Category Archives: food

Chocolate fudge pudding

Posted in cake, food, gluten free, home baking, pudding, Uncategorized by

Sauce on top before cooking and sauce underneath after cooking!

Preheat oven to 180c  / gas mark 4

Ingredients:

For the cake:                                                                                  For the sauce:

170 g gluten-free self-raising flour                                         1 tbsp cacao powder

150 g light muscovado sugar                                                    1 tbsp dark muscovado sugar

170 g softened butter                                                                  Boiling water

4 eggs (3 if using non gf fl)

2 tbsp cacao powder

Method:

Mix all cake ingredients until smooth and put in to an oven proof dish (about 20cm square).    Put the sauce ingredients in to a cup and add boiling water and stir. I fill the cup to about 3/4 full with boiling water. Pour the sauce over the top of the cake mixture. Bake in centre of oven for about 30 mins.

 

So what’s happening to me…

Posted in eating disorder, food, food is medicine, fructose free, functional food, gluten free, healthy eating, meat free, pescatarian, specialised diet, Uncategorized, vegetarian by

Several weeks ago (17th April to be precise)  I gave up meat for 4 weeks to see what would happen – would I feel any better, no different or not as good.

Much to my fascination, I have not eaten it since and more amazingly for this carnivore, I have not missed it. In fact, the other day I cooked some bacon for my husband – I thought this would be the ultimate test as I have never been able to resist the aromas of bacon assaulting my olfactory senses. Not only did I resist, but I found the smell decidedly unpleasant. What is happening!

I know when I first gave up fructose I was told it would take 6-8 weeks to recalibrate. Is this the same with any dietary change?  How long does it take to make a lifestyle change become habit?

I make sure I eat a balanced and nutrient diet  – getting the macro and micro nutrients  I would have ingested from meat sources from other sources.

Before writing this tonight I googled, ‘giving up meat for a month’  – it seems I am not alone !! Not such a threshold adventurer after all…but not quite a lemming either. Just another person who wants to try different ways to improve their health. 🙂

 

Lemon and rosemary infused quinoa stuffed peppers

image

Cup full of quinoa washed thoroughly and cooked. Whilst hot squeeze juice of 1 lemon into it and add 2 cubes of rosemary frozen in olive oil – or a sprig of fresh rosemary. and a dash of olive oil. (I put any leftover fresh herbs in to ice-cube trays and cover with olive / coconut oil and then freeze)

Cut the peppers in half and deseed. Roast for about 10 minutes and then stuff with the quinoa mixture and put back in the oven to roast until the peppers are cooked.

I served this dish with cayenne and olive oil roasted sweet potato and butternut squash chunks (neither peeled) and a chunk of corn on the cob.

 

Asparagus, Asparagus, Asparagus

Posted in eggs, food, food is medicine, functional food, gluten free, healthy eating, mains, meat free, pescatarian, starter, Uncategorized by

Such a delicious addition / focus of many a dish. I find the quickest and easiest way to cook it is to pan fry it – in coconut oil. Stir occasionally to ensure coated in the oil. It takes 5 – 10 mins on a high heat. 20160326_140310

Here are several different ways we eat it:

20160516_192415

With butter sautéed button mushrooms – sprinkled with parmesan – starter or main.

20160507_132306

Served with quail eggs and sprinkled with parmesan – a delicious combination of flavours. Perfect as a starter – 3 eggs and 5 stems or main dish.

20160326_141343

Served with quail eggs, roasted salmon, tomatoes and a Greek yoghurt and chilli flake dip.

20160516_202104

Cold in a salad – here with sprouted brown chick peas, tomatoes and mozzarella on a bed of watercress.

…and probably my favourite…

090416l

Served on gluten-free muffins with poached free range eggs and serves with a generous dollop of hollandaise sauce.

Blackcurrant cake (gluten free)/redcurrant

Posted in cake, food, gluten free, home baking, pudding, Uncategorized by

1463319118726

Delicious on its own – hot or cold, or served with custard, Greek yoghurt, creme fraiche or vanilla ice-cream.

I don’t add additional sugar to the blackcurrants (only what is in the cake) as we like it quite ‘sharp’. You may want to add natural sweetener to the currants.

Ingredients:

Preheat oven to 180c  / gas mark 4

Ingredients:

170 g gluten-free self-raising flour

150 g light muscovado sugar

170 g softened butter

4 eggs (3 if using non gf fl)

1 cup of blackcurrants – topped if desired – I don’t!

Method:

Mix all ingredients (except blackcurrants) together until smooth.

Fold in blackcurrants.

Put in 20cm square tin. Bake in centre of oven for about 30 mins

 

Alternatively…use the same quantity of redcurrants instead and make a cake or muffins.

1464031520150

Quinoa tabbouleh topped with free range eggs

Posted in eggs, food, food is medicine, functional food, gluten free, healthy eating, meat free, superfood, Uncategorized, vegetables, vegetarian by

A simple one pan dish

20160510_194428

Ingredients:

1 cup of quinoa well rinsed, cooked and drained

1 red onion – chopped

2 peppers – roughly chopped

Handful of kale

Tamari (soy sauce if not needing gf)

1 – 2 tsp Garam masala

Coconut oil

2 free range eggs per person

Method

In a large frying pan, saute the onions and peppers in coconut oil. Add Garam Masala and the kale. Cook until the veg is the desired crunch. Add the cooked quinoa and generous splash of Tamari. Once heated through, crack the eggs in to small wells and cook until desired consistency.

 

 

Cheese stuffed baked smoked cod

Posted in eggs, Fish, food, fructose free, functional food, gluten free, healthy eating, healthy fats, meat free, pescatarian, Uncategorized by

14 05 16

This is so simple to make and absolutely delicious.

Pre heat oven to Gas mark 5 / 190 c

Ingredients:

1 fillet of smoked cod per person

Gruyère cheese

Fresh dill

Method:

Simply mix some chopped dill with the Gruyère cheese. Spread a layer on to the underside of the cod fillet and roll up. Secure with a stick.

Wrap loosely in tin foil and place on a baking tray. Cook in the centre of the oven for 10 – 15 minutes.

I served this with in season new potatoes, quail eggs from my lovely ladies and pan-fried asparagus topped with parmesan.