Ingredients
For the base:
200g plain flour
7g easy-blend dried yeast
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
125ml warm water
Olive oil (to grease the pan)
For the topping:
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes (well drained)
1 tsp mixed herbs
1 tbsp. vegetarian pesto (see recipe)
Grated cheese (I used mature Cheddar)
Salt and Pepper, to taste.
Method
Heat oven to 240C/220C fan/gas 9. Oil a 20 x 24cm baking tray. Mix the flour, yeast, salt and the sugar in a bowl, then stir in the water. Bring the mixture together, knead until smooth, then press into the oiled tray.
Mix the drained tomatoes, mixed herbs, pesto and salt and pepper together in a large bowl. Spread over the base and top with the grated cheese.Bake for 15-20 mins or until cooked through.
Cheap, simple, nutritious. Use this to make a spag bol, lasagne, a base for chilli or cottage pie.
Serves 6 – it’s worth making in this quantity to freeze if not needed in one sitting.
Ingredients
3 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
3 carrots, finely chopped
3 celery sticks, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
500g bag dried red lentils
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato purée
2 tsp each dried oregano and thyme
3 bay leaves
1l vegetable stock
Method
Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Cook gently for 15-20 mins until everything is softened. Stir in the lentils, chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, herbs and stock. Bring to a simmer, then cook for 40-50 mins until the lentils are tender and saucy – splash in water if you need. Season.
Serve immediately. Alternatively, cool the sauce and chill for up to 3 days. Or freeze for up to 3 months. Simply defrost portions overnight at room temperature, then reheat gently to serve.
Rock cakes
Makes 10
Ingredients
200g self raising flour
75g caster sugar
100g butter
1 egg
1 tsp. mixed spice
100g dried fruit
1 tbsp. milk
Method
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and line a baking tray with baking parchment.
- Mix the flour, sugar and baking powder in a bowl and rub in the cubed butter until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs, then mix in the dried fruit.
- In a clean bowl, beat the egg and milk together with the vanilla extract.
- Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and stir with a spoon until the mixture just comes together as a thick, lumpy dough. Add a teaspoon more milk if you really need it to make the mixture stick together.
- Place golfball-sized spoons of the mixture onto the prepared baking tray. Leave space between them as they will flatten and spread out to double their size during baking.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden-brown. Remove from the oven, allow to cool for a couple of minutes then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool.
Chocolate and Beetroot Cake
Serves 8
Ingredients
250g plain cooked (vacuum packed) beetroot drained
200g quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa)
200g plain flour
200g unsalted butter*, melted
100g dark brown sugar
100g caster sugar
3 large eggs
2tbsp cocoa powder
2tsp baking powder
1tsp vanilla extract
Icing sugar for dusting
Method
- Pre heat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. Grease and line a 23cm loose bottomed cake tin.
- Chop the beetroot into quarters and puree in a food processor.
- Break the chocolate into small pieces and put to one side – some larger pieces will give the cake a great texture.
- Add the remaining ingredients, including the broken chocolate, to the processor and whizz until well mixed. Pour into the prepared cake tin and lightly level out the surface.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. The surface of the cake may have cracked a little. Allow the cake to cool for a few minutes in the tin before removing to a cooling rack.
- Dust lightly with icing sugar and serve in wedges.
It’s Not Easy Being Green
Ingredients
1 apple
1 kiwi
1 handful frozen spinach
1 slice melon
5cm chunk of cucumber
1 pear
2cm chunk of ginger
1 cup water
Method
Put all of the ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour over ice to serve.
Butternut Squash and Chickpea Stew
Ingredients (serves 6)
2 tbsp oil (sunflower, olive or rapeseed all work well)
2 large onions (diced)
3 fat cloves garlic (crushed)
1 celery stalk (finely sliced)
1 tsp. black pepper
1tsp. turmeric
½ tsp cinnamon
½ teaspoon ginger
100g red lentils
1 large can chickpeas (400g) drained and rinsed well
1 tin chopped tomatoes (400g) (or chop your own – it’s easy)
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into large cubes (about 1”)
1.2 litres veg stock
50g small pasta
Method
Heat the oil in a large saucepan (medium heat). Add onions and fry until just turning golden. Turn heat down to low and add garlic, celery, pepper, turmeric and ginger. Cook for a couple of minutes.
Add lentils, chickpeas, tomatoes and cook on a low heat for 15 minutes.
Add butternut squash and stock. Cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Add pasta and simmer until cooked. Keep an eye on this, small pasta shapes cook quickly.
Season with salt and pepper.
Carrot and Beetroot Salad
Ingredients
2 medium carrots
1 medium beetroot
30g salted nuts
30g raisins
Method
Grate the carrot and beetroot. Mix together with the nuts and raisins.
Vegetable Layer Bake (serves 6)
Thinly sliced potatoes (2 large)
2 onions (sliced)
4 cloves garlic (crushed)
4 mushrooms (sliced)
1 400g tin butter beans (rinsed)
100g frozen sweetcorn
100g brown lentils
Enough gluten free vegetable stock to cover
A knob of butter
Mixed herbs
Black pepper
Preheat the oven to Gas 3
Prepare all the vegetables.
Layer up the ingredients in a large casserole in this order:
1/3 of the potatoes
½ of the onion
½ the mushrooms
½ tin butter beans
½ the sweetcorn
½ the lentils
Mixed herbs and black pepper
Repeat, and finish with a final layer of potato.
Add enough stock to cover, pop on a lid and place in a preheated oven (gas 3 ) for 1 hour.
Take off lid and bake for a further ½ hr.
*You can make this dish vegan by leaving out the butter*
Make room for the mushrooms
Bean and Mushroom Paté
Serves 6
Ingredients
150g mushrooms finely chopped
2 fat cloves garlic
50g butter
1 x 400g tin of rosecco beans (or butter beans) drained and rinsed
1 tsp mixed herbs
Splash of balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
This couldn’t be easier. Finely chop the mushrooms. Add to a large pan with the butter (medium heat). Try to resist the urge to stir for a couple of minutes. Then add the garlic, cook for a couple more minutes (you can stir now!). Finally, add the herbs, balsamic and beans and mash thoroughly until the ingredients form a paste. Season to taste and pop in individual ramekins. Allow to cool before putting in the fridge. Eat with gluten-free toast or oatcakes.
These are great to make on a chilly winter’s day. They are light, yet comforting and the smell of yeasted buns and spices fills the house with a warm, Christmassy smell.
Ingredients
450g plain flour
7g dried yeast
1 teaspoon salt
50g caster sugar
2 eggs (beaten)
50g melted Trex (vegetable lard)
150ml tepid milk
175g mixed fruit
1 teaspoon mixed spices
To finish
1 egg to glaze
1 teaspoon caster sugar
1/2/ teaspoon cinnamon
Method
Measure the flour, yeast, salt, spices and caster sugar into a large bowl (the bigger, the better) and mix well. Make a well in the middle and pour in the melted Trex, eggs and milk, adding the mixed fruit last. Mix to a smooth, soft dough.
Turn the mixture out on to a lightly floured work surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic (approx 5 minutes). Place in an oiled bowl and cover with oiled cling film and leave in a warm place until doubled in size (about 1 hr). My house is quite chilly, so I put a doubled over clean tea towel on top of the cling film for some extra insulation!
Lightly grease a deep 12 hole muffin tin.
Turn the risen dough out of the bowl and knead well until it is smooth and elastic – this won’t take long at all. Divide into 12 equal pieces and place in the greased muffin tin. Cover again with the oiled cling film (and tea towel, if using) and leave until doubled in size again (about 30 minutes).
Preheat the oven to Gas5/ 190C/ 375F.
Mix the beaten egg, caster sugar and cinnamon together and brush over the buns. Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped. Cool on a wire rack.
These are delicious served with butter and a nice cup of tea.
