Tag: cheese

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Black Bean and four Cheese Dip

The best kind of dinners are often those centred around appetizer style dishes. They remind me of meals in the States while watching football games in sports bars or when out “just for a few drinks” and then you decide to opt for something small and end up ordering everys single starters on the menu. This dip was always one of my favourites and would come piping hot out the oven, served with a mountain of tortilla chips for dipping. Sadly, this dish rarely is gluten free friendly in restaurants and so I quickly came up with a safe version to prepare and eat at home when I didn’t fancy a big dinner or when having friends over. Be sure to serve with an ice cold gluten free beer or a good bottle of wine and you’ve got yourself a perfect night in!

Ingredients

2 x 400g Cans Black Beans (drained and rinsed)

2 x Garlic Cloves, peeled

½ x Lemon/Lime, squeezed

½ x Teaspoon Cumin

½ x Teaspoon Chilli Flakes

1 x Teaspoon Sea Salt

½ x Teaspoon Black Pepper

1 x Teaspoon Hot Sauce (I use Salsa Valentina)

200g x Cream Cheese

100g x Mild Cheddar Cheese

50g x Parmesan Cheese

100g x Shredded Mozzarella

100ml x Crème Fraiche

200g x Gluten Free Salted Tortilla Chips

For the garnish:

1 x green jalapeno, chopped

100g x cherry tomatoes, chopped

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (160 degrees fan)
  2. In a large bowl, mix the black beans, cream cheese, crème fraiche, garlic cloves and lemon/lime juice with a hand blender until smooth (alternatively, this can be mixed in a food processor)
  3. Add the cumin, chilli flakes, sea salt, black pepper, hot sauce, cheddar and parmesan and blend again until smooth
  4. Transfer the mixture to an oven-proof dish. Top with the shredded mozzarella and bake the dip for 25 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown.
  5. Remove from oven and leave to rest for five minutes before garnishing with the chopped jalapeno and tomatoes.
  6. Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy!

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Creamy Baked Gnocchi (Aka Stay At Home Gnocchi)

So here it is folks – a recipe y’all probably never thought you’d see on this page – MORE GNOCCHI. Creating this dish, believe it or not, was a big deal for me as I rarely stray far from my classic Gnocchi Alla Marie, which over the years I’m so pleased to say many of you guys have given a whirl and enjoyed. As we currently find ourselves in strange times, I wanted to use fewer store-cupboard ingredients to show you how you can whip up something hearty and delicious, even if you can’t get your hands on canned tomatoes. Meanwhile, I’ve opted for courgettes as the main vegetable stars of the dish as they seem to still be widely available in the shops, so give this a go and let me know what y’all think. Stay safe everyone!

Ingredients

500g Gluten Free Gnocchi
1 x Tablespoon olive oil
1 x Medium Onion, Chopped
2 x Garlic Cloves, Chopped
1 x Tablespoon Grainy Mustard
250ml Creme Fraîche
100g Grated Parmesan/Italian Hard Cheese
30ml Boiling Water
2 x Courgettes, Chopped into Small Cubes
½ Teaspoon Chilli Flakes
½ Teaspoon Dried Parsley
½ Knorr Vegetable Stock Cube

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees fan/200 degrees gas.
  2. Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the gnocchi for 1-2 minutes. Drain immediately and set to one side.
  3. Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium heat and add the onions and garlic, sauteeing until soft.
  4. Add the courgettes to the pot and cook for 10 minutes, stirring regularly.
  5. Stir in the creme fraîche, grainy mustard, 80g of the grated cheese, chilli flakes, parsley and crumbled half stock cube.
  6. When all ingredients are combined, add the boiling water and stir quickly again.
  7. Reduce the heat and cover the pot, leaving the sauce to simmer for 10-15 minutes. Stir occasionally.
  8. Prepare the cooled gnocchi in a small-medium oven casserole dish and cover with the sauce, stirring the two together so the sauce is evenly distributed around the dish.
  9. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top as well as cracked black pepper and a sprinkling of salt.
  10. Bake for 20 minutes or until the gnocchi is golden brown.
  11. Leave to cool for 5 minutes before serving with a fresh green salad.

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Gluten Free Rosemary Crackers

While I love to indulge in a traditional post-dinner cheese plate in true British style, sometimes I just have to give into my pre-meal craving. In the US, cheese and crackers are often enjoyed as an appetiser, and they definitely played a huge role in my household growing up. My mom would often put out a board of soft and hard cheeses with a selection of crackers and while obviously these were the gluten days, I still look back on them fondly.

After being gifted some beautiful rosemary by my friend Jessie, I decided to put it to good use and create some gluten free crackers which are naturally dairy free and can be paired with a selection of dairy free or regular cheeses. Enjoy with a cucumber gin and tonic for the perfect start to your dinner party!

Gluten Free Rosemary Crackers
(Makes Around 20 Small Crackers)

Ingredients

For the crackers:
2 x Cups Gluten Free Flour
1 x Teaspoon Xantham Gum
3 x Tablespoons Fresh Rosemary (chopped or torn)
2 x Teaspoons Rough Sea Salt
2 x Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 x Cups Water

For the Garnish:
1 x Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 x Tablespoon Fresh Rosemary
1 x Teaspoon Rough Sea Salt

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 225 degrees.
  2. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
  3. Gradually add the water and oil and mix quickly with a wooden spoon to create a dough. The dough should hold together and not stick to the spoon. If it sticks, add a little more flour to dry it out.
  4. Roll out the dough onto baking paper to create a layer with a thickness of around 1cm. Cut carefully into squares and separate on the baking paper before placing both onto a baking tray. Note – the squares, unless you use a cutter, will not be perfectly formed as the dough softens but fear not! I think this creates more of a rustic-looking cracker!
  5. Place in oven and bake for 8 minutes. Remove tray from oven and using a spatula, carefully turn all the crackers over and drizzle with the olive oil, rosemary and sea salt set aside for garnish, and return to the oven for a remaining 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
  6. Remove from oven and allow the crackers to sit for 10-15 minutes before serving with an array of cheeses.

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Creamy Spinach and Comté Stuffed Pancakes

Pancakes, my American mother taught me from an early age, are an incredibly versatile foodstuff. The common misconception is that they can be eaten only at breakfast time or for brunch, but, when they are prepared in a savoury way, they are the perfect base for any meal. This sentiment was backed up even more by my Dutch friend Elfi, who I met when I landed my first journalism job in London. She would often bring pancakes for lunch – the thick, crepe kind – that she would stuff and roll up with salad, meats, cheeses and more. I soon caught on added them to my desk lunch repertoire.

This wonderful lunch discovery gave me great practice in the art of pancake flipping for the annual Pancake Day party that my school friends and I take turns to host each year. If you’re looking to step away from the ‘lemon and sugar’ tradition this Shrove Tuesday or are simply wanting to try something different as a weeknight dinner, I urge you to try my recipe below. It’s a wonderfully indulgent way to eat pancakes as a main course and tops any sweet combination in my view. Happy flipping guys!

Creamy Spinach and Comté Stuffed Pancakes
(Serves 4)

Ingredients

For the Pancakes
220g Gluten Free Flour
2 x Eggs
2 x Egg Yolks
2 x Cups Milk
4 x Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
1 x Teaspoon Vegetable Bouillon Powder
50g Unsalted Butter
Salt and Pepper

For the Filling:
500g Spinach
300g Cherry Tomatoes
200g Comté Cheese, grated
1 x Teaspoon dried parsley
Pepper

For the Sauce:
1/3 x Cup Gluten Free Flour
200g Comté Cheese, grated
1 x Cup milk
30g Unsalted Butter
2 x Garlic cloves, minced
½ x 1 onion
1 x Cup white wine
2 x Tablespoons Dijon mustard
Pinch of Nutmeg
Salt and Pepper

Method

1. Prepare your pancake mixture by adding all dry ingredients to a large bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon. Beat eggs, milk and vegetable oil in a separate bowl and gradually add to the dry mixture until smooth.
2. Melt a little bit of your butter a non-stick pan over medium heat and when melted and hot, add your pancake mixture using a soup ladle which is 2/3 of the way full.
3. Let the pancake mixture cook until air bubbles appear. This is when the pancake is ready to flip, or, if you’re feeling less adventurous, turn over carefully with a fish slice. Repeat until all mixture is used up and set pancakes aside on a plate lined with paper towels and cool (this mixture will be enough to make 8-10 pancakes, depending on how full your ladle is)
4. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius before moving on to the pancake filling.
5. Place spinach in a microwaveable bowl and heat for 30 seconds to 1 minute until withered. Remove and place in a mixing bowl.
6. Chop each cherry tomato into fours, setting aside a handful to decorate the pancakes before baking. Add the chopped tomatoes to the withered spinach and mix in the grated Comte cheese with a large spoon, seasoning with some black pepper and the parsley.
7. Stuff your pancakes with 1-2 tablespoons each of the filling mixture and roll carefully to form tubes. Line up the pancakes in a standard lasagne dish (I am able to fit around 8 in mine).
8. Now prepare your sauce by melting the butter in a pot and sautéing the garlic and onion until soft.
9. Remove from heat and place in a mixing bowl with the milk, white wine, mustard, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Stir with a whisk before adding the flour and then using a hand mixer, blend until smooth.
10. Return sauce to the heat and gradually stir in cheese until melted. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes before removing from heat again to cool. If the sauce is too thick for you, add a splash of milk and whisk lightly again.
11. Pour the sauce evenly over the pancakes. Halve the remaining cherry tomatoes to decorate the dish.
12. Bake in the oven for 35-45 minutes or until the dish is bubbling, and the top is golden brown.
13. Leave to cool for 5 minutes before serving with fresh leaves.