Crispy potato, spinach and pecan salad

Crispy potato, spinach

Crispy potato, spinach and pecan salad

Salads are great for lunch and any left overs can be served with a main. This salad is simple but packed with taste. It involves a couple of cooking techniques which add a crispiness that lifts the taste sensation.

Ingredients:

400g salad potatoes
100g spinach
50g pecan nuts
Drizzle of honey
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp dijon mustard
Seasoning

All the goodness of green

Put the grill on to a medium setting. Wash the spinach and leave to dry. 

Crispy potatoes

Boil the potatoes in a saucepan for about 10 minutes. Drain then leave to cool. Put some oil in a frying pan over a high heat and when the oil is hot, pop in the potatoes and fry for a few minutes until starts to brown and leave to one side. 

Honey pecans

Place the pecans on a baking tray and drizzle some honey evenly over the nuts. Pop into the oven under the grill for about 5 minutes until the honey has melted and pop the walnuts in a bowl to cool down. 

Mustard dressing

In a small bowl, add the oil, lemon, mustard and seasoning to taste and mix to combine. In a large bowl, add the spinach, potatoes and pecans, add the dressing and mix to combine. 

The finished article

So, what is your favourite salad ingredients?

Roasted vegetables sandwich

Roasted vegetables sandwich

Just got back from a long day which involved a visit to the Allergy and Gluten Free Show 2011 at Olympia, London. Will write a review tomorrow but if you are interested the last day is tomorrow and it is worth a visit.

With out time short routines it can be hard to know at times what to make for lunch so many of us buy our lunches which is a costly and at times unhealthy option. For those with a free-from diet, this can be even harder since it can be hard to find gluten-free options in everyday coffee shops. This recipe is very easy yet very tasty since it relies on the taste of the ingredients which if good can give the taste of a sunny day.

Roasted vegetables

Ingredients:

1/2 red pepper

1/2 green pepper

1/2 yellow pepper

1/2 aubergine

2 tomatoes

1 onion

1/2 handful of chives or thyme, or mint or rosemary

4 tbsp Olive oil

Salt and pepper

6/8 slices gluten-free bread

Preheat the oven to 200C. Wash the vegetables. Slice the vegetables into long slithers and put into a small baking tray. Chop the onion and herbs and add to the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the olive oil over and mix to ensure all the vegetables are coated. Place in the oven for 40 minutes mixing halfway through to ensure the flavours mix together. 5 minutes before the end place the bread in the oven to warm. Take out of the oven and divide the mix between the bread to create your sandwiches. Eat straight away or pack in foil to enjoy at lunchtime!

Roasted vegetables sandwich

So, do you have any quick lunch ideas?

Sweet potato and turnip doughnuts

I have a sweet jaw, not just a sweet tooth, but I am mindful of the wisdom of enjoying things in moderation. Judging by my posts, you may be fearing that I eat mainly sweet things. So I decided to redress the balance. If I had two blogs the other one would be called 'No More Rice Cakes!' So in honour of the blog that time does not permit, I will label all savoury recipes under this name.

Looking around the fridge I only really had a turnip and sweet potato so I decided to make a variation on a popular Indian street food called vada. They are essentially spiced balls cooked in a batter. Even though they sound sweet, they are deliciously light and spicy.

Sweet potato and turnip doughnuts

Ingredients:

1 large sweet potato
1 turnip
2 garlic cloves
1cm ginger
1 tsp asafoetida
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp ground coriander
1 chilli

50g gram flour
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
50ml water

Method:

Peel the sweet potato and trim the turnip and cut into wedges. Boil for about 25 minutes until soft. In the meantime, chop the garlic, ginger and chilli.

Heat some oil in a saucepan and add the garlic, ginger, chilli and cook for 1 minute over a medium heat. Add the asafoetida, ground coriander and turmeric and cook for another 4 minutes remembering to stir. Take off the heat and keep to one side.

Drain the sweet potato and turnip and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the spicy garlic mix, some salt to taste and using a electric whisk, mix together until you have a smooth puree. Take tablespoons of the mix in your hands and shape into balls. Place on a plate and put in the fridge for 45 minutes to cool down and set.

In the meantime, prepare the batter mix by placing the gram flour, bicarbonate of soda and cumin seeds into a bowl and stir in the water.

Heat some vegetable oil in a small pan 5 minutes before taking the sweet potato balls from the fridge. When the oil is hot, place one sweet potato ball at a time and add to the batter to coat all around. Use a tablespoon to do this. Add each ball to the oil, perhaps three at a time, and cook for about 2 minutes on each side.

Drain on some kitchen paper and enjoy the doughnuts with your choice of chutney or ketchup.

Roast Sweet Potatoes and Easy Peasy Homemade Beans

Roast Sweet Potatoes and Easy Peasy Homemade Beans

Starting a blog is like starting a relationship, mistakes made and lessons learned. I should have included accompaniments for the Superfood Burgers. Alas my trusty photographer was not with me when I made these so for today the recipe in 2-d will have to do for now.

Roast sweet potatoes

Ingredients:

Sweet potatoes (depending on size and needs of stomach)

Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 200C and pour a small amount of olive oil (about 1-3tbsp depending on amount of sweet potatoes used) onto a roasting tray. Peel sweet potatoes and cut into wedges. As a guide at least the thickness of your ring finger. Carefully remove the tray and place the wedges on top. Using a spatula coat the wedges with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Roast for 25-35 minutes remembering to turn around the wedges every 5 minutes or so. Do not worry if the wedges turn slightly black in places as this merely adds to the caramelised taste.

Remember to serve with tomato ketchup.

Easy Peasy Homemade Beans

Ingredients:

Can of cannelini beans

1/2 onion

Can of chopped tomatoes

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp paprika

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp white wine vinegar

2 tbsp tomato ketchup

Method:

Chop the 1/2 onion and fry for 1 minute in olive oil. Add the chopped tomatoes and then all of the other ingredients. Simmer for at least 15 minutes. See, easy peasy.

A post would not be complete without a photo so here is a non-foodie one for you although in keeping with the very English meal (burger, chips and beans)...

The Superfood Burger

The Superfood Burger

'Peaches!' That was Mrs NMFS's considered response last night after finding out about my blog. I have the prospect of more fruity comments I am sure. I won't say which part of me was being referred to when Mrs NMFS made the comment, I will leave it to your imagination!

One of the things that a gluten-free, pescetarian misses out on is the simple burger.  Even Quorn burgers or other vegetarian burgers contain some gluten and whilst a bean burger is ok, it can have some windy side effects. Hence my simple but very filling recipe for a Superfood Burger:

Ingredients:

5 potatoes (any type that boils well)

1 corncob

1 handful of curly kale

Salt and pepper

1 tsp ground coriander

15g dairy free margarine

Method:

Peel and cut the potatoes into 6 or 8 pieces. Boil until soft - about 10 minutes or so.

In the meantime wash the curly kale and fry in some olive oil, season with salt and pepper and cook until it turns a deeper green for about 4 minutes.

 

Add the curly kale to a large mixing bowl. Wash the corncob and cut the corn from the sides.

 

Boil the corn kernels for about 5 minutes. Drain and add to the mixing bowl. Drain the potatoes and mash in another bowl. Add the ground coriander and margarine to the mashed potatoes and mix top combine. Add to the kale and sweetcorn and use your washed hands to combine.

Make about 4 patties by moulding together in your hands.

Fry the patties in a frying pan with 1 tbsp of olive oil until golden brown on each side.

Serve the Superfood Burgers in gluten-free buns that have been fried briefly on the cut side in the same pan used to fry the patties. Add your choice of lettuce, cherry tomatoes, lactose-free cheese, etc and do not forget the all important ketchup!

These will hopefully be very filling and tasty at the same time. You could serve with roasted sweet potato wedges.

So what else do you miss out on due to your 'freefrom' diet?