Gluten-Free – Page 37 – The Food Wife

Pork Fried Rice

15th January 201915th January 2019
by thefoodwife

Serves 4

On a visit to Vietnam a few years ago, one evening we grabbed some dinner at a Bia HÆ¡i (literally “fresh beer”, as you can see the Food Husband enjoying in the photo). It was a humble but tasty affair of fried rice with meat and vegetables, cooked on the street and brought to us whilst we sat on the little plastic chairs on the pavement.

This is a nod to that meal, although the flavourings here are more Chinese with the hoisin and shaoxing rice wine.

I normally make a batch of the flavoured pork and then use half and freeze the other half for a quick and convenient meal for two. The rice is also best if completely cold, so if youâ€™re having a rice dish the night before, just cook some extra and pop it in the fridge ready for this the next day. Always be careful with cooked rice though, it must be fully reheated to ensure no bacteria remains.

Ingredients:

For the pork sauce:
1 tbsp oil
1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 inch ginger, peeled and finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
500g lean pork mince
2 tsp Chinese five spice
3 tbsp shaoxing rice wine
3 tbsp dark soy sauce (gluten-free if required)
1 tbsp fish sauce
5 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
Pepper

For the fried rice:
1 tbsp oil
4 handfuls of (frozen) vegetables
240g basmati rice, cooked and fully cooled
2 large free-range eggs

Step 1: Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok. Add the onion, ginger and garlic and stir fry for a couple of minutes.

Step 2: Add the pork mince and cook until browned and dry. Stir frequently.

Step 3: Add the spice, and cook for thirty seconds before adding the rice wine and sauces. Cook for a couple of minutes before seasoning with the sesame oil and a pinch of ground pepper.

At this stage you could freeze portions, or chill in the fridge until ready to use.

Step 4: To make the stir fried rice, heat the oil in a wok and crack in the two eggs. Stir to break these up to create a dry scrambled egg.

Step 5: Add the (frozen) vegetables and continue to stir fry. Next add the cold rice and turn through the egg and vegetables.

Step 6: Once the rice is hot, introduce the cooked pork in its sauce and stir until everything is piping hot. Serve immediately.

Creamy Spinach and Pea Pasta

14th January 201914th January 2019
by thefoodwife

Serves 2

I routinely plan each weekâ€™s meals in advance and this evening we were supposed to be having carbonara, however Iâ€™m actively trying to eat less meat and so I decided to ditch the meat and go veggie tonight. In fact ~~much to my husbandâ€™s delight~~ we will have a vegetarian or vegan evening meal several times a week.

The sauce is deceptively creamy. Deceptive because it contains no cream and is actually fairly low calorie. The lemon zest gives it a wonderful freshness and zing and itâ€™s got plenty of vegetables.

This is a vegetarian meal that can be cooked in 15 minutes and so is perfect for a midweek meal.

Ingredients:
150g pasta (gluten-free if required)
Oil (I used a spray olive oil)
1 onion, peeled and finely diced
1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced
100g frozen peas/petit pois
100g spinach, fresh or frozen, finely chopped
3 heaped tbsp 0% fat Greek yogurt
1 large free-range egg
2 tbsp grated Parmesan
1 unwaxed lemon, zest only
1 tbsp chopped parsley
Salt and Pepper

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

Step 2: Whilst the pasta is cooking, heat a little oil in a frying pan on a medium heat and add the onion. Soften for a few minutes and then add the garlic.

Step 3: After a minute or two add the frozen peas and spinach and stir, allowing the heat to cook the vegetables; this should take three or four minutes and they should keep their vibrant green colour.

Step 4: Combine the yogurt, egg, lemon zest, parsley and parmesan, and season with a pinch each of salt and pepper.

Step 5: Drain the pasta, reserving a little of the cooking water, and add to the pan, tossing amongst the vegetables. Lower the heat and add the yogurt mixture and a little cooking water to create a creamy sauce which coats the pasta. Check the seasoning and serve immediately.

Paneer

11th January 201911th January 2019
by thefoodwife

Makes approximately 250g

My husband loves cheese, as do I, but he loves it so much he wrote a book about it. His family love reciting the story of him leaving a family wedding with a wheel of cheese tucked under his arm as he made his way back to his hotel room.

A family get together always involves a cheeseboard but we hosted the latest celebration and decided weâ€™d also have a cheese dish as part of the main course, a saag paneer to accompany a chicken curry.

Whilst paneer is readily available from the supermarket, itâ€™s easy to make your own and takes only two ingredients and just an hour (during most of which you donâ€™t actually have to do anything) and youâ€™ll have your own homemade batch, plus the satisfaction of knowing youâ€™ve made your own cheese!

Ingredients:
2 litres whole milk
Juice of 1 lemon

Step 1: Heat the milk in a heavy-bottomed saucepan until it begins to froth and boil (be careful though as a moment too long and the milk will cascade out of your pan; I am speaking from experience!) then lower the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Continue to stir until the milk curdles and separates into the lumpy curds and watery whey.

Step 2: Line a large sieve with a muslin or cheesecloth and place over a pan or large bowl. Carefully pour the curdled milk through, so the curds remain. Run some cold water through the curds to rinse off any whey.

Step 3: Tie the curds in the cloth to hang from the tap for 10 minutes to allow excess whey to drip from it.

Step 4: Remove the cloth-tied curds from the tap and place on a plate, with a heavy object (I used the same milk pan filled with water) on top for 40 minutes. By this time the curds should be set and your paneer ready to use.

Store in the fridge, and any remaining cheese can be frozen.

Coconut and Fruit Oat Crumble Cookies

3rd January 20193rd January 2019
by thefoodwife

Makes approximately 18 cookies

These cookies arenâ€™t overly sweet and so are a good option for little ones. They have a soft, crumbly texture and are packed with oats and coconut. They could be made gluten-free by exchanging the plain flour for a gluten-free variety.

They are quick to make so are useful to have in your repertoire if you have some unexpected guests and want to offer something with a cup of tea!

Ingredients:
100g oats
100g plain flour (gluten-free if required)
100g softened butter
50g soft light brown sugar
50g dried berries/sultanas
50g desiccated coconut
1 large free range egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Step 1: Mix all ingredients together until you have a combined soft dough.

Step 2: Roll into 18 equal-sized balls and spread on one large (or two smaller) lined baking sheets.

Step 3: Use the back of a fork to press the top of the cookie so it becomes flattened (these donâ€™t really spread as they cook so you only need to leave a little space between each one).

Step 4: Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180c for 12-15 mins until golden.

Step 5: Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.

Thai-Style Steak Noodle Salad

20th December 201820th December 2018
by thefoodwife

Serves 2

Christmas time is synonymous with rich food. And a lot of it. Sometimes something fresh and light is needed, and that is exactly what this dish delivers. Itâ€™s fairly quick to make (the longest element is the marinating of the steak for half an hour).

I have used lime leaves in my dressing and marinade but if these arenâ€™t available, the zest of a lime will suffice.

When it comes to the salad element you can pick whatever you like. Keep a crunchy element though (I used iceberg lettuce) as this brings a different texture to the meal.

I served my steak rare, but by all means cook it longer to your preference.

Ingredients:

For the steak:
300g ribeye steak
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce (gluten-free if required)
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
Zest of 1 lime or 2 lime leaves, finely sliced

For the salad dressing:
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
1 inch of root ginger, peeled and grated
Juice of 1 lime
Zest of 1 lime or 2 lime leaves, finely sliced

For the salad:
100g dry vermicelli rice noodles, cooked according to the packet instructions and then cooled
4 handfuls of salad (e.g. lettuce, cucumber, pepper, spring onion all sliced/shredded)

Step 1: Combine the marinade for the steak and allow the steak to sit in it for about half an hour.

Step 2: Combine all of the ingredients for the salad dressing and set to one side.

Step 3: Put a non-stick frying pan on a high heat. Once hot, sear the steak (reserve the marinade) on each side for a minute (or more if you want it medium or well done). Pour the remaining marinade into the pan and then remove the steak and all of its juices from the pan, and cover with foil, and allow to rest for a few minutes.

Step 4: Cut the beef into thin slices.

Step 5: Combine the cooled noodles and salad with the dressing.

Step 6: Arrange on a plate or bowl and drape the steak over the top, pouring over any remaining juices from the beef.

Serve immediately (I like it with prawn crackers on the side).