Category Archives: Recipes

Beef in paprika and tomato sauce

Posted on by
Reply

Another quick and easy staple dinner recipe. Change it up using different veggies.

I used:

  • half an onion (I have kids remember! Use more if you like)
  • 1 green paprika
  • beef, I used two nice steaks and cut them, but you can buy the ready made stroganoff pieces if you like. (NOT braising beef as it takes ages)
  • passata, I used about 250g

If you are serving this with rice then the sauce takes about the same time as a pot of basmati rice to cook, so get the rice going then make the sauce 🙂

Frying pan on hot, add olive oil (extra virgin obviously, never fry in any other olive oil) then pop the beef in (don’t wait to heat the olive oil as it ruins the oils flavour). Add salt & pepper. Once the beef has sealed (that means its gone a nice brown on all sides) add your onions and paprika and turn the heat down to medium. Once the onion has gone soft add your passata and a teeny bit of water, if you like you can add half a stock cube at this point, I usually do, but no need. If you do, make sure its organic and gluten free!

Simmer the sauce until the paprika is soft but not soggy, if you have that rice going then the sauce should be done around the time you drain the rice 🙂

The kids eat this with Rice, I eat mine with some cabbage, or on its own to make it LCHF.

Enjoy 🙂

Linda

Easy Peasy Orange chicken (that doesn’t taste of orange!)

Posted on by
1

Im bad at writing recipes, but good at cooking, so here we go, Im continuing with easy simple stuff that anyone can make 🙂 Real food baby, its the way to go. And real food doesn’t have to be hard at all!

Ideally to make a gourmet meal of chicken you should marinade, but hey, Im a busy mum of 2, running a gluten free house and I hardly have time to shower some days let alone think ahead to marinade stuff in advance! So, keeping it simple here. My kids love and adore this chicken, and so does anyone else that eats it, and its so super simple!

I used:

  • 4 good size chicken thighs (you can use drumsticks or whatever you like)
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • half an orange

Pop your Chicken in an oven pan, salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Then squeeze the juice of half an orange on top. Bung it in the oven 175º degrees for 45 minutes.

Thats it. Like really. I mean it 😉

This particular batch Im keeping in the fridge (juices from pan included) to make a quick dinner with after sons football game tomorrow. you could serve it as is with rice and veggies and a sauce or use it for salads or lunch boxes, anything goes.

Enjoy 🙂

Linda

Pssst, if you want to make sure you never miss an update, subscribe to the blog or give us a ‘like’ on Facebook 🙂 https://www.facebook.com/glutenfreeandme

Autumn soup

Posted on by
Reply

1622014_726987724021811_5018130055690459151_nThe leaves are turning orange here in Poland and its gorgeous. Everywhere you turn there are gorgeous fall veggies to be seen. My kids always eat well when I give them soup so what a great opportunity to make some!

Im not one for following a recipe, and when I cook I never measure or remember how I made something, if you are needing precise recipes then all I can do is apologise! Dollops and drops and a bit of is the way to go (unless you are baking). So here we go.

I used :

  • 2 large carrots
  • 1 small pumpkin
  • 1 white onion
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 1 gluten free organic stock cube
  • water
  • red lentils (you don’t need lentils, I like to add them for some extra dimension and nutrition)

Clean up your pumpkin discarding the inner bits and seeds and the peel (obviously). Peel the carrots and onions. Chop everything roughly (the pieces can be pretty big, it doesn’t matter). Make sure the onions kindof stay together or they will burn. Pop everything in a roasting tray and drizzle with a  generous amount of olive oil, add salt & pepper.

IMG_9567

Now, pop it all in the oven, 175º degrees for 45 minutes.

Once its ready take it out and discard any black onion bits. Add everything to a large pot. Add your water and stock cube, you want to just cover the veggies. You can always add more water later if you want. IMG_9577

Bring your soup to a boil. Once its boiling you can add your red lentils, I just use around a handful two. lower the temp and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Now its time for that trusty hand mixer to do its job again, get it in there and whizz until everything is nice and smooth with no bits. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. I leave my soup nice and thick and freeze in portion sizes, then I just add a bit more water when I reheat.

This soup is a fab way to use up leftover veggies from a roast dinner, just don’t add the potatoes 😉

-Linda

IMG_9580

 

 

Cauliflower Mash (LCHF staple)

Posted on by
Reply

My kids absolutely love cauliflower mash, at first I would have it as a main for me as Im on LCHF (Low carb high fat), and give the kids only a small bit as a veggie along with their starch (rice, potato etc), but then I realised how much they love it, so now we all eat it in a full portion. The kids even like to eat it on its own with cheese on top! RESULT for mummy!

So, although this is so simple and basic, I have had several people ask me how to make it, so here goes 🙂

You need, one cauliflower, butter, cream, salt and pepper (yeah, thats really it!)

Clean the cauliflower up and cut it in to 4 (or less) pieces. Boil in a large pot of water with some salt added. When the cauliflower is ready, drain it in a colander and pop the cauliflower back in the pot. Add a big dollop of butter, if you are an LCHF’er like me, then you know what big means, lol, if you are your average person, then just whatever is big to you, don’t be shy 😉 Add some salt & pepper.

Get your hand mixer/blender in the pot and work it baby!

When everything is mashed and smooth add a teeny dollop of cream, and whizz a bit more. I cant say how much cream as I don’t know how big your cauliflower is, but a few table spoons is more then enough, if you add to much you will have soup.

Thats it, khalas! You are done 🙂

(this dish reheats well, so make a big batch and keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 days)

-Linda

(I am on Facebook! Come join in!)

 

Tomato Sauce from scratch

Posted on by
Reply

When I say I make everything from scratch, I almost never lie. (<- note the almost ;))

I always preferred making food from scratch, even before the gluten issue. As time goes on I realise more and more how many people cant cook to save their lives. Many were brought up with processed foods themselves, so even a simple thing to them can seem totally overwhelming.

So, here it is, a simple (like totally simple, you can get your no cooking experience tween to do it simple) tomato sauce. My kids cant get enough of this one. You can use it as is, or use it as a base for whatever you need to make 🙂

You need;

  • Tomatoes, roughly diced, sliced, chopped or mashed in any way you so wish.
  • Onion, roughly chopped, sliced, diced or whatever you wish.
  • Spices
  • Olive Oil (extra virgin, always extra virgin)

So, today I used 4-5 large tomatoes, slightly overripe. Any tomatoes will do. Pop a deep saucepan on the stove on medium – high heat, add olive oil and onions. Once the onions have sizzled for a bit add your tomatoes and spices. I used a large basil leaf from my garden and salt and pepper in this batch. If you have homemade stock you can add some of that, or an organic gf stock cube, if you don’t have any, then go without. Add some water, just a little so that the tomatoes have something to boil in (about half a cup-ish). Lower heat and walk away.

Return at some point to stir and check, once your tomatoes are dissolved more or less you are ready. I use a rice colander and pour the whole thing through in to another pot, this gets rid of the onion bits and tomato skins. You will need to push with your spoon a bit to get all the good bits through. Whats left is a thick tomato sauce that tastes like heaven, if you want it a deeper red, add some tomato puree!

I never do this in advance, its so fast and fresh and easy I really don’t mind doing it when I need it.

Kids will have theirs over some gf pasta and veg and I will eat mine with broccoli later (yes, still on the low carb diet!)

Try it with some added cream as a soup, or with garlic and chilli!

Enjoy!

Linda

Lunch box staples

Posted on by
Reply

img19t

You all know I write most of the content for GlutenFree UAE right? I was looking at some of the stuff I have written for there and thinking some should be moved over, but not only is it time consuming, but it already exists 🙂

Having said all that, I know that GF lunches are always a hot topic when gf mums get together. Its not easy doing a gf lunch thats interesting and nourishing day in and day out. Some lucky mums, like those in Sweden get lunch provided for their kids in school (yes, even gluten free!), but even those kids sometimes require a packed lunch.

So, about a year ago I did a small series of my favourites over on GF UAE. Do go have a look, each one opens in a new window.

Enjoy! All of these contain egg obviously, I need to rework them and come up with new staples!

For more ideas for lunch boxes, don’t miss out on My top 10 tips for a gluten free lunchbox! 

-Linda

BYE BYE MUMMY TUMMY!!!

Posted on by
2

Image

I think I have finally done it! I got rid of the mummy tummy! Well, not completely, after all I have had two kids…

I don’t mind a bit of a tum, on myself or anyone else. After my son was born I lost 7kg the day he was born, in fact, when I delivered him I was my ideal non pregnant weight, so went back to my skeleton weight pretty much straight away (yup, I was faaaaar to thin, my whole life pretty much). Then when I was pregnant with A (Celiac kid) they medicated me for pregnancy sickness, I had dreadful hypermesis (the pregnancy sickness where you puke nonstop, like Kate had). The medication worked, but the medication combined with bed rest saw me put on a whooping 20kg. I basically put on the weight I should be carrying and also and extra 10kg. Breastfeeding heavily for ages took care of some, but then after A was diagnosed some more snook back on.

This is also the reason my GP thinks Im probably a closet Celiac, I never tested properly, my test was done when I was already gluten free and negative (obviously), the fact that my life long anaemia went after going gluten free together with feeling a ton better over all (and putting on weight) is a pretty good sign, but I never went back on gluten to check, it doesn’t matter, I will never eat it again anyway. 

Being a not hugely active family in Dubai (we stayed indoors a lot due to A’s illnesses and dust) the tummy kept growing. I was getting people asking me when the baby was due, congratulations left right and centre. I excused it all in a way, thought, heck, Ive had two kids, 2 major stomach surgeries etc, of course I will have a bit of a tummy…. Then I moved to Poland, and the 4 months pregnant looking tummy grew to 6 months pregnant looking tummy and seriously, enough is enough!

Ive been thinking about diets for a while. I already eat healthy, home made, FRESH food, mainly organic, hardly anything processed etc. I didn’t want to hard core diet, and no way can I fit in a huge amount of exercise in to my life right now either. So looking at existing diets that help people lose weight while still eating something that easily fits in to our life, It was between LCHF and PALEO in the end.

I chose LCHF and started on the 10th of June. Cutting sugar was a huge big deal for me, I was a 3 sugars in the coffee girl (and 2-3 coffees), and probably 2-3 cokes a day girl – silly I know as I know sugar is more fattening then fat, but hey ho. I am also a ‘full fat’ girl, never eaten a low fat thing in my life, why eat chemicals when you can eat the real thing?

Day three without sugar I could have murdered anyone in my path, I was so so miserable. Had a small portion of ice-cream with a ton of berries that evening, and I think also the evening after. Despite my ice cream I lost 2kg in the first 10 days!!!

A few days ago I joined an awesome LCHF group on Facebook, and they have all been awesome, I didn’t realise I wasn’t eating enough fat, all fixed now and cravings are getting better. I haven’t actually struggled at all, Im eating almost exactly like I did before (home cooked wholesome, GOOD food), just without carbs and sugar. Im not counting a thing, also stopped weighing myself after those first 2 kilos, because although my tummy is getting smaller by the day, the scale hasn’t really changed. Some would say Im actually not far from my ideal weight. I have no issue with it really, it was the tummy that needed to go!

Now I just need to convince the hubby, he is pregnant…. with TWINS!

More info about LCHF here

-Linda

PS ; Who knows if I will continue, I feel good, Im happy, I have allowed myself a few small things not supposedly ‘in the diet’, Ice cream, fruit and so on (so on being half a bag of the kids m&m’s one evening, but please don’t tell anyone), but I still feel LCHF was the thing that fitted in best to my life and was the most similar to my beliefs. I am not saying anyone should go on LCHF -obviously- everyone needs to find a life style and diet that suits them 🙂

Goji Berry and Blue Cheese Salad

Posted on by
1

Originally Posted on Gluten Free UAE in January 2012

Just my kind of meal, no cooking required!

You will need:
Baby Spinach
Blue Cheese (I used Cambozola, its rich and creamy and perfect for this salad, any blue cheese will do, just be careful as although most are gluten free some are not)
Tomatoes
Goji Berries

Rinse your spinach well and get rid of any big stems by pinching them off.
Roughly chop your tomatoes and cut the cheese in to cubes.
Line your plate with the spinach, top with the tomatoes and cheese and finally, throw on a handful of Goji berries.

I drizzle mine with some extra virgin olive oil, then add some salt & black pepper.

Thats it 🙂 Enjoy!

-Linda

Swedish Style Birthday Cake (Cream Cake)

Posted on by
Reply

Image

Originally Posted on Gluten Free UAE in January 2012

It was my sons birthday over Eid and I wanted to make him a traditional Swedish cake, this is what we always make for all our birthdays, but this was my first gluten free version. I cheated a little but it was very yummy so I thought I would share 🙂

You will need:
2 Mrs Crimbles Muffin & sponge mix (Lulu’s & Spinneys sell these)
Whipping cream
Strawberries or other fruit for decorating
Chocolate cream or strawberry jam
For chocolate cream, mix 3 table spoons coco powder with 3 table spoons sugar and stir with cream until its a buttery consistency (keep adding cream as needed), if you like it sweeter just add some extra sugar.

Follow the instructions on the Mrs Crimbles mix and add the mix to two breaded tins. (1 mix per tim)
I only have one round tin, so I did my cakes one at a time. Thats fine too 🙂 (For the breading I always use gluten free cornflakes that I wizz in my mini chopper for 30 seconds or so. Much cheaper then any shop bought bread mix and tastes nice too, make sure you use butter and not low fat oil, this is birthday cake after all)
Let your two cakes cool.
Assemble your cake just before serving, so if you have baked the cake parts the night before, just cover in plastic and leave them.
To assemble, pop one cake on a tray and put your chosen filling on, you can use gf custard, chocolate cream or any jam you like. Its usually strawberry jam, but my son wanted chocolate so thats what we did.  Once its somewhat even, add your second layer of cake on top.
Whip your cream with half a spoon of sugar or some vanilla essence if you like it better.
Cover the entire cake in whipped cream. You can make it all pretty if you know how, or you can just add it all in any way you like and smooth it with a spatula. Add your strawberries to decorate your cake. Serve!

You can offcourse use any other sponge mix or make your own, I liked the Mrs crimbles one, it was easy to make and tasted good. Apologies for the bad photo, it was taken in hindsight rather then to showcase the cake. Oops 😛

-Linda

Quinoa cooking for beginners.

Posted on by
1

Quinoa

I love quinoa, I use it alot in my kitchen, I add it to rice, I use it instead of rice, I eat it in salads and I fry it and add cheese to it…. Think of any usual kitchen task, and I do it, with quinoa. My kids arent as enthralled with quinoa as I am, but thats fine, more for me! I cook up a batch and keep it in the fridge, it keeps amazingly well. So, whenever I rant about quinoa I get the following, all the time; ‘I tried it and I didn’t like it, it was bitter’ , ‘I cant figure out how to cook it’ , ‘it doesn’t taste of anything’.
I should be able to fix most of those in the rest if this post.

1. Quinoa needs to be rinsed. Even if it says it doesnt, still rinse it. Quinoa that hasn’t been rinsed can taste bitter and strange. Always rinse. No need for a funky culinder/siv with extra small holes, just pop it in a bowl and add water and swish with your fingers, quinoa sinks so its easy to pour the water out once you are done.

2. Double the water. 1 cup quinoa, 2 cups water, etc. Add your rinsed quinoa to boiling water and stir once.

3. Add Flavour! Quinoa doesn’t taste of much, thats the beauty of it. I boil mine in a stock cube, but you can try different things, a spoon of tomato puree for colour, some juice, herbs or your favourite spices.

4. Once the quinoa is back to a boil, lower the heat, then let it do its thing. It can take anything from 10-20 minutes to cook it depending on brand. You can stir once or twice if you need to. Once it ‘looks right’ and tastes right, take it off the heat, cover with a lid and let it rest for a while (a few minutes is enough, but longer is better – in my opinion).

5. Fluff with a fork (this actually just means stirring) and serve.

For quinoa beginners, try stuffing some quinoa in a roast paprika or just adding a couple of spoon fulls to a salad. If you like, eat it on its own with baby spinach sautéed in butter and garlic (see image). YUM.

-Linda

Like this post? Also find and like us on Facebook! www.facebook.com/glutenfreeandme 🙂 Thanks!