A Little Piece of Thailand, My Way!

As I hope you know by now - I LOVE Thai food! So, when I saw Nina from My Easy Cooking's Event - I was more than ecstatic - I get to cook and eat my favourite food and also stand the chance to win some amazing prizes - how cool is that? Very cool, I'd say!

If you also love Thai food and the chance to win prizes - why not make your very own Thai inspired meal and enter Nina's competition - you still have a few days left - it ends on Saturday the 31st July?

The cornerstone of any successful Thai dish is the combination and balance of flavours - sweet, salty, sour spicy and sometimes bitter. Keeping this in mind I designed my three course meal to focus on this flavour combination.

The first dish in my Thai Inspired Menu is:

Chicken and Coconut Broth: Very Similar to Tom Kha Gai
(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

1 Tin of Coconut Milk (400mls)
400mls Water
A Few Kaffir Lime Leaves
A Teaspoon Chilli Flakes or a Diced Red Chilli - Seeds Removed (Adjust the measurements if you prefer it less spicy)
1 Knob of Ginger, Finely Chopped
Lemon Grass (I used 2 x 5cm Sized Freeze Dried Pieces)
3 - 4 Teaspoons Fish Sauce
Juice of Half a Lime
A Squeeze of Soya Sauce, Gluten Free (Optional)
2 - 3 Teaspoons Palm Sugar or Fructose
Salt and Pepper to Taste
2 Chicken Breasts, Chopped into Small Pieces
1 *Punnet Sugar Snap Peas
1 *Green Pepper, Sliced

*Can be left out or replaced with veggies of your choice such as baby corn or mushrooms (contain yeast)

Directions:

Make the broth by adding the coconut milk, water, lime leaves, chilli, ginger, lemon grass, fish sauce, lime juice, soya sauce and palm sugar to the boil
Allow all flavours to infuse, by simmering for about 10 - 20 minutes
Taste the broth and adjust flavours if needed - making sure you have a balance of sweet, salty, sour and spicy
Add the chicken pieces, sugar snap peas and green pepper and cook until chicken is translucent and cooked through
Taste again
Season with salt and pepper if desired
Serve in bowls
* Can also be served as a main course with jasmine rice or rice noodles

 For the main I once again wanted intense flavours, but the idea of mint appealed to me as in my mind this would add an extra freshness and counter balance the heat from the chilli. The amazing thing about Thai cuisine is that it is influenced by other countries such as China, Cambodia and Malaysia, which sees the utilisation of other ingredients such as soya sauce, turmeric and tamarind.

Spicy Beef with Mint and Thai Basil:
(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

2 Teaspoons Tamarind Paste
Juice of Half a Lime
Squeeze of Soya Sauce (Gluten Free)
1 Teaspoon Turmeric
3 - 4 Teaspoons Palm Sugar or Fructose
1 Teaspoon Chilli Flakes or a Diced Red Chilli - Seeds Removed (Can Adjust the Measurements)
1 Knob Ginger, Grated
2 Teaspoons Fish Sauce
Sesame Oil (I used an unsmoked one from Dischem) - for marinating and frying
1/2kg Beef Strips or Beef Shin Cut into Strips
1 Onion Finely Sliced
1 Red Pepper, Sliced
1 Packet Baby Stem Broccoli
2 Handfuls Fresh Mint
2 Handfuls Fresh Thai Basil (or Normal Basil)
1 Handful Mung Bean Sprouts
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Jasmine Rice for Serving

Directions:

Marinade beef in tamarind paste, lime juice, soya sauce, turmeric, palm sugar, chilli, ginger, fish sauce and a glug of sesame oil for a minimum of 20 minutes (1 - 2 hours would be better)
Heat wok or frying pan
Fry onion in a drop of sesame oil until golden
Slowly add the beef, browning each piece as you go - you may need to add more oil
If you prefer a more saucy consistency - add a drop of water at this stage
Add a handful of mint and basil and mix through
Taste - you should have an equal balance of sweet, salty, sour, spicy and bitter - if not, adjust the flavours
Quickly add the red pepper and broccoli and cook through
Toss the mung bean sprouts through the beef mixture
Add salt and pepper if desired
Should be cooked in about 10 minutes
Serve with jasmine rice with an extra sprinkling of mint and basil

The perfect Thai meal needs the perfect dessert and seeing as though for the past week I have been experimenting with coconut and chocolate - I decided that I'd make a pudding using these two main ingredients. In fact, I am so impressed with how versatile these ingredients are - I have made a rice pudding, ice cream and now a chocolate pudding. Don't you just love it?

Chocolate Pudding with Ginger, Lime and Coconut:
(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

1 Tin Coconut Milk
1 Slab *Albany Smooth Dark Chocolate, Broken into Pieces
1 Teaspoon Good Quality Cocoa (I used Nomu Cocoa)
1/2 Cup Palm Sugar
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Essence
1/2 Cup Desiccated Coconut
Squeeze of Lime
A Knob of Ginger, Grated

*If you are highly allergic to dairy, you may want to avoid this chocolate because although dairy is not included in the ingredients, it is made in a factory that uses dairy

Directions:

Place coconut milk and chocolate into a pot on the stove and stir until chocolate has melted
Add the rest of the ingredients beating well until a smooth consistency has been reached
Boil the mixture so that all flavours infuse - but make sure not to burn
Cook until the mixture thickens - for about 10 - 15 minutes
Remove from stove and allow to cool
Serve in fancy glasses with a grating of ginger

*Can also be turned into ice cream by putting into the freezer for a minimum of 2 hours

And there you have it - an overdose of ginger, lime, chilli and coconut to boost your immune system for the sunny days ahead (cross fingers)

Inspiration from Inspiration

Last week I had one of those weeks where I struggled for inspiration on what to cook for dinner - it was one of the most helpless feelings I have experienced - how could I not come up with any inspiration when I live to cook? Wow, was I annoyed with myself!

Anyway, I remembered that Inspiration on Food24 had come up with a Cajun Spice Challenge (I am a bit late, but oh well - better late than never:))

Being as uninspired as I was, it was a huge effort to come up with a dish to use the cajun spice with and I eventually settled on a pasta dish with roasted veggies - very simple, very quick, but packed full of flavour.

Cajun Spiced Roast Veggie Pasta:
(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

Cajun Spice:

1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Chilli Flakes or Chilli Powder
1 Teaspoon Paprika
1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
1 Teaspoon Dried Basil
1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
1 Teaspoon Ground Coriander
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon Cumin

* Other options include Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Cayenne Pepper, and Dried Thyme
* Please adjust the measurements to your taste - if you don't like it very spicy use less chilli, etc and feel free to experiment with different flavours

Other Ingredients:

A Selection of Roasting Vegetables (I bought a packet of Roasting Veggies from Woolies, which contained butternut, peppers, onions)
Olive Oil
Extra Cinnamon
Fructose
Lemon
Basil Infused Olive Oil (Optional)
Gluten Free Pasta of Your Choice - For Two

Directions:

Heat oven to 200 degrees Celsius
Create the cajun spice by combining all the ingredients together
Toss the veggies is a little olive oil and cover with as much of the cajun spice mix as you wish (make sure that each piece of veggie is covered in oil so that is doesn't burn and cooks through nicely)
Roast in the oven for about 25 - 30 minutes
10 minutes towards the end of cooking I poured over a mixture of a squeeze of lemon juice, a teaspoon of fructose, teaspoon of cinnamon and a drop of water - not too much through - my thinking behind this was to add another dimension of flavour
You can turn the grill on towards the end of roasting to give the veggies crispy edges
Once the veggies are done - if desired squeeze over some more lemon juice and a drizzle of basil infused olive oil
Toss through the pasta (reserving some of the pasta liquid to make a bit of a sauce)

Death by Chocolate Part 2

Some of the best inventions are born from accidents and such is the case with my next recipe. You see, I was trying to make fudge, which went awry. Instead, what I created was a rather delicious ice cream. I have no regrets - I will tackle the fudge another day :)

Accidental Chocolate Ice Cream:
Serves 2 (increase quantities to cater for more people)

*This recipe is not recommended for people who are highly allergic to dairy - the chocolate I use does not list dairy as one of the ingredients, but is produced in a factory that uses dairy

Ingredients:

1 Cup Coconut Milk
*Half Slab Albany Smooth Dark Chocolate
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar/ Fructose/ Xylitol
1 Teaspoon Good Quality Cocoa (Dairy Free)

Optional Extra: Pecan Nuts/ Walnuts

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a pot on the stove
Slowly heat, while stirring, until the chocolate has melted
Bring mixture to a gentle boil for about 20 minutes
Add the crushed nuts (if using) and stir to combine
Transfer to a freezer container
Freeze for a minimum of 2 hours

Death by Chocolate

What is it about chocolate that has most women on the planet in awe of its perfection?

Is it the smooth, silky texture; the creamy sweetness; or the rich dark "cocoay" taste? Or something completely different... maybe the way it makes us feel - the sinfulness of being curled up on the couch with a soppy romcom on the tv and a slab of rich dark gold next to us - the thought of knowing that it's going to go straight to the hips, but just not caring because it tastes so damn good? Or just for an hour or two being able to forget all of our troubles and savour the feeling of the rich dark sweetness melting in the mouth - so enjoyable it makes the toes curl?! Yes, it's good to be a woman sometimes! :)

If I could package the feeling that chocolate gives us - I'm sure I'd be a millionaire!

This week I have been trying to recreate that feeling - being a bit "Heston Blumenthal" even :)
My first sinful offering is a

Decadent Chocolate Rice Pudding:
(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

1 Cup Coconut Milk
3 Teaspoons Good Quality Cocoa (Dairy Free)
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/4 cup Brown Sugar or Fructose or Xylitol (Add more or less to your own taste)
3 - 4 Blocks Nestle Albany Smooth Dark Chocolate*
1 Cup Cooked Rice

* Not if you are highly allergic to dairy (Dairy is not included in the ingredients, but the chocolate itself is made in a factory that uses dairy)

Directions:

Combine coconut milk, cocoa, vanilla extract and sugar in a pot on the stove - beat out the cocoa lumps and allow mixture to bubble
Add the chocolate (if using)
Add the rice, stir to combine and allow to bubble further for a few more minutes
Taste - add more sugar if you prefer more sweetness or more cocoa if you want a richer chocolaty flavour

Cook's Note 1: A nice idea is to transfer the rice pudding to an oven proof dish and sprinkle over some brown sugar. Grill in the oven until a crust has formed from the sugar
Cook's Note 2: For extra indulgence - make a sauce from a bit more of the chocolate or cocoa and sugar with some soya/rice or coconut milk - add a touch of brandy or orange liqueur if desired and then pour the sauce over the rice pudding just before serving
Cook's Note 3: Can also be served with soya cream

My World of Gnocchi is Expanding...

The world of gnocchi is an interesting place to visit - with skies of potatoes, dotted with clouds of pumpkin and beetroot; roads paved with pepper corns, cinnamon and paprika and flowing rivers of lemon infused olive oil.

This is my world of gnocchi. My first attempt at gluten free potato gnocchi inspired me to push even further and make pumpkin gnocchi.

This did prove to be a bit more difficult than the potato gnocchi. As with the potato gnocchi, I boiled the pumpkin, but this made it rather moist - so I would suggest steaming or even baking the pumpkin covered in tin foil.

Gluten Free Pumpkin Gnocchi:
(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

1 Packet Diced Pumpkin or Butternut
2 - 3 Cups Maizena
Ground Cinnamon
Paprika
Salt

Directions:

Boil, steam or bake the pumpkin
When cooked allow to stand until cool
If boiling try and remove as much moisture as possible from the pumpkin
Mash the cooled pumpkin
Add a generous amount of cinnamon, salt and paprika
Slowly start adding the maizena - mixing as you go along (don't over mix though)
Once you are happy with the consistency (mine was wetter than the potato gnocchi)
Shape the mixture into thinnish sausages and briskly cut off about 1cm pieces with a fork

You can press the pieces with the fork for decoration

Boil the gnocchi in salted water

Remove from the water with a slotted spoon when they bob to the surface

Bake in the oven covered with a sauce of your choice for about 15 minutes

I combined the tomato and creamy pesto sauce together before baking in the oven over the gnocchi (see previous post for recipes) and the flavour of the pumpkin came through nicely with a subtle sprinkling of cinnamon. Dre had two helpings, so it got the stamp of approval :)

I wonder what will be next - maybe beetroot gnocchi?

Gluten Free Gnocchi

Last week, Inspiration on Food24, challenged herself by making gnocchi for the first time. She had never eaten them before and therefore was unsure of how they should turn out, but none the less, from what I could see - she was successful :)

I have always wanted to try gnocchi myself, but because they contain gluten - I haven't tried them either! So when I attempted my own gluten free gnocchi I was very much in the dark - probably even more so than Inspiration.

I Googled a lot on what the end result should taste like and the consensus was light and fluffy.

So with much excitement and a little trepidation I set about making my gnocchi. This is quite a time consuming process so give yourself at least two hours or so if you are wanting to attempt this.

Gluten Free Potato Gnocchi:
(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

2 Large Potatoes, Peeled and Diced
1 Cup Maizena
1/2 Teaspoon Xanthan Gum
1.5 Tablespoons Olive Oil (I used Lemon Infused)
Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Boil potatoes - once cooked, drain the liquid and leave potato cubes to dry and cool
Finely mash cooled potatoes
Add the xanthan gum to the maizena
Slowly add the maizena to the mashed potatoes, kneading as you go
Add the olive oil a little at a time (you may not need the whole amount) and a good sprinkling of salt and pepper
You are looking for a dough like consistency - it mustn't be sticky
Once the correct consistency has been reached - roll the dough into thinnish sausages and briskly cut off about 1cm pieces with a fork
You can press the pieces with the fork for decoration
Boil the gnocchi in salted water
Remove from the water with a slotted spoon when they bob to the surface

I tried the gnocchi straight from the boiling water with a simple tomato sauce, but they still tasted raw to me (bearing in mind that I had no idea what the texture should be like - only what I had found on Google - that it should be light and fluffy)

I froze the rest of the gnocchi and on Saturday night was keen to try it again.

I made a lovely creamy pesto, which I baked the gnocchi in, after defrosting slightly. And oh my word I was in heaven when I tasted the gnocchi this time - yup, light and fluffy :)

Therefore, after boiling it is best to bake them with a sauce for about 15 minutes. (Add an extra 5 minutes if baking from frozen)

Simple Tomato Sauce:
(Serves 2)

3 Tomatoes, Cut in Half
A Few Sprigs Thyme
Paprika
Herbal Salt
Pepper
Xylitol

Directions:

Roast tomatoes with a sprinkle of paprika, herbal salt and xylitol
When cooked, remove skins and transfer to a pot on the stove
Add thyme and check seasoning
Allow sauce to reduce and for thyme to infuse - remove the thyme
Pour over gnocchi and bake in oven for about 15 - 20 minutes

Creamy Pesto:

Ingredients:

Bunch Rocket*
Bunch Flat Leaf Parsley*
1 Salad Onions, Chopped
Squeeze of Lemon Juice (Optional)
Handful of Pine Nuts
Herbal Salt
Cracked Black Pepper
Basil Infused Olive Oil (Or plain Olive Oil)
Cinnamon (Optional)
Paprika
1 - 1.5 Cups Soya/ Rice Milk
1/2 - 1 Cup Maizena/ Gluten Free Cake Flour

*You can make a simple basil pesto by replacing the rocket and parsley with basil

Directions:

Blend the rocket, parsley, salad onions, lemon juice, pine nuts, olive oil, herbal salt and pepper until you have reached a pesto consistency. Taste and add extra seasoning if needed
Place the flour or maizena in a pot on the stove and slowly add the milk, stirring continuously
The sauce will thicken when the flour cooks in the milk - it should take about 10 - 15 minutes
Add the pesto to the white sauce and stir through
I added about a teaspoon of cinnamon and some paprika for extra flavour

Pour over the gnocchi and bake in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes

Crunchie Munchies

On Friday night I got the crunchie munchies. My nose started to smell imaginary caramel sugary flavours and I could almost taste the crunchie oaty goodness, which was strange considering the fact that I had never made crunchies before, let alone wheat free ones!

It has recently been discovered that if you have a sensitivity to gluten you may not have a senstivity to oats, even though it is classified as a gluten grain - the reason for this is that the composition of oats is different to that of wheat and other gluten grains like rye and barley.

I am able to eat oats with no reaction. Coupled with this fact and the fact that my body was telling me that I absolutely had to make crunchies - I gave in and attempted my first batch of crunchies with surprisingly yummy results.

These crunchies are not for the feint hearted or for you, if you are shy of sugar!

Through my blogging adventures I have come to realise that I am a very impatient baker - I want it ready and I want it ready now! I need to start exercising some patience otherwise none of my baked goods are going to turn out correctly.

So here is my recipe for Patient Wheat Free Crunchies.

Ingredients:

1 Cup Oats
1 Cup Nature's Choice Gluten Free Cake Flour
1 Teaspoon Xanthan Gum
1/2 Cup Desiccated Coconut
1 Teaspoon Nature's Choice Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 Cup Oil (I used Sesame Oil from Dischem - it has a light sesame flavour, which complements the crunchies well)
1/2 Cup Water
1/2 Cup Fructose
1/2 Brown Sugar*
2 Tablespoons Golden Syrup
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

*Instead of the brown sugar you can use a full cup of fructose or replace the sugar with Xylitol

Directions:

Heat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius
Heat the sugar, golden syrup, water, sesame oil and vanilla extract in a pot on the stove - when the sugar has dissolved remove from the heat
Put the dry ingredients into a bowl and mix the wet ingredients slowly into them
Pour the mixture into an oven proof dish

Bake for about 40 - 50 minutes until it has cooked through (the deeper the dish, the longer the cooking time)

Turn off the oven

Cut into squares

Return the crunchies back to the oven for about 10 minutes so that they become crunchy

One More Winter Warmer

Winter is almost at its end, but I am still taking advantage of the cold weather. I love stews and soups so much, I even eat them in summer - I really don't know what it is about them - maybe it is the hot, flavoursome liquid slowly running down my throat, warming me up from the inside out or the feeling of comfort a well made stew evokes - like being wrapped in a blanket.

It's only 8:30 in the morning as I am writing this, but boy could I do with some right now!

I think the secret to a good stew is the layering of flavours - so that each mouthful is slightly different, but equally as delicious. And I simply adore the rustic feel of chunky carrots - when you bite into them there must still be a slight crunch and a burst of sweetness, followed by the flavours they have absorbed... Mmmm.... "Stewy Carrots Please!"

Lamb and Split Pea Casserole:

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

500g Lamb Cubes (I used The Organic Cubes from Woolies)
2 Large Leeks, Chopped
3 Large Carrots, Roughly Chopped
3 Sticks Celery, Roughly Chopped
3 Large Tomatoes, Skins Removed and Cut into Quarters
A Few Sprigs of Rosemary
Meat Stock (yeast and gluten free) or Homemade Gravy, (I had some left over gravy from Sunday lunch, which was wonderful as it had all the flavours from the beef roast juices in it) Enough to Cover the Ingredients
Paprika

Xylitol

Salt and Pepper
Vital Soya Sauce (Yeast Free) or Tamari
1 Cup Split Peas
Wild Brown Rice for Serving

Directions:

Heat oven to 120 degrees Celsius
Fry leeks in a drop of olive oil with a sprinkle of salt

Add the lamb, a few cubes at a time, until it is all nicely browned

Add rosemary, carrots and celery

Fry for a few more minutes

Transfer everything to an oven dish

Add the paprika, meat stock or gravy, a squeeze of soya sauce for extra flavour, the tomatoes, a sprinkle of Xylitol - to counter balance the tartness of the tomatoes, and the split peas

Cook in the oven for about 1.5 hours until the peas are tender

Stir occasionally

Serve with wild brown rice

Effortless

If you are looking for a no thinking, effortless, yet tasty breakfast, lunch or anytime snack one of my bests is sardines on toast.

I know this isn't to everyone's tastes, but sardines are very good for you, being rich in omega 3 fatty acids, essential for the body, plus they come in a tin - you can't get simpler than that! (You could be adventurous and try fresh or frozen sardines - but I haven't been that brave yet.)

This is perfect for me on a lazy Saturday or Sunday morning when I haven't planned any of my meals.

Sardines on Rice Toast:
(Serves 1)

Ingredients:

1 Tin Sardines in Tomato Sauce
A Handful of Flat Leaf Parsley, Roughly Chopped
A Squeeze of Lemon Juice
Herbal Salt
Paprika
Cracked Black Pepper
1 -2 Slices Sour Dough Rice Bread (Fresh Earth or Fruits and Roots sells this - and I'm sure other health shops do too)

Directions:

Open the tin of sardines, place contents into a bowl and mash with a fork
Add the rest of the ingredients and mix together well
Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary
Put the bread onto toast - I love this bread because it tastes just like white bread with a lovely crunch when toasted
Place the sardines on the toast
And Voila! A quick and tasty no nonsense meal :)

Almost a Culinary Disaster

If you have been following my blogs, you will know that breakfast was a bit of a toughie when it came to my allergy free diet.

A few months ago, I had a brain wave - the brilliant idea to make a bacon, avo and sweet corn fritter stack for breakfast... Now this seems simple enough, right? Well, let me tell you that getting used to gluten free flours and ingredients is a totally interesting, funny, hair pulling, yet liberating experience, all at the same time. And if you had been a fly on the wall, I'm sure I would have provided you with a good chuckle or two.

But as they say practice makes perfect - and I kinda had to practice a lot ;-)

I started off by using corn starch as a replacement for flour, which didn't work very well. I think it had something to do with the fact that I was using sweet corn and corn starch, which sort of dissolved into each other, not creating the right consistency. After unsuccessfully trying to fry a few of these "fritters", which turned into congealed blobs - blaming it on everything from the frying pan to the spray and cook to the batter itself; for not working the way I had imagined - I finally decided to add some gluten free cake flour to the batter and yay, I got my fritters in the end!

Last night, I decided to make them again, to get the correct quantities - they made a pretty delish dinner too!

Gluten Free Bacon, Avo and Sweet Corn Fritter Stacks:
(Makes 2 Generous Stacks with some fritters left over)

Ingredients:

1 Tin Creamed Sweet Corn
3/4 Cup Nature's Choice Cake Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Xanthan Gum
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil Spray and Cook
1 Packet Bacon
1 - 2 Avos
A Squeeze of Lemon (Optional)

Directions:

Heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
Sift flour and Xanthan Gum into creamed sweet corn and mix gently together
Add the salt and pepper to taste
Heat a pan and add the spray and cook (make sure the temperature is on a medium heat as you do not want to burn the fritters)
Add a small amount of mixture to the pan, trying to get the fritter as thin as possible so that it cooks evenly with no raw bits (you may need to do a practice one first to test the temperature of the pan)
Turn over after a few minutes (you may need to add some more Spray and Cook before putting the fritter raw side down in the pan, to prevent it sticking)
While you are frying the fritters put the bacon onto grill in the oven until crispy - making sure that you have placed a baking tray underneath the bacon to catch the fat - no oil is necessary when grilling the bacon
Slice the avo
Place a fritter on a plate and layer with bacon and avo and then another fritter until you have a good stack
I like to add a squeeze of lemon and salt and pepper onto the avo before stacking

Chicken Mélange Topped Sweet Corn Fritters:
(Serves 2)

Ingredients for the Chicken Topping:

1 Leek, Finely Chopped
2 Chicken Breasts, Diced into Small Pieces
Half a Pepper, Finely Chopped
A Few Mange Toute, Chopped
Olive Oil
A Teaspoon Corn Starch
A Little Water
Squeeze Soya Sauce (Vital or Tamari)
Herbal Salt
Pepper
Dried Chilli Flakes
A Handful of Rocket

Directions:

Place the chopped leeks into a pan with a drop of oil and sprinkle of salt
When cooked add in the diced chicken and fry for a few minutes
Add the corn starch and water and cook for a few more minutes until the chicken has been coated and the corn starch and water have become a little thick
Add in the soya sauce, herbal salt, dried chilli flakes and pepper
Add the diced pepper and chopped mange toute and cook for a further few minutes
Just before serving mix through the handful of rocket so that it wilts with the heat
Top the chicken mélange onto a few fritters and serve while still hot

Quick Tip: I added a sprinkle of cinnamon to the batter for last night's dinner, which went wonderfully with the chicken. You can also sprinkle these fritters with cannamon and sugar (or Xylitol) for a sweet treat - leaving out the salt and pepper in the batter

A Skinny Dip

A few weeks ago, I wanted to make a healthy snack for a dinner party I was invited to. I came up with this tuna pate, which went down like a house on fire.

Tuna Pate with Crudités:

Ingredients:

1 Tin of Tuna, in Brine
1 Tin of Butter Beans, in Brine (no vinegar added)
A Handful of Flat Leaf Parsley
Juice of 1 Lemon
A Good Glug of Lemon Infused Olive Oil (I used Willow Creek - this is to allow ingredients to blend well together and for flavour)
A drop of Smokey Sesame Oil (for flavour)
A Good Shake of Herbal Salt
A Good Sprinkle of Paprika
Cracked Black Pepper to Taste

Directions:

Drain tuna and butterbeans (you may want to reserve some of the liquid to help with the blending if necessary)
Place all ingredients in a blender
Blend well, until smooth
Taste, add extra lemon juice, sesame oil, lemon infused olive oil, herbal salt, paprika, pepper until you are happy with the flavour
Serve with a selection of crudités such as carrot, cucumber and celery sticks; baby corn or nachos