Self Saucing Chocolate Pudding

Recently I realised that I have not eaten chocolate pudding since before I had to go gluten free.

I wanted to rectify that, but didn't want a pudding for 20 people!!!

So I found a mug cake recipe, and as I do, changed it a lot!

Ingredients

Pudding:

3 tablespoons of GF SR flour
1.5 tablespoons of sugar
2 tablespoons of milk of choice (e.g. dairy, rice,  soy, nut)
1/2 teaspoon cocao or cocoa

Sauce:
1 tablespoon Brown sugar
1 teaspoon Cocao/cocoa
1.5 tablespoons Boiling water

Method:

1. In a mug measure your dry pudding ingredients.
2. Mix well with a fork to ensure that there are no pockets missing something or clumps of flour or sugar.
3. In a second container (I use another mug) mix the dry ingredients for the sauce. Mix them together well with the fork being extra sure to get all the lumps out of the brown sugar.
4. Add the milk to the pudding and mix well.
5. Smooth over the top.
6. Gently sprinkle the dry sauce ingredients over the top.
7. Add hot water to cover the top. If you run out of water and still have some of the pudding uncovered add a little more.
7. Cook in the microwave for 1 minute.  (If you have added extra water you may need an extra 30 seconds.)
8. Wait for it to cool a little before eating it.

It tastes beautiful with cream. (Or coconut vanilla ice cream if you are dairy free.)

Strawberry Rhubarb Compote

Recently I fell in love with rhubarb again. It is a lovely low FODMAP fruit and it pairs beautifully with other low FODMAP fruits, not just apple - which leaves me with nasty IBS symptoms for days.

My favourite is strawberries because I can sometimes get away with no added sugars because they are so sweet.

Having said that, they usually do need sugar so I use rice malt syrup.

Ingredients:

1 kg of hulled strawberries
750 g - 1kg of rhubarb
1/2 cup rice malt syrup
1/4 cup water

Method:
Preheat oven to 180 C.
Wash fruit thoroughly.
Trim and dice rhubarb into stalks about 2 inches long and ensure that you remove all the leaves.
Cut strawberries into quaters.
Place fruit in a deep oven safe dish (I use Pyrex glass dishes) ensuring that you have at least an inch clear as the fruit tends to bubble over when it is hot.
Melt rice malt syrup in the microwave for 30 seconds.
Add rice malt syrup and water.
Cover the dish top in aluminium foil and put it in the oven.

Set a timer for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes is up check if the fruit is bubbling and falling apart a little. If it is take it out. Mix the fruit around so the top bits don't burn and then put it back in the oven WITHOUT the aluminium foil for another 30 minutes.

After the time is up remove it from the oven again and recheck. If the rhubarb is falling apart it is done. Turn the oven off and leave the fruit to cool for a while. Once it has cooled sufficiently you can try a little to ensure that it is sweet enough. If it isn't, add some more rice malt syrup.

Serve with custard and/or ice cream. Yum!

You can also turn it into a crumble or eat it with your soy yoghurt for breakfast.

Pineapple Strawberry Mint Sorbet

It's been a hot day, and I cooked up a fabulous pizza for tea, but that was hot too.

While I was outside picking some of my happy greens for my pizza I had this marvellous idea.  I could make strawberry mint sorbet.  I was trying to think of what other flavours I should include... I have lemons, that could give it a bit of zing.  But then I saw the pineapple - yes!  Perfect.  It was better than I imagined it would be.

Approx 400 grams of frozen strawberries.
1/3 a large pineapple, with the peel cut off
5-6 fresh mint leaves.

Blend for approx 2 minutes on speed 9.  Check for no lumps, but otherwise - that's it!

Try not to eat too quickly as it will give you a cold headache.  ;)  This makes 3-4 serves.  I think.  Depending on how hot it is, how hungry you are, and your ice cream eating habits.  I know males who could have easily eaten the whole lot themselves!

If you don't have a Bellini, Thermomix, Kogan, al, etc. a good blender should do the trick, but be careful that you don't kill it.