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.

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. 

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.

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.

Orgran

Orgran egg replacer is a natural alternative to eggs.  It can be used in cakes, muffins meringues ect. the list goes on.  I can't say it's an ideal substitute for eggs, however it mimics the addition of eggs quite nicely for a powder that is made primarily of potatoes.  I have found it improves the texture of my gluten-free recipes nearly as well as eggs with the horrible after affects of having the eggs themselves.  It's no worse the substituting soy milk for cows milk.

Orgran no egg can be found in most health food stores, and if you haven't tried it I suggest looking it up.

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.

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.

Home-made Burger Patties; Gluten free, Egg-free

I was looking back at the recipe I posted and realised that maybe posting just muffin recipes was not a good idea.  Here's a burger on for variety. :)

Ingredients:

Beef Mince; 500g
Salt; 1 teaspoon
Corn Flour; 50g
Gluten-free Gravy Granules; 2 tablespoons
Tarragon; 1 teaspoon
Chives; 1 Teaspoon
Sage; 1/2 Teaspoon
Marjoram; 1 Teaspoon

Directions:

Stick the mince in a large bowl and just dump the other ingredients on top.  Get your hands in the bowl and mix the mince around until the ingredients are evenly distributed through the mince.  The mince will naturally form a large ball.  Break this into 2 or 4 smaller pieces and form the pieces into balls.  Just squash these balls down and you have your burger patty.  I recommend cooking these on a hot frying pan at medium heat.  Too hot -you will have a burnt crush and red insides; Too cold - and it will take forever to cook through.


Serving suggestions:

Toasted Gluten-free bun with peppered tomato, lettuce and beetroot slice.

Toasted Gluten-free Bun with spinche and roast mushroom

Toasted Gluten free bun with lettuce, peppered tomato and pineapple slice.

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.

Spiced Blueberry muffins

A simple twist on classic blueberry muffins. :)  Absolutely yummy with honey or jam.

Ingrediants:

Gluten-free flour, 2 cups
Soy Milk, 3 cups.
Egg replacer, 2 teaspoons
Bicerbonate of soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons
Sugar, 1 cup
Blueberries, 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 blueberries,  with care as blueberies bruise easily.  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.

Toffee almond Muffins; Dairy, gluten, and egg free

These taste so nice with some margarine.  Making me hungry.

Ingredients:

Gluten-free flour, 2 cups
Soy Milk, 3 cups.
Egg replacer, 2 teaspoons
Sugar, 1/2 cup
Bicarbonate of soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons
Toffe syrup, 1 cup
Almond flakes, 1/2 cup

Directions:

Pre-heat the over to 180 degrees. Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl and stir the egg replacer, sugar, bicarb, and almod flakes.  Mix in 2 cups of soy milk thouroughly; an electric mixer may need to be used as gluten-free flour has a tendendcy to form lumps.  Swirl the toffee syrup through the mufin mix, don't allow it to mix in completely.  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.

Mud Muffin

Breakfast sized mud-cakes.  Who would resist these. :)

Ingredients:

Gluten-free flour, 2 cups
Soy Milk, 3 cups.
Egg replacer, 2 teaspoons
Bicarbonate of soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons
Sugar, 1 cup
Vegan Chocolate block; broken into chunks

Directions:

Pre-heat the over to 180 degrees. Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl and stir the egg replacer, sugar and bicarb.  Mix in 2 cups of soy milk thouroughly; an electric mixer may need to be used as gluten-free flour has a tendendcy to form lumps.  Half fill a pan with water and cover with a glass bowl.  Place the pan on the stove to boil and melt the chocolate chunks in the bowl.  As the chocolate melts mix in the remainder of the milk.  When the chocolate as completely mixed ith the milk remove the pan from the stove.  Allow the choclate to cool slightly and then mix it into the muffin batter.  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.

Classic Choc-chip Muffins

Who doesn't love choc-chip Muffins in the morning? :)

Ingredients:

Gluten-free flour, 2 cups
Soy Milk, 3 cups.
Egg replacer, 2 teaspoons
Bicarbonate of soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons
Sugar, 1/2 cup
Chocolate chips, 1 cup

Directions:

Pre-heat the over to 180 degrees. Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl and stir the egg replacer, sugar, bicarb, and chocolate chips.  Mix the soy milk thouroughly, an electric mixer may need to be used as gluten-free flour has a tendendcy to form lumps.  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.

Banana Coconut Muffins; Gluten, dairy, and egg free.

This is the first of my muffin series, continuing my banana obsession.  It's a sweet way to get fruit into your brekky.

Ingredients:

Gluten-free flour, 2 cups
Soy Milk, 2 cups.
Egg replacer, 2 teaspoons
Bicarbonate of soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons
Sugar, 1 cup
3 Ripe bananas
Desicated coconut, 1/2 cup

Directions:

Pre-heat the over to 180 degrees. Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl and stir the egg replacer, sugar, bicarb, and desicated coconut.  Mix the soy milk thouroughly, an electric mixer may need to be used as gluten-free flour has a tendendcy to form lumps.  Mash the bananas in a seperate bowl and then stir the mash into the muffin mixture.  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 benefits of cereal

I went off cereal for a very long time.  This is partly because my dairy allergy was not fully picked up on until I was well into my 20's.  Having cereal with cow's milk when you're allergic to it is just a recipe for a bad tummy.  Needless to say, that for quite a while the thought of eating a bowl of cereal was enough to make me feel ill.  However, I have recently started eating it again and realised there were benefits. :)

1) It's cheap.  No-Brainer there.  A 500g box of Gluten-free cornflakes will last me 7-10 days.

2)  It's simple.  There's no possible way it can upset your stomach unless you are actually allergic to one of the ingredients.

3)  Cereals are mostly starchy carbohydrates rather then sugar.  This is an important point in that quite often nutritionist will tell you how sugary cereals can be.  Coco pops, for example, has 35g of sugar per 100g.  On the offset, this sounds like a lot.  What people don't realised that this sugar content is halved when milk is added; slowing down the overall absorption of the sugar and giving your body time to burn it off before converting it to fat.

4)  Most cereals are fortified.  Those of us with dairy allergies can really struggle to meet our daily calcium requirements.  Most cereals now contain 57% of the Recommended Daily intake of calcium.  Making it just that bit easier to get enough calcium.  Fortified cereals also contain Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, B2, Folic Acid, B12, and Iron.

Crumbed chicken, like kfc only better; Gluten-free

This a good recipe for chicken fans.  IT can be as health or unhealthy as you like.  The chicken will make a nice addition to salad or roast veggies.  It is a versatile option.

Ingredients:

8 Chicken pieces
1/2 cup Cornflour
water
Gluten-free bread crumbs
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 sage
1 teaspoon coriander
1/2 thyme

Directions.

This recipe can be used for deep frying or oven baking.  Temperate setting in either case is ideal at 180 degrees Celsius.

Place the bread crumbs and corn flour into separate containers.  Mix the herbs, salt and pepper into the cornflour.  When these ingredients are thoroughly combined, start mixing water in slowly; until the cornflour forms a paste that is fairly thick but still runs (you can test this easily by spooning some of the mixture out and allowing it to fall back into the container).  One at a time, dip the chicken pieces in the cornflour paste and then into the breadcrumbs.  This will be a messy process but is worth the effort.  To cook, either place the chicken pieces on a greased tray and place in the oven for 25-30 minutes or Place in a deep fryer until the chicken pieces brown and float.