Quick and delicious gluten-free meals

If you want (or need) to steer clear of wheat and other gluten grains, you may be stuck for quick and delicious ideas for mealtimes. Here are few colourful and healthy suggestions using seasonal vegetables to get you started:

Smoked mackerel with roast vegetables and kale

The mackerel is bought ready-cooked. You add roasted vegetables (roast bite-sized chunks of vegetables e.g. red pepper, sweet potato, courgettes and red onions in coconut or olive oil for about 40 minutes) and add a steamed leafy vegetable. The roast vegetables taste fantastic cold the next day, so make a double serving.

Asparagus,  butterbean and rocket salad with a mint dressing

For lunch for two you will need:
8 asparagus spears with woody ends cut off
A tin of butter beans
Two generous handfuls of rocket
A tablespoon of chopped mint
2 spring onions, chopped
1 tablespoon of capers
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of cider vinegar
1 teaspoon of mustard or mustard powder
What to do:
Steam asparagus spears for 3-5 minutes, combine with the beans, capers, mint, spring onions and capers. Pile the beans and asparagus onto the leaves. Shake dressing ingredients together and drizzle over the salad.

Variations: use chick peas instead of butterbeans or watercress instead of rocket.

If you want something to mop up the juices, have a slice of gluten-free bread.

Rita Carmichael
nutritional therapist and metabolic balance® coach
Nottingham, England
rita:@nutrimatters.co.uk
http://www.nutrimatters.co.uk/
http://twitter.com/ritacarmichael

Gluten-free breakfasts

What do you eat when you've gone gluten-free and everyone else is tucking into wheaty cereals and toast? Here are a few ideas to make sure you don't feel deprived at breakfast time:
Gluten-free oats are widely available in health food shops and supermarkets.  This gluten-free Swiss-style muesli recipe takes just a few minutes to prepare and it will keep your energy levels topped up until lunchtime.

Swiss-style muesli:   
60grams /just over 2 oz gluten-free oats
1 dessertspoon of chopped nuts e.g. pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds or cashews
1 dessertspoon of pumpkin and/or sunflower seeds
2 chopped dried organic apricots (unsulphured) or a few prunes (soak in water overnight to plump them up)
150ml/5fl oz apple juice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Plain natural yoghurt (optional)

Soak the oats and apple juice overnight and keep refrigerated.  Add the remaining ingredients the next morning.  Stir in a dollop of yoghurt, if liked.

When it's cold and you fancy something warming for breakfast, use gluten-free oats to make porridge. Add a handful of fresh or frozen berries and sprinkle on some cinnamon.

Egg and toast

You don't have to miss out on hot buttered toast with "just-like-the-real-thing" gluten-free bread so readily available.  Have a slice with a soft boiled egg (3-minutes in boiling water).  Or make use of this season's abundant asparagus harvest and serve steamed asparagus spears with a poached egg or two.

Kippers

Another traditional breakfast dish that seems to have dropped off the menu is our native breakfast fish, kippers. I recently rediscovered this delicious fishy dish.  Steep the kippers in a jug of hot water for about seven minutes (covered with a plate to keep the heat in) and serve with brown gluten-free bread and butter.

All of these breakfasts are digested slowly to keep you energised until lunchtime and not a gluten grain in sight. 

Rita Carmichael
nutritional therapist and metabolic balance® coach
Nottingham, England
rita:@nutrimatters.co.uk
http://www.nutrimatters.co.uk/
http://twitter.com/ritacarmichael

A versatile Italian marinade or dressing for fish and meat

Salmoriglio is an olive oil, herbs and lemon dressing from Sicily. Whisk some up to add a tang to fish and meat. I like it with white fish but aficiaonados tell me that it livens up just about any fish, flesh or fowl.

You'll need:
100 ml of olive oil
the juice of a lemon, strained
2 tablespoons of hot water
1 tablespoon of chopped parsley
1 tablespoon of fresh oregano, chopped or 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
1 garlic clove, crushed
a  pinch of sea salt


here's how:
Whisk together the olive oil, hot water and lemon juce in a bowl. Add the parsley, oregano and crushed garlic. Season the mixture to taste.

Spread liberally on to the fish of your choice - it's good with hake, salmon and plaice - and bake in a hot oven (180 degrees C). Cooking time depends on the thickness and size of the fish, but a piece of fish usually cooks in 8-12 minutes.

Salmoriglio can also be used as a marinade for chicken and meat.

Rita Carmichael
nutritional therapist and metabolic balance® coach
Nottingham, England
rita:@nutrimatters.co.uk
http://www.nutrimatters.co.uk/
http://twitter.com/ritacarmichael

Easter chocolate treats made with love

It’s nearly Easter – there’s still time to make some delicious chocolate and nut treats to give to your friends. Home made edible gifts, using good quality ingredients and made with love, are always appreciated - friends who received them for Christmas were clamouring for the recipe. These melt-in- the mouth treats are seriously moreish, so make extra for yourself.

You can vary the recipe by using a different selection of nuts - walnuts and pecans would work well.  You'll need a food processor.

Ingredients:( makes 10 bite size balls)  Double or triple the quantities to make a big batch

choc and nut Easter treats

50gr unsalted cashew nuts                                                           
 50gr unsalted almonds                                                                   
50 gr dark chocolate (70% cocoa minimum)      
50gr pitted dates
1 dessertspoon tahini (sesame seed paste)
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice or cinnamon 
1 tablespoon of cocoa powder (optional)

What to do:
1. Grind the nuts in a food processor and add the spice. Transfer to a bowl and put to one side
2. Melt the chocolate and tahini together in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water Do not allow any water to transfer to the chocolate mixture. Stir until the chocolate has dissolved
3. Whiz the dates in the food processor. Add the chocolate/tahini mixture to the dates and whiz again
4. Add the ground nuts to the date and chocolate paste and mix together well
5. Form the nutty chocolate paste into 10 balls with your hands and place in the fridge on a plate for a few hours to allow them to set
6. Dust with cocoa powder for a special finishing touch.

Keep in a tin or covered dish in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to a month.

To give as presents, put half a dozen or more of the nibbles into small paper cases and place in a gift bag tied at the neck with brightly coloured raffia or gift ribbon.

Happy Easter!

Rita Carmichael
nutritional therapist and metabolic balance® coach
Nottingham, England
rita:@nutrimatters.co.uk
http://www.nutrimatters.co.uk/
http://twitter.com/ritacarmichael

Celebrate the Bramley Apple

It’s Bramley Apple Week (5-12^th February). The original 200-year old tree is still going strong in my home county of Nottinghamshire. Needless to say, I'm a big fan of this delicious cooking apple.  Here is a recipe for a classic British pud combining  the Bramley with an oaty almond topping. It’s the perfect partner for venison casserole http://nutrinatters.blogspot.com/2011/10/hearty-and-warming-venison-casserole.html.
 Bramley Apple Oaty Crumble (serves 4)
Ingredients:
3 Bramley apples, peeled, cored and chopped into thin slices about the size of a thumbnail
½ teaspoon of cinnamon
1 tablespoon of fruit juice e.g. apple, prune, orange
Optional: 1 dessertspoon of sultanas (soaked in hot water to plump them up)

 Crumble topping for a 7 inch (18cm) oven proof dish: a few generous handful of porridge oats, 2 oz (50gr) of ground or flaked almonds, olive or rapeseed oil to mix

 For a gluten-free version:  use gluten-free oats or flaked quinoa

 What to do:
Set oven to 180 degrees C, gas 4.
Combine the crumble topping ingredients and stir in about ½ -1 tablespoon of oil so that the oats and almonds bind together. Spoon the fruit mixture into an ovenproof dish.

Peel and core the apple and chop into small pieces (thumbnail size). Put chopped fruit into an ovenproof dish, add the fruit juice and cinnamon (and drained sultanas, if using). Mix the ingredients well. Sprinkle on the crumble topping. Place the dish in the oven for 30-35 minutes until the topping is golden and the fruit is bubbling. Serve with cream or plain yoghurt.

 Variations: Add a handful of frozen berries to the apple mixture for a blackberry and apple crumble; peel and chop a few stick of Yorkshire rhubarb into 1cm lengths  - in season now -  and add to the apple mixture (replace the cinnamon with a few teaspoons of grated root ginger).

Rita Carmichael

nutritional therapist and Metabolic Balance® coach
Nottingham, England
rita@nutrimatters.co.uk
http://www.nutrimatters.co.uk/
http://twitter.com/ritacarmichael

The perfect cup of green tea - aahh!

Have you tried green tea and decided it was too bitter for your taste? If so, I invite you to try it again. Here’s how to make a good cup of green tea - the secret’s in the temperature of the water and the quality of the tea.

I enjoy the ritual and anticipation of a good cup of tea so prefer to use leaves and brew the tea in a pot.  If you don't have the time or inclination, there are some good makes of teabag to be had such as Jackson’s, Pukka, Clipper, Tea Pigs and Twining’s.  Clipper also make a very acceptable decaff green.

This is what you do:
Bring fresh water to the boil but - here comes the secret bit -  don’t pour it out straight away. Leave the boiled water to cool for a few minutes before wetting the leaves or teabag. Allow the tea to steep for one (no more than two) minutes. And there you have a perfect cup of pleasant, delicate green tea.

Use the same method for white tea. Good quality green and white tea leaves can be used again making them an economical brew.

Whether it's from a pot or a mug, enjoy the cup that cheers!

Rita

Rita Carmichael

nutritional therapist and Metabolic Balance® coach

Nottingham, England

rita@nutrimatters.co.uk

http://www.nutrimatters.co.uk/

http://twitter.com/ritacarmichael

Countdown to Christmas Cooking

Ways with Christmas vegetables
The traditional Christmas dinner doesn't skimp on vegetables. We pile on Brussels, carrots and turnip, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, leeks, parsnips and potatoes- all good seasonal fare. Here are some simple ideas on how to transform some of these festive favourites.

Leek and Celeriac Soup (makes at least 8 servings)
This velvety soup makes a delicious starter.

Ingredients:
1 dessertspoon of coconut oil, rapeseed oil or olive oil
2 or 3 leeks
1 head of celeraic
1 tablespoon of freshly grated root ginger
a handful of chopped parsley or a few sprigs of rosemary
1 litre of vegetable stock (depending on the size of the leeks and celeriac, you may need more)
2 cloves of garlic, freshly ground sea salt and black pepper
ptional: single cream or plain yoghurt

Split and wash the leeks, peel the celeriac. Chop both vegetables into bite-sized chunks. Gently heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the vegetables on a medium heat for about 3 minutes. Add the root ginger, parsley and stock. Put a lid on the pan and simmer soup for about 30 minutes until vegetable are tender. When the soup is cool, add the garlic and liquidise until smooth; you may need to add more stock if the soup is too thick. Add seasoning to taste. Reheat and swirl some cream or yoghurt into each bowl, if liked.

In the unlikely event that there is any left, the soup keeps well in the fridge for up to three days.
Brussels Sprouts and Chestnuts
Sprouts and chestnuts are a perfect combination of flavours and textures. You'll need some pre-cooked chestnuts (they are available in vacuum packs or you can cook and peel fresh chestnuts) and a knob of butter or drizzle of olive oil. Once your sprouts are cooked, mix in some chopped chestnuts. As a rough guide, use one chestnut to every 5 sprouts; big chestnut fans may wish to add more. Top with melted butter or a drizzle of oil.

Roast Parsnips
Here's how to pep-up your Christmas day parsnips:
Peel and cut the parsnips into big chunks and roast them with your potatoes. When the parsnips are cooked, sprinkle them with some roasted cumin seeds (heat seeds in a dry pan for a few minutes) and the juice of half an orange before serving.

A vegetarian Christmas feast
f you have a vegetarian in the family and are wondering what to serve for Christmas dinner, this nut roast - with a layer of chestnut puree in the middle -  is a real feast. Serve it with a mushroom and wine gravy and the usual line-up of Christmas vegetables. Even meat-eaters will be impressed.

Christmas Nut Roast with Mushroom and Red Wine Gravy (6 generous servings)
ingredients:
1 dessertspoon of coconut oil, olive oil or rapeseed oil and extra for greasing the tin
1 large onion and 3 sticks of celery, chopped finely
1 clove of garlic, crushed
100g/4oz cooked and mashed celeriac or parsnip
2 tablespoons of chopped parsley
Juice and grated rind of half a lemon or orange
1 dessertspoon of grated root ginger
350g/12 oz ground nuts of your choice e.g cashews, almonds, Brazils, hazelnuts
50g/2oz of flaked millet or quinoa
50g/2oz wholemeal breadcrumbs*
1 egg, beaten
Vegetable stock to mix
225g/8oz chestnut puree (tinned)

First, line a 2 lb loaf tin with greaseproof paper (you can buy ready-made linings from cookery shops) and brush with oil.

Set oven to 190 degrees C/Mark 5/ 375 degrees F.

Gently heat the oil and cook the onion and celery for about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Put all dry ingredients - nuts, millet/quinoa, breadcrumbs- into a large mixing bowl with the cooked onions and celery; add the mashed celeriac/parsnip, garlic, parsley, ginger, lemon/orange juice and rind. Mix well then bind the mixture with the beaten egg. Moisten with some stock if the mixture is too dry (it should be of a fairly firm consistency). Season to taste.

Spoon half of the nut mixture into the tin and flatten with the back of a spoon. Add a layer of chestnut puree then pile in the rest of the nut mixture and flatten again.

Bake in a hot oven for 50 - 70 minutes. The nut roast should be brown on the top and a skewer or knife inserted in the mixture should come out clean. Allow the roast to stand for 15 minutes before cutting into thick slices and serve with...

Mushroom and Wine Gravy (makes about 1 pint/600ml)
ingredients:
25g/1oz butter
225g/8oz chestnut mushrooms, wiped and cut into quarters
2 tbsps wholemeal flour*
1/4 pint/150ml vegetable stock
1/2 pint/300ml red wine
2 tbsp chopped parsley
seasoning to taste

Saute the mushrooms in the melted butter for a few minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for one minute. Add the stock a little at a time stirring well - don't worry if it becomes lumpy as you'll be liquidising it later. Pour in the wine and simmer for about 15 minutes with a lid on the pan. Stir in the parsley. Leave to cool then liquidise the gravy until it is smooth. Re-heat gently before serving.

 * use gluten-free breadcrumbs and flour if you are intolerant of wheat

Cranberry and orange sauce
Cranberry sauce adds a cheerful deep red hue to the festive table and goes well with turkey, ham, cheese and the Christmas nut loaf recipe (see above). Cranberries are a rich source of powerful, immune-enhancing antioxidants. Look for the darker red berries, which contain higher level of antioxidants than their paler cousins.

Ingredients:
8oz/225 grams fresh or frozen cranberries (thawed)
juice and zest of 1 orange
1 dessertspoon of molasses

Place all of the ingredients in a pan and slowly bring to the boil. Stir the mixture, lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes to make a thick sauce. Serve warm or cold. It keeps well in a covered container in the fridge.

Serve with turkey on the big day and use as you would chutney with your Boxing Day dishes.

Mince pies
Mince pies are my favourite Christmas treat, yet I'm often disappointed when I bite into commercially produced varieties. They've just got to be home-made to pass muster. This recipe makes a light and delicious mince pie with a gluten-free almondy pastry that melts in the mouth. It's worth paying a bit more for a jar of good quality mincemeat that doesn't stint on the fruit.

Almondy gluten-free mince pies (makes 8 pies)
100g/4oz gluten-free flour mixed with 1 dessertspoon of ground almonds
1 teaspoon of gluten-free baking powder
50g/2oz butter
2 -3 tbsp cold water
200g/8oz mincemeat (add 1 tsp of mixed spice, 1 dessertspoon of chopped nuts and 1 dessertspoon of brandy, if liked)
Icing sugar

Heat the oven to 170 degree C/325 degrees F/Gas 3. Add the baking powder to the flour/ almonds and mix together. Lightly rub the butter into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Mix in the water with a knife being careful not to make the mixture too runny- you should be able to gather it into a ball of soft dough with your hand. Knead lightly for a few seconds on a floured surface then wrap in a damp tea towel and leave to rest in a cool place for about 30 minutes.

Lightly roll out the pastry on a floured surface and use pastry cutters to make 8 circles to fit an oiled patty tin. Spoon some mincemeat into each pie. Cut 8 smaller circles for the lids. Moisten the edges of each pie with water and place a pastry lid on top. Pierce each lid with a fork to allow steam to escape while cooking. Brush each pie with your choice of milk (cow's, rice, goat’s, soya) and bake in the pre-heated oven for about 15 minutes until the pastry is golden. Dust with icing sugar.

Variation: Instead of a pastry lid, top your pies with chopped pecans or flaked almonds before baking.

See below (under November) for a light and fruity Christmas pudding recipe.

Happy Christmas!

Rita  

Rita Carmichael

nutritional therapist and Metabolic Balance® coach

Nottingham, England

rita:@nutrimatters.co.uk

http://www.nutrimatters.co.uk/

http://twitter.com/ritacarmichael