Gluten-free Baking: Apple, Pear & Raisin Cake

This is my latest experiment in gluten-free baking: it has a damper, more solid texture than a regular cake but I think it works well with the fruit. For me Ella's recipes have been a bit hit-and-miss so far but this one is a winner! The ingredients and flavours suggest autumn and winter but this still tasted delicious in July.

3 red apples (or whatever eating apples you have) peeled, cored and roughly chopped
2 pears, peel, cored and roughly chopped
225 g raisins (I used a mixture of raisins and currants)
200g ground almonds
100g chopped pecans
160g brown rice flour
150ml almond milk
4 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp cashew butter
1 tbsp coconut oil
3 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Put apples, pears and cinnamon in a small saucepan and cook gently for about 10 minutes or until they break down into a lumpy puree.
2. Place all remaining ingredients except raisins and pecans into a food processor and blend until smooth.
3. Add the apple and pear mixture and blend again.
4. Stir in the raisin and pecans then spread into a greased and lined springform tin about 23cm in diameter.
5. Cook at 180c for 40-60 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
6. Allow to cool in the tin as the cake is more fragile than one made with regular flour.

Because this cake won't really rise you don't have to be scared about opening the oven to check it - the original recipe said 40 minutes but my oven definitely took 60. Keeps for about a week in a tin although I defy you to have any left after more than two days.

It's spicy, fruity and delicious AND healthy.  Refined-sugar-free, gluten-free, dairy-free - who knew that could taste so good?! Vegans: you shall have your cake and eat it!

                             

Courgette Spaghetti Four Ways

Courgette spaghetti - or courgetti, or zoodles depending on your preference - is my love affair of the fortnight. Since getting a spiralizer for my birthday I find myself spiralizing like a crazy person: but this truly is a game-changer for weeknight suppers. Dinner on the table in 15 minutes plus it's healthy, low-carb, low-fat and gluten-free.

These are four basic recipes that can all be prepared quickly and easily, and should feed two.


with Avocado Pesto
(inspired by Ella but again changed to my tastes and according to what was in the kitchen!)

80g brazil nuts
handful fresh basil leaves
2 avocados
juice 2 limes
salt and pepper
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil plus extra for frying
200g mushrooms, sliced thinly
100g sugarsnap peas
1 handful frozen peas
2 large courgettes

1. Heat some olive oil in a frying pan then add the mushrooms.
2. While they cook, blitz the brazil nuts in a food processor until very finely chopped.
3. Add the olive oil, avocado, lime juice and basil then blend until it forms a smooth sauce.
4. Taste and season and necessary, adjusting the oil/citrus balance according to taste.
5. When the mushrooms start to crisp, add the sugarsnaps and frozen peas and stir together.
6. Spiralize your courgettes.
7. When the vegetables are ready (the green ones only really need heating through) add the courgette spaghetti and the pesto to the pan, then stir well to mix and heat it through for 2-3 minutes.
8. Serve and enjoy!

I loved the fresh limey-ness of this sauce - you could use whatever green vegetables you like. I am generally led by whatever is in the fridge and needs using. Any leftover pesto is great on salads or as a dip.



with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
250g chestnut mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 leek, thinly sliced
1 tsp dried tarragon
good slug of marsala
250ml soya single cream (for a non-vegan alternative my preference is half-fat creme fraiche)
1 tbsp nutritional yeast (non-vegan alternative 30g parmesan or pecorino)
salt and pepper
2 large courgettes

1. Heat some oil in a frying pan then add the onion - salt it so that it doesn't colour too much and cook for a few minutes until it starts to soften.
2. Add the garlic and fry for another minute.
3. Add the mushrooms, leeks and tarragon (absolutely substitute fresh herbs if you have them) and cook for five minutes or so. Keep stirring - you don't want them to colour too much or it will make the sauce very brown.
4. When the mushrooms are cooked (to how you like - I like very soft in a sauce) slosh in some marsala and stir. I never measure so I can't be more specific - but wines are wonder ingredients in cooking and I love them. And mushrooms love marsala (if you don't have any then a dry sherry like amontillado is also good. But get some it's invaluable).
5. Pour in the soya cream and stir well. Season generously - it has a slightly sweet taste so I like a lot of salt and pepper; a squeeze of lemon is also good if you like.
6. Add the nutritional yeast (or cheese) and stir again, then add the courgette noodles and stir well to combine.
7. Cook for a few minutes until hot then serve with some chopped parsley or tarragon.

Although soya cream is light, as is the courgetti, this is still a surprisingly rich dish. I am greedy but was defeated. If using cheese grate some over the top before serving, but do not be tempted to do this with nutritional yeast. It gives a slightly cheesy flavour but it is NOT cheese!



with Puttanesca Sauce

2 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
4 anchovies (omit for vegetarian/vegan)
1/2tsp chilli flakes
50g black olives roughly chopped
1 tbsp capers, chopped if large
150ml passata
1/2 tin chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato puree
few springs of flat-leaf parsley, leaves chopped

1. Heat some olive oil in a frying pan and cook the garlic gently for 30 seconds.
2. Add the anchovies and stir to help them break up and kind of dissolve.
3. Add all the other ingredients except the parsley and cook for five minutes to let all the flavours come together. Season to taste.
4. Spiralize your courgettes and add to the pan. Stir thoroughly through the sauce.
5. Cook for 5-10 minutes until the courgetti is cooked but still retaining some bite.
6. Stir through the parsley and serve.

There are millions of versions of puttanesca sauce so really you should adjust to whatever pleases you most. For a vegetarian/vegan version omit the anchovies and increase the amount of capers and olives. This article from The Guardian is a really interesting starting point for developing your own signature puttanesca.


with Walnut and Sundried Tomato 'Pesto'

200g sundried tomatoes in oil
100g shelled walnuts
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 red chilli
2 sprigs basil
1/2 jar artichoke hearts

1. Toast the walnuts in a frying pan for a few minutes then shake in a colander to get rid of any excess skin.
2. Place all ingredients in a food processor (about 4 tbsp of the oil and keep the rest) and blend to your desired consistency - I like it still with some texture.
3. Heat some of the tomato oil in a frying pan and spiralize your courgettes. Add to the pan with about half the pesto mixture.
4. Stir thoroughly to combine - you may need to add a bit of water to loosen the mixture.
5. Slice the artichoke hearts into wedges and add to the pan.
6. Cook for 5-10 minutes then serve topped with some torn basil leaves.

This makes at least twice the quantity of pesto you need but it's worth doing extra. It keeps for about a week in the fridge and is great as a dip, with roasted vegetables, instead of mayo in a sandwich - anything you would use a regular pesto for really! I adapted this from a recipe by Sophie Grigson - you could add whatever vegetable you like here in place of the artichokes.


It's surprising how filling all these dishes are. I can't eat more courgette spaghetti than the normal kind which makes no sense given that it is vegetable with a high water content. You can serve all of these without cooking the courgette or cook to soften according to preference. Equally a spiralizer usually has three blades that roughly equate to spaghetti, tagliatelle and pappardelle - so use whichever you prefer and adjust cooking time accordingly.

During these experiments I've found that raw courgetti gives me very painful indigestion so I now cook it thoroughly. I googled and apparently some of us find it harder than others to digest raw vegetables - and courgette is a common culprit!

Happy zoodling and would love to see other peoples ideas!

Weekend Brunch: Clean & Lean Pancakes

Is there anything more indulgent than pancakes for breakfast at the weekend?? Everyone loves them and these two recipes are seriously easy to make. They are both thick american-style pancakes and I love them both equally.

They both need a very good non-stick frying pan or they will stick and you'll end up using too much oil. Use a gentle heat or they can burn without being cooked inside (as you'll see from one of my photos!) If making for more people than specified here keep warm in a dish in a low oven until you have enough for everyone.

Arbonne Protein Pancakes (serves 1-2)

2 scoops Arbonne Vanilla Protein Powder (vegan, gluten- and sugar-free)
1 egg
1 ripe banana
generous splash almond milk (or the type you prefer)
1/2 tsp cinnamon

1. Use a fork to mash the banana then beat in the other ingredients.
2. The consistency should be thick but pourable so the amount of milk you need will depend on how ripe your banana is.
3. Heat a small amount of coconut oil in a large frying pan then spoon in the mixture and spread into a rough circle -this quantity will give you 3 or 4 depending on how big you make them.
4. Cook gently until the bottom comes easily away from the pan and the top is no longer liquid, then turn and cook for a few minutes on the other side.
5. Serve with coconut yoghurt and fresh berries.

This is the fastest recipe of the two and you can alter the flavouring according to what you fancy as the vanilla taste of the powder is quite mild. It's a very protein rich recipe which I like - I'm going to experiment with more banana and no egg to see if I can make a vegan version.


Sweet Potato Pancakes 
(serves 2-3, adapted from Deliciously Ella)

200g sweet potato, peeled and chopped
200ml oat milk or your preferred alternative
200g brown rice flour
2 tbsp agave nectar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1. Steam or boil the sweet potato chunks for about 10 minutes or until really soft.
2. Place in a blender or food processor with the other ingredients and blitz until really smooth.
3. Heat a small amount of coconut oil in a large frying pan then spoon in about 4 tbsp and form into two circles (you can make more smaller ones if you prefer - one big one tends to break up).
4. Cook gently until the bottom comes easily away from the pan and the top is no longer liquid, then turn and cook for a few minutes on the other side.
5. Serve with coconut yoghurt or apple puree and fresh berries.

Neither of these recipes keep well once cooked (although you can make the batter in advance and keep in the fridge). So best to eat them all in one go!

                         

Click here for more info or to order the protein powder

In Search of the Perfect Burger: Chickpea & Sweetcorn

A burger is an awesome thing, and I am a big fan of a veggie burger. I was looking for something to cook a stressed-out flatmate for dinner last week but still wanted to stay healthy: vegan burger is the answer!

So just in time for the weekend, here's my first attempt (which I've now cooked twice).

This is a Jamie Oliver recipe from his website and I absolutely loved it. When it looks this good in the food processor you know it's going to be delicious! They've got a crisp outside but a really soft moist consistency inside - so if you're worried about a veggie burger being dry, there's no chance of that here.

Chickpea & Sweetcorn Burger
Makes 4

1 400g tin chickpeas
1 340g tin sweetcorn
1/4 bunch fresh coriander
1/4 bunch flat-leaf parsley
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp paprika 
zest of 1 lemon
3 heaped tbsp brown rice flour (or alternative) plus more for dusting

1. Put all ingredients in the food processor and pulse until roughly blended: you want it chopped but not smooth.

2. Dust a surface with flour and shape into 4 equal sized patties. It's quite a wet mixture, don't worry.

3. Refrigerate for around 30 minutes to firm up.

3. Heat some olive oil in a frying pan and cook for about 15 minutes, turning once, until golden and crisp on the outside.

In my first photo I served this like a traditional burger: in a bun with lettuce, tomato and ketchup. I'm not giving the bread recipe here as it was pretty awful (Deliciously Ella's Sundried Tomato Foccacia). We didn't like it but the cat did.

Second time I served in a chickpea wrap with chilli sauce and slaw. It works in both!

The slaw is based on Nigella Lawson's Vietnamese Chicken & Mint Salad. The dressing is amazing and I can't get enough of it. Hot, sour, zingy - it must be tried!

Asian-style Slaw

1/4 red cabbage, finely sliced
1/4 white cabbage, finely sliced
1 white onion, finely sliced
2 large carrots, coarsely grated
1/2 bunch mint, leaves finely sliced
1 hot thai chilli, finely chopped (deseed if you don't want it too hot)
1 fat clove of garlic, crushed
1 tbsp agave nectar
1.5 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1.5 lime juice
1.5 tbsp thai fish sauce or vegetarian alternative
1.5 tbsp vegetable oil

1. Mix the chilli, garlic, vinegar, agave, lime juice, fish sauce, oil, onion and black pepper to taste. Set aside for 30 minutes.
2. Combine the other ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss thoroughly to coat everything.

This keeps for several days in the fridge. Do experiment with other vegetables: the second time I used carrot and beetroot because it's what I had and that worked too.

I'm going to try lots more veggie burgers as the summer goes on in search of the ultimate recipe so watch this space!

                     

Soup for Summer: Lettuce, Pea & Mint

Seems like I've gone soup crazy after yesterday's post but I guess I'm just making ti a lot at the moment!

I so often seem to end up with a bag of salad in the fridge that's not fresh enough to use as salad and it drives me crazy throwing it away. So I googled (seem to say that a lot) and apparently lettuce soup is the thing to do.

Lettuce, Pea & Mint Soup

350g lettuce (any kind, and less is fine if that's what you have)
1 white onion
1 clove garlic, crushed
350g frozen peas
400g courgettes
1 pack mint (about 25g)
1 litre vegetable stock

1. Finely chop or food process the onion and courgettes (but separately).
2. Heat some olive oil and cook the onion for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
3. Add the peas, courgettes, mint, lettuce and stock.
4. Season and simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Blend until smooth, taste and season again if required.

The recipe I adapted this from was supposed to be 750g of peas and no courgettes but I only had 350g and many courgettes. It worked! But it's a good illustration of how soups are really flexible and you shouldn't worry too much about exact quantities. I loved this soup both hot and cold and it's a lovely summery flavour.

I also learnt something crazy from the wonderful lifehacker.com: when you have a whole lettuce, don't throw away the bottom stump that you cut off. If you plant it the lettuce will regrow! Credit to them for this photo and will take one when I've tried it myself!

Soup of the Evening, Beautiful Soup

I love soup. It's the most brilliant food. I take it to work for lunch several times a week and as long as you have some in the freezer then you always have an emergency dinner that can be ready in just a few minutes.

I make new kinds often but these two are really my go-to recipes: the quickest and easiest.

Yellow Split Pea & Vegetable
(makes a huge quantity, at least 8 main course servings)

2 white onions
2 leeks
4 sticks celery
2 large carrots
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2-3 litres vegetable stock
500g dried yellow split peas
1 tbsp dried mixed herbs
1 tsp dried chilli flakes (optional)
salt & pepper

1. Finely chop all the vegetables or blitz in the food processor.
2. Heat some olive oil in a pan then sweat all the vegetables together for five minutes or so with the herbs and chilli flakes if using. 
3. Add the garlic and cook for another couple of minutes making sure it doesn't burn.
4. Add the split peas and mix to combine. Add 2 litres of stock and stir again.
5. Simmer for 45-60 minutes until the split peas are soft, adding more liquid as necessary (maybe check every 15 mins or so).
6. Season well: remember it's a big quantity so will need quite a lot.
7. Blend to your desired consistency: I like it fairly smooth but not completely. A stock blender is good for leaving some pieces whole.
8. Taste and adjust seasoning again.

This can be altered to fit really any quantity of mixed root vegetables - whatever you have. A slug of cooking sherry makes it even better.


Mushroom
(makes about 4-6 servings)

1 white onion
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 medium carrot
2 stick celery
600g mushrooms (any kind, nothing fancy)
2 tsp dried tarragon
1-2 litres vegetable stock

1. Finely chop all the vegetables or blitz in the food processor.
2. Heat some olive oil and sweat all the vegetables together with the tarragon for 5 minutes or until the onion starts to soften.
3. Add 1.5 litres of stock and simmer for 15 minutes, add some more then if it needs it.
4. Season well then blend until smooth.

VERY much recommend a slug of cooking sherry or marsala in here it really makes the mushrooms even more delicious. You can also finish the soup with a dash of cream (a couple of tablespoons is enough and you'll be surprised at how rich it makes the flavour).

Both these soups keep for 3-4 days in the fridge or freeze pretty much indefinitely. The split pea one in particular will probably need a bit of liquid adding on reheating.

I've recently taken a flask of these on a picnic too which was lovely with some Superfood Bread.

Note to self: take some more imaginative photos than just the finished soup in a bowl.....

Thai-style Steamed Fish

Super-quick post after yesterday's many-dish marathon: another off-the-cuff weeknight supper inspired by the awesome BBC Good Food website. Didn't know what I felt like but wanted something clean and healthy. The Boyfriend gets grumpy about too many vegan dinners so fish feels like a good compromise. Somehow.

2 fillets white fish (I used cod but I think something with more flavour would work better)
4 spring onions, finely sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 red or green chilli (or a mix of both) finely chopped
2 tbsp soy sauce
zest and juice of 1/2 lime
1 tsp sesame oil

1. Get a BIG piece of foil and place the fish in the middle.
2. Sprinkle the other ingredients over the top.
3. Seal up the parcel leaving lots of room at the top for steam to circulate.
4. Cook in a steamer for 15 minutes.
5. Serve with brown rice and your choice of greens (I did pak choi and broccoli).

You might like more lime. You might like a bit of honey for sweetness. You might like more or less of the ingredients above. It doesn't matter they're just the basic structure so jiggle till it's right for you: it's all yummy.

                         

Cat Party: Happy Foster-versary!

Last February my life changed when I agreed to foster my neighbours two cats while he found them a new permanent home. Fifteen months later and it looks like that home is us: I have become a proud and obsessive cat mummy. Despite the constant puking, toilet-drinking and litter-tray scooping, they truly light up my life and I wouldn't be without them.

Meet Duke (ginger) and Shadow (black).

Following the lead of our neighbours downstairs who invited my housemate, myself and the boys to their cat Storm's 'adopt-adversary' party, it seemed only right to mark the boys first year with us with a formal celebration. So a bit later than a year but a celebration none-the-less, we invited them back for the foster-versary party.

Naturally I ran amok searching in Pinterest for insane cat-themed party food ideas. I had to rein myself in slightly given that it was a school night and time was short, but not a bad effort.


Cocktails & Canapes

Ocean Water G&T's 
Just add a bit of blue food colouring, I was a little heavy-handed!

Kitty Kibble 
Fish crackers in a cat bowl - not one your cats actually use though!

Crudite Rainbow Fish
Chop vegetables of various colours into sticks then go crazy arranging them into a fish! The Boyfriend claimed it looked nothing like a fish but I was pretty happy!

Blue Cheese Dip 'Bubble'
Any dip you like but I love this one and it's really easy - you could have several to look even more like bubbles!

300ml sour cream
100g mayonnaise
150g strong blue cheese (roquefort or St. Agur are good)
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp worcestershire sauce

Blitz in a food processor then chill until ready to serve.





Starter

Smoked Salmon Pate with Crispy Potato Fish

for the pate:
150g smoked salmon trimmings
200g soft cheese
juice of half a lemon
tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped

1. Blitz in a food processor, taste and season. It'll need pepper but maybe not much salt as smoked salmon is already quite salty.
2. Do chop the dill before you put it in the food processor or you can get long pieces that don't get caught.
3. Decant into dish and chill until ready to serve.

for the crispy potato fish:

2 large baking potatoes
olive oil
salt & pepper

1. Wash the potatoes then chop into slices about 1cm thick.
2. Using a fish-shaped cookie cutter, cut a fish from the centre of each one; keep both pieces.
3. Put both the fish shapes and the remaining outer pieces into a dish and toss in some olive oil.
4. Season well then spread out on a baking tray.
5. Cook for about ten minutes at 180c until golden, then turn and repeat on other side.
6. Serve when crispy and cooked through - keep an eye on them as mine got burnt!



Main Course

Fish Pizzas

This makes two pizzas and serves 4-5 adults

for the pizza dough:

300g strong bread flour
1 tsp instant yeast
1tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
200ml warm water

1. In a large bowl mix together the dry ingredients then add the wet. Mix and bring together into a dough.
2. Turn onto a floured worksurface and knead for about ten minutes until smooth.
3. Roll out as thin as possible on a sheet of greaseproof paper then use a sharp knife to cut into a fish shape: no template just freestyle according to what will fit in your oven!

for the tomato sauce:

500ml passata
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried oregano

1. Mix all ingredients together in a pan then simmer for ten minutes or until thickened slightly.
2. Spread evenly over pizzas getting as close as possible to the edges.

for the toppings:

anything you like but I used the following -

1 bag grated mozzarella
1 bag grated cheddar
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
2 portobello mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 each red, orange and yellow peppers, thinly sliced
handful black olives, halved
1 pack pepperoni slices, halved
1 pack chorizo slices, halved

1. Sprinkle mixture of cheeses over each pizza.
2. Prepare all toppings and arrange on a tray.
3. Invite your guests into the kitchen to design their pizzas in teams!
3. Cook at 220c for about ten minutes: keep an eye on them as all ovens are a bit different. 
4. It will probably take two of you to get them into the oven on greaseproof paper but by all means use a pizza stone if you have one!



Dessert

Cat Litter Cake

I'm embarrassed to confess that I didn't make this but on another occasion with more time I definitely will. Bought cake us gross and this was particularly bad. However!

1. Make a sponge cake of whatever flavour you like as long as it is in a tray bake form. Ideally use a disposable tin tray that you can also serve it in.

2. Once cool, ice the cake with a layer of buttercream.

2. Blitz 1/2 packet of biscuits in the good processor to make tough crumble resembling cat litter - digestives or something that kind of colour. Sprinkle evenly over the surface to cover the buttercream.

3. Pipe chocolate fudge icing or similar into poo-shaped swirls (surreal moment, can't believe I'm typing this).

4. If you like add small piles of chocolate covered raisins.

5. You can go one step further serving cake in an actual litter tray and serving with a litter scoop (both new and clean of course!). I stopped short of this but make no promises for next time.

Fish Bowl Jelly

1. Depending on number of guests, make up the relevant quantity of lemon jelly or another pale colour. 

2. Add a small amount if blue food colouring to achieve your desired water effect.

3. Pour into your roundest glasses or one big fish bowl. 

4. As the jelly starts to set, push in some fish sweets so they are 'swimming'.

I used a vegetarian sugar-free jelly mix which may be why it wasn't clear - didn't look as good but I steer chest of gelatine. When I have more time I'll try a version using agar-agar flakes and see how it comes out. 

I also couldn't find fish sweets so had to substitute foam shrimp - I know you can get these in the states so maybe somewhere that sells American stuff.

Strawberry Mice

Large strawberries

Flaked almonds

Chocolate chips

Strawberry laces 

1. Wash, hull and halve the strawberries.

2. Assemble as per the picture using chocolate chips for eyes and nose, then flaked almonds for the ears.

3. If you want the tails to stay on when the mice are lifted from the plate you'll probably need to attach using a cocktail stick or maybe some royal icing or something that will set hard.

Deluxe party next time minus all the shortcuts. And yes I freely admit this is all crazy. But it was fun.

If you love the photos of Duke and Shadow, they're taken by my wonderful friend Kate from Kate and Dog Photography. Check out her website to book a shoot for your own babies! www.kateanddog.com

Lentil Bolognese

Bolognese is one of those dishes that we all do very differently, and only the family version we are used to will ever really be good enough! It's a serious comfort food and a great Friday night supper - but this week I changed to a plant-based version. It's inspired by the Deliciously Ella recipe but I've changed quantities and ingredients to make it taste the way a 'Wright' Spaghetti Bolognese should.

serves 4

2 small onions, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 medium carrots, grated
250g dried green or brown lentils
200g sundred tomatoes, chopped finely or blitzed in food processor
1 tin chopped tomatoes
200ml passata
250ml red wine
2 tsp dried oregano
salt & pepper 
500g brown rice spaghetti to serve

1. Heat some oil from the sundredi tomatoes in a large casserole-type pan and cook the onion for five minutes or until soft.
2. Add the garlic, carrots and lentils and cook for a couple of minutes. 
3. Add all the tomatoes, passata, wine, oregano and about 500ml boiling water: stir everything together and season well then put the lid on and simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Taste the mixture and add more wine, oregano or seasoning as necessary, then simmer for another 30 minutes or until the lentils are cooked (this may take longer).
5. Taste the mixture again and see what else you think it needs to make it taste authentic to you: I added more wine and seasoning than I would have done with a meat version and gradually as I went on rather than in one go.
6. When ready cook the spaghetti according to packet instructions then mix it all together to serve.


You need to keep an eye on the mixture as it's cooking as you may need to add more water - I never seem to use the exact same amount so I'd hesitate to be too prescriptive. But in principle keep stirring, keep tasting, keep adding things. Definitely keep notes of your own changes so you can re-create it another time. Freezes really well you just might need to add a bit more liquid on reheating.

Brown rice spaghetti is great - I strongly advise that you stay away from any supermarket 'gluten-free' pasta as this is usually a mixture of maize and white rice which gets squishy and horrible and tastes really bland.

I was really surprised how much this did taste like a regular bolognese! It was totally more-ish and I'd be very happy to eat this rather than a traditional version. I'd suggest a crispy green salad on the side as well with a nice sharp dressing.

Chorizo, New Potato & Haddock One-Pot

Having some new potatoes in the fridge yesterday and googling for ideas I found this great recipe on the BBC Good Food website. As always I've adjusted the quantities to what I wanted but I think what's great is that it doesn't really matter here - use what you have and it will be lovely. Cooking chorizo is a great ingredient to have in the fridge - lasts for ages and can create a feast out of nothing!

100g cooking chorizo (I used Unearthed extra-spicy)

400-500g new potatoes, sliced

100g cherry tomatoes, halved

15g flat-leaf parsley, chopped 

2 skinless boneless haddock fillets (or any chunky white fish)

Glass white wine

Crusty bread and green vegetables or salad to serve

1. Heat some olive oil in a large lidded frying pan.

2. Skin the chorizo then chop or break up into small pieces then add to the pan and stir. Cook for a few minutes until the chorizo starts to release its oils.

3. Slice the new potatoes, add to the pan and stir together. Season well.

4. Add about half a glass of white wine, stir, then put the lid on and leave to cook for 10 minutes.

5. Stir again to turn the potato slices and add a splash of water if the pan is dry, then put the lid back on and cook for another ten minutes.

6. Add the tomatoes and parsley then stir to combine.

7. Season the haddock fillets and place on top of the potatoes. Pour over the rest of the wine, put on the lid and cook for five minutes or until the fish is cooked through and flaky.

8. Serve with green vegetables or a crispy salad. Original recipe also suggests crusty bread which I didn't have but it would be nice as the dish gives out a lot of juices.

I loved this recipe and I'll be doing it again soon! You could substitute white beans for the potatoes if you like and any kind of white fish would be fine although I think chunky fillets would work better.

Definitely felt proud of myself having pulled this out of the bag in less than half an hour! 

Black Bean & Sweet Potato Fajitas, Tacos or Enchiladas

This is adapted from the wonderful 'Oh She Glows' by Angela Liddon: her blog is great and this book is a great investment. She is a truly imaginative vegan cook and I've loved all her recipes so far.

Next time I'm going to try making my own wraps/fajitas: you can't buy a good gluten-free one and gluten-free bread products in the supermarket tend to be full of all kinds of nasties. I'm not a taco fan so our group was divided over the best vehicle for the filling! I think this quantity probably serves 2......I like to be conservative. Better to have leftovers than go hungry.

for the enchilada sauce:

2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
500ml passata 

1. Mix all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer for about 30 minutes.

2. Taste and adjust the flavourings depending on how spicy you like it.

for the filling (makes 4 fajitas)

1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 cup sweet potato, cut into small chunks
1 red pepper, deseeded in cut into small chunks
6 balls frozen whole leaf spinach (or large handfuls fresh)
1 tin black beans
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1-2 tbsp lime juice
2 cups enchilada sauce (recipe above)
salt & pepper 

1. Heat some olive oil in a saute pan then add the onion and cook gently for a few minutes until soft.
2. Add the sweet potato and cook for a few minutes being careful not to burn, until it begins to soften (or you can pre-cook the potato separately if you prefer).
3. Add the garlic and spices and stir to coat everything in your pan.
4. Add the enchilada sauce, black beans, red pepper and spinach. Stir together then simmer for 10-15 minutes until the sweet potato is soft.
5. Taste and season accordingly.

Toppings (any/all/none of these as desired!) *

avocado mashed with lime juice
chopped fresh tomato
cashew sour cream
sliced spring onions

* Angela gives a recipe for an Avocado-Coriander Cream: I prefer just mashed avocado but her recipe is very nice.

Assembly:

I prefer these assembled as fajitas because I find it all a bit soggy when cooked as enchiladas but there are two options!

Option 1: heat fajitas/tacos in fairly hot oven for a few minutes. Spoon in filling, add some extra enchilada sauce, add your toppings and roll up.

Option 2: roll up fajitas with filling inside and place in ovenproof dish. Cover with enchilada sauce and bake for about 20 minutes at 180c. Serve and add any toppings you like.

For me this recipe was a revelation in terms of vegan cookery. It's utterly delicious and I would far rather have this than a traditional version with meat and dairy. Again, I'm NOT vegan although it's how I choose to eat a lot of the time. But the woman is a genius and this recipe is outstanding.

Ultimate Plant-Power Brunch

I'm a big fan of breakfast and brunch in all their forms so my sister staying was the perfect chance to try out a vegan one this morning. After all (to me at least) many of the great breakfast elements are vegetable-based anyway. So with a little inspiration from Deliciously Ella to augment my own imagination we've enjoyed an absolute feast.

All these elements are hugely simple in their own right and you can of course adjust the whole thing according to your preferences. All the following quantities serve four people, maybe woth some beans left over for another day.

Grilled Heritage Tomatoes


300g mixed small tomatoes (lots of colours look lovely and they all taste slightly different)
garlic oil
salt & pepper

1. Heat the grill to a high setting.
2. Halve the tomatoes and place in an oven dish.
3. Drizzle with garlic oil and season.
4. Grill for about 15 minutes or until soft.


Herby Mushrooms

300g large mushrooms
olive oil
1/2 tsp herbes de provence 
salt & pepper

1. Heat some olive oil in a pan and slice the mushrooms.
2. Add mushrooms to pan along with herbs and season.
3. Cook for 15 minutes over a medium heat, stirring occasionally until slightly crispy.


Wilted Garlicky Spinach

250g baby spinach
garlic oil

1. This hardly needs instructions but heat garlic oil in a large pan then ad spinach, stir, and put on the lid.
2. Cook for a few minutes over a low heat, stirring occasionally until all spinach fully wilted.


Home-made Baked Beans

2 tins chopped tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tins haricot beans, drained
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp ground cumin
squeeze of agave nectar (about a dessertspoon)
salt & pepper

1. put all the ingreidents in a pan, stir well to combine and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour.
2. Taste and adjust flavours according to your preference.
3. I like the beans to be soft but if you like them firmer then add to the mixture halfway though the cooking time.

Giant Hash Brown

(borrowed with gratitude from Deliciously Ella)

850g potatoes (I used 3 baking ones)
4 tbsp brown rice flour
5 tbsp apple puree (I use Biona)
LOTS of salt & pepper

1. Peel potatoes then grate onto a clean tea towel.
2. Squeeze out as much moisture as you can (it's quite a lot) then pat dry.
3. In a clean bowl mix the grated potato with the flour and apple until fully combined and sticky - it's easiest to use your hands for this.
4. Heat a medium frying pan with some olive oil then pour in the potato mix and flatten to cover the whole base of the pan evenly. A large pan will give you a big thin hash brown, I prefer smaller and fatter although it takes longer to cook. But both ways work.
5. Keep the heat fairly gentle so it doesn't burn and cook for about 15 minutes - you'll see the potato start to change colour as it cooks. 
6. When it starts to turn golden round the edges, flip over using a plate, add a bit of oil, and cook on the other side for another 15 minutes or so.
7. This can keep warm in a low oven while you prepare other things, then cut into wedges to serve.

When everything is ready serve up and enjoy! I also love mashed or sliced avocado (maybe with some lime juice and chilli) as an additional element and some millet or superfood toast would be nice too. Honestly, I think a runny poached egg would have made this perfection: I don't miss meat at all here but to me eggs are breakfast heaven.

All in all, this is a colourful, delicious plate bursting with vitamins and plant-based goodness. What better way to start a Saturday?

                

Love Your Leftovers: Lamb Stock & Scotch Broth

I love leftovers. It makes me happy to have a full fridge full of delicious things. But it's also magical to see something that looks finished transformed into a brand new meal.

So far I've not been a great fan of homemade stock but think probably because I just didn't manage a good one! But the lamb bone from Sunday's roast was too good to waste and after all, if we're going to eat meat I feel we should absolutely use it all.

I googled for a bit of help and loosely followed Gordon Ramsay's advice:

Lamb Stock

bone from 2kg leg of lamb (of whatever you have and scale up/down as necessary, small ones are fine too)
2 small onions
1 large carrot
1 leek
1 tsp black peppercorns
bay leaf
large sprig each of rosemary & thyme
1/2 glass white wine

1. Remove any remaining meat from bones then brush the bones with olive oil and roast at 200c for 60 minutes.
2. Chop vegetables into large chunks then heat some olive oil in a large soup pan and cook for about 5 minutes.
3. Pour in the wine and deglaze the pan, then add remaining ingredients and cover with cold water. 
4. Bring to the boil then simmer for 4-6 hours, removing any scum or fat that collects on the surface.
5. Sieve the stock then (this is the gross part) pick through the pieces to remove any more meat that has come away from the bone..
6. Freeze the stock or keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.

I've also never made Scotch Broth but again, I consulted Google as I wasn't sure what I should actually use the lamb stock for. I will say immediately that this is not a traditional or accurate recipe: it's just my interpretation based on what I had in the house

Scotch Broth

approx 2 litres stock (and be brazen about topping up from a cube if you homemade quantity wasn't enough)
2 small onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 large or 2 medium carrots, in small dice
2 sticks celery, in small dice
2 medium potatoes, in small dice
1/4 large swede, in small dice
2 leeks, finely chopped or sliced
250g yellow split peas (pearl barley is traditional but I avoid gluten)
1 large sprig each of rosemary, thyme, of whatever fresh herbs you might have (but woody types)
whatever quantity of leftover lamb you have, shredded small (even a tiny quantity is fine, after all what else would you use it for?!)
salt and pepper to season

1. Chop all the vegetables as directed.
2. Heat some oil in a pan then add the onions and celery, cook for a few minutes until they start to soften.
2. Add garlic and remaining vegetables, cook for a few minutes.
3. Add split peas, lamb, stock and herbs then season.
4. Bring to the boil then simmer with the lid on for about 50-60 minutes or until the split peas are cooked.
5. Stir every so often and add more water if necessary.
6. Taste and adjust seasoning - you'll be surprised how much soup needs especially with a homemade stock which doesn't contain salt.
7. Serve it up! 

Soups generally freeze well and I tend to make a large quantity and freeze half in portions. In my experience homemade soup doesn't keep very long in the fridge - I would say maybe three days. Mindful that I really should have included more photos here but it was an unplanned experiment so I have only the finished dish! I thought it was seriously delicious.

                              

Leaving Las Vegas

A week in Vegas (for a conference!) and some terrible jet-leg has turned me into a serious slacker on the blogging front. So definitely time to complete some of my half-finished drafts!

Travel and being away from home has also meant falling off the wagon on the food front. I'm going home in a minute to take measurements, get on the scales, and take a 'before' photo in my bikini (aaaagggghhh).

Tomorrow is the first day of my 'Evolution Challenge' - as well as returning to my fab plant-based recipes I'm also going to be using the Evolution range from Arbonne - vegan, gluten-free supplements which support healthy weight loss. As a consultant I'm a fan of all their products but I'm excited about using these and having a personal testimony. I have a minimum of 2.5 stone to lose so it's quite a challenge but I'm committed to being patient and doing it gradually.

I'm going to have a read of some great cookbooks tonight to get back in the right mindset and do some planning for the rest of the week. Those pictured below are my current favourites and I thoroughly recommend them all for their good advice, imaginative ideas and delightful approach to food, cooking and eating.

Think I must also face the fact that cutting out booze is going to be key....but can I actually face a dry 90 days?!

                    

Working Lunch at The Hampshire Hog

Every month I am lucky enough to have lunch at The Hampshire Hog in Hammersmith with my networking group - the Ravenscourt Park meeting of The Athena Network.

Since my first visit more than six months ago I have been struck both by the food and it's general loveliness so it seemed only right to write about it here.

It's a beautiful, light, airy interior with both comfy fireside chairs and an unexpected and delightful garden out the back. All the staff are friendly, helpful and a pleasure to deal with - and they make a great cup of coffee with the biggest selection of milks I've seen anywhere in West London (never mind do you have soya - there were two nut milks and a coconut milk too). Although I've yet to try them they also have a fab looking selection of cakes on display including gluten and dairy-free options.

The menu changes with the seasons and it's always fresh, tempting and made on the premises. Last week I had one of my best lunches so far: a cup of wonderful mushroom soup (I've had celeriac, aubergine and various others) followed by a Roasted Red Onion, Butternut Squash, Lentil and Apple Salad. Being in a vegan week of eating led me to choose a different option to my normal choice (both the Blue Cheese, Pear & Walnut and Prawn & Mango Asian-style salads are also yummy) but I was so glad I did. Unbelievably flavourful and leaving me energised for a busy afternoon.

So thank you Hampshire Hog for being a highlight of my month and I look forward to May. The Housemate assures me the weekend brunches are delicious so I'll be along for one of those very soon...


To book your own lunch at the Hampshire Hog, please visit their website http://www.thehampshirehog.com/

To find about more about The Athena Network or to book attendance as a visitor please click here, we'd love to welcome you. http://theathenanetwork.co.uk/london-west/

Saturday Heaven: Borough Market

Borough market is one of my favourite places in London. If you love food and cooking, it is irresistible.

Usually I am so lazy that I rarely arrive before 11.30 but this weekend we had breakfast booked at Roast so were there for 9.15. Our Roast experience is going to be a subject of another post so I won't expand on it here!

It's amazing how quiet the market is even at 10.30: I'm used to it being absolutely packed and a struggle to get anywhere but this was a revelation. Am absolutely resolved to always arrive early and make sure I'm gone by midday when it gets too crazy!

There's so many photos in this post because I always want to take so many while I'm there. It's all so beautiful and I want to capture it. I'm always particularly drawn in by the fruit and veg: they're such a glorious rainbow array of fresh colour. Turnips is probably my favourite and most frequented: they have such a huge selection and all sorts of more unusual varieties you might struggle to find outside a food market.

My advice would always be to visit on an empty stomach. There are endless tempting tastes for you at every stall and I actually felt a bit cheated this time having eaten first!

I will allow a coffee for the lovely walk along the river from Embankment: also one of the most beautiful views of London and a happy way to start your weekend.

I have to admit than it wouldn't be a trip to Borough without a few drinks but then who wouldn't like to wander with a cold prosecco in hand?! That's my go-to drink (yes, I confess it, possibly even at 11am) but the New Forest Cider stall is also wonderful - they have mulled cider throughout the year as well as a surprising array of variations and they're amazing experts. In fact that's one of the special things about this market: all the traders are infinitely knowledgeable and passionate about their produce - and you won't get that at a supermarket! You'll be surprised what amazing value lots of it is too.

Weekend boozing aside, my favourite snacks/lunch are the fab scallops from Shellseekers or the freshly shucked oysters from Richard Hayward. I'm too scared to do my own oysters at home so they are a proper treat.

Best mulled cider in London

For possibly the first time ever I am without a shopping list, and winging it in terms of dinner (yes I'm usually a crazy planner). It's a lovely experience to just buy what I feel like (whether it goes together or not!) and take the advice of the stallholders. It ended up being so simple that I'm not even going to type a proper recipe.

Scallops from Shellseekers

The lovely gent at the fish stall (sadly I can't remember which) advises plaice fillets. I can't resist adding a few scallops but cook them later exactly as he suggest: hot frying pan for just a few minutes. They are meltingly fresh and delicious - a thousand miles away from the frankly uninspiring pre-packed salmon fillets on the supermarket shelves.

Vegetables? A wealth of possibility. I plump for jerusalem artichokes and roast them in a hot oven in olive oil, sea salt and rosemary. A salad love, I can't resist the selection here: sorrel, mizuna, winter purslane and red mustard make a herby selection that's lovely with the fish. I did also make a salsa verde but it was really too strong for a delicate fish like plaice: which for me tasted lovely just as it was.

Borough-inspired dinner

I think it's important to do at least one fun activity every weekend: it's all too easy to let our time off slip by without truly enjoying it.

We trek home at 3pm, tired but happy and carrying a heavy coolbag full of our bounty. A beautiful London Saturday outside and a fresh seasonal dinner to follow.

Borough: I love you. Food for the stomach but also, undoubtedly, for the soul.


To find out more about all the fantastic traders at Borough Market, visit http://www.boroughmarket.org.uk/traders