Finding that cooking mojo

Sometimes I fly into the kitchen charged with a new recipe . Sometimes walking in with no plan,at times it can be frustrating when I think of an old recipe wondering how to adapt it . 

I fall back on my favourites like most people do but I try to read and experiment with spices and herbs . Combing books and the net for titbits that spin my wheels . 

We have had a very busy house over the last few months , family coming and going which has been fun at times all three of our food allergies / special diets in the house . It's just more reading of labels that is needed but cooking with not processed foods is the easiest anyway . 

I am pottering in the no sugar world and challenging myself using the outside of the supermarket rule .

While we were all together the sugar discussion came up and we read the backs of the lite tomato sauce I had in the cupboard that was gf . It made me draw breath . I discovered months ago the gf cereal I liked was in the top five for. sugar so no wonder I liked that . 

At my age 29 and counting backwards  I don't need the sugar so it's fun discovering new recipes for a couple of condiments in the house . 

Finished egg free meringue

P

The meringues are cooked who would ever know . The Whanau love them . They are dairy free , gluten free  and egg free . A winner .

Egg free meringue does this exist

Well I am well under way with the baking of  an egg free meringue . How exciting and also hard to believe . It is still full of sugar but wow wow !!!! 

Starting with the draining of a can of chickpeas . Use the brine and that is about 3/4 cup liquid . 

Then put them to beat in cake mixer for 15 minutes .

Yes , it looks like egg white . Add 1 cup of sugar and one teaspoon vanilla gradually . 

Then put on trays and cook at 120 degrees for 90 minutes 

They are rising and they look amazing ... 

We have yet to get them out of the oven .... 

Chocolate sugar free brownie

 

This is a sugar free and gluten free. I hunted the recipe out and gave it to a work colleague and she made it for her family and brought some into work . It was a winner

Ingredients

1/2 cup minus 1 Tbs. coconut flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs. butter, melted

3 eggs, at room temperature (egg substitutes will not work)

1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs. honey or maple syrup

1 tsp. vanilla extract, optional

 

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 300 and grease a glass baking dish (8x8 or 9x9).

Mix together all ingredients. You can do this by hand or with an electric mixer or high-powered blender.

Pour into the baking dish and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 30 minutes before cutting or removing from the pan.

These store well at room temperature or in the fridge for a few days. Make sure you keep them in an airtight container.

 

London to Italy.

For those of you who know me well there is not too much thrill seeker in me . I take risks, hell I just moved from Christchurch to Auckland.

I constantly work on overcoming my fear of flying. I gave myself a choice fly or stay home . When my son lived in a different island of course I had to visit. A boss of mine once did the fear of flying course and she shared some of the tips and they have stuck with me . Not one flight do I take without having to think about the funny noises that the planes makes and remind myself that the ducking and dipping is just like being in a river. When turbulence hits I wriggle my butt back in the seat and concentrate on pressing my feet flat to the floor. I still have good flights and bad but not so many bad times now. I don't often open my eyes and realise I am gripping the person next to me . 

I am sitting in  the Auckland domestic airport with a busy day ahead, off to Christchurch for a doctors appointment and then in two more sleeps I leave for the trip of a lifetime flying to Italy with four days in London first. 

The big plus is travelling Air New Zealand they have always managed to cater for me as gluten free.In advance I know the flight from Heathrow to Rome is British Airways and they don't . It is only a hop of a flight so that's not a big deal.

I don't know what it feels like to plan a trip when you don't have dietary needs but there has been quite a lot of gluten free reading done. Interestingly enough I belong to a great group that shares lots of information. In the UK they brought in legislation in December that means that any place that provides food whether it be the street vendor or the posh restaurant have to be able to tell you all the ingredients in the food you are about to eat . So that should make my time in UK easier. 

Italians test all their children for Coeliac disease before they are six which would make me think they are aware . There will be a bit of a language barrier but I have had the gluten free cards printed in Itslian and laminated thanks to a friend .Inalso have downloaded an app that you can use offline that has the gluten free card in whatever language you choose.

At the end of the day although food is not the reason we are taking this trip it is an important part of experiencing a countries culture and at heart I am a foodie. Shock horror. 

If you don't like pictures of food then tune out for the next month . 

Arrivederci xxxx

Felt blessed

You can feel blessed and nervous at the same time I know because I had that experience today . One of my lovely new workmates made a cake and brought it into work today . She announced that she had made a Betty Crocker Devils Food Cake -gluten free . 

I thought wow that's special but also when I saw it I thought Mmm it has icing .... Will that be gf icing sugar ? Hundreds and thousands will they be gf ? 

What do you do ?? In my mind I had a thousand questions ? Then she announced  that the hundreds and thousands she checked for gluten and also the icing sugar . Phew !!!

It's so hard when people care and go the extra mile and you still doubt them . 

I really appreciate the caring and acceptance . 

One thing discussed about the cake was you could put cream or mock cream in the middle this would be nice as well . 

Blessed !!! 

Lettuce Burger

I see that this week the restaurant/takeaway called Wendy's has launched a low carb burger and if you have without the mayonnaise it is gluten free. The lettuce burger 

Expectation exceeded

Catching a quick lunch with a friend yesterday what a lovely treat . 

We sometimes get so caught up in our work it's easy to not take breaks and not venture out at lunchtime . Yesterday my friend and I nipped down to Cafe Eleven wow wow wow . After meeting the staff and chatting to them last week over a coffee I came away with a menu and a must return to try the food feeling . 

So sitting overlooking a big duck pond in the busy hub in Waurau Park we had lunch. 

A full cabinet of food but we chose off the menu . A staff member told me the special of the day was a spicy paella my friend had the lemon risotto both were gluten free . 

 

The risotto was creamy and had a great number of prawns in it . The paella was spicy and flavoursome . I definitley know it will be a favourite place to visit .

Lovely not to just have a vege frittata when you are dinning out and need to be gluten free .

Anzac Day

After spending the morning making Anzac biscuits for the people I wanted to give biscuits too.I thought about the two members of my new team who are gluten intolerant I went up to the Naturally Organic shop in Albany and looked at the quinoa flakes at 14.50 or the rice flakes at 3.99 for 400 Gm . I purchased the rice flakes . 

I thought I would just try the recipe I had used for usual Anzac biscuits I used the Edmonds gf  plain flour and they look fantastic.

Recipe was  

Oven @ 160 degrees 

Ingredients

1 cup coconut

1 cup Edmonds gf flour

2 cup rice flakes

3/4 cup castor sugar

125g butter

2 Tbspn golden syrup

1 tspn baking soda

3 Tbspn boiling  water

Put all dry ingredients in bowl . Melt butter and golden syrup in pan or microwave . Add boiling water to baking soda . 

Add melted ingredients and baking soda mixed with boiling water to dry ingredients . 

Put on baking tray in dessert spoon lots on baking paper . 

Cafe Eleven

As well as changing and learning a new job . I need to get acquainted slowly with the eateries in my area . I am in Wairau Park in Auckland . I have not ventured out at lunch time yet as I have had my head down learning my job and peoples names !!!!

Luckily my husband is not too far away and we have been able to have a couple of "hot dates " as we call them . He has brought in Pita Pitt with jalapeño chilli so it's been a hot date !!!. I love the fact that we can share a healthy yummy lunch . 

However today after eating lunch we thought mmm a coffee might be nice . We stumbled upon Cafe Eleven . We only had coffee but I had a really great chat with the staff . I was given a card and a menu to take away . 

The cabinet had big array of gf options.  

Three cakes   Two salads, Vietnamese spring rolls .They will make you sandwiches, give you gf soup and toast . Make up salads and breakfast food off the menu . Definitely have to go back ... 

http://www.cafeeleven.co.nz/

The new stage

There are always new stages new phases in life. Nothing stays forever and change is our constant.

I am about to start a new job leaving the old well educated team that have supported me through many a BBQ , sausage sizzle and team lunch. It makes me think about the fun food times we have had. It makes me think about the people I leave behind in Chrustchurch who won't be too nervous to invite a gluten free person over for dinner. They  can suggest coffee shops and restaurants that they know are serving gluten free food.

I can't praise people enough who are not closed minded, who try to include . There are so many people with different food needs in society today it would be hard to be surrounded by people with closed minds.

When a vegetarian comes for tea, am I going to give them lettuce and tomatoe ? Of course not. There are so many easy meals that I can whip up . Do I understand that I am not to use the meat tongs to turn their falafel . Of course. Do I judge ? Do I welcome? I welcome .. I understand.

Food can be a great expression of friendship. I feel I have left my foodie team for the time being before they all visit me one by one. But their expression of welcoming, love and friendship showed by the inclusion of my gluten free world will not be forgotten . 

The recipes will still be exchanged when someone finds a great one that either is gluten free or can be adapted. 

The recipes that I have picked up will remind me of the individuals that shared them with me and even the times when we shared the meal .

It is not the end it is the start of new times and celebration of things learnt over the last 3 and a half years with my team.