Spaghetti Bolognese

I love low prep cooking if you hadn't guessed, which is partly why I make this dish most weeks.

Ingredients:
1 3/4 jars of Passata
2 Carrots
1 Capsicum
2-4 frozen serves of baby spinach
3 tablespoons of Mixed Italian herbs
15 Sun dried tomatoes
3 tablespoons of Olives
2/3 of a bunch of Spring onions (green tops only for low FODMAP)
Optional: 3 - 6 stalks of parsley

750g beef/lamb mince
Garlic infused olive oil
(If FODMAPs aren't an issue substitute for 2 cloves of garlic and blend in with the spring onion. Fry the mince in normal olive oil.)
Cheese

Spaghetti Squash/Pasta/Konjac

Method:

Blend spring onion and parsley (+/- garlic) for 20 seconds, speed 8, sharp blade.

Peel, wash and roughly chop the carrot.

Wash and cut out the head/stem of the capsicum.

Blend the carrot and capsicum speed 8, 15 seconds, sharp blade.

Add baby spinach, sundried tomato, olives and Italian herbs.

Cook on speed 2, reverse/ blunt blade/sharp blade (if you're like me and cannot be stuffed changing blades), for 20 minutes temp 90°.

Fry mince with olive oil and set aside.

Mix it into your sauce by hand

If you are making pasta I set it up and the put it on in the last ten minutes, so it doesn't stick or go gluggy.

Spaghetti Squash Method:
If you are using spaghetti squash keep in mind that cooking times can vary greatly. Depending on the size of it, cooking times have been from 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours.

Cut spaghetti squash in half, with the cut side facing down on the oven tray. Put into an oven set to 180°. Set a timer and check it in an hour. If it is soft on the outside when you press down with little resistance, it is cooked. If not, give it another 15-20 minutes before checking again. If it needs longer still put it back in until you hit the total time of 1 hour, 30 minutes.

Once it is cooked shred it with a fork so you get lovely strings.

If you go with the Konjac just follow the instructions on the packet and serve immediately.

Serve the spaghetti squash hot, and your sauce and of course cheese!

Enjoy!

Mint Jelly

I don't know about you, but I can never find gluten free mint sauce or mint jelly for Christmas. In the last few years I've made my own, which has been quite successful.

Ingredients:

375ml white wine vinegar
One gelatin sachet
125 ml boiling water
3/4 cup fresh mint about 3-4 sprigs from the garden
2 tsp caster sugar*

1 large sterile jar (big enough to hold 2.5 cups)

*If you are diabetic you can leave the sugar out.

Method

Assemble your items. Once you pour the boiling water you will need to move quickly.
Chop your mint finely. Once you are happy with the size I put the kettle on to boil with the minimum amount of water allowed, as you will be only using 1/2 a cup.
Have your gelatin sachet and caster sugar ready to go straight in!!!
Pour your boiling water into the heat proof mixing bowl and add the gelatin, stirring with a whisk until it is dissolved.
Add the caster sugar and mix in well.
Once that is dissolved add the finely chopped mint and and white wine vinegar.
Mix thoroughly and then pour into your glass jar.
Seal it and leave it to set in the fridge for at least 24 hours.

I hope you enjoy that. I find it very quick and easy to make. :)

Sweet Chili Chicken Nuggets

This chicken nuggets need a bit of refinement but if you're game to try now feel free to go ahead, and I'll modify this recipe down the track.

Ingredients

1/4 cup plain GF flour (you can use whole grain if you have it to make these lower GI)
1/2 cup rice crumbs
Pinch of salt
Sprinkle of parsley
*Sprinkle of garlic - Adding garlic here is not Low FODMAP.  If you need low FODMAP eliminate this step and use garlic infused olive oil.
1 teaspoon of paprika
1 sprinkle of black pepper
1-2 teaspoons of chili (mine wasn't very strong so you could add more or leave it with less for a non-spicy chicken nugget.
500 grams diced chicken breast (thawed)


1/2 cup Rice Malt  Syrup

Oil for frying - if you want low FODMAP use garlic infused olive oil.  Otherwise any other cooking oil will work.

Method

Mix all the flour and herbs together in a bowl until all your spices are well mixed in.

Melt your rice malt syrup either in the microwave (faster, but needed to be watched carefully and it started to harden like candy) or in a bain-marie (which will probably work better for this purpose).
As soon as your rice malt syrup is melted roll the chicken nuggets in it and transfer to the flour mix.
Coat in the flour and spice mix then transfer to the frying pan.

Cook immediately on high for about 6 minutes, then turn and cook for about another 4 minutes

As always with chicken check to make sure it is cooked before you eat it so you don't get food poisoning!  I usually break open one large piece to check the pink is gone, when I'm thinking they should be ready soon, as you don't want to over cook them either.

Serve with tomato sauce. - make sure it's a low FODMAP option for those who need it.  :)

Schnitzels

I used to love eating schnitzels, but after going gluten free I found that it was nearly impossible to find gluten free schnitzels.

A few weeks ago I decided to remedy this by going online and finding something I could modify.  And this recipe is the result.


1 cup quinoa flakes
lemon rind of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons of chives (fresh or dried) - if it's fresh dice them finely
2 tablespoons of basil (fresh or dried)
2 tablespoons of psyllium husk for psyllium husk "egg"*
4 tablespoons of boiling water
1/2 cup gf flour
1/2 cup rice crumbs

2-4 cuts of defrosted meat

• for chicken get butterflied chicken breast
• for beef get veal cutlets or a thin cut low fat and gristle meat

Garlic infused olive oil for frying.

Method

Boil the kettle
If you are using fresh basil and/or chives chop these finely.
Grate your lemon rind
Thoroughly mix flours in with the spices and lemon rind.
Place meat on a plate/3rd bowl out of the way, but close at hand.
Prepare your frying pan with oil.
In a second bowl add your psyllium husk, and add 4 tablespoons of boiling water mixing constantly with a fork.

As soon as you get a sticky gel consistency add the meat slices and coat with the psyllium mixture.
Immediately transfer to the bowl of spices and flour and coat.
Quickly transfer to frying pan for cooking.

Repeat the coating process for each slice of meat.

The psyllium may become extremely gelled, and if so, add a dash of hot water to it an mix again, then repeat the process.

Fry for approximately 7 minutes on a medium-high setting before turning to the other side for approx 5 minutes to finish it.

Enjoy!

PS for a gluten free gravy use massels lucky 7s or Sue Shepherd's chicken stock with gf cornflour.  (I'll try to provide a recipe for that soon.)

Honey Mustard Chicken

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
1 Tablespoon Mustard Powder
2 Tablespoons White Vinegar
2.5 Tablespoons of Honey
1/2 Teaspoon of Rosemary
2 Chicken Breast Fillets (fresh not frozen)

Instructions:

Place everything except the chicken in a small bowl and give it a good stir until it is well mixed.

Pour over chicken fillets in an oven proof dish.

Cover with alfoil and cook in the oven for 40 minutes.

After 40 minutes take the alfoil off and cook for another 15-20 minutes until well cooked.

Serve hot with steamed vegetables.

Soy Yoghurt

Several people have asked about my Soy Yoghurt.

I do have a few aids for this:

1. An easy yo maker (I highly recommend you invest in one of these if you will be making yoghurt regularly, as it's not that expensive and makes it really easy.)
2. Bellini (BIKM) - but anything else that mixes and heats would do the trick.

Following is my foolproof recipe.

Ingredients:
1 litre Bonsoy or Pureharvest Soy Milk.  (Both are non GMO - Pureharvest is organic) *1

30 grams rice malt syrup (normal sugar or honey would also work, but honey will alter the flavour.) *2

Tiny flick/shake of Greenliving Australia Dairy free culture *3

Method:

Using a Bellini, Thermomix, Kogen, etc al.

Fill jug with water, cook at steaming heat/veroma on speed 2-3 for 20 minutes or until it has reached the max temperature for at least 5 minutes to ensure it kills all other bacteria.

Once that is done, empty water into the easy yo container to also kill the bugs in it. *4

I do this utensil less, but any utensils you use need to be heated to kill bacteria too.

Place the jug on kitchen scales and measure in rice malt syrup

Add soy milk.  Mix on speed 3 for 7 minutes at heat of 37 degrees C.  Do not heat hotter than this or it will kill the culture.

Pour hot water from the tap into the base of the easy yo maker as per instructions.  (I don't use boiling water because I don't want to kill my culture.)  Set this aside somewhere it won't get bumped or disturbed.  Empty out the water from the easy yo container.

When your milk and sugar mix is heated perfectly add your culture.  I do 2-3 small taps on the side of it to shake a few grains in.  If you want it thicker, definitely go for 3-4 taps.

Mix on speed 4 for 4 seconds.

Pour into easy yo container.  There will be a little more than you have space for due to the froth.  You may as well put it in a glass and drink it.  It's basically probiotic milk.  ;)  Put the lid on, the easy yo container, pop in the easy yo maker, put that lid on, and leave it to set for 8-24 hours.

It needs to be undisturbed for this time, once it has been disturbed, take it out the hot water bath in the easy yo maker and put in the fridge.

The longer you leave it the thicker it gets, and as this soy yoghurt is sans thickener, leaving it longer is better.

* Kitchen tips:

1. You may use either.  I find bonsoy tastes better and is thicker, but it costs about x2 the price, and Pureharvest is Australian and organic.  I personally use Pureharvest in yoghurt for cooking, but prefer bonsoy with my breakfast.
2. The culture needs simple sugars to feed off of, so don't use agave or skip this step.
3.By the way, I don't get anything for giving a promo to green living Australia (or anyone else), I just know they worked for me and I was pretty happy with them.
4. Ensure that you thoroughly wash and rinse out your easy yo containers prior to using as any contamination or detergent could wreak the yoghurt.

Slow Cooked Beef Stew

Ingredients:
Approximately 1 kg (plus or minus 250grams) of beef - with bones is fine.
4 teaspoons of beef style stock (ensure this meets your dietary requirements - I use massells)
1 Large brown onion
A mix of chopped vegetables (I use carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, beans, baby spinach, pumpkin, zucchini, egg plant, leek, etc. You could use sweet potato and corn also but they are very high in carbs so I avoid them.)
Water to cover.
Optional- gravy mix (I use organ)
Garlic minced- dry

Method:
Put the beef and onion in the slow cooker and cover with water (ensure there is plenty of water in the cooker) and cook on high for 8+ hours. (Longer is fine providing you have plenty of water.)

Add in vegetables except for fresh spinach. You may need to add (boiling) water again. Cook on high for 90 minutes.

For gravy, on the stove create a very thick gravy, and remove from the heat as soon as it starts bubbling. Skip this step if you're not having gravy.

Add both gravy and baby spinach at the last 5 minutes and gently mix through.

Remove from the heat and serve immediately.

To make this a soup emit the gravy and up the water.

This serves quite a few... depending on if you're feeding teenage boys or not. ;)

Slow Cooked Apricot Chicken

Ingredients:
4 chicken breast fillets
1kg of apricot halves (canned or jar is fine)
3 teaspoons of chicken stock (ensure the stock is appropriate for any dietary requirements)
1 large brown onion, chopped
Water to cover.

Method:
Place chicken in the slow cooker.
Add onion and apricot on top.
Cover with water.
Add stock, sprinkling it around so that it is mixed through.
Cook on high for 5 hours.
Serve with steamed veggies.

Fruit Choc Mini Cakes

Fruit Choc Mini Cakes

Ingredients:
1 packet of bakers flour (I used Bob's red mill)
1/3 cup sultanas
1/3 cup raisins
150 grams chocolate chips
1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg

Make bread according to packet instructions, but add cinnamon and nutmeg with the flour. At the last minute when mixing add in the fruit and chocolate chips.

Place on a baking tray that has been lined with baking paper. 

Drop generous sized spoonfuls. I aimed for almost a bread roll size.  Let it rise as per instructions and cook.

However with the cooking time be aware, I halved it and that was about right.

Try not to burn your mouth...

Apple Crumble

Ingredients:
7 apples

2 Teaspoons of cinnamon
1 Teaspoon of nutmeg
1 cup GF flour (I use organ)
1/2 cup organic raw sugar
1/4 cup rice bread crumbs (check they are GF)
2/3 cup coconut oil
3/4 cup rolled quinoa
3/4 cup psyllium husk
2 teaspoons vanilla essence

Method:

Core and chop apples into small chunks. Boil on a low heat on the stove just covered in water for 10 minutes.

An apple corer that chops it too is an amazing tool for this job.

While that is cooking add all other ingredients to a bowl and mix well.  I mix by hand - its that easy.

When the apple is cooked take it off the stove and put it in the bottom of an oven dish.  Spread topping over the apple.

Put in preheated oven for 15-30 minutes at 180 C.  Let it cool before you eat it, as it will be very hot!!!!

Upside down Feijoa

Tonight I am at a friend's home and we made some cake for our many allergies.

Ingredients
150 grams of coconut oil
3/6 cup agave nectar/ rice malt syrup/ honey (as 1/3 cup and 1/6 cup)
25 large feijoas, sliced
1 egg or 1 organ egg replacer egg
Juice of 1 lemon or half an orange (lime may also work - but we didn't try it).
1/2 cup pure maple syrup (for IQS diet may try rice malt syrup)
1 1/2 cups gluten free self-raising flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup coconut milk

Method

Melt 100 grams of the coconut oil with 1/3 cup agave nectar on a low heat whisking constantly to make a toffee base.
Pour into a medium sized cake tin (we used a spring form)
Place sliced feijoa over the toffee covering the whole base of the cake tin.
Mix the rest of the oil and agave til fluffy
Add the egg replacer/egg, lemon juice (or other citrus) and maple syrup and mix again.
In a separate bowl mix the flour and spices.
Add 1/3 of the flour and spice mix and 1/2 of the coconut milk, mix in well.
Add the second 1/3 of flour and spice mix with the second 1/2 of milk and mix.
Finally add the last of the flour and mix.
Pour over the feijoas.
Put in the oven for approximately 30-40 minutes at 170 C.

Can be served with a yoghurt of choice.

Easy Dinner, Healthy Dinner?

Recently I took too much on.  By too much, I mean, I was drowning in it.  I had about one free day normally, and I took on enough extra stuff to cover a full week!  Might be slightly crazy.

I started getting worn out and exhausted.  I just couldn't cope.  Finally I spoke to someone who is like a father to me.  His first question for me was: what happened to your boundaries Felicity?  You can't let that happen.  People will violate your boundaries if you don't enforce them.  I sobbed something about it being so hard... and I was trying, but they weren't being respected, and I wasn't being respected either.

I was so discouraged I nearly quit a subject because I couldn't manage it all, and I was as miserable as a little kid with a cold.  The spark of life was missing.  In fact, it felt plain awful in every way.

It's funny.  It was a short conversation, because he didn't have long, but I felt a thousand times lighter afterward.  I spent a bit of time in worship, and let the tears and pain that had been held back for weeks go, and the tension and the stress left.

For the first day in several weeks I wasn't exhausted half way through the day.

I even got home and wanted to cook.  (The dishes took priority though.)

When I get around to cooking I think it will either be bread, brownies, or hot cross buns.  :)

Yesterday evening my easy, yum and healthy dinner was:

Easy Roast Chicken Dinner

1 chicken breast fillet

1 onion

4 chunks of butternut punkin (Washed, unpeeled)

2 carrots chopped in wedges

1/4 section of sweet potato (Peeled)

I poured a little olive oil over them and sprinkled with mixed herbs and garlic.

Covered with alfoil and put in the oven at 180C.

I then went for a walk, etc., and when I got it out the oven about 1.5 hours later it was cooked.  (I checked and turned it in-between, and I ended up cutting some of my chunks smaller.

Then I put some water on to boil with broccoli in it, and added some frozen peas and beans for about 5 -7 minutes.

It took almost nil effort and hardly any prep, but I then had a really nice dinner and leftovers for another 2 meals. 

As they say, winner, winner, chicken dinner.

Homemade Pizza

Tonight I was going to hang out with some friend and celebrate end of exams - or at least end of my exams, but we was all too tired.  So instead of eating out I decided I had better create my own delicious dinner.

I've been dying to try homemade pizza since I saw this recipe for the base on Jo Whitton's blog, Quirky Cooking.  It was amazing.  Just in case you were wondering.  ;)

Crust as per Jo's instructions.  Be careful though, I burnt my top base because it was too hot in the oven, and I sliced 10 minutes off the cooking time too!  I would stick with putting them on bottom shelves, and don't accidentally splash too much oil on them - I think that makes it worse.

Joy diced up 3 cloves of garlic for me (speed 9, 5 seconds), I then added 8 small tomatoes (speed 9, 10 seconds), and cooked on steam temperature for two minutes, I added 1/2 small brown onion.  This took about 4 minutes to get from watery, to tomato paste.

Spread 1/2 of tomato paste on base, add olives and 1/2 onion, cook for 5 minutes while you clean up the mess you just created... (oven temp 180C)

Pull it out and add other toppings (mushroom, parsley, mixed herbs, baby spinach, spring onion, and the rest of the tomato paste to hold it on.)

Cook for 10 more minutes... delicious!!!  Mmmmm, the whole house smelled wonderful.

Chicken Curry

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts
Dash of Macadamia Nut Oil
3 cloves of garlic
3 tins of coconut milk
3 carrots
1/2 bunch of kale
1 brown onion
1/2 bunch of spring onion
1 capsicum
2 small zuccini

1 broccoli head
1/2 cauliflower
Additional dried garlic, curry, tumeric - to taste

Method:

Chop and cook the chicken in a wok or huge frying pan.

After a few minutes add the onion and 1 tin of coconut milk.

Blitz the garlic and add.

Blitz the carrot, broccoli and cauliflower in a blender until they are fairly small chunks, but not tiny, add them, stir in a bit.

Blitz kale and add.

Add another tin of coconut milk.

Add other herbs and spices.

Blitz capsicum, and zuccini and add (if you wanted more veg then you could add eggplant and/or mushroom here - especially if you want a vegan version.)

Stir in final tin of coconut milk.

Cook for a few more minutes, and then it should be done.  (taste test - curry amounts vary on the strength of the curry and the stomach of the person eating it.)

This can easily be vegan, just skip the chicken, and it should still be just as delicious.

Shepherd's Pie

One of my favourite recipes is Shepherd's pie.  The normal version has potato and butter and milk and nasty things I can't eat, but this version is amazing and contains none of those things.  You can make this using leftovers or you can make it from scratch.

Ingredients:
500gm of mince - preferably lamb
1 onion (finely chopped if using stove, not if using a kitchen aid)
Half a cauliflower
Approx 2.5 kg of other veggies (carrots, peas, beans, cabbage - green or purple, zucchini, eggplant, spinach, broccoli,pumpkin etc.)
Organ veggie gravy
Gluten free beef stock (I use Massels)
Cheese, soy cheese or a nut based replacement cheese

Method:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees

Keeping cauliflower separate, cook vegetables on the stove by either boiling or steaming for approx 15-20 minutes until soft.

If you have a Bellini, Thermomix or Thermochef, etc. you can cook the mince and onion in that on speed 3, heat 90 - 100, with a good dash of water and oil each, for 20 minutes.  After about ten minutes add gravy and 2 teaspoons of stock.  You can add other flavourings if you like such as garlic, rosemary, or whatever herbs suit your fancy.  So easy as it cooks it for you and you don't have to worry about stirring.

On the stove method: cook mince in a pot on a lowish heat with a small dash of oil and/or water. Once it has browned a little, add the herbs, etc and onion.  When it is fully cooked add gravy stirring continuously until it has thickened, and then take off the heat.

Assemble veggies into your oven dish in layers.  I usually put chunky stuff at the bottom, but really veggies can go in any order or even mixed through except your cauliflower.

Add mince with gravy on top of veggies.

Mash the cauliflower well and add a dash of olive oil to it for texture.  You can add salt and pepper to it also or leave that out if you're keeping the salt low.

Add the cauliflower mash to the top and smooth over.

(If you want to freeze it unmade this is the best point to do so)

Put your cheese or fake cheese on, and zip in the oven.

If everything is already hot it will only take a few minutes, but if you have prepared ahead and then stored in the fridge or freezer then it will take 40 minutes in the oven from defrosted.  Just check it has heated all the way through.

Delish!

Roast Capsicum and Semi-dried Tomato Dip

This dip is another great starter, and fairly easy if you just buy the ingredients from a jar, however if you had leftover roast capsicum that would also work quite nicely in here.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup roast capsicum
1/3 cup semi-dried tomato

Method:
Blend well with a stick mixer or in a blender.

If you're unsure about it you can sample it at this point to check you are happy with the taste combination.

Serve with crackers or veggie sticks.

Semi-Dried Tomato and Olive Dip

This is another favourite.  I love this stuff, and once you make it, I'm sure you will also love it.  Even my friend who doesn't like olives thinks this is great!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup high quality pitted olives  (You can buy non pitted and pit yourself if you prefer.)
1/4 cup semi-dried tomatoes

Method:
Blend with stick mixer or in a blender.
Check it's not poisonous and tastes okay.  ;)
Make more, because you ate it lots before the guests came...

Avocado Dip

This is one of my favourite recipes and very quick and easy:

Ingredients:

One ripe large avocado
One fresh spring Onion
Freshly ground salt and pepper to taste.

Method:

Mash the avocado with a fork, or you can blend it with a stick mixer if you prefer.
Finely chop the spring onion, again this can be pulverised by a stick mixer.
Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with crackers, veggie stick or whatever you so desire.  The only issue with this is that is disappears so quickly...  ;)

Quinoa and Chia Seed Porridge

This is my standard breakfast, quinoa and chia seed porridge.  It's very yummy, warm, quick to make and just plain fabulous.

I have several variations, so if you're wanting to try it different ways, be brave - it's better with variations!

For one person:
In a bowl place:
1/4 cup rolled quinoa
1 Tablespoon chia seed
1 cup of milk of choice (I like almond milk and coconut milk) or 3/4 cup of water.
Good teaspoon of cinnamon
Fruit to sweeten (1 handful of sultanas, or 1 mashed banana or 1 mashed pear, or stewed apple, etc.) Alternatively you could use honey, agave, stevia or another sweetener.

I prepare that the night before, and leave it in the fridge to soak, as it tastes better this way.

The next morning I pull it out the fridge, and pour it into a small pot. Mix it around well so everything is evenly distributed, and if it's completely absorbed the liquid add a little more so it's slightly runny.

Put it on a very low heat, and check it regularly, but it will probably take around 7 minutes to heat up.  DO NOT raise the temperature to make it happen faster.  (I usually use this time to clean the kitchen or do some other job, as it will take a few minutes...)  Once it has heated it will start bubbling a little.  Stir it gently, to make sure it doesn't stick.  This may take another 2-3 minutes.  (You don't need to stir constantly, give it a stir, leave it for a sec, come back give it another stir...)  Once it's a nice porridge consistency, you're done!  Take it off the heat and pour into a bowl to eat.  Yummy, yummy.  Just beware - it's hot.

Variations:
Chuck in a handful of nuts at step 1- almonds or walnuts are nice.

1 Tablespoon of coconut at step 1

You could add 2 teaspoons of Cacao powder for a nice chocolate flavour instead of the cinnamon, but you would want to think carefully about what fruit you matched with it (banana might be nice) and it may need extra sweetener to take off the bitter edge.