Author Archives: Rebecca

Sweet Potato Gnocchi (Gluten Free)

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I had forgotten how much I loved gnocchi until I came up with this recipe.!  After finding out I was intolerant to gluten, I found there are lots of gluten free pastas but no gnocchi – at least I couldn’t find any.  So I set myself a task of coming up with a recipe.  I must admit I was a little daunted at first as I always think making pasta and gnocchi is harder than it actually is.

Sweet Potato gnocchi & pesto

This recipe was my third attempt of trying gnocchi.  On the first attempt I included egg but the gnocchi was too heavy.  The second time I flavoured it with cinnamon and it just didn’t taste right to me.  Then I came up with the recipe below and couldn’t believe I’d managed it!  Now my freezer will be stocked with gnocchi for easy quick dinners.  So far I’ve had it with my pesto and my tomato and basil sauce, both were delicious.  Below the recipe I’ve included tips on how to freeze, re-heat and store the gnocchi.

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Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce

Posted in Dips & Sauces by

I’ve called this a pasta sauce but it pretty much goes with anything.  I’ve had it over grilled vegetables, lentil and cashew nut loaf and with chicken.  It also freezes well too which makes it ideal to cook up a big batch then portion it out before freezing so when you’re stuck for time you could whip up some pasta and sauce in no time.

Lentil roast with tomato basil sauce

I find the wine makes this sauce lovely and rich but if you don’t have any wine in or don’t want to use it then just omit from the recipe.  The longer you leave the sauce the simmer the thicker it gets.  I forgot to set a timer one day and left the sauce simmering for about 45 minutes and it had thickened beautifully – ideal for a homemade pizza sauce.

Ingredients

-1 Tbsp olive oil

-1 small or 1/2 large red onion, finely diced

-2 garlic cloves, crushed

-1/4 cup red wine

-1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes

-1 heaped Tbsp tomato puree

-small handful (approx 2 heaped Tbsp) fresh leaves, roughly chopped

-salt & pepper to taste

How To Make

Place a medium saucepan over a low-medium heat and add the oil.

Add the onion to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes before adding the garlic.

Cook the onion and garlic slowly (for at least 10 minutes).  The onion should become soft and golden.  Stir often to prevent it burning as this will make the sauce taste bitter and you’ll need to start again.  If you think the onion is browning too quickly reduce the heat.

Add the wine, if using, and turn up the heat.  Allow the wine to bubble away until reduced by half.

Next add the chopped tomatoes and tomato puree.  Bring to the boil give everything a good stir.

Reduce heat to a low simmer and cook, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes.

Add the basil, salt and pepper and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Check seasoning before serving.

Sweet potato gnocchi

If freezing, portion out sauce in to suitable containers, allow to cool and then freeze.

Enjoy 🙂

Spinach & Cherry Tomato Scramble

Posted in Breakfast by

Please let me start off by apologising for the pictures of this dish.  Trying to get a good shot of scrambled eggs for an (very) amateur photographer with a camera that is slowly dying is not the easiest!  However, let me assure you that this dish tastes good and I hope the pictures don’t put you off!

You may wonder why I’m posting a recipe for scrambled eggs, as surely it’s one of the easiest things to make.  That may be so but for me when I first started getting interested in cooking I had so many disasters just trying to make scrambled eggs I thought I’d share this recipe – plus it’s my new favourite way to eat them.

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Creamy Lemon Dressing (Dairy free)

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Creamy Lemon Dressing

I’ve called this a dressing but it could be used as a dip or even a spread – I’ll explain more later!  Sometimes I find the hardest thing is to name a recipe once I have created it.  And normally once I’ve posted a recipe I have a flash of inspiration and think of another name for the dish!

Just now I seem to be a tad obsessed with lemons.  I’m not sure if it’s due to Spring arriving but the smell and taste of lemons just reminds me of warmer weather and long Summer days!  Lemon tea, lemon slices in water with mint or lemon juice over salads, it’s all about the lemons in my house right now!

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Chocolate Chia Pudding

Posted in Sweet Treats by

Choc chia pud

Hello lovely readers!  I hope you’re all well and looking forward to Spring arriving.

Apologies for lack of new recipes but I was away on holiday to visit my beautiful sister and her family in Florida.  I had an excellent time.  In total awe of how much my 5-year-old nephew changes each time I see him!  I sampled lots of gluten free and dairy free delights whilst out there and fell in love with Whole Foods!  Oh.  My.  Word.  That shop is amazing.  Quite good I don’t have one near me as I would spend a fortune.  I saw lots of new ingredients that I want to try so my head is buzzing with new recipes to invent!

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Beetroot, Orange & Carrot Juice

Posted in Juices & Smoothies by

Beetroot, Orange & Carrot juice

I think beetroots are often overlooked.  People often associate beetroot with the pickled, crinkle cut variety that make an outing at the Summer barbeque!  I’m not a fan of pickled variety but I love raw or roasted beetroot.  They have a lovely earthy yet sweet flavour and complement the orange and carrot in this juice well.

Depending on which brand of juicer you have depends on if you peel your fruit and veg.  I tend to peel most things but for oranges I only take the skin off and leave the white pith as this is where the good stuff is!

Juices and smoothies are so easy to throw together with very minimal effort but with all the nutritional goodness in a glass!  What more could you want!

Serves 1

Ingredients

-1 small or 1/2 large beetroot, peeled

-2 carrots, peeled or scrubbed if organic

-2 oranges, peeled but keep pith on

-1 inch piece of ginger (optional)

How To Make

Place all the ingredients in the tube of your juicer – it’s best to ‘sandwich’ the oranges and ginger between the carrots and beetroot.

Serve immediately.

Beetroot, Orange & Carrot juice

Enjoy 🙂

Quinoa Tabbouleh (gluten free)

Posted in Salads by

Quinoa tabbouleh

Tabbouleh is a Middle Eastern dish traditionally made with bulgar wheat which contains gluten so to make this a gluten free recipe I’ve used quinoa instead.

Through trial and error I think I’ve finally mastered cooking quinoa to get it resulting in a lovely fluffy texture.  The trick is to rinse it, rinse it, rinse it.  1 cup of uncooked quinoa yields about 3 cups cooked.  Measure out your quinoa and in a fine mesh sieve rinse it under cold running water.  You want to get your hands in and move the grains about so they are get washed, this gets rid off the bitter taste you sometimes get with quinoa.  Next place a large pan over a medium heat and add the quinoa to toast it lightly.  Add the water and place a lid on the pan, bring to a boil then simmer for 20 minutes until the water has evaporated and the quinoa is cooked.  Fluff up with a fork.  I sometimes cook my quinoa in vegetable stock to give it some flavour, as let’s be honest, plain quinoa is bland!

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Aubergine & Chickpea Tagine

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One pot meals are brilliant, you throw the ingredients in a pot, give it a stir and let the flavours develop and end up with a tasty meal at the end.  That is why I love casseroles, stews and tagines.  There is of course the added bonus of less washing up!

Tagine2

Lately I seem to be eating less meat and using more vegetables and pulses in my meals instead.  If I do buy meat I make sure that it is organic and free range; some animals are pumped full of drugs and hormones that it is a scary thought that we could be consuming those drugs too.  While it may cost more to buy free range and organic meat at the end of the day you know that you are eating quality produce.

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Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Posted in Dips & Sauces by

Red Pepper Hummus

Another hummus recipe?  So soon after the last one? Yes!  But this is just too good not too share.

I’m slightly delayed in posting a recipe this week as I was hit with the terrible Winter sickness bug that seems to be going around.  And when I say hit, that’s exactly what it felt like.  One minute fine, next minute….well lets just say I am glad I have underfloor heating in my bathroom as I spent many hours there the past few days!  I seem to be over the worst now and raring to get in the kitchen again and practice some recipes.  I could tell that I wasn’t well when even the idea of food made  my stomach turn.

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Apple, Pear & Ginger Juice

Posted in Juices & Smoothies by

There seems to be something of a juicing phenomenon occurring just now.  Or maybe it’s always been around and I’m only noticing it more now since I have a juicer!  I was given my juicer for my birthday last year and lets just say it is really well used!  I have at least one fresh juice a day and the fun part is trying out different fruits and vegetables, some combinations have been a success whilst others haven’t!

Apple Pear Ginger juice

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