Chocolate cheese cake

Sorry for the lack of recipes recently. First of all I had a very nasty wrist sprain where it was too painful to type and then my computer decided to play up and getting on here was impossible.

And now I've hit the summer madness. This time of year is always tricky, apart from the usual 'end of academic year' stuff it's birthday season. We are a family of 4 and 3 of our birthdays are within 2 weeks and the last is only a month later. Franky even I can get sick of the sight of cake. So for my darling husband's birthday I opted out of cake and made a chocolate cheese. If you know my husband this would make perfect sense, the marriage of cheese and chocolate is simply his idea of heaven.

Chocolate cheese cake may sound easy. It is but getting a gluten free one that we could guarantee was free from nuts and palm oil required a bit of adapting from the old 'bash-up some digestive biscuits' method. This one is double-choc as the base is chocolately too and it is easily adapted.....

Who can eat it?

It's vegetarian, egg free (not all cheese cakes are), gluten and wheat free and nut free BUT I can actually do a vegan and dairy free 'I can't believe it's not cheese cake' version too!

Who can't eat it?

If you are on a reducing diet then you will have to pass, the vegan version is somewhat healthier being lower in calories and fat but it is still very rich. This really is a special occasion dish. 

Ingredients

  For the base

• 150g well crushed gluten free breakfast flakes
• 45g of melted butter or cocoa butter (cocoa butter is vegan) 
• 50g caster sugar 
• 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder 
• a pinch of salt

For the topping (regular version, the vegan version is lower down the blog)

• 120ml whipping cream
• 150g dark chocolate, melted and cooled 
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder mixed with a little hot water to form a runny paste
• 200g cream cheese 
• 90g caster sugar
• 8 strawberries (optional)

Note: make sure you choose chocolate and coco powder are good quality and gluten free, not all is.

This dish is best made in a 7 inch spring-form tin. If like me you don't have one use a sandwich tin liner in a 7 inch sandwich tin. You should grease the inside of the tin or liner with a little of which ever butter you are using.

Combine the ingredients for the base, mixing well. Spread evenly across the base of your tin and pop in the freezer.

Whip the cream into soft peaks then fold in the melted chocolate and cocoa paste.
In a separate bowl whisk the cream cheese with the caster sugar. Add the cheese mix to the cream mixture and gently fold until evenly combined.

Now gently spread the mixture evenly over the base and return to the freezer for an hour before transferring to the fridge. Just before serving slice some strawberries in half and arrange around the top.

Yum!!

The vegan version.

This is a recipe I usually turn into frozen chocolate push pops for my children. You will need:

• 2 very ripe avocados (yes really!)
• 70g of cocoa powder
• a large pinch of good quality, finely milled salt.
• 150g of maple syrup (or golden syrup if you are stuck) 
• 60g of cocoa butter (melted)

In a food processor blend the avocado, while processing add the cocoa powder and salt then the maple syrup, then finally add the melted cocoa butter. As this cools it is just about possible to pop it into a bowl and whisk it to get more air in but it is rarely worth the bother. Carefully spread this over your frozen base and return to the freezer for about 40 minutes before moving over to the fridge.

If the thought of avocado in a desert is too much for you 3 bananas that are going brown but not yet soft will work but it's not as rich, you will also need to miss out the salt, reduce the syrup by about a third and leave in the freezer for about an hour before moving to the fridge for another hour. Like I said this also works well in 'home freeze' push-pop molds as a treat for children.

Serve with strawberries on the top or alternatively try orange or clementine segments with the skins removed.

May you have a yummy time, and remember nice mums let the kids lick the whisks when the mixing is done and REALLY nice mums turn the whisk off first!! xx

BBQ inclusive style

Save me from the undercooked vegetable kebabs!!!!

Scary memories of undercooked, slightly soggy courgette pieces, pinned next to boiling hot baby tomatoes and under cooked mushrooms and onion.

The reason why so many veggie kebabs don't cook properly is that vegetables that cook at different speeds are cubed and packed too tightly together. Here are things that do work for us.

Par-boiled asparagus spears coated in melted butter and finished off on the BBQ.

Thin slices of courgette and aubergine, (a mandolin slicer is great for this) brushed in oil and char-grilled.

Large flat mushrooms (whole or cut into thick slices) and brushed with oil.

Slices or fine segments of fennel (brushed with more oil).

Fine slices of sweet potato.

Young sprouting stems of broccoli (green or purple).

Slices of halumi cheese (again, better when brushed in a little olive oil).

Halves of pepper. These are much nicer really burnt on the skin side then strip the burnt bits off before serving (don't do this under running water as it washes the flavour away).

Flat-bread -  http://the-inclusive-cook.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/flat-bread.html If the whim for a BBQ strikes you can bet you don't have any gluten-free rolls in or for miles around! Make the flat bread the normal way, cover one side in hummus (immediately boosting everyones 'five a day' count) and it will wrap up the vegetables and cheese a treat.

Pineapple slices, fresh works best but do be aware that BBQ-ing may not be hot enough to kill the enzymes people might be allergic too. Glazing with honey towards the end can be very nice.

Bananas in the skin. Personally I hate banana but I'm told that injecting them with a spirit such as Tia Maria before cooking makes a great desert for grown ups.

Pears or soft eating apples, push an 'apple slicer' half way down then bring it back up, in the gaps in between the slices shove in tiny pieces of chocolate (if you are vegan this needs to be the high coco, milk free version). Then wrap in kitchen foil and pop straight into the ashes. Be careful unwrapping and allow to cool a little before serving.

A cooking apple with the core removed, fill the middle with home-made mincemeat, wrap in foil and treat as above. 

A couple of points to note:

Almost any vegetable will work when sliced thinly and brushed with oil. You fancy pumpkin slices? Make pumpkin slices, they will work. Just make sure your BBQ is hot and ready. 

And on that note, BBQs work really well with fatty meat, the fat melts, drips down and keeps the charcoal burning hot and for a long time. Clearly vegetables do not have this sort of fat. To compensate for this you will either need to keep brushing your veg with oil, or get super organised before you start so you can cook really quickly while the coals are still at their hottest, or you can cheat a little and par-boil or part steam your veggies. Or a combination of the 3. For safety's sake never pour oil directly onto the BBQ.


Vegetarian sausages are great but it is rare to get gluten free ones and just as rare to get ones that are palm oil free. You have been warned! Also they all tend to be low in fat so always brush with oil and never cook from frozen as the outside will be burnt before the middle is hot.

Finally I know very little about cooking meat but I do know about ingredients. If you are cooking for a gluten-free meat eater (or a meat eater with any other allergy) stick with proper cuts of meat as burgers and sausages in the UK nearly always contain wheat (sometimes called rusk).

And now I'm off to enjoy the last day of summer as going on my experience of previous years 'it feels like autumn already' will start before the week is out ESPECIALLY as I've written a post all about BBQ - blame it all on me!

Fun with Fennel

While on a rare trip to a supermarket a few days ago I happened to spot some bulbs of fennel on offer so I picked them up. I like fennel, it has an interesting aniseed taste, I had originally thought to juice it to get a maximum taste hit but due to a mix up on my grocery order I didn't have a meal planned for last night so I made a spur of the moment decision to make fennel bake.

Who can eat it?

As usual this is a vegetarian gluten free recipe, you could also leave out the cheese and it would be vegan (this was one of my favourite dishes when I was vegan but my family REALLY like their cheese!) It's egg free (check your g-f bread carefully if using it), nut free, wheat free, yeast free and Coeliac friendly (leave out the cheese).

Who can't eat it?

It is possible that this may be too high in fibre for those with Crohns or colitis. Those with IBS may also want to watch out however fennel is supposed to have a calming effect on the stomach and bowel so actually this may work really well!

I'm going to give you a few different versions of this (why do one recipe when you can do 3?!). WITH gluten free pasta, it's big and bulky with plenty of calories and should serve 4, without the pasta it's nicely low in carbs and calories and might just feed 2 and finally there's a version at the end without pasta, onion  or tomato that goes nicely with a salad or 'Sunday veg'.

Ingredients 

2 small bulbs of fennel
1 shallot - optional
1 tablespoon of olive oil
300g of dried gluten-free penne pasta
400g of pasata (Suma do a nice organic one in jars that is sulphate free)
a large pinch of dried oregano 
2 tablespoons of black olives (drained from the brine!) cut in half. -optional

Topping
Either 1 cup of gluten free bread crumbs OR  half a cup of cooked quinoa and 2 tablespoons of buckwheat groats. 
and if dairy is OK, some cheese, blue cheese tastes fab but so does a hard cheese like Parmesan or even Cheddar.

Cook your pasta to a point where is it slightly under cooked. (You can read how to do that here http://the-inclusive-cook.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/pasta-food-of-champions.html )
Finely slice the fennel, (retain any leaves for garnishing the finished dish if you like that sort of thing) and the shallot and fry with the oil on a high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Keep it moving and do NOT let it start to brown. Turn off the heat and add the cooked pasta (if your are using it), the pasata, the oregano and the olives if you are using them. (I had to leave them out and serve them as a garnish as my husband hates olives with a passion!) and gently stir then pop into your oven dish. Or you could just crumble some cheese on the top and serve it as is if time is short (4 dishes ;) )

Now choose your topping. Let me explain my thinking here - I chose quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) and buckwheat for a few simple reasons 1) they are both complete proteins, 2) they are more fun than gluten-free bread 3) I have them in my cupboard. I do try not to put anything too unusual on this blog, I want you to feel it's stuff you can easily cook for people, I short I want to show that with a little thought most cooks can cater for any and every kind of allergy, intolerance or ethical eating plan. The turning point on including buckwheat and quinoa was that 2 of my local supermarkets and the village shop now stock them so I figure they shouldn't be too hard for you to find.

Back to the topping, the easy choice is bread-crumbs. Choose your gluten-free bread with care and make sure it doesn't have egg or other allergens in it. Lightly toast it and crumble into breadcrumbs scattering it over the top.  

On to the quinoa, a common mistake is not to wash the seeds before you use them. Measure your seeds, stick them in a sieve and give them a jolly good wash under the tap, if you don't do this they can taste rather bitter. Now pop the wet seeds in a pan and add twice the quantity of fresh water. Pop a lid on the pan and bring to the boil. Reduce to a low boil for 15minutes when just like easy cook rice all the water should be absorbed and you should have nice fluffy quinoa. Mix with the buckwheat (this will add a nice crunch) and scatter over your fennel and pasta mix.

Dot over the blue cheese or grate your harder cheese if that's what you are using. I've not given a quantity of cheese because frankly you know how much cheese your family like, what might be normal for us might be tonnes for you and for vegans I can reassure you it tastes just fine without though a little drizzle of olive oil over the top might just improve the crunchiness of the topping later on.

Now pop the whole thing into an oven at gas mark 6/ 200 C/ 400F for about 40 minutes.

Serve with your retained fennel leaves for a garnish or with a green salad or just as it is.

Yum. Scoff the lot then face-palm because you didn't take a picture....

Crunchy fennel slices. (Tomato free version)

Trim the root and leaves from your fennel. Sit the bulb up right on the chopping board. Imagine it is an orange and you are going to cut it into segments (from tip to root), For a small bulb make 4 segments for a larger one make 8. Pop the segments into pan of boiling water for 8 minutes then fish them out and rinse in cold water.

Pop in an oven-safe dish you will serve them in. Coat them in a generous table spoon of olive oil then scatter the topping mixture over them and pop them in the oven at gas mark 5 for 30 minutes or until tender then serve.

(Sorry no pictures of this as I haven't done it in a LONG time.)



Final note, while fennel is very calming on the digestion it is quite 'cleansing', which is another word for saying 'it makes you pee a lot'. Just in case you needed to know that!!

Flat bread

This is a very simple recipe from 'project bread' that is definitely worth sharing.

Project bread is my attempt to come up with very easy gluten free bread that is cheaper than the supermarket stuff and quick to make. It's not been going well. As I've explained before most of my loaves come out more like a weapon than a food stuff. (Those that share my love of Terry Pratchett books will recognise the term 'dwarf bread') Sooner or later I'm going to have to beg a friend to give me lessons. But more than that, once I've factored in the time and expense they are a very similar cost to the ready made stuff (though obviously they are fresher and have less additives). However this recipe is quick, easy and as cheap as they get.

Anyway this recipe is born out of desperation on my part and a very basic knowledge of Indian cooking. It makes 8 small flat breads in about half an hour (faster if you are a better cook than me) which are suitable for use as a 'wrap' or for dunking into your soup or curry.

Who can eat it? 

Pretty much anyone. But if the eater is coeliac or dairy intolerant do use olive oil instead of butter.

Who can't eat it?

Pretty much no one.

Ingredients

1 cup of corn flour (I don't mean 'traditional English cornflour' which is often made from wheat, make sure this is maize flour)
about 125ml of water
salt (to taste)
and either some melted butter or olive oil

Fill your cup measure with flour and turn it upside down onto your work space. Lift the cup and admire your sandcastle flour dome. (Can you tell I get help from my children?) Now make a large whole into the top of your 'flour castle' so you have something resembling the top of a wide mouth volcano. Grind in as much salt as your taste or diet requires (if you are using olive oil or unsalted butter you may need more). Add about 100mls of your water into the middle and mix into a dough, keep adding water until you get something a bit like fresh playdoh, straight out of the pot (we get through a lot of playdoh in this house).

I then divided the dough into 8 equal portions (very conveniently these were 40g each) and rolled them out into saucer sized disks (about 15cms), I chose this size because it fits in my frying pan nicely, do whatever suits you.

Next pop your non-stick frying-pan (or griddle or flat-iron or hot plate etc) on to a high heat until it gets to temperature then turn it down to low. Next take your dry, rolled out dough and place it flat in the middle, it will only take a minute or so to cook one side but while it cooks press it down gently with either your finger tips or a wide spatula or fish slice (it's well known in this family that Mummy has no feeling in the ends of her fingers after years of work on the press in an industrial laundry so can do this hot stuff). Then flip it over and do the same while brushing the top side with melted butter.

The crispier wraps are thinner and cooked for longer, if you prefer something a little softer try making them slightly thicker and cooking them on a lower heat. (You could also add a little more water when mixing but this knowledge comes from experience.)

When the underneath is done flip it over onto a plate or cooling rack (I use the grill pan) and brush the other side with melted butter too while you then get on cooking the next.

These breads are best served warm but if you need to keep them for later pop them all inside a bit of tin foil, wrap it up and warm them in the oven later.

Ringing the changes

You should have worked out by now that I'll never settle for one recipe when I could have 2 or 3 slightly different ones. For something a little different add a few nigella seeds (the black bits you get in a nan bread) or chia seeds, even a few fennel seeds or cumin, perhaps a little celery salt if you are not sensitive to it. And if you want something a little more 'springy' add some ground flaxseed.

I admit this bread is nothing ground-breaking, anyone from an Asian heritage will recognise them as a VERY basic roti but I'm putting them in here because they are quick, cheap, very easy and suitable for so many people, all you need is a little gluten free flour (and to be honest almost any flour will do) and half an hour - quicker and cheaper than a trip to the shop!

And now I have to go and decide what to put in mine for lunch.....

Chocolate 'cup-cake' for one

I admit this post is a bit of a cheat, I've written this recipe before here (scroll to the bottom half) but it's been so popular, not just with you dear reader but with my own family however it wont show up on my smart phone, so I can't check the quantities on the move (I am terrible at remembering these things). So here it is again.

The microwave mug cake recipe

Who's it suitable for?

It's egg free, it's nut free, it's yeast free, it's wheat free, it's vegetarian and also vegan and it's coeliac friendly. It's not high fibre but the high levels of cocoa may not be suitable for all sufferers of IBS and Crohns, best to check. And it does contain high levels of sugar and fat (oil) so it's not suitable for those on a reducing diet.

It is extremely suitable for young children to make on their own (with a little supervision). Apart from the fact that they LOVE the result ("a whole cake, just for me?!!) it helps them with measuring and pouring skills as well as reading, maths and science (reversible and irreversible changes). The fact that the result is nice and quick is also a bonus in retaining their interest. Just watch the temperature when it comes out of the oven.

Ingredients

1/4 of a cup of rice flour (or other gluten free flour, but rice flour works best)
1/4 of a cup of sugar
1 tablespoon of (diary and gluten free) coco-powder
a pinch of gluten free baking powder
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of oil
3 tablespoons of water
1 drop of vinegar (do not trust yourself to pour this out of the bottle, pop some on a spoon and from there add one drip!)

Add all the dry ingredients to the mug and mix, add all the wet ingredients, mix and pop in a microwave for about 2 minutes (mines a 700W, if yours is more powerful reduce the cooking time). And hey-presto one cake!! Eat from the mug while still warm, maybe add a blob of cream!

"Actually that's really nice" - Lentil Dahl

I wont lie, sometimes it's been a bit of a stretch to get my girls to try something 'new'. Unless I call it cake and stick candles on it, it is always met with an air of reluctance (and that's putting it mildly). They are not naturally adventurous eaters. However I decided it was time we did curry so I looked back through my scrap book of recipes (I've been collecting since my early 20's) and came up with this recipe for dahl by combining something clipped out of a Sainsbury's magazine and an article by Madhur Jaffrey. 

Who can eat it?

Vegans, vegetarians, coeliacs, children (as curries go this is very, very mild, if it was just adults eating I'd double all the spices). It has no gluten, no wheat and no nuts either.

Who can't eat it?

Those allergic to lentils (or other legumes) and those allergic to onions will have to leave this dish out. Some with Crohns, ulcerative colitus and highly sensitive IBS may also have to avoid this dish due to it's relatively high fibre content. I know some can't eat 'spicy food' but as I've already said this dish is very, very mild, this may just be the curry you can eat but if it's for a guest check with them first.

Ingredients

My top tip for your ingredients is to get really good quality herbs and spices, if possible buy whole and grind your own and then you know they haven't been thinned out with wheat flour or anything daft. Avoid using old spices as they don't have the same taste and never use a 'ready made mix' as all sorts of allergens can be hiding inside.
 
250g red split lentils
1 bay leaf
500mls of water
1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
1 bay leaf
1 cup of easy cook basmati rice plus 2 cups of water per person  
A pinch of saffron
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon of finely chopped fresh raw ginger root
2 small cloves of finely chopped garlic (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
1/2 ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon chilli powder (optional)
A handful of raisins*
Salt and pepper to taste
Coriander leaves to garnish 

 *I'm allergic to palm and coconut which is often used to coat raisins to make them look nice so I tend to use one small packet of Sunmaid Californian Raisins because these don't have any oil on. 

Start by rinsing your lentils well to remove any grit then place them in a good sized pan with the water and bay leaf and half a teaspoon of turmeric. Stir well and bring gently to the boil then simmer for 40mins by which time you should have a yellow mush, don't let it burn to the bottom of the pan as it's a devil to get off!
Use the next 25 minutes profitably by getting the rest of the stuff ready because then you will need to get the rice on. 

Rinse your basmati rice and 25 minutes after you put the lentils on pop it in twice the quantity of boiling water with a pinch of saffron. (e.g. if you are using 2 cups of rice you need 4 cups of water) Put the lid on the rice and leave on a low simmer for the next 15minutes.

Moments later (and in your third pan!) warm the oil (you could use ghee or butter instead of oil if it doesn't have to be dairy free) and very gently fry your onion for about 6 to 8 minutes. We are after very gently cooked onion, burning will not enhance your dish! 

Next add the ginger and the garlic (if you are using it) and cook for two further minutes.
While you are doing this take a your handful of raisins and add them to the rice, giving it all a quick stir before you slam the lid back on.

Now add all the rest of the spices and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring well. Then remove the bay leaf from your cooked lentils and add them to the onion mixture. 

Give everything a gentle stir and if it has gone too thick to stir easily add a little water until it is as runny as you desire (I like mine to have a little substance but I have a friend who prefers it like soup).
Add salt and pepper to taste and that's it, you can serve up.

It looks nice if you can serve it with some Mango Chutney and possibly some plain yoghurt if you don't have to keep dairy free. If you'd like a nan bread to go with it Tesco do a nice gluten free one (but it's not vegan). It looks even better if you have a little fresh coriander to go on top but sadly I didn't. (Note to self - must get better at presenting and photographing food!)

Ringing the changes.

Adding some steamed/boiled veg such as carrot, cauliflower, sweetcorn and potato together with some fresh skinned and chopped tomatoes and a bit of extra water turns this into a nice vegetable curry. 


Try adding a few handfuls of (gluten free) breadcrumbs to the dahl, roll it up into balls and press flat for burger shapes and you have an indian flavour rissole you can shallow fry later (this is great for using up the left-overs if you have any). This goes really well with a salad.

If you want something a little lower in carbs then skip the rice and go for lightly steamed cauliflower pushed through a potato ricer and 'thin out' the dahl with a tin of chopped tomatoes and heat through. 

If you'd like to up the calorie content and don't have a problem with coconut then I suspect that grating in some creamed coconut would be really nice, (but not for me).

The verdict

At first the girls took a look and declared they would eat the rice but wouldn't touch "that other stuff", however with a little Mummy-know-how I got them to taste it and was rewarded with

"Actually that's really nice"

Daddy has now explained that it's better to say such sentences without such a sound of surprise in your voice. But 'really nice' from a really picky eater? I'll settle for that!

More soup

'Project bread', where I try to make a great gluten free loaf for less than a store bought one has not been going well. Aside from the Sun Dried Tomato Corn Cakes my bread has had a tendency to turn out like dwarf bread, a little short (or unrisen) and more like a weapon than a food stuff, Captain Carrot might have been pleased but I am not. (And it fails in my chosen criteria of being cheaper than the shop bought.) I am glum. What to do with lots of bread that has to be eaten quickly? The answer as always is make soup to dunk it in!

I've been experimenting with leek and potato soup. It was nice but without a a good few spoonfuls of dairy it lacked a certain something. So tried leek and sweet potato soup. To be honest the early ones  were not fab and again without a half pint of cream they were a bit flat. But I am pleased to announce that I have cracked it. A super creamy soup without a trace of dairy!

Who can eat it?

Vegans, vegetarians, coeliacs, wheat/gluten intolerant. It's egg free, nut free and yeast free.

Who can't eat it?

Some with IBS or Crohn's disease may find it a little fibrous and anyone allergic to alliums should steer clear.

Ingredients

About 300g of finely sliced leeks (use only the white stuff, no green)
About 400g of cooked sweet potato flesh
400g can of butter beans, rinsed
Olive oil
750ml water

Use enough olive oil to gently fry the leeks in. Do NOT fry on full blast, we are not after caramelised or even burn leeks, just really soft ones. Add the sweet potato flesh and the rinsed butter beans. Add 750ml of water and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat then blend in your chosen manner. I use a stick blender and keep going until all the large lumps have gone but it's not completely smooth. Add salt a pepper to taste.

This makes about 4 good sized portions.

It's soooo easy. No messing around trying to find the right stock, you can bake your sweet potato (I do mine in the microwave) while you are chopping the leeks and then rinsing them (a pesky bit of grit has spoilt many a leek dish) and your soup can be ready in next to no time.

So now I have fresh soup in the fridge to feed me lunch all this week and no one to share it with but Teddy.