Chicken stew - winter warmer

This one has worked out better then I planned. I used home made stock for the base however I did cheat and use a gravy powder. Still, won't argue with results. It tastes yummy!

Ingredients:

Flour (gf if needed)

2 chicken breasts, diced

1/2 cup of gravy powder (again gf if needed)

1 cup diced leek

4 cloves diced garlic

Italian herb mix to taste

Salt to taste

3 medium potatoes, diced

3 carrots, diced

2 parsnips, diced

For stock: 

Reserve of chicken bones and off cuts

Water

Directions:

1) Flour the diced chicken and brown in a well oiled pot (preferably the base of a steamer). Removed chicken from heat and place pieces in a bowl. Keep oils/juices in pot.

2) Place the bones and off cuts in the base of the steamer. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Place the carrots, potato, and parsnips in the second level of the steamer and place over boiling stock. Leave to boil until veggies are soft.

3) Remove veggies and place to the side. Seperate stock from chicken leftovers and left stock to cool in a bowl.

4) Using the now empty steamer based brown the garlic and leek.

5) Add the stock back to the pot with the browned chicken and bring to a simmer on a low heat.

6) Mix the gravy stock with some cool water, blending well.

7) Add veggies to chicken and stock, and then the gravy mix. Add water to cover veggies if needed and then bring to a boil.

8) Add herbs and salt to taste.

Homemade donuts

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of gluten free flour. (self-raising)
3 tbs of sugar
1 tsp mixed spice
1 tbs margarine
3/4 cup milk/dairy alternative

Large quantity of oil for deep frying
Sugar for dusting

Directions:

Mix dry ingredients well.  Melt margarine and stir the liquids into the flour to form a thick batter.

Bring your vat of oil up to a medium level of heat and drop portions of the batter in the oil to cook.  Because the dough will float naturally you will have to turn one during cooking to ensure the donuts cook all the way through.

When even golden brown remove the donuts from oil and drain.  When cooled slightly dust with sugar.

The cheaters guide to homemade flapjacks

Home made flapjacks the easy way.  All you need

- a 500g box of muesli

- 2 cups gluten-free flour

- 1/2 sugar

- enough water to combine

Stir all the dry ingredients, mix in water, then whack in the over at 220 celcius or gas mark 7 until cooked and you have hassle free flapjacks

Veggie damper

Damper, otherwise know as (a form of) unleavened bread.  A basic damper recipe includes only flour, and water.  While fulling, by itself, this is unsatisfying.

I have taken to adding herbs and veggies for a tastier and healthier meal. 

Allergen friendly batter

This must seem like an odd choice to devote a whole post to.  However batter is an important fashion of preserving meat flavors in all sorts of cooking methods.  It can also be used to add a unique taste to your dish with simple additions to a basic recipe.

The only ingredients you need for batter are flour and a liquid of some form.  Below I have listed some unique batter flavours you might like to try.

Plum batter - excellent for dishes that benefit form a sweet kick

1 cup flour, 1 tbs plum jam, and enough water to make a thick batter

Lemon batter

1 cup flour, 1/4 lemon juice, 1 tbs sugar, and enough water to make a thick batter

Herbed batter

1 cup flour, 1 tbs mixed herbs, as above

These are just a few varieties.  The actual combinations really depends on your tastes.

Almond pancakes

Today's sweet treat is an Almond flavored pancake.  For a healthy but slightly more expensive recipe you could use actual almonds - i will add a note on variations after initial recipe.

Ingredients

3/4 gluten-free flour

1/2 milk or dairy alternative

1 tsp mixed spice

1/2 almond essence

1 tsp golden syrup.

Directions

1 mix flour and spice in a bowl.  

2 heat milk until it is warm - not hot!  Stir the golden syrup and almond essence into the warm milk. 

3 Stir the milk mixture into bowl until you have a thick batter. 

4 Fry in oil until cooked - turning the pancake when you see 'bubbles' on the uncooked surface.

Variations

Using Marzipan

Grate up roughly a tbs of mazipan (depends on taste at this point) and mix it in at stage 3.

Using chopped almonds

Straight forward option - mix in at stage 3.

Almond puree

Soak a handful of fresh almonds in water overnight.  Puree in a blender with a small amount of milk alternative of your choice.  Mix into recipe as normal.  Please note that this option adds to the liquid content of the pancake batter, so you therefore may wish to adjust accordingly.

Lemon drizzle crepe

Today's brekky as featured above - crepe with lemon drizzle.  Was soooo yummy.  *drools*

Ingredients

Crepe

1 cup Gluten-free flour

1 1/2 milk or alternative

1 teaspoon golden syrup

1 teaspoon all spice

Lemon drizzle

Golden syrup

lemon juice

Directions

Heat milk so that is warm, but not hot, and stir in golden syrup.  Blend flour and all all spice in a mixing bowl.  Mix milk into flour, stirring well.

Heat up oil in a frying pan.  Pour batter into pan.  Flip when almost done.  After browning both sides plate up the crepe.

While the crepe is still hot drizzled golden syrup and lemon juice onto on side of crepe.  Roll up the pancake and your crepe is ready.

Ramen

  Today's food experiment was Chicken ramen.  I neglected to even take a photo of the finished product.  Needless to say it didn't turn out anything like the picture,  I didn't have some of the more traditional ingredients and I refuse to taint it with an egg.  Still making it from scratch was worth the effort cause this a simple dish that is gentle on the stomach being that is compromised entirely of broth, veggies, noodles and a little meat.

Recipe

Stock - home made or seasoned stock of choice
Noodles
cooked, seasoned Chicken
Veggies of choice


Directions:

The idea with ramen is that all the items are combined after having already been cooked - ie. fry off the chicken and cook noodles before combining with stock.  Essentially you should really be putting together.

Boil your noodles, add to the hot stock and garnish with slicked chicken and veggies.

Sweet meat treat - Bacon dipped in chocolate

Bacon dipped in dark chocolate

Okay, I know this one seems the slightest be peculiar.  However these treats do actually taste really good and are ideal as an alternative dessert or unique party snack.  If you choose your chocolate and bacon wisely it is even allergen free.  It is also a really simple to make - the most complex part is trying not to burn the chocolate while melting it as it goes very bitter.  You also only need to two ingredients Chocolate of your choice and bacon.

My one suggestion would be to choose a sweeter chocolate for this recipe as bitter chocolate overrides the bacon flavor.

Directions

Crisp up small pieces if bacon in a frying pan.  Boil water in a saucepan.  After the water has boiled take it off the heat and place to a side.  While the water is still hot break chocolate into small chunks and place in a small bowl or mug.  Sit the utensil containing the chocolate in the water, being careful not get the water in the chocolate in the process.  Stir the chocolate as it melts.  When melted simply dip the bacon pieces in the chocolate and put aside to cool.

This treat is enjoyable when hot or cold.

Coconut chicken curry.

First night in Oxford and ended up on autopilot cooking dinner for my aunt. Made a yummy simple curry. Very easy recipe for beginners.

Ingredients:

3 Chicken breasts
Spinach, 2 handfuls
Runner beans, a handful
Carrots, 1 large
Coconut cream
Onion, 1/2 medium
Ginger root, tablespoon.
Tandoori Curry powder, 2 tablespoons
Soy or almond milk
Rice
Olive oil
Salt
Cornflour, 1tsp

Directions:

Peel and finely dice your ginger and onion. Peel, quarter and finely slice your carrots. Small triangular shapes are perfect. Cut the ends of the beans and slice into small pieces. Lastly dice your chicken breast into small chunks.

Through cooking you will want to keep at hand the milk, coconut cream and tandoori curry powder as this cooks a bit like a stew so the liquid will boil off. Before you remove from the stove and during cooking you may want to add more of these ingredients.

Sprinkle some oil and salt into a pot of water and bring to a boil. Add rice, and simmer till cooked.

Place the ginger, onion, carrots, beans and chicken in a cold pan. A wok would be perfect but a large pot would suffice. Pour some oil onto the mix and sprinkle salt to taste. Mix so that the oil covers all the ingredients. When everything is covered in oil place on the stove at medium to high heat. Stir while the onions become clear and the chicken browns. When the chicken is par-cooked and onions turn clear add 1/4c coconut cream, 1c milk and 2tblspoons of curry powder. Stir until a light boil and then reduce heat to simmer. Cover pan and stir frequently until carrots are soft. At this point you may need to add more coconut cream, milk and curry powder. Add spinache and stir until wilted. If the sauce is not thick enough add some cornflour and simmer until thicker.

Serves 2.

Lemon teacake, gluten free recipe

Hey, it's been awhile since I posted an allergen friendly recipe. This one my grandmother just sent to me. It's very rare she sends me recipes so this one must actually taste good. :). Also being lemon flavoured cake it's probably dirt cheap to make.

As always to convert it a egg/dairy free recipe substitute your milk and egg alternatives. I reckon that almond or hazelnut milk would compliment the lemon flavour really well.

Edit:  Sorry about that.  For some reason the resolution of the photo has gone bad where I've uploaded it.  It was perfectly legible in the email i was sent. So  I will just have to type up the ingredients and instructions myself.

Ingrediendt:

6 eggs (separated) or 6 tablespoons of Orgran egg replacer.
1 cup caster sugar
2 tsps finely grated lemon rind
2 cups almond meal
1 tblsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp almond essence
IF you are using an egg substitute you will need some liquid. 1 cup of water or milk should suffice.

Cream cheese frosting

25g butter (or dairy free margarine)
60g cream cheese (or dairy-free substitute)
1 tsp finely grated lemon rind
1 1/2 cups icing sugar

Method

Cake

1) grease or line your baking tray and preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius.
2) a)  Using eggs - beat the egg yolks with the sugar and rind in a mixing bowl until fluffy.  Add the almond meal, juice and essence and stir together.
In a seperate mixing bowl beat the egg whites until peaks form and then gently fold the almond meal mixture into the beaten egg whites.

B) Without eggs - mix the almond meal with sugar and lemon rind.  add the milk, juice and essence and mix well.

3) place prepared mixture in baking tray and place in an oven for 45mins or until cooked.

Frosting

Beat your butter, cream cheese (or their dairy free substitutes) and rind in a bowl until light and fluffy.  Gradually mix in icing sugar until completely combined.  Smooth over cold cake.

Basil Pesto; Dairy free

Pesto is a tasty and highly nutritious pasta sauce, but it is always frustrating that commercial brands contain cheese.  Depending on your level of sensitivity to lactose/dairy, the level/kind of cheese contained in pesto can irritate the digestive tract.  If you find this is the case then this recipe can be a nice substitute to classic pesto.  I found this recipe at Vegan Spoonful. Other recipes can also be found on many vegan sites.  If you dislike the taste of the yeast, this item can be left out.  Once you have your pesto simply stir t through some cooked pasta. :)

Ingredients:

Basil; 3 cups

Garlic; 2-3 large cloves

raw pine nuts; 6 tablespoons

salt; 1 teaspoon

olive oil; 6 tablespoons

nutritional yeast; 1/4 cup

Directions:

Place the nuts, basil, garlic and salt in a blender or food processor and blend until finely chopped.  Add the olive oil and blend again.  Finally, add the yeast and blend until the pesto becomes creamy.

Lemon Chicken; Gluten-free

Another in the range of budget recipes.  I love being poor. :)  This makes an excellent main with side dishes of mashed potato, pasta, honeyed carrots or practically anything else you can think of.


Ingredients:

4 Breast Fillets; diced
Lemon Juice; 1/8 cup
Corn Flour; 1/4 cup
1/4 Onion; Diced
3 Garlic Cloves; diced
Tarragon; 2 teaspoons

Directions:

Mix the chicken, corn flour, tarragon, and lemon juice together in a bowl.  Stir the mixture throughly so that there are no flour clumps.  Fry the onion in a pan until it is brown.  Add the chicken mixture and Garlic to the pan and cook until golden brown.

Strawberries and chocolate sauce; dairy free, gluten free

This is a perfect example of why you shouldn't blog while very hungry because you've cut all junk foods out of your diet.  I am sitting here trying to think of something that is edible but doesn't contain to much sugar or fat.  This is extremely hard when all I currently want is fatty, sugary foods.  Like, mmm donuts.  Or fresh strawberries with chocolate sauce... yummy.

Although I refuse to believe this option is anything but healthy.  It has fruit! You don' have to have a lot of sauce, really.  The preparation for this is in two parts




Ingrediants:

Strawberries:

A punnet of fresh strawberries
Lemon juice.






Sauce:
A block of Dark chocolate (Vegan/raw); 100g
soy milk or preferred alternative; 1/4 cup
sugar; 1/4 cup
corn flour; 1-2 teaspoons




Directions:

The directions for this comes in two parts as, obviously strawberries and sauce are prepared separately.  It is recommended you prepare the strawberries first as by you have prepared then the sauce would have cooled.

Strawberries:

Wash the strawberries and remove the leaves.  Slice in half and place them all in a bowl.  Drizzle the lemon juice over them and stir around so that the lemon juice has covered the strawberries completely. Cover and place in the fridge while you prepare the sauce.  The lemon juice will prevent the strawberries browning in the mean time.

Chocolate sauce:

For the sauce you will a pot and a heat-proof bowl, the bowl must be able to rest in the pot.  Half fill the pot with water and place on the stove.  Place the bowl in the pot and turn to med-high.  Break up the  block and drop into the bowl. Pour the milk and sugar in and stir until the chocolate is melted.  If the mixture is to runny add the cornflour to thicken it up.  Remove the sauce from the heat and serve with the strawberries.

Jam Drops

Yummy yummy jam drops. This is definitely a childhood favourite. Fairly easy to make, like all baked products. It is also a very cheap recipe, as it relies on staples that you will always have in the kitchen; unless of course you don't usually keep flower in the kitchen. I do I should use it.




Ingredients:
Gluten-free flour; 2 cups
Sugar; 1/2 cup
Margarine; 3/4 of a cup
Salt; one pinch
Soy milk or alternative; 1/2 a cup
Strawberry jam to top

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Sift the gluten-free flour into a bowl and then add the sugar and salt. Mix these ingredients together well. Melt the margarine and mix the melted margarine and the soy-milk or alternative into the flour mixture. When completely mixed together spoon the mixture onto a greased tray. One spoonful should equal one biscuit. Make little indents in the top part of the biscuits. Dollop a small amount of strawberry jam into the indent. Place the tray into the oven and bake until golden brown.

Chicken soup; naturally gluten, dairy and egg free

Thought I'd share this yummy recipe.  Soups and stews are always a good option because they are naturally allergen friendly, unless you are allergic to veggies; and I know a lot of people who think they  are. Most soups and stews don't need stock or gravy powders providing you have have bones.  They are, by far, one of the easiest things to cook from scratch.  All you need to do is cut everything up and let it boil.  Although I would recommend using parts of the chicken that have larger bones as smaller ones can get lost in the soup and present a choking hazard.  Chicken thighs are ideal.  However you could make stock from scratch and add it too the soup rather then incorporate the stock creation into the soup process - and I will create a how to for home made stock.




Ingredients:

Chicken on the bone; 400g, diced with bones seperated
Small sweet potato; washed, unpeeled, and diced
Medium carrots; 2, diced
Mushrooms; 4, diced
Spinach; 2 handfuls, washed
Onion; 1/2, diced
Tin diced tomato; with juice
Small tin of sweetcorn
Sage; 1 1/2 teaspoons
Thyme; 1 1/2 teaspoons
Chives; 1 teaspoon
Garlic; 5 cloves, peeled and minced
Water

Directions:

Cook off the diced onion and the brown the diced chicken pieces.  Add the bones, root vegetables, sweetcorn, tomatoes, tomato juice and all herbs.  Top with water so that the veggies are covered and bring to a boil.  Simmer on medium for 45 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally.  Add the mushrooms and spinach and cook for a further 10 minutes.  The soup will be ready to serve; carefully remove the bones.

Lemon Chilli Battered Fish; Gluten free, Egg free, dairy free.

Content is still going to be sporadic but here's a nice fish recipe.

This is is a nice variation on plain old battered fish.  It can be heart smart or deep fried and fatty; it tastes good either way.  It goes well with any fish but I would suggest you choose fillets you like the best.

Ingredients:

Lemon juice; 1/4 cup
Chilli pepper; 1, finely diced
Salt; 1/4 teaspoon
Pepper; 1/2 teaspoon
Corn flour; 1/2 cup
Gluten free, 1 cup

Fish fillets, 2-4

Directions:

Preheat the over or deep-fryer to 200 degrees Celsius. Take two reasonably sized plastic containers - they need to be big enough to fit the fish fillets in.  Tip the gluten free flour into one container and the corn flour into another.  Mix the lemon juice, chilli, salt, and pepper into the cornflour.  This should form a glue.  Dip the fish fillets into the cornflour mix ensuring both sides are completely covered. Then take the fillets and dip it in the gluten free flour, again covering both sides.  Place the fish on an over tray and place in the oven until cooked evenly.  Alternatively you can cook the fish is a deep fryer, when cooked the battered fillets will float to the surface.

Serving suggestions:

Classic with chunky oven chips or perfect with salad.

Berry smoothie; Dairy free

Ingredients:

Soy milk; 1 cup
Banana; 1, ripe
Strawberries; 1/2 cup, no leaves
Blueberries; 1/2 cup
Black berries; 1/2 cup.

Directions:

Stick everything in the blender and blend it up.  Simple as :)

Spiced Banana Muffins

More evidence of my banana obsession.  But, hey, they are really good for you.

Ingredients:

Gluten-free flour, 2 cups
Soy Milk, 2 cups.
Egg replacer, 2 teaspoons
Bicerbonate of soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons
Sugar, 1 cup
3 large Bananas; Mashed, 1 1/2 cups
Cinnamon, 1 1/2 teaspoons
Nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon
Ginger; minced, 1/2 teaspoon

Directions:

Pre-heat the over to 180 degrees. Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl and stir the egg replacer, sugar, bicarb and spices.  Mix in the soy milk thouroughly; an electric mixer may need to be used as gluten-free flour has a tendendcy to form lumps.  Mash the banana in a seperate bowl and stir it into the muffin mix.  Grease a muffin tray or two.  If you have muffin paper cups it is advisable to line the muffin tray with these as it makes it easier to remove the muffins from the tray.  Place the muffin mixture into the lined trays and pop into the oven. The Muffins will be ready when a poker through the center comes away clean.

Spiced Strawberry Muffins

This one is a little more unusual - strawberry muffins.  These are worthy of a dollop of cream, regardless of the dairy allergy. :)

Ingredients:

Gluten-free flour, 2 cups
Soy Milk, 3 cups.
Egg replacer, 2 teaspoons
Bicerbonate of soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons
Sugar, 1 cup
Strawberries; de-leafed and diced, 1 1/2 cups
Cinnamon, 1 1/2 teaspoons
Nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon
Ginger; minced, 1/2 teaspoon

Directions:

Pre-heat the over to 180 degrees. Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl and stir the egg replacer, sugar, bicarb and spices.  Mix in the soy milk thouroughly; an electric mixer may need to be used as gluten-free flour has a tendendcy to form lumps.  Gently stir in the strawberries.  Grease a muffin tray or two.  If you have muffin paper cups it is advisable to line the muffin tray with these as it makes it easier to remove the muffins from the tray.  Place the muffin mixture into the lined trays and pop into the oven. The Muffins will be ready when a poker through the center comes away clean.