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!

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

Dareen loving the Chilli Beef Ramen

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My fridge was looking a little empty so I scoured the kitchen cupboards and came across this packet of yellow curry paste I was yet to try out.

I am pleased to say the Yellow Curry Paste tasted fanastic with just the help of  an onion, 1/2 a pepper, a tomato, stick of celery, some prawns, grated fresh ginger and a few new potatos. In just a few minutes we had ourselves a tasty thai meal served with some basmati rice.

Thai curry made with Blue Elephant Yellow Curry Paste

Thai Curry Paste Ingredients: Soy bean oil, shallot, lemon grass, chili, garlic, tumeric powder, cumin seeds, corrinader seeds, salt, galangal, shrimp paste (shrimp and salt), corriander root, kafir lime skin and pepper.

Simple yet tasty this yellow curry paste is a great product to have in your kitchen cupboards – thanks to Laura for buying me a packet (from Waitrose).

Homemade sweet chili sauce

Sweet Chilli Sauce Recipe

NB. Serves 2 people

• 2tbsp Agave Nectar
• 1 Red chilli deseeded and finely chopped
• 1 Large clove of garlic crushed
• Pinch of dried chilli flakes
• 2 good pinches salt

Add all ingredients to a small bowl and stir to form a sticky sauce, taste for seasoning and spiciness – that’s it one tasty sweet chilli sauce ready to serve.

I used my sweet chilli sauce in a prawn stir fry with brown rice noodles – tasted fantastic a real treat.

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

Pho Bo in action from hotel

Vietnamese Beef and Noodle Broth – Serves: 2

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

Vietnamese Beef and Noodle Broth Recipe Steps

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

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

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

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

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

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

My Vietnamese Beef and Rice Noodle Broth

Vietnamese Beef and Noodle Broth verdict:

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

Red Pepper Soup Ingredients:

• 3 large sweet peppers
• 3 medium white onions, chopped
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
• 750ml vegetable stock
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• Red pesto (no nasties variety – optional)

and here is how it’s done…

Roast 3 large sweet peppers (preferably the long, thinner variety), leave to cool and peel off the skin and deseed.

Chop 3 onions and add to the pan with some olive oil, fry gently until onions soften. Then add chopped sweet potato and peppers and stir for a couple of minutes.

Add 750ml veg stock, 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder, 1/2 teaspoon paprika to the pan and season.  I also added in a teaspoon of fussy foodie friendly red pesto.

Cook for 25 mins and when ready blitz.

Lovely Red Pepper Soup done - absolutely delicious with just a slight hint of a kick!

Spicy Squash Soup

Spicy Squash Soup Ingredients:

• Medium onion – finely sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic – crushed
• Cumin Seeds – 1tsp
• Coriander Seeds – 1tsp
• Sesame Seeds – 2tbsp
• Fresh ginger – 1cm (1/2″)
• Green Chilli - seeded and chopped
• Zest and juice of 1 lime
• Butternut Squash – 340g (12oz)
• Sweet Potato (optional replace with more butternut squash) – 340g (12oz)
• Runny Honey (optional) – 1tsp
• Vegetable stock – 2pints (1.2ltrs)
• 400g (14oz) Tinned Chickpeas (drained)

Definitely lots of chopping involved in this recipe but it’s worth it for a really different, spicy and tasty soup. A great way to liven up a squash soup, one I think will become a classic in our home. Anyway less of the chat, here is how the Spicy Squash Soup is done:

Sweat the onions and garlic in a pan very slowly for 10 mins in a small amount of olive oil, be careful not to brown them. Meanwhile in a small pan toast the cumin, coriander and sesame seeds until lightly browned. Then bash together in a pestle and mortar until lightly ground.

Once the onions are ready add the toasted seeds, lime zest, chilli, ginger and honey (if using) and stir for 30 seconds.

Add the sweet potato and squash, lime juice and the stock. Cover and simmer for 10 mins, until veggies are almost tender.

Taste and season if required. Add the chickpeas and simmer for 10 mins until chickpeas are soft.

Blitz in a food processor adding more stock or hot water if necessary to get required thickness. Grab a bowl and serve – delicious Spicy Squash Soup ready to rock and roll.

Covent Garden Spicy Squash Soup challenge verdict:

On top of the Spicy Squash Soup recipe there are lots of great soups in the New Covent Garden Soup Company’s Soup and Beyond recipe book so I will be sure to check some more of these out.

Chicken tikka masala via Cook Along live website

In the past I have found Gordon’s (yes we are on first name times) recipes a little bit complex and not something you can whip up mid week, this however isn’t difficult. The recipe teaches you the basics of curry making which can lead to many other great recipes, also you can see how easy this one is to adapt. If you are not eating tomatoes, as I didn’t for a year or so this recipe is a no no.

Chicken tikka masala ingredients (for 4):

• Olive or Groundnut oil
• 1 large onion, peeled and sliced
• 2 fresh green chillies – deseeded and sliced
• 1″ piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled (if not tolerated can exclude)
• ½ tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 400g tinned chopped tomatoes
• 4 boneless chicken breasts (approx 150g each), cubed
• 10 dried curry leaves (optional)
• 4-6 tbsp goats yoghurt (optional if tolerated)
• Handful of fresh coriander leaves, chopped
  

Chicken tikka masala steps:

1. Heat oil in a pan and fry onion in the oil, once browned a little add the chopped chili, chopped ginger to the pan, crush in the garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes to soften.

2. Next is an important step in curry making, toasting off the spices so they release there oils and flavours.  So add the chilli powder, turmeric and garam masala, cook for 1-2 minutes. Next, add the tomato puree and chopped tomatoes to the pan and allow them to cook for a further few minutes.

3. Transfer the sauce to a food processor and blend until smooth – this gives the sauce for the curry. Taste and season where appropriate, as we are excluding the sugar a little salt is required here.

4. Rinse your pan, add a tablespoon of oil into the pan and fry the chicken pieces until lightly coloured on all sides. Pour in the blended sauce and add the curry leaves. Simmer gently for 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

5. Take curry off the heat and stir in the goats yoghurt (if using, but not required.  I had it without last night and was delicious) to the chicken curry along with half the chopped coriander. Serve with the brown rice and garnish with the remaining coriander.

NB If you are not eating rice of any kind top tip for curries is that poppadoms are made with lentil flour and for most people I have found easy to digest so check them out.

Chicken tikka masala recipe challenge verdict:

Gordon what can I say with my few tweaks, your Chicken Tikka Masala is fab!