Dairy-Free – Page 8 – The Food Wife

Fragrant Sea Bass Parcels

11th February 202412th February 2024
by thefoodwife

Serves 2

These delightful silver parcels sing with fresh and fragrant flavours. Delicate fish scented with the unmistakable perfume of south-east Asia. These are beautiful served with my go-to noodle salad but for a lighter meal serve with a fresh and zingy salad without the carbs.

Ingredients:

4 sea bass fillets

1 red chilli finely sliced

1/2 lemongrass finely sliced

4 lime leaves

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 160c (fan) and get a baking tray ready.

Step 2: Lay out a largish sheet of tin foil per person. In the centre of each lay two fillets side by side skin side down. Sprinkle over the sliced chilli and lemongrass and place a lime leaf on each fillet.

Step 3: bring the sides of the foil up to create a pocket with space for the steam to accumulate to cook the fish and then scrunch the ends tight to seal the parcels.

Step 4: Place the parcels on the baking tray and cook for 12-15 minutes.

Serve the parcels on the table, allowing the eater to open their own little fragrant package!

Vietnamese-style Sticky Meatballs

11th February 202411th February 2024
by thefoodwife

Makes 12

These are so tasty. Sticky from their honey, sesame and soy glaze and juicy inside. You can of course serve these with noodles or rice but for a low carb option try them in gem lettuce leaf â€˜boatsâ€™. I made these with turkey mince but by all means use a mince of your choice.

Ingredients:

400g (turkey) mince

1 red chilli, finely chopped

1 lemongrass, finely chopped

3 lime leaves, finely chopped

1 tbsp oyster sauce (gluten-free if required)

1 thumb sized piece of ginger, grated

For the sticky glaze:

2 tbsp honey

4 tbsp soy sauce (gluten-free if required)

1 tsp sesame oil

1 thumb sized piece of ginger, grated

1 tsp sesame seeds

Step 1: Mix all the meatball ingredients in a large bowl (use your hands for best results).

Step 2: Wet your hands to help them not stick and make 12 balls from the mixture.

Step 3: Add a little vegetable oil to a (non-stick) frying pan and over a medium heat, fry the meatballs until they are golden all over and cooked through. This will take 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile mix up the glaze ingredients.

Step 4: When youâ€™re happy the meatballs are cooked, add the glaze mixture to the pan and raise the heat a little so that the mixture reduces to a sticky glaze, which should take a couple of minutes, and toss the meatballs so they are coated.

Serve.

Pork and Prawn stuffed Cabbage Rolls

11th February 202412th February 2024
by thefoodwife

Makes 12-15 rolls

Here is a low carb way to enjoy delicious pork and prawn dumplings. Using cabbage leaves in place of the dough makes these a tasty and healthier addition to your repertoire.

Ingredients:

500g pork mince

165g raw king prawns roughly chopped

60g shiitake mushrooms roughly chopped

1 tbsp oyster sauce (gluten-free if required)

1 tbsp soy sauce (gluten-free if required)

1 tsp Chinese 5 spice

2 spring onions, finely sliced

2 fat cloves of garlic, crushed

12-15 large savoy cabbage leaves, washed and blanched in boiling water for 30 seconds

Dipping sauce:

1 tsp Sesame oil

2 tbsp Soy sauce (gluten-free if required)

4 tbsp Black rice vinegar

1 tbsp Sugar

Step 1: Mix the pork, prawns, mushrooms, oyster sauce, soy sauce, Chinese 5 spice, spring onion and garlic together in a large bowl. For best results use your hands to ensure everything is combined.

Step 2: Next take the blanched cabbage leaves and use a sharp knife to remove the tough stem from the base of them. Lay them flat.

Step 3: Wet your hands to help stop the mixture sticking to them and take golf ball sized amounts and mould them into a squat sausage shape and place in the centre of a leaf and then fold them for the bottom of the leaf, tucking in the sides as you go, until you have a neat parcel. Repeat with the remaining leaves.

*The folded cabbage rolls, pre-steaming. You can prepare them to this stage in advance and keep them on a plate in the fridge for a few hours until ready to steam.*

Step 4: Steam the parcels for 12-15 minutes. Meanwhile mix up the dipping sauce ingredients. When the dumplings are freshly steamed serve them with the dipping sauce.

*One of the cooked cabbage rolls during a meal.*

Cheeky Biscoff Twists

21st December 202321st December 2023
by thefoodwife

Makes 10 twists

These couldnâ€™t be easier and only need 2 ingredients and 20 minutes.

Ingredients:

1 sheet of ready rolled puff pastry

2 heaped tbsp of smooth biscoff spread (I heated it for 30 seconds in the microwave to make it runny)

Optional: Icing sugar to serve

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 200c (fan) and line a large baking tray.

Step 2: Take the sheet of ready rolled puff pastry, spread half of it with the biscoff spread then fold the other half on top.

Step 3: Cut into 10 equal strips, and twist!

Step 4: Spread on the lined baking tray and bake for 18 mins.

Step 5: Dust with icing sugar and serve!

Chocolate Bourbon Tiffin

21st November 202321st November 2023
by thefoodwife

Makes 16 squares

I love tiffin. Itâ€™s also known as refrigerator cake, as thereâ€™s no baking required. Setting the cake in the fridge results in a rich biscuity chocolate concoction, studded with other sweet treats. Adaptations are listed below to make these vegan and/or gluten-free.

Ingredients:

150g butter/vegan baking block

75g caster sugar

75g golden syrup

30g cocoa powder

150g chocolate bourbon biscuits (gluten-free/vegan if required), crushed to a mix of powder and chunks

2 handfuls of sultanas

2 handfuls of mini marshmallows (gluten-free/vegan if required)

100-200g dark and/or milk chocolate (gluten-free/vegan if required), melted.

Optional: Iâ€™ve made mine extra special with two tubes of Rolos (these should be gluten-free but unfortunately are not vegan)

Step 1: Line an 8×8 inch baking pan with grease proof paper.

Step 2: Over a medium low heat, melt the butter, sugar, syrup and cocoa together until smooth, remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

Step 3: In a bowl combine the crushed bourbon biscuits, sultanas, marshmallows and rolos (if using) and then stir through the cooled molten cocoa mix until fully combined.

Step 4: Tip into the lined pan and press out until it is in one smooth and level layer. Place in a fridge to set for half an hour.

Step 5: Smooth over the molten chocolate (100g will give a thin layer, 200g a thicker) and cover and place in the fridge to set for a couple of hours until everything is firm. Once fully set, cut into 16 squares using a hot knife.

Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week.