Tag: dinner party

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Mozzarella Sticks by Asda

Where from? Asda
Available in Asda supermarkets nationwide

The American in me cannot get enough of bar-type snacks. I have incredibly fond memories of chomping on mozzarella sticks dipped in marinara or ranch from my days studying in the US with an ice-cold beer, which I thought were well and truly over when I discovered I couldn’t eat gluten. Imagine my surprise and excitement therefore when I came across these gluten free mozzarella sticks in the refrigerated section at Asda recently. They are ready after a mere 8 minutes in the oven and perfect with aioli for dipping. Available in Asda stores across the UK and online. Enjoy!

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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.

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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.