Perfect rosti

Perfect Rosti

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and a cooked breakfast can comprise of so many different elements. This morning I enjoyed griddled tomatoes, fried eggs, fried sweetcorn, toast and rosti. Rosti is a great and quick way to enjoy potatoes in the morning as they do not take too long to prepare. Any they go so well with ketchup!

Ingredients:

2 potatoes

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

Peel and wash the potatoes. Grate the potatoes over a clean tea towel. Draw the tea towel up together and squeeze out the water from the grated potato into the sink. 

Open up the tea towel and sprinkle the salt and pepper over the potato. Using your fingers, toss the potato around so that the salt and pepper is evenly spread. 

Gather about 2 tablespoons of potato in your hands and clasp your hands together to form patties of potato. Place them on a chopping board/plate as you go along. 

Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium to high heat. When the oil has heated up, carefully add the potato patties with a metal spatula, pressing down gently as you go along. The patties should sizzle. 

Fry each side until golden brown on each side, about 5 minutes each side. 

Enjoy with your cooked breakfast.  

Tinned Mackerel Curry

Tinned Mackerel Curry

Tinned mackerels are a great source of omega 3 and suit most budgets. This is an easy and quick recipe which combines tinned mackerel with a aromatic curry sauce.  

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon fenugreek seeds

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 tablespoon curry leaves

1 onion

2 cloves garlic

1 tomato

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder

1/2 pepper

400 ml water

1 tin mackerel in tomato sauce

1 long chilli

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

1 teaspoon salt

200 ml coconut cream

Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the fenugreek, mustard seeds and curry leafs and swirl around in the pan to season the oil. When the mustard seeds being to pop, add the finely chopped onion and garlic and stir occasionally until softened. 

Add the diced tomato, turmeric powder, cinammon powder and diced pepper and cook for another few minutes. 

Add the water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes before adding the mackerel, salt, pepper and coconut cream. Allow to simmer for another 15 minutes. 

Enjoy with brown rice for an even healthier meal. 

Lime shortbread

Lime Shortbread

Have you ever wondered why lemons are always in the limelight as far as baking is concerned (excuse the pun!)? Limes can be more tart and perhaps are better suited in savoury dishes but limes go so well in a curd. This recipe combines a baked curd on top of shortbread.

 

Ingredients:

175g gluten free plain flour

50g rice flour

80g golden caster sugar

140g unsalted butter/dairy free margarine

2 tablespoons rice/dairy free milk

4 limes, juice and zest

4 eggs

50g gluten free plain flour

150g golden caster sugar

Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C and grease and line a 10 inch loose bottomed tin. 

Place the flours, sugar and butter/dairy free margarine in a large mixing bowl. Rub the butter/dairy free margarine with the tips of your finger into the flours until you have fine breadcrumbs. Pour in the milk and use a knife to incorporate into the breadcrumb mixture. Pour into the prepared tin and press down so that it covers the base evenly. Push the dough around the sides slightly so that you have a subtle case. Pop into the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Reduce the oven to 160C/fan 140C. 

Zest the limes into a large mixing bowl and mix in the flour and sugar. Juice the limes in another bowl and mix in the eggs. Pour this mixture through a sieve into the large mixing bowl and whisk thoroughly for 3 minutes. Pour the mixture onto the cooled shortbread and pop back into the oven for 15 minutes or until just set in the middle. 

Baked beans

Baked Beans

Baked beans are one of those foods which is commonly associated with the convenience of a tin, such is the success of the companies who have built empires around serving us up tins of beans. However, it is always rewarding to break such assumptions by making your own. Even though it takes some time the convenience is in the fact that you can make enough to keep for later and at the same time saving some money. You can also decide which beans you wish to add!

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped

1 tin chopped tomatoes

1 tin mixed beans

1 tin cannelloni beans

200 ml water

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

1 tablespoon fish sauce

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon fresh oregano

Pour the olive oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic and allow to cook for a couple of minutes until translucent and soft. Stir occasionally to prevent the onions browning. Then add the chopped tomatoes, water, sugar, vinegar, salt, pepper, fish sauce, Worcestershire sauce and thyme. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally and then lower the heat to allow it to simmer for 5 minutes. Add the drained beans and continue to simmer for 10 minutes. At the end add the fresh oregano. 

The beans should be coated in a relatively thick sauce and will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for a week. 

Perfect Pancakes - Gluten Free

Perfect Pancakes

I have always wondered at the popularity of pancake stalls since they are so simple to make and most purchased ones look so insipid and pale. For me the perfect pancake has a burnt look and is crispy on the edges. Gluten free pancakes are not as thin as they are much more delicate and not as elastic. They are great with any type of filling and are a good option if you want to take a break from added sugar.   

This recipe has more liquid then traditional recipes due to the relative thirst of the flours used. Gluten free flour mixes are much more thirsty and need more liquid to have the runny consistency required to make a pancake. 

Be careful not to make the pancake too large as it might make is difficult to flip over. I as a guide use 4/5ths of a ladle and leave enough of a gap between the pancake and the side of the pan to fit the top of a spatula underneath the edge of the pancake. 

Ingredients:

120g gluten free plain flour

2 eggs, beaten

400ml rice milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

30g butter/dairy free margarine plus extra for frying

Sieve the flour into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre of the flour and add the eggs and whisk. Gradually add the rice milk whilst whisking to avoid any lumps. Mix in the vanilla extract. Melt the butter/dairy free margarine in a small pan over a medium heat and pour into the pancake mixture whilst whisking.

Heat a frying pan over a medium heat and then add a knob of butter/dairy free margarine and a drop of oil. When the butter/dairy free margarine has melted swirl around the pan to ensure it is evenly coated.

Pour in 4/5ths of a ladle of the pancake mixture in the centre of the pan and gently tilt the pan to allow the mixture to spread a little. Cook over a medium/high heat for about 90 seconds on each side or until golden brown in patches. Repeat until all of the pancake mixture is used up.

Enjoy the pancakes with your choice of filling such as ice cream, fresh fruit, honey and lemon, jam or chocolate spread. 

  

Nasi Lemak

Nasi Lemak

Nasi Lemak is a wonderful Malaysian recipe which has an Indian influence but utilises ingredients common to Malaysian towns. It ought to be more readily available though since it is essentially simple but great comfort food with elements that work so well together: the spiciness of the anchovies sambal, the saltiness of the roasted peanuts, the refreshing relief of the cucumber and the salty sweetness of the coconut rice. I enjoy this dish almost every week now with good reason. 

This dish is also great since it is naturally gluten and dairy free. Asian cooking has the advantage of not being tied to wheat and so generations have learnt to create dishes which are rice based. A real bonus for those with an intolerance to gluten. 

Ingredients:

Anchovies sambal

12 dry red chillis

1 tablespoon belacan

1 white onion
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 tablespoons seedless tamarind
600ml water
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons palm sugar
140g dried anchovies (ikan bilis)
1 red onion

Coconut rice

1 cup white rice
1/2 cup coconut cream
2 cups water

Accompaniments

Handful peanuts with skins left on
1 teaspoon oil

1 cucumber

1 egg per person

Wash the rice thoroughly by placing in a sieve and running water over it under a tap. When the water runs clear this is a sign that the starch has been removed. Place the rice in a large pan and add the coconut cream and water and a pinch of salt. Stir briefly and place over a low/medium heat with the lid on top. Cook over a low heat until the liquid has been absorbed - about 15-20 minutes. Check occasionally but be careful not to leave the lid open for too long as this slows the cooking process. 

When the liquid has been absorbed, leave the lid on and allow the cooking process to continue for 15 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 150C and place the peanuts onto a baking tray. Add the oil and stir the nuts to ensure they are all oiled. Pop into the oven and leave to roast for about 15 minutes or until light brown. Add some salt to taste and leave to one side to cool. 

To prepare the sambal, first place the tamarind in a saucepan over a medium heat together with the water and bring to the boil. Stir occasionally and leave to simmer for 15 minutes or until the tamarind has dissolved. Pour the water into a cup through a sieve. Go through the tamarind that is left in the sieve discarding any pieces of shell. Add the tamarind solids to the tamarind water and leave to one side. 

Rinse the anchovies briefly in some water. Pour 2 tablespoons of oil to a large frying pan over a medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the anchovies and fry for about 3 minutes stirring occasionally. Spoon the anchovies into a bowl and leave to one side.

Add the chillies, belacan, garlic and coriander to a food processor. Roughly chop the white onion and add to the processor. Pour in about 2 tablespoons of oil and process together for 4 minutes. 

In the same frying pan, add 2 more tablespoons of oil over a medium heat and pour in the onion paste. Fry stirring for about 5 minutes, adding a little water if the onions start to catch and get too dry. 

Roughly chop the red onion and add to the onion paste together with another tablespoon of oil. Stir occasionally over a medium heat and allow to cook for 5 minutes. 

Stir in the fried anchovies and allow to cook for 30 seconds. Pour in the tamarind water and add the salt and finely chopped palm sugar. Bring to the boil before lowering the heat and allowing to simmer for 20 minutes. 

To assemble the nasi lemak, fry one egg for each person and roughly chop the cucumber. 

Place some of the coconut rice in the middle of the plates. Place the fried egg on top, Arrange the anchovies sambal, roasted peanuts and cucumber around the rice. Enjoy!

Passion Fruit Tunis Cake

Passion Fruit Tunis Cake

Tunis cake is a wonderfully indulgent cake which also goes well with passion fruit. This recipe has been tried and tested to produce a cake which is not overly sweet. The crumb on the cake is nice and light which goes well with the bitterness of the ganache and the tartness of the passion fruit. 

Ingredients:

Madeira Cake

225g softened butter/dairy free margarine

160g golden caster sugar

225g self-raising gluten free flour

70g ground almonds

4 eggs

1 lemon zest

Passion Fruit Curd 

8 passion fruit
1 lemon juice
100g golden caster sugar
100g butter/dairy free margarine
2 eggs
2 egg yolks

Chocolate Ganache 200ml coconut cream
280g dark chocolate, broken into pieces

Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C and grease and line the base of a 10 inch loose-bottomed tin. 

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter/margarine together with the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the lemon zest, flour and ground almonds and mix until combined. 

Pour into the prepared tin and pop into the oven for 45 minutes. Place a piece of greaseproof paper on top of the cake after 30 minutes to prevent the surface over browning.

Leave in the tin whilst you prepare the chocolate ganache. Pour the coconut cream in a saucepan over a medium heat until it is warm. Add the chocolate pieces and stir for a while before leaving for the chocolate to melt. Stir after a couple of minutes until all the chocolate has melted. Pop the saucepan back onto the heat if it is not melting but do not overheat. 

Pour the chocolate mixture on top of the cake in the tin and smooth the top. Leave to one side in a cool place to set for at least 2 hours. Once set carefully remove the side of the tin so that the chocolate ganache sits nicely on top.  

This cake can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a week. You can take out a piece of cake every day in advance to allow the ganache to come back to room temperature. 

The passion fruit curd can be made in advance as it needs at least 4 hours in the fridge to set. 

Scoop the flesh from seven of the passion fruit into a bowl. Whisk the seeds to loosen the juices. Spoon into a sieve placed over a bowl and press down with a spoon until all the juices have been extracted. Squeeze the lemon through the sieve to collect any seeds.

Heat the butter/margarine in a saucepan over a low heat. Whilst this is melting, whisk the eggs, yolks and sugar together in another bowl and add in the passion fruit and lemon juices. 

When the butter has melted, pour in the egg and juice mixture and whisk over a low heat until the curd thickens to the consistency of double cream. Make sure you keep stirring to avoid any curdling. 

Take the thickened curd off the heat and scoop in to the pulp from the remaining passion fruit. Stir into the curd and pour into a container before popping into the fridge for at least 4 hours. The curd can be enjoyed with other delights as well and keeps in the fridge for over a week. Unless finished before hand of course! 

Enjoy a slice of the cake with a scoop of passion fruit curd on the side.  

Gluten free pizza

Gluten Free Pizza

Anyone who has tried some gluten free pizza bases offered know what a disappointment they can be especially when they resemble dried cardboard! This recipe provides a quick and easy make at home pizza base together with an easy tomato sauce.

Ingredients:

1 cup rice flour

2/3 cup potato flour

1/3 cup tapioca flour

1 teaspoon fast action yeast

1 teaspoon xanthum gum

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon caster sugar

1 tablespoon olive oil
215 ml hand hot water

Cornflour for dusting

1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 can chopped tomatoes
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 handful fresh oregano 
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Choice of toppings:
Lactose free cheese, prawns, roasted potatoes, olives, fresh tomatoes, chargrilled aubergine, chargrilled peppers, anchovies. 

Grease a baking tray or pizza tray. Dust a large surface/wooden board with cornflour.  

In a large food mixer with the dough paddle attached, combine the flours, yeast, xanthum gum, salt, sugar and olive oil. Turn on the mixer on the first setting and gradually pour in the water. Allow to mix for one minute whilst a dough forms. If there are sections which are not being mixed, feel free to scrape the sides and continue mixing. Alternatively this can easily be done by hand in a large mixing bowl. 

Roll the dough out onto the prepared surface, occasionally turning over until the dough is to the desired thickness between 3 to 5 millimetres. 

Carefully place the dough onto the prepared tin. Lay an oiled sheet of cling film over the dough. Place in a warm place and allow to rest for at least 20 minutes or until the dough puffs up slightly. If you are making this ahead you can place in the fridge after proving for 20 minutes. 

You can prepare the tomato base in advance as well by heating a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add the finely chopped onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste along with a 1/4 can of water and the oregano. Leave to simmer for at least 30 minutes stirring every once and a while until the sauce is very thick. Add the salt and pepper and leave to one side. 

To make the pizza, preheat the oven to 220C/fan 200C and simply spread some of the tomato sauce on top of the prepared pizza base being careful not to press down too much on the dough. Arrange your choice of toppings and drizzle with a little olive oil and pepper. 

Pop into the oven for 15-18 minutes and enjoy wonderful gluten free pizza that does not resemble cardboard! 

 

Here follows the birth of a pizza in pictures:

Mexican mackerel tortilla sauce

Mexican Mackerel Tortilla Sauce 

Mexican food ought to be a safe haven for those with intolerances since it is corn and vegetable based. Unfortunately you have to be alert for tortillas which also contains wheat flour. Having said that it is a fresh and healthy cuisine to try. I reluctantly call this sauce Mexican since I am not sure whether the ingredients are traditionally Mexican. It does go wonderfully well with tortilla shells though and incorporates a healthy element in the oily fish.

Ingredients:

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon chopped ginger

1 onion, finely chopped

2 bay leaves

2 cloves

1 can chopped tomatoes

3 fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 chilli, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 can mackerel in tomato sauce
1 cup sweetcorn

10 tortilla shells

Pour 2 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the bay leaves and clove and allow to fry in the oil for 30 seconds. Add the garlic, ginger and onion and fry, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. If the onions are catching, add a few tablespoons of water to moderate the heat. 

Add the chilli and fry for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and half a can of water. Add half of the salt and pepper and bring to the boil stirring occasionally. 

Once the sauce has come to the boil add the coriander and cinnamon and allow the sauce to simmer over a low heat for 40 minutes stirring every so often. 

Add the mackerel, breaking the fish into chunks together with the sweetcorn and allow to simmer gently for a further 40 minutes or until the sauce has reduced to a thick consistency. 

Cook the tortilla shells according to the instructions on the packet. 

Fill the shells with the sauce and enjoy.  

Black banana and berries cake - gluten free and dairy free

Black Banana and Berries Cake

This recipe came about by circumstance - three black bananas in the fridge, a broken measuring scale, some mixed berries in the freezer and no butter in the fridge! What to do? The solution also used up some of the buckwheat flour that had been lying dormant for too long in the pantry.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup buckwheat flour

1 cup self-raising gluten free flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup light muscovado (raw) sugar

3 black (over-ripe) bananas

2 eggs lightly beaten

1/3 cup vegetable (canola) oil

1/5 cup rice milk

1/2 cup mixed berries (frozen)

Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C and grease and line the base of a 10 inch loose-bottomed cake tin with greaseproof paper. 

A tip to grease a cake tin easily is to use a 1/2 teaspoon of vegetable oil on the base, spreading evenly over the rest of the base and sides of the tin. Tear a square of greaseproof paper larger than the diameter of the tin. Place the paper on the greased base and press down to ensure the paper is greased. Turn the paper over and place over the base in the exact same position from before. Carefully attach the side of the tin to the base ensuring the greaseproof paper is sticking out from underneath. Et voilà the tin is prepared. 

In a large mixing bowl, sieve the flours, bicarb and cinnamon and mix with the sugar. In another bowl, mash the bananas until you have a lumpy purée. Mix in the beaten eggs, oil and milk. 

Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir the ingredients together. Take the frozen berries and place in a bowl. Pour over some lukewarm water and wait for the berries to come apart. Drain the water and add the berries to the mix. Gently stir in the berries and pour the mixture into the tin. 

Pop into the oven and after about 30 minutes place a piece of greaseproof paper or wrapping foil on top of the cake to stop it burning on top. After 50 minutes check to see if the cake is ready by inserting a knife in the middle and seeing if it comes out dry. Leave to cool in the tin for about 10 minutes before turning out on a wire tray. 

This cake can be kept for about three days in an airtight container.    

Polenta lemon cake dairy free and gluten free

Polenta Lemon Cake

Polenta always seems to crop up when looking for a gluten free option in a café in the form of an orange polenta cake. However, nice as they might be it is let down by its predictability. Also the texture can sometimes be too gritty so I offer you this recipe as a gluten free and dairy free alternative which is akin to a lemon drizzle cake in its moistness.

Ingredients:

160g polenta

80g ground almonds

180g gluten free self raising flour

2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

140g golden caster sugar

2 lemons grated zest

400ml coconut cream

100ml oil

3 eggs

30g honey

2 lemons juice

Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan 160C and grease and line the base of a 10 inch loose bottomed cake tin. 

In a large mixing bowl, combine the polenta, almonds, flour, bicarb, sugar and zest and mix together. In another bowl or jug, mix together the cream, eggs and oil.

Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients and mix until combined. This should take about 30 seconds. 

Pour the mixture in the prepared tin and pop in the oven for about 50 minutes or until the cake is golden brown on top. 

About 5 minutes before the cake is ready, prepare the lemon syrup by mixing the honey and lemon juice in a small pan over a medium heat and bring to the boil, stirring occasionally. Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes. 

Once the cake is ready and you have tested it by inserting a knife in the middle to check it comes out clean and dry, poke the cake a few more times evenly around the cake and pour the lemon syrup evenly over the cake whilst still in the tin. 

Allow to cool in the tin before carefully taking it out of the tin. This cake tastes better the next day and will keep for 3 days in a cool, dry place.