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.

What you need: Fish of your choice (I had a mixed bag of salmon, haddock and smoked haddock – diced), Gluten free breadcrumbs, gram flour, coriander (or other favourite spice/herb), vegetable oil, a lemon and salt & pepper.

The main challenge was to make a mixture that would stick the breadcrumbs to the fish.

• In a small bowl I mixed a tablespoon of gram flour with a a pinch of coriander, salt and pepper. Then added a squeeze of lemon and a drop of water to get a slightly thick liquid.
• Coat your pieces of fish in the mixture and leave to one side.
• In a large wok heat enough oil to allow a 1 inch covering on the pan (kind of semi deep frying)
• Add a few tablespoons of the breadcrumbs to  plate
• Roll the coated fish one piece at a time in the breadcrumbs to coat them
• When the oil is ready fry the breaded fish gently a few pieces at a time in the pan, turning and browning on both sides.
• Once ready remove the fish from the pan and drain on kitchen paper.
• That’s it the fish is ready to serve.

I enjoyed my Gluten Free Breaded Fish, with peas, mash potato and a big squeeze of lemon. They went down a treat with me and my partner Phil loved them.

Gluten Free Breadcrumbs ingredients:

Wholemeal rice flour, corn flour, organic vegetable oil, rice flour, thickener: guar gum, yeast, sea salt, raising agent: sodium bicarbonate, citric acid.

I have to admit to a classic mistake of not checking the ingredients on this products before I gave it a try. I now realise on writing this article they have a small amount of yeast in them and I am yeast intolerant (oops). Glad to say I didnt have any nasty effects and really enjoyed my Gluten Free Breaded Fish I made with them.

The gluten free breadcrumbs are a great idea as they open up lots of recipe options to those people needed gluten free diets and avoding wheat.

Buy from Goodness Direct for 3.19, also Waitrose, some Asda branches and Planet organic (see stockists)

Let us know your recipes for using gluten free breadcrumbs.

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).

“I’ve recently been diagnosed with various food allergies and intolerance’s. During my research I found your website and I’d just like to say what a relief it is to meet other people who have a similar situation as myself.

The foods I am highly intolerant to include: yeast, wheat, all dairy products (including egg), sugar, all alcohol and all E numbers, to name but a few.

I also have environmental allergens including: all pollens, pollutants, sodium lauryl sulphate, to name but a few.

I was diagnosed this Saturday just gone, using an unusual method of testing (see: http://www.allergytest-london.co.uk/).

It seems very over-whelming as it’s both food and environmental allergens which I need to avoid. Being at university it is going to be a huge change on my lifestyle.

I was interested if you had any recipes which were quick – aka on the go so to speak? Also do you have any more information on Candida as I read on your website that you thought that you had that condition? Finally, I’m going to Tenerife on a fieldtrip mid-June, I’ve read your article about travelling abroad and it was very interesting. I just wanted to know what foods can you take abroad? and if you have been to either Tenerife or Spain, did you find any supermarkets which catered for your needs?

Thanks for making such a fantastic website, I intend to make your yeast, wheat, gluten and dairy free bread during the week (see Yeast Free Bread Recipe)!”

Newly Diagnosed Food Intolerance’s Advice

So from a foodie point of view your challenge is to avoid dairy, eggs, yeast, wheat and sugar (inc alcohol).

I have very similar food intolerance’s to you – dairy, eggs, yeast, gluten, sugar, some oily fish and cashew nuts – so I understand the challenges you face.

I would be really interested to hear more about why you decided to have a Food Intolerance Test e.g what symptoms led you to going in this direction and also more details regarding the tests that you had done. (On the Candida I will come back to you about this in separate message as it can make things a little more complex. I would be interested to hear about your journey a bit more which will then help me give you more details regarding my experiences.)

There are lots of recipes and articles on getting started on Fussy Foodie including a recent one I think you will find really beneficial: Multiple Food Intolerance Advise and also Food intolerance on holiday

Travelling with Food Intolerance

Travelling with food intolerances can be a real challenge especially when on a long haul flight as you will need to pack extra food. Airlines can cater for certain foodie requirements but the challenge of certain food intolerances makes it pretty impossible for them. Airlines however do have a couple of options you could take e.g

• Vegan which will be dairy free (see Vegan Diet Explained)
• Coeliac, therefore wheat free but you might find you have dairy in the meal.

With the airline meals I normally plump for vegan and then wing it a little as the coeliac options are often loaded with sugar and egg. Alternately, just go for the normal and see what there is available as there is normally a potato and vegetable option, however be careful as there might be a few things added that you don’t know about, so always pack a few snacks in your hand luggage just in case. The best solution is to eat before you get on the plane – Pret A Manage have stores in a few airports now and they have a few salad options that are great, including the No Salad Dressing and other tasty alternatives.

When travelling be flexible

I am a bit of a 100% er when it comes to my food intolerances, so plan ahead with lots of snacks e.g nuts and oat cakes, and take every opportunity to eat as food I can eat is not always on the menu.  Also most of the time we travel self catering – as the need to have variety and cook for yourself when on a restricted diet comes apparent after a few days.

The great news is Spain especially has loads of options and I have been to both Spain and Maderia recently and found a huge variety of products e.g soya milk, Gluten Free Pasta etc – enough options to keep me going. One good thing to pack is your cereal and a carton of soya long life milk (in your checked in bag) just in case, but most European countries I have been to have soya milk you just need to find a big supermarket.

Spanish food is very tomato and potato based and they tend to cook with olive oil and not butter which makes things a little easier.

In summary – pack lots of  snacks and eat when you can – and also take a list of food words e.g Dairy Free, Wheat Free, Yeast Free, No added sugar etc – this is really important if eating out and sometimes the only way to know if something is OK  for you is to ask.

Quick Recipes for Food Intolerance

I love cooking and previously had a pretty healthy diet which has always made things a little easier for me moving to a Free From way of life. The real challenge with this change of lifestyle is to see it as a positive and really embrace it, the negativaty that might come will only make the process harder. Keep checking to see if what you are doing is working for you – this isn’t an exact science and over and above everything its important to keep a balanced and healthy diet.

Keep it simple and health – lots of spices and herbs for added flavour.

Gluten Free Paste - with herbs, fresh peas, seeds and olive oil

Gluten Free Sausage with Lentils

1. Gluten Free Pasta – love this with Vegan Pesto, carrot and seeds (random I know) | tuna, olive oil, herbs and lemon | Gluten Free Sausages and ragu style sauce (home made – 5 mins to make)
2. Jacket potato – I have a new love for potatoes, after avoiding them for years, I have come to love them. So simple pop them in the oven and an hour or so later crispy heaven – dollop of  Dairy Free Spread, Tomato Pesto and some salad – delicious.
3. Summer salads got to love them – get in some frozen prawns – much cheaper frozen and fast to defrost for a quick meal – prawn salad with avocado is fantastic – and really filling too.
4. Soups – Making up a batch of soup is a great way to get efficient meals – give this recipe a try (see Spicy Squash Soup)- takes a bit more work that usual but its AAAmazing
5. Stews loaded with beans – Pick a weekend and cook a few stews – great for re heating and simple to make. I am into Moroccan stews at the moment  – next time I make one I will post a recipe for you to try.
6. Corn Wraps – Not a recipe but you can make lots with them – fellow Fussy Foodie Claire’s favourite – always takes a packet when away from home.
7. Fish Fish Fish – you gotta love fish – some fresh fish – squeeze of lemon with a few herbies under the grill – done. Load up with some salad or veggies and potatoes.
8. Platter- plate of your favourites things – houmous, guacamole, oat cakes,  Corn Thins, carrot / pepper/ cucumber sticks for dipping, maybe some ham (check for added extras), few mixed seeds – delicious.

Mini platter on the move

Few more recipe ideas and ingredients to get you started:

Sophie I hope this give you some ideas – let us know how you get on with your Newly Diagnosed Food Intolerances.

This morning I had a email from Annabelle who is new to Fussy Foodie and in need of some inspiration, so I thought I would share my thoughts:

“Two weeks ago I was informed I have a cow’s milk and yeast intolerance. I spoke to a nutritionist and she told me the foods and she said I should follow a wheat free diet to make things easier, but she also mentioned about following a gluten free diet. Dairy is easier to follow as a lot of things state if they contain milk, yeast is the hardest though and what with trying to following a gluten and wheat free diet too I am just about had enough of all of this and not eating much as a result. I have tried a few cereals which are fine but I am not sure how to actually make meal or recipes and have nice things instead of the boring rice cakes that seem to be around. It’s all so stressful. If you could give me any advise / recipe which I would be able to eat it would be very much appreciated.” Annabelle

OK so your challenge is to avoid cow’s milk, yeast, and gluten (including wheat).

I too have similar intolerance’s – dairy, eggs, yeast, gluten, sugar, some oily fish and cashew nuts. I am very jealous you can have eggs as this opens up a lot of doors on the baking front.

The combination of no dairy, yeast and gluten is what makes things a little more tricky and I understand why this has seemed so daunting.

Breakfast Ideas

Breakfast I think is always the easy part of the day – especially when you are at home and have all your kit with you – there is a fantastic range of alternative milks including soya milk, rice milk and oatly milk to name but a few. I actually like a combo of two either oatly and rice or soya and rice – just makes things a little more tasty.
NB. Make sure with any alternative milk they are fortified so you get the daily dose of calcium you might avoid from not having cows milk (see Bone Health & Dairty Free)

Just a few cereals to mention in case you do need some inspiration: assuming you are not a coeliac,  oats (the best: Jordans Porridge Oats) are all good and a really important part of your diet, puffed rice cereal and special gluten free cornflakes are also must have classics. For a special treat try out these Egg Free Pancakes (rice flour and gram (chickpea) flour a must for the cupboard).

No More Bread – What Now?

I am not a rice cake fan – they are too airy and don’t taste that great either, a fantastic alternative are Corn Thins, they crisper and more tasty and also must have are oat cakes (Nairns variety are best as they don’t have anything else added – some other varieties have wheat so watch out for this – the Herb Oatcakes are particular tasty).

I am assuming at this stage you are craving for bread (see Free From Bread) -  I have done lots of different experiments with bread. I think the important thing with bread is that you have to really give it up and then replace it with the new style of bread you can have else you will always compare and never be satisfied. I actually find myself walking down the bread aisle just to smell it, and believe it or not it gives me the satisfaction without having to eat it. On a more positive bready note these gluten free flat breads (Fussy Foodie creation) could help you out and are my fav. Once you have made a couple of batches they are easy to make and great for lunch, with curries and my favourite at the moment Moroccan style stews (recipe coming soon).

Food Processor – Must Have Gadget

On a random note a must have gadget is a food processor – without it lots of recipes you just cant make – so if possible invest in a good one. Mine gave up the ghost last night, was so sad, but also excited at the thought of a new and improved Magimix (anyway enough of my food processor geekiness).

Food Ideas

Back to the food… so no gluten or wheat means no normal pasta – however good news on pasta is there are loads of alternatives (see Gluten Free Pasta) and I actually think they taste better too and much easier to digest. Look out in the free from aisle of supermarkets for free from pasta – can be made from rice flours, corn, vegetables or buckwheat (see Buckwheat – Gluten Free?). The free from pasta come in all shapes and sizes from tubes, to lasagna sheets to spaghetti.

Rice is a must have and also I have come to love the joys of potatoes the last few years and they have now become more of a regular on my menu – a jacket potato is a good lunch alternative.

More food ideas…

• Look out for Gluten Free Sausages – as they rock!  If you are cooking for other people they wont notice any difference and with the weather we are having it’s great to get a few in for a must have summer BBQ (see Barbecuing with Food Intolerances).
• Gluten Free Burger – taste so much better and easy to make and healthier too
• Hummus is a staple on my lunch menu and if you are into chickpeas try these – Healthy Falafel
• Curries are great for Fussy Foodies – just make sure if eating out its cooked in oil and not ghee and check for dairy in any of the recipes (e.g cream). Onion bhaji are normally just made with gram flour and poppadoms are made from lentil flour too – so can all be tucked in to.
• I love Thai and this book is awesome -  Rick Stein Far Eastern Odyssey with some small tweaks most recipes are easily Fussy Foodie friendly (if you are avoiding sugar just watch out for this if you are eating out as Thai can be heavy on the sugar) -  well worth investing in
• I rarely use butter in my cooking but when I do I use Soya Pure: Dairy free spread, no one notices any difference (well that’s what they tell me anyway) and they also now do a sunflower version that is friendly too.

OK I think that’s enough thoughts to get you started – I promise it will get easier. If you let me know some typical meals that you cook and are now struggling with and the kind of foods you are missing I will see how else I can help. Also if you need some sweet ideas come back to me as I have focused on the savoury to get you started.  Let us know how you get on.

“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.

Creamy Mushroom and White Wine Cooking Sauce – (Gluten, Wheat and Dairy Free Sauces )  - Water, Mushrooms (9%), Soya Milk [Water, Soya Extract], Sunflower Oil, White Wine (5%), Onion (4%), Maize Starch, Glucose-Fructose Syrup, Salt, Demerara Sugar, Porcini Powder, Garlic Puree [Garlic, Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid)], Stabiliser: Xanthan Gum, Vegetable Bouillon [Salt, Potato Starch, Yeast Extract, Flavourings, Sugar, Vegetable Oil, Onion Powder, Celery Extract, Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid), Dried Celery, Lovage, Gum Arabic, Pepper Extract, Turmeric Extract, Nutmeg Extract, Lovage Extract], Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid), Flavouring, Chives, Thyme, Black Pepper, Marjoram.

Korma Cooking Sauce  – (Gluten, Wheat and Dairy Free Sauces)  – Water, Coconut Milk (18%), Tomato Puree, Creamed Coconut (5%), Unrefined Demerara Sugar, Dried Fried Onion [Onion, Vegetable Fat, Potato Starch, Salt], Flaked Almonds (1%), Maize Starch, Ground Almonds (1%), Salt, Garlic PurŽe [Garlic, Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid)], Curry Powder [Turmeric, Rice Flour, Fenugreek, Cumin, Mustard, Ginger, Salt, Black Pepper, Paprika, Nutmeg, Chilli, Fennel], Lemon Juice from Concentrate, Flavouring, Coriander Leaf, Cumin, Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid), Ginger Puree, Chilli Powder.

You can find a limited range of Meridian Sauces in larger supermarkets (check out at mySupermarket.co.uk) but you are more likely to find the full range in health food shops or via websites such as www.goodnessdirect.co.uk at a very reasonable £1.79 per jar. It’s not often you find free-from foods that can compete with the regulars on both taste and price but I think Meridian have done it – check out their website for more products www.meridianfoods.co.uk and let us know your favourites.

“Just been having a lookie at your website – you’ve done really well with it. Wish I could be strict, I’m hopeless and constantly end up with a stomach ache! I need some onion, garlic, peppers, celery free diets too and to keep off wheat, yeast and dairy please.”

Do you have cravings for other stuff or is it the practicality of making things?

“Bread is just so EASY. AND, I can’t be bothered to cook a meal for the girls,something else for my partner and something wheat free for me. Im lazy!”

OK well these gluten free flat breads are the latest Fussy Foodie creation – which could help you out.

With a few possibly new ingredients, they are reallyare easy to make (if your kids like cooking you could get them to help too), taste great and if you make a load you can freeze them.

They are fantastic to pop in the toaster for lunch as a bread alternative. It  takes a bit of technique to get the thickness, size and shape right shape but if bread is a weakness they could be great.

I know it must be really hard cooking for the family and I only have two of us to worry about. Where possible I would try to cook the base of the meal the same and then add the extras for others that you don’t want to have.

• I would think meals with rice are great as all the family can have them also if you eat at different times to the children you can cook a batch and reheat when needed (much better than with potato or pasta).
• With pasta I would make the rest of the family have the same pasta as you (wheat free), I actually prefer it as think its much easier to digest and lighter – then you can add extra topping e.g cheese just to the rest of the family – might sound made but if I make spaghetti bolognese I add cheese to Phils and grated carrot to mine, just gives it another dimension and combining raw and cooked food is meant to help digestion.
• I somtimes make sausage casserole and would normally cook the sausages in the sauce, but to save making two dishes I make the sauce and then just add the sausage at the end – Phils are normal and mine are gluten free sausages. I only do these differently as the price difference is noticeable and Phil also much prefers his fully loaded sausages (who can blame him).
• I rarely use butter in my cooking but when I do I use Soya Pure: Dairy free spread, no one notices any difference (well that’s what they tell me anyway).

If you let me know some typical meals that you cook I will see how else I can help.

“I must try and be strict, it was my New Years resolution – but its gone out the window and it’s only the 7th! I struggle with Breakfast and Lunch. I’ll have  soya sometimes on cereal but I’m not that keen on the taste. I was having eggs, bacon etc.. for break but it’s such a rush before taking girls to school etc.. i skip breakfast – ummm!”

If you don’t like soya milk try oatly milk or rice milk as they have different taste and texture too.

I try to vary what milk I have to make breakfast more interesting. Also in my opinion Alpro Light is the best soya milk by a mile and it’s fortified which you need when not having dairy.

For breakfast I normal have a mixture – seeds, oats and either rice puffed rice cereal or gluten free cornflakes- I don’t get full with rice puffs on there own. A bowl of gluten free cornflakes with a tbsp of oats and a sprinkle of seeds topped with milk of your choice is a good place to start – Jordans Porridge Oats are my favourite – hot or cold.

Nb. You can buy the cearls cereals in most supermarkets.

Good luck to everyone who is coping with Food Intolerances and if you need some inspiration get in touch!

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.

Gluten Free Flat Bread 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 or even cinnamon
• 6 tbsps olive oil
• Warm water

Flat Breads 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 flat breads, 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 flat bread is approximately 1cm thick (mine seem to end up thinner than this which still works).

Heat a dry frying pan on a medium high heat and cook the flat breads 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.

If you make a batch keep some aside to cool then pop in the freezer, easy to pop in the toast to warm up again.

Some examples of how I have used my Gluten Free Flat Bread so far: spread with some Sugar Free Fruit Spread, use with a curry a bit like a naan, with special Sugar Free Baked Beans or simply just spread with some dairy free spread and enjoy!

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!

Gluten Free Muesli – Price £3.99

Ingredients: Rice Flakes, Soya Flakes, Raisins, Sultanas, Millet Flakes, Broken Brazil Nuts, Chopped Dates, Chopped Apricots (With Preservative Sulphur Dioxide)

The gluten free muesliis loaded full of raisins and the rice flakes and soya flakes replace what would normal be oats or wheat flakes. The muesli has a good crunch to it and a nice taste, however for me the ratio of dried fruit is much too high and makes it an overly sweet option, also the lack of any nuts or seeds is really missed, so to fully enjoy the cereal I would suggest adding your own selection when you give it a try.

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!

Saf Restaurant is a delight in many ways and here are a few highlights to tempt your tastebuds.

For our starter, we went for the tasting platter which enabled us to try a sample of a range of dishes on the menu. The highlights for me were the olive cashew cheese with flaxseed cracker and surprisingly, the raw cauliflower rice wrapped in vine leaves – both were delicious.

For main course, between us we chose the lasagna, raw mexican tacos, pad thai and the thai green curry.

The lasagna was tasty, though slightly one dimensional, with the flavour being very samey throughout the whole dish which was a shame as the dish was presented beautifully. The tacos were very clean and with the taco shell being made from celeriac were very interesting to try, but again they unfortunately were slightly one dimensional. The pad thai and the thai green curry however, were packed full of incredible flavours. The pad thai was made with courgette and carrot noodles, topped with sprouted lentils, enoki mushrooms and mixed with a chipotle almond sauce bringing the whole dish together. The thai green curry, one of few hot dishes on the menu, had a real depth of flavour with the coconut, coriander, chilli and sweet basil combination. 

We ended the evening with desserts.  We ordered a papaya sorbet, an apple cake and a coconut cheesecake served with apple sorbet – yum, were they good. The papaya sorbet was very smooth and cleansing, a great dessert if you’re feeling full but fancy something cool to finish.  The apple cake was moist and flavoured with cinnamon which is always a great combination.  The winner by far was the coconut cheesecake with apple sorbet – wow, wow, wow! I was grinning from ear to ear and when Miranda tentatively suggested we order a second, I jumped at the chance. A great excuse for a pre-birthday celebratory pudding!

Saf Restaurant prides itself on offering nutritious and flavoursome raw vegan dishes. The menu changes daily to take advantage of seasonal produce and the dishes are complimented by an extensive range of organic and biodynamic wines. They also have a great Mixologist who will be happily whip you up a Horse’s Neck, a Kiss Me Kate, or whatever takes your fancy from their inventive cocktail list, both alcoholic and non alcoholic.

Saf Restaurant offers incredible food and drinks and the staff make the whole experience an absolute pleasure. Saf Restaurant comes highly recommended by us at Fussy Foodie and if you pay them a visit, we are sure you will agree.

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.

Yeast Free Pizza Ingredients: Revitalised filtered water, freshly milled organic buckwheat flour and whole buckwheat (37%), freshly milled demeter wholegrain rice flour (17%), organic virgin olive oil, natural leaven (gluten-free), sea salt.

The pizza base is part baked so I just had to add a topping and bake in a hot oven for 15 minutes – I topped mine with some chopped tomatoes, fresh oregano and thin slices of courgette.

Before I baked the yeast free pizza the buckwheat pizza base was pretty hard so I was pleasantly surprised when the pizza came out of the oven, crisp and slightly risen – delicious! I can’t wait to order a whole one and get my next taste of pizza.

“I found your site today and was very impressed with your content. I looked at your latest messaging thread and noticed someone was asking if there was a ready made “Wheat free, gluten free, dairy free and yeast free pizza base” and you were not aware of any.

Might I suggest you take a look at our website? We produce a whole range of delicious breads, made with innovative grains such as Buckwheat and Quinoa, which are naturally gluten free. We also produce a range of wheat free breads and we include in our offer a Buckwheat Pizza, which meets all the criteria above.

All our products are organic, or biodynamic and we use no baker’s yeast; we grind the wholegrain fresh every time we make a batch of bread, so all the nutrients are retained and there are no dairy products on site. We use a separate mill to grind all our gluten free flour.”

Keen to find out more of course I got in touch and quickly ordered the sample pack of wheat and gluten free breads.

Well I have been waiting by the door this morning for my freshly baked samples to arrive and as I heard a louder than normal noise from the post I knew they were here – hurray! I have to say that seeing the box I was a little dissapointed at the size, I know they are samples but they were tiny bite sized pieces and at £4.95 I feel a little pricey.

Tucked inside my parcel I found 5 little fresh bread samples:

Quinoa Bread | Buckwheat Pizza Base | Rice Bread | Buckwheat Bread and Linseed Bread.

How did they taste?

I could not wait to try them, the first one I tried was my favourite which I have narrowed down to be the linseed bread; really moist and very tasty, will be ordering some of that artisan bread and it has also given me some inspiration to try and get my bread maker working with no yeast, no gluten or sugar as it is possible. Artisan Bread Ltd also supply lots of flours so I will check those out too.

I am yet to try the special Buckwheat Pizza base sample but will give that a whirl over luncheon and let you know how it goes. I am really pleased that Artisan Breads got in touch they clearly have a quality product and I think I will give a whole linseed loaf a go and see how I get on with that – toast in the morning would be a treat I have not had for a very long time.

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.

Barbecue beans ingredients:

• chickpeas 2 x 400g tins drained and rinsed
• chopped tomatoes 1 x 400g tin
• dates 225g roughly chopped
• courgette 1 large or 2 small chopped into cubes
• ginger 1 inch finely chopped
• garlic 2 cloves finely chopped
• smoked paprika 1 heaped tsp

Barbecue beans recipe

In a large non-stick pan start by frying off the garlic and ginger in a little olive oil, adding the courgette after a couple of minutes.When the courgette is softened, throw in the tomatoes, chickpeas, dates and smoked paprika. Bring to the boil, add salt and pepper to taste, then cover and simmer for about 20-30 minutes.

These barbecue beans taste great hot or cold with a barbecue or as a jacket potato topping. They freeze well too (if…you have any left-over).

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!

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.

 This sugar fruit spread is available from most supermarkets and larger grocery outlets and comes in a range of flavours from traditional Strawberry or Apricot, through to slightly more unusual Pineapple & Mango or Gourmet Pear.

Miranda & I have tried a few of the different flavours between us and can vouch for just how good they are. Trying to have no sugar and a limited amount of fruit sugars in our diet, St Dalfour Fruit Spread would be a special treat for us, one which we really enjoy savouring when we  have it.

Find out more about St Dalfour naturally sugar free fruit spread on their website.

Cambodian Marinated Beef Ingredients (serves 4 as a main dish, 8 as a starter) :

• 500g rump or sirloin steak
• 1 Iceberg or Romaine lettuce, leaves separated
• 1 beefsteak tomato, thinly sliced
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 50g peanuts
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil

For the marinade

• 1 red chilli, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• 25g fresh root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 3 tbsp Wheat Free Soya Sauce (tamari sauce)
• 1 tbsp fish sauce (sugar free version)
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

For the dipping sauce:

• Juice of 1/2 a lime
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt

Cambodian Marinated Beef Recipe:

Trim the beef, cut into pieces and place into a bowl.

Place all of the marinade ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth. Pour the marinade over the beef, cover and leave to marinate for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, arrange the lettuce leaves, sliced tomato and onion on a serving plate, put the peanuts in a bowl and set both aside.

Mix the ingredients for the dipping sauce (lime juice, freshly ground black pepper and salt) together in a bowl and divide among four small dipping saucers.

Heat half of the vegetable oil in a wok or large deep frying pan over a high heat. Add half the beef to the pan and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes, or until the beef is cooked to your liking. Spoon the beef onto a warmed serving plate and set aside. Add the remaining oil to the wok or pan and fry the remaining beef in the same way.

To serve, set the table with the plate of beef, salad and bowl of peanuts in the centre, and a small dipping saucer for each person. Spoon some beef into a lettuce leaf and add the peanuts, sliced onion and tomato on top. Wrap up the beef, then dip the parcel into the dipping sauce before eating.

I personally would serve this dish as a starter, having one or two small parcels each and following this up with our flavoursome Chilli Beef Ramen. The powerful flavours in both dishes complement each other well and will give you and your guests a real taste of south east asian cuisine.

Note : I first spotted this cambodian marinated beef recipe when browsing on the BBC website. The recipe was posted courtesy of Rick Stein from his recipe book Rick Stein’s Far Eastern Odyssey. Rick’s recipe is based on a dish he ate in Kampot, Cambodia which I have tweaked to suit our food intolerance needs.

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.

These sugar free baked beans are suitable for vegetarians and vegans and being gluten free are also ideal for coeliacs. 

Sugar free baked beans ingredients are: haricot beans, water, tomatoes, apple juice, rice flour, sea salt, cider vinegar, onion powder, ground cinnamon, dill, garlic powder, ocean kelp, nutmeg, cloves, cayenne pepper and tamari soy sauce.

These sugar free baked beans are ideal as part of a tasty English breakfast, with Friday night fish & chips, or for lunch on toast or with Corn Thins