Curried Cauliflower Soup

Posted in Soup by

Curried cauliflower soup

My usual way to cook cauliflower is to roast it or make ‘rice’ with it, however, when I received one in my veg box I decided I wanted to try something different.

The first soup I made wasn’t great.  I used too many ingredients, over complicated the flavours & couldn’t actually taste the cauliflower.  I decided that ‘less is more’ kept the recipe simple and voila!  The recipe below was born.

This is a lovely thick soup but if you prefer a thinner consistency add more water or stock.  This soup is lovely with a squeeze of lemon on top just before serving.

Serves 4

Ingredients

-1 heaped tsp. coconut oil or olive oil

-1 red onion, diced

-1 garlic clove, crushed

-1 thumb size piece ginger, peeled & finely grated

-1 medium cauliflower, trimmed and florets separated

-1 medium potato, peeled and roughly diced

-1 x 400ml can low-fat coconut milk

-600ml water or vegetable stock

-1 tsp. turmeric powder

-1 heaped tsp. curry powder

-salt & pepper to taste

How To Make

Place a large pan over a medium heat and heat the coconut oil.  Once the oil is hot add the onion, garlic and ginger.  Cook for 2-3 minutes until the onion starts to soften.

Add the remaining ingredients and give everything a stir.

Place a lid on the pan, bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes or until the cauliflower and potato are cooked.

Allow to cool slightly then blend.  Season to taste with salt and pepper

This soup stores well in the fridge for 2-3 days in an airtight container.  It freezes well too.

Enjoy 🙂

 

Satay Sauce

Posted in Dips & Sauces by

Noodle salad with satay

This dressing is extremely quick and easy to make and has proved to be popular amongst my friends and family that I thought I’d share it with you all.  You can use it as a pour over sauce (great on noodle salads), a marinade or as a dip.

I use crunchy peanut butter as I like the texture but you can use smooth if you prefer.  Ideally your peanut butter will not contain anything other than peanuts – no added salt or oils.  I use the Meridian brand but there are many other good ones available.

If you prefer a thicker sauce just use less coconut milk but you can easily adapt the recipe to your liking.

Ingredients

-2 Tbsp. peanut butter

-1/4 cup tinned coconut milk

-1 red chilli, seeds removed & finely chopped

-thumb size piece of ginger, peeled & finely grated

-1/2 tsp. curry powder

-1 Tbsp. tamari

-1/2 Tbsp. sesame oil

-juice of 1/2 lime

Satay Sauce

How To Make

Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix together.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

Enjoy 🙂

Mint Chocolate Smoothie

Posted in Juices & Smoothies by

mint choc smoothie

I was going to post a different recipe this week but when I posted a picture of this smoothie on Instagram and Facebook I received lots of enquiries about it that I thought I would share it with you this week.

I’m not a huge chocolate lover but every so often I do have a craving for some.  This smoothie satisfied my craving instantly and is filling too so a great snack.

I don’t add any sweeteners to this smoothie but if you prefer something a little sweeter you could add some honey or maple syrup.  If you don’t have any bananas in your freezer just use a regular banana and a handful of ice cubes.

Some people may not be familiar with maca which I have included – although this is totally optional.  Maca is native to the Andes and is a very hardy plant. Amongst other benefits it is great for helping with energy levels and reducing tiredness.  It has a slight caramel taste which I love.

Serves 1 – easily doubled

Ingredients

-1 frozen banana, peeled

-1 handful baby spinach

-3 or 4 large fresh mint leaves

-2 Tbsp. raw cacao powder

-1 cup almond milk (or milk of your choice)

-1/2 tsp. maca powder (optional)

-cacao nibs for sprinkling on top (optional)

mint chocolate smoothie

How To Make

Place all the ingredients except for the cacao nibs in a blender and blend until smooth.

Pour into a glass and top with the cacao nibs, if using.

Enjoy 🙂

Chilli & Lime Smashed Avocado on Toast

Posted in Breakfast, Main Dish by

smashed avocado

I don’t think this is technically a recipe as it is so easy to put together but I had to share it with you all as it’s one of my favourite things to eat right now.  I have an avocado every day, whether it be in a smoothie, as a dip, served like this or eaten straight out of the skin with a skin of lemon juice on top.

I sometimes have this avocado on toast with a poached egg on top which makes a great brunch or quick evening bite to eat.

Serves 1-2

Ingredients

-1 ripe avocado

-1/4 red chilli, finely chopped

-1 spring onion, green part only, finely chopped

-juice of 1/2 a lime

-salt to taste

-2 slices gluten free bread (I use Biona buckwheat rice bread)

-a few fresh coriander leaves (optional)

How To Make

Pop your bread in a toaster to toast.

Whilst the bread is toasting, peel, remove the stone from the avocado and roughly mash (smash) the flesh in a bowl.

Add the chilli, lime juice, spring onion and salt to taste to the avocado.  Stir well.

Place your toast on a plate, top with the avocado mixture and scatter over the coriander leaves if using.

smashed avocado2

Enjoy 🙂

 

Kale & Buckwheat Salad

Posted in Main Dish, Salads, Side Dish by

kale & buckwheat salad2

Some people are a little taken aback when I say I’m eating or cooking with buckwheat as they think it is related to wheat, but fear not, it isn’t, as it’s not a grass and is actually related to rhubarb…who knew?!  The person who called it buckwheat probably had no idea the confusion it would cause nowadays!

Buckwheat is my gluten free alternative to couscous.  Whilst some people aren’t big couscous fans when they can eat gluten, it is one of the things I miss most.  Quinoa is lovely but just doesn’t come close enough in texture to giant couscous (Israeli couscous) for me so I was loving life the day I discovered buckwheat.

I cook buckwheat the way I do rice – one part buckwheat to 2 parts water.  Place in a pan and once it is up to the boil, cover with a lid and reduce to simmer for about 12 minutes until the water has been absorbed.

I think this salad will be featuring a lot over my Summer as it is so adaptable with what veggies and dressings you could use. Roast veggies with it would be lovely.

This can be served as a main or a side.

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

-150g-200g raw kale, cleaned, roughly shredded & tough stems removed

-juice of 1/2 a lemon

-1 & 1/2 cups cooked buckwheat

-handful cherry tomatoes, halved

-1/4 large cucumber, seeds removed & diced

-handful of fresh mixed herbs (I used mint & flat leaf parsley) roughly chopped

-1/4 of a small red onion, finely diced

-1 avocado, skin & stone removed, diced

-salt & pepper

Dressing

-juice of 1/2 lemon

-2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

-1/4 tsp. Dijon mustard

-salt & pepper

How To Make

Place the shredded kale in a large bowl with the juice of half a lemon.  Massage the kale with the lemon juice until it starts breaking down, this takes about 6-8 minutes so put your favourite tunes on and have a wee boogie whilst massaging the kale!

The photos below show the kale before and after massage.

Kale beforeKale after

Once you’ve massaged the kale, set aside as you will need to strain it through a sieve to remove the excess water it will produce.

In a separate bowl combine the tomatoes, buckwheat, cucumber, herbs and give a good stir.

Place the kale in a fine mesh sieve and strain the kale by squeezing it with your hand.  Place the strained kale in the bowl with the other ingredients and give everything a good stir to combine.  Check seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.

Place all the dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisk together.   Drizzle over some of the dressing onto the salad and stir.

Place the avocado on top of the salad just before serving.

The salad and dressing both store well in airtight containers in the refrigerator.

Kale & buckwheat salad

Enjoy 🙂

Matcha, Mango & Kale Smoothie

Posted in Juices & Smoothies by

Matcha, mango & kale smoothie

I have only recently discovered matcha tea and at first I wasn’t too sure but now I love it.  I do enjoy a good cup of tea any time of the day whether it be breakfast tea, fruit, green or herbal, I cannot start my day without a good cup of tea.

I normally have a matcha latte with almond milk and some ground cinnamon but the other day I was making a smoothie and decided to add some matcha powder to see what it was like and I liked it!  I now want to try and incorporate it with baking but that’s only because I love the intense green colour of the powder and think it would look great in a cake or biscuits.

I’ve given the option of using honey in this recipe, I personally don’t use it but I know some people prefer their smoothies to be sweet.  Also, if you don’t have any mangoes this smoothie works well with bananas too.

Serves 1

Ingredients

-handful of ice

-2 mangoes, peeled and stone removed

-2 handfuls of raw kale, tough stems removed

-1 tsp. matcha powder

-1 cup non-dairy milk (I use almond milk)

-1 tsp. honey (optional)

How To Make

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Serve immediately.

Matcha, mango & kale smoothie 2

Enjoy 🙂

Tomato & Basil Soup

Posted in Uncategorized by

Tomato & Basil soup

For the past two weeks I’ve been battling a cold and it’s starting to become annoying.  I’m not one for sitting around but there have been some days I’ve had hardly any energy.  Actually I’m not sure if it’s a cold or allergies but I’m going with a head cold as it’s far too early for my hay fever to be here.

When I’m not feeling 100% I mostly live off soup, fresh juices and smoothies.  Pretty much anything that’s quick, easy and doesn’t involve too much thought.  I used to love a certain canned cream of tomato soup whenever I wasn’t feeling well but I can’t have it anymore as it contains milk and it also contains added sugar and I still can’t get my head round why sugar appears in almost everything these days.  Plus, it is so easy to make some soup at home and you can stock up the freezer for future.

Whilst this soup isn’t creamy it certainly tastes good and doesn’t contain added sugar!  I try to dice the carrots and celery the same size so they cook in the same amount of time.  I have also learned that cooking off the tomato puree first before the stock or tinned tomatoes are added gets rid of the bitterness which is often found with tomato puree.

Tomato & basil soup2

Ingredients

-1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

-1 carrot, peeled & cut in to small dice

-1 stick celery, cut in to small dice

-1 red onion, diced

-2 Tbsp. tomato puree

-2 x 400ml tins of chopped tomatoes

-450ml gluten free vegetable stock or water

-handful of fresh basil leaves

-salt & pepper to taste

How To Make

Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat.  When the oil is hot add the onion, celery and carrots.  Give the vegetables a stir and saute for about 3 minutes.

Add the tomato puree and stir well.  Continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Add the stock, chopped tomatoes and seasoning.

Place the lid on the pan, bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer for 20-25 minutes until the vegetables are soft.

Add a handful of fresh basil leaves and simmer for another 2 minutes.

Remove the soup from the heat and allow to cool slightly before blending.

Either blend the soup with a stick blender or in a stand blender.  If you prefer a very smooth soup, strain it through a sieve after blending.

Check seasoning.

Serve warm with a garnish of fresh basil if you would like.

This soup keeps well in the fridge in an airtight container for 2-3 days or in an airtight container in the freezer.

Enjoy 🙂

 

Banana & Oat Pancakes

Posted in Breakfast by

Banana & Oat pancakes 2

It is often said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  In fact there’s a saying;

“Breakfast like a King

Lunch like a Prince

Dinner like a Pauper”

Whilst my daily meals don’t necessarily follow this, I do love a good breakfast.

For years I couldn’t eat breakfast first thing in the morning.  Then when I started exercising more and cleaning up my diet I realised how well I function for the rest of the day when I’ve had a good breakfast.  I don’t get a mid-morning or mid-afternoon slump and I don’t have the constant feeling of needing more to eat.  You know the feeling, that no matter what you eat you don’t feel satisfied?  I’ve found that having a healthy, balanced breakfast gets rid of those feelings for me.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t make pancakes everyday as I don’t have time and it would get boring, but these are great to make on a relaxed weekend morning.

I normally serve mine with berries and yoghurt but a drizzle of nut butter over them would be tasty too.

Makes approx. 5 pancakes

Ingredients

-2 tsp. coconut oil or olive oil

-1 very ripe banana, mashed

-2 eggs, beaten

-3 Tbsp. gluten free oats

-pinch of cinnamon (optional)

 

Banana & oat pancakes

How To Make

In a bowl mix together the banana, eggs, oats and cinnamon (if using).  Stir until fully combined.

Place 1 teaspoon of oil in a frying pan over a medium heat.  Once the oil is hot, add 2 tablespoons of pancake mixture to the pan.

Cook for 2 minutes, until brown then flip over and cook until brown on the other side.  Remove to a plate and cover to keep warm.

Repeat until all the pancake mixture is used up.  Add the extra teaspoon of oil to the pan when it starts to dry out.

Serve with berries and yoghurt or as you like!

Enjoy 🙂

 

 

Sweet Potato & Tuna Cakes

Posted in Main Dish by

Sweet potato & tuna cakes

I’m back!  Apologies for no new blog posts the past couple of weeks.  I went to Qatar to spend my birthday in the sunshine and see my parents.  I had a lovely time and the 12 days went by extremely quickly.

Unfortunately when I got back my dog’s health had deteriorated and after lots of discussion with the vet, we decided the best thing for Lucy was to have her put to sleep.  I am absolutely devastated but know that it was the right thing to do.

Me and my Mum rescued Lucy from a scrap yard in Qatar and she just fitted into the family straight away.  She loved her cuddles and her walks but if you threw a toy for her to fetch she would just look at you as if to say ‘well you threw it, you can go and get it’!

We brought her back to the UK nearly two years ago and she loved the walks in the countryside and playing in the river.  She was such a well-loved dog and we gave her the best life possible.

lucy

Now, on to the recipe…

You can cook these cakes two ways, either in the oven or in a frying pan.  I prefer cooking them in the oven, although this takes longer than frying them, the cakes hold their shape better.

Makes 6-8

Ingredients

-450g sweet potato, peeled, steamed (or boiled) & mashed

-1 x 185g tin of tuna in spring water, drained

-1 red chilli, finely chopped

-2 spring onions, finely chopped

-3cm piece of ginger, finely grated

-zest of 1 lime

-1 egg, beaten

-1 small handful of coriander, finely chopped

-salt & pepper

Sweet Potato & tuna cakes2

How To Make

If you are cooking the cakes in the oven, pre-heat the oven to 180C/355F.  Line a baking sheet with lightly oiled foil.

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.  The mixture will be sticky but it will still hold the shape of a cake when cooked.

Make the cakes by taking a golf ball size amount of the mixture then flatten into a cake, don’t make them too thin as they will just break.

If cooking in the oven, place the cakes on the lined baking sheet and place in the oven.  Bake for 25-30 minutes, turning the cakes halfway through.

If frying the cakes, melt 2 teaspoons of coconut oil in a large frying pan.  Fry the cakes in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.  The cakes take about 3 minutes each side.  Remove and set aside.

Serve these cakes with a green salad or as a filling in a sandwich bun.

These cakes store well in the fridge in an airtight container for 2 days.  They can be eaten hot or cold, ideal for having in a lunch box.

Enjoy 🙂

 

Udi’s Gluten Free Product Review

Posted in Product Review by

The lovely people at Udi’s U.K. contacted me to see if I would be interested in testing some of their new products which have recently hit the shops in the U.K.  Naturally I jumped at the chance, having already tried Udi’s products when I was in the U.S.A. visiting my sister, I knew that they had some great products.

I was sent four new mixes to try;

‘Easy & Delicious’ Bread Mix

‘Delicious & Fluffy’ Cake Mix

‘Rich & Delicious’ Cake Mix Chocolate Flavour

‘Thin & Crispy’ Pizza Base Mix, Italian style

Udi's products

Unfortunately I couldn’t try the bread mix as it contains milk powder, however, I’ve given this to a family member to try and I am waiting for them to report back to me what they thought…so stay tuned for an update!

The cake mixes were both very easy to use.  For the chocolate cake mix I made cupcakes and added fresh raspberries to them as I love the combination of chocolate and berries.  The cupcakes weren’t overly sweet which can sometimes happen with packet cake mixes.  I had to bake my cupcakes for slightly longer than the time recommended on the box but I think this was due to the addition of the raspberries.

Udi's muffins

The sponge cake mix was lovely and fluffy once baked.  I added some freeze-dried berries to my cake and it still stayed lovely and light.

Udi's sponge mix  Udi's sponge2

I think both of these cake mixes are ideal for someone who needs to whip up a gluten free cake but is intimidated by some of the gluten free cake recipes out there which can contain numerous different flours.  These are also handy to keep in the cupboard to make a cake speedily for any guests who suddenly turn up!

My favourite product I tested was the pizza base mix.  I’m sure many gluten free people will agree with me that some gluten free pizza bases are just terrible, some of them are just like cardboard!  Well not this one, it is lovely and crispy when baked and had the texture of a ‘proper’ pizza base.

It was easy to make, the only thing I was slightly confused about was if I had to pre-bake the base before adding my toppings and baking again like some products I’ve used in the past.

On my first attempt I put the base in the oven first before adding the topping but soon realised that I didn’t need to do that!  Therefore on my second attempt I rolled out the base, popped on the sauce and toppings, baked it and was rewarded with a wonderful pizza!  I had to resist temptation and leave some for later!

I managed to make 4 pizzas out of the mix and the dough kept well in the fridge in some oiled clingfilm.

I will definitely be using this pizza base mix again and would highly recommend it.

Udi's pizza2  Udi's pizza

*Whilst I was given these products for free to try, all the opinions and views are my own and no money was received for this blog post*