So keen to give them a go I riped open my new box of .Low and behold they taste just like I remember a crispbread to taste like (does anyone else have food memories, had one last night re spaghetti bolognese at school – was the one good thing on the menu) – they have the same texture and taste but with a buckwheat kick – so if like me you like the taste of buckwheat you will love these.

Gluten Free Crisp Bread Ingredients

Corn flour* (50%), rice flour* (49%), sea salt
*= certified organic ingredients

Just checked online and you can buy them from Goodness Direct for £1.79

NB On the Goodness Direct website it says they contain sugar however my box just says the ingredients as described on the Windmill Organics (people who make Amisa Range) website.

I cant wait to give my Gluten Free Crisp Bread a try at lunch with a topping – perhaps some avocado, mackerel or maybe even some sugar free jam… ummm. If you fancy a crunchy gluten or wheat free cracker then these are great – highly recommend.

“At Raw Health, we use organic raw ingredients & where possible soak and sprout them to bring their natural vitality to life. Then we make delicious snacks at low temperatures to ensure the health-giving nutrients and enzymes stay alive and well.” Raw Health

Flax Raw Crackers Ingredients:

BROWN FLAX SEEDS*(63%), GOLDEN FLAX SEEDS*(13%), SUNFLOWER SEEDS*, TOMATOES*(8%), UNREFINED SEA SALT, CHILI POWDER*(0.08%) *= certified organic ingredients

Made from raw ingredients which have not been heated above 42°C.

Buy from Goodness Direct – £3.99

The Flax Raw Crackers have a different texture to a normal cracker, which I can only describe as more bendy however they are really flavorsome and are great with salad and mackerel for lunch. So if you spot them in the shops give them a try.

Gluten Free Brownie Mix

Ingredients:

*Organically grown & produced.

The brownies were really easy to make, you just have to add eggs and milk to the mix and bake it.  It suggests on the pack that you can add some walnuts so I did but I’m sure they would be almost as good without.

And the verdict?  Well, they went like hot cakes and we all agreed that you wouldn’t know they were gluten free – they are so moist and chocolatey!  My colleague Claire is Coeliac and she gave the brownies a big thumbs up.

I can’t wait to try some of the other Hale & Hearty mixes –  if you haven’t tried the Gluten Free Chocolate Brownie Mix yet find a stockist near you on the Hale & Hearty website.

Gluten Free Bread Mix Ingredients

Wholemeal rice flour*, corn flour*, wholemeal corn flour*, quinoa sourdough* (quinoa flour*, rice flour*), sunflower kernels*, flaxseed*, carob bean gum*, sesame seeds*, sea salt, baking powder (rasing agent (sodium bicarbonate, cream of tartar), corn flour*), xanthan gum*.

To make the bread I simply added water to the mix, and also a glug of olive oil and placed in a pre heated oven for 60 mins until the bread was brown and crispy.

NB. As recommend by Hale & Hearty I placed an overproof bowl of boiling water in the bottom of the oven while baking the bread.

The bread had a great texture and taste too, great warm from the oven with you favourite dairy free spread, also worked really well toasted.

Buy from Goodness Direct for 3.29, also Waitrose, some Asda branches and Planet organic (see stockists)

Having something that actually looked at tasted like bread was a real treat, so give Hale & Heart gluten free bread mix a try.

All I can say is wow I love them and since reading about them I love them even more.

All their products are…“Lovingly handmade, Baked not fried, Gluten free, dairy-free, guilt free, Hand-made to traditional recipes, No Artificial or Refined Ingredients Suitable for Vegans and Supporting small organic farms holdings in India.”

Conscious Food, based in Mumbai, is one of the leading organic food companies in India. Over the last ten years they have developed and nurtured relationships with numerous small organic farms and communities throughout the subcontinent, ensuring a high level of quality and fair trade. Several of the farms are part of organic collectives which directly benefit the community as a whole through supporting schools for the poor, women’s rights, animal welfare, etc.

Conscious Food is an Indian company that has pioneered organic farming and food in India since 1992. It was set up by Kavita Mukhi because her son had a number of allergies and healthy unrefined ingredients were hard to come by.

Conscious Food in India has spent several years developing and nurturing relationships with small organic farms and communities throughout the subcontinent, ensuring a high level of quality and fair trade. Several of the farms are part of organic collectives which benefit the community as a whole through supporting schools for the poor, women’s rights, animal welfare, etc. Conscious Food (UK) Ltd in the UK is a partnership with the Indian company and its objective is to market and distribute all Conscious Food products in Europe.

In 2006 Kristina Locke discovered Conscious Food’s range of snacks whilst on a trip to India and was so impressed to find healthy gluten and dairy free nibbles that tasted good that she brought them to Europe for us all to enjoy over here.

Such a fantastic product with a great story. I loved my first taste of Conscious Food crackers they are really delicate and totally tasty, such a treat to have something alternative to oat cakes with my houmous, so if you see them give them a try (list of stockists).

“The Raw Banoffee Pie is a delicious vegan dessert that is indulgent and decadent. Made with fresh bananas, a Rapadura ‘cane juice’ caramel sauce, freshly blended cashew cream and a raw chocolate topping this dessert has to be tried to be believed. 100g – £2.00 each”

This Raw Banoffee Pie is vegan raw banana heaven.

It’s a big treat for me as I don’t have sugar in my diet and this has a bnit of “Rapadura Sugar”… Rapadura is an unrefined sugar prized for its unique caramel flavor and fine grain texture. This deliciously pure sugar retains a nutritional value because – unlike other sugars – it is not separated from the molasses stream during squeeze-dried processing.

The Living Food Kitchen has many other raw dessert options (sugar free). You can sample the Raw Banoffee Pie and other flavours at Planet Organic.

Described by Rude Health…

“Fruity Date is a warm, sensual start to the day which will leave you glowing all over. Its silky blend of oatmeal and oats is perfectly complimented by dates, apricots and apple pieces, with a dash of cinnamon to make this a truly exotic experience.”

Rude Health Porridge Ingredients:
Porridge Oats,
Jumbo Oats,
Oatmeal,
Dates (12%),
Apricots,
Apple,
Ground Apple,
Cinnamon.

Priced at £3.99

I love porridge and although its a bit pricey its packed pull of flavour and makes a nice tasty porridge treat. If you want to make it last longer I added 50% more oats to bulk it out and spread the flavours. So next time you see rude health porridge pick up an packet and give it a try. If you try the other flavors let us know.

Banana Free From Muffins (6 muffins):

• 8oz Gluten free flour – I used 4oz Rice Flour, 4oz Gram Flour
• 2 1/2 tsps Gluten free baking powder
• 1 large bannana
• 2 tbsps Ground Almonds 
• 1 tbsps Agave Nectar (2 big squeezes)
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Xanthum Gum
• 1/2 pint Rice Milk ( I used Vanilla Rice Milk)
• 3 tbsps Water

Free From Muffins Recipe:

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C (Gas mark 6). Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together. Stir in the ground almonds, xanthum gum and Agave Nectar.

Measure out the rice milk and add at once to the flour mixture and stir to combine thoroughly. (I mixed mine in a food processor for speed)

Pour the free from muffin mixture into special silicone muffin cases or greased muffin / fairy cake tins then bake in the over for 15 – 20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Leave the muffins for a few minutes to cool, then pop them out of the tin or cases.

These free from muffins are wheat, dairy, sugar, egg and soya free and they prove that with a bit of know how about the products available to people with food intolerances, we too can eat foods that we love and enjoy.

PS. I love my “Lakeland Silicone Cupcake Moulds” a must have for Fussy Foodies as free from backing does have a tendancy to stick.

Try them warm with an afternoon hot lemon to brighten up a winters day. We would love to hear you Free From Muffin ideas – I an thinking next time I might try a carrot version.

“The UK Food Standards Agency permits the labeling of gluten free oats falling below 20ppm. Ours are certifed gluten free and ELISA tested below 5ppm. This product is licensed by Coeliac UK.

Conventional oat companies do little to prevent the cross-contamination of oats when planting, harvesting, transporting, milling and processing.

Our oats are tested 10 times between planting and harvest to assure seed purity, and then again before they are sealed and packed.“ says Hale & Hearty

I am a big porridge fan but I am quiet fussy how I like my porridge and normally go for quiet a chunky rolled oat something like
Jordans Porridge Oats (not Coeliac tested). Well I have to say I liked them, it has a more porridgy texture than a rolled oat and also quicker to  cook and have what I can only describe as a really clean taste.

Are oats gluten free?

Current medical literature states that most coeliacs can safely eat moderate amounts of uncontaminated oats… more advice on are oats gluten free?

You can buy the gluten free porridge oats from Hale and Heart in Waitrose and online and instore at Planet Organic – love to know what you think too.

Booja Booja Truffles

Raw Booja Booja Truffles ingreidents: Chocolate, (100% cocao solids raw), agave nectar, water from reverse osmosis, raspberry (4%) freeze dried, cocao powder.

Being low Gi, sugar free, dairy free, gluten free, soya free these raw Booja Booja truffles are a Fussy Foodie dream treat – if you give them a try let us know what you think.

Inside every bottle:

2 ¾ Apples
1/3 Kiwi fruit
½ Banana
a slice of Pineapple
1/3 Mango

also Spirulina, Chlorella,
Broccoli, Spinach,
Blue Green Algae,
Garlic, Barley Grass,
Wheat Grass, Ginger,
Parsley.

For me this juice is a bit of treat as I try not to have too much fruit sugars, however I was too tempted so gave it a try. This naked drink mainly tastes of apple and is really freshening with a bit of a kick from all the added lovelies such as ginger and chlorella.

If you spot Naked Drinks on a shelf near you give it a try and let us know if you try any of the other varieties.

I love the combo of ginger and apple so was excited to see how the ice cream would work out. As with the raw ice creams I have made so far the main base is nuts (cashew nuts)

Other ice cream links: Booja Booja Ice Cream | Home made vegan ice cream | Vanilla Booja Booja

For the basis of the ice cream you need a ratio of 1:1 nuts and water, and the key to the ice cream is how the nuts are processed.

Raw ice cream recipe

In a blender place a large mug of cashew nuts (about 200g), then pulse initially to break up the nuts. After a few pulses put the blender on constant for a few minutes. The nuts slowly break down so that they end up in tiny pieces so that when pressed with your finger they are almost paste like. This is when they are ready, if you are not sure then blender for longer as more pulsing will ensure the ice cream is not bitty.

This is the point when you can flavor the ice cream. So for apple and ginger ice cream I juiced three apples and an inch of ginger in my Lequip Juicer, taste the juice and add more apple of ginger as needed, I like mine with a ginger kick.

In a jug add a mug of filtered water  (same volume of water as nuts) and the ginger/apple mix. Whilst blending the nuts slowly slowly add the flavoured water to the mixture – the slower the better. After a about a third of the water the mixture will change to almost cream like, and then become more watery as the rest of the water is added. Once 1/2 the water is added give the mixture a stir with a spatula to make sure everything is combined and then carry on blending and adding the water until all the liquid is added.

Once the nuts and water are blended you can add two big squeezes of Agave Nectar and a tsp cinnamon (for extra spice) then blended to combine. At this stage taste to check for sweetness and flavouring  as one point to bear in mind is once the mixture freezes the tastes are weaker so over flavour slightly at this stage, else the mixture can end up tasting just of cashew nut.

Once the mixture is ready, place in a bowl and in the freezer for 10 mins. This puts it at a good temperature before you add it to your ice cream maker. After 10 mins remove from the freezer and place in your ice cream maker mine takes 30 to 40 mins, the ice cream will be a Mr whippy style. I like to have a sampling at this stage and then add the ice cream to a few small tupperware containers (each being the size for one large portion), this way you can easily get them out of the freezer as individual portions to slightly defrost (say 10 mins) before eating and they are less likely to go icey.

That’s it my apple and ginger raw ice cream recipe – love to know what you think! Sorry no photo but my camera is on the blink.

One of the new joys since discovering my food intolerances is a new found love of potatos (one of the foods on my to eat list). Now I dont have them often but I have developed a taste for chips and now again treat myself to a bowl normally either from a restaurant, chip shop or home made, but never have I made them from frozen, until now that is.

Whilst browsing the food aisle on mySupermarket.co.uk (great supermarket comparison site), I thought I would check out the frozen chip section and I was shocked to find out the ingredients that most frozen chips contained – milk, wheat , loads of chemically sounding things - yuck. Then I spotted McCain Rustic Oven Chips – made from just two natural ingredients – potatoes and sunflower oil – and with the skin left on, I was sold.

McCain Rustic Oven Chips happen to be the first chip to score ‘green’ on all four counts of the new Food Standards Agency traffic light scoring system. 

McCain say “They are just 3% fat – made from just two natural ingredients – potatoes and sunflower oil – and with the skin left on, McCain Rustic Oven Chips have a fuller flavour with the natural goodness of the potato maintained. Straight from the field, the potatoes are prepared simply – washed and chopped – just as you would in your kitchen at home.”

McCain Rustic Oven Chips are available in leading supermarkets now, RRP £1.69.

Now these are still chips  but healthier ones – so if you are need of a treat and want to grab something from the freezer, a plate of steamed veggies, piece of grilled  fish and McCain Rustic Oven Chipsare great – just pop in the oven for 20 mins with a sprinkle of herbs and you are done.

Jamie Oliver Inspired Roast Lamb Ingredients: (serves 6)

Lamb Marinade:

• 1 medium leg of lamb on the bone (approx. 2 kg)
• 8 juniper berries / handful of fresh cranberries (I used cranberries as I already had them in my fridge)
• 8 spring onions, trimmed and chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
• Bunch of fresh mint, leaves picked
• Salt & pepper
• Olive oil

Salsa:

• 3 fresh red chillis
• 2 green peppers
• Small bunch of fresh mint, leaves picked
• 2 spring onions, trimmed
• 3 ripe plum tomatoes / 8 ripe pomodorino tomatoes
• Salt & pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Swig of white wine vinegar
• 1 heaped tsp sumac (optional, we couldn’t get hold of any so left this out and it still tasted good)

Jamie Oliver Inspired Roast Lamb Recipe:

In a food processor blitz the berries, spring onions, garlic and mint leaves with a good pinch of salt & pepper and a glug of olive oil to make a paste.

Lay the lamb on a board and pierce around the leg with a small knife, then use your finger to make the holes bigger. 

Now rub the marinade all over the lamb and work it into the holes.

Wrap the lamb in clingfilm and leave in the fridge to marinate for at least 2 hours, overnight if possible.

Take the lamb out of the oven and leave it to stand to come to room temperature. Preheat your over to its top temperature. Put the lamb on a roasting tray, season all over with salt then put in the over. Turn the temperature down to 200 degrees / gas mark 6 and roast for about 1 hour for a 2kg leg, about 1.5 hours for a 3kg leg. When the meat comes away from the bone, take it out of the oven, tip any juices into the roasting tin, cover the lamb with foil and leave to rest for 15 – 20 minutes.

Meanwhile make your salsa. Prick your chillies and put them and the peppers over a flame on the hob or into a hot dry griddle pan, turning them until black and blistered all over. Place them in a bowl, cover with clingfilm and allow them to steam for 10 minutes. Peel away the skins, then chop the flesh on a board with the mint leaves, spring onions, tomatoes and a pinch of salt. When it is the texture you are happy with, place in a bowl with a swig of extra virgin olive oil and add the white wine vinegar and sumac (if you are using it). Taste and season to your liking.

Side Dishes

To accompany the lamb and salsa, Jamie Oliver recommonds making a side dish of beans and flatbreads. We used both of his suggestions, create our own fussy foodie friendly versions. These dishes were a great accompaniment to the meal, here are the recipes:

Bean Side Dish

Bean Side Dish Ingredients: (serves 3)

• Tin of haricot beans
• 1/2 tin chopped tomatoes
• Salt & black pepper
• Lamb juices from roasting tin
• Hot water

Bean Side Dish Recipe:

After removing the lamb and tipping out the juices, place the roasting tin on the hob on a medium heat. Pour in a splash of hot water and mix with the lamb juices. Stir slowly and let it heat through. Add the beans and chopped tomatoes and stir together. Add hot water to achieve the consistency you desire, taste and season accordingly.

Flatbread

Flatbread Ingredients:

• 300g gram flour
• 300g gluten and wheat free bread flour
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 heaped tsps gluten free baking powder 
• Herbs / spices for seasoning – we used 1 tsp fennel seeds. Alternatives: 1 tsp dried herbs, sumac
• 6 tbsps olive oil
• Warm water

Flatbreads Recipe:

Mix the flour, salt, baking powder and herbs / spices in a bowl. Pour in the olive oil and approx. 150ml warm water. Use a fork to bring the ingredients together. Add a splash of water if the mixture feels too dry. Once the ingredients start to combine, wet your hands and use them to bring the dough together into a ball.

Dust your hands and a clean flat surface with flour.Knead the dough with your hands until it is smooth and elastic. Using gluten free flour, you may find the dough will need extra water to prevent it from crumbling, if so, gradually add splashes of water until you achieve a smooth elastic dough, stick at it, it will get there!  Place the dough back in the bowl, cover and leave to relax.

When you’re ready to cook your flatbreads, divide the dough into equal sized balls, dust your hands with flour and squeeze each ball between your palms to flatten them. Pat and slap the dough from one palm to another, turning and twisting the dough about in a circular movement until each flatbread is approximately 1cm thick.

Heat a dry frying pan on a medium high heat and cook the flatbreads in batches for a few minutes on each side, turning regularly to prevent them from burning. They will begin to puff up and turn a golden colour when they are ready. Serve warm.

(Note – these flatbreads can be reheated or once cooled, can be frozen for another time).

And there you have it, a full on feast…. 

A BIG thank you goes out to Jamie Oliver for sharing his recipes and so allowing us to make Jamie Oliver Inspired Roast Lamb. We highly recommend it. Let us know what you think!

For my Stuffed Baked Apple recipe, I have used a cranberry and hazelnut filling. This is a very seasonal, delicious filling combining the crunch of the hazelnut with the tartness of the cranberries and the sweetness from the agave nectar oozing into the apple – yum!

Stuffed Baked Apple Ingredients: serves 4

• 4 x Bramley Apples (1 per person)
• 100g fresh cranberries
• Handful of chopped hazelnuts
• Splash of Orange Juice
• 1 tbsp of Agave Nectar

Stuffed Baked Apple Recipe:

Add the fresh cranberries to a saucepan, squeeze in the agave nectar and enough orange juice up to the level of the cranberries. Place on a medium heat until the cranberries begin to simmer, turn the heat to low and leave to stew for 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Taste and add more agave nectar if required.

Meanwhile, prepare the apples. Using an apple corer, remove 3/4 of the apple core, ensuring all the pips are removed whilst leaving a base layer of apple to keep the filling in. If you do not own an apple corer, you can use a knife and teaspoon instead.

Once all the apples are cored. Pierce the skin of each apple, all the way around to aid the cooking process.

When the cranberry mixture is ready, remove from the heat, place in a mixing bowl and stir in the chopped hazelnuts.

Place the apples on a baking tray and pour the cranberry mixture evenly between each apple.

Place in the oven for approximately 30 minutes. Remove from the oven when they are soft / your desired texture. Overcooking the apple will cause them to collapse so keep a watchful eye on them!

Serve with a dollop of Oatly Cream, Vanilla Booja Booja Ice Cream.

Stuffed Baked Apple – delicious, seasonal, heart warming english food fussy foodie style!

I have always loved Indian food and you will often find me in the kitchen whipping up a tasty curry or two, the recipes are so verstaile and most recipes are very friebdlty to people with food intolerances and if not possible to adapt. My top tip curry tip fo those that can’t eat tomato try out one of the many curries you can make with cocount as a base – delicious!

Made with just gram flour (chickpea), potato and loads of spices these Gluten Free Pakora packed a real taste punch and I am hoping to see Afias next time I pop along to the farmers market in Warwick, where I might pick up some of of the other tasty Indian treats on offer.

That is until I found Cofresh Bombay mix in Asda last week.

Bombay Mix Ingredients:
- Puffed rice
- Vegetable Oil
- Gram Flour (Chickpea)
- Peanuts
- Spices
- Salt

I am so loving Cofresh bombay mix! Look out for a pack it in larger Asda stores and you can also order it online at Cofresh. All of Cofresh products are suitable for Vegetarians, some are suitable for Vegans and Gluten Free too, so worth checking out the full range of products.

If you have more than one intolerance / allergy, please read the ingredients before purchasing. These meals and soups will suit a gluten free diet, yet they may contain other allergens such as dairy, yeast, nuts.

The pack, which includes 5 meals and 3 soups, usually retails at £18 + delivery.  Being a Fussy Foodie reader, you can order the pack for just £9 + delivery, giving you a 50% saving!

All you need to do is log on to the Look What We Found website and enter the code ‘fussy1‘ on the payment page of the checkout (just above where you would need to enter your card details). Then click on Confirm to take you to the confirmation page, here you need to check that you have confirmation that the code has been accepted and discount applied, before clicking the final ‘Confirm Order’ button to complete the sale.

This is a great offer from Look What We Found, if you’re looking to try something tasty and new I would highly recommend making use of this great discount opportunity.  Shop til you drop, then re-fuel with some tasty gluten free goodness!

Toasted Corn Tortillas Ingredients: (makes 32 triangles)

• 2 x Corn Wraps
• 1 egg yolk
• Savoury topping of your choice – I used sea salt. Seeds e.g. sesame, poppy, linseed, flaxseeds would work well.

Toasted Corn Tortillas Recipe:

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.

Cut the Corn Wraps into triangles. Spread a thin layer of egg yolk to each triangle. Sprinkle with your chosen topping.

Place on a baking tray at the top of the preheated oven for 3 minutes (watch them closely to avoid burning!).

Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Enjoy as an afternoon snack or with a choice of tapas, dips or as an accompaniement to Dairy Free Guacamole and chilli.

There are three flavours: Raw Pumpkin Pie, Raw Chocolate Mousse and Raw Lemon Cheesecake.

NB. They are all raw, dairy & egg free and have no added sugar, sweetened purely by Agave Nectar.

The chocolate one is silky smooth with a deep chocolate taste, whilst the tang lemon cheesecake with its smooth and crunchy bottom is richer and tangy to taste. After much deliberation and lots of tasting my favorite might even be the surpise Raw Pumpkin pie; deeper in flavour with the extra crunch can’t wait to visit Planet Organic in London for my next tasting session of these seriously tasty and Fussy Foodie friendly raw desserts.

It’s A Free World range of allergen free sauces and ready meals are made by the team at Look What We Found.  There are currently 2 ready meals and 2 cook in sauces within the range (with plans for future expansion)

• Fragrant Thai Chicken Curry with Red Chilli Coconut & Rice
• Moroccon Spiced Chickpea Tagine with Fruit & Harissa
• Indian Korma Sauce with Cumin, Cardamon & Rich Coconut Cream
• Indian Tikka Masala Sauce with Creamed Coconut and Indian Herbs and Spices

All of these products are available at Tescos as well as online through Look What We Found online store. 

To find out more about the It’s A Free World products and keep up to date with new product developments, visit their website at www.itsafreeworld.co.uk.

I love guacamole and have often felt disappointed when fancying a lunchtime snack of guacamole and nachos only to find pre-prepared guacamole can contain sour or double cream.  Making guacamole from scratch at home, is so simple and quick, I now love having access to Dairy Free Guacamole which suits all my dietary requirements.

Dairy Free Guacamole Ingredients: (serves 6)

• 3 avocados
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 3 ripe plum / vine tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 red chilli, finely chopped (optional)
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• Salt & pepper to taste

Dairy Free Guacamole Recipe:

Peel and stone the avocadoes, roughly chop the avocado flesh into pieces and add to a mixing bowl.

Finely chop the red onion, red chilli and tomatoes and add to the bowl.

Squeeze the juice of 1/2 a lime and add to the mixture.

Mash the avocadoes using a fork, mixing in the red onion, chilli, tomatoes and lime juice.

Taste and season accordingly with salt & pepper.

Cover and chill in the fridge until ready to serve.

Dairy Free Guacamole is a tasty and healthy lunchtime snack served with Toasted Corn Tortillas and crudites or spread on Herb Oatcakes, Corn Thins or in a sandwich. It is also a delicious, cooling and creamy accompaniment to chilli con carne, fajitas and burritos. Yum!

Last slice of linseed bread so must have loved it

I have not had any form of bread for a long time so this was just heaven. To have a proper slice of bread topped with dairy free spread and St Dalfours sugar free fruit spread was divine, then when I tried a slice with almond butter…. mmmmMmmm.

Linseed Bread Ingredients: Wholegrain rice flour and demeter whole rice (51%), revitalised filtered water, fresh ground whole organic linseed (9%), natural leaven (gluten free) and see salt.

“Our leaven is made with baking ferment, developed for people with intolerance to sourdough and bakers dough yeast. It is made from naturally gluten free organic flour and honey in very small quantities, these are fully assimilated during the long fermentation and are therefore not present in the finished bread.”

Linseed Bread comes in a small loaf (400g) and is £3.05. 

I have to say I loved it with it’s slight moist texture similar to rye breads I have eaten in the past, but much softer in the mouth. The linseed bread has a fantastic depth of flavour which makes it a great combo with any sweet or savoury combo. Artisan Bread advise not to toast this bread however the quinoa bread is suitable for toasting so I will update how I get on with that (Sugar Free Baked Beans on toast comes to mind). So happy that bread is on the menu again!

It has the texture of a chocolate spread and for me the taste too, next time you are in your local health food store look out for a jar of this fantastic almond butter, seriously that tasty you will wonder why you ever needed sugar.

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.

Nakd Ginger Bread Ingredients: Dates (48%), Almonds (32%), Pecans (18%), Ginger, Cloves & Cinnamon.

Nakd bars are a 100% natural wholefood bar a delicious blend of unsweetened fruit, rolled oats, nuts and spices. Unlike most bars, these bars contain no artificial ingredients of any kind, no-added sugar and are made raw, never cooked.

This Nakd ginger bread bar is my favourite in the Nakd bars range so far, I love the texture and ginger kick – really worth giving it a try.

Corn in a cup by Magic Corn

Claire enjoying corn in a cup

£1.50 gets you a cup of corn with a choice of topping; butter is optional so its a fantastic dairy free option. Keeping it simple we just had some salt and a spicy pepper seasoning. I have to say it was great – nutritious and delicious and with Autumn weather starting to kick in warming too. Really hoping that corn in the cup comes to a street nearer to home soon.

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.

NB. All varieties contain wheat flour so not gluten free. 

I spotted these corn wraps in Planet Organic in London and loved them! It’s such a special treat to have something bread-like so now I’ve discovered these little treasures I will definitely be buying my fair share of them, especially the corn, oat, rice and rye varieties as these are really unusual.  If you visit the Mountain Bread website, they detail a list of retailers who sell these great wraps, so fingers crossed there is stockist near you!

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

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!

For one mug of coconut hot chocolate:

• 1/3 of a 400ml can of coconut milk
• Chunk of 100% Pure Cacao or tbsp of cocoa (mixed with water to a paste)
• Squeeze of agave nectar (1/2 tsp)
• 80ml of water
• Pinch of cinnamon

Add the coconut milk, cacao, agave nectar, water and cinnamon to a non stick pan. Gently heat until all the cacao has melted and the liquid is slightly thickened, taste for sweetness and serve immediately in a mug to enjoy.

Hope you all enjoy my coconut hot chocolate treat as much as I did.

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!

This recipe is minimal on the time and effort scale but full of flavour nevertheless. A perfect after work quick supper served with rice and green beans.

Prawn and Mango Stirfry Ingredients:

• Prawns 150g pack
• Mango x1 cut into cubes
• Courgette x1 chopped
• Lime – juice of 1
• Ginger – small piece chopped
• Mint – approx 6-8 leaves chopped
• Chilli x 2-3 dried or pinch chilli flakes
• Agave nectar-small sqeeze (optional)

Prawn and Mango Stirfry Recipe

Heat 1tbsp oil in a wok and stir fry the courgette, ginger and chilli (you could add choped spring onion too but I didn’t have any) for a minute or two before adding the prawns. After a couple more minutes add the mint and squeeze in the lime and agave (if using).

That’s all there is too it – my tasty prawn and mango stirfry done!

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!!

Chocolate Egg Free Muffins Ingredients (6 – 8 muffins):

• 6oz Gluten free flour – I used 4oz Rice Flour, 2oz Gram Flour
• 2oz Cocoa Powder
• 2 1/2 tsps Gluten free baking powder
• 2 tbsps Ground Almonds 
• 1 tbsps Agave Nectar (2 big squeezes)
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Xanthum Gum
• 1/2 pint Rice Milk ( I used 50% Original Rice Milk, 50% Hazelnut & Almond Rice Milk)
• 3 tbsps Water

 Chocolate Egg Free Muffins Recipe:

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C (Gas mark 6). Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt together. Stir in the ground almonds, xanthum gum and Agave Nectar.

Measure out the rice milk and add at once to the flour mixture and stir to combine thoroughly. Add the water gradually until the mixture drops off a raised spoon.

Pour the muffin mixture into greased muffin or fairy cake tins then bake in the over for 15 – 20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Leave the muffins for a few minutes to cool, then pop them out of the tin.

These chocolate egg free muffins are wheat, dairy, sugar, egg and soya free and they prove that with a bit of know how about the products available to people with food intolerances, we too can eat foods that we love and enjoy.

So cook yourself a batch and revel in the fact that you enjoy chocolate egg free muffins knowing they suit your dietary requirements and so won’t cause you any of those Symptoms of Food Intolerance you may have suffered from in the past.

After tasting how good these falafel were, I was inspired to come up with a healthy falafel I could make at home which I could grill rather than fry, and I think I’ve done it. They are great hot from the grill with pickles, couscous and salad, or left to cool they’re great as a snack.

Healthy Falafel Ingredients:

• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 x  400g can of chickpeas, drained, rinsed and patted dry
• 1 tsp baking powder (gluten free if intolerant to gluten)
• 1 red chilli, finely chopped
• 1 garlic cloved, crushed
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

Health Falafel Recipe:

Dry toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a frying pan (no oil) over a low-medium heat for a few minutes until aromatic. Tip into a pestle & mortar and grind to a rough powder.

Place all the ingredients, including the cumin & coriander seed powder, into a food processor and pulse until the ingredients are well combined and chunky.

Using wet hands, mould the mixture into patties (depending on the size you prefer, the mixture could make between 8 – 12 patties)

Place the patties onto a baking tray and cook under the grill until toasted / firm on the outside and the patties turn more of a golden yellow.  Remember to turn the falafel occasionally to cook on both sides.

Leave the falafel to cool for a minute or two after removing from the grill to allow the falafel to firm up, serve with your choice of accompaniment.

These healthy falafel are a simple and nutritious way to enjoy the great flavours of this traditional middle eastern cuisine.

The ingredients for millet rice cereal are all organic and include whole oat flour, concentrated grape / pear juice, brown rice flour, whole millet, oat bran, barley malt extract and sea salt.

Nature’s Path who produce this tasty millet rice cereal have a wide range of products, check out their website www.naturespath.com to find out more.

This can be a little disheartnening however alongside the tasty Fruitus bar this wheat free bar from Village Bakery is tasty tasty.

Wheat free bar ingredients:

Rice malt syrup, oats, puffed rice, coconut, apple juice, cashew nuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, low sodium sea salt.

Pack of 4 bars – £2.25

These wheat free bars available from the Village Bakery website and also Sainsbury’s (Free From Aisle), Waitrose, Fresh and Wild, Planet Organic and health food stores across the UK.

Gluten free cornflakes ingredients: Maize*, Rice Malt*, Salt 

NB. Rice malt is a thick syrup made by the traditional malting of cereal grains. Traditional malting produces a rich and delicious flavour and provides a balance of maltose and complex sugars. This is however said to be friendly for those on an anti candida diet. 

They are thicker and more crunchy than normal cornflakes and I love them. I tend to normally have oats for my breakfast and buy these gluten free cornflakes as a treat; I like to have only a small amount of products such as rice malt as when trying to avoid all sugars, anything with a sweet taste can feed a sweet tooth.

Lemon & Lime Mousse Ingredients: (serves 2 tumbler size glasses as shown in the photo / 4 small ramakins)

• 1/4 pint Rice Dream Original Rice Milk
• 1/4 pint Apple Juice
• 1 + 1/2 dessert spoons Agar Flakes
• 1 dessert spoon Arrowroot
• 2 tablespoons Agave Nectar
• 4 tablespoons Lemon and / or Lime Juice
• Rind of 1 Lemon / Lime
• Pinch of sea salt

Lemon & Lime Mousse Recipe:

Pour rice milk and apple juice into a saucepan and add the agar flakes, leave agar to soak for 10 minutes until it softens (note – the rice milk will split slightly when adding the apple juice – this is okay, blending the mousse later in the recipe removes this).

Place the saucepan on the hob and gently boil, leave to simmer until agar flakes melt (approx. 10 minutes). Meanwhile, mix the arrowroot powder with 2 tablespoons of cold water. Once the agar flakes have melted, add the pinch of salt followed by the arrowroot paste to the pan and stir occasionally until the mixture thickens (similar to the consistency of custard).

Remove from the heat, add the remaining ingredients – lemon / lime juice, agave nectar,  lemon / lime rind and mix thoroughly. Taste and adjust to required taste if necessary.

Pour the mixture into a shallow, wet bowl and place in the fridge for an hour to set.

After an hour, pour the mixture into the food processor and blitz until light and smooth. Pour into glasses / ramakins and leave in the fridge until ready to serve. The mousse will keep in the fridge for 2 – 3 days.

Great for a light refreshing treat on a warm summers day, Lemon & Lime Mousse is a real hit.

Egg Free Muffins Ingredients (6-8 muffins):

• 8oz Gluten free flour – I used 50% Rice Flour 50% Gram Flour
• 2 1/2 tsps Gluten free baking powder
• 2 tbsps dessicated coconut
• 1 tbsps Agave Nectar (2 big squeezes)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1tsp Ener-G Egg replacer (beaten in 2 tbsps of water)
• 1/2 pint milk ( I used 50% rice milk 50% soya milk)
• 3 tbsps oil

To make the egg free muffins, preheat oven to 200 degrees C (Gas mark 6). Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together. Stir in the dessicated coconut and agave nectar.

In a separate bowl combine the egg replacer, milk and oil. Add at once to the flour mixture and stir to combine thoroughly.

Pour the muffin mixture into greased muffin or fairy cake tins then bake in the over for 25 or until done. Pop the muffins out of the tin to cool, or if like me eat straight from the oven.

I am really excited to try lots of different flavours of egg free muffins, as this recipe can really form the basis of any muffin flavour. Give them a try, as I would love to know what you think.

Vegan pancake with spicy prawn chickpeas

For my vegan pancake I used a sieved flour mixture of buckwheat and gram flour then whisked in naturally sparking water (San Pellegrino) to make a batter. I just did this by guess work to give me enough batter for one pancake. I added a ladle of the batter to a hot frying pan, with a little olive oil in, cooked and tossed the vegan pancake until brown on both sides.

NB. If you need exact weights for ingredients  see the egg free pancakes recipe

To accompany the vegan pancake, in a small frying pan I toasted some cumin seeds until popping, then added some tinned chickpeas and cooked until soft. Once soft I added a few prawns, a grated carrot, 1 small tomato, seasoning and some chopped fresh curry herb from my garden. I cooked the mixture for a few minutes until warmed through, when the pancake was ready I added half the juice of a lime for an extra zing to the mixture and served.

My first attempt at the pancake was a little thick but it was very tasty, especially for just 10 mins in the kitchen and I cant wait for the next time vegan pancakes are on the menu.

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.

 Gluten Free Pasta Ingredients:

Mazie 70%, rice 30%.

Most gluten free pasta I have tasted has just been made of corn so the addition of rice was a nice change. The pasta tasted nice with more of a nutter taste, also had a great texture and shape.

I served my pasta warm with a dash of olive oil, some fresh peas from my veggie patch, few seeds, fresh thyme and a sprinkle of dairy free parmesan cheese.

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.

Herb Oatcakes ingredients:

Wholegrain Oats (74%), Pumpkin Seeds (12%), Palm Fruit Oil, Sunflower Oil, Tapioca Starch, Sea Salt, Raising Agent: Sodium Bicarbonate, Dried Thyme, Dried Rosemary, Dried Parsley.

The herb oatcakes have a texture which is between the standard rough and smooth oatckes with the herbs giving them a real depth of flavor. Great as a tasty snack with some houmous, a slice of chicken or even just on there own.