Tag: dinner party ideas

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Courgette Fritters

When I was little, my Mom would make American pancakes for us every Sunday. I loved them so much that I often begged her to whip them up more regularly and so in order to make them a little lighter (and greener!) she would add fresh grated courgette. My Mom will therefore be very pleased to know that I’ve developed an EVEN GREENER version of her pancakes, which have been a hit for breakfasts and brunches (topped with fried eggs) and even dinner parties I’ve hosted over the last few years where I’ve served them as an appetiser, topped with roasted red pepper and cream cheese or lightly smoked salmon and fresh lemon. All in all, these courgette fritters are highly versatile and I hope you enjoy making them at home!

Ingredients

3 x Medium Sized Courgettes
2 x Large Eggs
3 x Tablespoons Gluten Free Plain Flour
1 x Tablespoon Vegetable or Sunflower Oil
½ x Teaspoon Garlic Powder
½ x Teaspoon Chilli Flakes
1 x Teaspoon Chives (dried or fresh)
Salt
Pepper

Method

  1. Wash and grate the courgettes onto a clean tea towel or several paper towels, squeezing out as much moisture as possible.
  2. Beat two large eggs into a bowl with the gluten free flour , garlic power, chilli flakes and chives.
  3. Gradually stir in the courgettes to create a batter and mix well. Add salt and pepper and mix again.
  4. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat and form small pancake size fritters. Use a silicone spatula to keep the fritters round (the batter is likely to run when it hits the pan).
  5. Cook the fritters for 2-3 minutes on each side until crispy.
  6. Leave the fritters to cool for 5-10 minutes and serve with fried eggs for breakfast or brunch or a sprinkling of fresh Parmesan.

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Low FODMAP and Dairy Free Gnocchi Alla Marie

One of the best things about starting my gluten free blog has definitely been meeting and making such lovely new friends, who have taught me so much about diets, allergies and intolerances way beyond my own knowledge and personal issues with gluten. As a way of saying thank you for being so awesome, I decided to have a crew over to my new house for dinner to celebrate. I put myself to work to create the ultimate low FODMAP and dairy free version of my classic gnocchi dish that so many of you have been able to enjoy.

With coaching and advice from the lovely Lottie aka The Tummy Diaries on the do’s and don’ts of the low FODMAP diet and top dairy free tips from the amazing Alice aka Gluten Free Alice (who also took this lovely al fresco photo of our meal), I put together the following dish so that everyone can enjoy my Gnocchi Alla Marie. I am still learning about the FODMAP diet, and as getting your hands on appropriate seasoning or stock can be difficult, I decided to feature pancetta in my dish to add extra flavour and depth. For vegetarians, the pancetta can be replaced with black olives, which can be thinly sliced and added to the dish just before baking. Happy eating!

Low FODMAP and Dairy Free Gnocchi Alla Marie
(Serves 4-6)

Ingredients

For the Sauce:
3 x Tablespoons FODMAP friendly garlic infused olive oil
1 x Carrot (peeled and finely chopped)
1 x Red Pepper (finely chopped)
800g Chopped Tomatoes
1 x Cup Red Wine
30g Fresh Basil
80g Smoked Cubed Pancetta
1 x Teaspoon Dried Chives
Salt and Pepper to Taste

For the Gnocchi:
500g Gluten Free Gnocchi
200g Vegan Mozzarella Style Cheese
30g Fresh Chives (finely chopped)
1 x Medium Courgette (diced)

Method

  1. Heat the FODMAP friendly garlic infused oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the pepper, carrot and cook until soft.
  2. Add the pancetta and cook through, stirring the mixture frequently.
  3. When the pancetta is cooked, add the chopped tomatoes, wine, dried chives, salt and pepper and let the sauce cook on a medium heat for 20 minutes.
  4. While the sauce cooks, preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
  5. Boil water in a separate pot. Add the gnocchi to the boiling water and cook for two minutes, draining immediately.
  6. Place the partially cooked gnocchi in a good sized baking dish and add the vegan mozzarella style cheese (saving a handful for garnish), chives and courgette.
  7. Add the torn basil to the sauce before transferring it to a blender, or a bowl and then using a hand blender, liquidise until smooth.
  8. Gently pour the cooked down sauce over the gnocchi mixture and stir evenly. As the sauce tends to cook down even further during the baking process, I tend to use all of it but depending on preference, some sauce can be held back and either refrigerated or frozen for later use.
  9. Evenly sprinkle the remaining vegan mozzarella style cheese over the top along with some more black pepper.
  10. Place in the centre of the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown on top.
  11. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 5-8 minutes before serving. Accompany with mixed leaves.