Category Archives: low gluten

Nectarine and blackberry compote

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I was lucky enough to pick up some very ripe nectarines at the market and had some of the last of my foraged wild blackberries left so decided to make a quick compote.

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This is so easy – simply dice the nectarines (leaving the skins on) and add to a large pan. Add the blackberries. You can use whatever quantity you have – I used about 6 nectarines and 3 large handfuls of blackberries. If the fruit is very ripe you shouldn’t need anything more but if necessary add a tbsp or 2 of water. You can also add a small amount of unrefined sugar if you need – personally I don’t think it needs it.

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Simmer on a medium heat until the fruit is tender. Stir often. You may find that the fruit produces a lot of liquid. You can continue to simmer to boil some of this off but if it’s still very liquid then simply drain some off. Whatever you do don’t throw the excess juice away – you can drink it or pop it in a smoothie!

Once the fruit is tender remove from the heat and pour in to a sterilised jar. This will keep for a few weeks in the fridge.

Enjoy on some porridge, with soya yoghurt or just on its own!

Quinoa and chia porridge

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As the weather starts to turn and the mornings get darker I start to crave a warm, filling breakfast and this porridge definitely hits the spot. You can add whatever you like to it but I’ve made a few suggestions here – stewed pear, peach and almond porridge, caramelised banana and nectarine porridge, apple compote and blueberries, and nectarine and blackberry compote. You may notice a theme with my toppings!

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For the porridge you will need:

1/3 cup Quinoa flakes
2 tbsp Chia seeds
1/2 – 1 cup Almond (or other non-dairy milk)
I tbsp Cashew butter (or other nut butter)

Put the quinoa, chia and milk in a small saucepan on a medium heat. Start with half a cup of milk and add more as the milk is absorbed. If you like your porridge more liquid then add more milk. Keep stirring until the milk is absorbed and the porridge is tender. It will only take a few minutes. Stir the cashew butter in about half way through. Pop in a bowl and add your topping of choice.

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Stewed pear and peach with almonds:

Take one conference pear and slice into small pieces. I like the skin so I leave it on but peel if you prefer. Pop in a small pan with a couple of tablespoons of water and 1/4 tsp cinnamon. If you want it sweeter you can add a small amount of unrefined sugar or a tsp of agave or rice syrup. Simmer for a few minutes until the pear is soft but retains it’s shape. Add to the top of the porridge. Dice a ripe peach and add together with a handful of blueberries. Toast a handful of flaked almonds in a dry frying pan and sprinkle over the top!

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Caramelised banana and nectarine:

Slice a ripe banana into thin pieces and place in a frying pan with a tbsp of rice syrup, agave or maple syrup. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp cinnamon and heat on a medium – high heat until the bananas are soft and starting to go brown at the edges. Turn once during the cooking.

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Add to your porridge and then thinly slice a nectarine and add that too. Sprinkle with some fresh blueberries and toasted almond flakes.

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Apple compote and blueberries:

Make some simple apple compote – recipe here. And add to the porridge, with blueberries and toasted almonds.

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Nectarine and blackberry compote:

Use some homemade compote – recipe here. Add blueberries and almonds and serve with a dollop of soya yoghurt.

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Plum and Almond Cake – Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free

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English plums are in season right now so it’s an ideal time to use them for something yummy! This cake definitely qualifies! I was really unsure how this would turn out but it’s actually amazing! If you are a fan of almond macaroons or frangipanes you will absolutely love this. I had the pleasure of getting some English plums from Riverford Organic so I thought I’d better put them to good use!

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This went down really well with my husband and even George the cat was curious about it 😉 so it must be a winner!

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This is gluten and dairy free but does contain eggs. I’ve got an egg-free plum cake coming up soon so never fear!

If you are using the small English plums you will probably only need 6 – 8, if using larger ones you will need no more than 4 at the most.

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You will need:

125g unrefined Raw sugar or Coconut palm sugar

200g Ground almonds

2 Eggs

100 ml Almond oil (you can use mild Olive oil if you prefer

1/4 tsp Vanilla extract

1/8 tsp Almond extract (if you have it)

Plums 4 -8 depending on size

Ground cinnamon (for dusting)

Pre-heat the oven to 180 C and line and grease a 20cm cake tin – if you have a springform tin then use that as it makes it easier to get it out without it breaking. If not a loose bottom tin is the best option.

Add the oil and sugar to a bowl and use a hand mixer to beat together (you can do it by hand with a fork if not). Beat in the eggs one at a time. Then add in the extracts and mix well. Fold in the ground almonds with a metal spoon. Once mixed pour in to the tin.

Half (or quarter if they’re big) the plums, remove the stone, and place in to the batter. Push them down a little bit so they’re well bedded in there. Sprinkle the top with ground cinnamon.

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Pop in the oven for 25 – 30 minutes. It is worth starting to check it at about 20 minutes. Once a skewer comes out clean then it’s done.

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Let it cool for 10 minutes in the tin and then carefully remove it and allow it to cool on a wire rack. Slice and enjoy! 🙂

Blackberry and Apple Tray Bake!

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Now obviously with all those yummy blackberries I had to make something cake-based too… so I had a go at a blackberry and apple tray bake. It’s topped with meringue so isn’t egg-free, though it is dairy-free. For the cake itself you can either use eggs or an egg replacement (see below). This is super sweet and super moist and siuper yummy! It’s a perfect Autumn afternoon snack.

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You will need:

140g dairy-free Margarine

140g Coconut sugar

1 egg and 2 egg yolks beaten together (or 3 tbsp Chia seeds soakes in 9 Tbsps water)

1/2 tsp Vanilla extract

100g white Spelt flour and 1 tsp Baking powder (OR 100g self-raising gluten-free flour mix)

100g ground Almonds

1 tsp Baking powder

1/2 tsp ground Nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground Cinnamon

pinch of Himalayan rock salt

1 large Bramley Apple, sliced (approx 140g once peeled and cored)

125g Blackberries

For the Meringue topping:

25g Blackberries

100g unrefined Golden caster sugar

2 Egg whites

1 tsp Lemon juice

pinch of Himalayan rock salt

2 tbsp toasted Almond flakes

Pre-heat oven to 160 C or 140 C (fan oven) and grease and line a square tin (approx 23cm).

Beat the margarine and coconut sugar together until pale and creamy. Then beat in the egg and yolks (or chia seeds), and the vanilla. If you are using a self-raising gluten-free flour mix then sieve that in together with the baking powder and spices and salt. If you are using spelt flour sieve the baking powder (both measures of baking powder) and spices in to the spelt flour and then sieve it in to the butter mix. Next add in the ground almonds and fold it all together to form a thick batter.

IMG_0081Chop the apple up in to small chunks or slices (whatever you prefer) and fold in to the mix. Pour the batter in to the tin and then scatter with the blackberries. Poke the blackberries down a bit so they are well bedded in to the batter.

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IMG_0085While it is baking you can prepare the blackberry sauce for the meringue. If you are not using meringue this sauce can be drizzled over the cake 🙂

Put the remaining blackberries and 1 tsp sugar in a bowl and cover with cling film. Pop in the microwave for 30 secs and then mash until saucy! 🙂 You can also do this in a saucepan over a low heat. Set aside to cool.

Take the 2 egg whites and whisk with the lemon juice and a pinch of salt until they form stiff peaks – and if you’re brave do the whole “holding the bowl upside down above your head” test to see if they’re stiff enough! Add the sugar 1 tbsp at a time and whisk in well. Add the blackberry sauce and ripple through with spoon. Then spoon the mixture in to a piping bag or in to a plastic freezer bag and snip off the corner.

Pipe the meringue on to the cake – I aimed for one meringue per piece so it was about 16 little meringues but you can do whatever pattern you like! Scatter the almonds over the top and place the cake back in the oven for 10 – 12 minutes until the meringues are set.

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Then remove and allow to cool in the tin for 30 mins. Cut in to little squares and enjoy!

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Blackberry Chia Jam

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I have spent a few lovely hours for the past couple of weekends foraging for wild blackberries in the local parks near me. I’ve had the pleasure of thinking up ways to use them (some of which will follow!), but the first and (in my humble opinion) most exciting thing I did was make up a lovely batch of chia jam! This recipe is also up on Colette’s Fitness Kitchen 🙂

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This stuff is lovely, it’s easy to make and totally raw so doesn’t require any cooking or setting or anything difficult. It will last for about a week in the fridge but could also be frozen too. The beauty of this is not only is it delicious but it is a great way to boost your omega-3 and fibre intake 🙂

You will need:

1 1/2 cups Blackberries (or any soft fruit)

3 Tbsp Chia seeds

1/4 – 1/2 cup Water

1 – 2 Tbsp Maple syrup (or other liquid sweetener) – if required (personally I like my blackberries tart so didn’t add any!)

Place the blackberries or other fruit in a bowl and mash with a fork until smooshed up but not completely liquid. If you need sweetener then add it to taste and then add the chia seeds and mix well. Depending how juicy your fruit is you may need to add more or less water but start with half a cup and add more if required. The chia seeds take time to soak up the water, so once you have added it allow it to stand for 30 mins to an hour before seeing if you need to add more. If the chia seeds are still crunchy add more (unless you like them crunchy, in which case don’t!). The longer you can leave the jam the better – ideally overnight, but at least for an hour or so. Enjoy it spread on toast, dolloped on top of yoghurt or just eaten straight off the spoon!

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Experiment with different fruits depending on what is in season. Raspberries also work well and I was lucky enough to pick up some discounted, very ripe nectarines in the market which made a delicious change.

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For we all like Figgy Jam……. Fig and Ginger Jam!

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This is so easy and so delicious! I’ve been trying to add a bit more ginger in to my diet lately as it’s so good for your stomach and helps with the digestion of other nutrients. It’s also a fab anti-inflammatory so is brilliant for muscle and joint aches. Apparently it has aphrodisiac properties as well!!!

Figs are also brilliant for you – they’re full of fibre and are a great source of potassium and calcium and they taste yummy! 🙂 So this jam is perfect! It’s really easy to make and tastes divine.

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You will need (makes one small jar):

250g fresh, ripe Figs

2 tbsp Maple syrup (or your liquid sweetener of choice – agave, honey, rice syrup etc)

1.5 tbsp Lemon juice

zest of 1/2 Lemon

3/4 tsp ground Ginger

1/4 tsp ground Cinnamon

Cut the figs in to quarters (or smaller if they are very large) and pop in a saucepan. Add the other ingredients and then bring to a simmer over a medium heat, stirring all the time.

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Don’t let the mixture boil but keep it simmering for about 30 – 40 minutes or until the fig has started to break down and it takes on a jammy consistency! Taste (carefully – it will be hot!) and adjust the sweetner if required.

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Take a clean glass jar and rinse with warm soapy water (or pop through the dishwasher). Dry it well and then place it in to the oven at about 180 C for approx 20 minutes. Remove carefully and then add the jam to the jars while they are both still hot. Pop a lid on and once cool place in the fridge. This should keep for a few weeks at least.

Enjoy your jam spread on some yummy rye toast with a nice cup of tea 🙂

Spice up your summer! Chocolate chilli cookies (dairy free, low/no gluten)

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Chocolate and chilli – what better combination can there be?

I recently baked up another batch of these to welcome home a lovely friend from a trip away and they seemed to go down well so I thought I’d share! They were inspired by a chocolate cookie recipe I found years ago and modified but I can’t now find the original link – when I do I’ll add it! They’re quick and easy to make and taste divine! Oh, and a warning, they smell so good when cooking that it’s pretty hard not to eat them all right there and then!

Makes about 20 (depending how big you make them!)

You will need:

1 and 2/3 cups of white Spelt flour or a gluten-free blend
1/2 raw Cacao powder
1/2 cup Almond oil
1 cup Raw coconut sugar or other raw sugar
1/4 cup Maple syrup (the best quality you can get)
3 tbsp Almond milk (you could use soya or coconut milk too)
1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
1/4 tsp hot Chilli powder (I used dried chillies, ground up – and they are hot!)
1/2 tsp ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp Himalayan rock salt
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1 tsp Chocolate extract (optional – available from whole food stores, online, or Waitrose for those in the UK)

You will also need some cinnamon chocolate chilli sugar to coat them in 🙂 You can buy pre-mixed sugar, but I prefer to make my own. It’s easy! Just mix 100g sugar with 10g of cocoa powder, 2 tsp cinnamon and 1 tsp chilli powder (or more if you want it hotter!). Adjust the amounts depending how much you need but keep them in those ratios. Make up a batch and keep it in an airtight jar. Just shake before use as the sugar tends to sink to the bottom, leaving the lighter cocoa etc at the top.

Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease and line a baking tray (or 2!).

Put the oil, sugar, maple syrup and milk in a bowl and mix together using a fork. Add in the vanilla extract and mix well. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl and sieve in to the wet ingredients. Mix until you have a dough. The dough will be quite moist and sticky.

Put the cinnamon chocolate chilli sugar on a plate. Take small, walnut sized, balls of the dough and pat into the topping sugar to make discs about 2 inches across. Make sure they are well covered in sugar. Put them on to the baking tray with the sugar facing up. Cook for 10 – 12 minutes until they are crackly on the top and have spread a little. Allow to cool on the baking tray for 5 mins then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Enjoy! :)

Ninjabread men! Chocolate, cherry and ginger dairy free biscuits

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Gosh it’s been a long time since i’ve had time to bake – sorry! Real life has got in the way (in good and bad ways!), but oh how i’ve missed it!

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Thankfully I had an excuse to bake again 🙂 yippee! I wanted to make something yummy to celebrate (or rather commiserate) the last body combat class with a very special friend of mine. What better way to mark the occasion than by baking some funky little Ninjabread men! I used ginger, dark chocolate and dried cherries in mine but you could flavour the biscuits any way you like 🙂

For the biscuits you need:

2 cups Spelt flour or gluten-free flour mix

1 cups Unrefined Icing sugar

6 oz Dairy-free margarine (get the best quality you can)

2 tsp ground Ginger

handful of chopped dried Cherries

handful of dairy free chocolate (I used Willie’s chef’s drops)

Ninja cutters (available online) or just use normal ginger bread man cutters 🙂

Pre-heat the oven to 180 C. Put the margarine in a large mixing bowl, sieve the flour, icing sugar and ground ginger in and cream it together. Try not to over mix but make sure the margarine is properly mixed with the dry ingredients. Add the cherries and chocolate and combine well. Once it’s formed a dough wrap in cling film and chill for 30 mins. If you find the dough is too sticky then add some more flour.

Once chilled, roll out and use the biscuit cutter to cut out your little ninjas. Use a palate knife to transfer them carefully to a greased baking tray. Sprinkle with a little raw sugar if you like and bake for 8 – 10 mins, or until golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the tray.

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Decoration

Once the biscuits are cool you can have some fun! I used a variety of ninja designs. For the dark icing you can get black food colouring or use melted dark chocolate. Unleash your best ninja using skills!! 🙂

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Summer berry compote

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I’m trying to usher in summer with my second batch of summer fruit compote!

Mixed berries – this one has strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, red currants and black currants and nothing else! Beautiful! 🙂

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An array of Easter Biscuits!

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I couldn’t let the day pass without whipping up some tasty treats! These are fun spicy Easter and spring biccies that are great fun to make, and eat! Perfect holiday activity for the kids too!

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The icing is flavoured with either lemon, fresh raspberry or fresh blueberries.

For the biscuits you need:

2 cups gluten free or spelt flour

1 cup raw Icing sugar

6 oz Dairy free spread

2 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Nutmeg

1/2 tsp Cloves

For decoration:

Raw coconut palm sugar

Cinnamon and chilli sugar (see here)

Currants

Raw Icing sugar

Lemon juice, raspberries and blueberries

Sugar balls etc

Preheat the oven to 175 C. Mix all the biscuit ingredients together in a bowl – ensuring the spread is well combined with the flour an sugar. Once it forms a dough pop it in the fridge for 30 mins if you have time. Remove and roll out. Use whatever shaped cutters you like to it your biscuit shapes and transfer to a baking tray.

If you are using currants for bunny eyes and noses then add those now. Sprinkle with raw coconut sugar and cinnamon and chilli sugar. Place in the oven and cook for 8 – 12 mins or until golden. Remove and allow to cool on a wire rack.

Once cool you can ice the biscuits. Mix up your icing powder with lemon juice or fresh raspberries or blueberries and then spread on the biscuits. Add sugar decorations if you like. Allow to set and then eat!

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