Gluten-Free – Page 28 – The Food Wife

Thai Three Taste Sauce

12th March 202012th March 2020
by thefoodwife

Makes enough for 3-4 portions

A staple in many Thai restaurants, the three tastes here are salty, sweet and sour. The saltiness comes from the fish sauce, the sweet from the palm sugar and the sourness from the tart tamarind paste. Thereâ€™s also a good punch of heat from the chilli and garlic.

It is an excellent accompaniment to (fried) fish or tofu. Make a batch and if not using it all at once, divide into mini portions and freeze.

The recipe below makes the sauce which you can then add to your chosen Thai dish. Once made simply add it to the end of your cooking of your fish or tofu. Serve with rice or noodles.

Ingredients:
3 chillis, roughly chopped (including seeds)
8 fat cloves of garlic
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 tbsp fish sauce
4 tbsp tamarind paste
2 tbsp water
65g palm sugar

Step 1: Begin by using a food processor to blitz the chilli and garlic into a rough paste.

Step 2: In a wok, heat the oil over a medium high heat and then stir fry the chilli-garlic paste for about 30 seconds until fragrant.

Step 3: Add the remaining ingredients and simmer until slightly thickened and the sugar fully dissolved. This may take three or four minutes. Stir frequently.

Step 4: Remove from the heat and it is now ready to use on your cooked fish or tofu, simply add for the last minute or two of cooking.

N.b. Adjust the amount of chilli depending on your tolerance.

Squash, Potato and Black Bean Coconut Curry

6th March 20206th March 2020
by thefoodwife

Serves 4

Iâ€™m currently a little bit obsessed with black beans as a protein. Iâ€™ve been using them in stews and rice dishes, and this week decided Iâ€™d try them in a curry.

I wanted to pair them with a coconut based sauce. This is fragrant but not hot. Itâ€™s balanced with cubes of potato and sweet butternut squash.

The curry is gluten-free and vegan. Vegetable-based curries like this one go so well with nutty brown basmati rice. We also enjoyed it with an excellent lime and chilli pickle.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp coconut oil
2 shallots/1 white onion, peeled and cut into thin half moons
1/2 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1cm dice
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1cm dice
2 heaped tsp Garam Masala
2 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 heaped tsp ground coriander
1 tin (400ml) coconut milk
1 tin of black beans, drained
Salt

Step 1: Heat the oil over a medium heat and add the shallots/onion. Move around the pan occasionally until lightly browned and softened.

Step 2: Add the cubed squash and potato, along with the spices, and stir until coated and the spices lightly toasted.

Step 3: Add the coconut milk, along with half a tin of water. Cover, lower the heat and cook for about fifteen minutes.

Step 4: Add the black beans, cover again and cook for a further fifteen minutes.

Step 5: Season with a large pinch of salt, to taste. Check that the squash and potato are tender before serving.

Serve with brown basmati rice and chopped coriander sprinkled over the top.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Stew

27th February 202027th February 2020
by thefoodwife

Serves 6

I found a recipe for a black bean and sweet potato stew online, it sounded good, but Iâ€™ve made some tweaks to make it even more delicious.

The great thing is that this recipe is perfect for batch cooking and freezing for a nutritious meal when you canâ€™t be bothered to cook. Itâ€™s also cheap to make and contains lots of ingredients youâ€™ve probably already got in your store cupboard.

Itâ€™s a gluten-free and vegan recipe, and is perfect served with nutty brown rice and a salad.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp (rapeseed or olive) oil
1 red onion, medium dice
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
Spice mix containing: 1 heaped tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp chilli flakes, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp ground coriander & 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
3 medium sweet potatoes (approx 600g), peeled and cut into a 1 inch dice
2 tbsp tomato purÃ©e
500g passata
400ml vegetable stock (ensure gluten-free and vegan if required)
2 x tins/cartons black beans, drained
Salt and pepper
100g frozen spinach
2 tbsp chopped coriander

Step 1: Heat the oil over a medium heat in a large casserole dish. Add the onion and soften for five minutes.

Step 2: Add the garlic and spice mix and cook out for 30 seconds, then add the cubed sweet potato and tomato purÃ©e and cook for a further thirty seconds, stirring.

Step 3: Add the passata and vegetable
stock, along with the drained black beans. Add a generous pinch each of salt and pepper. Place the lid on the casserole, and simmer for an hour to an hour and a half, or until the sweet potato is tender.

Step 4: Check the seasoning and add more as necessary. Stir in the chopped frozen spinach, until dispersed through the sauce. Finish by stirring through the chopped coriander.

Serve with rice and a green salad.

Crepes

25th February 202025th February 2020
by thefoodwife

Makes approximately 15

Iâ€™ve previously posted my recipe for American-style fluffy pancakes, which are great for breakfast as a treat. But when it comes to Shrove Tuesday, crepe style pancakes are the only way to go for me.

As one of four children, we would eagerly await whilst our mother would churn out pancake after pancake for us, and I could invariably fill and eat mine quicker than the wait for every fourth pancake.

Nowadays, I tend to make a batch, keep them warm in a low oven and then serve them all at once, fillings on the table for everyone to help themselves. It placates my need to shovel them into my mouth as quickly as humanly possible. Honestly, itâ€™s quite impressive.

As for the fillings, our favourite savoury combination is blue cheese (Alex Jamesâ€™ Blue Monday being our go-to), sliced pear, pine nuts, rocket and a drizzle of sticky balsamic vinegar. Ham and cheese is also an obvious winner. Or for a more labour intensive option, whole baby leeks, gently cooked until soft, wrapped in a slice of ham, rolled up in a crepe, and covered in a cheese sauce, then baked in an oven until golden. Mmmmmmm.
And for sweet? I rarely stray from the classic lemon and sugar.

And why only eat these on one day of the year? Iâ€™m all for having them on a regular basis.

Ingredients:
165g plain flour (gluten-free if necessary; see note below)
3 large eggs
400ml milk
Pinch of salt

Step 1: Ideally, sift the flour, into a large bowl, make a well in the centre and add the salt and eggs. Begin to beat with a whisk, gradually adding the milk, until
you have a smooth batter.

Step 2: Leave to rest for about half an hour, but give it all a good whisk/stir again before cooking.

Step 3: Using either a non-stick frying pan, or a crepe pan, place over a high heat. You want the pan to get really hot (you can then probably turn it down to a medium high heat, but this may take some experimentation) and then grease it; I think the best results come from quickly (and very carefully) wiping some vegetable oil around the pan using a piece of folded up kitchen paper (ensuring the greased paper is kept well away from the heat source!)

Step 4: Pour from a jug, or ladle a very thin layer of the batter, swirling it around the pan to make an even layer. As the pancake cooks, it will start to come away from the sides of the pan; a good indication itâ€™s ready to turn. This should take about thirty seconds.

Step 5: Flip the pancake over (I like to use a palate knife) and cook for another thirty or so seconds. Turn out and begin the process again; oil, pour, cook, flip, cook.

N.b. I also made a gluten-free version for The Food Husband. Once the batter was made I had to add a little more of the gluten-free flour to get the right consistency, as I felt it was a little too thin. But otherwise I followed exactly the same steps. When cooking they came out slightly thicker so it made slightly less, but they tasted just as good.

Bacon, Pear and Stilton Pasta

16th January 202029th February 2020
by thefoodwife

Serves 2

I sent a text message to The Food Husband last week saying â€œweâ€™re having pasta with bacon, Stilton and pear for dinner. Sound ok?â€ He asked if this was all we had left in the fridge. It wasnâ€™t, but I admit it was partly due to wondering how to use up some of the large block of Stilton left from Christmas. Anyway, the result was rather delicious, and we agreed it should go on the blog and weâ€™d be having it again soon!

Ingredients:

Olive oil

75g smoked lardons

2 pears, peeled, cored and cut into 1 or 2 cm dice

75g Stilton, crumbled (plus extra for garnish)

150g pasta (gluten-free if required)

Step 1: Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions.

Step 2: Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a heavy bottomed frying pan. Add the lardons and cook until golden.

Step 3: Lower the heat and add the pear, cooking gently until soft and caramelised.

Step 4: Drain the pasta, reserving a little of the cooking water. Add the pasta and water to the frying pan. Add the cheese and some ground pepper. Stir until emulsified.

Step 5: Serve, with more Stilton crumbled over the top.