Tag: easy gluten free meals

Scallop, chorizo and prawn salad with wilted spinach

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Scallops are very much a new addition to my diet due to the fact that year’s ago, they were expensive and actually not that easy to get your hands on if you lived slap bang in the middle of the Midlands. In fact, the first time that I taste tested the squishy little delicacies was on a holiday to Wales a few years ago and I can still remember the trouble we had trying to release, prepare and cook the live shellfish.

Thanks to their wide spread popularity, scallops can now be found at most supermarkets up and down the country, washed and sealed for the convenience of lazy people like myself who are put off by the thought of trying to manhandle a shellfish.

I made this easy peasy dish at my recent Mediterranean night and it was well loved by everyone sat around the table. So without further ado, let’s get cooking.

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Ingredients

  • Prepared pack of scallops
  • Half ring of chorizo
  • Large handful of spinach
  • Parsley
  • Baby or king prawns
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Lettuce
  1. Heat some olive oil in a frying pan and tip in the chorizo, turning until golden and crisp. Transfer to a plate, making sure to leave plenty of juice in the pan
  2. Next, toss in the scallops and prawns and fry for 3 minutes on each side on a moderate heat
  3. Place a handful of spinach into the pan and leave to wilt
  4. Prepare a plate with lettuce and tomatoes
  5. Add the chorizo back into the pan and mix well with the shellfish
  6. Throw in some parsley and serve on the bed of salad

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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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.

Butternut squash and parsnip cottage pie

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If you have ever had to go on an elimination diet in order to establish what foods you are reacting to, then you will know how hard it is. The prospect of having to cut out such staple ingredients as onion, garlic and potatoes takes a lot of getting used to, not to mention the difficulty of totally avoiding tea and coffee – I did warn my dietician I may actually murder someone if I couldn’t at least have my morning mug of tea.

Thankfully for me root vegetables were still allowed on the diet, which meant that my much loved sweet potato chips were still a hot favourite on my dinner plate most nights alongside honey roasted parsnips and carrots for a little sweet delight. Of course, not being able to eat carbohydrates such as potatoes, bread and pasta meant that I needed to find other ways to get my sources of energy and I can’t deny I ate a lot of roast dinners (made with gravy browning instead of gluten free stock cubes) in order to keep myself fuller for longer and generally satisfied.

Gluten Free Cottage Pie

I started the elimination diet at the beginning of Autumn and so the weather was starting to get colder and in turn, I was getting hungrier as everyone does in cool temperatures. One of my fave after work winter meals has always been Cottage Pie, an English dish traditionally made with beef mince, carrots, potato and of course, onion and maybe the odd stock cube for extra flavour.

Making a dish that usually consists of about 60% potato when you can’t eat them may seem like a bit of a crazy idea, but with the help of root vegetables I decided to have a crack at it and see what became of this unusual dish.

Swapping the potato for a butternut squash and parsnip mash, as well as incorporating chives instead of onion, I have to admit I really enjoyed this dinner after a cold day and I even managed to get four large portions out of it to freeze for days when I didn’t have time to cook.

Ingredients

  • 3 large parsnips
  • Butternut squash
  • A good handful of fresh chives
  • 2 carrots
  • Fresh thyme leaves
  • Beef mince
  • Cannellini beans
  • 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp tomato puree
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Olive oil or sunflower oil
  • Knob of butter
  • Splash of soya or rice milk for mash

 

1. Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius

2. Chop the butternut squash and parsnips into sizeable chunks about 2cm thick and place in a pan of salted water, bring to the boil and cook for 20 minutes.

3. For the filling, heat the oil in the pan and add the chives, carrot, thyme and fry for around five minutes until softened.

4. Add the mince to the pan and fry until golden brown.

5. Add the drained cannellini beans, chopped tomatoes and tomato puree and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for around 5-10 minutes until thickened.

6. Season to taste with salt, pepper and sugar to sweeten the tomatoes. Add the butter and milk to the butternut squash and parsnips and mash together.

7. Spoon the mixture into a large ovenproof dish and spread the mash over the meat filling.

8. Transfer to the oven and cook for 20 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and the filling is cooked through.

9. Enjoy alongside a serving of mixed vegetables.

Sweet potato tuna jackets with cherry toms and chilli dip

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When I get home from a long day at work and have just an hour to spare before needing to head back out to tennis practice, I need something super quick and easy to make for tea, but which will also give me the energy I need to run around a court after missing the majority of the balls heading my way. Tuna sweet potato jackets with a zesty lemon salad and spicy soya dip fit the bill perfectly!

I admit, I stole this recipe off what I think is one of the best websites for easy recipes – BBC Good Food. As you may know, my love for the humble and somewhat underrated sweet potato never falters, and as I suffer with eating the skin on a regular jacket potato (I’ll pay money for any reasons you can give me as to why I have this problem) I often incorporate this vegetable in my weekly meals.

I have to say, as I can’t eat normal dairy yoghurt I was a little unsure about combining the soya alternative in this dish, as I know it has a somewhat different, less zingy taste to Greek or natural yoghurt, but once mixed in with the sweet and savoury tastes on the plate, I can’t say I really noticed any difference and I thought the flavours worked perfectly.

Of course, the original recipe didn’t suggest roasting any peppers, cherry tommies or red onion but I am a massive fan of roasting anything that can be roasted as I really think it brings out extra flavours, and also, as I stuck my jacket in the oven for ten minutes to go slightly crispy, the accompanying veg was ready to come out at the same time.

Great for a quick lunch at work, a speedy home time meal or when you’re belly’s telling you it wants feeding, this is your classic snackathon supper! Oh and yes that meal was for two people, not just me *cough cough*

Ingredients

  •  Sweet potato
  • Can of tuna
  • Red onion
  • Red pepper
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • 1 red chilli
  • Lettuce
  • Cucumber
  • Olive oil
  • Balsamic vinegar
  • Coriander
  • Soya yoghurt (or regular if not dairy free)
  • Oregano
  • Basil
  1. Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees Celsius
  2. Stick the sweet potato in the microwave on full power for around 10 minutes
  3. Chop up the red pepper, red onion, chilli and wash your cherry toms
  4. Place the sweet potato and a baking tray full of the veg in the oven for 10-15 minutes
  5. Whack a bit of salad on a plate, throw in some cucumber, drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with basil and oregano
  6. Once crisp, cut the sweet potato in half, let the tuna meet the veg and dollop on a generous helping of the yoghurt
  7. Introduce some coriander, drizzle in some lemon or lime juice and Bob’s your uncle

Greek inspired lamb breast in a red wine sauce with rosemary and garlic potatoes

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Without question, the Greeks know how to cook a good lamb dish. For my cousins wedding on the island of Rhodes in 2013, my good friend Nikos’ mamma cooked us up what must have been the best part of a whole lamb to celebrate the occasion. It had been slow cooked (even by Greek estimations it was slooow) for three whole days before being carefully transported to Flyers beach bar for all the guests to devour. Wow, the meat simply slid off the bone and without a doubt, I think I would rate it as the best food I have ever tasted in my whole entire life – and for a food lover such as myself that is quite a statement.

The thing that was so amazing about mamma’s dish, is that there were so few ingredients incorporated. Of course, I cannot tell you the recipe as I know full well that they don’t go outside of the family and I would have to be killed if I ever got hold of it. However, I do know that slow cooking makes even the cheapest cuts of meat taste divine, and that I would put my bets on the fact that mamma may have sneaked a little dribble of the old red wine in the casserole dish – which it has to mentioned was also cooked in the stone oven in the oldest house in the whole of Lindos.

This dish was made in my, shall we say, fairly newer electric oven, and slow cooked for nearly three and a half hours on a very low heat to soak up all of the juices and flavours of the Mediterranean. I served the meat alongside roasted garlic and rosemary potatoes, drizzled in the delicious Greek olive oil that I only ever get out for special dishes, as well as minted rice as I found this to be a very popular side dish in many tavernas.

Best part of all is, the olive oil and oregano had travelled all the way from Siana in the Rhodian mountains where Nikos’ Uncle George lives. George of course speaks not a word of English, but can remember my name as being Sophia and is generally in hysterics at everything going on as we try to communicate. If you ever visit Siana, George will no doubt be sat outside the little café playing backgammon and sipping on the lethal souma – whatever you do don’t tackle the mountainous roads back home after being persuaded to down a few with the Greeks. Yammas!

Ingredients

  • Lamb breast
  • 1 red pepper
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp garlic granules
  • 1 gluten free chicken stock cube
  • 300 ml red wine
  • Salt and pepper
  • New potatoes
  • 1 clove garlic
  • Rosemary
  • Fresh mint chopped
  • Rice (optional) sprinkled with mint and drizzled with olive oil from potato tray.
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius.
  2. Heat some sunflower oil in a large frying pan and brown the lamb joint. Transfer to a casserole dish.
  3. Chop the red pepper and onion into chunks and transfer to a mixing bowl. Sprinkle over the dried oregano, garlic granules and the crumbled stock cube.
  4. Pour over the red wine, chopped tomatoes and season with salt and pepper before pouring over the lamb breast
  5. Cut the lemons in half and add them to the lamb and cook in the oven for around 3 and half hours until tender.
  6. Cut the new potatoes in half and bring to the boil for a couple of minutes.
  7. Drain the water and add the grated garlic clove, sprinkle with rosemary and drizzle with olive oil before giving them a good shake.
  8. Transfer the potatoes to the oven to cook for around half an hour until golden and crispy.
  9. If making rice, add some chopped, fresh mint at the end and drizzle the olive oil from the potato tray over the top to produce a succulent and refreshing side dish.

Chicken and bacon pasta in a creamy chilli sauce

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This is one of the quickest, easiest and most delicious dishes I have ever made. I have to admit it was actually my Mom who first whacked these ingredients together after searching through the fridge for some inspiration on what to cook that night for tea, and boy am I glad she told me about it.

This really is one of those dishes where you can pull out whatever is left over in the fridge, throw it into a frying pan and have a tasty dinner just 15 minutes later. It’s a great weeknight meal due to the fact it takes virtually no preparation and it can be adjusted to accommodate individual taste buds or dietary requirements. It’s even been served in my household when we’ve had guests come round unexpectedly with hungry tummies and they’ve all really loved it.

Mushrooms could be incorporated into the dish and if not making a dairy free version, then a sprinkling of parmesan wouldn’t go amiss. Serve alongside a crust of homemade garlic bread if you’re really hungry and you’ve got a delicious din dins for a busy school night.

Serves 2

Ingredients

  • 2 pieces of chicken breasts/thighs
  • Half fresh red chilli/ chilli powder to taste
  • 2 red, yellow or orange peppers
  • 2 rashers of bacon
  • Half tub of single soya cream (or normal if not dairy free)
  • Red onion chopped into small pieces
  • Basil
  • Gluten free pasta shells or macaroni
  • Salt and pepper
  1. Heat some olive oil in a frying pan, add the bacon and cook until starting to go crispy
  2. Add the chopped onion and allow to fry for 5 minutes until softened
  3. Add the chicken and cook until golden
  4. Meanwhile cook the pasta according to pack instructions
  5. Add the chilli and pepper
  6. Add the soya cream and stir into the meat mixture
  7. Season with salt and pepper
  8. Drain the pasta and blend in with the sauce alongside a scattering of fresh or dried basil