Quick and Easy Warm Rice and Quinoa Salad

When it comes to lunch time, I want something that is healthy, something that I can prepare quickly and easily. If it is not quick and easy I tend to go for a sandwich. I love salads but after a few they can get boring. So to make them a bit more exciting I have been trying some new ways to enjoy a salad. You can expect to see some new salad recipes over the next few months!

My first new salad recipe is a salad that is so full of flavours, health benefits and quick to prepare. To make it quick and easy to prepare I have used a pouch packet of Tilda brown basmati rice with quinoa, pumpkin and sunflower seeds. I am a huge fan of the easy rice pouches but love that this one has the added grains and seeds. When I saw it on a recent shopping trip I knew that it would make a delicious addition to a salad.

This is what I did...

Dairy Free, Free From Refined Sugar Easter Fruit Oaty Snack - An Alternative #FreeFromEaster with Aldi

Recently I have been experimenting more and more with free from baking so when Aldi challenged me to create an alternative Easter bake I jumped at the chance. At the end of the week the children break up for the Easter holidays and we all know how important it is to keep them busy. This weeks Aldi recipe is perfect to make with the children and I even had a little helper when I made these.

These lovely little fruit oaty snacks are a bit like a soft flapjack that can be cut into a range of shapes and decorated as you wish. They are dairy free and free from refined sugar. We added fruit and honey to give them a natural sweetness. Aldi have got lots of delicious Easter recipes, including some free from treats, in their Easter section. But for now let me and my little helper show and tell you what we did...

Gluten Free Banana Bread (Wheat-free, Rice-Free and Free From Refined Sugar)

Finally I have my baking mojo back and I have a very happy hubby! Since discovering The Free From Fairy Gluten-Free Wholegrain Flour my gluten free bakes have literally been transformed. Using this fantastic flour gives us bakes that do not have the powdery finish that I got using other gluten free flours.

Whenever I have any ripe bananas that are going brown I love to use them in bakes and as I had a bag of The Free From Fairy flour I knew it was the perfect time to have a go at making a gluten free banana bread. Believe me, we were not disappointed!

This is what I did...

Savoury Egg Muffins - Gluten Free and Dairy Free #FreeFromEaster

When it comes to Easter we immediately think of chocolate eggs. But, believe it or not, not everyone likes or can have chocolate. So if you are looking something that is definitely healthier that chocolate and a savoury option then look no further.

Eggs are such a fantastic source of protein, contain various vitamins and minerals and are such a versatile food. Eggs are an essential part of my kitchen and thanks to our chickens, something that we always have in. So when it came to thinking of a savoury recipe for Easter I kept coming back to eggs. Eggs are a traditional Easter item and the perfect ingredient to base a recipe on.

These savoury egg muffins make a fantastic addition to either your party buffet or to just keep in the fridge for when you or the kids are wanting a snack. They can be packed with fillings that please everyone and tailored to individual taste.

This is what I did...

Gluten Free and Refined Sugar Free Easter Cupcakes - #FreeFromEaster

Following on from the Free From Pancakes collaboration I am, again, joining forces with some amazing free from bloggers to bring you a free from Easter.

I have been told by the hubby that he misses my baking so I am going to be experimenting a lot more with gluten free bakes. I will admit I have found the thought of baking gluten free quite daunting. I can bake gluten free cakes but I am yet to perfect a loaf and still need to try making pastry. So over the coming months I am going to rediscover my baking passion. I find reading the other free from blogs so inspiring and they really do give me the confidence to try more. My aim is to show you that it is possible to create baked treats that are gluten free and will please the whole family, not just those that follow a gluten free diet.

For my first of two free from Easter bakes I have made some delicious chocolate cup cakes and next week I will be sharing a savoury recipe. So keep an eye out for that one!

Today's recipe is a simple sponge cupcake but is gluten free and free from refined sugar. This is what I did...

Quinoa Stir Fry Salad

Quinoa is one of those great ingredients that I just cannot get enough of. I love it! It is such a versatile ingredient. I can be used in sweet dishes as well as savoury and is so quick to prepare. I always have a good supply of quinoa in the house!

Not only is quinoa versatile and tasty it is also a super food. Quinoa is gluten free and a complete protein that contains all of the essential amino acids which helps your body to repair muscle, which is especially needed after exercising. Quinoa contains three times more iron than brown rice so it is an ideal addition to your diet if you suffer from anaemia. As well as amino acids and iron it is also a great source of folate, manganese, magnesium and zinc. When I cook quinoa I usually cook it in a bulk as once it is cooked it can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days!

My quinoa stir fry salad is a bit of a mixture of meals. It contains stir fried vegetables but it is like a salad. It can be eaten warm or cold the following day. It is such a versatile base to a meal. I have enjoyed it with smoked salmon and eggs, while the hubby had his the following day with mackerel in tomato sauce. The possibilities are endless!

This is what I did...

Introducing Gluten Free Flavours from Schwartz

Last night I was treated to a truly outstanding supper in central London. But this was no ordinary meal, it was a totally gluten free meal. The supper was held to introduce a brand new gluten free product that is now on the market. The herbs and spices experts, Schwartz, have released their very own range of cooking sauces that are gluten free.

We all live in a busy world and it is not always possible to cook a delicious meal from scratch. As much as we would like to, life has a habit of getting in the way. Whether it is because a child has an after school club or work has dragged on, there is many a night when we want nothing more than convenience. If either you or a family member follows a gluten free diet you will know how hard this can be. When cooking meals from scratch it is easy as you know exactly what you are putting into the meal. However when you are buying in a pre prepared packet mix or a ready meal it is essential that you check exactly what has gone into the meal. This can be such a time consuming and frustrating task. This is where the new packet mixes from Schwartz come in. Schwartz has recognised that there is a gap in the market for these type of sauces and that it is something that the consumers want. Approximately 45% of the food consumer market buy gluten free products, 30% of which is purely down to a lifestyle choice. More and more people are choosing to follow a gluten free diet and finally there are some convenient, family friendly, full of flavour options.

Schwartz have just released their brand new Gluten Free range which is made up of three pour over sauces and five complete recipe mixes. This range has been in development for two years and they have worked extremely closely with both nutritionists and Coeliac UK to obtain the certification of the Crossed Grain symbol. Having this symbol on the mixes ensures you that the product, the manufacturing processes and production sites have undertaken stringent tests to ensure that there is no chance of gluten contamination. When you see the symbol on a product you can be confident in what you are eating.

Gluten and Dairy Free Banana Pancakes (Low FODMAP and Low Syn)

If there is one foodie event that we all love it has to be pancake day. What is there not to love? It is the one day that you can have as many pancakes that you want without feeling guilty! But with me following the Slimming World eating plan and the hubby having so much success with the FODMAP eating plan we really do not want to undo the hard work. This got me thinking as to how I can adapt the classic pancake into one that is not just healthier but also one that is going to keep everybody's tummies happy.

When I saw that this week Aldi had included bananas in their fantastic Super6 offer I got stocked up. Everyone loves bananas here so I knew that if I used them as the base for this years pancakes they would go down well and priced at just 69p I can buy plenty as once you have tried these pancakes you will need to make more!

This is what I did...

Low Syn/Gluten Free Broccoli Pizza Base

I love pizza but on Slimming World it is a no go if you want to keep those syns down! As I am not one to be beaten I got researching and found a recipe for a cauliflower base on the Slimming World website. I had a go and it was nice, but there was something missing. I found it had to handle and when I tried to turn it over it did break. But this did not put me off, I planned to try again. However when I checked if cauliflower was high or low FODMAP I discovered that it was high. As the hubby is following a low FODMAP eating plan I had to think again. I started to think about what other vegetables could work and broccoli kept coming back to mind. It has a similar texture to cauliflower so thought I'd give it a go.

It was a huge success! Forget cauliflower pizza bases, broccoli is the one the choose if you want a vegetable pizza base. It was so much easier to handle and finished with an irresistible crispy edge, it was so good! I did make a cauliflower one too, for me, and did end up eating the broccoli one with the hubby. As it was such a hit here I thought that it would be a great recipe to share with you.

This is what I did...

Raspberry Cheesecake Pancakes with Genius Gluten Free

When the people at Genius Gluten Free asked me if I would like to try some of their products I could not wait. Regular readers will know that the hubby is gluten free and I also eat gluten free bread as a lifestyle choice.

When the hamper arrived I was excited to try the new products. In the past we have tried Genius gluten free bread but none of the products that came in the lovely hamper that they sent to me.

The hubby and J love crumpets and they went straight for them, whereas the pancakes, blueberry muffins and fruit loaf were off limits until I had decided which product I wanted to feature in a recipe. After a lot of thinking I decided to focus on the Genius light, fluffy and golden pancakes. When I tasted their pancakes I really did not notice any difference from regular, gluten pancakes and Genius pancakes. They were everything that you expect a pancake to be.

The Spicy Fruit Loaf followed suit. This is another favourite bake of mine. There is nothing more satisfying than sitting and enjoying a piece of freshly toasted fruit loaf smothered in butter. The loaf was packed with juicy raisins, sultanas and currants it has been finished off with cinnamon and, as with the pancakes, it was just as good as a regular loaf. Gone are the days that gluten free bakes are inferior to traditional bakes. They have come so far and are simply as good as regular flour products. As you can see from the picture below the muffin, which in my mind, had the toughest job. But this blueberry muffin was so moist, light and fluffy with the crispy top that you want from a muffin.

When I sat and looked that the wide range of products that Genius now have to offer I was astounding by the amount and variety of  products. Their array of products goes so much further than just bread. They also make pizza bases, croissants, bagels, sausage rolls, pies, pastry and quiche! After seeing what is now available has left me brimming with ideas for how to incorporate these much loved foods back into our diets! But first let me tell you all about what recipe I have created using the Genius pancakes.

This is what I did...

Gluten Free Spiced Chocolate Cake

This is a recipe that started off as a good old chocolate cake. As it is nearing the festive time of year I decided to add some mixed spice. I love to add mixed spice to bakes, it really can give any bake a festive touch. Plus I adore the combined spices!

This got me to thinking about how I could make this cake something a bit more special. This led me to look in Novembers Degustabox for more inspiration. In there I discovered both Jim Jams No Added Sugar and Gluten Free chocolate spread and Food Thoughts Organic Cocoa Powder. They would both be the perfect ingredients for this festive, gluten free chocolate cake.

This is what I did...

Great Bloggers Bake Off - Free From Week - Coconut Bounty Cake

When I saw that the week that I would be hosting the Great Bloggers Bake Off linky party was free from week to say I was excited (and pleased!) is an understatement!

I have recently been baking and eating more free from foods. This have been a journey of food discovery. Free from baking is completely different from traditional baking. All of the weights that you regularly follow go out of the window. It is like learning all over again. Different flours and ingredients act in different ways so some research needed to be done.

This week, in the tent, the bakers had the following challenges...

• The signature challenge saw the bakers create a variety of sugar-free cakes. They used honey, agave syrup and fruit, but there's more to replacing sugar than just adding sweetness.

• Paul's technical challenge was gluten-free pittas, which are made with a very sticky dough which really tested the bakers' skill.

• For their show-stopper, the bakers made dairy-free ice cream rolls. Mary and Paul were looking for silky-smooth ice cream, surrounded by jam and a light sponge. 

After seeing what the challenges were I decided to make a cake which is not just a sugar free sponge, but is also gluten and dairy free. The chocolate ganache does contain sugar in the dark chocolate but is also dairy free.

This is what I did...

Chippa Gluten Free Sauces

Up until recently I did not realise how many products contained gluten. For anyone that suffers with coeliac disease it must be a nightmare! Thankfully I do not have it and neither do any family members. But the hubby and I have reduced down our gluten intake as a lifestyle choice. Personally I feel better for reducing gluten, I have a lot less bloating and feel generally better without it.

One product that contains gluten, that I am sure the majority of household have, are condiments. We always have bottles of ketchup and brown sauce in our house. The amount of gluten free products that are available is growing, however I have never seen gluten free condiments.

Until now!

I was recently asked if I would like to try the UK's first gluten free condiments from Chippa. Naturally I said yes and I could not wait to try them.

I received three of the most popular condiments in the UK, tomato ketchup, mayonnaise and brown sauce. In our family the children love tomato ketchup, while the brown sauce is for the hubby while I use mayonnaise on my salads. Therefore I knew that we would be able to give these sauces a thorough tasting!

Coconut Boost Bites

I recently discovered how great it is to cook with raw coconut oil. Not only does it add some delicious flavours to any dish but it is also really good for you. It can help strengthen your immune system, helps with easy digestion and it helps to heal damaged tissues and infections to name but a few benefits.

I really wanted to experiment and use it in baking. That is how this recipe came along. I simply got some of my favourite ingredients and put them all together to create this delicious boost bite. This bake is full of goodness so you will not need to feel guilty eating it!

This is what I did...

Nectarine Coconut Cake

Since I have started baking with gluten free flours I have become more and more curious about experimenting with different flours. A few weeks ago I found some coconut flour. The hubby and I love coconut so I bought it to try. However as I am still experimenting with alternative flours I needed to do some research before I got started.

Coconut flour bakes require a lot more liquid than with regular flours so I used extra eggs. As I used so many eggs I did not need to add the xanthan gum as the eggs not only add liquid but they also bind the ingredients together.

This is what I came up with...

Nectarine Coconut Cake

Ingredients

100g coconut flour
50g ground almonds
150g spread, softened
150g caster sugar
1tsp baking powder
2 nectarines, sliced
1/2tsp vanilla paste
2tbsp clear honey
6 eggs

Method

Pre heat the oven to 180C fan/400F/gas mark 6

1 - Mix together the spread and caster sugar until light and creamy

2 - Add the coconut flour, ground almonds, baking powder, vanilla paste, the eggs and mix well until all of the ingredients are evenly combined

3 - Add the honey and gently mix in

4 - Line and grease a cake tin and spoon in the cake mixture, it will be thicker than a regular cake mixture

5 - Layer the nectarine slices over the top of the cake mixture and place in the centre of the pre heated oven and bake for 45 minutes

6 - Once the cake is thoroughly baked leave to cool in the tin

Once the cake has cooled remove from the tin, slice and serve.

The coconut flour not only gives the cake extra flavour but also changes the texture of the cake. This really is a deliciously moist cake and the nectarine add a lovely tang.

Enjoy x

I am sharing this recipe with the lovely Helen from Casa Costello - Bake of the Week