Super simple french toast

Who said a fancy Saturday morning brunch couldn’t be made in the comfort of your own home? Save yourself the dollar, and most likely the hassle of haggling for gluten-free bread, and whip up this super simple French toast for two.

Serves 2

Gather

3 medium eggs

50ml almond milk

4 slices of gluten-free bread (I use schar’s brand)

10g lactose-free butter

2 tbsp maples syrup

1 tsp cinnamon

Method

1.) Whisk the eggs and the milk for about a minute until the mixture is frothy. Place the butter in a frying pan on a medium heat.

2.) While the butter is melting, dip each slice of bread into the whisked up egg, covering both sides until it is dense and soggy. Repeat this process three more times and place each eggy bread on the frying pan.

3.) Cook on both sides for a minute, or until the bread is golden brown.

4.) Serve with a helping of maple syrup and a dash of cinnamon!

Creamy courgette and bacon pasta

Leeks are the real hero in this speedy mid-week classic. Tuck into this guiltless bowl of goodness – low on carbs and ideal for packing in your protein.

Serves 2 (a hearty amount!)

Gather

200g gluten-free fusilli pasta

1 gluten-free stock cube

500ml boiling water

8 smoked bacon medallions (reduced fat)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp italian herbs

1 leek, white end removed and finely chopped

1 courgette, grated

salt and pepper

75g lactose-free philadelphia cream cheese

Method

1.) Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees. Place the pasta and stock cube in a medium sized saucepan. Add the boiling water and stir the stock cube until dissolved. Boil the pasta for 15 minutes on a medium heat until softened.

2.) Pre-line a flat baking tray with parchment paper and lay the bacon medallions so they’re spread out on the tray. Place in the oven for 15 minutes until the bacon is crispy.

3.) Using a frying pan, add olive oil, salt, pepper and italian herbs – and place on a medium heat. Once the oil has heated (after about a minute or so), add the chopped leeks and cook for about 3 minutes until softened. Then add the grated courgette and continue cooking until the water content has reduced. After an additional 5 minutes, dollop the cream cheese into the frying pan and stir until melted and well combined with the courgette and leeks.

4.) Drain the pasta and leave aside to cool for a minute. Remove the bacon from the oven and chop up each medallion into a little pieces (as you please).

5.) Chuck the chopped up pieces of bacon and cooked pasta into the courgette mixture. Mix everything together until well combined. And serve!

Beef keftedes and lemony tabouleh

Who said Mediterranean food couldn’t be FODMAP friendly? Trying using leeks instead of onions; gluten-free breadcrumbs; and quinoa instead of bulgar wheat for the same zing and texture.

Serves 4

Gather

For the keftedes,

500g 5% fat beef mince

100g leeks, finely chopped (remove the white ends)

25g parsley, finely chopped

1 egg

2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp Lebanese spice

1 tsp coriander

50g gluten-free breadcrumbs

For the tabouleh,

200g quinoa

400ml boiling water

8 cherry tomatoes, halved

4 mini cucumbers, diced

1 lemon, squeezed

5ml garlic infused oil

1 tsp sal

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees (fan). Mix all the ingredients for the keftedes in a bowl, making sure the spices and breadcrumbs are well combined. Grab two tablespoons worth of the mixture and, with your hands, roll it into a oval-like shape. Repeat this 12 times, or until the mixture is finished. Set the keftedes aside on a pre-lined baking tray.
  2. Meanwhile, place the quinoa in a saucepan and add the boiling water. Put on a medium heat for 15 minutes, or until the quinoa is fluffy and the water has evaporated.
  3. Whilst the quinoa is boiling, add a tbsp of olive oil into a frying pan and place on a medium heat. Once the oil has heated, add all the keftedes and sear evenly on all sides until crispy and golden. This should take 10 minutes.
  4. Once the keftedes have a crispy coating, place them back onto the pre-lined baking tray and put in the oven for 15 minutes to finish cooking.
  5. Gather the diced cucumber and halved cherry tomatoes, and place them into a salad bowl, along with the salt, lemon juice and garlic oil. Add the cooked quinoa and mix until the dressing is well combined.
  6. Take out the keftedes from the oven and leave to cool for five minutes before serving.

Ottolenghi-inspired gluten free tahini and halva brownies

Ingredients

250g caster sugar

250g lactose free butter

280g caster sugar

30g vegan cocoa powder

120g plain gluten free flour

4 eggs

¼ tsp xanthan gum

¼ tsp vanilla

12 tbsp. tahini

200g halva (broken into chunks)

Method

1.) Preheat the oven to 180°. Grease a rectangular baking tray with butter
or place parchment paper and set aside.

2.) Place the butter and chocolate (broken into pieces) into two separate
bowls and put in a microwave to melt for 2 ½ minutes at a medium temperature.
Once melted, pour into mixing bowl and whisk until combined. Next, add the
sugar and eggs and repeat the whisking for a further two minutes.

3.) Combine the cocoa powder, xanthan gum and gluten free flour and sieve into
the wet mixture in three goes, whisking before each addition.

4.) Finally, stir the broken pieces of halva into the batter before pouring
into the prepared baking tray. Add about 12 tablespoons of tahini on top of the
batter and with a skewer or knife, create a marbling effect to your taste.
Place in the oven to bake for 23 minutes. Once baked, leave to cool for 20
minutes before serving.  

FODMAP friendly version of Ottolenghi’s cherry tomato and aubergine quinoa

Who said Ottolenghi’s cherry and aubergine (previously-bulgar-wheat-but-now-quinoa) recipe can’t be made FODMAP friendly? I adored this dish and I’m positive you will too. Oh, and, did I mention this is also vegan?

Serves 4 people

Prep time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

200g quinoa

600ml water

1 aubergine, chopped 4cm wide and 2cm thick

300g cherry tomatoes, halved

2 tsp. tomato purée

4 tbsp. olive oil

3 tsp. all spice

3 tsp. salt

1 tsp. coarse black pepper (crushed)

Method:

1.) Preheat the oven to 200° fan. Prepare a large rectangular flat tray with parchment paper and place the chopped aubergines. Drizzle half the amount of olive oil, 1 tsp salt and the black pepper. Place in the oven for 30 minutes, turning the sides over using a spatula approximately half way.

2.) Add oil, the remaining salt and all spice in a saucepan and heat for a minute before adding the chopped tomato. Mix well and once softened (approximately 5 minutes later) use a potato masher to crush the cherry tomatoes to form a mushy paste. Add the tomato purée and stir well.

3.) Pour the quinoa and the water, and cook for 20 minutes on a low heat, or until the quinoa has softened and fully absorbed the water.

4.) Once the aubergines have also softened, add to the cooked quinoa and mix well. Lightly drizzle 2 tsp. garlic oil (optional). Leave to cool for 5 minutes before serving.