Gluten-Free – Page 36 – The Food Wife

Marinated Olives

9th February 20199th February 2019
by thefoodwife

Olives make a great snack and they are a favourite nibble with drinks in our house. I like to buy a jar of olives in brine, sometimes stuffed, sometimes plain, but then jazz them up at home.

The version below is just an idea, you can switch up your aromats; try lemon zest and rosemary as a combination. You can then use the flavoured oil in salad dressings too!

Ingredients:
3 cloves of garlic, crushed or sliced
Herbs of your choosing (I used 1 tsp dried oregano and 1 sprig of fresh thyme)
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
Jar of olives
(Olive) oil

Step 1: Drain the jar of olives of their brine.

Step 2: Add the aromats (garlic, herbs and chilli), top the jar up with oil, and then replace the lid. Give it a good shake, and store in the fridge (they will last a few days) until ready to use.

Pork RagÃ¹

8th February 20198th February 2019
by thefoodwife

Serves 8

This recipe uses leftover roast pork, transforming one meal into another, with minimal effort. This ragÃ¹ is similar to the ox cheek recipe I posted before, and I know it went down well, so here is a little twist for the next time you have some leftovers after your Sunday dinner!

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 sticks of celery, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 heaped tsp fennel seeds
500g leftover roast pork, shredded or diced
500g passata
350ml red wine
Salt and pepper

Step 1: Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and add the celery, cook for five minutes, stirring every now and again.

Step 2: Add the garlic and fennel seeds and cook (and stir) for a further couple of minutes before adding the pork, passata and wine. Bring to a simmer, lower the heat, put a lid on the pan and cook for 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve 3 table spoons of sauce stirred through pasta. Portion up any leftovers and freeze for a quick and easy meal.

(Instant Pot) Sausage and Pasta Casserole

28th January 201928th January 2019
by thefoodwife

Serves 2 (+)

A perfect weeknight family meal, this sausage casserole is a one pot, Instant Pot, quick and easy satisfying meal that can be easily scaled up. The only things you scale up here are the sausages (2 per person), the carrot (1 per person), the pasta (75-100g per person) and the cups of water (1 per person). It requires about five or so minutes of work, and the Instant Pot does the rest. Itâ€™ll be on the table in no time.

N.b. If you do not have an Instant Pot, guidelines of how to cook this on the hob are included at the end.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp oil
1 red onion, large dice
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 pepper, deseeded, large dice
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1cm thick slices
4 sausages, cut in half (vegetarian/gluten-free if required)
150g-200g dried pasta (gluten-free if required)
500g passata
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (vegetarian/gluten-free if required, or simply leave out)
Pinch of sugar
Ground black pepper
Pinch of salt
2 (Instant Pot) cups of water (320ml)

Step 1: Using sautÃ© mode, add the oil and onion to the Instant Pot and sautÃ© for a couple of minutes.

Step 2: Add the garlic and pepper and stir, followed by the carrots and sausages.

Step 3: Lightly brown the sausages for a couple more minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 4: Add the wet ingredients, salt, pepper, sugar and pasta. Stir.

Step 5: Close the lid and set the valve to sealing. Manually set the Instant Pot to high pressure for half the cooking time detailed on the pasta packet. It should be around four or five minutes.

Step 6: Once the Instant Pot has finished, carefully, using a tea towel and handle of a wooden spoon, turn the valve to venting to do quick release. Check seasoning and serve!

If you are not making this in the Instant Pot you can make this on the hob; cook the pasta separately, following the packet instructions. Make the sauce (without the water) in a pan on a medium heat, following steps 1-3, then cook for about twenty minutes on a low simmer. Stir through the cooked pasta and serve.

Instant Pot Mexican Rice Bowl

22nd January 201922nd January 2019
by thefoodwife

Serves 2-4

The Instant Pot is excellent for one-pot meals, especially as you can sautÃ© ingredients first without using multiple pieces of equipment. This is just such a dish, it is quick to prepare and can be as easy (or as (moderately) complicated!) as you like; you can use homemade or shop bought spice mixes, omit any toppings or have all the toppings.

It is gluten free, and if you are including the chicken, itâ€™s a good way to use up leftovers from a roast and make a completely different second meal. However it can also be a vegan meal (just donâ€™t include any meat and keep the toppings vegan friendly). If you’re not including any meat then using beans is a good alternative protein. If you are using meat, then itâ€™s a good way to bulk the meal out to serve more people.

N.B. It is important to keep the rice on the top of the contents in the Instant Pot to avoid it catching or burning.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp Oil
1 red onion, medium dice
1 pepper, medium dice
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1 portion of fajita spice mix (or a shop bought sachet)
130g sweetcorn (tinned or frozen)
Optional: 1 tin of (kidney) beans, drained
150g basmati or long grain rice (approx. 1 Instant Pot cup)
320ml water (2 Instant Pot cups)
Optional: 2 raw chicken breasts or 250g cooked shredded chicken
Optional toppings:
Sliced spring onions
Grated/crumbled cheese
Shredded lettuce
Diced tomato
Sour cream
Avocado/guacamole
Sliced jalapeÃ±os
Lime wedges

Step 1: Set your Instant Pot to sautÃ© and add the oil along with the onion and pepper. Cook for a few of minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.

Step 2: Add the tinned tomatoes and spice mix. Stir well. Sprinkle in the sweet corn and beans (if using). If you are using raw chicken breasts, place in the pot now.

Step 3: Add the water and rice (sprinkle evenly around the pot).

Step 4: Switch off sautÃ© mode and place the lid on and ensure be valve is set to sealing. Manually set on high pressure for 10 minutes.

Step 5: When complete, carefully release the pressure using a wooden spoon and a tea towel.

Step 6: If you have cooked the chicken breasts in the Instant Pot, shred these now. If you are using ready-cooked/left over chicken, stir through the rice now. Replace the lid and leave for a couple of minutes to heat through.

Step 7: Serve each portion in bowls with a selection of toppings of your choice.

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.