Tag: gluten free recipe

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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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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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Warm Kale, Sweet Potato and Quinoa Salad with a Lemon, Tahini and Chive Dressing

To celebrate Coeliac UK Awareness Week this year, I’ve teamed up with Knorr UK to create the ultimate gluten free meal using one of my favourite grains – quinoa. I fell in love with this grain when I lived in South America and was delighted when I realised I wouldn’t have to give it up when I stopped eating gluten. It is delicious when cooked in vegetable stock – for this recipe I used Knorr Organic Vegetable Stock Pot, which gives it great depth and flavour. Try out this veggie recipe for yourselves for a perfect mid-week meal or a summery lunch.

Warm Kale, Sweet Potato and Quinoa Salad with a Lemon, Tahini and Chive Dressing
(Serves 2)

Ingredients

40g x Sweet Potato
2 x Garlic Cloves
1 x Tablespoon Olive Oil
Freshly Ground Pepper
80g x Quinoa
1 x Knorr Vegetable Stock Pot
200g x Kale

For the Dressing:
2 x Tablespoons Tahini
4 x Lemons (juiced)
1 x Garlic Clove (minced)
1 x Teaspoon Gluten Free Soy Sauce
Salt & Pepper to taste

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees celsius.
2. Prepare your sweet potato for roasting by cutting into small cubes and then
arranging on a baking tray with the two garlic cloves. Drizzle the olive oil over the
pan and add cracked black pepper.
3. Roast for 20-25 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, prepare your quinoa by washing thoroughly before adding to a pan
with 400ml water. Add the Knorr Vegetable Stock Pot and bring to the boil. Cover
the pot and simmer for 15 minutes or until the water has cooked off and the quinoa
is soft.
5. Separately, wash and then steam the kale for six to eight minutes. Drain.
6. Start preparing your dressing by adding the minced garlic clove, tahini, lemon juice
and soy sauce to a bowl. Stir until all mixed together into a dressing consistency.
Add chopped chives and salt and pepper to taste.
7. Combine the cooked quinoa, kale and sweet potato together before serving and
adding the dressing. Serve with a lemon wedge and extra chives.

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Fluffy Cloud Bread

Even though there is a wide array of gluten free bread available on the market today, sometimes I still need a break. Growing up, my mom would come up with all sorts of things for breakfast, lunch and dinner that were bread free, just to give us an alternative from time to time. I therefore never got used to bread on the table at every meal and I still see it as quite a luxury!

When I’m in the mood for something a little different, and something lighter than gluten free bread, which can often be quite heavy, I turn to my trusty fluffy cloud bread. This alternative is made from eggs and cream cheese and yet still comes out of the oven resembling bread! It makes a delicious sandwich, or accompaniment to any meal. For years I hand whisked the eggs and I am delighted to say that a brand new electric whisk has just changed my life! Let me know what y’all think!

Fluffy Cloud Bread
(Makes between 12 and 15 portions)

Ingredients

4 x Eggs (separated)
65g Full Fat Cream Cheese (I use Philadelphia)
½ x Teaspoon Gluten Free Baking Powder
½ x Teaspoon Cream of Tartar
½ x Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
½ x Teaspoon Sesame Seeds
¼ x Teaspoon Sea Salt

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 150 degrees and line two baking trays with parchment paper.
  2. Whisk egg whites until they form stiff peaks. No liquid from the white should remain in the bowl and all the mixture should be foam that doesn’t slide across the bowl (this may take up to ten minutes).
  3. In a separate bowl, beat the yolks, cream cheese and rest of the ingredients until smooth.
  4. Spoonful by spoonful, fold the yolk mixture into the whites. Word of warning: take your time here. The quicker you go, the more likely the whites will fall flat and turn to liquid again, which is not the appropriate consistency for fluffy cloud bread.
  5. When all the mixture is combined, spoon the mixture on to the baking trays using a tablespoon. Allow at least 6cm between each cloud bread as they do spread in the oven.
  6. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Leave to cool for up to 15 minutes before serving in sandwich form with an array of fillings or on their own as a snack.

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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.