Category: Tummy Happy Recipes

Huevos Rancheros – Mexican Breakfast Eggs

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Although I can’t drink, eat, cleanse or exfoliate in anything containing milk, thankfully for me (for the time being and hopefully forever, please God, *praying hands), I can still eat eggs in moderation. A fantastic feat for someone like me, who, until time began would literally crack an egg over anything needing sprucing up. Whether it’s egg and soldiers, scrambled egg on toast, egg on a curry (don’t knock it until you’ve tried it) or the humble boiled egg sliced over a summer salad, I’m a big fan of the yellow and white stuff. So much so, I have an actual egg supplier in the countryside who supplies the freshest, most yellow eggs you could ever lay eyes upon.

Weekends for me are all about the egg – have I said the word ‘egg’ enough yet? On the whole, I pretty much plan my Saturday and Sunday all around an epic breakfast, containing none over than the King of the breakfast materials – the egg. For some reason a few weeks ago, I woke up with the most agonising hunger pang I’d experienced in a good week (I’m always hungry if you hadn’t noticed already) and felt an overwhelming need to rustle up something a bit more special than my usual scrambled concoction. After roaming through my cupboards, I stumbled upon a nice tin of tomatoes, sugar and a delicious crusty cob from BFree. Suddenly my mind catapulted back to a recipe I used to throw together many moons ago called Huevos Rancheros, AKA, Mexican breakfast eggs. This dish is extremely easy to make and uses up the store cupboard essentials you usually have lying around – all you need on the side is a warm, crusty cob smothered in butter to mop up the sweet and spicy juices.

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs
  • 400ml tin chopped tomatoes
  • Tsp sugar
  • Tsp oregano
  • 1 red onion
  • 1 red pepper
  • 1 tsp Bull’s Eye New York Steakhouse Sauce (optional)
  • Salt & pepper
  • Knob of butter (I use Pure Free From sunflower spread)
  • Sprinkling chilli flakes
  • 1 garlic clove
  • Violife cheese

 

Method

  • Pre-heat the oven to 190C.
  • Chop the onion and garlic clove. Grate two slices of cheese in preparation.
  • Heat a knob of butter in a saucepan, add the red onion and red pepper and cook until soft.
  • Add the garlic and fry until golden. Pour in the tin of tomatoes and tsp of oregano and stir well.
  • Season with salt and pepper. Add a sprinkling of chilli flakes to taste and a tsp of sugar.
  • Add a drizzle of the steakhouse sauce and stir.
  • Leave to simmer for 5-8 minutes.
  • Transfer the sauce into an oven proof dish and make two hollows in the sauce.
  • Crack the two eggs into each hollow.
  • Sprinkle over the grated cheese and then bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the eggs are cooked.
  • Warm a baguette up in the oven (usually for around 5-7 minutes according to pack instructions) and smother with butter.
  • Serve straight out of the ovenproof dish or in a bowl.

Fish Friday: Mussels in a creamy paprika sauce with wine & shallots

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Easter 2019 marked the third year of mine and my Dad’s ‘mussels and vino’ cook-off. It all started one Good Friday, when of course the long-held tradition is to avoid meat in favour of fish. Sure, battered cod and chips was our common go-to dish for years, but with our new love of mussels and red wine, we decided to make this a yearly tradition.

I have to admit that I’d never ordered anything at a fish mongers until a couple of years ago. I somewhat anxiously headed to the stall at Morrisons unsure of what ‘weights’ I had to specify in order to get a bowl full of mussels that were enough for two people. I was pretty impressed when I came away with a net full at only £3 something.

Our first attempt at cooking a mussel dish went well. We’d copied a recipe that we’d had only a few months prior at a pub, containing bacon, onion and a white wine sauce. This year though, me and my Dad whipped up a bowl full of meaty mussels with a delicious creamy sauce, in what we described as a ‘best ever,’ AKA, in our family that means we’ve hit the next level in the cooking delicious meals category.

If I’m honest, I completely made this recipe up based on a photo I’d seen on Instagram of something similar, but boy was it good! Like me, you have to keep sampling the sauce and adding more ingredients to suit your own taste buds. Whatever you do, make sure you have a nice crusty cob to mop up the sauce and a large glass of vino to wash it down with. Bon Appétit!

 

Ingredients

  • 5 shallots
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • Alpro soya cream
  • Paprika
  • Hot chilli powder
  • White wine
  • Salt & pepper
  • Crusty baguette (I used the BFree Demi Baguette)
  • Dairy free butter

 

Method

  • Chop the shallots into quarters and peel the garlic cloves
  • Melt a good dollop of butter in the pan and add the shallots. Fry until soft and golden
  • Add a generous sprinkle of paprika and stir
  • Press the garlic cloves into the mix and stir
  • Add a good glug of white wine and stir
  • Add three quarters of the soya cream to the pan and mix in
  • Add more paprika until the sauce turns a golden colour
  • Add a touch of chilli powder if needed. Add more wine to taste

Sexy Sandwiches

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I don’t know about you, but I find the typical dry ham sandwich with soggy lettuce boring each day at work. In fact, if I had my way each workplace would be kitted out with a mini oven so that each day during my lunch break, I could go into the kitchen and cook up a feast – it would certainly make getting through a long afternoon that much easier. So, when the weekend finally creeps up on me I like to go to town with my sandwiches, and I’m talking about getting out the frying pan, throwing in some peppers and onions and giving it a good old mix up before dolloping on some old fashioned mayo and basil pesto to really get your taste buds tingling. I know that as a nation of sandwich lovers we can often get stuck in our ways when it comes to fillings, but allow me to let you in on my secret ingredients for a killer sandwich and you’ll never want to go back to your old, quick-fix ways again.

Beginning with sandwich filling number one!

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The main ingredient here is basil pesto and a nice crusty cob. Too much of it can ruin any dish, but a fine overlay of it on your meat can really get it fired up. Follow the steps below for a truly delicious combination of herbs, salad and sauces.

Ingredients

  • Meat of your choice (I used ham)
  • Dairy free cheese (I used VioLife Pizza Mozzarella)
  • Yellow pepper
  • 2 cherry tomatoes halved
  • Half red onion
  • Basil pesto (Sacla)
  • Chives
  • Oregano
  • Gluten free bread (I used Newburn Bakehouse Artisan loaf)
  • Lettuce
  • Mayonnaise
  • Olive oil

 

  1. Heat up some olive oil in a frying pan and thrown in half a red onion and pepper, turning until the pepper is soft and the onion is getting crispy
  2. Spread a generous tea spoon of basil pesto onto the base of your bread
  3. Add the ham and spoon on another generous helping of pesto, before layering on a teaspoon of mayonnaise
  4. Cover the base with cheese and a sprinkling of chives before putting under the grill and allowing to melt
  5. Once the cheese is done, spoon up the onion and pepper and layer on top
  6. Chop up the cherry tomatoes and place on top of the mix
  7. Finish off with a nice handful of fresh lettuce leaves

Now to wrap, grab and get stuck in with filling number two!

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Here, the quinoa and buckwheat rice really gives the sandwich a crunchy texture. Mixed in with classic, full fat Hellmans mayonnaise and roasted red peppers, you really can’t go wrong with this one. Make sure to fold the pitta in half so that all the ingredients mingle together and don’t worry about getting your hands messy in the process, it adds to the enjoyment.

Ingredients

  • Quinoa and buckwheat rice (I purchased from Waitrose)
  • Meat of your choice (I used gammon)
  • Mayonnaise
  • Red pepper
  • Half red onion
  • Lettuce
  • Gluten free pitta breads
  • Olive oil

1. Cook the rice according to packet instructionHeat up some olive oil and throw in the onion and pepper, cooking until soft

2. Warm the pitta bread up in the microwave for 20 seconds

3. Once the rice is cooked, put it in a bowl and add a tablespoon of mayonnaise before mixing well

4. Add your meat topping and then spoon on the onion and pepper

5. Add a handful of lettuce and then fold the pitta in half before tucking in

Chicken and Bacon Chilli

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This delicious recipe was one that I rustled up after a long day at work one night. It had been a dark, cold Autumn night and I wanted a relatively quick recipe, somewhere between a chilli and stew that would warm me up whilst snuggling up under a blanket.

Yet again I raided my fridge to find a few leftover rashers of bacon and a chicken fillet. Thankfully the other ingredients are staple cupboard items that I knew would partner really well together so I threw them in.

All in all, once I’d fried the ingredients up and left them in the saucepan to simmer, I was sat down to eat within 25 minutes of starting. The addition of rice really filled me up and possibly in the future I would consider using brown rice, as I often think it can add texture to a tomato based recipe.

However, the true beauty of this dish is that you can use up whatever is in your fridge and really enjoy it. I managed to get two very large meals out of this – perfect for freezing and eating on a night when you are in a rush or can’t be bothered to cook.

Ingredients

  • 1 onion
  • Dairy free butter
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 3 rashers bacon
  • Tin kidney beans
  • 400g plum tomatoes
  • Chicken fillets
  • ½ teaspoon Cadbury cocoa powder
  • Drizzle Worcester sauce
  • Splash BBQ sauce
  • 100ml chicken stock
  • Yellow pepper
  • Half mug of Basmati rice
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Coriander
  • Teaspoon mild chilli powder

 

– Heat a chunk of butter and leave to melt. Next fry the bacon until brown

-Add the chicken and cook until golden

– Cook the onion and peppers and stir until soft. Next add the garlic

-Stir in the cocoa powder, chilli powder, kidney beans and tomatoes

– Add the rice and then the stock and mix well

– Stir in the BBQ sauce and Worcester sauce and mix well

– Season well with salt and pepper

– Bring to the boil and then leave to cook on a low heat for 20 minutes

– Serve with coriander

How to host a gluten free Mediterranean night

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I love the Mediterranean! I love the countries, I love the climate, I love the people and most of all, I love the food. So it’s only natural that every so often in my family, we throw a Mediterranean night filled with sangria, wine, olives and tapas, i.e. my idea of heaven itself.

This year I was the host and sous chef, in fact I was the only chef on the night. I’d settled the famalam in with a river of wine and lager and had put on some cultured music courtesy of the Gypsy Kings and Latino Lounge – okay, not technically Mediterranean but it added to the atmosphere.

So, with a Spanish rendition of Hotel California and Bamboleo ringing out in the background, I got busy in the kitchen creating eleven dishes of absolute scrumptiousness. Here’s what I served up on the night.

Appetisers

Tortilla chips, cucumber and carrot sticks with tzatziki and houmous

Pimento stuffed olives

Tapas dishes

Chickpeas with feta, chilli and fresh mint

Griddled chicken salad in a chilli and garlic butter with quinoa, rocket, red onion and chives

Tray bake of butternut squash with courgettes, sweet potato and peppers

Baked aubergines in a honey and lime dressing

Pan fried Scallops and king prawns with chorizo, finished off with a sprinkle of coriander and parsley

Focaccia bread served alongside a selection of cooked hams, feta and grilled halloumi cheese

Mains

Lamb tagine with toasted pine nuts

Chicken, chilli and bacon pasta in a creamy sauce

Griddled steak with rocket and a balsamic vinegar dressing

Dessert

Tiramisu

Strawberries, apples, grapes and cranberry cheese with honey

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Okay, so here’s where I go all Miranda on you and admit that my tiramisu was purchased from Sainsbury’s. But, the thing to note is that everything else was fresh, home cooked and most importantly, gluten and wheat free.

Tip: If you don’t believe that a whole host of fussy eaters can enjoy a night of eating gluten free food, then think again. Nobody would have guessed that any of these dishes were lacking in what I like to call ‘evil ingredients.’

Some of the dishes that I whipped up, such as the gorgeous lamb tagine courtesy of my favourite free from chef Pippa Kendrick and my very own creamy chicken and chilli pasta, were tried and tested. However, some were sort of created on the spot after raiding my cupboards and seeing what I had in – after all, it’s not the most cost effective ‘come round for dinner guys’ kind of night. The baked aubergines in a honey and lime dressing was inspired by my trip to Barcelona earlier in the year, and it was a recipe which I had noted down at the time as it was extremely simple to make and bloody delicious. The fruit concoction I served up at the end of the meal was also extremely refreshing and light after so many dishes.

Anywho, over the next few weeks I want to share some of these beautiful recipes with you to demonstrate how gluten free cooking doesn’t have to be boring. In fact, my cousin remarked after eating everything that ‘you would never guess that it was all gluten free,’ and thankfully, everyone went back for seconds. Pheww!

Even though somehow I managed to get all of my dishes out at the exact time that I said I wanted everything ready, the important thing to remember if you are hosting a dinner party is that in the Mediterranean, you don’t need to be in a rush. My Rhodian friends like to use the phrase ‘slowly, slowly,’ which basically means ‘your dinner will be ready when we’ve finished cooking it and not before.’

On that note, Yammas, Cin Cin and Salud! May you always be in possession of a smooth red wine.

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Golden chicken salad with a garlic and chilli butter and quinoa

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This gorgeous salad is a firm favourite in my family after I recently made it for everyone at a Mediterranean night that I hosted. It’s bursting with flavours and takes no time at all to whip up, making it a perfect quick weekday meal or side dish. I’ve made it a couple of times now and have both pan fried the chicken and oven baked it; thankfully both methods of cooking leave the meat really tender and succulent, so it’s completely up to you as to how you want to do it.

The warm garlic and chilli dressing is a beautiful addition to the dish and allows for the ingredients to literally melt in your mouth. Throwing in some quinoa also gives the salad a nice texture and a bit of a crunch to really fill you up. I finished it off with a drizzle of honey, a handful of chives and a generous helping of fresh herbs. This is one of my personal favourites and one which I think everyone will enjoy.

The picture shows the chicken when I oven baked it for 30 minutes, although the recipe below will give you details of pan frying it for a quick alternative.

Ingredients

  • Half mug of quinoa
  • 1-2 chicken fillets
  • 1 red chilli
  • 1 crushed garlic clove
  • 1 ½ tbsp olive oil
  • ½ red onion
  • 1 red pepper
  • Handful rocket
  • Salad leaves
  • Tbsp dairy free butter
  • Oregano or mixed herbs
  • Juice of half lemon
  • Balsamic vinegar
  • Olive oil
  • Pimento stuffed olives
  • Handful fresh mint
  • 1 tbsp honey

 

  1. Cook the quinoa according to pack instructions, adding in a tsp cooking salt
  2. Put some butter in a mug and microwave it for 20 seconds until melted. Mix in the garlic and chilli
  3. Heat a tsp of olive oil in a frying pan and dice the chicken before placing it in the pan. Season well with salt and pepper, pour over half of the butter mixture and cook until golden
  4. In a bowl, mix the salad leaves, rocket, olives, chives and lemon juice. Drizzle over some olive oil and balsamic vinegar
  5. Once the quinoa is cooked, allow it to cool and then throw it on with the salad
  6. Transfer the chicken to the bowl and toss well to ensure that all the ingredients have mixed. Pour over the remaining butter dressing and finish off by scattering a handful of chopped mint and drizzling over the honey

Salmon fillet with avocado, mangetout, baby corn and cashew nuts

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This beautiful salmon salad was another terrific concoction I worked up in 15 minutes when I was home late from work. Luckily, I’d done a big food shop prior to getting back and had a mixture of ingredients that I’d popped into my trolley with no real idea of what I’d do with it all. Thankfully, every single ingredient in this dish blended together really well and I enjoyed every bite, so much so, I had to share it.

There’s a nice mix of sweetness, crunch and creaminess in this bowl thanks to a generous helping of babycorn, pepper, cashew nuts and avocado. Finished off with a hint of balsamic and runny honey, this is a really satisfying, protein packed dinner that you’ll want to make again and again.

Ingredients

  • Salmon fillet
  • 1 ripe avocado
  • 1 red pepper
  • Mange tout
  • Baby corn
  • Lettuce
  • Spinach
  • Lemon juice
  • Handful cashew nuts
  • Dried parsley
  • 1tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1tbsp olive oil
  • 1tbsp honey
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  1. Pre heat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius. Slice the skin off the salmon fillet and season with salt, pepper, lemon juice and parsley. Place in the oven on a baking tray for 10-15 minutes depending on how rare you like the fish
  2. Heat some olive oil in a pan and fry the mangetout and baby corn for 5-6 minutes until soft
  3. On a plate, mix up the lettuce and spinach
  4. Chop up the pepper into slices and scoop out the avocado and place on top of the bed of salad
  5. In a mug, mix together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and honey
  6. Once the fish is cooked through, chop into squares and place on the bed of salad
  7. Scatter a handful of cashew nuts on the plate and drizzle over the dressing

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Sticky maple pork with apples and crispy onion rice

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This is one of my favourite meals and an absolute keeper because it only takes 20 minutes to whip up. In true Jamie Oliver style I had a little race around the kitchen, throwing and chopping with both speed and precision in order to get my dinner ready and in front of the TV in time for whatever programme was taking my fancy that night.

Let’s face it, sometimes quick meals that require no effort can be bland and boring, but I always find that with a dollop of maple syrup smothering a chop and roasted apples following closely behind in the procession, a dry piece of meat can be transformed into something succulent and down-right bloody delicious.

So, let’s have a look at what’s in this delicious dish and get cracking.

Ingredients

  • 2 pork chops
  • Red or yellow pepper
  • ½ chopped onion
  • ½ mug full of rice
  • Handful of fresh chives
  • 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
  • 1 apple cut into chunks
  • Dairy free butter or sunflower spread

 

  1. Warm the oven and align a baking tray with foil and olive oil
  2. Chop up the sweet potato, season the pork chop with salt and pepper and place in the oven for 30 minutes
  3. Meanwhile, boil the rice and cook according to packet instructions
  4. Slice the pepper and cut the apple into chunks. Add to the baking tray 15 minutes before the end of cooking
  5. Melt some butter in a small frying pan and add the chopped onion, cooking until crispy
  6. 5 minutes before the chops are ready to be served, smother the pork chops in maple syrup and place back in the oven
  7. Once the rice is cooked through, throw the onions in and mix well
  8. Serve up the rice and chops alongside the sweet potato, peppers and apples
  9. Sprinkle the chives on top and pour the juice from the tray over the plate

Meat Free Monday’s: Veggie Chilli

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I love chilli and it’s one of the easiest meals to whip up and pop in the oven for a good hour or two whilst settling in to a good book or TV programme during the cold winter nights.

Once or twice a week I have a meat free meal, usually of fish, to ensure I get a good boost of vitamins in my diet to keep me fit and healthy. I’d never tried a veggie chilli before, as to be honest, chilli without meat seemed ludicrous to me, but boy how wrong was I.

The best thing about this recipe is that I managed to get two large lunches out of it and it tasted even better after having a couple of days in the fridge where all of the flavours really had chance to mature. Mine had a real kick to it too which was great for warming me up after a cold drive home from work.

Served alongside quinoa, this was a really satisfying meal that left me full for ages after. It would make a great dip for nachos or on a baked spud for a simple and quick snack.

Ingredients

  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 1-2 garlic cloves
  • 1 ½ tsp chilli powder
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 red or green pepper
  • 400g chopped tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp tomato puree
  • 300ml vegetable stock
  • 50g frozen peas
  • 1 courgette chopped
  • 1 can kidney beans
  • 1 small tin of sweetcorn
  • Sweet potato cubed
  • 150g quinoa
  • Bunch fresh coriander

 

  1. Heat some olive oil in a pan and fry the onion and garlic for about 8 minutes until softened. Throw in the chilli powder and cumin seeds and mix well.
  2. Chop the sweet potato and cook in oven for 30-35 minutes until crispy and golden.
  3. Add the peppers and fry for 5 minutes. Next, add the tomato puree, peas, tin of tomatoes and stock. Leave to cook for 25 minutes on a low heat.
  4. In a saucepan, cook the quinoa in boiling water for around 10-15 minutes until soft.
  5. In the last 10 minutes of cooking, add the courgette and tin of sweetcorn and simmer.
  6. In the last 5 minutes, add the cooked sweet potato to the saucepan and mix well. Drain the quinoa and dish up alongside the chilli.
  7. Chop up a handful of coriander and sprinkle on top.

Gluten free Greek breakfast: Yoghurt with honey, fruit and granola

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If like me you’re fed up of the daily round of porridge for breakfast and are trying to get a good boost of vitamins after a 20 minute morning yoga workout, then this healthy brekkie is for you.

Breaking my fast with yoghurt and honey always takes my mind back to when I would spend my summers sitting on a balcony in sunny Greece, looking out over the Aegean or Mediterranean sea -depending on which island me and my family were visiting that year.

Greek yoghurt is famous worldwide and exceptionally easy to come upon in every British supermarket. It takes a little more effort however to source out a good honey to drizzle in your bowl. If you’re a honey lover like I am, you can tell the difference between some of the really cheap brands and others, so much so, that on their last holiday to Kefalonia, my parents risked life and limb to drive up into the Greek mountains to obtain the honey used in this recipe.

I have also found that the bargain price honey can give me bad stomach ache, and so I always ensure I’m buying a good, pure brand – easy to do if you live in the EU, but I know that some countries put additives into honey so check that it has a pure honey label on it and doesn’t state that it contains added food colourings.

The best way to get good honey is to visit your local farm shop and if you suffer from hayfever, a good trick is to dab some honey under your nose as it gets you used to the local pollen floating around in the air, although make sure it’s locally sourced honey as the branded stuff won’t work.

The great thing about this breakfast is that you can alter the fruit depending on the season. During the summer I opt for apple, banana and strawberries, whilst in the Autumn I like to mix it up with berries and apple which is a lovely touch for Bonfire season. If you’re dairy free like I am, then Alpro do a great range of large soya yoghurts in flavours including original, lemon and my personal favourite, coconut.

So without further ado, let’s whip up a delicious, body cleansing breakfast that will transport you to the sunny shores of the Mediterranean. (Little tip) Thyme honey is a personal favourite of both myself and my Rhodian friends and tastes heavenly when drizzled over vanilla ice cream. Kalimera!

Ingredients

  • Greek or soya yoghurt (I would opt for original or coconut)
  • 1 Apple
  • Handful of strawberries
  • Honey
  • Mixed nuts including chopped hazelnuts and walnuts
  • Granola chunks (I add in the chunky bits from Morrisons Free From Fruit Granola)
  1. Chop the apple into chunks and the strawberries into halves
  2. Throw into the bowl and dollop on a good helping of the yoghurt
  3. Sprinkle on the nuts and granola
  4. Drizzle with a generous amount of honey
  5. Enjoy alongside a traditional Greek coffee or smoothie

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