Raw oat bar ingredients – makes two small bars:

• Cup of oats
• Tsp of almond butter or other nut butter
• 1/2 tsp of cinnamon
• 1 tsp ginger powder or raw ginger (finely chopped)
• 2 tbsp of nuts ( I used hazelnuts)
• 4 pieces of tinned pineapple and a tbsp of  juice
• Agave nectar squeeze optional (1 tsp)

Place the oats, nuts, cinnamon, and ginger  into a food processor and blitz until broken up. Add your nut butter, agave nectar (optional) and pineapple pieces to the food processor and blitz again. Slowly add the pineapple juice to mixture and keep blending until the mixture starts to combine. It should be a dry dough like texture so that you can mould it into a bar shape.

Once the mixture is ready, remove from the food processor and mould into a bar shape – pop in the fridge for a few mins to chill. That’s it the raw oat bar is ready to rock and roll.

This raw oat bar recipe is very flexible, I wanted to make a bar with no dried fruit, but you could use soaked dates instead of the pineapple, milk instead of the juice, banana instead of pineapple and all sorts of seed/nut combination. Give it a try and let me know you raw oat bar version and what you think.

Vegan Indian Pancakes – Ingredients:

Pancakes: (makes 2 pancakes)

• 3 tbsps gram (chickpea) flour
• Sparkling water
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/3 onion, finely chopped
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 chilli, finely chopped
• Salt
• 1 tbsp oil (I used olive oil)

Filling: (serves 2)

• 2/3 onion, roughly chopped
• 1/2 tin of beans of your choice (I used black eye beans)
• 1/2 grated carrot
• 1 tomato, roughly chopped
• 1/2 pepper, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp mild curry powder
• Squeeze of lime
• 2 tbsps fresh coriander, roughly chopped
• Salt
• 1 tbsp oil (I used olive oil)

Vegan Indian Pancakes – Recipe:

Begin by chopping the onion, tomatoes, pepper, chilli and coriander and grating the carrot so they are ready to use and set aside.

To make the filling:

In a frying pan, heat a tbsp of olive oil on full heat, add the mild curry powder, cumin seeds and onion and fry until the onion softens.

Next turn the heat to half heat, add the beans and cook through for 2 – 3 minutes (if the mixture begins to stick, add a splash of water). 

After the 2 -3  minutes, add the grated carrot, chopped tomato, chopped pepper and tomato puree and season with salt. Cover and leave to cook, stirring occasionally, whilst you make the pancakes.

To make the pancakes:

Add the flour, chopped onion, chilli, cumin seeds, cayenne pepper and salt into a mixing bowl. Gradually pour in the sparkling water, using a whisk to combine the mixture. Add enough sparkling water until your mixture resembles a batter.

Add the olive oil to a small frying pan and place over a high heat on the hob. When the oil is hot, carefully pour the excess into a separate container and set aside for later use.

Pour 1 ladel of pancake mixture into the frying pan and circle the mixture round to coat the whole pan. Put the pan on the heat to cook, look out for the mixture bubbling upwards (this will take approx. 1 – 2 minutes).

Once the mixture begins to bubble, use a fork to carefully edge the pancake away from the surface of the pan and flip the pancake over.

Cook for 2 minutes. When the pancake is cooked to your liking, place on a plate and repeat the process above until you have enough pancakes / all the mixture is used. Remember to add oil to the pan and drain any excess before cooking a new pancake.

To serve:

Place 1 pancake on a plate, cover half the pancake with the bean filling. Sprinkle with chopped fresh coriander and squeeze over some fresh lime juice. Fold the pancake over and serve.

Vegan Indian Pancakes would be delicious served with a fresh No Salad Dressing salad, some Lime Pickle, poppadums and a yogurt & cucumber dip. These Vegan Indian Pancakes are a quick to make and satisfyingly tasty dish.

Ombar are made in five different flavours – Cashew & Coconut, Banana & Hempseed, Acai, Goji & Lucuma and Cranberry. 

The main ingredients within each bar are cacao mass, agave nectar, cacao butter and coconut cream with each bar then having their individual flavours added be it acai, banana, hempseed, cranberry.

The bars are produced at low temperatures to preserve the natural goodness of the ingredients, and each bar is enriched with superfood powder for a powerful punch of anti-oxidants in each bite.

Ombars are made by Mood Foods and are available online through their website, or through a number of wholefood and health food outlets including Planet Organic, Revital Health, Fresh and Wild and many more, check out the Mood Foods website for details.

Sugar Free Granola -try sprinkled over yogurt

I think I have cracked it with a simple but effective formula for sugar free granola. The great thing is it’s really easy to scale up the ingredients so you can make as much or as little as you like.

Sugar free granola ingredients (makes 3-4 portions):

• Oats 100g
• Dried fruit, nuts and seeds 100g (I recommend 50g fruit, 25g nuts, 25g seeds)*
• Rapeseed oil 1 tbsp
• Agave nectar 3 tbsp

* I used dried apricots and nectarines, brazil and hazelnuts and a mixed seed pack but you can get creative and use whatever fruit, nut and seed combo you fancy!

Sugar free granola recipe

Roughly chop the nuts and fruits and mix with the seeds and oats in a large bowl. Gradually stir in the agave nectar and rapeseed oil and spread onto greaseproof paper on a baking tray.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 150C for 15 minutes, remove from the oven and give it a shake and a stir. Break it up or clump it together as required, then bake for a further 10-15 minutes. Once cool store in an airtight container.

That’s it my sugar free granola, great on yogurt and added to cereals.

Vanilla Booja Booja is made of just pure water from reverse osmosis, agave nectar (diabetic friendly syrup from the agave cactus. Contains 74% fructose with low GI. Raw), Cashew nuts, Vanilla Oil 0.1%

I really can’t say anything more about Vanilla Booja Booja, other than grab a spoon and dive in – divine! You can buy all the Booja Booja varieties at: www.goodnessdirect.co.uk

Chicken Korma with a twist

I discovered this dairy free chicken korma recipe somewhat by accident (as many of the best discoveries are). I had a carton of longlife soya milk in the cupboard and decided to try cooking with it, for a change. Well, I was pleasantly surprised and it passed the true test when my ‘anti-soya milk’ husband went back for seconds!

Dairy Free Chicken Korma Recipe (serves 4):

Ingredients

• Chicken breast fillets x3 (or approx 350g) cut into thin strips
• Soya milk approx 300mL (I used Alpro Original long-life)
• Garlic 1 clove finely chopped
• Ginger 1inch piece finely chopped
• Courgette 1 medium, chopped
• Okra 10-15, sliced
• Turmeric 2 tsp
• Cinammon 1 tsp
• Cumin 1tsp
• Ground coriander 1/2 tsp
• Cashew nuts - large handful (optional)

Start by stir-frying the garlic, ginger and vegetables in a little oil until slightly browned. Remove from the pan and keep aside.

Now heat a little more oil and fry the chicken with the spices until cooked right through.

Return the veggies to the pan together with enough soya milk to just about cover it. Throw in a big handful of cashews and bring to a simmer.

Cover and simmer for about half an hour whilst you sort out some wholegrain rice.

Love to know what you think about my dairy free chicken korma and any of your own experiences of cooking with soya milk.

Pefkect Granola contains – Jumbo Oats, Golden Linseeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Sunflower Seeds, Almonds, Brazil Nuts, Pecan Nuts, agave nectar  and Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil.

Now at £4.99 a pop Perfekt Granola is a bit pricey however it’s pretty tasty and you can  make it last longer using a few spoonfuls spice up some of the usual breakfast cereal suspects. I had my Perfekt Granola this morning with some puffed oats, a few extra seeds with a splash of oatly and I have to say the taste was pretty special, so look out for the special box next time you need some cereal.

Rude Health’s new addition

The range of oat-based cereals, mueslis and granolas on the supermarket shelves has boomed in recent years, much to the delight of the health-concious foodie!

You might already have come across their Early Bird muesli range but now Rude Health are leading the way in the wholesome cereal market with the launch of puffed oats.  

Oats are a fantastic start to the day as they have a low glycaemic index, meaning that they will help to stabilise blood sugar and keep you full for longer. They also provide beta-glucan, a type of soluble fibre that helps to lower cholesterol.

Puffed oats are available in Waitrose from the end of July (£1.60 per box). You will also find a range of other Rude Health cereals including organic and raisin-free muesli and a new puffed wheat cereal. Let us know what you think and if you find puffed oats available in any other shops.

Sugar free courgette chutney recipe (makes 1-2 jars):

Ingredients

• 1 large courgette, chopped
• 1 red apple, peeled and chopped
• 1 stick celery, chopped
• 1 large handful mixed raisins and sultanas
• 50mL cider vinegar
• 1tsp ground ginger
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
• 2 tbsp agave nectar (or you could use honey)
• salt and pepper

Simply add all ingredients to a pan and simmer for around 45 minutes or until thickened. Taste along the way and add seasoning / agave nectar to taste. Store in an airtight container in the fridge – lovely courgette chutney done!

Recipe for sugar free chocolate spread (makes a small pot):

• Nuts x100g (I used a packet of mixed nuts but you could just use hazelnuts, almonds or whatever you prefer)
• Banana x1 medium
• Cocoa x2 tbsp
• Agave nectar  (or honey) x1 tsp

Put the nuts in the bottom of a blender/food processor and blitz for 20-30 seconds until they start to become pasty. Now add the banana, cocoa and agave/honey and blitz some more!
You might need to shake up the blender or get in there with a teaspoon to keep it moving. It should end up looking something like this…

heaven in a pot – loving my sugar free chocolate spread!

Massaman Beef Curry is a slow-cooked Malaysian dish, which is not too hot but very aromatic. It usually includes potatoes but not in my version! You will need some Massaman curry paste and fish sauce – both available in many supermarkets and worth purchasing for a fantastic Massaman Beef Curry.

• 800g beef brisket or stewing steak, trimmed of fat and cut into chunks
• 1 onion chopped
• 1x 400mL can Coconut Milk
• 1 sachet / 2-3tbsp Massaman Curry Paste
• 8 cardamon pods
• 3 star anise
• 1tsp cinnamon
• small knob ginger sliced
• 2 cloves garlic chopped

Ingredients (in two stages):

• 1tbsp peanut butter
• 1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
• juice of 1/2 a lime
• 1tsp sugar or squeeze of agave nectar
• handful cashew nuts (and extra for garnish)

Recipe for Massaman Beef Curry

Start by frying the beef in a little oil to seal and then tip the contents of the pan into another dish.

Now fry off the onion, garlic, ginger and spices before adding the beef (but reserve the juices separetely) back to the pan with the massaman paste. Now add the tin of coconut milk, cover and simmer gently for 1 1/2 – 2 hours, or until the meat is tender.  The meat needs to be completely covered in sauce so if you need more liquid add the reserved juices from frying the beef.

About 20-30 minutes before the end of the cooking take off the lid and add the peanut butter, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar/agave and a handful of cashew nuts.

Serve the massaman beef curry in bowls on top of jasmine rice with a side dish of steamed mange tout. Here’s one I made earlier!

As this was only meant to be an experiment and I didn’t really want buckets of the stuff I only made one jar, but you could easily scale up the quantities. I really recommend the cider vinegar (I used Aspell’s cyder vinegar) – it has a lovely sweet taste. I’m not even sure whether the agave nectar was essential so I’ll have to try it without next time to see if it’s just as good.

Sugar free chutney ingredients:

• Dried apricots x10 chopped
• Almonds x12 chopped
• Cider vinegar x6 tbsp
• Orange juice x8 tbsp
• Garlic 1 clove finely chopped
• Agave nectar (or honey) 1tbsp
• Ground ginger, cinnamon, curry powder 1/2 tsp each

Sugar free chutney recipe:

Combine the cider vinegar and orange juice in a small jug. Then in a small non-stick pan fry the garlic, nuts and spices for a couple of minutes and then add the apricots, Agave nectar and half of the vinegar / orange juice mixture. Simmer for 20-30 minutes adding a little more of the vinegar / orange juice mixture whenever the liquid gets soaked up. Pour into a jar that has been heated in the oven and cover when cool. Enjoy with cold meats, cheese and other savoury nibbles. Fabulous, let me know what you think of my first sugar free chutney!

Dark Mountain Bar Allergen Info:

• Free from cow’s milk and soya (although made in a factory that manufatures milk chocolate)
• Suitable for vegetarians
• No artificial colours or flavourings
• Contains sugar, nuts, eggs
• It doesn’t say ‘contains gluten’ so I think it should be gluten free
• No GI info on packet but the dark chocolate is 72% minimum cocoa solids and with the added almonds I am guessing it’s pretty low GI, despite a bit of sugar and honey.

My almond dark chocolate story

It was on the way to a long weekend in Anglesey that I first discovered the M&S almond dark chocolate at Stafford services on the M6. It was so delicious that when I realised last weekend that we were heading back up the M6 to the Lake District I couldn’t wait to find services with an M&S food shop. I literally leapt out of the car at Knutsford, only to find that they only had the milk chocolate version, noooooo!! Don’t worry we stopped later on (I think it was Lancaster) and I bought two bars. You don’t have to climb a mountain to enjoy it but we did and it tasted even better afterwards!!

So I dusted off my Wagamama Cookbook from the bookshelf to try something new. I have never been to an actual Wagamama restaurant as my problem is most of the food includes sugar and wheat but with a few tweaks and some classic Fussy Foodie ingredients you can make some really tasty Wagamama meals at home.

Dareen loving the Chilli Beef Ramen

The chilli beef ramen recipe is for 2 people but I made it for 4 people, if you are just having this as a main meal I would make it for 2 people:

• 150g (5oz) beansprouts
• 256g (9oz) thick rice noodles
• 350g (12oz) sirloin steak
• a little vegetable oil
• a splash of teriyaki sauce (optional – contains wheat) or Wheat Free Soya Sauce
• 1 litre chicken or vegetable stock – I got some fresh stock from Waitrose
• 2 tablespoons of chilli ramen sauce (see below)
• 4 spring onions, trimmed and sliced
• 1 red chilli, trimmed, deseeded and thinly sliced
• 1 lime quartered
• Thinly sliced red pepper
• 6 sprigs of coriander

Chilli Ramen Sauce:
To make sauce mix all ingredients in a small bowl to combine:

•  2 tsps Agave Nectar
• Juice of 1/2 a lime
• 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
• 1 tbsp fish sauce (optional – check for sugar free version)

Blanch the beansprouts in a large pan of boiling water for 10 seconds. Drain, reserving the water, and refresh in cold running water. Cook the noodles in the reserved boiling water for 5-6 minutes or until just tender (depending on the noodle instructions). Drain thoroughly and refresh under cold running water.

Heat a griddle or frying pan over a medium heat for 1-2 minutes until hot and almost smoking. Lightly rub the steak with oil, then cook for 2 minutes on each side until medium rare. Remove from the griddle, brush with teriyaki sauce and keep warm in some foil while it rests for 3-4 minutes. Slice on the diagonal.

Divide the noodles between your bowls. Heat the stock, stir in the chilli ramen sauce and then ladle over the noodles. Top with the sliced beef, beansprouts, sliced pepper, spring onion, sliced chilies and coriander. Serve with a lime wedge for squeezing.

I am loving noodles at the moment, they have a really fresh taste and once you have the basic ingredients in your cupboard you can make some tasty meals in minutes. Give this Chilli Beef Ramen recipe a try and you won’t be disappointed. Just make sure you have a spoon on hand so you can slurp down the tasty juices at the bottom of the bowl.

Wondering are oats gluten free? - follow the link.

Jordans Porridge Oats are British Conservation Grade Wholegrain Rolled Oats, high in fibre wholegrain goodness, naturally low GI for slow energy release (so great for those on a low GI diet), with no added salt or sugar, no artificial flavourings, colourings, preservatives or GM ingredients – just oats! Next time you pop to the shops hunt out a pack and try them for yourselves.

It was a taste sensation as the taste of creamy coconut cream melted in my mouth, with tiny pieces of coconut to add some bite – loved it!  How can something with so little in taste so great: Pure water from reverse osmosis, Agave Nectar, Cashew Nuts and Coconut.

Vegan coconut ice cream from Booja Booja - with cocoa sprinkle

I have now tried two Booja Booja Ice Cream varieties and the chocolate is still my favourite  as I love the cocoa kick that it has.

Buy from: www.goodnessdirect.com

Booja Booja have done it again with this vegan coconut ice cream, it’s a really summery taste one that I will be tasting again soon. In fact I am just holding off diving into the freezer now as I type this and it’s only 7:40am.

Living with multiple food intolerance’s can sometimes be a drag, with people asking questions about why you cant eat what they do, trying to not inconvenience others and if throwing a party ensuring everyone enjoys foods on offer (including you). Well great news is that BBQs are a fantastic way to keep everyone happy as they are so flexible.

Here are my top tips for barbecuing with food intolerance’s:

• Gluten Free Sausages – you don’t need a bun, tastes great with salads
• Chicken Satay – made with fantastic Satay Sauce Recipe
• Gluten Free Burger – home made and value for money, tasty and healthy too
• Lime Pickle
• Salads, salads and more salads….
• Need something crispy try some plain nachos or lightly salted kettle chips
• Home made guacamole and houmous are great for dipping.

Also if its a hot day try some Sugar Free Ice Lollies, they will go down a treat or a scoop of Booja Booja Ice Cream.

I love having a house full of my friends, sharing food and fun times. Summer time BBqs make it really easy to entertain lots of your friends.

I found Booja Booja Ice Cream when browsing some vegan products on Goodness Direct.

Great with just a spoon, the texture is soft and melts in your mouth like ice cream or serve with some strawberries, spring of mint and some toasted oats, nuts and seeds. 

Booja Booja dairy free ice cream is just made with four  ingredients: pure water from reverse osmosis, Agave Nectar, Cashew Nuts and Cacoa powder (7%).

I had my first try of Booja Booja Ice Cream a few hours ago and have not stopped thinking about the great taste since. I can’t belive I can have something this tasty with all my food intolerances and other restrictions – food heaven!

Just naked salad in all its goodness and a few healthy toppings, tastes fab. So to jazz up a salad these are some of my topping ideas:sesames seeds, pumpkin seeds (great with avocado), chickpeas, salt and pepper, grated carrot and my all time favourite some fresh Thyme leaves.

What goes into  a salad is the making of it, and most dressing can just disguise the taste of the main event. A combination of healthy toppings can really add a different taste sensation to a plain salad. So give it a go and try out a No Salad Dressing option.

Eating regularly throughout the day helps to prevent blood sugar levels from dropping, giving you a more constant energy supply and reducing the likelihood of overeating at mealtimes.

My golden rule for a nutritious snack is to include some protein (group 1) as well as low glycaemic index (more info: low gi diet) carbohydrate (group 2).  Here are some options from each group with an idea of portion size…

Group 1:  Protein Foods

• Nuts - 4-8 nuts / dessert spoon peanut butter
• Houmous – 1 tbsp
• Seeds – 1 dessertspoon
• Cheese – 1 slice / Babybel / cheese triangle / 1 tbsp cottage cheese
• Low fat yogurt – small pot (125g) / 3tbsp from large pot
• Milk – 200mL skimmed or semi / calcium-enriched non-dairy
• Ham – 1 slice

Group 2 – Low GI (slow release) Carbohydrate Foods

• A portion of Fruit - 1 small apple, pear, banana / handful of berries / 2 plums,  satsumas / 1 tbsp dried fruit / 1 slice melon, mango / 150mL pure juice / 6-8 olives
• Veggie sticks - approx 8 sticks, any combination of carrot, celery, pepper, mangetout, sugar snaps, cucumber, or 5 cherry tomatoes
• Oatcakes or Rye crackers – 1 or 2
• Toast - half a slice of wholegrain / granary / rye
• Cereal – 2 tbsp Muesli / All Bran /  Porridge Oats
• Dark chocolate – 2 squares, ideally >70% cocoa
• Biscuit or bar - 1 digestive / Hobnob / oaty cereal bar (occasional treat only!)

If you are only having a couple of healthy snacks you can probably afford to have larger portions but remember that if you are introducing snacking you will need to compensate by eating less at mealtimes or by doing alot more exercise, else the pounds will pile on!

Snacking on the go

Healthy snacks at home are easy but at work or out and about you have to be a little bit more organised with provisions.  Here’s where I keep mine, believe me there is very little effort involved!

• Handbag – always contains a little tupperware pot of some combo of mixed dried fruit, nuts, muesli, berries, seeds, dark chocolate
• Desk drawer at work – box of Ryvita, box of Oatcakes, bag of apples
• Fridge at work – pack of diet yogurts, net of Babybel light, pot of Houmous, light cheese spread or cottage cheese
• Gym bag – cereal bar in case I need a pre-workout kick, money for a skinny cappucino afterwards
• Glove compartment - Bag of dried apricots, prunes or figs

My friends and colleagues think I’m a little mad but they know where to come when feeling a bit peckish and I wouldn’t be much fun to be around if I didn’t have to hand my healthy snacks!

Gluten Free Porridge Ingredients:

Rice Flakes
Millet Flakes
Guar Guar

I prepared my gluten porridge this morning with soya milk, it’s really warming like porridge but much lighter in texture and the way it hits your stomach.

So for people looking for a life without oats for breakfast Kelkin Gluten Free Porridge is a must have product.

Basic rules when choosing a Low GI Breakfast Cereal:

• Oats are the lowest GI grain so porridge made with whole oats is a great choice and anything with oats as the main ingredient (first on the list) is going to be a good start.
• Sugar (or honey, syrup, etc) should be absent or at least way down the list. This rules out crunchy cluster-type cereals like Granola – even if made with oats they are packed with sugar. Looking at the ‘carbohydrate of which sugars’ I would steer clear of anything over 20g per 100g.
• Whilst nuts and seeds will bring the GI of a cereal down, raisins, sultantas and especially dates will increase the sugar content and GI so don’t go too mad on these.
• Flakes generally have a relatively high GI so opt for oat-based muesli or Oatibix rather than oat flakes (e.g. optivita) and All Bran rather than Bran Flakes or Sultana Bran.
• Wholegrain and high-fibre cereals are likely to be lower in glycaemic index than the alternatives but this can’t be assumed so check out the other factors too.

Low-GI Breakfast Cereal Selection 

There are three types of breakfast cereal that I always have in and (call me strange if you like) I can never just have one cereal in the bowl, I always like a mixture of two different types!

1. Oatibix – I don’t know the actual GI value but with 97% wholegrain oats and just 3.2g sugars per 100g this has to be a good choice. I am only talking about the full-sized bisks though – the Oatibix bites and flakes contain far more sugar (14-20g per 100g!), as do Kellogs Optivita and Nestle Oats and More.

2. All Bran – The GI of All Bran is just 30 and whilst it contains a moderate 17g sugar per 100g it provides a whopping 27g fibre, which helps to bring the GI down. I couldn’t eat it on it’s own though – definitely one to mix with something a little less heavy.

3. Muesli – With so many mueslis on the market choosing the right one is a bit of a minefield. I look for oats first on the list (it’s surprising how many are predominately wheat), sugars below 15g per 100g and fibre above 7g per 100g.  This usually means selecting those with plenty of nuts and seeds but not too many raisins or dates. Oh, and I would never pay more than £3 per box – I can’t believe how much some of the gourmet ones cost for the tiniest of packets!

Here are a few Mueslis that meet the Low GI Breakfast Cereal criteria and are available in supermarkets:

• Pertwood Organic Farm Muesli Fruit and Seeds (Approx 2.36 for 650g). This is super tasty, wheat free and has no added sugar or salt. An excellent fibre source (12.6g/100g) and 14.2g sugar per 100g
• Dorset Cereals do a great range of different mueslis and after comparing them all I think the Simply Delicious (12g sugars, 7.4g fibre per 100g) best meets the low GI criteria. No added sugar or salt. Approx £2.62 for 850g.
• Jordans also do a good range but the Nut and Seed Muesli seems to be by far the best option from a GI point of view (12.5g sugars and 8.6g fibre per 100g). I love the big chunks of brazil nut and have to stop myself reaching in for extras! No added salt but does contain added sugar. Approx £2.49 for 675g.

Please let us know if you have found a product that you think meets the Low GI Breakfast Cereal challenge criteria. Unfortunately, I haven’t yet found any supermarket-own brand candidates but rest assured I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled and will keep you updated.

Big Oz Cereals

Big OZ have a range of cereals, including:

• Brown Rice Puffs – low in fat, free from gluten, malt and barley, with no added salt, sugar artificial sweeteners, colour or flavour
• Buck Wheat Puffs – Free from gluten, malt and barley, no added salt, sugar artificial sweeteners,colour or flavour. No preservatives or yeast
• Corn Puffs – low in fat, free from gluten, malt and barley no added salt,, sugar or artificial sweeteners, no added colour or flavour
• Original puffs – Gluten Free – A wheat and gluten free mix of unsweetened millet, rice and buckwheat. Gluten Free, Wheat Free, No Added Sugar
• Honey & Maple Corn Puffs – Organic Corn Puffs delicately sweetened with Honey and Maple syrup. Wheat Free, Gluten Free, Organic Corn Puffs
• Millet Puffs – Free from gluten, malt and barley, and no added salt, sugar artificial sweeteners, colour or flavour

Big OZ Morning Puffs

Big OZ cereals are great for people seeking a high quality and nutritious cereal and also for those with special dietary needs.

Low GI Cake: Banana Cococake

Low GI cake ingredients (makes 8-10):

• 100g oats
• 40g dessicated coconut
• 2 small or 1 large banana, mashed
• 6 tbsp oil (i used rapeseed)
• 6 tbsp orange juice
• 1 tbsp cocoa
• 1tsp ground ginger

Low GI cake Recipe:

Mix it all the ingredients together, spoon into 8-10 cake cases (or could be done as a tray bake) and bake at 180C for 40 minutes.  These Low GI cakes really are simple as, love to know what you think.

Toasted oats snack

• Handful of oats
• Large tablespoon of dessicated coconut (sugar free)
• A few teaspoons of linseeds, sun flower seeds, pumpkins seeds etc  (optional)

NB. Essentially you need around 1:4 ratio of oats to coconut.In a small frying pan add all the ingredients and gently toast, tossing the mixture intermittently to make sure it doesn’t burn. It will take a few minutes for the oats to warm through and toast slightly. 

• A spoon for soya yogurt, a teaspoon of pure fruit spread and a sprig of mint.
• Avoiding all yoghurts…in the oats mixture add a few glugs of soya of rice milk  and stir so that mixture is slightly wet. Add some fresh berries and a few nuts for crunch.
• If you are avoiding fruit sugars, as I try to, and some yogurt of your choice and a spring of cocoa.

My Toasted Oats Snack is really flexible, let me know any combos that you try out.

Experts are recommending 3 servings of whole grain foods each day, but in the UK many of us don’t even manage 3 per week!

What is a whole grain?

A whole grain is made up of the outer shell (bran), the endosperm and the germ. Together, these form a highly nutricious grain providing essential nutrients including:

• Fibre
• B Vitamins and folic acid
• Minerals (iron, zinc, copper, selenium)
• Protein
• Vitamin E
• Phytochemicals
• Unsaturated fats including Omega 3 

When grains are milled or refined (e.g. white flour, white rice) most of the fibre, vitamins and minerals are lost and only the endosperm is left, which is far less nutricious and usually has a much higher glycaemic index (GI).

Which foods are whole grain?

This is the tricky bit, as it is not always easy to tell.  The most common types of whole grain foods are wheat, barley and rye foods labelled as whole grain or wholemeal and anything containing oats (including rolled oats and oatmeal).    If you can eat gluten and/or wheat then it is relatively easy to switch to whole grain breakfast cereals, breads and pasta, but if these foods are excluded from your diet you will need to find your wholegrains elsewhere.

Gluten Free & Wheat Free whole grain

The obvious choices here are rice (brown or wild) and oats (although oats are not usually suitable for people with coeliac disease).

However, there are many more gluten free, nutrient-packed whole grain options (e.g. buckwheat, maize, quinoa, amaranth, millet, sorghum) and once you are familiar with them you will find it easy to include more in your diet.

We are currently working on a list of whole grain ‘free from’ products to give some ideas, also look out for fussy foodie recipes using alternative grains. 

Thai is great for Fussy Foodies as its easy to adapt for most food intolerances.

My bite sized thai fish cakes

I adapted my recipe from Delia’s – Thai Fishcake recipes – thanks Delia for the inspiration!

Thai Fish Cake Ingredients:

• 1 lb (450 g) any white fish (cod, haddock, hake, etc.) weighed after boning and skinning - cut into chunks
• 2 tbsp fresh coriander leaves
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 2 spring onions, very finely sliced into rounds (including the green parts)
• 2 heaped tbsp Thai paste
• 1 green chilli, de-seeded
• 2 tbsp groundnut or seasame oil for frying
• Salt

Thai fish cake recipe steps:

1. Place the chunks of fish, the coriander leaves, lime juice, spring onions, Thai paste, chilli and a little salt in a food processor and blend till you have a finely minced texture – don’t blend it to a fine purée, else it will go sloppy.
2. Transfer to a mixing bowl, take dessertspoons of the mixture and form them into balls, squeezing the mixture together.
3. Place them on a flat surface and flatten them out with the palm of your hand into small cake shapes about 1½ inches (4 cm) in diameter. You should get 16 in all.
4. Put fish cakes on a plate and cover with clingfilm and leave them in the fridge for a couple of hours to firm up.
5. When ready to cook the fish cakes, heat 2 tbls of preferred oil in a frying pan and, when it’s very hot and beginning to shimmer, fry the cakes for about 1 minute on each side, then drain on kitchen paper. Serve whilst pipping hot!

To accompany the Thai Fish cakes I made two dipping sauces, prior to cooking the fish cakes…

Cucumber dipping sauce:

• 2 inches (5 cm) unpeeled cucumber
• 2 shallots or salad onions
• 1 small carrot
• 1 small green chilli, de-seeded
• 1 level tsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 level tbsp roasted peanuts
• 1/2 tsp agave nectar
• 4 fl oz (110 ml) rice vinegar or wine vinegar (0ptional)
• 1 tbsp Wheat Free Soya Sauce
• 1 tbsp seasame or groundnut oil

N.B Due to the vinegar this dipping recipe contains yeast.

Cucumber dipping sauce recipe steps:

1. Place the cucumber, shallots or salad onions, carrot, chilli, ginger and peanuts in the a food processor and whiz till very finely chopped.
2. Transfer the chopped vegetables to a bowl. Next mix the agave nectar with the vinegar to dissolve it, then pour it over the vegetables along with the soy sauce and oil. Mix thoroughly – chill until ready to serve.

Sesame and lime dipping sauce:

• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1 dsp Thai fish sauce – sugar free version
• 1 tbsp wheat free soy sauce
• 1 medium red chilli, deseeded and very finely chopped

Sesame and lime dipping sauce recipe steps:

1. To make this dipping first step is to toast the sesame seeds. Using a small, solid frying pan, add the sesame seeds and toast them, moving them around in the pan to brown them evenly. As soon as they begin to splutter and pop and turn golden, they’re ready – this will take 1-2 minutes.
2. Remove sesame seeds from the frying pan to a serving bowl and simply stir in the rest of the ingredients – chill until ready to serve.

Thai Fish Cakes verdict:

If you fancy something Thai and tasty for an evening meal this week give thes Thai Fish cakes ago.

Thai paste from Thai Taste

Thai paste ingredients:

• Garlic
• Green chilli
• Onion
• Lemon grass
• Sale
• Black galangal
• Galangal
• Kaffir lime peel
• Fennel Sees
• Coriander
• Pepper

It’s not often I reach for a jar but this 100% natural Thai Paste is a real winner in lots of recipe and readily available too.

Agave nectar is described as being …

“real alternative to sugar. And a natural substitute for those naughty synthetic sweeteners.”

The Agave Plant

The Agave plant, originating in Mexico, has long been cultivated on the well-drained rocky slopes of this region.

The agave plant

Typically the liquid is fermented  from the agave plant, which is now widely known as Tequila, and until recently has been the main use of the plant.

What is Agave Nectar?

Within the agave plant is a pineapple-like core (called pina), the pina contains the nectar. The nectar has to then be refined to break down the complex carbohydrates into simple sugars (primarily fructose).

To produce the agave nectar product, the agave juice is pressed from the core and then filtered to increase clarity. The nectar is then heated, causing thermic hydrolysis, resulting in the transition from complex carbohydrate to simple sugar. The main carbohydrate is a complex form of fructose called inulin or fructosan.

This process gives a sweet syrup, like a very runny treacle and dissolves easily in liquid.

• When substituting agave as a sweetener in recipes, reduce your liquid by about 1/4th and reduce your oven temperature by 25 degrees
• Pure agave has a shelf life of about 3 years
• Agave is about 25% sweeter than table sugar (sucrose) due to its fructose content, consequently, less agave is needed for the same effect.

Agave Nectar GI Index

Agave nectar generally typically carries a GI index between 25 and 50, assuming its not been messed with.

NB. Honey has a GI of about 83, and glucose has a GI of 137. Anything below 55 is defined as low glycemic, and considered diabetic friendly.

Agave Nectra and Candida

“The form of fructose in agave nectar is a complex structure called inulin. Inulins are a group of short chain fructose molecules called oligosaccharides which occur naturally in few sugar sources. Inulin helps in the absorption of Calcium and Magnesium. The sugar in agave nectar, while still being very sweet, does not feed Candida yeast and other unfriendly anaerobic bacteria in the small intestines and Colon. Anaerobic bacteria recognize the inulin in agave nectar as a sugar source yet when they try and feed on it as other sugar sources you have been putting in your body the unfriendly bacteria cannot extract sufficient energy from the Agave nectar to progress life cycle. “ Sourced from Health N Vitality Website

So it seems Agave Nectarreally is a winning sugar alternative. It’s versatile, tastes great, so sweet you only use a tiny amount and it won’t spike blood glucose quite as badly as white sugar, brown sugar, or honey. Overall as with anything I think Agave Nectar should be used in moderation but is a great addition to a Fussy Foodie store cupboard.

Farinata Ingredients
150g gram flour (chickpea flour)
400ml lukewarm water
1 tbsp oil
1/2tsp salt
1/2 a red pepper
1 small red onion
1 chilli, finely sliced or 1/2 tsp chilli flakes

Farinata

How to make Farinata

Measure the flour and salt into a big bowl and gradually mix in the water, then whisk it up for about a minute. You could cover and rest the batter for a couple of hours if you have time (which I didn’t!).

Preheat the oven to 230C/gas 8. Pour the oil into a nonstick baking tray and heat it in the oven until it is smoking hot.

Get rid of any froth from the top of the batter, give it a quick stir and pour into the hot tray.  

Scatter the toppings (remaining ingredients) over the batter (of course you can improvise with these – ham and mushroom or spinach and prawns perhaps) and bake for about 20 minutes or until set.

Season with freshly ground black pepper and allow to rest for 10 minutes before cutting the Farinata into slices like a pizza. 

So if your free from diet deprives you of omelette, quiche or anything else along these lines, give this simple but tasty Farinata  recipe a try.

The recipe takes it’s inspiration from the classic pho bo a traditional Vietnamese dish.I back packed around Vietnam for a few weeks with my sister a few years so was really excited last night to try this classic Vietnamese recipe.

Pho Bo in action from hotel

Vietnamese Beef and Noodle Broth – Serves: 2

• 1 litre fresh beef stock
• 2 salad onions
• 30g fresh root ginger, sliced
• 1 star anise
• ¼ small cinnamon stick
• 1 bay leaf
• 175g lean beef steak, very thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp fish sauce (optional)
• 1 lime, juice
• A few red chilli slices, bean sprouts, mint and coriander

Vietnamese Beef and Noodle Broth Recipe Steps

Soak the rice noodles in boil water 5 minutes (or as directed on packet).

Meanwhile, bring the stock, salad onion trimmings, ginger, star anise, cinnamon stick and bay leaf to the boil with 200ml water in a pan. 

NB. I added a small amount of a gluten free stock cube here for added flavour and only used 500ml of beef stock as it seemed enough to me.

Reduce the heat and simmer the broth gently for 15 minutes.

Drain the rice noodles, divide between two bowls; top with the sliced beef. I was a bit confused here as the beef was still raw, this is correct though. So it’s imperative to make sure the steak is a) good quality b) really thinly sliced (my butcher sliced mine for me).

Strain the hot broth; return it to the pan over the heat. Stir in the fish sauce (optional – check this is wheat free etc where required) and lime juice. Ladle the broth over the beef and noodles, adding the salad onions to finish. Top with the chilli slices, bean sprouts, mint etc.

My Vietnamese Beef and Rice Noodle Broth

Vietnamese Beef and Noodle Broth verdict:

If you fancy something different for an evening meal this week give this Vietnamese Beef and Noodle Broth ago.

Oalty by Sven Svensson

I have given oatly a whirl in my porridge, hot cocoa and over cereal and all works really well. Just make sure you give the oatly a big shake everytime you use it as it can get a bit gloopy. I think I prefer rice milk as a soya alternative on porridge, as you might guess with oatly it just tastes well oaty when it’s on porridge.

If you are looking for a soya alternative or just fancy something new give oatly a whirl.

Oatly the low down

There are a number of versions of oatly but here we are looking at Oatly that is enriched with vitamins and calcium.

Oatly is free of milk protein, lactose and sugar. It’s nutritional balance is great and it’s rich in soluble oat fibres which can reduce raised cholesterol levels.

INGREDIENTS: Oat base (water, oats 10%), Rapeseed Oil, salt, vitamins (D, riboflavin, folic acid and B12), calcium.

 
Oatly costs around £1.39 for a 1 litre pack and can be found in the milk alternatives or organic sections in supermarkets. Best served chilled, Oatly stays fresh for 4-5 days in the refridgerator after opening.

Oatly had an independent consumer taste test carried out to evaluate consumers’ opinions of the Oatly taste. An astonishing 94% of respondents who took part in the taste test, preferred the taste of Oatly, to the taste of a leading soya milk brand. 60% of respondents also said they preferred Oatly to a leading rice milk. So give oatly a try it’s a great milk alternative.

I just cooked a delicious fish supper of sea bass with lemon and coriander. Perhaps this sounds like too much effort for a tuesday night and I often hear complaints that cooking fish is messy, smelly, expensive and difficult so I am determined to dispel these myths with my fish in foil supper.

Fish Supper

1.  Lay a long length of tin foil in a baking tray and put your fish fillets / whole fish in the middle. Look for sustainable fish and try out some lesser known varieties such as pollock, tilapia and gurnard.

2.  Arrange a small selection of sliced veg / herbs in and around the fish (today I used tomatoes,  spring onions and coriander but combos of fennel, onion, dill, peppers, basil, chilli, courgette, pepper would work well).

3. Add salt and pepper and some juice of your choice (today I squeezed lemon over it but you could experiment with lime, orange, white wine, or any type of oil)

3. Wrap up the foil parcel and bake at 220C for about 20mins – done. 

All the debris gets wrapped back up in the foil so no mess (or washing up!), no lingering fishy smell, little work (especially if you ask for your fish gutted and de-headed or even filleted), and doesn’t have to be expensive – I paid £1. 30 for two whole big sea bass which were reduced on the supermarket fish counter! I froze them straight away and defrosted in the fridge for 24 hours.

The aim of a low GI diet is to avoid sharp and high rises and falls in blood sugar and insulin levels. This is done by choosing carbohydrate foods that break down slowly, releasing glucose gradually into the bloodstream.

A low GI diet can help you to feel fuller for longer and there is increasing evidence that low GI may provide a range of health benefits, including:

• Weight loss
• Prevention and control of diabetes
• Reduction of cholesterol and prevention of heart disease
• Control of symptoms of PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome)
• Peak sports performance

 Simple swaps to lower the glycaemic index of your diet

The quantity of carbohydrate consumed also influences the impact on blood sugar so keep to one small portion of starchy food per meal and one piece of fruit at a time.

Low GI foods

The importance of protein in Low GI diet:

Protein lowers the GI of a meal and keeps you fuller for longer. Include some of these foods with every meal:

• Meat, fish and eggs are protein-rich and GI-free as they little if any carbohydrate
• Beans and lentils are low-GI, low-fat and great protein and fibre sources
• Milk, cheese, low sugar yogurts and unsweetened soya alternatives are low GI

A well balanced Low Gi diet can provide a range of health benefits and be a great way of living.

Kohl rabi photo: www.jungleseeds.com

All you need is a Kohl Rabi, some olive oil or even a non dairy spread.

First step is to cut off all the stems and leaves from the Kohl Rabi, so you are almost left with a squashed apple shaped vegetable. You need to peel off the outer skin and then dice into chunks.

Boil or steam Kohl Rabi (I find boiling works better with Kohl Rabi) until soft, mash, season and add a small amount of olive oil – as Gordon Ramsey would say “Done”.

Mayo free coleslaw ingredients:

• A mix of fresh veggies: e.g carrots, fennel, beetroot, red onion, cucumber, radishes, red cabbage,
• 1 lemon
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Some fresh herbs – mixed but mint is great
• 1 cup of goats yoghurt
• 2 tablespoons mustard (check ingredients as a lot of mustard has sugar in and other things)
• Salt and pepper

First step is to prepare all the veggies, I think you need atleast 4 types, I used: beetroot, carrot, red onion, cucumber and radish. Clean and peel and cut veggies ready to slice.

The veggies then need to be shredded ideally in a mandoline, or use the julienne slicer in your food processor. I used the thin slicer in my food processor didn’t look as glam but still tasty and fast.

Put the veggies into a mixing bowl and combine.

In a separate bowl, combine half the juice of a lemon, a glug of olive oil, any chopped herbs, goats yoghurt and mustard. Then season to taste.

Pour dressing over the veggies and mix well. Enjoy!

Credit for this mayo free coleslaw recipe goes to Jamie Oliver for his winter coleslaw recipe which I have tweaked to be Fussy Foodie friendly.

Oats

I have just made myself the most incredible bowl of porridge oats with cinnamon and raisins and I’m sitting here smiling to myself at how nice it is!  Not only can oats taste good, they are one of the best sources of dietary fibre and being wheat free, they suit a fussy foodie diet down to the ground.

• Oats are a key source of dietary fibre, in particular a soluble fibre called beta-glucan which is proven to help cholesterol levels, removing cholesterol from the body which would otherwise end up on the blood stream.
• The beta-glucan in oats is excellent at controlling blood sugar levels.  It slows down digestion and prolongs the absorption of carbohydrates into the blood stream, preventing the dramatic changes in blood sugar levels which can lead to cravings and energy loss.  The carbohydrate content of oats help to maintain a steady energy level, which is particularly beneficial when playing sports.
• Oats are a great source of anti-oxidants, removing those nasty free radicals that can build up in your body.
• Oats provide an essential supply of fatty acids & amino acids as well as being a good source of essential vitamins such as thiamin, folic acid and vitamin E. They also contain zinc, magnesium, manganses, selenium, copper and iron.

So in short oats should definitely be a staple part of your diet, with some advice recommending we eat 1/3 – 1 cup per day.

Making Porridge Oats…

To make my morning oats I use:

• 1/3 cup of oats (jumbo oats are the best as they’ve got more texture)
• 1/3 cup of hot water
• 1/3 cup of milk of your choice (e.g soya / rice etc)

Add the ingredients to a saucepan and boil gently until the porridge becomes the desired consistency, try to stir continuously to prevent sticking and lumps.  Leave to cool slightly so its a palatable temperature.

Top Tips for Porridge Oat Perfection

There are many ways you can make your morning oats more exciting…

• Add cocoa powder during the cooking process to create an amazing & comforting Cocoa Porridge.
• Add cinnamon and raisins (if desired, or any dried fruit of your choice) during the cooking process to add a wintery, christmassy feel to your porridge!
• After the porridge has cooked and cooled slightly, stir in a handful of mixed seeds to get the extra boost of goodness.
• To make your oats richer, substitute the 1/3 cup of hot water for 1/3 cup of milk of your choice.
• Use flavoured rice milk for an added taste e.g. Vanilla / Hazelnut Rice Dream
• For complete indulgence (and a very occasional treat!) substitute some of the liquid for coconut milk and sprinkle in some dessicated coconut too! 

Oats are so versatile, making a great morning breakfast as well as being an ingredient in many recipes – keep a look out as we will be adding more oat ideas soon!

I was intrigued to find out more about the health benefits of eating oats and have summarised the main points below: