good!

Potato bread #2 (wholemeal version)

2008-11-12T13:02:00.002Z

I tried the potato bread with more wholemeal flour today and it has worked brilliantly again. It rose well, isn't too dense and is still soft and moist.
Today's recipe:

7 fl milk (at room temperature)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp honey
10 oz wholemeal flour
3 oz white flour
1 tsp salt
4 1/2 oz mashed potato
1 tsp yeast

Put the milk, oil and honey in the pan. Cover with the flours and then add the mashed potatoes. Put the salt in one corner and the yeast in the middle and run your bread machine on a basic setting.

Next experiments - soaking the flour and enriching with egg!

Blueberry gin

2008-11-09T16:58:00.001Z

Making fruit gins is so easy and they make great presents. Sloe gin is the most famous but as there are no sloes or damsons to be had around here (badly timed frost in spring) I am making blueberry gin. Might try black berry gin too as I still have pounds of them in the freezer waiting to become jam.

1 75cl bottle gin
1 cup blueberries
6 tbsp sugar

Mix in a large sterilised jar or bottle (or two) and leave for a couple of months. There - told you it was easy!

Potato bread

2008-11-07T13:46:00.002Z

This loaf is a great option for sandwiches and helping fussy kids get used to wholemeal and homemade bread. It is soft and keeps really well. I made it with half wholemeal and haven't experimented yet to find out how much wholemeal the recipe can stand but I will update when I have tried more combinations. But my kids really liked this bread - my daughter even ate the crusts which is unusual!

3 1/2 fl oz potato cooking water (make up with tap water if you haven't got enough)
3 1/2 fl oz milk
2 tbsp oil (I used olive)
6 oz white bread flour
7 oz wholemeal bread flour
4 1/2 oz cold mashed potato
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp raw sugar
1 tsp yeast

Put water, milk and oil into the pan. Sprinkle over the flours and add the mashed potato. Put the salt and sugar in opposite corners and the yeast in the middle. Cook on a basic or normal setting. If you like then glaze the loaf with milk at the beginning or half way through the cooking time.

If you use left over mash then you might need to add a little less liquid (because of the milk and butter mashed into the potatoes). If making the potato for the bread, use about 6oz raw potatoes for this recipe.

Pizza!

2008-11-06T15:19:00.002Z

Pizza is a big favorite in my house and the number one cause of me buying expensive junk food in our local shop. Sigh. And the really stupid thing is it is easy to make and I like the taste of homemade, wholemeal crust better. So I got all industrious today and made 25 pizzas for the freezer (that sounds like a huge amount but most of those are tiny child size ones).
To make life easy I used my bread machine to make the dough and used an organic yuck free jar of bolognaise sauce. The recipe for the crust is a French style one, with egg and butter rather than olive oil. No particular reason - just a change!

Makes 1 large pizza base (or two if you like a very thin crust like me)
3 1/2 fl oz water
1 egg
1/4 cup white bread flour
6 oz wholemeal flour
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp yeast

Put the water and egg into the pan. Put the flours on top and the salt and butter in opposite corners. Put the yeast into the middle and run the machines dough cycle (or a pizza one if it has one). When it has finished knock the dough back gently and roll out to the right size and thickness. Spread with sauce and top with your favorite toppings.
Either bake straight away or freeze. I freeze mine on their baking tray, then remove the tray and wrap them in greaseproof paper and a plastic bag when they are hard. You can also freeze the bases without toppings in the same way.
This recipe doubles just fine if you are making a lot of pizza!

Wholemeal bread in a machine

2008-11-04T14:02:00.003Z

I like this recipe that I've been using in my machine lately very much. It makes a tasty loaf with a good texture.

7 fl oz liquid *
2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
2 tbsp polenta or oats
325g freshly milled wheat flour **
1/4 cup white bread flour
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tbsp butter
4ml yeast (nearly a tsp)

* this can be water, yogurt, buttermilk, or a combination. I like to use all buttermilk or half yogurt, half water. If your machine doesn't have a resting phase before kneading then make sure you bring the ingredients up to room temperature.

** it is better to weigh fresh flour as it has a lot of air in it. This is about 2 1/2 cups.

Add the liquid and honey/maple syrup to the pan. Put the flours and polenta/oats on top. Put the salt and butter on the top of that, in opposite corners. Make a small indentation in the middle of the flour (not down to the liquid) and add the yeast.
Set the machine to a wholewheat cycle.

Anadama bread

2008-11-01T22:06:00.002Z

I found this recipe in a bread machine recipe book I got off the market a while ago. My bread machine has been languishing in the back of a cupboard for a while but I got it out to knead some dough for me a couple of weeks ago and I'm in love with it again!
I wouldn't normally make a bread with this much white flour in it but the story was so good I couldn't resist. It goes that a man in America came home to find his wife, Anna, had gone out. All that was left for his dinner was a few spoonfuls of cornmeal and some molasses so he mixed them with some flour to make a bread, all the time muttering "Anna, damn her"!
This makes a small loaf.

7 fl oz water
3 tbsp molasses
2.5 cups white bread flour
generous half cup wholemeal flour
1/3 cup fine cornmeal (polenta)
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp quick yeast

Put the water and molasses into the pan of your bread machine (unless you have one where the yeast has to go in first, in which case reverse the order the ingredients go in). Sprinkle over the flours and cornmeal. Place the salt and butter into opposite corners of the pan (not sure why but that is what the recipe says. Perhaps they fight....). Make a small indentation in the middle of the flour (not down to the liquid) and add the yeast.
Set the machine to a basic cycle, medium crust.

We all really liked this bread. It isn't one I'd make regularly because of the white flour, but it was a tasty change.

Treacle toffee

2008-10-29T14:57:00.004Z

450g (1lb) unrefined brown sugar
225g (8oz) black treacle
110g (4oz) unsalted butter
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp vinegar

Melt butter in a pan along with water and vinegar. Add the sugar and treacle and allow to fully dissolve (this takes forever!). Cover and bring to a fast boil. Boil gently, stirring, until the mixture forms a hard ball when a little is dropped into a glass of water - takes about 10 minutes. Pour into a shallow, very well greased tin and allow to cool. When it has cooled a little then mark into squares with a knife. When totally cool it can then be broken up.

Watch your fillings!

Beetroot soup

2008-10-22T13:29:00.005+01:00

Yes, again with the soups. It is definitely getting colder here!

Couple of large beetroots
Onion, peeled and chopped
1-2 tbsp butter
Water
Salt
Creme fraiche

Peel and chop the beetroots. Add them and the onion to the butter and saute gently for about 15 minutes. Then add water - cover them and then about half as much again. Season and simmer until the beetroot is soft and cooked. Puree and serve with a dollop of creme fraiche.

I love this soup. It is very simple and tasty and a great colour - just don't wear white when you eat it! You can also use this soup as a test of your stomach acid - if you pee pink afterwards then you are not producing enough HCl. On the plus side pink pee is pretty cool!

Pease Pottage

2008-10-20T16:00:00.005+01:00

Pease pottage hot, pease pottage cold, pease pottage in the pot, nine days old. Some like it hot, some like it cold, some like it in the pot nine days old....
The kids love pease pottage because they can make me say the rhyme three million times over the meal time. I love pease pottage because it is cheap, tasty and nutritious. Every one's a winner!
This is a soupier recipe. Some folk call a solid dish made from yellow split peas and spices and baked pease pottage. I call that pease pudding. Both are delicious!

My recipe is very vague. I don't think I have ever measured any of the ingredients but I will give a guess to the quantities (actually that is how most of my recipes go...)

A ham bone with a little meat left on it, or a small amount of bacon
250g or so of green split peas
Water or stock, enough to cover the peas and about the same again

Put the ingredients in a pan. Simmer until the peas are soft. If using a bone, remove from pan and strip off any remaining meat. Return meat to the pan and puree. Season to taste and serve.

Potato-based pizza

2008-10-18T11:32:00.004+01:00

The base of this is delicious as a side dish, or with just some cheese on top too. I make this with out the onion for fussy kids. You could also add grated cauliflower and cheese to the base, or egg to help bind it.

Makes a large pizza or several smaller ones

Couple of large-ish potatoes, peeled and grated
1 onion, grated
tomato puree (or pizza sauce of your choice)
pizza toppings and cheese

Squeeze some of the water out of the potato in a clean tea towel. Mix in the onion and season. Form the potato mixture into a pizza shape - taking care it isn't too thick or it won't cook through - on a greased baking tray. Cook at about 350oF for about 20 minutes. Then add the toppings as you would for any other pizza and return to the oven until the cheese is browned.

Leek and potato soup

2008-10-18T11:28:00.006+01:00

I love soups so as soon as the weather goes colder I have them at least one meal a day.

1 onion
2 tbsp butter
2 medium/large potatoes, peeled and diced
2 leeks, cleaned and sliced
2 pts stock (I use chicken and add a little bit of cooked chicken to the soup too but vegetable stock is fine)
Salt and pepper to taste
Cream for serving (optional)

Saute the veggies in the butter gently for a few minutes. Then add the stock and simmer until they are all cooked through. Season to taste and puree before serving with a swirl of cream.

Curried squash soup

2008-10-17T17:58:00.003+01:00

1 small squash, peeled and cut into 2" pieces
1-2 onions, peeled and quartered
1 tsp curry powder (or to taste)
1 pint stock (chicken or vegetable would be best)
salt and pepper to taste

Place the squash and onion on a greased baking tray and roast until the edges are just starting to blacken (gives a roasted flavour to the soup - you can skip this step if pressed for time and just simmer the soup until the veg is cooked). Place the veg and stock in a pan and simmer for 15 minutes. Put the curry powder in a dry frying pan and heat until it starts to turn a little darker and smells good. Add to the soup and season. Blend and serve - a swirl of yogurt is nice in this.

Chocolate (chickpea) cake

2008-10-17T17:51:00.005+01:00

This is really yummy and very easy to make. So nice you would never guess it was made of chickpeas (not that I have anything against chickpeas - but in pudding?!). Only drawback is the amount of sugar - but for a treat it is not bad at all.

1 tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
4 tbsp cocoa powder
4 tbsp melted coconut oil

Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth (2-3 minutes). Pour into a greased cake tin and bake at 350oF for 25-30 minutes. Then try not to eat it all at once....

Don't forget to use gluten free baking powder if cooking for people who are sensitive.

Bread and butter casserole

2008-09-29T13:49:00.004+01:00

This is my new favorite recipe! Versatile, delicious and all the kids eat it. What more can you ask!

4 slices bread of your choice (I use sourdough)
Butter
4 eggs
1 cup milk
2 oz cheese, grated
Toppings - eg cooked sausage, sauteed mushrooms, peppers, onions, sweetcorn, tuna, peas - whatever you have that needs eating!

Cut the bread up into squares of about 1". Place in a buttered oven proof dish. Add the topping of your choice. My current favorites are sausage, peppers and onions or tuna, onion and sweetcorn. Sprinkle over the cheese. Beat the eggs and milk together and season. Pour over the dish. Allow time to soak into the bread and then bake in a moderate oven for about 45 minutes.

Another variation I make on this dish when i don't have any toppings is to spread the bread with butter and Marmite before cutting it up, then just adding the cheese, eggs and milk.

Wholemeal crackers

2008-09-22T17:23:00.002+01:00

I got this recipe from nourishing traditions but found the dough was waaay too wet. I added at least another cup of flour. But that could just be because my flour was fresh out of the mill and full of air! So I've put the original recipe here.

Makes about 5 dozen
2 1/2 cups freshly ground wheat, spelt or rye
1 cup yogurt
1 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
8 tbsp melted butter
white flour for rolling out

Mix the flour and yogurt together and leave to soak in a warm place overnight. Place the soaked flour, salt, sesame seeds, baking powder and 4 tbsps of the butter in a food processor and process. Roll out to about 1/8 of an inch thick and cut into shapes with a knife or cutter. Place onto a well butter baking tray and brush with the remaining melted butter. Cook in a dehydrator or oven at 150oF until dried through.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Wholemeal dumplings

2008-09-09T13:36:00.003+01:00

I served these last night with a stew of beef mince, beans, tomatoes and anything that needed eating up in the fridge!

Makes 4 large ones
50g shredded suet
100g wholemeal flour (use sprouted flour if possible)
3-4 tbsp water
1 tsp mustard or a good pinch of herbs (optional)
Pinch of salt and pepper

Mix the flour and suet together and ensure there are no big lumps. Add the mustard or herbs if using and season. Add water to the mixture until it forms a thick paste. Make four balls.
These can be cooked on top of a soup or stew, or poached in boiling stock or water for about 15 minutes.

Khili hui khichri (Khichri which has bloomed)

2008-09-09T13:25:00.006+01:00

I love the name of this dish! It is a drier side dish, great with a stew or something with a sauce. This is another recipe courtesy of the wonderful Madhur jaffrey.

Serves 6
2 oz (50g) yellow split peas, washed and drained
15 fl oz brown basmati or long grain rice
3 tbsp ghee or coconut oil
1/2 tsp whole cumin seeds
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp salt (to taste)
4 tbsp chopped fresh coriander or parsley
1 pt (570ml) chicken stock (veg stock or water could be used)

Soak split peas in 3/4 pt water for 3 hours and then drain. Wash the rice thoroughly and drain. Soak in 2 pts water for 1 hour then drain.
Heat the ghee or oil over a medium flame. When hot add the cumin seeds and stir them for a few seconds. Put in the rice and peas and cook for a couple of minutes to coat the grains with the oil. Add the garam masala, salt and coriander. Cook for a minute more, stirring. Add the stock or water and bring it to the boil. Cover tightly (using kitchen foil to help if your lid doesn't fit well) and turn to the lowest heat. Cook for about 25 minutes before turning off the heat and leaving the dish to sit, covered (no peeking!) for another 10 minutes.
Gently fluff with a fork before serving.

Cottage pie #2

2008-08-29T09:51:00.002+01:00

Today's cottage pie is topped with a carrot and swede mash. Again, for diet purposes. Although carrot and swede mash is very tasty - especially with butter and cream added.....

1 lb minced beef
onion, finely chopped
tin chopped tomatoes
a little cooking fat
A small swede, peeled and chopped
2 or 3 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
Butter and a splash of milk or cream
2 oz grated mature cheddar

Heat the fat and cook the onion until soft. Add the mince and brown. Stir in the tomatoes and simmer for a few minutes, until reduced. Add any other veggies that you have around, and herbs, garlic and seasoning to taste.
Boil or steam the carrot and swede until soft. I tend to cut the carrot up smaller than the swede (as it takes longer to cook) and do them together. Mash with a knob of butter and a little milk or cream.
Place the mince into an oven proof dish and top with the mash. Sprinkle over the cheese and bake for 20-30 minutes until the cheese is crispy and golden.

Bean and cornbread casserole #2

2008-08-28T10:16:00.004+01:00

I'm making a variation on this recipe today.

Serves 4
1 cup polenta
1 cup water (or lime water - see original recipe for details)
1 cup buttermilk or yogurt
3 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
Pinch salt
2 oz grated Parmesan
1 tbsp butter
1 onion, finely chopped
2-3 cups cooked beans (or tinned beans, drained and rinsed)
1 tin chopped tomatoes
3 rashers bacon, chopped (optional)
1 tsp treacle or molasses
1/2 tsp mustard powder
2 oz grated cheddar cheese

Mix the polenta with the water and buttermilk, cover and leave overnight in a warm place. Fry the onions in the butter (or other cooking fat) until soft. Add the bacon and cook. Mix the bacon and onions with tomatoes and stir in the molasses and mustard. You could also add some more veggies to the sauce - sweetcorn and broccoli are going in mine. Place the beans mixture into an ovenproof dish.
Separate the eggs and mix the yolks, baking soda, salt and Parmesan into the polenta. Beat the egg whites until they are stiff and then fold them in. Pour the cornbread batter over the beans. Sprinkle over the cheddar cheese and bake at 375oF for 45-60 minutes (until the bread is set).
Leave out the bacon and use a suitable cheese for vegetarians.

Creme fraiche

2008-08-28T09:45:00.004+01:00

This is really easy to make. I make it myself because I can't buy organic creme fraiche and I also know that is it live and full of goodness.

Take 250g of double cream and put it in a jar. Add a tablespoonful or so of live cultured buttermilk (most supermarkets will have this). Stir through and leave in a warm spot for about 24 hours. There - creme fraiche! I just put mine into one of my kitchen cupboards the night before I want to use it and just like magic, the next evening it is set and ready.

A spoonful of creme fraiche is just the thing to finish off soups.

Beef chili with cauliflower rice

2008-08-26T15:43:00.008+01:00

The cauliflower rice is mostly because I have been eating too much rubbish lately and need to lose some weight. But it is also a great way of sneaking extra veg past the kids - if there is a sauce they tend not to realise it isn't rice. Or at least they don't moan about it - either way is good. ;)

Beef chili
1 lb minced beef
minced liver (optional but adds more nutrients - I added about 1/2 a cup)
1 or 2 tins chopped tomatoes
1 chopped onion (or spring onions if like me you've run out...)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tin red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (or equivalent of dried, soaked and cooked) - optional
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp oregano
1-2 tsp chili powder - to taste
Chopped peppers if you like them (kids hate them so I have mine separately, stir fried with Cajun seasoning)

Brown the mince and onions with a little cooking fat. Add the garlic for the last minute or so. Then add other ingredients, cover and simmer slowly for 1-2 hours.
This is sooo good served with grated cheese and/or yogurt. Or sour cream, but then everything is good with sour cream!

Cauliflower rice
Grate cauliflower (food processor is heaven sent here!). Then either steam it, or microwave in a covered dish with a tbsp of water for about 8 minutes. You can also freeze portions of the 'rice' and cook them from frozen - takes an extra minute or two. Season to taste and use in place of rice with curries etc.

Slow roasted duck with Bramley apple sauce

2008-08-25T11:28:00.003+01:00

My Mum made this for us yesterday - delicious!

The duck was placed in a roasting pan on a trivet with half a lemon (use the other half for the apple sauce) in the cavity and covered with tin foil. She then roasted it in a low oven (gas mark 3 or 4) for about three hours, removing the foil for the last 20 minutes to crisp the skin. Mmmmm!

Bramley apple sauce

1 lb Bramley apples
1 oz unrefined sugar
4 tbsp water
juice of half a lemon
knob of butter

Peel and roughly chop the apples. Place in a pan with the lemon juice, water and sugar and stew (covered on a low heat) for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. You can then whisk or puree the sauce to the consistency you like, adding the butter to make it silkier and delicious.
If you have any left over this is great with pancakes or porridge the next day. Also (famously) goes well with pork.

Kedgeree

2008-08-25T11:17:00.006+01:00

I love kedgeree! It is supposed to be a breakfast dish but generally speaking we eat it in the evening. I had it at least once a week when I was pregnant with my eldest and I think that at least some of his high intelligence can be put down to all that oily fish!

Serves 4
4 smoked mackerel fillets (can also use smoked haddock or any other smoked fish you have)
250g rice (I use brown basmati)
1 onion, finely chopped
knob of butter or olive oil for frying
2.5 tsp curry powder (use more or less to taste)
Frozen peas
4 hard boiled eggs
250g yogurt or creme fraiche

Place the fish into a large frying pan and just cover with water. Bring to a simmer and cook until the fish is heated through and flaky. Remove the fish to a plate and reserve the cooking water (it is a nice smokey fishy stock). Heat the oil or butter in the pan and fry the onion until translucent. Add the curry powder and rice and fry for another minute or so. Add some of the hot fish stock. Cook, covered, until the stock is absorbed. Add more and cook again. Repeat until the rice is done. Meanwhile remove the skin from the mackerel (make sure you keep as much of the brown flesh next to it as possible - that is where a lot of the omega 3s are) and flake the fish. Quarter the hard boiled eggs. Add the frozen peas and a little more stock (or water if you have run out). Simmer until the peas are done then taste it and season as needed. Turn off the heat and add the fish and creme fraiche/yogurt and stir through gently. Serve topped with hard boiled egg quarters.

Meatballs

2008-08-05T14:57:00.003+01:00

Breakfast
Kids: cheesy beans (baked beans out of a tin with grated cheese - not too healthy!)
Me: glass of kombucha tea (it finished fermenting and tastes great!)

Lunch
Steak burgers from my local butcher and salad.

Dinner
Sourdough pasta and meatballs.

Nothing new...

2008-08-05T14:53:00.001+01:00

Monday 04th August

Breakfast
Kids: soaked oat porridge
Me: smoothie

Lunch
We ate out with family

Dinner
Left overs from last nights roast dinner reheated. Still yummy!

Roast chicken

2008-08-03T20:29:00.002+01:00

Breakfast
Smoothie

Lunch
Coconut chicken soup

Dinner
Roast chicken with mashed potatoes, carrots, cabbage and gravy.

I've been much less hungry today but I am still craving sugar like crazy. When will I ever learn!

Liver smoothie

2008-08-02T13:47:00.003+01:00

We are back from our lovely holiday now and have some serious diet repair work to do! I have put on 7 lbs and eaten loads of sugar, white grains and other rubbish that I will now be craving for weeks. Sigh. Still - it was a great break and we were lucky enough to have sun every day which on a UK holiday was quite frankly astounding. Kids got to swim in the sea for the first time which they all loved and we all got nicely browned.

Breakfast
Kids: toast and jam - I hadn't done any shopping for real food yet
Me: left over rice

Lunch
Kids are off with their Dad so probably fish fingers and chips...
I had a smoothie. I have started putting a little bit of raw liver into my smoothies sometimes. It is organic beef liver that has been frozen for two weeks (which apparently kills parasites - lovely thought isn't it!) and I have cut it into small pieces that I can either down like a pill or add into smoothies. I put quite a lot into mine today because it smelled so tasty (so I guess I must need something in it - raw liver doesn't usually appeal to me much) and I could slightly taste it (a very mild and not unpleasant flavour from 2 tbsp of liver in a big glass of smoothie). Usually I would only use about a tsp full of liver and there would be no taste. I also added kefir, fruit, coconut oil and a raw egg yolk.

Dinner
Coconut chicken soup, minus the rice.