Tag: gluten free

Fennel Risotto

As a teenager I was very lucky to have three special guinea pigs in my life called Pip, Derek and Russell. They lived at my now husband’s house and they used to go crazy for fennel. It was their favourite treat and they would squeek and squeek for more fennel-ey goodness.

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Fennel is also good for humans as well as guinea pigs, it is rich in vitamin c and has reportedly be found to help reduce inflammation and even the risk of cancer. It is also high in dietary fibre which promotes digestive health. What a little treasure of a plant fennel is.

Today I’ve used fennel  in a Italian dish, where is traditionally used quite a lot and made a tasty risotto.  Ideal for coeliacs as risotto is naturally gluten free.

To start I have chopped a whole fennel, as with a carrot I have removed the very bottom of the fennel and also the top stalks and the leafy bits too. Then I chop the fennel first into slices before chopping cross ways to give roughly centimetre length chunks. Also chop half a large white onion and place both into a large frying pan with olive oil.

Once the fennel and onion has soften and cooked add the risotto rice directly into the pan, stir frequently and continue cooking until the rice has turned translucent. Often risotto is cooked with wine. I’ve actually skipped the wine on this occasion as I think it can work just as well with stock and I like the fennel flavour to really come through. When the risotto rice has cooked until translucent pour over boiling stock. As with many of my recipes unless I’m making my own vegetable stock I use Kallo stock cubes as they are gluten and lactose free, vegetarian and they do a low salt stock cube too. Continue to cook adding hot stock and stirring continuously.

The cooking should take approximately 20 minutes from when you first add the stock but with risotto you can cook to taste as some people like an al dente risotto and others like the rice much softer. When cooked and ready to eat I season with a little black pepper. I don’t add salt as even the low salt stock cubes will contain enough salt to season for my taste.

A perfect gluten free, dairy free meal which will please both human and guinea pigs alike!

Radish and tofu salad

I often organise lunches for my working week in advance. Making sure I have time to prepare healthy, fresh food and that I can plan a balanced diet to suit my needs. 

 If you have read my earlier post I prepared sesame crusted tofu pieces which are really tasty. I’m using these pre cooked tofu chunks as an integral part of my salad. 

I add chopped green lettuce, steamed baby pak choi, chopped cucumber and some tasty, sharp radish. 

Simple and delicious I am already looking forward to Monday! 

Sesame crusted tofu and garlic greens

After time away it’s lovely to have a couple of days to relax before heading back to work on Monday. I’ve spent my Saturday relaxing with my cats and getting lunches ready for work and for eating tonight with a glass of wine. 

I’m currently tucking into an incredibly simple, protein packed and tasty dish with subtle yet distinctive flavours. 

I start by preparing tofu. I’m using Cauldron Tofu and chop into approximate squares. Grill with sesame oil for approximately 10 minutes before flipping the squares over and then sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds before grilling for a further 10 minutes. This creates a toastoy sesame crust on your tofu. Incredibly delicious and full of healthy oils. 

To accompany this excellent tofu I’m cooking garlic greens. Rolling with the sesame theme warm half a teaspoon of sesane oil in a pan and then add batons of chopped orange pepper, courgette and baby pak choi. Stir through minced garlic (as much as you like – I’ve used a whole teaspoon as I am a garlic fiend!) Then add a few drops of gluten free tamari. Continue to cook for 10 – 15 minutes and serve with the tofu. I’ve also accompanied the dish with fresh, steamed edamame and sea salt. Yay for Saturday night dinner time. 

New York (free from options)

I’ve been off to New York recently to celebrate the wedding of a lovely friend, although it’s taken me away from my kitchen and blog I’ve had a lovely time and found some really tasty treats whilst I was away. 

Having quite a lot of dietary issues (coeliac, lactose intolerant, allergies to nuts and mushrooms and no meat or fish) I always get a feeling of deep dread whenever I go away and have to hand over control of my diet. Knowing how badly things can go wrong makes it hard to relax and enjoy my time away. 

I actually found somee brilliant places to eat whilst away. From takeaway lunches to high class meals I found that a lot of places were able and happy to go out of their way to cook me something delicious. 

One of my staples for the time I was in New York was Pret A Manger. I love Pret in the UK anyway but in the US I found I could have 2 of their hearty salads. One was a falafel, hummous and pomegranate mezze salad featuring amazing gluten free falafels and the other was a quinoa and avocado salad. These were perfect as I was trying to pack in sightseeing and activities and I could easily eat on the go. 

My favourite meal during my time in New York was at the restaurant at The Museum of Modern Art. I had had some good recommendations to go and I enjoyed a market greens salad and a cauliflower and raddichio side, both super tasty and pictured below.

I’d also been concerned about food at the wedding events but was nicely surprised. The day before the wedding my friend’s held a brunch at the renowned Waldorf Astoria. My non allergy and meat eating husband lived tucking into many, many pastries. The fruit platters were beyond anything I had imagined and I still want to know what some of the fruit I ate was. I was also impressed with the food at the wedding reception. After attending the ceremony in central park we then went to The Park, a venue incorporating an old speakeasy in the lower west side. It was fabulous and as well as enjoying a big apple and kale starter and a sweet potato red curry I also enjoyed a number of gluten free cocktails – heaven. 

I really enjoyed the food during my trip and hope you find lots of deliciousness if you ever visit too. 

Avocado and Potato Salad

Avocado’s are a tasty addition to a summer salad. Although high in fat and calories they are also rich in nutrients and fibre as well as being linked to the reduction in heart disease risk in recent research. Winner.

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Healthy fat sources are also important in a vegan diet.

This salad uses a base of cooked potatoes and really simple seasoning to provide bulk but not take away from flavour.

Start by chopping new potatoes into cubes and cook in a pan of boiling water for approximately 12 minutes.  Drain and leave to cool. Chop an avocado into quarters and add to chopped lettuce, cucumber and spinach. The spinach will provide extra iron, calcium and folic acid. Perfect to help keep coeliac teeth and bones healthy.

Mix the cooled potatoes, avocado and salad. I garnish with a simple seasoning of olive oil, salt and black pepper. Allowing the natural salad flavours to shine.

Chard and Asparagus Summer Perfection

Summer vegetables are a real delight. I love when they are fresh and you can taste the summer sunshine in every little leaf. This salad contains quite a few bright and seasonal greens and was inspired by my lovely friend Jo who brought me a bag full of homegrown yesterday. Thanks Jo!

Post 50 - chard and asparagus salad

I’m having this salad as my evening meal so I’ve started by steaming chopped new potatoes for a carby base. Potatoes offer a good gluten free carb for coeliacs and although it’s important not to over indulge carbohydrate is still a key part of a balanced diet.

I’m also steaming fresh asparagus and florets of broccoli. Broccoli contains an incredibly high amount of calcium which is key for coeliacs in preventing or reducing the chances of osteoporosis .  I also think broccoli is also really under used. It’s got a real stigma of “meat and 2 veg” that just feel boring and unhealthy. I love using broccoli as a key ingredient and this dish certainly does that.

When the potatoes, asparagus and broccoli have cooked place into a large salad bowl and mix through fresh chard which will wilt amongst the warm vegetables. I also add a handful of chopped black olives.

I have seasoned this dish but only really gently as the peppery chard has a beautiful flavour enough as it is. Drizzle with olive oil, a pinch of sea salt and black pepper and serve warm for the taste of summer on a plate.

As I write I’m tucking into this salad with a glass of dry white wine and although summer in Sheffield may be more thundery than sunny this dish can outshine all the rain outside.

Quinoa and Green Bean Salad

Quinoa is a great grain. It’s naturally gluten free, packed with protein and full of dietary fibre. These tiny little power balls also have lots of calcium and vitamins. They are a real superfood. Not only are they so good for you but they are really tasty too. I’m making a quinoa and green bean salad to take into the office for a mid day pick up.

Post 49 Quinoa and Green bean

Quinoa is really easy to cook, pop the grain directly into a pan full of boiling water, turn down the heat and simmer for approximately 15 minutes. When cooked drain and leave to stand to cool down.

I could eat green beans all day and I think that steamed, crunchy green beans go down a treat in this quinoa salad. Before steaming I chop the green beans and then steam for just 30 seconds in a microwave steamer.

Chopped black olives and cucumber add more crunch and texture to this salad and I like to serve with a drizzle of balsamic glaze (and yes I’ve drizzled in a heart shape). When I tuck into this salad at lunch time in the office I always get jealous looks from colleagues with crusty sandwiches. Being much healthier makes you much happier.

Mediterranean Tofu and Chickpeas

It’s been a little while since I’ve posted any blogs about my coeliac, lactose intolerant journey of food discovery. Although I’ve not been posting I have been trying some new and exciting dishes and foods to broaden my horizons and engage my taste buds so I hope you enjoy the next few posts.

Post 48 - Tofu and chickpea salad

As a lactose intolerant vegetarian it can feel hard to pack lots of protein into my daily routine. This warm salad is fantastic and packed with protein. Start with tofu. Made from soya milk tofu is a fab source of protein. Soya proteins are actually considered to actively lower cholesterol making this possibly the healthiest protein you can find! It also contains all 8 of the amino acids found in protein giving you a complete protein fix. For this I’m using the Cauldron ready marinated tofu I used in my green bean recipe. Warm the tofu in a pan with a small amount of olive oil.

This is where the double protein fix comes in as I then add chickpeas to the tofu; chickpeas are a substantial diet staple for many people, including myself. They contribute towards your 5 a day whilst providing protein and being very low in fat. Sauté the chickpeas with the tofu and season with cracked black pepper.

After approximately 5 minutes of cooking the tofu and chickpeas will be ready, stir through with chopped cucumber, black olives and tomatoes for a Mediterranean flavour. Mmmm.

Creamy, chilli sausage pasta (gluten, dairy and meat free!)

This is a fantastic treat dinner and a great indulgence for a gluten free gorge. Perfect mid week tea time treat. Though gluten and dairy free as well as vegetarian this does contain egg so it’s not suitable for vegans.

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Start by cooking gluten free pasta. I’m using a corn based pasta, it’s actually a children’s pasta shaped liked alphabet letters but is great for this dish as the size goes really well. If you haven’t or don’t often cook with gluten free pasta then the key is to keep the water boiling before and during cooking the entire time – otherwise the pasta will break up. Boil for 8 minutes, drain and rinse the corn starch and pop to one side.

Then heat a small amount of olive oil in a pan and add a packet of Quorn bacon lardons. I have a tendency to call this facon but it is much better for you than real meat. Higher in protein and much lower in fat Quorn is a great addition to the vegetarian diet. Quorn bacon lardons are  gluten free but not vegan as they do contain egg. I was tempted by the new Quorn vegan range but as it contains wheat it is a big no no for coeliacs. I don’t eat much fake meat as I often prefer a naturally vegan or vegetarian diet but it can be great when cooking for carnivores. Heat a teaspoon of minced garlic and finely chopped red chilli in with the packet of Quorn bacon lardons as you cook it. Cook for about 10 minutes and then add half a tin of sweetcorn.

Once the sweetcorn has been added cook for a further 10 minutes. Then add the ready cooked pasta and finely chopped fresh parsley. Pour over approximately 60 ml of single soya cream and stir through, serve hot and enjoy. These portions will serve about 4 people so great for an evening with meat eating friends, a free from carbonara.

Sesame and tamari tofu and spring greens

This is one of my all time favourite packed lunches. It’s packed full of protein and flavour to perk up any weekday lunch time and give me the energy to take on the afternoon.

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Most of the time I cook using plain tofu so I can add my own flavours but in this dish I’m actually using the Cauldron marinated tofu pieces, perfect and easy and the subtle marinade flavouring goes well with the spring greens. For 2 lunches I use a whole pack of the marinated tofu and pop into a roasting pan with a little sesame oil. Then chop mange tout; mange tout are a great source of protein and are low in cholesterol and fat making them a delicious addition to this salad. I also chop broccoli and add to the roasting pan with the mange tout and tofu. Broccoli is high in calcium so with the calcium and protein you really won’t be missing out on any goodness for this vegan dish.

Add a few dashes of gluten free tamari, I use the clear spring tamari to add taste and give me reassurance there is no gluten at all. Sprinkle over some toasted sesame seeds and pop into the oven on a low heat for 30 minutes, stir the roasting tofu and veg a couple of times whilst roasting.

Once cooked add chopped cucumber and portion into 2 tupperware dishes, perfect tasty lunches for the next few days all set.