Lamb burgers with kumara fritters and silver beet

Burgers

500g lamb mincce

2 cloves garlic

1 spring onion, finely chopped

1 Tbspn paprika

1 Tbspn ground cumin

1 Tbspn chopped fresh thyme

1 Tbspn chopped fresh sage

3 eggs

salt 

pepper

oil spray

Fritters

800g kumara, grated

1 small red chilli finley chopped

1/2 cup freash mint

1 bunch silver beet or 4 cups

2 cupe cherry tomoates

Method

In a large bowl mix mince,garlic,onion,paprika,cumina dn fresh herbs together with 1 egg.Add pinch of salt and ppper to taste. Use hands to mix.

Shape into 4 patties.

Heat BBQ with little oil. Cook burger patties , turning until cooked through.

While burger sare cooking ,make fritters.Mix grated kumara,chilli,mint,slat and pepper and remiaing 2 eggs together. Use hands to shape to fritters and place on a hot BBQ. Cook until browned and ooked through.

Chickpea burgers

This recipe has become a favourite as we have enjoyed it for many a Meatless Monday.

Burgers

2 x 400g can chickpeas,drained and rinsed.

2 Tbspn olive oil

1 lemon, zest and juice

1 tspn ground cumin

2 spring onions,chopped

2 tspn tahini

2 Tbspn bottled capsicum

1 small egg

1/3 cup GF breadcrumbs or rice crumbs

3 Tbspn fresh coriander

2 Tbpsn sesame seeds

Salad and extras.

1 mango, peeled and diced (I used tinned mango)

1 small cucumber,diced

1 red onion,finely chopped

2 Cups cherry tomates, halved

3 courgettes,grated

5 bread buns GF

Method

Place all burger ingredients in a food processor and process unti they form a chunky texture.Season with pepper and salt.

Divide into 5 even sized balls. Wet hands and form into patties. Cover and chill for one hour or overnight. I suggest to chill them overnight.

Mix all salad ingredients together with an oil free dressing. Put on baking paper and fan grill the patties,until golden.Serve on buns with salad.

Gluten Free carrot cake

Ingredients

2 Cups sugar

4 eggs

1 1/4 Cup olive oil light or sunflower oil

2 cups all purpose GF flour

2 tspn baking soda

2 tspn baking powder

2 tspn cinnamon

1 tspn mixed spice

1 tspn ginger

 1 tspn salt

2 tspn vanilla essence

3 cups grated carrots

1 cup chopped nuts - I use sunflower seeds

Frosting

4 Tbspn butter 

125g cream cheese

Juice of one lemon

250 g icing sugar GF

Preparation 

Heat oven tom180degrees C.this can be cooked as one large cake , two sandwhich size  or 36 cupcakes.

cream sugar and eggs in a large mixing bowl- with an electric beater.

Add vanilla and oil mix until smooth.

In a separate bowl ,combine Gf flour, baling soda, baling powder, spices.and salt whisk to combine.

Add dry ingredients to wet and beat until combined.

Bake in a preheated oven 45 mins for sandwhich cake, 1 hour one cake or 30 minutes for cupcakes.test with a skewer and the let it stand of or a while then turnout to wire rack.

frosting

Place butter, cream cheese and lemon juice in bowl beat till smooth then add icing sugar until it is as firm as you want .

Rice porridge

Z

A lot of Coeliacs miss their porridge especially on cold winters morning. I for one don't as I hated the smell of porridge I would make it for my sons but me eat it ... NO WAY  !!! 

It's funny I used to put rolled oats in everything from hamburger patties to apple crumble but I never ate porridge . I tried this rice porridge at the GF and Allergy Show . I had the one with orchard fruits in it. I liked it, so if you are missing your porridge have a try of this one. 

Rice paper rolls

I am pretty consistent in the summer and for some of the winter with my lunches.I usually have a salad using whatever seasonal vegetables are around. 

I made rice paper rolls for tea and there were a few left over so I made up some dipping sauce and that was lunch. 

I enjoy eating the rice paper rolls but you have to be in the mood for a little bit of mucking aroundwhen you prepare them.

I usually marinate the chicken,cook it and cool it .when cool slice it thinly. Then, using iceberg lettuce -cut very fine. The carrots need to be julienned. Then mint and coriander need to be chopped and added  to the lettuce.

Then the fun begins,check your rice papers do no contain gluten I found some in an Asian supermarket that contained wheat ??? . So as usual the rule is Read the back of all packets . The rice paper at this stage needs to be soaked in relatively warm water. Wait till it softens then I put mine on a teatowel and put a small amount of chicken into the middle with a couple of pieces of carrot then some salad. Don't over fill. Then you fold the bottom up, sides in and roll.  Cover with a damp handee towel or damp tea towel.

Coconut Bread Gluten Free

Thinking ahead for the week  I thought I would make a coconut loaf that I saw a recipe for....

6 eggs

3 cups coconut

1 tspn baking soda

Optional extras

1 tspn vanilla

2 Tbspn honey 

1/2 cup fresh berries or fruit

1/2 cup dried fruit

Pre heat oven to 140  C degrees  and line loaf tin with baking paper . Add eggs, coconut and baking soda to a food processor. Blend until combined ,then pour into prepared loaf tin. Bake for 45 mins or until skewer comes out clean inserted .

Leave to cool, then simply lift out, and slice thickly.

Will keep for 3-4 days in an airtight container.

Strawberry Meringue Swirl Iceblocks

My Hubbie saw this is a magazine and thought they would be nice and healthy and fresh for after tea. So I have put these in the freezer.They look a little different as I had different moulds. As with all new recipes with a little practice you can get them to do all sorts of things.

1 1/2Tbspns Caster Sugar

1 tsp vaniila paste ( I used pure vanilla)

150g strawberries

500g greek yoghurt- natural style GF

25 g meringue store brought (GF)

Place the sugar, vanilla and 1/3 Cup water in a small saucepan. Stir over low heat for 2 minutes or until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil over high heat and boil for 3 minutes or until syrup has reduced to 2 Tbpns. Stir in strawberries . Using stick blender process till pureed.

Divide small spoonfuls of strawberry puree, yoghurt and meringue among ten 90ml ice block moulds. Use a knife to gently create a swirl effect.Freeze overnight or until firm.

Rosé scented meringue and berry compote

I saw this in the local rag today .... As I  am having guests for tea tomorrow and I am working I thought mmm whip it up tonight . 

Ingredients 

6 egg whites

1 1/2 C castor sugar

Drop of pink food colouring

1 Tbspn cornflour GF

I tspn white vinegar

Method

Pre heat oven  to 180 degrees C

Beat the egg whites in an electric mixer until stiff but not dry.

Add the castor sugar slowly while beating,until thick and glossy.

Beat in rosé essence and food colouring then fold in cornflour and white vinegar.

Line a baking tray, pile spoonfuls of meringue into a 8cm cookie cutter (I didn't have one so I piled it up. )

Bake for  1 1/2 hours then turn oven off leave jn the oven until cold . .

Gluten Free Meal Out

Even though we have lived in Christchurch for nearly six years we hadn't ever been to The Court Theatre . We missed going to it when it was in the Art Centre but tonight we went to the new after earthquake Court Theatre in Addington . We went with a friend of ours and she suggested a meal before the show . 

With a quick google of what was in the area and a chat about who knows what ... I looked at the menu online for Pedal Pushers, 284 Lincoln Rd . Sadly you couldn't see what was GF online but location was brilliant so I gave them a call. They said they had lots of GF items on the menu . So I booked a table . 

I was not disappointed with selections on the menu . You could have had tapas or starters for three for $33 . Quite a number of GF selections . 

A number of GF mains as well . I forgot to take pictures ha ha . But I had pork it was lovely . 

We didn't look at the dessert menu  but it had creams brûlée .. So that would be good for dessert and coffee after the show even. 

Definitively somewhere you could go before any of the shows or return for a dessert and coffee after the show . 

My only complaint would be -it's easy to see GF options labelled on an online menu as well . 

Great night and the Micardo was amazing . 

Meatless Monday , Tofu Fried Rice

I love the challenge of Meatless Mondays. We started this as a family last year. There are so many benefits . 

 Many are mine ....

It makes me happy to think I am saving the world - 

it makes me happy to think my family support me and embrace my Monday nights -

it has obvious health benefits- 

it saves money - 

it makes me think of different ideas for meals 

- it has made us have more meatless meals than just one . One week we didn't have a meat / chicken meal until  Friday . 

The challenges for me are - it is easy to have vegetarian meals with dairy but a little more challenging without . I try to make only one meal all NF,DF and GF .

So Mondays meal was ..... We marinated firm tofu in oyster sauce, soya sauce and chilli sauce all GF . 

Then  we had cooked our ginger, onion , garlic , capsicum , zucchini , celery , carrot , snap peas , Curry powder, rice and made fried rice and tofu ,

It had a good bite with the curry and sauces , it was very light, you are full but not heavy after a big meat meal . 

Dairy Free Sante Biscuits and Dairy Free Banana Cake

My motherly instincts don't seem to fade even as my sons get older. My baby will be 22 on Wednesday but he will be on a Summer School Bio paper . He has a problem with dairy products. The University do the catering - there is only 15 on the trip but I can't let him go without some home baking . 

Home made Sante Biscuits

125 g Butter - I used non dairy margarine

50 g sugar

3 tspn condensed milk -  I use 3 tspn goldensyrup

vanilla essence few drops

175g flour

1 tspn baking powder

50 g chocolate - I used Sweet William chocolate chips

100g dried apricot or cranberry.

Cream butter,sugar and golden syrup, add essence. add dry ingredients and chocolae.Roll into small balls . Place on cold greased trays and flatten with a fork. Cook 20 minutes at 180 degrees C.

They look great -I am possibly missing a few !!!!

then sneaky Mother came into the kitchen quickly on a week night ha ha.

Maybe I could smuggle a cake into the trp somehow. It's not a birthday without a cake. While he was packing ,I snuk back into the kitchen he thought I was still making biscuits.

Banana Cake 

This is easy as and dairy free.

125g non dairy maragrine

175g sugar

2 eggs

2 mashed bananas

1 tspn bicarbonate soda

1 tsp baking powder

225g flour

2 Tbspn Boiling soy milk or milkalternative 

Cream Marg and sugar, add eggs, and mashed  banana,then Bicarb soda dissolved in boling milk.Lastly add flour and baking powder mixed.Bake at  180 degrees C for about 35-40 minutes or until cooked.

Then somehow this needs to be iced tomorrow before work ......

Quick bit of icing and all is ready for his trip xx

Desserts fit for a King @ a BBQ

We had a Team BBQ for work last night.As I have said before our team is full of people who enjoy food and love getting together to make it together and share it.Our saying in the office is "one thing you know about Finance, they do food well"

We try to prepere some of the food together and that makes it easy for me as I bring in my soya sauce an spices and anything we want to use as marinades . Then it means that nothing on the BBQ is contaminated for me. I am very blessed to work with a team that really supports a person with dietary differences.

We purhased the meat, chicken and GF sausages- the sausages were some that were Hellyers GF sausages and some Old Fashioned Beef ones from the Mad Butcher . The steak we left till the day but we set to and cut up the chicken into strips and marinated half of it in soya sauce GF, GF worsterchire sauce ( Boss brand) and sweet chilli sauce. Then the other half had soya and some hot spices.

I had made my boss a bottle of the BBQ Rub that i have on the blog and when we arrived he quickly wanted to try that out on the steak .

My challenge to myself was to make some desserts. I am the type of person who likes to try before I take food anywhere and especially if it is a new GF recipe. However I really didn't have time for that this week.

I sussed out some recipes that looked appealing and took off to the supermarket in search of dark chocolate,cream.blueberries and a million eggs.

Then I began ....

Lemon Meringue Ice Cream Cake

1/2 C caster sugar

1/2 C lemon juice

3 eggs

3 egg yolks extra

1/2 C caster sugar ( extra)

1 1/2 C cream

1Tbspn lemon rind finely grated

75 g GF store brought meringues

Place caster sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan over low heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar  then simmer for 6-7 minutes or until the syrup thickens slightly. Set aside to cool for 20 minutes.

Combine the eggs, extra yolks and extra caster sugar in a heat proof bowl . Place over a saucepan of simmering water and whisk for 5 minutes or until frothy ( the heat helps to increase the volume of the mixture)

Remove from the heat and beat with an electric mixer until thick and pale, fold through lemon syrup . Beat cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gently fold through lemon and egg mixture with lemon rind.

Line a 26 cm x 10cm loaf pan with plastic wrap . Scatter whole meringues over the base . DON'T crush the meringues as they will dissolve into the ice cream mix and the loaf will loose it's little bursts ofcrunchy  meringue that makes it so special. Pour lemon mixture over the meringue layer . Cover with foil and refrigerate over night.

Phew....

Now with that one done and looking very interesting I set about for the next one. You will note that I have used dairy in my Lemon meringue cake and I am about to use ground almonds. I do this with the utmost of care.I keep my ground almonds in the garage on a shelf and I have used them once before and I use a particular tin . I immedialtey wash my utensils and clean kitchen and wash any dishcloths or teatowels and my apron. I can't afford to have a contamination issue in my house. I must say the person with Nut alergy is not home at the moment so that is why I am doing  this one today.

Chocolate Mousse Cake.

200 g dark chocolate , chopped into small pieces GF

150g butter-I used non dairy margaine

5 eggs separated

1/2 C caster sugar

1/2 C icing sugar GF

1 1/2 C fine ground almonds

extra icing sugar to dust

Pre heat oven to 160 degrees C. Spray a 23 cm spring form tin with a non stick baking spray and line it with baking paper.

Melt the chocolate over simmering water with the butter stirring together to blend well. Stir in the egg yolks,sugars and ground almonds.

In a separate bowl with clean beaters, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form.Carefully fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and then pour into the prepared tin.

Bake for approx 1 hour, until the cake is firm in the centre. Run a palette knife around the edge of tinto loosen  the  sides. Remove the spring form ring and turn out to a wire rack to cool completely.

Serve dusted with icing sugar or if you were naughty like me -melt some choclolate and put on cake  I then laid some washed violets on cake to decorate.

Phew...

That done and the kitchen cleaned up a treat. The terrible thing with that was I have lived with food allergies for 25 3/4 years and you have to have your game face on all the time . I would have brought Whitakers chocolate if I was just making a DF something I never use it when my NF person is about as they have actually had anaphlaytic reactions to this chocolate.It is produced on the same line as peanuts .I saw Cadbury 70% dark chocloate was 2.40 cheaper so I grabbed that.However after claiming virtuously to my hubbie that the cake was Dairy Free I suddenly thought I hadn't checked the chocolate I then said #$%%$ s it did indeed have dairy in it. So lesson learned again in life read every packet and don't let that ever not happen.

Last but not least

Now this one I did make NF, DF and GF.

This is a moist upside down cake

Blueberry and Apple Cake

2 small apples peeled cored and sliced

250g butter - i used non dairy margarine

250g caster sugar

250 g rice flour

1 Tbspn Gf baking powder

4 eggs

150g blueberries

Grease and line base of 23cm spring form tin.Layer the base with apples.

Place the butter,sugar,flour, baking powder and eggs in a food processor and whiz for 30 seconds or until well combined.Add the blueberries and whiz for 5 seconds until roughly chopped .

Spoon mixture over the apples.Place in the preheated oven 200 degrees C.for 50 -60 minutes until golden brown and just firm to touch.Remove the cake from the oven,cool for 10 minutes in the tin then turn out on a wire rack with the apple side on top to cool completely.

This was the desserts for the night. They were successful . The lemon meringue ice cream was actually quite unbeliveable definitley a make again.All of them were make agains I have the blueberry cake in the oven as I type. 

So nerves we uncalled for and everyone was introduced to another round of gluten free cooking which they thoroughly enjoyed.

 

LASTLASLASlast 

Carlton Bar and Eatery

Today was scheduled as a rest day as I managed a little spring clean yesterday taking advantage of a day off.

We set off all ready to do a few chores at the mall and then decided to have a bit of lunch out. I had been recommended a restaurant by my No 2 son the other day . I rang ahead and asked about the gluten free options. i find if you can't view a menu online its best to ring otherwise you can find the whole experience frustrating.

I spoke to Steve the General Manager,who said they had tried to make most of the menu GF and there were a lot of choices,all the Steak sauces were made GF. So we romped on up. It did have a good selection.My Hubbie decided he would ask if the squid could be done GF the waitress came back and said no it wasnt GF but if we were happy to have it shallow fried with butter then it could be GF. That was good that they had thought it all through.

Nothing was a problem. We had a lovley confit lamb salad that was fresh and very fulling.

Good service a place to return to.