Dairy-Free – Page 40 – The Food Wife

Veggie Kebabs in a Japanese Style Marinade

11th July 201811th July 2018
by thefoodwife

Makes 6 kebabs

When providing vegetarian or vegan fare for a barbecue it’s nice to offer something a little different to your standard veggie burgers and sausages. This marinade has Japanese flavours from the soy, mirin and seaweed and the orange adds a citrus hit (although if you can find it, try it with some yuzu juice instead).

The seaweed is really powerful in the marinade and holds up against the other flavours well. It gives off a definite seaside scent but don’t worry, this transforms when cooked.

If you want to go meaty, this would be nice with cubes of pork on a kebab too.

Ingredients:

For the marinade:
3 tbsp mirin (gluten-free if required)
3 tbsp light soy sauce (gluten-free if required)
Juice of 1 orange
1 tsp dried nori flakes

For the kebabs:
1 red pepper, cut into 1-inch squares
1 red onion, quartered and separated into petals
12 mushrooms
12 cherry tomatoes
You will also need 6 kebab sticks (if wooden, soak in water for a couple of hours first)

Step 1: Combine the marinade ingredients in a dish or sealable bag and mix.

Step 2: Add your prepared vegetables and leave, covered, to marinate for about 2 hours.

Step 3: Take your kebab sticks and skewer your vegetables on, ensuring you have different pieces next to each other. Start and finish with a mushroom to ensure things don’t go AWOL. Have two mushrooms and two tomatoes per skewer. N.b. The onions will have softened in the marinade; this will make them extra sweet when cooking.

Step 4: Cook on a hot barbecue for a couple of minutes on each side, turning to ensure they don’t burn.

Bolognese Sauce

6th July 20186th July 2018
by thefoodwife

Serves 8

Many families will have their preferred bolognese sauce and I am a big fan of adding lots of vegetables to mine, but I do it in a sneaky way. So sneaky that my husband, who cannot stand mushrooms or courgettes, doesnâ€™t mind me jam-packing them into my bolognese as even he admits he canâ€™t taste whatever he finds so offensive normally!

I find the addition of lots of finely minced vegetables (I do mine in a food processor) makes a better sauce than one simply using tomato and onion. I have used red wine, but you could use white. I used dried oregano but a little rosemary would also work well (I actually used an oil that had been infused with rosemary). Basil added at the end of cooking would also make a good addition.

And a note on the chicken livers; this is optional but Iâ€™d urge you to give it a go – it makes a richer, more flavourful sauce. It may be that you just donâ€™t mention theyâ€™re in there, much like my mum used to when we were growing up!

Ingredients:
Olive oil
2 celery sticks
2 red onions
1 large or 2 medium carrots
1 courgette
1 red pepper
4 fat cloves of garlic
250g chestnut mushrooms
500g lean beef mince
200g chicken livers
1kg passata
1 glass red wine
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce (gluten-free if required)
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper
1 tsp caster sugar

Step 1: Begin by finely chopping all of your vegetables (I used a food processor).

Step 2: Heat some oil in a large pan (about 2 tbsp), on a medium heat. Add the celery, onion and carrot and soften for about eight to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 3: Next add the red pepper, courgette and mushrooms along with the garlic and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 4: Remove the softened vegetables and set to one side.

Step 5: Add some more olive oil to the pan (about 1 tbsp) and then add the beef mince, and cook until browned, about five or 10 minutes, then add your chicken livers (if using) and stir now and again for a couple of minutes.

Step 6: Reintroduce your vegetables along with the passata, herbs, bay leaves, wine, Worcestershire sauce and balsamic vinegar. Bring to a simmer and then lower the heat and cover with a lid and allow to cook for 45 minutes.

Step 7: Now season to taste and check if it needs a little caster sugar; a teaspoon should be enough.

Serve with pasta or you could use this as the meat layer of a lasagne.

Mexican-Style Salad

4th July 201816th July 2018
by thefoodwife

Serves 2-3

So this week we had one of my quesadillas (using leftover chicken breast from one I roasted at the weekend) and I wanted a Mexican-inspired salad to go with it. The lime juice made it really fresh and the jalapeÃ±os give you spikes of heat whilst the addition of sweetcorn give it a lovely sweetness.

Ingredients:

For the salad:
1 head of gem lettuce, larger leaves sliced, smaller leaves left whole
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 carrot, peeled into ribbons
1 small avocado, peeled, stoned and cut into cubes
1/2 small tin of drained sweetcorn
1 tbsp red jalapeÃ±os from a jar, chopped
1 tbsp coriander, chopped

For the dressing:
1 lime (juice only)
Olive oil

Step 1: Combine all of the salad ingredients in a large bowl.

Step 2: Squeeze over the juice of a lime and a small drizzle of olive oil.

It is best to make this as soon as you are planning to eat; the lime juice will stop the avocado from discolouring but you donâ€™t want the salad going limp from the dressing.

Thai-Style Chicken and Mango Salad

2nd July 20182nd July 2018
by thefoodwife

Serves 2 for lunch or 1 for a main meal

This is one of my favourite meals to have when itâ€™s hot. Itâ€™s so quick (assuming youâ€™re using leftover chicken), fresh, and incredibly satisfying. The fat-free dressing gives you a citrusy, salty, chilli hit. Yum. Iâ€™ve been eating it for the last few years and itâ€™s great for when youâ€™re watching your calorie intake. I also like it without the noodles if Iâ€™m looking for a carb-free meal or an even lighter lunch.

Ingredients:

For the salad:
1 chicken breast cooked and shredded (you could poach or fry one breast and then shred; I like to use leftover meat from a roast chicken)
50g vermicelli rice/bean noodles, soaked in boiling water until soft then drained under cold water
A mix of salad such as;
Baby gem lettuce, sliced
2 inches of cucumber, sliced or cubed
2 spring onions, sliced
1/2 carrot, using a peeler to peel into ribbons
1/2 red pepper cut into thin strips
5 cherry tomatoes, halved
Small bunch of mint leaves, torn
Half a mango, skinned and cubed, or finely chop 30g of dried mango

Dressing:
Juice of 1/2 – 1 lime
1-2 tsp sugar
1-2 tbsp fish sauce
Pinch of dried chilli flakes/chopped fresh red chilli

Step 1: Combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl or platter.

Step 2: Mix the dressing ingredients to taste.

Step 3: Pour the dressing over the salad just before serving.

This makes a great lunchbox salad, but keep the dressing separate until just before serving. To make a lower calorie, lighter meal, omit the noodles and up the salad items.

(Sort of) Patatas Bravas

29th June 201829th June 2018
by thefoodwife

Serves 3-6 as a tapas

Here it is, my final dish from the tapas feast and when it comes to tapas, patatas bravas is a staple. This is a bastardised version but still really good. Itâ€™s less oily than normal and the spicy sauce is simple. Iâ€™m not going to lie, I couldnâ€™t stop eating it… like I say, it could serve six, but we (mainly me) polished it off between the three of us!

Ingredients:
500g new potatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 heaped tsp paprika
2 roasted red peppers, finely diced
Parsley, finely chopped

Step 1: Cook the potatoes in cold salted water, bring to the boil and then simmer until a knife can easily pass through them.

Step 2: Drain the potatoes and slice in half.

Step 3: Heat the oil in a frying pan on a medium-high heat and add the halved potatoes, allowing to sizzle and crisp for a couple of minutes.

Step 4: Add the crushed garlic, paprika and chopped peppers, and turn over the potatoes and continue to cook for a couple more minutes. Scatter the dish with some fresh parsley before serving.