Dairy-Free – Page 33 – The Food Wife

Whatâ€™s For Dinner?

21st January 201922nd January 2019
by thefoodwife

This week weâ€™re having several of the recipes from The Food Wife which I thought Iâ€™d share for some inspiration if youâ€™re struggling to come up with ideas for meals this week.

Friends are joining us for lunch on Sunday and Iâ€™ll be cooking my roast chicken with preserved lemons but this time rubbing the skin with olive oil and ras al hanout before it goes in the oven and serving it with my spiced butternut squash, feta and pomegranate salad. A winning combination for a lighter lunch rather than a full roast dinner!

With the other half of the butternut squash weâ€™ll be enjoying my butternut squash risotto. I have plans for the leftover chicken too, with a yet-to-feature Instant Pot Mexican rice bowl (watch this space).

Today Iâ€™ve made a big batch of daal thatâ€™s been portioned up and popped in the freezer so Iâ€™ll be getting that out later in the week to enjoy, making a quick and easy, nutritious meal.

And Friday night is currently homemade pizza night in our house; although Iâ€™ve been changing things up a bit and making the base using a sourdough starter. I use 300g of starter and reduce the flour and water by 150g and 150ml respectively, and omit the yeast; it proves a little longer but otherwise the recipe is exactly the same.

Hopefully thatâ€™s given you some culinary inspiration, including some ways of making ingredients stretch to more than one meal. Let me know in the comments if you’ve tried out any Food Wife recipes this week, and if you haven’t already, why not sign up to the newsletter to get each week’s recipes direct to your email.

Pork Fried Rice

15th January 201915th January 2019
by thefoodwife

Serves 4

On a visit to Vietnam a few years ago, one evening we grabbed some dinner at a Bia HÆ¡i (literally “fresh beer”, as you can see the Food Husband enjoying in the photo). It was a humble but tasty affair of fried rice with meat and vegetables, cooked on the street and brought to us whilst we sat on the little plastic chairs on the pavement.

This is a nod to that meal, although the flavourings here are more Chinese with the hoisin and shaoxing rice wine.

I normally make a batch of the flavoured pork and then use half and freeze the other half for a quick and convenient meal for two. The rice is also best if completely cold, so if youâ€™re having a rice dish the night before, just cook some extra and pop it in the fridge ready for this the next day. Always be careful with cooked rice though, it must be fully reheated to ensure no bacteria remains.

Ingredients:

For the pork sauce:
1 tbsp oil
1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 inch ginger, peeled and finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
500g lean pork mince
2 tsp Chinese five spice
3 tbsp shaoxing rice wine
3 tbsp dark soy sauce (gluten-free if required)
1 tbsp fish sauce
5 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
Pepper

For the fried rice:
1 tbsp oil
4 handfuls of (frozen) vegetables
240g basmati rice, cooked and fully cooled
2 large free-range eggs

Step 1: Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok. Add the onion, ginger and garlic and stir fry for a couple of minutes.

Step 2: Add the pork mince and cook until browned and dry. Stir frequently.

Step 3: Add the spice, and cook for thirty seconds before adding the rice wine and sauces. Cook for a couple of minutes before seasoning with the sesame oil and a pinch of ground pepper.

At this stage you could freeze portions, or chill in the fridge until ready to use.

Step 4: To make the stir fried rice, heat the oil in a wok and crack in the two eggs. Stir to break these up to create a dry scrambled egg.

Step 5: Add the (frozen) vegetables and continue to stir fry. Next add the cold rice and turn through the egg and vegetables.

Step 6: Once the rice is hot, introduce the cooked pork in its sauce and stir until everything is piping hot. Serve immediately.

Thai-Style Steak Noodle Salad

20th December 201820th December 2018
by thefoodwife

Serves 2

Christmas time is synonymous with rich food. And a lot of it. Sometimes something fresh and light is needed, and that is exactly what this dish delivers. Itâ€™s fairly quick to make (the longest element is the marinating of the steak for half an hour).

I have used lime leaves in my dressing and marinade but if these arenâ€™t available, the zest of a lime will suffice.

When it comes to the salad element you can pick whatever you like. Keep a crunchy element though (I used iceberg lettuce) as this brings a different texture to the meal.

I served my steak rare, but by all means cook it longer to your preference.

Ingredients:

For the steak:
300g ribeye steak
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce (gluten-free if required)
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
Zest of 1 lime or 2 lime leaves, finely sliced

For the salad dressing:
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
1 inch of root ginger, peeled and grated
Juice of 1 lime
Zest of 1 lime or 2 lime leaves, finely sliced

For the salad:
100g dry vermicelli rice noodles, cooked according to the packet instructions and then cooled
4 handfuls of salad (e.g. lettuce, cucumber, pepper, spring onion all sliced/shredded)

Step 1: Combine the marinade for the steak and allow the steak to sit in it for about half an hour.

Step 2: Combine all of the ingredients for the salad dressing and set to one side.

Step 3: Put a non-stick frying pan on a high heat. Once hot, sear the steak (reserve the marinade) on each side for a minute (or more if you want it medium or well done). Pour the remaining marinade into the pan and then remove the steak and all of its juices from the pan, and cover with foil, and allow to rest for a few minutes.

Step 4: Cut the beef into thin slices.

Step 5: Combine the cooled noodles and salad with the dressing.

Step 6: Arrange on a plate or bowl and drape the steak over the top, pouring over any remaining juices from the beef.

Serve immediately (I like it with prawn crackers on the side).

Fat-Free Bramley Apple and Vintage Cider Mincemeat

18th December 201818th December 2018
by thefoodwife

Makes approximately 2-2.5L

Inspired by the recipe my mother uses for her mincemeat, here is a fruit packed mincemeat, which contains no suet and so is fat-free, ~~which Iâ€™m sure then makes it healthy…~~

This is quite light in colour and wonderfully citrusy from the candied peel. My batch is destined for the obligatory mince pies but I also intend to make a mincemeat crumble and maybe even a mincemeat cake from my jars.

Ingredients:
500ml (vintage) cider
450g soft light brown sugar
2kg Bramley apples, peeled, cored and cut into rough small dice
1kg mixed dried fruit (sultanas, raisins, currants, mixed peel etc.)
1 1/2 heaped tsp mixed spice
1 1/2 heaped tsp ground cinnamon
6 cloves, ground
1/2 nutmeg, freshly grated
Unwaxed lemon, zest and juice
2 tbsp rum

Step 1: Place a large, heavy-bottomed sauce pan over a medium heat. Add the cider and sugar, and once the sugar is dissolved add the apple.

Step 2: Add the dried fruit, spices and lemon to the mixture, and once it is simmering, half cover with a lid and cook down (about an hour) until the apples have broken down into a satisfying mush (I chose to leave the odd piece of apple but if you donâ€™t want this to be visible then continue to cook until all the apple is mushed). Make sure you stir it every so often.

Step 3: Check the sweetness and then allow to cool, before stirring in the rum. Finally spoon into your sterilised jars and seal.

I made these into lighter mince pies by layering four squares of filo pastry in a muffin tin, each layer brushed with a little melted butter. Then a dessert spoon of the mince meat in each one, baked for 12-15 minutes at 180c until crisp and lightly browned.

Sweet Potato, Squash and Red Lentil Soup

12th December 201812th December 2018
by thefoodwife

Serves 8

This is a big vat of soup which is simple to make but warming on these cold days. It is lightly spiced, packed full of vegetables and pulses and when blended has a lovely and smooth, almost velvety consistency.

The soup is gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan so it is suitable for a range of diets and is also fairly low on calories too (I worked it out to be below 200 calories a portion).

Ingredients:
2 tbsp oil
1 white onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground ginger
700g sweet potato, peeled and roughly cut into large dice
400g butternut squash, peeled and roughly cut into large dice
250g red lentils
2 litres vegetable stock
Salt and pepper to taste

Step 1: Heat a large pan on a medium heat and add the oil and onion. Cook for about five minutes, stirring frequently.

Step 2: Add the spices and stir, cook for about 30 seconds and then add the vegetables, lentils and stock.

Step 3: Bring to a simmer and then cover with a lid and cook until the vegetables are softened and the lentils are soft (about 25-30 minutes).

Step 4: Blend until smooth and then season to taste.