Roasted tomato and eggplant pasta

Roasted tomato and eggplant pasta.

1 eggplant cubed
4 large tomatoes cut into eighths or a punnet of cherry tomatoes
2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed
Pasta (enough for two) (Gluten free if you like – 100g of dry pasta should be enough)
Olive oil

(Add 100 grams of grilled chicken breast to make it a little more figure friendly)

Preheat oven to 200c. Place tomatoes on one oven tray, eggplant on another and season (make sure the trays are oiled or lined with baking paper). Cook until everything is a bit shrivelled. In the meantime boil the water and cook the pasta, drain. In the saucepan fry the garlic in about a tablespoon or two of oil, then put the pasta back in the pot along with the tomatoes and eggplant, toss, and season.

Serve with parmesan if you like (but I don’t think it’s needed). You can also add sliced grilled prosciutto if you want some meat in there.

Red Lentil Soup

It’s winter time and what better on a cold cold night than a steaming bowl of soup!

RED LENTIL SOUP

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
Cracked black pepper
2 carrots, peeled and grated
1 cup red lentils
1 litre vegetable stock
2 red onions, finely sliced
1 bunch (90 grams) coriander

Method
Put 1 tablespoon olive oil in a saucepan and add diced onion, ginger and pepper. Cook over a medium heat until the onion is soft. Add the carrot, lentils and stock, and bring to the boil. Reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a frying pan over medium heat and add red onion. Wash coriander, and finely chop coriander, including roots, setting aside the top leafy bits for the garnish. Add the chopped coriander roots and stems to the red onion in fry pan and continue to cook, until the onion has caramelized.

To serve, ladle the soup into four soup bowls, garnish with a sprinkling of coriander leaves, then top with a spoonful of the caramelized onion. Yummy!

From Marie Claire – Kitchen

Fish cakes – Thai salmon

Fish cakes – Thai salmon

Suitable to freeze Store covered in fridge (under 5°C) Nutritional Analysis	Good source of: calcium Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes Makes: 40
Ingredients: 2 200g cans pink salmon, drained 2 eggs, beaten 2 teaspoons chillies, seeds removed, chopped (optional) 4 tablespoons coriander, chopped 4 tablespoons coconut, finely shredded 1 teaspoon five spice powder 2 kaffir lime leaf, sliced thinly (optional) 2 teaspoons fish sauce 4 spring onions, chopped 2 tablespoons canola oil, for frying

Method:
1. Remove any large bones from salmon.
2. Process all ingredients (apart from oil) in food processor until smooth.
3. Refrigerate the fish mixture for 15 minutes for easier handling.
4. Form the mixture into small cakes.
5. Heat oil in a non-stick frypan over a medium heat. Fry cakes approximately 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

Notes: Cakes can be dusted with cornflour before cooking. Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice.
If you are preparing food for people on a gluten-free diet, always check the ingredients on all food labels, especially any prepared items like sauces.

Lentil Burgers

I’m sure this could be made gluten free easily – I have made these before and they are very tasty.  

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1/2 cup (130g) low-fat plain yoghurt
• 1/4 cup (60ml) lemon juice
• 2 tbs tahini*
• 1 cup cold mashed potato
• 400g canned brown lentils, rinsed, drained
• 1 tbs mild Indian curry paste (Check for gluten free)
• 4 spring onions thinly sliced
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs (made from day old GF Bread – just whiz in the food processor)
• 1 tbs vegetable oil
• 4 wholemeal buns (Gluten Free) (Or serve them witha salad)
• 4 slices tomato
• Snow pea shoots, to garnish

Method

1. To make the dressing, place the yoghurt, lemon juice and tahini in a small bowl and stir to combine. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, then set aside.
2. Place the mashed potato, lentils, curry paste, spring onion, egg and breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Use your hands to bring the mixture together.
3. Divide the mixture into 4 patties, using additional breadcrumbs to help shape the patties.
4. Heat the oil in a large frypan over medium heat. Cook the patties for 2-3 minutes each side or until golden and warmed through.
5. Serve on wholemeal buns with tomato slices, snow pea shoots and yoghurt dressing.

Notes & tips

• * Tahini is from supermarkets and health food shops.

Source

delicious. – October 2004 , Page 148

Recipe by Chrissy Freer

Sizzling garlic beef with broccolini

Cooking Time

15 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 500g-piece topside beef, thinly sliced across the grain
• 1 tbs soy sauce (tamari)
• 3 tsp cornflour (Gluten free)
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp cracked black pepper
• 2 tbs peanut oil
• 1 brown onion, halved, cut into thin wedges
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh garlic chives
• 1 bunch broccolini, cut into 4cm lengths
• 160ml (2/3 cup) vegetable stock (Gluten free – check the label)
• 2 tbs kecap manis
• Steamed rice, to serve

Method

1. Combine the beef, soy sauce, cornflour, sesame oil and pepper in a large bowl.
2. Heat 3 tsp of the peanut oil in a wok over high heat until just smoking. Add half the beef mixture and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes or until brown. Transfer to a heatproof bowl. Repeat with 3 tsp of the remaining oil and the remaining beef mixture, reheating wok between batches.
3. Heat the remaining oil in the wok over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add the onion and stir-fry for 2 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic and half the chives and stir-fry for 1 minute or until aromatic. Add broccolini and stock and stir-fry for 3 minutes or until broccolini is bright green and tender crisp.
4. Return beef to the wok along with the kecap manis and remaining chives and stir-fry for 1 minute or until mixture boils and thickens. Serve with steamed rice.

Source

Australian Good Taste – March 2006 , Page 40

Recipe by Kerrie Sun

Individual Pavlovas

Individual Pavlovas  

from www.taste.com.au

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 3 egg whites, at room temperature
• Pinch salt
• 3/4 cup (175g) caster sugar
• 2 tsp cornflour (Gluten free)
• 1 tsp Queens natural vanilla essence
• 200g carton Fruche Light Vanilla
• 1/2 cup (130g) Greek-style yoghurt
• 1 small banana, peeled, thinly diagonally sliced
• 100g strawberries, washed, hulled, quartered
• 100g small Thompson seedless grapes
• 2 large passionfruit, pulp removed

Method

1. Preheat oven to 110°C. Use a 10cm cutter to draw 4 circles on a sheet of baking paper. Place the paper, ink-side down, on a baking tray.
2. Use an electric beater to beat the egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, whisking well between each addition, until thick and glossy and all the sugar has dissolved. Carefully fold in the cornflour and vanilla essence.
3. Spoon the meringue evenly among the 4 circles. Spread the meringue out over each circle. Cook for 1 hour or until the meringues are crisp. Turn the oven off and use a wooden spoon to keep the door ajar. Set aside in the oven for 2-3 hours or until cooled completely.
4. To serve, combine the fruche and yoghurt. Spread over the tops of the meringues. Top with the banana, strawberries, grapes and passionfruit. Serve immediately.

Eton Mess

One of my faveourites – from www.taste.com.au

Makes 4

Ingredients

• 225g fresh or frozen raspberries
• 1/4 cup caster sugar
• 450g strawberries, hulled, quartered
• 150ml thick cream
• 150ml thick Greek yoghurt
• 4 (10g each) meringue nests, crumbled

Method

1. Place raspberries and sugar in a saucepan over very low heat for 5 minutes until the juices start to flow, then leave to cool.
2. Transfer to a food processor and puree until smooth. Pass through a sieve, discarding the solids. Place strawberries in a bowl with the puree, cream, yoghurt and the meringue.
3. Fold everything together until just combined, then spoon into four glasses and serve immediately.

Recipie by Valli Little

Gluten Free Pastry

Gluten Free Pastry

From The Cook and the Chef – Maggie Beer

Ingredients

90g unsalted butter
1 cup water
2 teaspoon salt
150g gluten free flour (Maggie used a mix which blended potato flour, rice flour, and maize flour) (ready made mix from health food shops or supermarket)
2g xanthan gum
2 to 3 medium eggs

Method

Preheat oven to 210C

In a heavy based saucepan combine the water, salt and butter.

Bring to a simmer and add the flour and Xanthan gum. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon. Lower temperature and continue to cook until pastry comes away from the sides and is well combined. Remove from heat and let cook to room temperature

Whisk the eggs to combine and add slowly, incorporating fully before adding the next bit. You may not need all the egg mixture.

Turn out onto a surface on which you have placed a ½ cup gluten free flour and knead until shiny. Try to incorporate as little flour as possible so the pastry does not go crumbly.

Chill pastry then using a rolling pin roll the pastry between two pieces of baking paper greased on both sides. Roll to 1/2cm thick and place in pie tins.

Add filling and cook in oven for 20 minutes.

Properties: browns beautifully, has a nice crispness and holds in moisture. Has a nice potato undertone which is very pleasant. Has a great shelf life, up to 5 days in fridge without going mouldy.

You could add 2 teaspoons of powder sugar and make a sweet pastry for fruit pies.

Rich Chocolate Mousse

220g cooking Chocolate

4 eggs separated

250ml cream, lightly whipped lus extra to serve.

2 Tablespoons strong coffee

fresh rasberries to serve

Melt chocolate, stir well until smooth. Lightly beat egg yolks and stir into chocolate mix. Add coffee. Fold in the cream.Beat egg whites until soft peaks form and fold this through the mix. Serve with extra cream and rasberries.

Best Ever Rocky Road

Best Ever Rocky Road 

200g Slivered Almonds

1 Cup dessicated coconut

5 fry’s turkish delight bars, chopped roughly

250g Marshmallow’s, chopped in half. (Check packet for gf)

Line a deep baking Dish with baking paper.

Combine all ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Melt 500g Milk chocolate and when melted mix this through the dry ingredients. Pour into baking dish. Set in fridge overnight and chop into rough pieces.