Gluten-Free – Page 41 – The Food Wife

Tarragon and Mustard Chicken

4th September 20184th September 2018
by thefoodwife

Serves 2-3

Tarragon is such a beautiful herb and is a classic with chicken. Here it is paired with Dijon mustard and lemon to make a marinade that can be easily scaled up, but the quantities here are perfect for two or three chicken breasts.

Ingredients:
2-3 chicken breasts, butterflied

For the marinade:
2 tsp rapeseed or olive oil
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp light brown sugar
4 tsp tarragon, chopped
A pinch each of salt and pepper
Juice of 1/2 a lemon

Step 1: Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a dish or sealable bag and mix.

Step 2: Add the chicken and massage so the meat is coated in the marinade.

Step 3: Either cover the dish in clingfilm or seal the bag and leave to marinate for an hour or two in the fridge.

Step 4: Remove from the fridge 20 minutes before you are ready to cook.

Step 5: Grill under a high heat for about four minutes on each side until cooked through.

I sliced this into thin strips and served it with a roasted vegetable and grain salad at lunchtime. It would be good as a more substantial meal, left whole, serving a breast per person with a warm potato salad (why not use tarragon in the dressing) and a large green salad on the side.

Ox Cheek RagÃ¹

31st August 201831st August 2018
by thefoodwife

Serves 14

This is such a simple dish with few ingredients that really makes an impact. It is excellent for batch cooking and the good news is that a little goes a long way so this feeds a lot of people. My recipe here is for the Instant Pot but it can be slow cooked on the hob or in the oven (see my notes at the end).

I am a huge fan of ox cheek. It is relatively cheap but has the most wonderful flavour and texture. It has to be cooked for a long time but using the pressure cooker means it is done in a fraction of the time.

You want a good Italian red wine for this dish and I absolutely adore Montepulciano Dâ€™Abruzzo. Lidl do one that’s exceptional value for the quality at Â£3.99. This recipe uses half a bottle which means thereâ€™s enough for a glass or two for the cook!

This has become a favourite dish in our household and is often on the menu, most recently as part of an Italian-themed dinner party.

Serve with a pasta of your choice and some freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino.

Ingredients:
3 tbsp olive oil
3-4 celery stalks, finely diced
1 onion, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, finely diced
2 sprigs of rosemary, leaves removed and finely chopped
2 ox cheeks, cut in to large pieces (about 2 inches)
500g passata
375ml Montepulciano Dâ€™Abruzzo (Italian red wine)
Salt and pepper

Step 1: Set the Instant Pot to sautÃ© mode. When hot, add the oil, celery and onion, and stir frequently for five minutes.

Step 2: Add the garlic and ox cheek pieces. Stir frequently for a couple of minutes until the cheeks are browned slightly.

Step 3: Add the rosemary, passata, wine and a large pinch of salt and pepper. Stir.

Step 4: Switch sautÃ© mode off and replace the lid. Ensure the vent is set to sealing.

Step 5: Select manual, high pressure and set for 35 minutes. Allow it to depress naturally.

Step 6: Remove the lid and take out the cheek pieces and shred with a fork.

Step 7: Return the shredded meat to the pot, leave the lid off and set back on sautÃ© and allow to simmer for 10 minutes, and season to taste.

This is wonderfully rich and a little goes a long way. An Instant Pot ladleful per person (or three or four tablespoons of the sauce) stirred into freshly cooked pasta should do it. I portion this up and freeze for a quick and very satisfying meal.

If you are not using the Instant Pot, it is possible to achieve the same results in the oven or on the hob. Steps 1-3 should be done in a casserole dish on the hob, replace steps 4 and 5 with cooking on a low heat (lid on) either on the hob or oven (150c) for three to four hours. Step 6 remains as is whilst step 7 should be done on the hob, with the lid off.

Blackberry Jam

27th August 201827th August 2018
by thefoodwife

Makes 8 Jars

There is something very satisfying about picking fruit for free and making something delicious from it. Iâ€™m sure it makes it more tasty.

This weekend we went blackberry picking along the canal by our home and managed to collect a hefty haul and I knew exactly what I wanted to do with them.

Several passers by stopped to ask what theyâ€™d be turned in to; a pie, crumble, jam? That was the winner.

My normal weekday breakfast at the moment is homemade bread topped with jam. Even better if I can pair it with a homemade preserve!

I made this naturally gluten-free and I also ensured it was vegan and dairy free (see the note in step 4).

You will need a large heavy-bottomed pan, eight jam jars and lids (plus wax circles or other sealants), and a sugar thermometer is useful, but not necessary.

Ingredients:
1.75kg blackberries, washed
1.5kg jam sugar
Juice of 1 lemon

Step 1: Place the blackberries, sugar and lemon juice in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Place a saucer in the freezer.

Step 2: Heat the pan gently (I used a medium heat) so that the sugar dissolves into the natural juices of the blackberries.

Step 3: Bring to the boil and allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes (or, if using a sugar thermometer, when it reaches 102c).

Step 4: Remove from the heat whilst you test the consistency. Take the saucer from the freezer and put a teaspoon of the liquid on to it. Leave it to cool (30 seconds or so) and then push you finger in to it. If it wrinkles, it has reached the right consistency. If not, return the pan to the heat and boil again for another couple of minutes before testing again (make sure youâ€™ve put the saucer back in the freezer). Keep repeating this until you have reached the right consistency, at which point remove from the heat completely and skim off any scum collected on the top. N.b. If you are not keeping this vegan/dairy-free you could add a small knob of butter at this point to help dissolve any remaining scum.

Step 5: Allow the jam to settle for 10 minutes before ladling into sterilised jars.

Step 6: Seal appropriately (wax seals, lids etc.) and store in a cool dark place (they should keep like this for several months). Refrigerate after opening.

Pasta with Roasted Beetroot, a Walnut Pesto and Ricotta

22nd August 201824th August 2018
by thefoodwife

Serves 3-4

Iâ€™m so pleased with this invention I had to share it with you. This was the vegetarian pasta dish I served at an Italian-themed dinner party recently. I was serving an ox cheek ragÃ¹ to the meat eaters and wanted a dish that could stand up to it.

Roasting the beetroot gives it a beautiful sweetness to complement its earthiness. The soft ricotta gives bursts of creaminess whilst the walnut pesto lightly coats the pasta and brings everything together.

Whist this is a vegetarian dish, it can easily be made vegan by omitting the cheese elements, and gluten-free by using suitable pasta. You can roast the beetroot and make the pesto ahead of time, so you only need a short amount of time to cook the pasta and bring the dish together just before serving (step 5 onwards).

I’d not served a pink pasta dish before, but it went down well! Even the carnivores wanted to try some!

Ingredients:

For the roasted beetroot:
1 tbsp oil (olive or rapeseed are best)
4 beetroot, topped and tailed, cleaned, halved and cut in to wedges (8-10 per beetroot)
1 sprig of rosemary, finely chopped
Pinch each of salt and pepper

For the walnut pesto:
6 tbsp olive oil
75g walnuts, toasted
75g pecorino or parmesan, crumbled/roughly chopped
1-2 cloves of garlic, peeled
Pinch each of salt and pepper

For the pasta dish:
300g spaghetti
Oil
150g ricotta
Parmesan/pecorino

Step 1: Toss the ingredients for the roasted beetroot together (be careful as your fingers may stain pink!) and spread on a baking sheet (I lined mine with baking parchment as I wanted to stop the beetroot from sticking).

Step 2: Roast in a preheated oven at 180c for 50-60 minutes.

Step 3: Remove and leave to one side.

Step 4: Make the pesto (you can do this whilst the beetroot is roasting). Combine all the ingredients in a food processor or pestle and mortar and blitz/pound together. This will make more than you need (I froze the extra in little pots). I used two cloves of garlic and on tasting it had a real heat from the raw garlic, but this mellows in the cooking stage.

Step 5: Cook your pasta according to the packet instructions.

Step 6: Heat a frying pan on a medium-low heat. Add some oil (olive or rapeseed are best) and about half of the pesto and the roasted beetroot. Stir frequently for a couple of minutes.

Step 7: Add the drained pasta (reserving a little of the cooking water) and toss together, adding a little cooking water to loosen as required.

Step 8: Serve with the fresh ricotta (use a teaspoon to drop little pieces over the pasta) and offer grated parmesan or pecorino at the table.

The Food Wifeâ€™s Chocolate and Amaretto Italian Cheesecake

20th August 201826th August 2018
by thefoodwife

Serves 8-12

A totally indulgent dessert which is rich with chocolate and mascarpone and spiked with the beautifully almondy amaretto. If you want a non-alcoholic version then you can of course omit the liqueur from the filling; youâ€™ll still get a delightful hit of almond from the amaretto biscuit base. If you are making this gluten-free omit the Ferrero Rocher decoration.

This is a non-bake cheesecake, so it needs time in the fridge to firm up. It needs three sessions in the fridge so make sure you allow enough time. Either make it the day before or the morning of the evening you intend to serve it. You need about three hours for the filling to fully set before you add the ganache which then needs an hour in the fridge.

I was serving this at the end of an Italian-themed dinner party. If youâ€™d like to do the same look out for my ox cheek ragÃ¹ and roasted beetroot and walnut pesto with ricotta for main course ideas.

You will need a loose-bottomed cake tin; I used one with an unclippable outer ring.

Ingredients:

For the base:
160g amaretti biscuits, crushed to resemble bread crumbs
50g butter, melted

For the cheesecake filling:
150g best dark chocolate (minimum 60% cocoa solids)
500g mascarpone
200ml double cream
100g icing sugar
50ml amaretto liqueur

For the ganache topping:
100g best dark chocolate (minimum 60% cocoa solids)
100ml double cream

Optional decoration:
9 Ferrero Rocher (leave out if making this gluten-free)
Cocoa powder

Step 1: Make the base by mixing the amaretti biscuits with the butter until combined and then press into the base of the tin. Level out with the back of a spoon and put in the fridge for at least 20 minutes to set.

Step 2: Begin to prepare the filling by carefully melting the dark chocolate in a bowl over simmering water. Ensure the base of the bowl does not touch the water, nor should any liquid go in to the chocolate otherwise it will seize up and you will have to start again. Once melted, remove the bowl from the heat and allow to cool.

Step 3: Whilst the chocolate is cooling, sieve the icing sugar in a separate bowl and add the double cream. Whisk until it forms stiff peaks then add the amaretto liqueur and fold in (or whisk very gently) until combined.

Step 4: Only once the chocolate has cooled but is still liquid (this is very important as you do not want the chocolate to seize up), beat in the mascarpone cheese using a spoon or whisk. Mix until smooth and evenly combined.

Step 5: Gently fold in the cream mixture until smooth.

Step 6: Spread evenly over the set biscuit base, loosely cover and return to the fridge to set for at least three hours.

Step 7: To make the ganache topping, break the remaining dark chocolate into small pieces and place in a bowl. Heat the remaining cream until just boiling and then pour into a bowl and add the chocolate. Leave to rest for a couple of minutes and then stir; the chocolate should melt into the cream and begin to thicken as it cools. (If the ganache splits, try adding a little bit of warm milk and whisking until smooth. You can eat the ganache split, it just isnâ€™t as aesthetically pleasing!)

Step 8: Once cool, spread evenly over the set cheesecake and return to the fridge to fully set (about an hour). If you would like, arrange some unwrapped Ferrero Rocher on the top and sift a little cocoa powder over the top.

Step 9: Once ready to serve, carefully remove from the tin. You may need to run a pallet knife around the edge before removing.