Dairy-Free – Page 6 – The Food Wife

Dark Chocolate Peppermint Creams

2nd July 20242nd July 2024
by thefoodwife

Makes 20

These no-cook minty sweets, are another blast from the past! Iâ€™ve coated half of each in dark chocolate, but you can entirely cover them if you fancy.

My four year old loved the bright green of these and announced heâ€™d be having them for pudding, the day we made them!

Ingredients:

250g icing sugar

1 egg white

Peppermint extract

Green food colouring (optional)

100g dark chocolate (gluten-free/dairy-free as required)

Step 1: Combine the icing sugar with a few drops of the peppermint extract and a drop of food colouring (if using) and slowly add the egg white, a little at a time, until you have a smooth pliable dough. You might not need the full amount of egg so just add this bit by bit.

Step 2: Roll the dough into a sausage shape and divide into 20 pieces.

Step 3: Have a lined tray ready, and then take each piece of dough and roll it into a ball before gently flattening it into a disc onto the lined tray. Once all 20 are made pop them in the fridge to firm up.

Step 4: After at least a couple of hours, melt the dark chocolate in a bowl in the microwave. Do this in 30 second bursts, stirring after each time until melted and smooth.

Step 5: Carefully dip each disc in the melted chocolate and replace on the lined tray. Return to the fridge to fully set.

Store in a sealed container in the fridge until ready to devour!

Sugar Mice

2nd July 20242nd July 2024
by thefoodwife

These are the cutest little mice and are hardly a recipe at all, rather instructions for little (or big!) hands to make using ready made icing.

Whilst these arenâ€™t the crystally sugar mice (which have the sort of texture of Kendal mint cake) that you can still buy in old fashioned sweet shops, they are perfect to make at home.

Ingredients:

Ready made icing

Strawberry laces sweets (or similar)

Edible shimmer (optional)

Step 1: For each mouse measure out 30g of ready made icing, in the colour of your choice. Knead with your hands until smooth and pliable and then roll it in to a small sausage shape, then smooth one end into a round little bottom and the other in to a slight point for the nose.

Step 2: Use a cocktail stick (or similar) to make a hole in the rear end about 3/4 cm deep and insert a piece of the sweetie laces, cut to about 5cm long. Push it in as far as your hole goes and then use your fingers to gently pinch the icing around the tail and smooth it so itâ€™s neat.

Step 3: Take a small piece of icing and make two small balls for the ears. Press each ball flat between your finger and thumb to make a little circle and then carefully smooth these onto the top of the head of the mouse, again use your finger to gently smooth the icing.

Step 4: Use the cocktail stick to poke two little eyes beneath the ears and then set each mouse to one side.

Step 5: If you like you can decorate the mice. I used an edible shimmer to lightly colour the mice.

Store in a sealed container until ready to eat!

Korean-Style Chicken Wings

6th June 20246th June 2024
by thefoodwife

Serves 2-4

Tonightâ€™s dinner all started with a jar of near-empty strawberry jam. I remembered a great recipe by Eric Kim Iâ€™d made last year with chickpeas in this amazing Korean style sauce, which used a tablespoon of strawberry jam. So here we have my version with chicken wings. Itâ€™s sweet, spicy and sticky. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

750g-1kg chicken wings

1 tbsp strawberry jam

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp soy sauce (gluten-free if required)

1 tbsp gochujang (gluten-free if required)

1 tbsp sesame seeds

3 tbsp tomato ketchup

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 190c (fan).

Step 2: Use a sharp knife to cut the wings on their joint to create two pieces from each wing. Spread these on a baking tray and cook for 30-35 minutes until cooked through but not too crispy.

Step 3: Meanwhile combine the remaining ingredients to a smooth sauce.

Step 4: Once the wings are out of the oven, heat a wok over a medium high heat, transfer the wings to the wok, and add the sauce, stir frying them until the sauce coats all the wings and it has reduced to a glorious sticky glaze (this should take five minutes or so).

Serve hot but try not to eat them all on your ownâ€¦

RosÃ© SangrÃa

5th June 20245th June 2024
by thefoodwife

Makes 1 pitcher

RosÃ© Sangria! Summery and refreshing and a great way to use up the odd bottle of rosÃ© and make it go a little furtherâ€¦

You can garnish it with strawberries, orange, peach and nectarines and mint leaves. Iâ€™ve just used peaches as thatâ€™s what I had.

Mix 75ml of Grand Marnier or Cointreau, 10g sugar, a chilled bottle of rosÃ©, 300ml of soda water and if you like 100ml of cranberry juice. Lots of ice and your fruit garnish.

Give it all a stir and serve, ideally in sunshine!

Feed Your Family for a Fiver

7th May 20248th May 2024
by thefoodwife

I promised Lisa at West Wilts Magazine that I would do a few recipes where you could feed a family of four for a fiver. Iâ€™ve gone with three meals with a Â£15 spend (priced using one of the big supermarkets beginning with T).

Where Iâ€™m using basic store cupboard ingredients I have assumed you already have these at home; salt, pepper, dried herbs and spices, oil and vinegar.

You wonâ€™t be using all the pasta, honey, mayo, salad cream, garlic, cabbage and carrots so although this was 51p over my Â£15 spend youâ€™ll have some ingredients left for another dayâ€¦

Shopping list:

500g Spaghetti Â£0.75

2x tins of Tuna Â£1.70

2 onions Â£0.28

Garlic Â£0.55

2x 500g Passata Â£1.10

12 Sausages Â£2.85

1kg Small Potatoes Â£0.99

Honey Â£1.20

1-1.2kg chicken wings Â£2.09

4 Baking potatoes Â£0.75

Cabbage Â£0.80

1kg Carrots Â£0.68

Mayonnaise Â£0.86

Salad cream Â£0.91

Â£15.51

Tuna Spaghetti

Serves 4

Iâ€™ve been making a version of this for the last 25 years. So simple to make and itâ€™s delicious – a crowd pleaser! Add chilli flakes if you like a little kickâ€¦

Ingredients:

1 tbsp (Olive) Oil

300-400g of spaghetti depending on appetites (gluten-free if required)

2 tins of tuna in Springwater, drained

1 red onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic sliced or crushed

1 tsp Herbes de Province/mixed herbs

1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

2Ã—500g passata or 1x passata 1x tin of chopped tomatoes

1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar

Chopped Parsley to serve (optional)

Step 1: Add 1 tablespoon of oil into a heavy-based saucepan or frying pan, over a medium heat. Next add the garlic and onion and cook until softened.

Step 2: Add the dried herbs, chilli flakes (if using) and cook for 30 seconds. Add the passata (and chopped tomatoes if using) along with a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar. Cook down for five minutes. During this time, get on with cooking the spaghetti according to the packet instructions.

Step 3: Add the tuna to the tomato sauce and stir through, cooking for a further five minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 4: Drain the cooked pasta, reserving a little of the cooking water, add the pasta to the sauce adding a little of the reserved pasta water to loosen. Stir until everything is combined and then serve with a garnish of freshly chopped parsley, if desired.

Balsamic Glazed Sausage Tray Bake

Serves 4

I do love a â€˜shove it in the oven and then itâ€™s ready and deliciousâ€™ meal. Especially on a weeknight. Yes you do have to visit the oven a couple of times to add things but this only takes a minute.

You can serve this as it is, or add some extra veg if you like. We had it with a cauliflower cheese dish Iâ€™d picked up reduced to 29pâ€¦ bargain!

Ingredients:

10-12 sausages

800g small potatoes, quartered or large votaries cut into small chunks

4 carrots, cut into 1cm thick slices

1 tbsp oil

Salt & Pepper

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 190c fan and get a high-edged baking dish ready.

Step 2: Spread the potatoes and carrots in a baking dish. Drizzle with the oil, salt and pepper. Bake for 25 minutes.

Step 3: give everything a shake or mix with a spoon, spread back out and then add the sausages. Bake for a further 20 minutes.

Step 4: Mix the honey and balsamic vinegar together and then drizzle over everything and bake for a further 10 minutes.

Wings, Wedges and Slaw

Serves 4

We often have this winning combination, it such a crowd pleaser! The cat always has to be shut out of the room as he cannot resist trying to be a participant in the meal!

The great thing about this is that the wedges and the wings cook simultaneously while you make the slaw. You can just season the wings and wedges with salt and pepper but the world is your oyster for flavour if you desire. Add some dried herbs or spicy Cajun seasoning. I decided to use Cajun spices in both the chicken and the potatoes but added a big splodge of bbq sauce to the wings too.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1kg chicken wings

1/4 white/red cabbage

2 carrots

1 small red onion

2 heaped tbsp mayonnaise

1 heaped tbsp salad cream

4 baking potatoes, cut into wedges

Salt and Pepper

Vegetable oil

Step 1: Prepare two oven trays and preheat the oven to 200c (fan).

Step 2: Season the wings and wedges separately. Drizzle the wedges with 1tbsp of oil and use your hands to ensure theyâ€™re coated. Spread the wings and wedges on a tray each. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes.

Step 3: Meanwhile make the slaw. Finely slice the cabbage, carrots and onions. In a bowl combine the mayonnaise and salad cream. Stir through the chopped vegetables, until coated.

Serve everything at the table and dig in!

Dark Chocolate Peppermint Creams

Sugar Mice

Korean-Style Chicken Wings

RosÃ© SangrÃ­a

Feed Your Family for a Fiver

RosÃ© SangrÃa