berry nice to meet you..

I’ve been having a love affair with berries for quite a while now. All types. Raspberries, blueberries, mulberries, black berries. None are safe when I am around. Especially when I am in the kitchen.

So when I saw a recipe for a sugar loaded orange berry cake, I thought I’d have a go at turning it GF, SF and LF. As I was changing quite a few elements, I decided to stick with the eggs, at least for this attempt. I didn’t want to change too much and have it emerge as yet another GF baking disaster.

ready to go into the oven..

The Goods:

2 cups of gluten-free self rasing flour

2 tablespoons of honey

2 eggs lightly beaten

3/4 cup of almond milk

2 orange rinds

1/4 of freshly squeezed orange juice

130g coconut oil

150g raspberries

80g of blueberries

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1 teaspoon of baking powder

Pre-heat the oven to 180c. Combine flour, baking powder and cinnamon in bowl, add the eggs, milk, rind and juice. Add the oil last and mix gently. Pour into baking dish. Use all the raspberries to top the cake, pressing them gently into mix and bake for 20 mins. Sprinkle the remaining blueberries on top and bake for a further 20 mins.

The final result? A dense, but tasty summery cake/pudding for afternoon tea or desert, best served warmed up on these chilly winter evenings. Drizzled with golden syrup or some greek yoghurt.

 

 

x

J

can’t you just take a pill for that?

Not a face I pull often. And when I do, it’s usually over bad service rather than bad food.

No one ever wants to be ‘THAT’ person at the table. You know the one. The one who has to order things differently. Can’t eat what everyone else is eating. Needs to be different. I never was that person, but now due to gluten intolerance I’ve been sandwhiched into that role.

Ask any gluten intolerant/coeliac person. The last thing they would want is to draw attention to their dietary requirements. We have far more important things to talk about. In fact, I’d rather not eat then make a fuss. Those who do, were often drama queens to begin with.

If anyone is fussy its my friends or family who have seen what I’m like after a gluten grenade meal. So called, because it’s often hidden and the side effects pretty much explode upon me later. Whether through bloating, stomach pain or discomfort, or through migraines. I always pay for it. Sometimes bent over a bucket for hours. Not fun for the party on either side of the fence.

So when I went to lunch today with the parents at a beach side cafe I was fully prepared to just have a coffee and some fruit. Or a salad without the dressing. Easy, no drama. But spying something I’d like I thought I’d ask if there was any chance it could be made GF or if they had any GF specific meals.

I didn’t stamp my foot or create a scene. Just a question. But clearly it was the wrong thing to do. The manager said I was the fourth person on a GF diet to ask that today and couldn’t I just have some chips or the soup. It only had a little bit of cornflour in it. Or couldn’t I just pick it off?

I had to explain to him that it wasn’t actually diet. I now have to eat this way or I get ill. It isn’t a choice. It’s my way of life. A bit like giving a diabetic some sherbert and saying you’ll be ok with just a little bit.

When your lymph glands swell up and you get physically ill at the hint of gluten in food, you are literally putting your wellness and health in the hands of the service staff who deliver food.

Sound dramatic? Well it kind of is. Why bother? Because I like to eat out with friends and like to think that there will be something I can eat. Even if it is a just coffee.

But even that isn’t always safe. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has sipped their coffee with suspicion and the dread of potentially  consuming hidden lactose or gluten spiked soy. I once returned a coffee because the protein in the soy had been burnt, making the coffee itself undrinkable. It happens to the best of us. I wasn’t rude. Just asked for a replacement. Unbeknownst to me until later, my replacement coffee was made on skim and whether it was deliberate or not, I paid for it.

I also know what its like on the other side of the fence. To be on the receiving end of odd and at times difficult requests from customers. But when you work in the service industry, its your job to make customers feel comfortable and to try to at least meet their needs as cheerfully and best you can.

Just because we ask about gluten-free products, it doesn’t mean we are attacking your business, nor do we expect for you to be a GF expert or provide a full menu catering to our every whim. All we’d like is to enjoy a meal/snack with friends and for some flexibility. And if you can be flexible, it is always always very much appreciated.

No one would choose to be gluten-free if they could help it, but just because we are doesn’t mean we don’t deserve good service, nor does it mean we don’t have money to spend that we will very quickly take elsewhere.

So to finally answer the cafe manager’s question today, no there isn’t a pill I can take so I won’t get sick from gluten, but then again, perhaps one for ignorance would be more beneficial.

So on that note, I thought I’d share the below graph I came across. Gave me a giggle and I’ll eat my hat if anyone has not had at least one or two of these kinds of responses

x

j

just like a chocolate milkshake only healthier and harder..

Golden roughs. Chocolate crackles. Snickers. All favourites of mine, prior to discovering I was GF.

I still get the occasional twinge for them, a craving every time I hear of a kid’s birthday party (chocolate crackles are always there if it’s a good birthday party) or if I catch a glimpse of the golden shimmer of the golden rough packaging.

Just enough to emit a sigh. Well, sighs will be no more since discovering this recipe courtesy of body change wellness blog.

I made a few changes, but omg these didn’t even last a day in our house. Just delicious!

The Goods:

• 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• 2 tablespoons of pure Cacao
• 1 tablespoon of vegan choc chips
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons of Honey or Maple (for vegans)
• 1 cup of chopped almonds/walnuts
• 1/3 cup of puffed rice
• 1/4 cup of flaxseed meal
• 1/4 almond meal
• 1 cup of sultanas
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper (or what I usually do is lightly grease a cookie sheet to drop cookies on). Chop the nuts- use a food processor it’s easier. In a cooking pan on medium heat melt chocolate, coconut oil and honey or maple. Remove from heat and add cinnamon, pecans, and coconut. Drop spoonfuls onto parchment paper and refrigerate until they harden or pop them in the freezer for a bit, like I did.

Simple awesome!

x

J

to egg or not to egg?……

Baking a cake. Use eggs. That’s how the mantra usually goes right?

Well not so anymore. That rule book has been thrown out and re-written. Welcome to the world of vegan cooking.

Free from animal products for ethical as well as nutritional reasons.

I’ve never felt bad, guilty or sad about eating a humble egg nor have I been able to submit to a completely vegetarian lifestyle. But there is just something about vegan cooking and food. It’s just so damn healthy.

I completely understand and respect the reasoning behind the choice to go vegan, but for me, choosing vegan options in my cooking just makes the best sense in the world. I am already making the food I bake lactose, gluten and sugar free, why not animal product free?

Not to mention for all the egg allergy sufferers out there. They deserve a bit of foodie fun don’t they?

With more than a few friends who are vegan and a couple with egg intolerance who have had to give up cake and all things tasty, I thought I would give egg free baking a try.

When contemplating egg free baking these are some of the options:

a) Cold Turkey – ie no eggs at all. Chia seeds also work well. Mix 1 tablespoon of chia seeds with eight parts water. Leave to set and until it forms a gel. Using no eggs generally mean it will take longer to cook, may be crumbly or not hold well together and can also lead to dryness. Just means upping other ingredients and adding binding agents such as honey or maple syrup for the vegans.

b) Tofu – silken tofu: It’s actually not a bad option for those who want to go egg free. From scrambled eggs to frittatas and cakes to frostings, tofu has its place in many dishes. Best option is to substitute 1/4 cup of whipped silken tofu for each egg. While baked goods won’t brown as deeply, but they will be very moist and heavy. Best suited for rich, dense and moist cakes, breads, cookies and brownies.

c) Flaxseed meal: Easy to make at home or buy ready-made from the store. Whisk/blend together 1 teaspoon of flax-seed powder with 1/4 cup of water for each egg to be replaced. It makes the baked goods heavier and dense. Flax seed has a nutty flavour and works best with recipes that are grainier and nuttier such as bread, pancakes, bran muffins and biscuits.

d) Pureed Fruit: You can use mashed bananas, unsweetened applesauce, pureed prunes, plumped raisins and softened as an egg substitute. Use a 1/4 cup for each egg. Increase leavening by 25-50%. Bake items slightly longer, if necessary. It’s good for brownies and cakes mainly.

e) Soy Yogurt or Vegan Buttermilk: This is useful as an egg substitute in cakes, muffins and cupcakes. Vegan buttermilk is prepared by mixing non-dairy milk and vinegar together. If there are no other ingredients to make the baked item rise, then one of these can be used in place of the egg. Replace the liquid in the recipe with same amount of buttermilk or thinned yogurt. Replace baking powder with 1/4 as much baking soda. Best suitable for biscuits, bars, flatbreads, cakes, quick breads and brownies.

c) Commercial Egg Replacer Powder (like EnerG): Egg replacer powders including Ener-G, Bob’s Red Mill, Organ and other brands works best in biscuits. You can whip it together in a food processor or blender. Add one and half teaspoons of powder with two tablespoons of water. It’s completely flavourless and won’t affect the taste of the baked goods but is mainly only good for biscuits.

My go to favourites are flaxseed meal, fruit and yoghurt.

I can’t stand the smell and consistency of egg replacer. My goal with baking is for it to be as least processed as possible and somehow an artificial egg replacer in its powder form just feels wrong.

If I’m not going to use something which comes out of a chook’s bum, then I’m sure as hell not going to use something that is a powdered fake form of it.

But as everyone asks, why bother? My not just use eggs? Well, the answer is simple really. I’ve now made more than 15 baked items without it and it actually tastes better. It feels lighter, the natural flavours are stronger and is just that much easier to digest.

Who would have thought 12 months ago I would be looking at recipes online and in books and wondering, just how it would work and taste without eggs, dairy or sugar?

It might take me a little bit longer to make, but the final taste test is always worth the effort.

x

J

A savoury and a sweet walked into a bar…

The biggest quandary known to snackers worldwide. The sweet vs savoury conundrum. I have always fallen into the sweet category myself, but I know quite a few folk who have a hankering for the savoury stuff.

So building on the raspberry wonderland muffin base I’ve created a few hybrids I just couldn’t help but share. All SF, GF, LF and vegan friendly 🙂

 

Kale & Carrot Savoury Muffin

The Goods:

3 Chopped leaves of Kale

1 finely chopped onion

1 Large field mushroom finely chopped

1 carrot finely grated or chopped in a processor

1 cup of plain GF flour

125ml Olive Oil

125ml Almond Milk

1 tablespoon of crushed turmeric (much better for flavour)

2 teaspoons of paprika powder

1 teaspoon of turmeric powder

2 teaspoons on baking powder

 

Mix the flour, paprika, turmeric powder and baking powder together until well combined. Then fold the kale, carrot, onion and mushroom into a separate bowl. Add the oil, milk and crushed turmeric. Mix well. Fold into the flour until well combined. Scoop into a muffin tray and bake for 10-15mins on 180 degrees. Top the muffins with some grated parmesan. Or for a vegan friendly option – vegan cheese. Rotate after 5 mins and check the cheese doesn’t go too brown. Serve warm.

and for the sweet fiends out there – 2 recipes to whet your appetite:

Choc Date Apple Muffins

The Goods:

1/4 cup of chopped dates/prunes

1 tin of Ardmona apples (no added sugar)

1/2 cup of sultanas

2 tablespoons of pure cacao

125ml almond milk

125ml olive oil

1 cup of plain GF flour

2 teaspoons of baking powder (gluten free)

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

2 tablespoons of Honey

1 tablespoon of Maple Syrup

 

Mix the flour, cinnamon, cacao and baking powder together. Add the apples, sultanas, olive oil and milk all in one separate bowl. Add the honey and maple syrup and combine. Fold into flour until all is combined. Pour into muffin tins and bake for 10-15 mins. If you want to make it double choc – use sugar-free dark goiji berry chocolate and put tiny pieces in the middle of the muffins to create a melt in your mouth chocolatey centre.

and for those who like a ginger/citrus punch:

Ginger Citrus muffins

The Goods:

1 cup of orange zest

1/4 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice

1/2 of freshly cut ginger

1 tablespoon of crushed ginger

2 tablespoons of all spice

1 tablespoon of nutmeg

1 cup of gluten free plain flour

125ml almond milk

125ml olive oil

1 & 1/2 cups of sultanas

1/4 cup of crushed walnuts

2 teaspoons of baking powder (gluten free)

2 tablespoons of honey

Combine spices, flour and baking powder in one bowl, add zest and mix through. Pour oil, milk, sultanas, honey, ginger and orange juice into a bowl and stir well. Fold into flour mix. Pour into muffin tins and bake for 10-15 mins.

There’s always a debate at morning tea as to which one is best with coffee, but so far the arguments peter out as soon as everyone takes a bite.

Enjoy

x

j

 

 

my kitchen might rule but the scales never lie…

This is one of the big fat reasons I don’t watch tv shows such as my kitchen rules, master chef and all the other varieties of celebrity chef cooking shows out there. The food might look good, but you could never eat it every night of the week like this girl did.

In fact, half the food which is made on the show is often so unhealthy that if you counted up the calories of just one of the dishes or the three courses, they would often amount to the total daily calorie intake for one person. In just one sitting. Not good.

For a country which is already struggling with obesity and ranked as the fifth fattest in the world shouldn’t we be tuned into shows that show us how to make food that improves our lives rather than shorten it?

The last thing I’d want to be is a killjoy when it comes to the enjoyment of food glorious food but it’s getting just a bit scary. Especially when you start seeing cups and cups of sugar going into a recipe which is watched by a nation of people on the verge of becoming diabetic.

Here’s a scary fact, Jamie Oliver’s Chocolate Fudge Cake with Cream (34.7g of saturated fat) contains more than a whole day’s allowance of saturated fats for men. If the double cream was swapped for single cream the butter for margarine or better yet coconut oil, the content would be slashed by more than 56% according to the UK’s fat panel .

Now I’m not one to poo on the celebrity chef parade, but surely these shows could come up with some healthier versions especially as most of these celeb chefs also suffer health conditions themselves. Jamie Oliver  has been criticised for being the owner of a bit of a beer keg and most recently Paula Deen who is a diabetes sufferer came under fire for peddling diabetes drugs while also promoting recipes such as ‘fried butter balls. A walking contradiction if ever I saw one.

 

With more than $900 million spent on treatment for Australian with diabetes and four percent of the population suffering from it, imagine the benefit of a sugar-free version of the Masterchef or My Kitchen Rules show, or perhaps a gluten-free or allergy friendly version?

Am I the only one who would embrace a version that would actually educate sufferers and their families and help to improve their well-being through food rather than teaching a nation how best to make the ultimate naughty ganache or the perfect foie gras?

There are so many amazing blogs and insights into lifestyles such as vegan, vegetarian and raw food including how best to cook, prepare and enjoy food without the late night heart attack or indigestion. Does it always have to be the most mainstream, cholesterol, calorie laden and frankly boring version that we see broadcast night after night?

I for one won’t be sitting down for the next installment of food porn that comes to our television screens, nor will I rush out to buy the latest celeb chef recipe book unless it has something a bit more to offer to those of us who actually want to eat to live rather than live to eat.

Easy to get the wrong way round if you aren’t careful.

x

J

So my apples kissed a lime..

Anyone who knows me well knows I am a fan of lime, mint and well to be honest all of the ingredients that go into a classic mojioto. But when we were recently inundated with a surplus of limes, for the first time mojiotos were far from my thoughts.

Before I knew what I was doing, I created a new recipe – Apple Cinnamon Lime bread. So popular that I only managed one picture of it before it was demolished by the family yesterday.

The Goods:

1/4 cup of lime zest (equivalent of about three limes)

1/4 cup of lime juice (freshly squeezed post zesting)

2 cups of Plain Gluten Free flour

2 Teaspoons of Baking powder

2 Teaspoons of Bicarb soda

1 Teaspoon of Xantham gum

2 Teaspoons of Cinnamon

1/2 cup of Coconut Oil

2 Tablespoons of Honey

1 Tablespoon of Maple Syrup

1/3 cup of Sultanas

2/3 cup of Almond Milk

1 tin of Ardmona apples 400g (no added sugar)

1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract

 

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and xantham gum. In a separate bowl mix, oil, milk, honey, maple syrup, sultanas, apples and vanilla together. Fold into the flour mix and gently stir until all are combined.  Line a bread pan with baking paper and pour mix in. Baking for 35-40 mins. Rotate 180 degrees after 20 mins. Once cooked it will have risen and be bouncy to the touch. Leave in the tin for 20 mins. Then remove and serve 🙂

x

J

 

ginger + choc + banana = one hell of a tart

Since starting this blog I’ve become a bit of a bower bird when it comes to recipes. Collecting them wherever I can and hoarding them in my room.

Then I pull them all out when I think no one is looking and salivate over them. Pondering how to make them sugar free or more vegan or lactose friendly. Kind of  a bit like how I’m sure Scrooge McDuck used to feel about his big pile of green money.  Rolling around in it. Throwing pages of recipes in the air.

Only with so many SF, GF options out there I’ve started to get braver with trying other people’s recipes by adding my own mark with some minor tweaks.

This latest discovery is courtesy of  Madeline at Pureposana and her raw chocolate and raspberry tart which inspired me to create a ginger, choc banana tart, topped with raspberries. All GF, SF, Lactose Free, Dairy Free and Vegan Friendly 🙂

Tart Base

The goods:

150g almond meal or ground almonds

50g Flaxseed meal

50g dates

A handful of raw walnuts

3 heaped Tablespoons raw cacao

2 Tablespoons of coconut oil (melted) + a little for greasing

A pinch of fresh vanilla from the pod or a drop of extract

A Teaspoon of Maple Syrup

Blend the almonds, coconut, dates, vanilla and cocoa together, slowly add the coconut oil.

Grease (a 26 by 26 cm pie tin with a removable bottom) with coconut oil. Now I decided on ramekins, because it’s quite a dense tart/pie. Entirely up to you if you use ramekins or a pie tin. Either way, fold out the crust evenly, making sure it covers the rim then place it in the fridge to set while you make the cream.

Ginger Choc Banana cream

The Goods:

200g almonds

1/2 cup of melted coconut oil

1 tbsp ginger infused honey  (I get mine from markets with chunks of fresh ginger in it)

1 Teaspoon of crushed ginger

2 Tablespoon of raw cacao

1 Tablespoon of maple syrup

2 Small mashed lady finger bananas

1/4 cup of Almond or rice milk

A drop of Vanilla essence

A pinch of cinnamon  & Nutmeg

A dash of filtered water

Directions:

If you have time soak the cashews for 10-15 mins in filtered water. Then blend the cashews with honey, vanilla and  rest of ingredients except the cacao and oil.

Next add the cocoa and oil, blend until creamy. You may have to scrape down the sides of the blender but blend until you create a beautiful smooth texture.

Take the base out of the fridge and with a spatula layer the cream on top of the bases in the ramekins or the pie tin. Refrigerate for an hour at least to set, then serve if you can wait that long.

Toppings: raspberries and crushed pistachios (to give some vibrant colour contrast)

To put it simply. This was divine. I was inspired to use the milk to break up the richness while still keeping it lactose free and I love the combination of ginger, chocolate and thought banana would add an additional creaminess.

Just delish!

x

J

Almond Maple Tartlets

A desert or treat which is vegan friendly, sugar free, lactose free, gluten-free and actually tastes nice? Sounds like a pipe dream, but as I’m starting to discover as part of my baking odyessy this by no means has to be the case.

Thanks to the lovely Gabby @ Veggie Nook I’ve discovered yet another example of food that makes living a life sugar-free all the more sweeter. Introducing her almond maple tartlets which are pure edible heaven.

Just had to share the recipe for these treats that I’m ashamed to say were nearly eaten all in one sitting by my family.

The Goods:

Best enjoyed right out of the fridge!

Makes 9 bites.

Base

• 3/4 cup walnuts
• 1 tbsp maple syrup (pure maple syrup variety)
• pinch salt

Filling

• 1/2 cup raw almonds, soaked for 2 hours
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1/2 a frozen banana
• 2 tbsp melted coconut oil
• 1 tbsp Honey

Topping

• 1 tbsp finely chopped walnuts
• 1 tbsp finely chopped strawberries
• 1/2 tsp maple sugar (optional)

Process the walnuts, maple syrup and salt in a food processor until walnuts are chopped small and the mixture sticks together. Press into a mini muffin pan (or a larger one to make larger cups) that is lined with muffin cups or plastic wrap for easy removal. Place in the fridge while you make your filling.

Blend all filling ingredients except coconut oil until smooth. Then quickly add the coconut oil (you don’t want it to re-harden) and blend until incorporated). Spoon into the cups and place in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.

Press the strawberries and walnuts/almonds into the cups. You can either freeze for about 30 min or until firm and serve, or just refrigerate overnight. In the morning remove from the muffin tin and either eat them right then or continue to store in the fridge.

The best part? Sampling of course..

x

J

Entering the kitchen with abandon..

‘Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all’  – Julia Child

It’s safe to say I’ve been a busy girl. Just yesterday I baked a batch of peanut butter quinoa cookies, citrus ginger muffins, an orange chia cake and some raspberry/orange muffins.

All basically to test recipe modifications out and also to stock the kitchen with goodies for morning tea for the week.

But also because I couldn’t keep the smile off my face the entire time.

The best part always for me is two-fold. Seeing the final result come out of the oven and the faces of people when they eat it. I don’t actually eat a huge amount of what I bake. Just a sample here and there. It’s mainly to hear and see the delight of others.

So as I ponder the next experiment I thought I’d share some of my favourite cooking quotes. They really convey just how wonderful I feel baking in this gf, sf, lf world. The happiness that flows when there is nothing but ingredients spread across the bench, a spoon in my hand and the oven glowing in the background.

For the love of baking and food……

 

‘There is no love sincerer than the love of food’ – George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) Irish writer

‘Good painting is like good cooking; it can be tasted, but not explained’ – Maurice de Vlaminck

‘The best seasoning to food is the love you put in it.’ – Anonymous

‘The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you’ve got to have a what-the-hell attitude.’  ― Julia Child

‘Until I discovered cooking, I was never really interested in anything.’ ― Julia Child

‘…no one is born a great cook, one learns by doing.’ ―  Julia Child

and who better to sum it up then this fellow…

“C is for cookie, it’s good enough for me; oh cookie cookie cookie starts with C.” – Cookie Monster, Sesame Street

ah cookie monster a man after my own heart 🙂

x

J