Homemade Fish and Chips*

This can be turned wheat and dairy free by simply changing the loaf of bread used for the breadcrumbs. So quick to make and is enjoyable for the whole family to get involved with – great for little children to get their hands messy whilst helping to cook. 

Homemade Fish and Chips

Veggie Quiche*

A quick and easy dinner that is ready in less than half an hour. Instead of those shop-bought bung in oven, use this simple recipe. You can even cheat by buying ready-made shortcrust pastry to speed it up. This recipe is OK as a wheat-free version and even works with almond milk and goats cheese for dairy free people but unfortunately isn’t so great soya, wheat and dairy free. Don’t expect wheat and dairy free pastry to roll out nicely though, be prepared for some patchwork.

Quiche Lorraine

Veggie Quiche*

A quick and easy dinner that is ready in less than half an hour. Instead of those shop-bought bung in oven, use this simple recipe. You can even cheat by buying ready-made shortcrust pastry to speed it up. This recipe is OK as a wheat-free version and even works with almond milk and goats cheese for dairy free people but unfortunately isn’t so great soya, wheat and dairy free. Don’t expect wheat and dairy free pastry to roll out nicely though, be prepared for some patchwork.

Veggie Quiche

Santa Hat Brownies*

Easy to make…and even easier to devour! Make your Christmas Party guests chuckle with these adorable and delicious Santa Hat Brownie Bites! Make them wheat and dairy free by using the alternative flour and butter plus using a vanilla buttercream instead of the cream.

 

Baileys Choc-Tail

Relax this evening with your very own choc-tail. This Bailey’s chocolate martini is ludicrously easy to make and sure to impress!

INGREDIENTS

• 60 ml Bailey’s Irish cream
• 10 ml vodka
• 15 ml chocolate liqueur
• Sprinkle of cocoa powder, to decorate (optional)
• 5g chocolate, to decorate

METHOD

1. Mix Bailey’s, vodka and liqueur in a martini shaker with several ice cubes

2. Shake and strain into a chilled martini glass

3. Garnish with cocoa if desired

4. Add some chocolate shavings if desired

 

PREP: 5 minutes

DIFFICULTY: easy!!!

Flavoured Chocolates

All you need is some quality chocolate of your preference and flavoured oils eg. Orange oil or Vanilla Extract

METHOD

Simply melt the chocolate, dark milk or white until smooth. Spoon a couple of spoonfuls onto baking paper and add 2-3 drops of the desired flavour. Using the back of the spoon mix the chocolate well and then spread into a shape of choice. Do not spread too thinly or it will break when peeling off the paper. Leave to set for about 1 hour until it isn’t shiny any more. Peel the paper off, place into a bag or box and serve. Or simply just break a piece off and enjoy! 🙂

Flavoured Chocolate

Chicken Chasseur*

This is a new meal to me that already reminds me of similar dishes I used to have as a child. This one I have now cooked so many times as it has become an absolute favourite! Can be cooked quicker on a higher heat if you are running out of time, or simply can’t wait for dinner any more, but for the best results cook slower and longer. Best served with mash potato or rice. NATURALLY WHEAT AND DAIRY FREE! YAY 🙂

Chicken Chasseur

Meatballs*

One of Granny’s specialities was meatballs made from beef mince. She used to serve hers with a brown gravy but here I’ve used a tomato based sauce. Simple to make, fun and ‘get your hands dirty’ approach. Easy to adapt to wheat and dairy free by simple using wheat-free doves plain flour instead of usual flour and serve with wheat-free pasta. Use quorn mince for a vegetarian alternative!

Tomato Meatballs and Pasta

Beef Stifado*

This is a favourite dish at home that never fails to please and is originally wheat and dairy free so no need for alterations. Saying that though, this dish does go well with a spoonful of sour cream to serve but this is completely optional and just as great without! Serve with rice or jacket potatoes depending on which you fancy.

 

Beef Stifado – Cooked

Salmon with Stuffed Peppers*

A healthy family meal that satisfies them all…Again, extremely easy to make wheat and dairy free!

Yum Yum. Sorry for the picture quality on this!

Miniature Victoria Sponges*

These are the cutest little sponge cakes that are still easy to make. You can use the all-in-one method if preferred but I didn’t have an electric mixer to hand so here is an alternative method. To make them wheat and dairy free (WDF) remember to use dairy-free butter and wheat-free plain flour. For the filling, instead of cream use a simple butter cream with dairy-free butter and icing sugar!

Mini Victoria Sponges

Cheese Twists

A great snack and so quick and simple to make. I used the left-over puff pastry from the Chicken Pie. For something different add some tomato puree to the base of the pastry before adding cheese. OR use blue cheese for a richer, more sophisticated taste.

Cheese Twists

Toad in the Hole

Again, afraid this one has yet to be mastered WDF. For now, an original homecooked recipe will have to do for you all. Delicious with onion gravy as shown here 

Toad in the Hole

Onion Gravy*

This is an excellent, quick recipe for a gravy that can go with a lot of meals but doesn’t need a roasted joint to start it off. A WDF option that is simple to adapt.

INGREDIENTS

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

3 tbsp oil

2-3 tsp plain flour (depending how thick you like it) (WDF if necessary)

1 vegetable stock cube

350ml boiling water

1 tsp gravy salt – add more if you like it darker

seasoning to taste

METHOD

1. Heat the oil in a small to medium saucepan and gently fry the onion until slightly softened
2. Add the flour and mix into the oil
3. Pour in the hot water, covering the onions
4. Add gravy salt, stock cube and pepper to start (salt to be added later to taste!)
5. Simmer for approx 15 minutes (or 10 on a higher heat) until the flour is cooked and the onions are soft. Add salt if needed

PREP: 2 minutes

COOK: 10-15 minutes

DIFFICULTY: easy

Pictures to come 😀 Sooooo delicious!!!

American Pancakes

After years of refusing to eat American-style pancakes and choosing crepes instead I have now become an obsessed American Pancake fanatic. Months of travelling Asia meant lots of these pancakes and you soon grow to love them. Great with syrup, condensed milk, sugar and lemon or even bacon like the Americans.

INGREDIENTS

135g (4.5 oz)plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp caster sugar

130 ml (4.5 fl oz) milk

1 large egg, beaten

2 tbsp melted butter or olive oil, plus extra for cooking

METHOD

1. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and caster sugar into a large bowl.
2. In a separate bowl or jug, lightly whisk together the milk and egg, then whisk in the melted butter.
3. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and, using a wooden spoon, beat until you have a smooth batter. Any lumps will soon disappear with a little mixing. Let the batter stand for a few minutes. To make it quicker you could use an electric mix.
4. Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add a knob of butter. W
5. hen it’s melted, add a ladle of batter (or two if your frying pan is big enough to cook two pancakes at the same time). It will seem very thick but this is how it should be.
6. Wait until the top of the pancake begins to bubble, then turn it over and cook until both sides are golden brown and the pancake has risen to about 1cm (½in) thick.
7. Repeat until all the batter is used up. You can keep the pancakes warm in a low oven, but they taste best fresh out the pan.
8. Serve with lashings of real maple syrup or golden syrup
9. Enjoy 😀

PREP: 5 mins

COOK: 5 mins

DIFFICULTY: easy

Sausages with Jacket Potatoes*

An alternative of the famous British bangers and mash. TIP: Put the potatoes in the oven to cook about an hour before you want to start the rest of the dish. (Onion gravy recipe can also be found here)

Sausages with Jacket Potatoes

INGREDIENTS

1 Jacket Potato 

2 Sausages

1 Onion

Vegetable Stock

Hot water

1 tsp Gravy Salt

METHOD

1. Cook the potato approx an hour beforehand as instructed here
2. In the already hot oven, add the sausages to a baking tray lined with foil. Cook for 25-30 minutes until browned on top and cooked completely throughout. TIP: Prick each sausage to let the fat run out
3. Thinly slice an onion and add to a small saucepan
4. Add boiling water (approx 200ml), vegetable stock and gravy salt to the pan. Bring to the boil and boil to remove excess water and cook the onion
5. Serve hot to enjoy best

Baked Salmon*

There are some lovely recipes that use the classic oven-baked salmon but here is the basic recipe to get started with. Plain salmon with a little lemon juice and seasoning. Yum! Of course, I make this WDF by using pure butter as found here. Even if you don’t have allergies to dairy, try the Pure range just to be healthier!

INGREDIENTS

1 side of salmon

1 tbsp lemon juice

small knobs of butter

salt

pepper

METHOD

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C
2. De-scale the fish skin if the fishmonger hasn’t already done so
3. Place foil in a baking tin and place the side of salmon onto this
4. Add a few drops of lemon juice along the length and add the seasoning
5. Dot a few small knobs of butter along the length too
6. Wrap the sides of the foil up and over the salmon, creating a parcel by folding down the join – don’t let this touch the fish, instead ensure that there is plenty of air between fish and foil
7. Cook for 20-30 minutes depending on size. The fish should just be not translucent when cut into but still juicy
8. Served best with new potatoes, vegetables and onion gravy

PREP: 5-10 minutes

COOK: 20-30 minutes

DIFFICULTY: easy

Steam Puddings*

My amazing granny taught me how to make these from a very early age, as well as home-made custard which will come in a later post. This recipe can either be put into one large dish for a Sunday lunch dessert, approx 8 inches diameter or into 6-8 smaller ramekins for a sneaky individual treat. 

 

INGREDIENTS

6 oz (175g) caster sugar

6 oz (175g) WDF butter, softened to room temperature

6 oz (175g) WDF flour

3 tsp baking powder

3 large eggs

Flavours: if using chocolate steam puddings replace 1 oz flour with 1 oz cocoa. For the others use the above recipe. Other ideas include raspberry or strawberry jam, syrup puddings, chocolate chips…

METHOD

1. Put a large steamer on the hob and heat a lot of water
2. Grease either the large pudding bowl or the smaller ramekins
3. For this pudding, it really is so simple. Using the all-in-one method, blitz all the above ingredients in a food processor until blended, smooth and lighter in colour
4. Spoon 2 tbsp of jam or syrup (if using these flavours) into the bottoms of the bowl/ramekins
5. Fill to 2/3 of the top with the cake mixture
6. Cover each ramekin separately with foil – ensure a folded over “lip” for expansion of the pudding
7. Place into the steamer for approx 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean
8. Run a round bladed knife around the edges and tip over into a bowl, ensuring all the runny sauce comes out also
9. Serve your self-saucing delights and enjoy!

PREP: 5-10 minutes

COOK: 30 minutes

DIFFICULTY: easy

Veggie Spinach Filo Pie

It can sometimes be tough to know what to cook as an alternative option for vegetarians. This recipe can be made smaller and served as an individuals main course alternative OR why not try it as the whole family’s dinner?

INGREDIENTS

500g spinach

Knob of butter

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely crushed and chopped

200g feta cheese, crumbled

200g peas

4 tbsp pine nuts, lightly toasted in a dry pan previously

3 large eggs, beaten

4-6 filo pastry sheets – I cheat here and buy the pre-prepared ones from supermarkets. Really easy to use.

6 cherry tomatoes, halved

A salad to serve, optional

 

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and grease a loose-bottomed round tin
2. Wilt the spinach in a large pan over a low heat
3. Allow to cool completely, then drain well – squeeze out as much liquid as possible using a seive and your hands
4. Melt a knob of butter in a frying pan and add the onion. Cook for 5 minutes until soft and slightly transparent.
5. Stir in the garlic and cook for a further minute
6. Remove from the heat and add to a bowl with the spinach, feta, pine nuts, peas and eggs.
7. Mix together and season well
8. Line the tin with sheets of filo pastry that have each been brushed with melted butter, ensure they overlap well at the bottom and sides and ensure they overhang the sides
9. Spoon into the base of the dish
10. With the overhanging sections of pastry, lightly scrunch and fold over the top and onto the spinach mixture
11. Repeat for the other sheets until all the filling is well covered around the edges
12. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until the pastry is crisp and golden

 

Filo pastry sometimes comes in large packs and you often only need a few sheets, so buy it fresh, wrap it in cling film and freeze in about 10- or 20-sheet sections, then defrost as needed. Don’t always go for baby spinach, as it can be expensive. Trim the tougher stems from larger spinach leaves, and roughly chop before blanching.

PREP: 10-15 minutes

COOK: 25-30 minutes

DIFFICULTY: easy

Lamb Shanks*

These oven-cooked, slow-roasted lamb shanks are simple to make and result in a delicious, meltingly tender lamb. This recipe is WDF and easy to change. A recipe that appears as though you’ve spent hours slaving in the kitchen, or one for that special evening meal.

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp oil

4 lamb shanks, trimmed of excess fat

2 carrots, peeled and cut in half or thirds

1 onion, peeled, cut into thirds

5 whole peppercorns

2-3 garlic cloves, peeled, lightly crushed

bunch fresh thyme

small bunch fresh rosemary

1 bottle of red wine

6-10 tbsp redcurrant jelly, to taste

 METHOD

1. Heat the oil in a heatproof casserole dish over a high heat
2. Brown the lamb shanks all over, until evenly coloured
3. Add the carrot, onion, peppercorns, garlic and herbs
4. Pour over enough wine to cover the meat of the shanks – about a whole bottle – then set the casserole aside to cool. Preferably chill in the fridge overnight to help to tenderise the meat. If this is not possible, leave to tenderise as long as possible.
5. The next day or later on, preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas 3.
6. Place the casserole, covered with a lid, into the oven and cook for 2-2½ hours, or until the meat is tender. Slightly uncover the pot for the last hour so that the liquid will start to reduce. If the simmering becomes too lively during cooking, reduce the temperature slightly.
7. Remove the casserole from the oven. Remove the shanks from the cooking liquid and place in a roasting dish. Spoon over a couple of ladles of the cooking liquid to keep the shanks moist. Reserve the remaining cooking liquid. Roast the shanks in the oven for 45-60 minutes, or until the meat is falling off the bone.
8. Remove the vegetables from the cooking liquid with a slotted spoon or strain the liquid through a sieve.
9. Heat the cooking liquid until boiling, then boil until the volume has reduced by half. Stir in the redcurrant jelly until melted. Use enough that you like how it tastes!

Serve the lamb shanks and reserved vegetables (from the cooking liquid) with mashed potatoes, seasonal vegetables and the gravy.

PREPARATION: 10 minutes plus resting time, preferably overnight

COOKING: 2hr 45mins – 3hr 30mins

DIFFICULTY: easy

Chocolate Brownies*

Who doesn’t love a chocolate brownie? Soft and squidgy in the middle, slightly crisp on the top…mmm yummy. This recipe is actually WDF but can simply be made with the usual ingredients of self-raising wheat flour and magarine if you don’t have a food intolerance.

This recipe requires a tray-bake tin or roasting tin, 30 X 23 X 4 cm (12 X 9 X 1.25 in) to make 24. Slightly different size dimensions will be okay just keep a closer eye on the bake.

INGREDIENTS

275g (10oz) margarine – for WDF I use “dairy free pure sunflower spread”

375g (13oz) caster sugar

4 medium eggs (larger if WDF)

75g (3oz) cocoa powder

100g (4oz) self-raising flour – For WDF I use “Dove Farm Gluten Free” range

100g (4oz) plain chocolate chips/chopped walnuts – For WDF I use “Lindtt 70% cocoa”

METHOD

1. Grease and line a tin with baking parchment, pushing neatly into the corners
2. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees
3. Measure all ingredients into a large mixing bowl except chocolate chips/nuts 
4. Mix with hand-held electric mixer until evenly blended
5. Add chips/nuts and fold in, careful not to remove the air
6. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, spread the mixture gently to the corners and level with the back of the spoon/spatula
7. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the brownies have a crusty top and an inserted skewer comes out clean from the centre. Cover with foil for the final 10 minutes if the brownies are browning too much
8. Allow the brownies to cool in the tin completely before cutting into 24 squares
9. Store in an airtight tin

Don’t worry too much if the mixture curdles, it often does with wheat free/dairy free ingredients. I promise it will still taste just as delicious. Enjoy these with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for that added luxurious treat.

SERVES 25 brownies

PREP 10-15 minutes

COOKING 40-45 minutes

DIFFICULTY easy