Very simply made and even easier to eat, this would be great for adults or first weaners.
Check out the recipe for Parsnip Mash by clicking on the link!
Tampilkan postingan dengan label Wheat Free. Tampilkan semua postingan
Tampilkan postingan dengan label Wheat Free. Tampilkan semua postingan
Kamis, 11 Desember 2014
Parsnip Mash
I came up with this recipe for Parsnip Mash on my new blog but thought I'd would share it here as well because it would be absolutely fantastic for babies too.
Very simply made and even easier to eat, this would be great for adults or first weaners.
Check out the recipe for Parsnip Mash by clicking on the link!
Very simply made and even easier to eat, this would be great for adults or first weaners.
Check out the recipe for Parsnip Mash by clicking on the link!
Senin, 16 Juni 2014
Minestrone Soup for all ages
Soup might not seem like the most summery recipe but with a drizzle of olive oil, this really hit the spot, especially when the weather is less than you'd hope for.
Minestrone Soup - Makes enough for one adult and one child with leftovers, freezes well.
Ingredients
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tsp olive oil
1 courgette (zucchini) finely chopped
1 rib of celery, finely chopped
1-2 carrots, finely chopped
180g, 6.5oz Smoked bacon
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tin borlotti beans (120g, 4oz drained weight)
45g, 1.5oz small pasta shapes - I used alphabet shapes because I thought they were cute
1 tbsp fresh parsley
1 large fresh tomato, chopped
1 tsp pesto
Olive oil and grated cheese to serve (optional)
Method
Gently fry the onion in the oil for a couple of minutes. Add the courgette and carrots and fry for a couple more minutes. Add the garlic, celery and chopped bacon and fry until the bacon is looking cooked and the onion is translucent.
Add 650ml, just over a pint, of boiling water and the borlotti beans. Simmer for 5 minutes or until the carrot is almost cooked. Add in the pasta and tomato and boil until the pasta is cooked, this will depend on the pasta type so be guided by the pack. Mine took 4-5 minutes.
Add the pesto, stirring in and serve with chopped parsley and cheese sprinkled on top if liked. A lovely summery soup!
If you like this, you might like my lovely Moroccan soup too!
Minestrone Soup - Makes enough for one adult and one child with leftovers, freezes well.
Ingredients
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tsp olive oil
1 courgette (zucchini) finely chopped
1 rib of celery, finely chopped
1-2 carrots, finely chopped
180g, 6.5oz Smoked bacon
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tin borlotti beans (120g, 4oz drained weight)
45g, 1.5oz small pasta shapes - I used alphabet shapes because I thought they were cute
1 tbsp fresh parsley
1 large fresh tomato, chopped
1 tsp pesto
Olive oil and grated cheese to serve (optional)
Method
Gently fry the onion in the oil for a couple of minutes. Add the courgette and carrots and fry for a couple more minutes. Add the garlic, celery and chopped bacon and fry until the bacon is looking cooked and the onion is translucent.
Add 650ml, just over a pint, of boiling water and the borlotti beans. Simmer for 5 minutes or until the carrot is almost cooked. Add in the pasta and tomato and boil until the pasta is cooked, this will depend on the pasta type so be guided by the pack. Mine took 4-5 minutes.
Add the pesto, stirring in and serve with chopped parsley and cheese sprinkled on top if liked. A lovely summery soup!
If you like this, you might like my lovely Moroccan soup too!
Or why not try this lovely chowder?
Senin, 09 Juni 2014
Stuffed Mushrooms
Stuffed mushrooms are one of those foods people think are difficult to make. "Life is too short to stuff a mushroom" a phrase apparently coined by Shirley Conran. Stuffing a mushroom does sound difficult, or fiddly but I promise it's not.
This super simple stuffing also makes it easy (and delicious). I just had this as an adult meal for one but my son, a fan of both mushrooms and cheese would love these. Do include the herbs, after all, without them they'd be a two ingredient recipe and that feels a little bit lame!
Stuffed Mushrooms - Serves 1 Adult or 1-2 Children
Ingredients
5 White Mushrooms (I didn't use large open capped ones, just ones around 2-4 cm across. The bigger they are, the fewer you'll need.)
A few sprigs of fresh herbs, I used parsley, thyme and chives
60g, 2oz Feta cheese, crumbled
Method
Preheat the oven to 200oC, 400F, gas mark 7.
Take the stalks out of the mushrooms just leaving the caps. If you like the stalks can be chopped up and used in another dish, like Bolognese or vegetarian lasagne.
Chop up the herbs and mix with the feta.
Put the mushrooms in a baking dish and fill the caps with spoonfuls of feta.
Bake for 20 minutes or until browned on top and the mushrooms are cooked through. Great served with a simply dressed tomato salad.
Make it thrifty
It is possible to buy "Greek Style Salad Cheese" which is often less than half the price of feta which I sometimes do when short of money. The quality of it is very variable though. Certainly if having in a salad I would always buy authentic feta but in this recipe the alternative is fine for stuffed mushrooms.
This super simple stuffing also makes it easy (and delicious). I just had this as an adult meal for one but my son, a fan of both mushrooms and cheese would love these. Do include the herbs, after all, without them they'd be a two ingredient recipe and that feels a little bit lame!
Stuffed Mushrooms - Serves 1 Adult or 1-2 Children
Ingredients
5 White Mushrooms (I didn't use large open capped ones, just ones around 2-4 cm across. The bigger they are, the fewer you'll need.)
A few sprigs of fresh herbs, I used parsley, thyme and chives
60g, 2oz Feta cheese, crumbled
Method
Preheat the oven to 200oC, 400F, gas mark 7.
Take the stalks out of the mushrooms just leaving the caps. If you like the stalks can be chopped up and used in another dish, like Bolognese or vegetarian lasagne.
Chop up the herbs and mix with the feta.
Put the mushrooms in a baking dish and fill the caps with spoonfuls of feta.
Bake for 20 minutes or until browned on top and the mushrooms are cooked through. Great served with a simply dressed tomato salad.
Make it thrifty
It is possible to buy "Greek Style Salad Cheese" which is often less than half the price of feta which I sometimes do when short of money. The quality of it is very variable though. Certainly if having in a salad I would always buy authentic feta but in this recipe the alternative is fine for stuffed mushrooms.
Rabu, 21 Mei 2014
Cauliflower Pakoras; great finger food for kids
Cauliflower pakoras are something I'd never made before until recently, but as part of my 7 a day challenge I made some vegetable pakoras using peas and loved them. When I moved house a few days back and restocked my cupboards (including buying some gram flour), the helpful assistant in the shop suggested cauliflower was pretty good and, in fact her favourite. She also said that fresh spinach was, in her opinion much better in Indian food than frozen.
I always like a bit of advice when it comes to cooking so I gave it a go. The jury is out in the spinach. In my opinion frozen is just as good but the great thing about baby spinach is you can use it as a salad vegetable or cook with it and it just so happened I had some in my fridge so I went with it.
Traditionally I don't think the cauliflower is precooked but although I don't like soggy cauliflower, I'm not overly keen on cauliflower which bites back either so I partially precooked mine.
Heat up approx 1 inch of vegetable oil in a deep saucepan. Never leave hot oil unattended.
Traditionally I don't think the cauliflower is precooked but although I don't like soggy cauliflower, I'm not overly keen on cauliflower which bites back either so I partially precooked mine.
Caulflower pakoras - serves 2-3
Ingredients
7 Small cauliflower florets
30g, 1oz Fresh spinach, finely shredded
100g, 3.5oz Gram flour (chickpea flour, garbanzo bean flour, besan)
2 tsp Garam masala
1/2 tsp Madras curry paste (or more if cooking for adults if liked)
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 tsp Baking powder (use gluten free if avoiding gluten)
75 - 150ml Cold water
Oil for frying
30g, 1oz Fresh spinach, finely shredded
100g, 3.5oz Gram flour (chickpea flour, garbanzo bean flour, besan)
2 tsp Garam masala
1/2 tsp Madras curry paste (or more if cooking for adults if liked)
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 tsp Baking powder (use gluten free if avoiding gluten)
75 - 150ml Cold water
Oil for frying
Method
Part cook the cauliflower by boiling for approx 4 minutes so still firm but almost cooked. Cut into halves.
Part cook the cauliflower by boiling for approx 4 minutes so still firm but almost cooked. Cut into halves.
Heat up approx 1 inch of vegetable oil in a deep saucepan. Never leave hot oil unattended.
Mix the flour, curry paste, lime and baking powder with enough water to make a batter like consistency.
Add in the spinach then add in the cauliflower. Try a drop of batter in the oil, if it sizzles immediately, put a coated piece of cauliflower and see how it cooks. If it browns too quickly but the batter is still runny inside, lower the heat. If it takes a long time and seems greasy, increase the heat.
Cook in batches of 3-4. Leave to drain on kitchen roll then serve as a starter, a side dish or as I did for my son with some rice cooked with peas and some mango chutney mixed with plain yogurt to dip.
Add in the spinach then add in the cauliflower. Try a drop of batter in the oil, if it sizzles immediately, put a coated piece of cauliflower and see how it cooks. If it browns too quickly but the batter is still runny inside, lower the heat. If it takes a long time and seems greasy, increase the heat.
Cook in batches of 3-4. Leave to drain on kitchen roll then serve as a starter, a side dish or as I did for my son with some rice cooked with peas and some mango chutney mixed with plain yogurt to dip.
Reheating: Once cooked, keep in the fridge and either eat cold (although they do go a bit soft) or much better, reheat in a preheated 180oC / 350F oven for approx 6-10 minutes or until warmed through and crisp. It's almost worth making extra to have the leftovers with no effort the next day!
Kamis, 08 Mei 2014
Honey Ginger Glazed Tuna
Glazed tuna, a pretty tasty invention, I have a feeling this would work with any kind of robust oily fish. The idea is you add the flavour after the cooking so you don't get issues with the sweet sauce burning in the pan. I enjoyed this and have made it twice already, what's more, fresh or frozen tuna is a great source of Omega 3 (tinned isn't). It's also great to make something like tuna the star of the show when so often it's just bunged in a sandwich as a cheap protein source, although I have to admit my favourite way to have tuna is sushi but with the sweet gingery notes, this still hits the mark.
This isn't mad spicy so should be fine for kids but no babies please as it contains honey.
Honey and Ginger Glazed Tuna - Serves 2 adults
Ingredients
2 tbsp grated ginger
2 tbsp honey
2 tsp Soy Sauce
1 tsp Sweet Chilli Sauce
1 tsp Sesame Oil
2 Tuna Steaks
Spray oil
Stir fried vegetables and noodles or salad and rice to serve
Method
Mix the ginger, honey, soy, chilli sauce and oil together in a bowl and put to one side.
Cook the rice or noodles. Fry the tuna steaks for a couple of minutes on each side or until done on the outside and still pink in the middle (fully cook for young kids). Put onto a warm plate and spoon on some of the glaze.
In the meantime, finish cooking the rice or noodles and stir fried vegetables or this would be great with a shredded salad.
Serve drizzling more of the glaze onto the fish and vegetables if liked.
Make it Thrifty
Look out for frozen tuna steaks in the freezer section and defrost before using, they're much cheaper than fresh.
This isn't mad spicy so should be fine for kids but no babies please as it contains honey.
Honey and Ginger Glazed Tuna - Serves 2 adults
Ingredients
2 tbsp grated ginger
2 tbsp honey
2 tsp Soy Sauce
1 tsp Sweet Chilli Sauce
1 tsp Sesame Oil
2 Tuna Steaks
Spray oil
Stir fried vegetables and noodles or salad and rice to serve
Method
Mix the ginger, honey, soy, chilli sauce and oil together in a bowl and put to one side.
Cook the rice or noodles. Fry the tuna steaks for a couple of minutes on each side or until done on the outside and still pink in the middle (fully cook for young kids). Put onto a warm plate and spoon on some of the glaze.
In the meantime, finish cooking the rice or noodles and stir fried vegetables or this would be great with a shredded salad.
Serve drizzling more of the glaze onto the fish and vegetables if liked.
Make it Thrifty
Look out for frozen tuna steaks in the freezer section and defrost before using, they're much cheaper than fresh.
Amazingly I've been shortlisted for the Britmums Brilliance in Blogging awards. Making it to the finals depends on a vote from people like you. Please click on this image below and a survey will open. It will ask for your email address but they don't spam you, don't worry! It takes seconds!
Jumat, 02 Mei 2014
Gluten Free Pancakes
Chickpea pancakes might sound like an odd proposition for breakfast but bear with me. Chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour or 'Besan' has a distinctive, savoury taste but there is something delicious about that served with syrup, just like that salty sweet combo of bacon and syrup is something fantastic, so was this.
The amazing thing about chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour is it has over double the amount of protein compared with wheat flour which makes them amazingly filling so a great start for the day, and, handily for coeliacs (or people choosing to avoid gluten), it's naturally gluten and wheat free.
The verdict was "nice but not quite as good as the normal ones" from the household, I disagreed. I really liked them and I felt seriously full until lunch.
Gluten Free Pancakes - Makes enough for 3-4
Ingredients
Batter
225g, 8oz Chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour (besan)
2 tsp Gluten free baking powder
1 tsp Cinnamon
2 Apples, grated (including skin but excluding the core)
300ml, a generous half pint Milk
2 Eggs
Butter or spray oil
Butter, honey (over 1s only), golden syrup or maple syrup to serve.
Method
Blend all of the batter ingredients together including the grated apples. I normally take them and crate them back to the core.
Heat a non stick frying pan and either rub butter over it or spray with spray oil (see my original pancake post for more instructions).
Pour or spoon on a little batter. Keep on a medium heat and turn when the bubbles start to burst. It might take a little trial and error to get the perfect heat.
Once ready, put on a plate and top with your choice of toppings.
Make it Thrifty
Look out for big bags of Besan or Chickpea flour in the Indian / South Asian section of your supermarket. They're also great for making pakoras!
The amazing thing about chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour is it has over double the amount of protein compared with wheat flour which makes them amazingly filling so a great start for the day, and, handily for coeliacs (or people choosing to avoid gluten), it's naturally gluten and wheat free.
The verdict was "nice but not quite as good as the normal ones" from the household, I disagreed. I really liked them and I felt seriously full until lunch.
Gluten Free Pancakes - Makes enough for 3-4
Ingredients
Batter
225g, 8oz Chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour (besan)
2 tsp Gluten free baking powder
1 tsp Cinnamon
2 Apples, grated (including skin but excluding the core)
300ml, a generous half pint Milk
2 Eggs
Butter or spray oil
Butter, honey (over 1s only), golden syrup or maple syrup to serve.
Method
Blend all of the batter ingredients together including the grated apples. I normally take them and crate them back to the core.
Heat a non stick frying pan and either rub butter over it or spray with spray oil (see my original pancake post for more instructions).
Pour or spoon on a little batter. Keep on a medium heat and turn when the bubbles start to burst. It might take a little trial and error to get the perfect heat.
Once ready, put on a plate and top with your choice of toppings.
Make it Thrifty
Look out for big bags of Besan or Chickpea flour in the Indian / South Asian section of your supermarket. They're also great for making pakoras!
Amazingly I've been shortlisted for the Britmums Brilliance in Blogging awards for the third year running but I've never won and only once made it to the finals. Making it to the finals depends on a vote from people like you. Please click on this image below and a survey will open. It will ask for your email address but they don't spam you, don't worry! It takes minutes and at the same time, you can vote for other blogs you like the look of or not if you don't read many other blogs (or choose not to!) I'm listed as "Mama Cook" in the food category.
Kamis, 10 April 2014
Chocolate Custard (low sugar)
Custard. I never make it from scratch but I do make it from custard powder. It occurred to me when making some custard from custard powder the other day that custard powder is simply cornflour (cornstarch) natural flavouring (vanilla) and colour (normally a natural colour like annatto). I don't have much annatto floating around the house and there feels like something wrong about making white custard even though that's the colour it would be if not made with eggs, so my idea was to make chocolate custard.
This would be great hot with chocolate cake, poured over banana (if you want to keep on my 7 a day routine), on it's own or allowed to cool in small pots and eaten cold like blancmange. It's pretty low sugar too with only 1 tsp added sugar per portion. There's more sugar in a fromage frais!
Chocolate custard - Makes 2 small bowls
Ingredients
280ml, Half Pint milk
1 rounded tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
1 tsp Cocoa powder (unsweetened)
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
2 tsp Sugar
Method
Mix the cornflour with the cocoa powder and sugar with 1 tbsp of the cold milk then add the vanilla. Heat the remaining milk in a microwave for 2 minutes or until hot. Gradually whisk the hot milk into the cornflour mix then return to the microwave for 2-3 minutes on full power or until cooked and thick. Keep an eye on it as it can boil up and boil over.
After all, who can resist delicious chocolate custard?
This would be great hot with chocolate cake, poured over banana (if you want to keep on my 7 a day routine), on it's own or allowed to cool in small pots and eaten cold like blancmange. It's pretty low sugar too with only 1 tsp added sugar per portion. There's more sugar in a fromage frais!
Chocolate custard - Makes 2 small bowls
Ingredients
280ml, Half Pint milk
1 rounded tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
1 tsp Cocoa powder (unsweetened)
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
2 tsp Sugar
Method
Mix the cornflour with the cocoa powder and sugar with 1 tbsp of the cold milk then add the vanilla. Heat the remaining milk in a microwave for 2 minutes or until hot. Gradually whisk the hot milk into the cornflour mix then return to the microwave for 2-3 minutes on full power or until cooked and thick. Keep an eye on it as it can boil up and boil over.
I would be honoured if you would consider nominating me in the Britmums BIB awards, especially the food category.
After all, who can resist delicious chocolate custard?
Jumat, 04 April 2014
7 a Day Challenge; Day 3 - Vegetable Pakoras
7 fruits and vegetables a day is a bit harder than I thought.
A few days ago, I set myself a challenge to eat 7 fruits and vegetables minimum in 7 days to see how it affected me, my wellbeing and how hard or easy it might be.
I'm on day 3 now and I need to find ways to liven things up!
Breakfast
I was at work early today so took breakfast of rice crispies and a banana. This is actually far more than I'd normally eat for breakfast so I ended up saving the banana for mid morning. I will definitely be stretching myself more from a culinary point of view at the weekend when I have more time!
Lunch
Lunch was Gazpacho again (2 portions of vegetables) due to making a double batch yesterday with watermelon and a satsuma afterwards. I was up to 5 of my 7 after lunch but felt the need to 'retox' with some chocolate cake. A girl needs something unvirtuous!
Tea
Ok... this week has been harder (even by day 3) than I expected. I needed fried. So wrong. I know, I had chocolate there was even some sugar on the rice crispies.
But the problem is I'm just so full! Maybe I don't eat big portions but 7 lots of vegetables, in the portion sizes recommended really limits what else you can eat.
So I needed fried. I needed something which felt wrong even if it was full of vegetables. Pakora it is!
Vegetable Pakoras - Makes enough for two
Ingredients
100g, 3.5oz Gram Flour (chickpea flour, garbanzo bean flour, besan)
2 tsp Garam Masala
2 tsp Curry Paste (as hot as you want it to be, I was cooking for myself so used madras but I'd use korma paste for my son)
60g, 2oz Defrosted frozen chopped spinach
60g, 2oz Defrosted frozen peas
2 Spring onions (scallions)
Juice 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp Baking powder (gluten free is easily available if avoiding wheat)
1 tbsp Fresh Coriander, chopped (cilantro)
70 - 100ml, 2.5 - 3.5 floz water
Oil for frying
Mango chutney to serve
Method
Mix the flour, spice, curry paste and lemon juice. Mix in enough water to make a batter about the thickness of pancake batter.
Add in the baking powder, spinach, peas and spring onions and mix well.
Heat up about an inch or couple of cm of oil in a saucepan and when it's hot, drop a spoonful into the fat. Cook until well browned turning a few times. Use this 'trial' pakora to check that it's cooked through by breaking it open. If it's a bit runny in the middle chalk that one up to experience and, turn the heat down a bit to cook the others.
Drain on kitchen paper and serve. Update: Store any leftovers in the fridge for a couple of days and reheat at 200oC for 6-10 minutes or until warmed through and crisp again on the outside.
I have to admit, I was going to have this with some carrot salad but I just fancied the pakora. I know but they were delicious. I could only manage to eat half of the batch which actually means I'm a bit light on my vegetable count for the day...
Or am I? Under the '5 a day' rules anyway, pulses were permitted for one of the 5 a day... so my chickpea flour counts! Result!
The pakora might not have been fabulous for the waistline but they were great for the soul.
7 a day done! Kinda. Why does it feel I've achieved it via a technicality? 7 portions of 10 different fruits and vegetables; banana, satsuma, tomato, pepper (capsicum), cucumber, watermelon, chickpeas (garbanzo beans), spinach, peas and spring onions (scallions).
A few days ago, I set myself a challenge to eat 7 fruits and vegetables minimum in 7 days to see how it affected me, my wellbeing and how hard or easy it might be.
I'm on day 3 now and I need to find ways to liven things up!
Breakfast
I was at work early today so took breakfast of rice crispies and a banana. This is actually far more than I'd normally eat for breakfast so I ended up saving the banana for mid morning. I will definitely be stretching myself more from a culinary point of view at the weekend when I have more time!
Lunch
Lunch was Gazpacho again (2 portions of vegetables) due to making a double batch yesterday with watermelon and a satsuma afterwards. I was up to 5 of my 7 after lunch but felt the need to 'retox' with some chocolate cake. A girl needs something unvirtuous!
Tea
Ok... this week has been harder (even by day 3) than I expected. I needed fried. So wrong. I know, I had chocolate there was even some sugar on the rice crispies.
But the problem is I'm just so full! Maybe I don't eat big portions but 7 lots of vegetables, in the portion sizes recommended really limits what else you can eat.
So I needed fried. I needed something which felt wrong even if it was full of vegetables. Pakora it is!
Vegetable Pakoras - Makes enough for two
Ingredients
100g, 3.5oz Gram Flour (chickpea flour, garbanzo bean flour, besan)
2 tsp Garam Masala
2 tsp Curry Paste (as hot as you want it to be, I was cooking for myself so used madras but I'd use korma paste for my son)
60g, 2oz Defrosted frozen chopped spinach
60g, 2oz Defrosted frozen peas
2 Spring onions (scallions)
Juice 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp Baking powder (gluten free is easily available if avoiding wheat)
1 tbsp Fresh Coriander, chopped (cilantro)
70 - 100ml, 2.5 - 3.5 floz water
Oil for frying
Mango chutney to serve
Method
Mix the flour, spice, curry paste and lemon juice. Mix in enough water to make a batter about the thickness of pancake batter.
Add in the baking powder, spinach, peas and spring onions and mix well.
Heat up about an inch or couple of cm of oil in a saucepan and when it's hot, drop a spoonful into the fat. Cook until well browned turning a few times. Use this 'trial' pakora to check that it's cooked through by breaking it open. If it's a bit runny in the middle chalk that one up to experience and, turn the heat down a bit to cook the others.
Drain on kitchen paper and serve. Update: Store any leftovers in the fridge for a couple of days and reheat at 200oC for 6-10 minutes or until warmed through and crisp again on the outside.
I have to admit, I was going to have this with some carrot salad but I just fancied the pakora. I know but they were delicious. I could only manage to eat half of the batch which actually means I'm a bit light on my vegetable count for the day...
Or am I? Under the '5 a day' rules anyway, pulses were permitted for one of the 5 a day... so my chickpea flour counts! Result!
The pakora might not have been fabulous for the waistline but they were great for the soul.
7 a day done! Kinda. Why does it feel I've achieved it via a technicality? 7 portions of 10 different fruits and vegetables; banana, satsuma, tomato, pepper (capsicum), cucumber, watermelon, chickpeas (garbanzo beans), spinach, peas and spring onions (scallions).
I would be absolutely honoured if you would consider nominating me in the Britmums BIB awards, especially the food category.
Rabu, 02 April 2014
7 a day challenge: Carrot cake Bircher Muesli
The things I learned the most in my first day of trying to have 7 fruits and vegetables in my diet were:
Breakfast
My first day of 7 fruit and vegetables in 7 days started with a Bircher Muesli. It might look like a bowl of mush (ok it is kind of a bowl of mush) but it's also a great way to get raw fruit and vegetables into your breakfast.
As I said yesterday, I think the key to getting to 7 in a day is to include fruit and vegetables into every meal.
I didn't add any sugar or honey and you could if you like but both my son and I liked it as it was ("it delicious!")
Carrot Cake Bircher Muesli - Makes 1 adult portion
Ingredients
1/2 apple grated (include the skin)
30g, 1oz Carrot finely grated
30g, 1oz Porridge oats
30g, 1oz Sultanas (Golden Raisins)
1/2 tsp Ground cinnamon
Method
Mix everything together then add milk or yogurt to taste (I like milk). If preferred you can make this the night before and store in the fridge but I like the oats to still have a little bite so I make just before serving.
After eating it I felt really nicely full without feeling like I'd eaten something awful. It felt like a nice fresh addition to my day actually.
An alternative recipe for Bircher muesli is here.
The interesting thing about this recipe though with it's three different fruits and vegetables (carrot, apple and dried fruit) is there aren't three portions. A 'portion' is about 80g so this breakfast only actually contains 1. This is going to be harder than I thought...
Snack
I don't normally have a snack but I felt in the mood to so I had 80g of a Galia Melon and the wee man had an apple. I was up to 2 out of 7 and my son was on 1 only having had a taste of my breakfast earlier. The other thing I did was prepare more melon for lunch tomorrow. That way there would be no "I'm running late" excuses in the morning.
I'm not denying I would have preferred to go to the local cafe but I probably would have had a hot chocolate had I gone there, expensive and full of sugar and fat. So in some ways this was better for me and made me wonder if this 7 a day business is more about what you miss out rather than what you include. The sheer volume of fruit and vegetables doesn't leave a lot of space for anything else.
So at 10am I'd managed two. I was going to have to squeeze another 5 into lunch, tea and any snacks and my son would need 6. Thinking cap on...
Lunch
I went for my bacon and broccoli frittata for lunch. I upped the broccoli a bit to 120g per frittata so it was more likely I'd get the full 80g for me and served with cabbage and sweetcorn on the side, I hit three for the main course. Again I was more worried about portion size for me and to get the 160g of vegetables on the side was a much larger amount than I was expecting. I felt very full after my meal but I'm not totally sure I could be happy eating 80g of cabbage in one sitting every day; and I like cabbage.
After lunch I was up to 5 portions and my son on 4.
Snack
A handful of black skinned grapes each.
Tea
My son had a version of this fried rice dish with added sugarsnap peas, petit pois (ok still peas but kind of different) as well as the mushrooms. So with his snack he was on 8 different fruits and vegetables.
For me later, I had some pan fried fresh tuna with rice and a salad made from cucumber, radishes and peppers (capsicums), three vegetables but in terms of quantity only 2 portions.
For me, 7 a day achieved in terms of quantity and here are the fruits and vegetables I ate: Apple, carrot, sultana, melon, broccoli, cabbage, sweetcorn, grapes, radishes, cucumber, pepper and I'm feeling pretty full!
Day 1 - Success so far... But can I keep this going on a work day?
- It takes organisation
- I need to buy more fruit and veg urgently (so much so after only buying some on Monday I went out for more today)
- A 'portion' is bigger than I thought so it's not just about variety but about quantity
- It's a bit confusing what a portion size is for a child so for my 3 year old I aimed for variety and didn't get too hung up on how much he ate
- I'm going to get very bored weighing ingredients very, very quickly...
Breakfast
My first day of 7 fruit and vegetables in 7 days started with a Bircher Muesli. It might look like a bowl of mush (ok it is kind of a bowl of mush) but it's also a great way to get raw fruit and vegetables into your breakfast.
As I said yesterday, I think the key to getting to 7 in a day is to include fruit and vegetables into every meal.
I didn't add any sugar or honey and you could if you like but both my son and I liked it as it was ("it delicious!")
Carrot Cake Bircher Muesli - Makes 1 adult portion
Ingredients
1/2 apple grated (include the skin)
30g, 1oz Carrot finely grated
30g, 1oz Porridge oats
30g, 1oz Sultanas (Golden Raisins)
1/2 tsp Ground cinnamon
Method
Mix everything together then add milk or yogurt to taste (I like milk). If preferred you can make this the night before and store in the fridge but I like the oats to still have a little bite so I make just before serving.
After eating it I felt really nicely full without feeling like I'd eaten something awful. It felt like a nice fresh addition to my day actually.
An alternative recipe for Bircher muesli is here.
The interesting thing about this recipe though with it's three different fruits and vegetables (carrot, apple and dried fruit) is there aren't three portions. A 'portion' is about 80g so this breakfast only actually contains 1. This is going to be harder than I thought...
Snack
I don't normally have a snack but I felt in the mood to so I had 80g of a Galia Melon and the wee man had an apple. I was up to 2 out of 7 and my son was on 1 only having had a taste of my breakfast earlier. The other thing I did was prepare more melon for lunch tomorrow. That way there would be no "I'm running late" excuses in the morning.
I'm not denying I would have preferred to go to the local cafe but I probably would have had a hot chocolate had I gone there, expensive and full of sugar and fat. So in some ways this was better for me and made me wonder if this 7 a day business is more about what you miss out rather than what you include. The sheer volume of fruit and vegetables doesn't leave a lot of space for anything else.
So at 10am I'd managed two. I was going to have to squeeze another 5 into lunch, tea and any snacks and my son would need 6. Thinking cap on...
Lunch
I went for my bacon and broccoli frittata for lunch. I upped the broccoli a bit to 120g per frittata so it was more likely I'd get the full 80g for me and served with cabbage and sweetcorn on the side, I hit three for the main course. Again I was more worried about portion size for me and to get the 160g of vegetables on the side was a much larger amount than I was expecting. I felt very full after my meal but I'm not totally sure I could be happy eating 80g of cabbage in one sitting every day; and I like cabbage.
After lunch I was up to 5 portions and my son on 4.
Snack
A handful of black skinned grapes each.
Tea
My son had a version of this fried rice dish with added sugarsnap peas, petit pois (ok still peas but kind of different) as well as the mushrooms. So with his snack he was on 8 different fruits and vegetables.
For me later, I had some pan fried fresh tuna with rice and a salad made from cucumber, radishes and peppers (capsicums), three vegetables but in terms of quantity only 2 portions.
For me, 7 a day achieved in terms of quantity and here are the fruits and vegetables I ate: Apple, carrot, sultana, melon, broccoli, cabbage, sweetcorn, grapes, radishes, cucumber, pepper and I'm feeling pretty full!
Day 1 - Success so far... But can I keep this going on a work day?
I would be absolutely honoured if you would consider nominating me in the Britmums BIB awards, especially the food category.
Senin, 10 Maret 2014
Spanish Sausage and Beans
I did think about calling this "Spanish Cassoulet" but, well it's not really but that's what it was inspired by.
For various reasons I'm currently running down my freezer and I had a pack of raw chorizo style cooking sausages in there. I also had an enormous pack of dried haricot beans in the cupboard which have been there for more than a year (if you read my Britmums Cassoulet post you might see why!) Anyway, I do love the combination of the sausage and beans in cassoulet and wondered if I could mix it up a bit.
Spanish Sausage and Beans - Serves 2 adults, 1 child and a sneaky spoonful left for Mummy's lunch
Ingredients
200g, 7oz Dried Haricot Beans
1/2 Onion, finely diced
4-5 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp Olive oil
1 Bay leaf (dried is fine)
1 Large sprig of parsley (including stalks)
454g, 1lb Chorizo style cooking sausages
Method
Soak the beans overnight in cold water.
When ready to cook, drain the beans and put into a saucepan with plenty of boiling water. Bring to the boil and boil for 15 minutes. Skim the scum off the top now and again as this will stop it boiling over.
While the beans are boiling, soften the onion and garlic in the oil gently for a few minutes.
Once the beans were boiled, drain them and put in the pan with the garlic and onion and approx 500ml of boiling water. Simmer, covered for approx 45 minutes or until cooked. This can vary by the age of the beans.
When the beans are almost cooked, dry fry the sausages until browned a bit then slice them into three pieces each (they will still be raw in the middle but this doesn't matter.) Mix with the beans and pour into an ovenproof dish. Bake in the oven at 180oC, 350F, Gas Mark 4 until the sausages are cooked and a crust has formed. Give them a stir or two during the cooking time.
Serve with parsley if liked, with vegetables or salad or just with crusty bread and a good Spanish beer!
My 3 year old was very impressed (with the cooking, not beer) and had thirds! Even though the sausages actually had some chilli in them, by cooking them with the beans, they calmed them down a bit. Definitely a success.
Make it Thrifty
The best way to keep costs down with this meal is to use the rest of the oven space for pudding!
For various reasons I'm currently running down my freezer and I had a pack of raw chorizo style cooking sausages in there. I also had an enormous pack of dried haricot beans in the cupboard which have been there for more than a year (if you read my Britmums Cassoulet post you might see why!) Anyway, I do love the combination of the sausage and beans in cassoulet and wondered if I could mix it up a bit.
Spanish Sausage and Beans - Serves 2 adults, 1 child and a sneaky spoonful left for Mummy's lunch
Ingredients
200g, 7oz Dried Haricot Beans
1/2 Onion, finely diced
4-5 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp Olive oil
1 Bay leaf (dried is fine)
1 Large sprig of parsley (including stalks)
454g, 1lb Chorizo style cooking sausages
Method
Soak the beans overnight in cold water.
When ready to cook, drain the beans and put into a saucepan with plenty of boiling water. Bring to the boil and boil for 15 minutes. Skim the scum off the top now and again as this will stop it boiling over.
While the beans are boiling, soften the onion and garlic in the oil gently for a few minutes.
Once the beans were boiled, drain them and put in the pan with the garlic and onion and approx 500ml of boiling water. Simmer, covered for approx 45 minutes or until cooked. This can vary by the age of the beans.
When the beans are almost cooked, dry fry the sausages until browned a bit then slice them into three pieces each (they will still be raw in the middle but this doesn't matter.) Mix with the beans and pour into an ovenproof dish. Bake in the oven at 180oC, 350F, Gas Mark 4 until the sausages are cooked and a crust has formed. Give them a stir or two during the cooking time.
Serve with parsley if liked, with vegetables or salad or just with crusty bread and a good Spanish beer!
My 3 year old was very impressed (with the cooking, not beer) and had thirds! Even though the sausages actually had some chilli in them, by cooking them with the beans, they calmed them down a bit. Definitely a success.
Make it Thrifty
The best way to keep costs down with this meal is to use the rest of the oven space for pudding!
Minggu, 02 Februari 2014
Fish and Cauliflower bake, great for all ages
I had thought for a while about making something which was like a fish pie meets cauliflower cheese. Fish pie is great but it would be great to include some more vegetables.
This recipe has two vegetables and is a source of omega 3. My son described it as 'delicious'! Although he didn't eat as many peas on the side as I would have liked, can you tell there are four different vegetables on this plate? Nope? Neither could he!
Fish and Cauliflower Bake - Serves 2
Ingredients
120g, 4oz Fish, I used a mixture of pollock and smoked haddock
200g, 7oz Cauliflower
400ml. 14floz Milk
1 rounded tbsp Cornflour (cornstarch)
60g, 2oz Chopped frozen spinach
80g, 3oz Extra mature cheddar (extra sharp)
Method
Poach the fish in the milk until cooked. Take the fish out with a slotted spoon reserving the milk.
In the meantime, boil the cauliflower in boiling water for 3-4 minutes or until almost cooked. Drain.
Preheat the oven to 200oC / 400F / Gas Mark 6.
When the fish is cooked, reheat the milk, add in the spinach and cook until fully defrosted and cooked. In the meantime mix the cornflour with cold water then gradually mix into the milk mixture to thicken. Bring to the boil and add a little extra if you would like it thicker.
Mix in approx 20g of the cheddar into the milk mix and take off the heat.
Flake the fish and mix the fish, cauliflower and sauce together. Pour into a baking dish and top with the remaining cheese.
Bake for approx 15 minutes or until browned and bubbling on top. Younger babies could have some of this mashed or pureed depending on their age. Avoid the cheese on top if feeding to under 1's to limit the salt intake.
This recipe has two vegetables and is a source of omega 3. My son described it as 'delicious'! Although he didn't eat as many peas on the side as I would have liked, can you tell there are four different vegetables on this plate? Nope? Neither could he!
Fish and Cauliflower Bake - Serves 2
Ingredients
120g, 4oz Fish, I used a mixture of pollock and smoked haddock
200g, 7oz Cauliflower
400ml. 14floz Milk
1 rounded tbsp Cornflour (cornstarch)
60g, 2oz Chopped frozen spinach
80g, 3oz Extra mature cheddar (extra sharp)
Method
Poach the fish in the milk until cooked. Take the fish out with a slotted spoon reserving the milk.
In the meantime, boil the cauliflower in boiling water for 3-4 minutes or until almost cooked. Drain.
Preheat the oven to 200oC / 400F / Gas Mark 6.
When the fish is cooked, reheat the milk, add in the spinach and cook until fully defrosted and cooked. In the meantime mix the cornflour with cold water then gradually mix into the milk mixture to thicken. Bring to the boil and add a little extra if you would like it thicker.
Mix in approx 20g of the cheddar into the milk mix and take off the heat.
Flake the fish and mix the fish, cauliflower and sauce together. Pour into a baking dish and top with the remaining cheese.
Bake for approx 15 minutes or until browned and bubbling on top. Younger babies could have some of this mashed or pureed depending on their age. Avoid the cheese on top if feeding to under 1's to limit the salt intake.
Make it Thrifty:
Try using frozen fish to keep costs and risk of waste down. Pollock is often sold as 'white fish' in freezer compartments and, although in a lot of ways it's better than cod because it's a source of Omega 3 and cod isn't, pollock is often far cheaper and more sustainable. Look out for smoked pollock too which is becoming more common.
Sabtu, 18 Januari 2014
Goats cheese frittata, great for kids
My son eats pretty well, I know what you're thinking, "My kid won't eat goats' cheese and they're certainly not fans of broccoli!". They can and they might just surprise you. My 3 year old is a bit of a cheese fan (as am I) and I do love quiches. The thing is, calorie wise and salt wise the pastry adds loads and, although I'm a fan of crisp, buttery pastry, the filling is where it's at with a quiche anyway and you know what? I can be bothered to make a quiche about once in a blue moon. By making it as a frittata, it's mega quick, easy and tasty and the result looks like you've spent ages over something dead simple. I'd happily serve this to adults and it would make a pretty nice starter with a spinach salad dressed with walnuts and vinaigrette. Also, cunningly, by excluding the crust, this recipe is now also wheat free as well as being vegetarian.
As a result of this love of the frittata's taste, ease and convenience you might notice I've been messing around with frittatas made like crustless quiches (i.e. in the oven) a lot recently. I've always been a fan of goats cheese quiches so tried making a frittata along similar lines. It was meant to be beautifully arranged circles of a small goats cheese log, but that didn't turn up on my food order (the perils of ordering food online) so the presentation isn't quite as pretty as I hoped it would be but it was really tasty. I mean REALLY tasty. I'm definitely making this again!
Broccoli and Goats Cheese Frittata - makes enough for two but any leftovers are great cold
Ingredients
110g, 4oz Broccoli (see make it thrifty below)
3 Eggs
2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
30g, 1 oz Extra mature (extra sharp) cheddar
90g, 3oz Rinded goats' cheese, often called 'chèvre blanc'
Method
Preheat the oven to 180oC, 350F, Gas mark 4.
Chop the broccoli into very small florets or pieces (include the stalk, see below) put in boiling water on a hot hob for 4 minutes, then drain and rinse with cold water
Mix the egg, milk, cornflour and cheddar together.
Line a 7 inch round cake tin with non stick baking paper. Spray or grease with oil. Pour in half of the frittata mixture, scatter on the broccoli then pour the rest over the top.
Thinly slice the goats' cheese and arrange on the top.
Bake for 17-20 minutes (it took 18 in my oven).
Leave to cool for a bit, it's better served warm or cold rather than hot. Is the humble frittata the ideal dish for busy parents to cook? No harm is done if your baby cries out for your attention just as you're taking your first bite. Even better if you don't get to eat (we've all been there), leftovers are just as good kept in the fridge and eaten the next day. Don't say I don't think about you busy parents too!
As a result of this love of the frittata's taste, ease and convenience you might notice I've been messing around with frittatas made like crustless quiches (i.e. in the oven) a lot recently. I've always been a fan of goats cheese quiches so tried making a frittata along similar lines. It was meant to be beautifully arranged circles of a small goats cheese log, but that didn't turn up on my food order (the perils of ordering food online) so the presentation isn't quite as pretty as I hoped it would be but it was really tasty. I mean REALLY tasty. I'm definitely making this again!
Broccoli and Goats Cheese Frittata - makes enough for two but any leftovers are great cold
Ingredients
110g, 4oz Broccoli (see make it thrifty below)
3 Eggs
2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
30g, 1 oz Extra mature (extra sharp) cheddar
90g, 3oz Rinded goats' cheese, often called 'chèvre blanc'
Method
Preheat the oven to 180oC, 350F, Gas mark 4.
Chop the broccoli into very small florets or pieces (include the stalk, see below) put in boiling water on a hot hob for 4 minutes, then drain and rinse with cold water
Mix the egg, milk, cornflour and cheddar together.
Line a 7 inch round cake tin with non stick baking paper. Spray or grease with oil. Pour in half of the frittata mixture, scatter on the broccoli then pour the rest over the top.
Thinly slice the goats' cheese and arrange on the top.
Bake for 17-20 minutes (it took 18 in my oven).
Leave to cool for a bit, it's better served warm or cold rather than hot. Is the humble frittata the ideal dish for busy parents to cook? No harm is done if your baby cries out for your attention just as you're taking your first bite. Even better if you don't get to eat (we've all been there), leftovers are just as good kept in the fridge and eaten the next day. Don't say I don't think about you busy parents too!
Make it Thrifty:
Make this recipe cheaper by making use of the broccoli stalk as well as the florets. Just trim off the end and cut into an approx 1cm / half inch dice and cook with the normal broccoli florets.
This post is an entry for the #ShortcutEggsperts Linky Challenge sponsored by British Lion Eggs. Learn more and find recipes at www.eggrecipes.co.uk
This post is an entry for the #ShortcutEggsperts Linky Challenge sponsored by British Lion Eggs. Learn more and find recipes at www.eggrecipes.co.uk
Minggu, 12 Januari 2014
Baked Vanilla Custards - suitable for babies, children and adults
A very simple and not massively unhealthy pudding. Less than 2 tsp sugar per serving. Pretty thrifty ingredients too!
Baked Vanilla Custards - makes 2
Ingredients
1 tbsp sugar
2 Egg yolks
150ml, 5 fl ounces, 2/3 cup Semi skimmed (2%) milk
1/4 tsp Vanilla extract or paste
Method
Preheat the oven to 180oC / 350F
Mix all the ingredients together, pour into two ramekins.
Put in a bain marie (a baking dish with water from the kettle in it which you set your dishes inside). Bake for 15-20 minutes or until set with a slight wobble.
Leave until only just warm or cold to serve. If serving later, store in the fridge.
A way to use up the egg whites (although it's a pretty naughty treat) is to make a pavlova. You can easily reduce the size of my pavlova recipe and make a smaller one or use the two egg whites make mini pavlova recipe meringues (cook for the same time as the original recipe.) Alternatively use the egg white in a recipe where egg is only there to 'bind' ingredients or as a 'glue' like in chicken nuggets as that way you don't miss the flavour of the missing yolk.
Baked Vanilla Custards - makes 2
Ingredients
1 tbsp sugar
2 Egg yolks
150ml, 5 fl ounces, 2/3 cup Semi skimmed (2%) milk
1/4 tsp Vanilla extract or paste
Method
Preheat the oven to 180oC / 350F
Mix all the ingredients together, pour into two ramekins.
Put in a bain marie (a baking dish with water from the kettle in it which you set your dishes inside). Bake for 15-20 minutes or until set with a slight wobble.
Leave until only just warm or cold to serve. If serving later, store in the fridge.
Make it Thrifty:
The best way to save money while making this recipe is to make sure the oven is fully used so cook alongside other things although this is a pretty thrifty recipe as it is because it uses no cream.
Selasa, 07 Januari 2014
Smoked Mackerel Fish Cakes
I may worry (probably unduly) about my child's nutrition but it can be difficult to encourage kids to eat oily fish. Oily fish is an excellent source of Omega 3 oils. Omega 3 are a group of oils which, although the jury is out on the specific health effects; it's generally believed they're pretty good things to have in your diet. Sources include things like salmon, herring, sardines, mackerel, fresh tuna, pollock (at lower levels) etc. There are other sources but oily fish is the most concentrated. This might not look like a lot of mackerel in the recipe but there's about five times more omega 3 in mackerel than there is in cod.
So how to get this goodie into your child's diet? A challenge and I've linked some other oily fish recipes at the end if you'd like some more ideas!
Smoked Mackerel Fish Cakes - made 6
Ingredients
1 Potato (mine weighed just over 200g, 7oz before peeling)
85g, 3oz Butternut squash (peeled weight)
1 tsp mild, grainy mustard
25g, 1oz Hot smoked mackerel (i.e. the type which is ready to eat)
Spray oil
Method
Peel the potato and cut the butternut squash into chunks and then boil together in water for approx 20-25 mins or until fully cooked. Drain well then mash together using a potato masher. Allow to cool.
Flake the mackerel into the mash mix and add the mustard. The mix might be a bit soft but once you get your hands in it should be pretty mouldable.
Mix well then shape into fishcakes and put on a lined baking tray. Cover and chill until ready to cook.
When ready to cook, preheat an oven to 200oC, 400F, gas mark 6.
Uncover and spray the tops with spray oil. Bake for 25-30 mins or until brown.
My 3 year old ate 4 of them (he asked for seconds). I think that's a hit!
Here are some other great oily fish recipes for your family:
Tuna Meatballs
Fish Pie
Herb crusted Salmon
Baked Salmon Fishcakes
January's Family Foodies challenge is all about 'hidden goodies' and this recipe has hidden veg and Omega 3. I've submitted this along with a few other recipes to Bangers and Mash and Eat your veg's challenge:
So how to get this goodie into your child's diet? A challenge and I've linked some other oily fish recipes at the end if you'd like some more ideas!
Smoked Mackerel Fish Cakes - made 6
Ingredients
1 Potato (mine weighed just over 200g, 7oz before peeling)
85g, 3oz Butternut squash (peeled weight)
1 tsp mild, grainy mustard
25g, 1oz Hot smoked mackerel (i.e. the type which is ready to eat)
Spray oil
Method
Peel the potato and cut the butternut squash into chunks and then boil together in water for approx 20-25 mins or until fully cooked. Drain well then mash together using a potato masher. Allow to cool.
Flake the mackerel into the mash mix and add the mustard. The mix might be a bit soft but once you get your hands in it should be pretty mouldable.
Mix well then shape into fishcakes and put on a lined baking tray. Cover and chill until ready to cook.
When ready to cook, preheat an oven to 200oC, 400F, gas mark 6.
Uncover and spray the tops with spray oil. Bake for 25-30 mins or until brown.
My 3 year old ate 4 of them (he asked for seconds). I think that's a hit!
Make it Thrifty:
Try using leftover vegetables to make this to keep costs down and why not cook something else in the oven at the same time? Like sweet potato wedges to have on the side (or roast carrots and radishes like I did if you're feeling more adventurous) or a crumble for pudding?
Here are some other great oily fish recipes for your family:
Tuna Meatballs
Fish Pie
Herb crusted Salmon
Baked Salmon Fishcakes
January's Family Foodies challenge is all about 'hidden goodies' and this recipe has hidden veg and Omega 3. I've submitted this along with a few other recipes to Bangers and Mash and Eat your veg's challenge:
Senin, 23 Desember 2013
Simple salt free poultry stock and how to make gravy
It's Christmas Eve Eve (i.e. the 23rd) and I picked up our goose yesterday from Seldom Seen farm. Yes, goose is an extravagance but even at the pampered free range prices you're looking at less than £3 per portion for each meal we will eat it for. You can't even get a meal in a Toby carvery for that!
So we're having goose but even if we have turkey I always make stock a day or two in advance. I've been warned though that although you get masses of fat (great for roast potatoes) juices can be a bit thin on the ground with a goose so I'm making some stock.
Stock is stupidly easy to make. Think about it as bones and water and you get the idea. At other times of year I make stock from left over roast bones (especially chicken) but for Christmas it gets a bit special, albeit not expensive.
So why chicken wings? It's all the skin, bones and stringy bits which make stock taste great and wings are not only cheap, they're full of that stuff.
Scared of giblets? Get over it. They are basically a free bit of the bird and full of flavour. Use them!
Simple Poultry Stock - mine made approx 1 pint, just over half a litre of stock
Ingredients
Up to 1kg (approx 2lbs) of chicken wings - if you don't have any, it's still worth making but might not be as strongly flavoured
Turkey, chicken, duck or goose giblets (but not the liver; heart, and neck are great and any other bits and bobs they throw in)
2 Bay leaves
Water to cover
Method
You can just cook this from raw but to add extra flavour, I roast the wings first. (It's all about the Maillard reaction if you want to know!) Roast them for 40 mins approx at 200oC / 400F or until lovely and brown. I do this on baking paper so I can get as much of the sticky brown bits off as possible.
A slow cooker is ideal for making the stock. If you have one, put everything in, the giblets, roasted wings and bay leaves then boiling water to cover. If you only have a sauce pan, do the same and put on the heat.
Bring to a boil on high on the slow cooker or on the hob then turn down and simmer with the lid on (or put on low) for approx 2 hours for the hob or 3-4 hours for a slow cooker. Keep an eye on it if it's on the hob and add more water if needed.
Strain, remove any fat (see below), and taste. If it tastes a bit weak, put into a saucepan and reduce (boil off some of the water) until it's flavourful (or you can do that later when you're making the gravy.)
Because this is totally salt free, it's great for gravy for babies or if you have too much, make some risotto. Otherwise if you want to, mix with any juices from your roast bird on the big day (removing any fatty layer first) then heat to a boil. Mix with cornflour / cornstarch paste (made by mixing cornflour with cold water in a cup then pouring in, whisking constantly) to thicken bringing back to the boil stirring constantly. Start with 1 tbsp of cornflour mixed with about 1-2 tbsp water. You might need more but you can't take it out once you put it in so add it slowly until it's at the consistency you like. Add seasoning if you think it needs it.
I hope you have a very merry and very tasty Christmas!
Fat; goose fat is a marvellous thing and a tasty thing. If you get a fatty lump in with your goose giblets, don't throw it away. Put it in with your stock then, when it's cooling, scoop off the layer (the rendered fat) and save it for either putting on the goose thighs to help them not burn during cooking or for roasting your spuds!
So we're having goose but even if we have turkey I always make stock a day or two in advance. I've been warned though that although you get masses of fat (great for roast potatoes) juices can be a bit thin on the ground with a goose so I'm making some stock.
Stock is stupidly easy to make. Think about it as bones and water and you get the idea. At other times of year I make stock from left over roast bones (especially chicken) but for Christmas it gets a bit special, albeit not expensive.
So why chicken wings? It's all the skin, bones and stringy bits which make stock taste great and wings are not only cheap, they're full of that stuff.
Scared of giblets? Get over it. They are basically a free bit of the bird and full of flavour. Use them!
Simple Poultry Stock - mine made approx 1 pint, just over half a litre of stock
Ingredients
Up to 1kg (approx 2lbs) of chicken wings - if you don't have any, it's still worth making but might not be as strongly flavoured
Turkey, chicken, duck or goose giblets (but not the liver; heart, and neck are great and any other bits and bobs they throw in)
2 Bay leaves
Water to cover
Method
You can just cook this from raw but to add extra flavour, I roast the wings first. (It's all about the Maillard reaction if you want to know!) Roast them for 40 mins approx at 200oC / 400F or until lovely and brown. I do this on baking paper so I can get as much of the sticky brown bits off as possible.
A slow cooker is ideal for making the stock. If you have one, put everything in, the giblets, roasted wings and bay leaves then boiling water to cover. If you only have a sauce pan, do the same and put on the heat.
Bring to a boil on high on the slow cooker or on the hob then turn down and simmer with the lid on (or put on low) for approx 2 hours for the hob or 3-4 hours for a slow cooker. Keep an eye on it if it's on the hob and add more water if needed.
Strain, remove any fat (see below), and taste. If it tastes a bit weak, put into a saucepan and reduce (boil off some of the water) until it's flavourful (or you can do that later when you're making the gravy.)
Because this is totally salt free, it's great for gravy for babies or if you have too much, make some risotto. Otherwise if you want to, mix with any juices from your roast bird on the big day (removing any fatty layer first) then heat to a boil. Mix with cornflour / cornstarch paste (made by mixing cornflour with cold water in a cup then pouring in, whisking constantly) to thicken bringing back to the boil stirring constantly. Start with 1 tbsp of cornflour mixed with about 1-2 tbsp water. You might need more but you can't take it out once you put it in so add it slowly until it's at the consistency you like. Add seasoning if you think it needs it.
I hope you have a very merry and very tasty Christmas!
Fat; goose fat is a marvellous thing and a tasty thing. If you get a fatty lump in with your goose giblets, don't throw it away. Put it in with your stock then, when it's cooling, scoop off the layer (the rendered fat) and save it for either putting on the goose thighs to help them not burn during cooking or for roasting your spuds!
Selasa, 10 Desember 2013
No added sugar, nut free Granola
I find commercial granolas a bit too sweet if I'm honest and although my son loves things like this for breakfast, they're also pretty expensive and, as a three year old, there is still a choking risk on larger nuts. Not of course if you make it yourself and control what goes in! This is refined sugar free!
I have to be totally honest and say the chunks weren't all as quite as big as I would have liked but I suspect I might have to add more honey to make that happen. There were some satisfyingly large bits though and a tasty and pretty healthy option for breakfast.
This should be for over 1's only due to the honey but also be guided by your child and their ability to chew the delicious chunky bits! My son has been eating things like this since he was around 2 years old.
Ingredients
2 tbsp Runny honey (substitute for golden syrup, maple syrup or agave nectar to make vegan)
2 tsp Oil (chose a mild, flavourless oil with high monounsaturates for health, like rapeseed)
1 tsp Vanilla extract
250g, 9oz Porridge oats
75g, 2.5oz Unsweetened dessicated coconut
4 tbsp Apple juice
2 tbsp Sunflower seeds
150g, 5.5oz Raisins
50g, 2oz Dried apple
Method
Preheat the oven to 170oC, 325F, Gas mark 3.
Mix the oats, coconut and seeds together in a bowl.
In a microwavable cup or jug mix the honey, vanilla, oil and juice. Microwave for approx 30-45 seconds or until the honey mixes in well with the remaining liquids.
Pour the liquids over the dry mix and mix in well. Turn onto a lined swiss roll tin and press into a layer.
Bake for approx 10 -15 minutes, give it all a stir and bake again for 5-10 more minutes; around 20 mins in total until you have crunchy browned pieces with no soggy bits.
Leave to cool then mix with the raisins, chopped up dried apple and pour into a sealable box (e.g. tupperware).
Serve with dairy or soy milk or yogurt and fruit. My son loved this and suddenly wasn't quite so interested in Shreddies anymore!
I've linked this up here.
I've linked this up here.
Make it Thrifty:
Look out for 'value' or 'smart price' packs of porridge oats, they work fine and are much cheaper than the branded varieties.
Kamis, 28 November 2013
Mushroom and Bacon Frittata
I started off making frittatas just for me and my son but it's a sign of a recipe which is a pretty good one when I start making it for myself when he's already in bed!
Another frittata recipe. Yes, I know, but they are good value, delicious, great warm or cold and a fantastic way to include both eggs and vegetables in your diet. For some reason my body was craving eggs and mushrooms today and I went with it. I didn't twig until I'd finished my meal how I'd chosen two foods high in dietary vitamin D. What could I be craving? Sunshine of course. Now the nights are drawing in, our bodies aren't seeing the light so much so what could be better?
Mushroom and Bacon Frittata - Serves 2 adults easily
Ingredients
80g, 3oz Smoked bacon
100g, 3.5oz Mushrooms
100g, 3.5oz Red onion, finely diced
1 tsp Olive oil
4 Eggs
3 tbsp Milk
1 and a half tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
60g, 2oz Extra Mature (Extra Sharp) Cheddar
A few sprigs of fresh thyme
Method
Preheat an oven to 180oC, 350F, Gas Mark 4.
Chop up the bacon and fry in a non stick frying pan until cooked, remove to a bowl to cool. Put the onions and oil into the frying pan and cook until softening and then add in the mushrooms and cook until browned. Add into the bowl to cool.
In a jug, mix the eggs, milk, cornflour and grated cheddar.
Mix the egg mix with the vegetables and bacon. Add in a little thyme and pour into a greased, lined baking dish. Mine is 15-17cm, 6-6.5inch round baking dish but flares out a bit from the base from this diameter.
Bake for 18-22 minutes or until cooked and firm.
Allow to cool a little and cut into wedges to serve or allow to cool completely.
Another frittata recipe. Yes, I know, but they are good value, delicious, great warm or cold and a fantastic way to include both eggs and vegetables in your diet. For some reason my body was craving eggs and mushrooms today and I went with it. I didn't twig until I'd finished my meal how I'd chosen two foods high in dietary vitamin D. What could I be craving? Sunshine of course. Now the nights are drawing in, our bodies aren't seeing the light so much so what could be better?
Mushroom and Bacon Frittata - Serves 2 adults easily
Ingredients
80g, 3oz Smoked bacon
100g, 3.5oz Mushrooms
100g, 3.5oz Red onion, finely diced
1 tsp Olive oil
4 Eggs
3 tbsp Milk
1 and a half tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
60g, 2oz Extra Mature (Extra Sharp) Cheddar
A few sprigs of fresh thyme
Method
Preheat an oven to 180oC, 350F, Gas Mark 4.
Chop up the bacon and fry in a non stick frying pan until cooked, remove to a bowl to cool. Put the onions and oil into the frying pan and cook until softening and then add in the mushrooms and cook until browned. Add into the bowl to cool.
In a jug, mix the eggs, milk, cornflour and grated cheddar.
Mix the egg mix with the vegetables and bacon. Add in a little thyme and pour into a greased, lined baking dish. Mine is 15-17cm, 6-6.5inch round baking dish but flares out a bit from the base from this diameter.
Bake for 18-22 minutes or until cooked and firm.
Allow to cool a little and cut into wedges to serve or allow to cool completely.
Make it Thrifty:
Look out for bacon offcut packs as these are often a much more cost effective way of buying bacon to cook with.
Senin, 25 November 2013
Baked Cherry Custard
This isn't a sugar free recipe but at only 2 tsp added sugar per portion and a step towards your five a day, it's not terrible!
I started trying to think of a custard recipe, then thought "what fruit could I include" and before I knew it, it was almost a clafoutis except a gluten free one. Best served warm or cold not hot.
Baked Cherry Custard - Makes 3 puddings
Ingredients
150g, 5.5oz Frozen pitted cherries
2 tbsp Sugar
2 Egg yolks
150ml, 5.5 fl oz Semi skimmed (2%) milk
1/4 tsp Almond extract (or vanilla if you prefer)
Method
Preheat the oven to 180oC, 350F, Gas Mark 4.
Heat the cherries with 1 tbsp sugar until releasing the juice and starting to reduce. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to three small ramekins. Save the juice if liked for cheffy drizzles later!
Mix the remaining sugar, eggs, milk and extract and whisk together. Pour carefully on top of the cherries and bake in a bain marie (deep baking dish with hot water poured up the sides of the dishes) for 15-20 minutes or until cooked with a slight wobble.
Make it Thrifty:
I started trying to think of a custard recipe, then thought "what fruit could I include" and before I knew it, it was almost a clafoutis except a gluten free one. Best served warm or cold not hot.
Baked Cherry Custard - Makes 3 puddings
Ingredients
150g, 5.5oz Frozen pitted cherries
2 tbsp Sugar
2 Egg yolks
150ml, 5.5 fl oz Semi skimmed (2%) milk
1/4 tsp Almond extract (or vanilla if you prefer)
Method
Preheat the oven to 180oC, 350F, Gas Mark 4.
Heat the cherries with 1 tbsp sugar until releasing the juice and starting to reduce. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to three small ramekins. Save the juice if liked for cheffy drizzles later!
Mix the remaining sugar, eggs, milk and extract and whisk together. Pour carefully on top of the cherries and bake in a bain marie (deep baking dish with hot water poured up the sides of the dishes) for 15-20 minutes or until cooked with a slight wobble.
Make it Thrifty:
To make this recipe more economical to cook; put in the oven at the same time as something else so you're not wasting the heat. Why not pop in while my chicken tray bake is cooking?
Minggu, 17 November 2013
Child friendly Prawn Laksa
Laksa isn't an obvious choice for a preschooler but why not? Most kids I know are fans of prawns and noodles.
I've toned this all down a bit to make it friendly for kids who aren't big fans of spice. Although my son does have more spice in his food than he sometimes realises, last time his Dad cooked him a curry, he was less then keen and apparently ended up eating fish fingers so I went gentle (but noticeable) on the spicing here.
He looked at it. Said "I don't think I like that"
I said "Have you tried a prawn?"
He said "Ooh, no"
Has a couple of bites, then starts eating the mushrooms and noodles. I'm trying to photograph my portion while my stomach is rumbling because it smells pretty good (I'm not one of those food bloggers who cooks to photograph, I cook to eat.)
"Mummy this is yummy"
And indeed it was :-)
A touch too mild for me but there was spice there and a real depth of flavour. You can do as I did and slice up a little raw red chilli to put on top for a bit of zing. It's great to be able to make a dish that you can adapt for everyone in the family without feeling you're having a huge turkey twizzler compromise or reaching for the pack of emergency fish fingers...
Don't be scared by the long list of ingredients, this is a piece of cake.
Laksa - Serves 1 adult and 1 child
Ingredients
Paste
50g, scant 2oz Onion, chopped (half an onion)
2 Garlic cloves, chopped
1 heaped tsp smooth peanut butter
2 slices of green chilli, seeds removed (approx 1/4 of a chilli, use more if liked)
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp chopped ginger (see 'make it thrifty' below)
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp water
For the Laksa
1 tsp vegetable oil
150g, 5oz raw prawns (see 'make it thrifty' below)
100g, 3.5oz mushrooms
Half of a tin, approx 200ml, 7 fl oz canned coconut milk
1/2 tsp cornflour (cornstarch)
1 tbsp fish sauce
Juice of half a lime
1 tbsp fresh coriander (cilantro) plus more to serve
150g, 5oz straight to wok rice noodles (see 'make it thrifty' below)
Additional lime and chilli to serve if liked.
Method
Chop the onion and garlic and put into a jug or small blender with the remaining paste ingredients. Blend until smooth (I use a stick blender and a jug which I find which is the best way to make a spice paste as in a large blender, you often find bits get stuck). You can make this earlier in the day and leave it covered in the fridge if you like.
When ready to cook, devein the prawns if liked (I prefer to if I have time) and quarter the mushrooms (or halve if small).
Heat a tsp of oil in a wok, add the paste and heat through. Add the coconut milk (make sure if you're using half a can you use half of the thick stuff and half of the thin) and another tbsp fish sauce and bring to the boil. Add the mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes. Add the prawns, after a minute add the cornflour (cornstarch) mixed with a little water before adding. Bring to a bubble and put in the noodles.
Heat through then add the lime juice and chopped coriander (cilantro) then serve sprinkling with extra coriander (cilantro) leaf, lime and sliced red chilli if liked.
Make it Thrifty:
I've toned this all down a bit to make it friendly for kids who aren't big fans of spice. Although my son does have more spice in his food than he sometimes realises, last time his Dad cooked him a curry, he was less then keen and apparently ended up eating fish fingers so I went gentle (but noticeable) on the spicing here.
He looked at it. Said "I don't think I like that"
I said "Have you tried a prawn?"
He said "Ooh, no"
Has a couple of bites, then starts eating the mushrooms and noodles. I'm trying to photograph my portion while my stomach is rumbling because it smells pretty good (I'm not one of those food bloggers who cooks to photograph, I cook to eat.)
"Mummy this is yummy"
And indeed it was :-)
A touch too mild for me but there was spice there and a real depth of flavour. You can do as I did and slice up a little raw red chilli to put on top for a bit of zing. It's great to be able to make a dish that you can adapt for everyone in the family without feeling you're having a huge turkey twizzler compromise or reaching for the pack of emergency fish fingers...
Don't be scared by the long list of ingredients, this is a piece of cake.
Laksa - Serves 1 adult and 1 child
Ingredients
Paste
50g, scant 2oz Onion, chopped (half an onion)
2 Garlic cloves, chopped
1 heaped tsp smooth peanut butter
2 slices of green chilli, seeds removed (approx 1/4 of a chilli, use more if liked)
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp chopped ginger (see 'make it thrifty' below)
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp water
For the Laksa
1 tsp vegetable oil
150g, 5oz raw prawns (see 'make it thrifty' below)
100g, 3.5oz mushrooms
Half of a tin, approx 200ml, 7 fl oz canned coconut milk
1/2 tsp cornflour (cornstarch)
1 tbsp fish sauce
Juice of half a lime
1 tbsp fresh coriander (cilantro) plus more to serve
150g, 5oz straight to wok rice noodles (see 'make it thrifty' below)
Additional lime and chilli to serve if liked.
Method
Chop the onion and garlic and put into a jug or small blender with the remaining paste ingredients. Blend until smooth (I use a stick blender and a jug which I find which is the best way to make a spice paste as in a large blender, you often find bits get stuck). You can make this earlier in the day and leave it covered in the fridge if you like.
When ready to cook, devein the prawns if liked (I prefer to if I have time) and quarter the mushrooms (or halve if small).
Heat a tsp of oil in a wok, add the paste and heat through. Add the coconut milk (make sure if you're using half a can you use half of the thick stuff and half of the thin) and another tbsp fish sauce and bring to the boil. Add the mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes. Add the prawns, after a minute add the cornflour (cornstarch) mixed with a little water before adding. Bring to a bubble and put in the noodles.
Heat through then add the lime juice and chopped coriander (cilantro) then serve sprinkling with extra coriander (cilantro) leaf, lime and sliced red chilli if liked.
Make it Thrifty:
I buy frozen ginger as it means it doesn't go off. It's not that different in price to fresh ginger and it's frozen in portions of about a tbsp. For this, just allow it to defrost before making the paste. I also buy raw prawns frozen. The great thing about buying them frozen is you can be sure of the freshness and again you're not going to have the waste. Or you could make it with vegetables instead.
In general I'm not a fan of the straight to wok noodles (sorry manufacturers), I find them too soft. The only reason I used them here was because I couldn't get any dried rice noodles but you can make it far cheaper by using dried noodles and cooking as per pack instructions.
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